The Blue Roan Child by Jamieson Findlay

Author:Jamieson Findlay [Findlay, Jamieson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-385-67249-8
Publisher: Tundra Book Group
Published: 2002-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

7

The Fighting Crone

At work the next morning, Syeira asked Jayce about the horses in Grulla’s yard.

“Aye, the Weerlings,” said Jayce, without looking up from her sewing. “They was all military horses, once. But the fighting got into their heads and left nightmares inside like slivers. They’re broken up now, bad as the Mauditts.”

“But if they’re in pain,” said Syeira, “wouldn’t it be better to put them down?”

“They a’n’t in pain,” interjected Hanna. “They’re just crazy. That’s no worry to Grulla: she’s got a like disposition.”

“She said a falcon ate her liver,” remarked Syeira.

The women laughed sourly.

“One way of putting it,” said Jayce. “She’ll probably tell you the whole story, sometime. Then again, she might chase you out tomorrow with her crossbow. She’s a tetchy old scrub.”

That day was just like the one before. Syeira was getting used to the heavy lake of fabric around her and the ache in her fingers. She saw that they were sewing the warboy in three large panels, reinforcing each one at the top and bottom. As they progressed, the warboy got more and more unwieldy, and several times they stopped to roll and clip the section they had finished. Once again Jayce was doing the main stitch and the girl the backup. Hanna and Triese did “extras,” such as the reinforcing and the sleeves to hold the guide ropes in place.

In midafternoon, after tea, Jayce and Syeira went outside to bring in two new rolls of fabric that had been left by the compound workers. Syeira was glad to be able to stretch.

“What’s in there?” she said, nodding to the cage door on the east side of the weapons yard.

“Lord Ran’s menagerie,” said Jayce, as the two of them hoisted a roll of fabric. “Bears, big cats, rhinos and so on.”

“What are they used for?”

“For fighting, naturally. And for entertainment. The rhinos are chargers, and the cats and bears are executioners. Ran keeps ’em all half-starved when they’re on duty, so they do a good job.” She backed into the hut with one end of the fabric roll. “Most of ’em are in Broak now. I’m sure they’re putting on a show with the rebels.”

“Don’t the horses smell them here?” asked Syeira.

Jayce shook her head. “There are several walls and a field between here and the stables. I’ve never heard of any problems.”

They toiled away until the light faded, and Syeira thought she had never worked at a more tedious or mind-numbing job. Soon I’ll be a crone myself, she thought. She was looking out the window yet again, wondering when the bell was going to ring, when she saw a wheelbarrow coming toward them across the lawn. Behind it was a young man, stooped and portly. Stacked on his wheelbarrow was something that looked like mats.

“More work,” sighed Jayce, looking out the window. “Rot and rile all stablemen!” She got up just as the young man nudged open the door, his arms full of the mat-like things. “Did you hear that, Pouty?”

Syeira looked up furtively.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.