Arrow’s Flight by Mercedes Lackey Page B

around you— Sherrill and Keren are the only lifebonded couple I can think of, and I wouldn’t be willing to settle for less than what they’ve got. Which is why I’m hiding behind you.”
    “You can’t hide forever.”
    “I don’t have to,” he replied whimsically. “Just till the end of the revel. After that, I’ll be safely in the field, accompanied solely by the only person I’ve met who thinks I’d be better off cross-eyed and covered with warts!”
    Dirk reclaimed her after that; it was during that dance that she noticed that the number of white-clad bodies was rapidly diminishing. “Where’s everyone gone?” she asked him, puzzled.
    “It’s not often that we get this many of us together at one time,” he replied, “so as people get tired of dancing, we slip off to our own private party. Want to go?”
    “Bright Havens, yes!” she replied with enthusiasm.
    “Let me catch Kris’ eye.” He moved them closer to where Kris was dancing with a spritely grandmother, and tilted an eyebrow toward the door. When Kris nodded, Dirk arranged for them to end the dance next to the exit as the musicians played the final phrase.
    Kris joined them after escorting his partner to her seat. “I like that one; she kept threatening to take me home, feed me ‘proper’—and then ‘train me right,I and I know she wasn’t talking about dancing or manners!” He laughed quiedy. “I take it Talia’s ready to go? I am.”
    “Good, then we’re all agreed,” Dirk replied. “Talia, go get changed into something comfortable, find something to sit on, and an old cloak in case we end up outside. If you play any instruments, bring them, too—then meet us in the Library.”
    “This is like the littles’ game of ‘Spy’!” she giggled.
    “You’re not far wrong,” Kris answered, “We go to great lengths to keep these parties private. Now hurry, or we’ll leave without you!”
    She gathered her skirts in both hands and ran lightly down the halls of the Palace. When she reached her tower, she again took the steps two at a time. She paused only long enough in her room to light a lamp before unlacing her dress and sliding out of it. Even though she was in a hurry she hung it up with care—there was no use in ruining it with creases. She changed into the first things that came to hand. She freed her hair from the ribbon, letting it tumble around her face while she carefully stored My Lady in her case, and stuck her shepherd’s pipe in her belt. She slung the carrying strap of the harpcase over her shoulder, an old, worn wool cloak from her trainee days over all, picked up one of her cushions, and was ready to go.
    Well, almost. Remembering what Jeri had said about the cosmetics, she stopped at the bathing room at the base of the tower for a quick wash, then ran for the Library.
    When she swung open the door to the Library, she discovered that the other two had beaten her there— but then, they probably didn’t have several flights of stairs to climbs.
    Kris was all in black, and looking too poetic for words. Dirk was in mismatched bluish grays that looked rather as if he’d just left them in a heap when he’d picked up his clean laundry (which, in fact, was probably the case). Both of them looked up at the sound of the door opening.
    “Talia! Good—you don’t dawdle like my sisters do,” Dirk greeted ner. “Come over here, and we’ll let you in on the secret.”
    Talia crossed the room to where they were standing; the first study cubicle.
    ‘The first to leave always meet here to decide where we’re going to convene,” Dirk explained, “And they leave something telling the rest of us where that is. In this case—it’s this.”
    He showed her a book left on the table—on harness-making.
    “Let me guess” Tatia said. “The stable?”
    “Close. The tackshed in Companion’s Field; see, it’s open at the chapter on the special bridles we use,” Kris explained. “Last time they had to leave a rock