Part 31 (1/2)

Caprea nodded, hesitated. ”I trust you, T'Blackthorn. I'll collect when the beast is returned. The horse has the best travel-s.h.i.+eldspell available cast upon him and his rider.”

Mitch.e.l.la shuddered in relief.

”Good to know,” Straif said.

Caprea said, ”I hope to see you and your Residence at your open house.”

”I'll be honored if you, and anyone you wish to invite, will come,” Straif said.

”Merry meet,” Caprea said.

”And merry part.”

”And merry meet again.” Caprea ended the scryspell.

When Straif turned to Mitch.e.l.la, she had gone white and was sitting on the bed. ”He stole a horse.”

”Borrowed without paying in advance. Not quite the same thing.”

”He's not an expert horseman.”

”Since horses are rare, not many people are.”

She lifted wide eyes to him. ”You are?”

He smiled. ”I track all over Celta. Yes.” He caught her hands, found her fingers trembling, and gave her strength.

Drina mewed. She was sitting near the bedroom door, dark brown tail curled around her paws. I saw the boy in that-special-Blackthorn-room yesterday evening.

Straif stared at her. ”The Blackthorn Travel-Prep room?”

”Yesssssss,” the cat vocalized.

”And you didn't stop him.”

Good riddance.

”Not if he left Druida by horse.”

Drina's next mew was plaintive. Young ones outside the city is not good.

”No, not good,” Straif repeated for Mitch.e.l.la. ”Pinky is with him. I'm going to follow. I may be gone a couple of hours or days. Mitch.e.l.la will be in charge of the Residence.”

Drina hissed, lashed her tail.

”Amazing Fam that you are, you still can't talk to many people.” Straif tugged on Mitch.e.l.la's hand, and they left the MasterSuite. Drina followed, walking haughtily.

Everyone who is Anyone can talk to Me. She mewed.

”Let's get to work.” He looked down at Drina. ”Do you want to help or not?”

You are as good as I am.

He was better.

I will help in Druida, but not outside. I am a City Cat. That other Cat, Pinky, is sensible. He will help his person.

”Drina is of the opinion that Pinky will help Antenn,” he relayed.

Mitch.e.l.la rolled her eyes. Straif stopped at the door of the suite Antenn had used. Straif narrowed his eyes, changing his vision to see Antenn's track-vibrant with youth. The bright thread was a mixture of greens since the boy hadn't experienced his second Pa.s.sage to master his Flair. It also looked as if he was uncertain of his ident.i.ty.

”This way.” Straif looked at Mitch.e.l.la and found her eyes gleaming with tenderness. For him? For Antenn? He yearned to ask, but also feared to.

Drina sniffed. He went to the kitchen. Time for breakfast. I will eat now. She trotted to the stairs and down to the kitchen.

Straif brought Mitch.e.l.la's hand to his lips. ”I've never failed to find a youngster,” he repeated.

She smiled with such confidence in him that his very bones warmed. He would not fail her.

The cook was busy and frowned when they intruded. ”What?”

”Are any of the travel food supplies gone?” Straif asked.

The cook glanced at the bank of no-times. ”Huh. Someone messed with my no-times.” He touched a small door, and it rose open. ”Three are gone.”

Drina worked her food no-time and the chef jumped. ”Cats in the kitchen,” he muttered.

”Three? Good, the boy is well provisioned.” Hardly glancing at Antenn's line, he and Mitch.e.l.la went to the Travel-Prep room. Full of maps and equipment, like the HouseHeart, it rarely changed over the centuries. So many T'Blackthorns, D'Blackthorns, Heirs, and Family had used the place that the emotional layers were nearly impersonal. He hadn't spent much time in the room, but it hadn't ever bothered him. Now that he'd faced the ballroom, Straif didn't think any of the rooms of his Residence would ever cause him discomfort again.

One glance told him that Antenn was more than well provisioned, he was well equipped. ”Not as bad as it could be, he took a good deal of my wilderness gear.”

”I'm sorry,” Mitch.e.l.la whispered.

Again Straif kissed her fingers that were tightly curled around his own. ”We were both blind. He was more upset than we thought. I should have remembered how intensely boys feel.”

None of the older maps or the holospheres in the wall of cubbyholes were touched. Antenn had gone straight to the huge old table that held information about current projects.

”The map T'Ash sent me of the lambenthyst mine is gone,” Straif said. ”It makes sense.” He chuckled without humor. ”I haven't visited the mine. It's dangerous to me, so he'll show himself to be stronger, braver than I am.” He met Mitch.e.l.la's eyes, now dark green. ”He'll show you that he is the better of the two of us.”

She shook her head as if confused. ”There's no comparison. He's the child of my heart, and you're my lover. Two different relations.h.i.+ps.”

Hurt stabbed Straif. Another difference was that Antenn would always be close to Mitch.e.l.la, and she could very well be done with Straif in a couple of eightdays.

At that moment the scrybowl on the table chirruped. Loosening his tense shoulders, Straif answered, ”Here.”

The image of his uncle T'Holly formed in the droplets above the wide, shallow pan.

”Good, you haven't left yet,” T'Holly said. ”I must warn you, boy. You know what this will look like to the Councils, don't you? As if you're running away again.”

Straif flinched.