Circe's Gifts

Chapter 2

Kalliope growled first, an unusually fierce sound from so good-natured a creature. The reaction wasn't surprising though, considering the creatures that stood at her door. They were the worst kind of humans, filled with anger and caught up in the bloodlust of the hunt. Four rode on nervous mounts, and a half dozen others held the leashes of huge gray dogs, barely keeping those beasts in check. The snarl of anger she turned on the humans would have been no less real even if the boy wasn't here: hunters were not allowed in her woods. Even those creatures who sheltered in her woods and lived by prey took it elsewhere.

The animals understood. Humans rarely did.

"Get away, you fools. You have already crossed into my realm; do not dare my wrath."

The tall, gray-cloaked man in front, who had the look of a leader, stepped back once and frowned, trying to understand the power in her words. The dogs started to bay so loudly he had to yell above their howls.

"We traced our quarry here --."

She started to answer and the decided against yelling. With a wave of her hand, she silenced the dogs to no more than rustling movement.

That spooked the hunter, and his skin went pale behind his scraggly beard. The man had entered her domain believing the locals were superstitious fools. He wouldn't leave with the same narrow-minded and world-blind beliefs.

"We've followed a boy," the man said. His voice wasn't quite as steady as it had been a moment ago, and not nearly as loud. She almost had to strain to hear him above the quiet shuffling sounds. "The dogs tracked him --"

"You are fools to come hunting in my domain," she said. He paled even more beneath that dark beard, and his gray eyes shifted from shadow to shadow around him. He couldn't hide the fear that showed so clearly in his eyes. As for the others with him -- well, none tried to come as close as he did. In fact, the locals were already running away. Time to send the rest of this mangy pack fleeing as well. "Your dogs lie to you, human. Do you see your prey here?"

"No." He looked around, eyes narrowing. Although frightened of her, he still didn't give up. "I would like to search."

"Search? The cottage has only one room, you fool," she replied with a wave behind her. Then she smiled. The change didn't make the man feel any safer, which proved some wisdom on his part. "Search, if you like."

He feared to lose the boy far more than he feared what she could do to him. That tenacity spoke of someone else with power over him. The man slid from his horse, handed the reins to another, and took a tentative step into the hut. He again when Kalliope made it plain that she didn't like him.

"I gave him leave to enter," Circe reminded the wolf. "Let the human search, and then we will be done with these humans, one way or another."

The man's head turned a little at her words, but he still came into the room, stomping about on the floor, listening for hollows beneath the stone. That, at least, showed a little intelligence. He even pushed at the bedding and blankets on the floor where she sometimes rested -- though never slept.

He paused to look at the falcon, and she saw a momentarily avaricious look that was his alone. Royal courts coveted such creatures, and this one looked like an extraordinary and tame raptor. The guard doubtless saw a small fortune there, within his reach.

Strange, how gold often blinded humans to obvious danger. Circe took a step closer before he even realized she caught him admiring the bird. Tiernan made a plaintive, hissing sound in protest when the guard took another step closer to him.

"He doesn't like you." The sound of her voice startled the guard back to reality again and reminded him that he didn't want to linger here. "Have you found what you seek?"