truly?>”
“”
“” he repeated, shaking his silvery head. Dingus noticed that he shed pal e-blond hair, especially when he played with it, which he reached up to do again now. “”
Dingus nodded, feeling easier. He hadn’t realized anybody even knew where Thundering Hills was, let alone what it was like. “”
“”
“” Dingus admitted. “”
Adeon was still laughing over that when Vandis rushed up, looking harried.
“Oh, good, you found him,” he said to the tulon . “Do you have anything on for dinner, Dingus?”
“I did some kidneys and taters. There’s plenty left, you want some?”
“Please,” Vandis said, and Dingus got up to fill him a bowl.
“”
“”
“”
Adeon beamed his dazzling tulon smile. “Farewell, Vandis. Try not to work too hard.”
Vandis nodded, deep in his kidneys and tat ers, and raised a hand. When Adeon left, Vandis chewed, swallowed, and asked, “I probably caught about one word in three of what you guys were saying just then. So, what’d you think?” He stuffed his mouth again.
“Of Adeon, you mean?”
At Vandis’s nod, Dingus considered. He raised one finger and circled it by his temple. Vandis almost choked laughing. “He’s a whack-a-doo, all right,” Vandis said when he got his food swallowed, “but he’s a good guy, never doubt it. He’s been a Knight for about six hundred years. Has to get the leaf tattooed again every fifty or so.”
“Neat,” Dingus said, grinning. “He wasn’t the way I expected. He said my blood was better than his. I never heard that before.”
Vandis’ s eyebrows pulled together.
Dingus poured out a cup of coffee for Vandis and explained. “On account of Eagle Eye and Wolf’s Eye and all.”
“Ah,” Vandis sighed after a big swallow of the coffee. “Wolf’s Eye?”
“I’ll tell you the story if you want.”
“I wish I had time, kid. I’ve got more meetings, all afternoon and most of the evening. Don’t forget to tell it to me, though. I want to hear.” Vandis shoved in the last bite of kidneys and taters, swilled the rest of the coffee, and handed the cup back. “Can I get a refill?”
Dingus got him one, wishing he’d stay a little longer.
“Thanks.” He patted Dingus’s shoulder, wiped his mouth on his handkerchief, and strode off, drinking from his mug. “Don’t just bum around in camp all afternoon! Go find something to do!” he called back.
Dingus rolled his eyes and gathered up the dishes. He scrubbed them off with some water from one of the buckets and a bit of soap from the pot, dried them, and went to his pack. When he opened it, he found what he wanted right away—he kept telling Kessa that was why a pack had to be organized.
The book was right at the top, nestled up to a big ball of twine. It was a treasure of a book, and not just because it was the first gift Vandis had given him. Most of the books in the library at Elwin’s Ford had been a lot bigger and heavier; this one was the smallest, and the most beautiful book he’d seen in his life: a thick but portable atlas. It was supposed to be for studying for the Quiz Trial day after tomorrow, but he liked to think of it as a list of places he would one day go. Thundering Hills wasn’t in it, even on the detailed map of Wealaia, but he didn’t really look at those two pages much. His favorite map was the one in the middle, a color world map
“
“
Dingus nodded, feeling easier. He hadn’t realized anybody even knew where Thundering Hills was, let alone what it was like. “
“
“
Adeon was still laughing over that when Vandis rushed up, looking harried.
“Oh, good, you found him,” he said to the tulon . “Do you have anything on for dinner, Dingus?”
“I did some kidneys and taters. There’s plenty left, you want some?”
“Please,” Vandis said, and Dingus got up to fill him a bowl.
“
“
“
Adeon beamed his dazzling tulon smile. “Farewell, Vandis. Try not to work too hard.”
Vandis nodded, deep in his kidneys and tat ers, and raised a hand. When Adeon left, Vandis chewed, swallowed, and asked, “I probably caught about one word in three of what you guys were saying just then. So, what’d you think?” He stuffed his mouth again.
“Of Adeon, you mean?”
At Vandis’s nod, Dingus considered. He raised one finger and circled it by his temple. Vandis almost choked laughing. “He’s a whack-a-doo, all right,” Vandis said when he got his food swallowed, “but he’s a good guy, never doubt it. He’s been a Knight for about six hundred years. Has to get the leaf tattooed again every fifty or so.”
“Neat,” Dingus said, grinning. “He wasn’t the way I expected. He said my blood was better than his. I never heard that before.”
Vandis’ s eyebrows pulled together.
Dingus poured out a cup of coffee for Vandis and explained. “On account of Eagle Eye and Wolf’s Eye and all.”
“Ah,” Vandis sighed after a big swallow of the coffee. “Wolf’s Eye?”
“I’ll tell you the story if you want.”
“I wish I had time, kid. I’ve got more meetings, all afternoon and most of the evening. Don’t forget to tell it to me, though. I want to hear.” Vandis shoved in the last bite of kidneys and taters, swilled the rest of the coffee, and handed the cup back. “Can I get a refill?”
Dingus got him one, wishing he’d stay a little longer.
“Thanks.” He patted Dingus’s shoulder, wiped his mouth on his handkerchief, and strode off, drinking from his mug. “Don’t just bum around in camp all afternoon! Go find something to do!” he called back.
Dingus rolled his eyes and gathered up the dishes. He scrubbed them off with some water from one of the buckets and a bit of soap from the pot, dried them, and went to his pack. When he opened it, he found what he wanted right away—he kept telling Kessa that was why a pack had to be organized.
The book was right at the top, nestled up to a big ball of twine. It was a treasure of a book, and not just because it was the first gift Vandis had given him. Most of the books in the library at Elwin’s Ford had been a lot bigger and heavier; this one was the smallest, and the most beautiful book he’d seen in his life: a thick but portable atlas. It was supposed to be for studying for the Quiz Trial day after tomorrow, but he liked to think of it as a list of places he would one day go. Thundering Hills wasn’t in it, even on the detailed map of Wealaia, but he didn’t really look at those two pages much. His favorite map was the one in the middle, a color world map
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