The Raven and the Reindeer by Kingfisher T
Author:Kingfisher, T. [Kingfisher, T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction
Amazon: B01BKTT73A
Goodreads: 28963596
Publisher: Red Wombat Tea Co.
Published: 2016-02-07T08:00:00+00:00
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
âNo,â said Gerta. âAbsolutely not! Itâs horrible! I wonât let you!â
Janna rubbed her face. âI have to believe that was Mousebones,â she said. âIt would take a raven to come up with something that revolting.â
Mousebones looked proud and a bit smug.
The reindeer laughed his soft, wheezing laugh again.
âHumans are so touchy about skin,â translated Mousebones. âIt is only a shape. My soul will go on to the herd of stars, and then when I am tired of stars, into the young calves that sleep in their motherâs bellies. I will die soon anyway. Let me give you a gift, for kindnessâs sake.â
âBut to cut off his skin and wear it?â Gerta felt ill. She could imagine how the inside of the skin would feel. Raw and bloody and squishy. Iâd be inside a horrible bloody tent.
âIt will let you walk the reindeer road, he says,â said Mousebones. âAndâahââ He tilted his head, listening. âOh. Hmm.â
âThirdhand conversations are maddening,â said Janna, to no one in particular.
âHe says that itâs too hot down here in this country,â said Gerta bleakly. âHe wants his skin to lie somewhere cold, where a reindeer can be comfortable for more than one season a year. He will be a spirit, but even a spirit likes to know that his old home is well-cared for.â
âSounds fair,â said Janna practically. âI can skin him, if you like.â
Gerta gave her a shocked look. âBut heâs not dead!â
âI can do that, too, if itâs really what he wants.â
Gerta put her face in her hands.
The reindeer took a few steps forward and rested his muzzle on Jannaâs arm. She looked down into his eyes.
âYes,â she said after a minute. âI believe it is.â
âNo!â said Gerta. âHe canâtâI meanânot for me. Nobody dies for me!â
Janna rubbed the reindeer behind the ears. âAre you willing to die for your little friend the Queen took?â
âYes.â Gerta raked her hands through her hair. âBut itâs different. He doesnât even know Kay. And I meanâitâs Kay. Iâm just me. It doesnât matter if I do it.â
Jannaâs eyes narrowed, and Gerta had a strong feeling that the other girl was angry. But she kept stroking the reindeer behind the ears and said nothing.
Mousebones flapped a bit. âCan I have your eyes?â he asked the reindeer.
âMousebones!â
âWhat? Heâs not going to be using them.â
The reindeer snorted.
âThereâs got to be another way,â said Gerta hopelessly. âWhere nobody has to die.â
The raven rippled his wings in a shrug. âMaybe the human flock coming knows one.â
âWhat?â Jannaâs head shot up.
âThe human flock,â said Mousebones. âFrom the south.â
It occurred to Gerta belatedly that she shouldnât have translated that. If someone was coming to rescue her, sheâd have had a better chance to get away if Janna didnât know about it.
Except sheâs going to let me go. And I know she said sheâd go with me, but I could get away, or convince her to leaveâbut how do I get to the far north, then? Iâd have to walk through the snowâ¦
â¦unless I walked the reindeer road.
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