those. Let me find you a nice bobbie. Nice dogs, those—smart, too."
"No," Vin said, drawing him up short. "You will bring me a wolfhound."
The man paused again, looking at her, scratching himself in several undignified places. "Well, I guess I can see. . ."
He wandered toward the pen farthest from the street. Vin waited quietly, nose downturned at the smell as the merchant yelled at a few of his animals, selecting an appropriate one. Eventually, he pulled a leashed dog up to Vin. It was a wolfhound, if a small one—but it had sweet, docile eyes, and an obviously pleasant temperament.
"The runt of the litter," the merchant said. "A good animal for a young girl, I'd say. Will probably make an excellent hunter, too. These wolfhounds, they can smell better than any beast you seen."
Vin reached for her coin purse, but paused, looking down at the dog's panting face. It almost seemed to be smiling at her.
"Oh, for the Lord Ruler's sake," she snapped, pushing past the dog and master, stalking toward the back pens.
"Young lady?" the merchant asked, following uncertainly.
Vin scanned the wolfhounds. Near the back, she spotted a massive black and gray beast. It was chained to a post, and it regarded her defiantly, a low growl rising in its throat.
Vin pointed. "How much for that one in the back?"
" That ?" the merchant asked. "Good lady, that's a watchbeast. It's meant to be set loose on a lord's grounds to attack anyone who enters! It's the one of the meanest things you'll ever see!"
"Perfect," Vin said, pulling out some coins.
"Good lady, I couldn't possibly sell you that beast. Not possibly at all. Why, I'll bet it weighs half again as much as you do."
Vin nodded, then pulled open the pen gate and strode in. The merchant cried out, but Vin walked right up to the wolfhound. He began to bark wildly at her, frothing.
Sorry about this , Vin thought. Then, burning pewter, she ducked in and slammed her fist into the animal's head.
The animal froze, wobbled, then fell unconscious in the dirt. The merchant stopped up short beside her, mouth open.
"Leash," Vin ordered.
He gave her one. She used it to tie the wolfhound's feet together, and then—with a flare of pewter—she threw the animal over her shoulders. She cringed only slightly at the pain in her side.
This thing better not get drool on my shirt , she thought, handing the merchant some coins and walking back toward the palace.
Vin slammed the unconscious wolfhound to the floor. The guards had given her some strange looks as she entered the palace, but she was getting used to those. She brushed off her hands.
"What is that?" OreSeur asked. He'd made it back to her rooms at the palace, but his current body was obviously unusable. He'd needed to form muscles in places that men didn't normally have them to even keep the skeleton together, and while he'd healed his wounds, his body looked unnatural. He still wore the bloodstained clothing from the night before.
"This," Vin said, pointing at the wolfhound, "is your new body."
OreSeur paused. " That ? Mistress, that is a dog."
"Yes," Vin said.
"I am a man."
"You're a kandra," Vin said. "You can imitate flesh and muscle. What about fur?"
The kandra did not look pleased. "I cannot imitate it," he said, "but I can use the beast's own fur, like I use its bones. However, surely there is—"
"I'm not going to kill for you, kandra," Vin said. "And even if I did kill someone, I wouldn't let you. . .eat them. Plus, this will be more inconspicuous. People will begin to talk if I keep replacing my stewards with unknown men. I've been telling people for months that I was thinking of dismissing you. Well, I'll tell them that I finally did—nobody will think to realize that my new pet hound is actually my kandra."
She turned, nodding toward the carcass. "This will be very useful. People pay less attention to hounds than they do to humans, and so you'll be able to listen in on conversations."
OreSeur's frown deepened. "I
"No," Vin said, drawing him up short. "You will bring me a wolfhound."
The man paused again, looking at her, scratching himself in several undignified places. "Well, I guess I can see. . ."
He wandered toward the pen farthest from the street. Vin waited quietly, nose downturned at the smell as the merchant yelled at a few of his animals, selecting an appropriate one. Eventually, he pulled a leashed dog up to Vin. It was a wolfhound, if a small one—but it had sweet, docile eyes, and an obviously pleasant temperament.
"The runt of the litter," the merchant said. "A good animal for a young girl, I'd say. Will probably make an excellent hunter, too. These wolfhounds, they can smell better than any beast you seen."
Vin reached for her coin purse, but paused, looking down at the dog's panting face. It almost seemed to be smiling at her.
"Oh, for the Lord Ruler's sake," she snapped, pushing past the dog and master, stalking toward the back pens.
"Young lady?" the merchant asked, following uncertainly.
Vin scanned the wolfhounds. Near the back, she spotted a massive black and gray beast. It was chained to a post, and it regarded her defiantly, a low growl rising in its throat.
Vin pointed. "How much for that one in the back?"
" That ?" the merchant asked. "Good lady, that's a watchbeast. It's meant to be set loose on a lord's grounds to attack anyone who enters! It's the one of the meanest things you'll ever see!"
"Perfect," Vin said, pulling out some coins.
"Good lady, I couldn't possibly sell you that beast. Not possibly at all. Why, I'll bet it weighs half again as much as you do."
Vin nodded, then pulled open the pen gate and strode in. The merchant cried out, but Vin walked right up to the wolfhound. He began to bark wildly at her, frothing.
Sorry about this , Vin thought. Then, burning pewter, she ducked in and slammed her fist into the animal's head.
The animal froze, wobbled, then fell unconscious in the dirt. The merchant stopped up short beside her, mouth open.
"Leash," Vin ordered.
He gave her one. She used it to tie the wolfhound's feet together, and then—with a flare of pewter—she threw the animal over her shoulders. She cringed only slightly at the pain in her side.
This thing better not get drool on my shirt , she thought, handing the merchant some coins and walking back toward the palace.
Vin slammed the unconscious wolfhound to the floor. The guards had given her some strange looks as she entered the palace, but she was getting used to those. She brushed off her hands.
"What is that?" OreSeur asked. He'd made it back to her rooms at the palace, but his current body was obviously unusable. He'd needed to form muscles in places that men didn't normally have them to even keep the skeleton together, and while he'd healed his wounds, his body looked unnatural. He still wore the bloodstained clothing from the night before.
"This," Vin said, pointing at the wolfhound, "is your new body."
OreSeur paused. " That ? Mistress, that is a dog."
"Yes," Vin said.
"I am a man."
"You're a kandra," Vin said. "You can imitate flesh and muscle. What about fur?"
The kandra did not look pleased. "I cannot imitate it," he said, "but I can use the beast's own fur, like I use its bones. However, surely there is—"
"I'm not going to kill for you, kandra," Vin said. "And even if I did kill someone, I wouldn't let you. . .eat them. Plus, this will be more inconspicuous. People will begin to talk if I keep replacing my stewards with unknown men. I've been telling people for months that I was thinking of dismissing you. Well, I'll tell them that I finally did—nobody will think to realize that my new pet hound is actually my kandra."
She turned, nodding toward the carcass. "This will be very useful. People pay less attention to hounds than they do to humans, and so you'll be able to listen in on conversations."
OreSeur's frown deepened. "I
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