Circe's Gifts

Chapter 14

Kalliope drew attention with the majestic looking hawk sitting on her shoulder, but it wasn't as much attention as she suspected the Prince would have won far more attention. Most people might not recognize him, but those who were still hunting for him would know the boy.

So they sat outside the gate of Warwick, waiting for friends to join them, which was what she told the guard when he asked why she hadn't come inside yet.

"Well, I hope your friends hurry, then," the man had said. He didn't seem unfriendly. "The gate closes at sunset, and we don't open for no one after that. You might want to try one of the inns along the road there if you get caught outside. Dangerous place to be for a woman at night -- even one with your obvious ability to take care of herself."

He looked her over and nodded as though she'd said or done something to confirm his thoughts. She felt uneasy under his stare but knew better than to show it. It was the Prince that danced uneasily on her shoulder, his talons inadvertently pinching. She reached up and whacked him on the beak, and then realized she had actually just hit the prince. At least it settled him down.

"Nice bird. Good training."

"Thank you." She tried to sound polite and glare at the same time, not wanting to antagonize the man and not needing to encourage him, either.

More people came down the path. Kalliope looked up, hoping to see friends, but it was only a group of merchants traveling together. The guard had questioned them before he let them true. Kalliope couldn't tell if he knew any of them or not. The man seemed just naturally gregarious.

She looked down the trail again, hoping for some sign of the two in the fading light. Shadows grew longer, and it seemed to her that the darkness was a sign that heralded more than the coming of night.

Tiernan grew anxious again. He pinched her shoulder twice and fluttered his wings, the feather's brushing against her neck.

"Be still."

He didn't obey. He fluttered once more, and Kalliope started to bat at him, but the damned bird took off into the air with an indignant squawk. She stood with a curse and almost yelled for him to come back, but changed her mind. Kalliope knew had a chance of spotting the two and helping if they had trouble. She should have followed.

Instead, Kalliope sat back down on the low fence and waited, silently cursing nearly everything and carefully watching as the others went by. People looked at her and looked away. They were not a very friendly bunch. No one looked particularly happy except the guard who apparently just enjoyed talking to people so much that he thought he had the perfect job.

So many unhappy people; Kalliope thought back to the days with the pack and considered wolf emotions. They were easier to understand, at least for her. There were degrees of mistrust, levels of anxiousness -- but anger was rare.

And they had played a lot, at least when she was young. She remembered running through the snowfields with her young mate, chasing rabbits and mice and cats --

And now she was stuck living with them. Praise Mother that Circe hadn't sent a rabbit out with them as well. She was having a hard enough time dealing with her changing perceptions of the world. She'd felt bad about killing and eating the rabbit last night.

The light was fading. Kalliope squinted toward the sky, hoping for a sign of Tiernan. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost him as well.

"Going to close the gate up soon," the guard shouted as he waved a few more people through.