Gift of Griffins by V. M. Escalada

Author:V. M. Escalada
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DAW
Published: 2018-08-06T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

Ker dipped her hands into the cold water of the pond and splashed her face. She shivered. She hadn’t bathed or washed since leaving the Springs and Pools; she wasn’t about to bathe in this frigid water, but a clean face felt good. She tied back her hair with a leather thong. This wasn’t a time to be remembering the warm bathing pools of the Springs. “Are you going to be much longer?” she called to Weimerk, floating in the middle of the water, his wings spread out, his chin resting on the surface, his tail lazily swishing back and forth, holding him in place like a man treading water.

“It was you who wanted to stop.” Weimerk’s voice sounded completely adult now.

Ker reached over her head, clasped her hands, and stretched her torso first to one side, then the other, feeling the muscles in her back and sides loosen reluctantly. They had no reason to hurry—in fact, the contrary. Ker wasn’t looking forward to bringing bad news to those waiting in the Serpents Teeth. And once she was safely back, Weimerk would have to return to Griffinhome. “I needed to feel real ground under me,” she said, her hands now in the small of her back. “And I’m getting stiff. It’s like I’ve been on horseback for days. I ache all over. Hey!”

Weimerk appeared beside her on the bank, shaking water off his fur and feathers like a wet dog, lifting each paw in turn and giving them a shake as well. “You do not use the soul stone to its full potential. It can be used to heal others. Why not yourself?”

Ker finished wiping water off her face and lowered her hands to her hips. “It can be used to heal? When were you going to tell me this?”

“I have just told you.”

“But why didn’t you tell me before? Never mind.” She held out a hand, palm toward the griffin. “Because I never asked you. You should tell me things that I might find useful, even if I don’t ask.”

“That is not the way. Rather ask yourself why you have not asked this question earlier? You know that the jewels give Gifts that are similar to those of Feelers. Why have you not investigated this yourself?”

“Oh, right. In my copious free time.” But that didn’t mean Weimerk was wrong. She should have thought about how she could better use the jewel. As soon as she got back, she’d have Svann help her. “Wait, Feelers can’t heal, at least not without me.”

“But you have you.”

Ker squeezed her eyes shut, reminding herself that Weimerk wasn’t doing this on purpose.

“If I were rested and feeling better, would I be able to use the jewel to speak with the Far-thinkers? Or are we out of range?”

“That is immaterial. They have no soul stones.”

Right. “But what if I needed to speak with someone at the Mines?”

“Are there no others with jewels?”

Ker felt like slapping herself on the forehead. She must be even more tired than she’d thought.

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