Bloodkin (Jaseth of Jaelshead) by Cathy Ashford

while a few miles back.”
    Oh good. In my furious haste we had overshot our accommodation. My mother had insisted I take a sleeping bag “just in case”, but seriously, camping? Why hadn’t Charlie stopped me?
    “Sorry I didn’t stop you, Jas, but we are taught that adolescent males are best left to themselves when angry.”
    “Oh good, so you know how we work then,” I muttered grumpily.
    “What do you think Mentors spend ten years studying?” He grinned at me but I just snorted. “You’re not still cross at me, are you?”
    I guess I wasn’t really, not anymore, and Charlie was looking so concerned I managed to flick him a smile.
    “Nah, we’re alright.”
    “Good!” Charlie pointed ahead to a small path that branched off to our left, heading down to the river. “I think there’s a wee campsite down there, what do you reckon?”
    It was as good an idea as any, so we guided our horses off the highway. The path led down to a clearing surrounded by willows and overhung with tall ash trees. We dismounted in silence and Charlie gestured that I start gathering firewood while he tended to the horses. There were lots of low branches round the perimeter of the clearing filled with dry rot that I could break off in my hands, and I collected a few large bundles and placed them beside a pit rimmed with rocks that indicated that this clearing was used frequently by travellers.
    Charlie returned from the river leading our mounts and bearing a kettle filled with water. We unsaddled the horses and gave them a quick brush before tying them to a tree well within reach of a nice grassy patch of ground, and Charlie got to work on the fire. He broke up some of the smaller branches for kindling and arranged them in a pyramid in the firepit. With a blink of his eyes they sparked into life and he began adding larger pieces of wood as the fire caught. He hung his kettle over the fire and began rummaging in his saddlebags. He pulled out some dried salted meat, along with the fresh bread and cheese that Rudi had pressed on us that morning (was it only this morning?) as well as the little sack that held his collection of moss.
    “What do you think, Jas, do we deserve it?”
    “Well
I
sure as hell do Charlie, you magicked me today!”
    He chuckled in relief. “I’m sorry Jas, I really am. I won’t do it again. Promise!”
    “Better bloody not!” He laughed and pulled out the little red leather pouch of the laughing moss. “I’ll think we’ll have some Red tea, it’s nice and smooth that way.” He lifted the lid of thekettle that was already steaming away and sprinkled a small handful of the moss over the water. “But first, shall we eat?”
    The food was basic, but it sure hit the spot. The meat was chewy and delicious and the soft cheese spread easily on the fresh bread. When we had finished, Charlie procured two mugs from his bags and poured the tea, settling himself close to the fire with an extra blanket wrapped around his shoulders. We sipped the hot, herbaceous tea as the sky darkened and stars began to sparkle down through the trees.
    “So,” I started, breaking the companionable silence, “You let me ride all this way on purpose?”
    Charlie smiled and considered for a moment. “Well, yes. I realised you were angry with me and so I thought I’d leave you to it until you had calmed down.” I scowled, feeling foolish to have been so obvious. “It’s okay Jas! I knew there was no point trying to pressure you into talking when you were so cross. You might have said something you’d regret, and you needed time to work it all out in your head.” He sighed wistfully. “Human females on the other hand?
Completely
different kettle of fish!”
    “Yeah?” I encouraged. Anything about girls would be helpful, even if it came from a Nea’thi male who had only studied them.
    “Oh yes, you shouldn’t let females brood when they’re angry, and the longer you leave it, the worse it gets, it makes them think you