Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

Author:Janet Lee Carey [Carey, Janet Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101559680
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-01-05T05:00:00+00:00

THAT AFTERNOON GARTH was outside more than in, touring the grounds with Tom to show the man his new duties. At mealtime he was pensive, and taking down a rushlight when darkness flooded in, he excused himself to read alone by the fireside. I walked down the hallway more than once, but he did not call me into the library as he’d once done.

Next day he made ready to quit the king’s lodge again, filling a bag with a bit of food, and his water skin at the well. I went outside before he left. Garth would not say where he was going, or when he would be back.

“Might I go along?” I asked, trying not to blush.

Garth did not look me in the eye. “I have my duties,” he said crisply.

I watched him go off alone on foot, without even Horace for company, slipping between the rowan trees and out of my vision.

I am not wanted here.

Back in the kitchen, Meg said she’d like to cook now that Tom was better. Even that duty was taken from me.

I retreated to the shadowed corridor.

You let your guard down, let yourself be duped into thinking he might love you. You are half fey. You’ve known that since the day before you returned with Alice. It’s time to go.

The room I’d shared with Poppy was empty. Her bed was neatly made.

I shouldn’t vanish without a word. I should write to him at least. I sat on the bed trying to think of what I might say. No words came. I’ll take parchment with me on a walk, write a letter in the woods, then leave it here for him before I go.

Before I could change my mind I went to the library where we’d talked so many times together, took a quill, an ink block, and parchment from the desk. In the kitchen I packed my writing supplies, water pouch, and food into a rucksack. Circling back to my room I paused to finger Grandfather’s handkerchief a moment before folding it and slipping it into the pack along with my traveling knife. I’d be back only long enough to drop off a letter, then on my way again.

The pewter sky foretold snow. Gusting wind blew my hood off as I stepped out the back door through the garden. No one called or tried to stop me. They’d seen me go out to walk the hounds often enough. This time I passed the howling dogs cooped up in the kennels to leap over the back fence. My noisy landing startled the blackbirds from the holly. For a moment I could not move, surrounded by a sudden wild flurry of black wings.

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