Wren's Quest by Sherwood Smith

Author:Sherwood Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-01-18T23:10:10+00:00

Chapter Eleven

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“… and here is your present, my dear child.” Carlas bestowed a gracious smile on Teressa, indicating the ruddy-haired dog sitting behind her. The little group of courtiers, most of them Carlas’s most devoted followers, clapped and ooooo’d.

Teressa looked at the long, lean hound with the bushy brown fur and the foxlike ears and muzzle. The dog looked back at her, and his tail stirred.

“You’ll enjoy having a true friend,” Carlas went on in her sweetest voice.

Hinting that I can’t make friends with people, Teressa thought. But she knew she could make friends—she’d been proving that lately. Which is probably why Carlas had to say it, she realized. She felt a sudden urge to laugh, and she turned the impulse into a big smile of gratitude.

“You are so kind, Aunt Carlas,” she said.

“Go ahead, call him,” Carlas said, so pleased she sounded almost human. “He is very well trained—a highly bred animal, I assure you.” Teressa looked at the dog, hesitating. He cocked his ears and panted gently.

“Go on,” Mirlee said to the dog in a sharp voice. “Go!” The dog just sat, looking up at Teressa. Mirlee gave him a push, but he went forward only a step, then lay down, head cocked. Some people tittered.

Teressa clapped lightly. “Come,” and she held out her hand.

“He’s stupid—” Mirlee sneered.

The dog trotted forward and sat at Teressa’s feet.

“Up.” She snapped her fingers.

The hound stood on his hind legs, dancing forward a step or two. The people watching laughed and exclaimed.

“Speak!” Teressa said.

The dog gave a bark, ears flopping.

Teressa turned to her aunt. “He’s wonderful. We’ll have such fun—thank you.” She pulled the green velvet ribbon from her hair and tied it around the dog’s neck.

Several of the watchers began to crowd around, everyone wanting to pet the princess’s new hound, who wagged his tail. Behind them, Teressa overhead Garian say to his sister, “Stupid, huh! He just won’t listen to you.”

“He’s ugly, anyway,” Mirlee retorted sulkily. “I’ll get myself a prettier one.” Then their conversation was drowned out by the exclamations of others, all of whom wanted a handsome, well-trained dog today.

“Come, we’ll get you some water,” Teressa said, moving toward the door. The hound trotted obediently at her heels, causing a fresh outburst of compliments.

When they were safely outside, Teressa gave in to her laughter. Then, looking down at the shaggy head next to her, she said, “I think, Tyron, you’re going to be very, very popular.”

Two days later, high in the mountains of Siradayel, the leader of the Brown patrol stopped his pony and pointed down through the mist-shrouded valleys into Allat Los. “There lies your path,” he said.

Wren felt her heart start galloping.

She’d thoroughly enjoyed the two-day ride through the mountains, though she’d found herself hoping something awful would happen, just so the Browns could get rid of whoever was chasing them.

Maybe our pursuers have given up, Wren thought. I’m glad Mistress Leila didn’t make us stay in Pelsir. Still, she felt a twinge of guilt.

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