Circe's Gifts

Chapter 38

Petkin dozed and awoke a half dozen times during the long night. He wanted to stay awake, but something drew him back into the dark. The others didn't seem to notice how hard he fought against the sleep. They seemed content, in fact, to let the mouse rest while they took care of serious matters.

Even when he awoke no one asked what he thought they should do. He hadn't expected the slight to hurt. He was used to their reactions. Still, what he'd done that night to save them, he'd hoped, maybe, they would think better of him.

He wished Tiernan was here. Or that Tiernan had taken him along -- carrying a mouse wouldn't have been that hard.

Then he thought about flying in the talons of a falcon and thought maybe that didn't sound like such a good idea. And maybe the others weren't asking him any questions because they had none to ask. In those moments when Pet found himself fully awake, he could see that they looked as lost as he felt. Perhaps he was demanding more of them than they had to give right now.

He didn't want to sleep. He didn't want to go back into the darkness where he couldn't even guess at what was happening.

"Pet?" Dylan asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," he answered and must have sounded sullen. Dylan's green eyes went a little wider. "Sorry. I don't want to sleep. I want to help."

"Me too," Dylan said. He looked down. It took Pet a moment to realize that he was looking at his leg as though it had betrayed him.

"At least they ask you questions," Pet offered. He regretted the words immediately and hoped that they didn't sound too childish. He didn't want sympathy.

Dylan looked back at him again and nodded this time. "You're right. We do tend to overlook what you might offer, even after you've proven you can think things through faster than the wolf and me sometimes. What do you think now, Petkin?"

"I think there's more than Leith out there tonight. I believe the danger is larger than a single man, even one with power. We attacked him and sent him running, Dylan. That weak man could not have overcome Circe."

"Gods, mouse," Dylan said. "You're right. Oh hell. Why didn't we think of that? Why didn't we ask you sooner?"

"I wasn't awake," he answered truthfully. He felt a swelling of embarrassment because both Prince Druce and Kalliope crossed straight to him as though his pronouncements were going to be meaningful. Perversely, Pet suddenly wished they would just leave him alone. "I only thought about Circe and realized it. I wish I could have told Tiernan before he left. How long ago?"

"It's almost dawn. He'll have nearly reached the army by now," Druce said. He tried to sound positive, but his eyes went to the window with more despair. "There's been no sign of any other trouble. Pela came back a few minutes ago to say that even the riots are starting to die down."

"Darkness can breed fear," Dylan said. "That would surely have helped whatever magic was out there. With the dawn, people won't fear the shadows so much."

"You seem to know a lot about humans considering you aren't one."

That was the first straightforward observation about that aspect of their lives that Petkin had heard since they arrived. He wondered what answers the Prince wanted, and what they could explain to him. Kalliope looked bothered by the statement. Dylan looked perplexed.

"Circe gave us as much humanity as she could find," Pet offered. "And some of her own understanding of the world. But Dylan, at least, has lived intimately among humans and understands them for his own reasons. I used to watch them when I could."