Indeed Not. Stop kicking me, Daine. You understand, she is very important to a number of powerful nobles and mages in Tortall." Numair's voice was quiet, almost friendly; his eyes were hard. "Their majesties. Lady Alanna and her husband, the baron of Pirate's Swoop. Me. All of us would take iit amiss if we thought for a moment she was being trifled with, particularly by a young man who wasn't free to do the right thing by her."
"Numair," Daine growled. "Can I speak to you privately for a moment?
"No. Stepping on my foot won't work either. Do I make myself clear, Prince Kaddar?
Tags: humor threat numair daine prince-kaddar
Ask you to keep an eye on her, keep her safe, and you allow my child to be used in that!"
"Flatten your fur, Weiryn," replied the badger. "What makes you think I had a choice?"
"The Great Ones can find another instrument! Why didn't you tell them so?"
"I did tell them, you horn-headed idiot. They didn't listen. She didn't listen. If you have a complaint, you take it up with the Graveyard Hag.
Tags: daine badger graveyard-hag weiryn
She got to her feet and tucked her fingers into her armpits to warm them, glaring at Briar and Parahan as she walked over to the mules. It wasn't fair that men didn't have to twist themselves into knots to pee!
Tamora PierceTags: gender-differences pee evvy
My dear, why send Aly to wait on us?” he wanted to know. “I know you were busy with your domestic arrangements, but surely one of the girls with experience waiting on the nobility would have served.”He smiled kindly at Aly. “Though you did a creditable job.”
“Aly isn’t used to Bronau as we are, my dear,” Winnamine explained. “She might see what would be hidden to us. And she has certain useful skills.”
“Useful?”Mequen asked, raising his brows at Aly.“I read lips, Your Grace,” Aly said meekly. “And I can tell you that the prince is telling the truth about why he came.”
“What? How could you possibly know that?” the
startled duke demanded.
“Liars blink more when they lie, or they look away while they answer,” Aly explained. She did not want
anyone to know about her Sight if she could help it.
Only a fool told all of her secrets. “The prince is frightened.” She looked at the duke. “Did you see he was sweating when he talked about the situation at court?”
Mequen raised his eyebrows. “All of us sweat when we think of the royal court,” he said drily. “I am so accustomed to it that I didn’t even notice. Truly, the
god blessed us when he sent you.
Lokeij whistled. “Make the king’s warriors vanish if
they come. . . what a deceitful turtledove you are.”
Aly smiled at the sky. “Oh, don’t,”she replied in the
tones of a flirtatious court lady. “Stop, I insist. Your
flattery makes me blush.
Before she knew it the afternoon was done, and the trainees were taking their new mounts to the stables for grooming. Daine, Onua, Buri, and Sarge helped then too, though Daine couldn't see how she could ever be comfortable telling a twenty-year-old man he was missing spots on the pony he was grooming. She did try it: "Excuse me, trainee what did you say your name was?"
Blue gray eyes twinkled at her over his cream-colored mare's back.
"I didn't. It's Farant. "
His blond hair curled thickly over his head, almost matching the pony's in color.
"Thank you. Trainee Farant, you're missing spots. "
"Not at all, sweetheart. I'm just combing too fast for you to see. " "Trainee Farant, you're missing spots!" Sarge boomed just behind Daine. She thought later she actually might have levitated at that moment certainly Farant had. Next time the assistant horsemistress tells you something, don't flirt correct it!" He moved on, and Daine pressed her hands against her burning cheeks. Farant leaned on his mare and sighed.
"Yes, Assistant Horsemistress. Right away. " He winked at her and went back to work. Daine went to Sarge as the trainees were finishing up.
"Sarge, I-" He shook his head. Daine thought if he leaned against the stable wall any harder, it would collapse. How did a human, without bear blood in him, get to be so large?
"Not your fault. These city boys see you, you're young, sweet-lookin'",he winked at her,"they're gonna try to take advantage. If they can't keep their minds on the job after I've had them two weeks already in my patty-paws, then I ain't been doing my job right. "
His grin was wolfish. "But that can be fixed. "
Seeing her open mouthed stare, he asked, "Something the matter, my lamb?" She closed her jaw.
"No, sir. I just never met nobody like you. "
"And if you're lucky, you won't again, " muttered Buri, passing by.
Daine put a hand on her bow. It was loaded, but she didn't want to kill Maura's sister. "I wouldn't call names, if I was you " she retorted.
Yolane backed up. "Tirell! Oram! Jemis! To me! Oram, on the double!"
Daine shook her head. "Yell all you like, they won't come. They're gone. "
"What do you mean, 'gone'?"
"I mean it's at an end the king knows what you're up to. The rebellion's uncovered. You'll never be queen.
Tags: daine
They returned to the gallery and circled its rim, then went down a short hall. Scrap's tail twitched angrily when they reached Tristan's door: it was shut. Daine grabbed the knob. It stung her hand, making her yelp. "Kit? This ones magicked. Can you do anything?"
Kitten stood on her hind feet and peered into the lock, then whistled two cheerful notes. Nothing happened. She scowled and whistled again, less cheerfully, more as a demand. Nothing happened.
Daine was trying to decide what to do now when the dragon moved back and croaked. The lock popped from the wood to land at Daine's feet, smoking, and the door swung open. Kitten muttered darkly and kicked the lock mechanism aside as she went in. Daine followed, trying not to laugh.
Tags: daine kitten blueness scrap
Does she ever get sick from eating human food?" Kaddar watched as the dragon managed to dump half the water down her throat and half all over herself.
Daine smiled. "She never gets sick from anything, Once she ate a box of myrrh. She was only three months old. I thought every little accident she had would harm her for life."
"She didn't get sick?"
"She burped smoke for a week, that's all.
I don't know about some of these other people, particularly the ministers who served my uncle."
"Can't you get rid of them?"
Kaddar shook his head. "The country's already in turmoil. I need to keep a few of the same faces around, at least until I get their measure."
"It doesn't sound like much fun. I wish you luck with it."
"I'll need luck," Kaddar took her hand. "Daine, I found my uncle's papers. He was going to have me arrested and charged with conspiring against him— which means he planned to have me killed. I owe you my life. I know this will sound trite, but I mean it: whatever you want that I can give, even to half of my kingdom, all you need do is ask."
Daine gave him a skeptical look. "Your ministers wouldn't like the half-kingdom part."
He grinned. "Actually, they want to arrest you for crimes against the state.
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