his eyes streamed.
How was he to know that the inlanders’ huge horse would hurt so much? Da would never have let Reade ride the stallion. Da had punished Reade when he even petted the border pony, last autumn.
Da. Reade fought against a choking sob. He mustn’t think of Da now. Mum said that Da had gone to fish with the Guardians, along with those four other men. Mum said Reade must be brave, like Alana Woodsinger. The woodsinger’s da had gone fishing, too, and had left to be with the Guardians of Water.
It wasn’t fair, though. Da had forgotten his promises. He’d said that he and Reade would go out on their own boat that spring. He had promised that Reade could help bring in the nets. But Da had gone on ahead, gone off to fish by himself.
When Reade thought of fresh, sweet fish, his belly gurgled. He was doubly empty from being sick and the long hours they had traveled. He turned in the saddle to look up at Duke Coren’s bearded face. The man’s eyes glinted beneath his heavy brows, and Reade wondered if he’d be allowed to ask a question now. His spirits lifted when Duke Coren growled, “Aye, Sun-lord? What do you need?”
The duke’s words were strange. Reade knew that the nobleman could not really mean to call him a lord. Lords did not come from the People. Lords lived in faraway places, in giant villages called towns. They lived in amazing cottages called castles. People bowed down before lords and did their bidding. Lords dressed in fancy robes and ate meat whenever they wanted.
“Supper please, Y-your Grace. I’m very hungry.”
“Then supper you shall have.” Reade was cheered by the duke’s smiling voice, and only a few minutes later, he was lifted down from the high horse. His legs shivered as he stood beside the road, shaking as if he’d just been caught in a winter storm. They felt all funny and bendy, the way they did when Reade chased after the bigger boys for an entire afternoon. Before Reade could test a few steps, Donal came over to place Maida beside him. Both men moved away then, walking off among the other soldiers as they shouted orders.
“Maida?”
It took a long time for his sister to turn toward him, a long time for her to blink and make her eyes focus. She looked like she’d been asleep, dreaming so deeply that she didn’t recognize him. “Reade?” she asked at last, as if she weren’t certain of his name.
He was frightened by her voice, by how the one word shook, but he smiled like a big boy. “It’s all right, Maida,” Reade made himself say, pretending that he was Da, pretending that he could protect his sister.
“I’m scared, Reade. I want Mum.”
“It’s going to be fine. We’re going to be all right. You don’t need to cry.” He didn’t know if he was making up a story as he spoke the words. He didn’t know if they were going to be fine. But his belly felt a little better when he spoke out loud, and he didn’t feel quite so much like crying himself when he told Maida not to.
Before Maida could say anything else, Donal walked back to the two of them. His eyes were hard, like old Sarira Woodsinger’s when she’d caught Reade spying on the Spirit Council meeting. The soldier started to say something, as if he were going to order the children not to speak to each other, but then he shook his head, pursed his lips and whistled. Reade only had an instant to wonder at the shrill sound, and then one of the inlander’s dogs bounded to Donal’s side. “Aye, Crusher,” the soldier growled. “Keep an eye on these two. Make sure they don’t move.”
Reade caught his breath at the dog’s size. Dogs ate boys. Dogs ate boys and girls and men and women. They tore them apart with their sharp teeth, and they swallowed the little pieces down their dark, smelly throats. They scratched at little boy bodies with their blood-black claws, and they crunched on whatever bones were left over.
Reade shook like the leaves on the trees above him, trembling as if he
How was he to know that the inlanders’ huge horse would hurt so much? Da would never have let Reade ride the stallion. Da had punished Reade when he even petted the border pony, last autumn.
Da. Reade fought against a choking sob. He mustn’t think of Da now. Mum said that Da had gone to fish with the Guardians, along with those four other men. Mum said Reade must be brave, like Alana Woodsinger. The woodsinger’s da had gone fishing, too, and had left to be with the Guardians of Water.
It wasn’t fair, though. Da had forgotten his promises. He’d said that he and Reade would go out on their own boat that spring. He had promised that Reade could help bring in the nets. But Da had gone on ahead, gone off to fish by himself.
When Reade thought of fresh, sweet fish, his belly gurgled. He was doubly empty from being sick and the long hours they had traveled. He turned in the saddle to look up at Duke Coren’s bearded face. The man’s eyes glinted beneath his heavy brows, and Reade wondered if he’d be allowed to ask a question now. His spirits lifted when Duke Coren growled, “Aye, Sun-lord? What do you need?”
The duke’s words were strange. Reade knew that the nobleman could not really mean to call him a lord. Lords did not come from the People. Lords lived in faraway places, in giant villages called towns. They lived in amazing cottages called castles. People bowed down before lords and did their bidding. Lords dressed in fancy robes and ate meat whenever they wanted.
“Supper please, Y-your Grace. I’m very hungry.”
“Then supper you shall have.” Reade was cheered by the duke’s smiling voice, and only a few minutes later, he was lifted down from the high horse. His legs shivered as he stood beside the road, shaking as if he’d just been caught in a winter storm. They felt all funny and bendy, the way they did when Reade chased after the bigger boys for an entire afternoon. Before Reade could test a few steps, Donal came over to place Maida beside him. Both men moved away then, walking off among the other soldiers as they shouted orders.
“Maida?”
It took a long time for his sister to turn toward him, a long time for her to blink and make her eyes focus. She looked like she’d been asleep, dreaming so deeply that she didn’t recognize him. “Reade?” she asked at last, as if she weren’t certain of his name.
He was frightened by her voice, by how the one word shook, but he smiled like a big boy. “It’s all right, Maida,” Reade made himself say, pretending that he was Da, pretending that he could protect his sister.
“I’m scared, Reade. I want Mum.”
“It’s going to be fine. We’re going to be all right. You don’t need to cry.” He didn’t know if he was making up a story as he spoke the words. He didn’t know if they were going to be fine. But his belly felt a little better when he spoke out loud, and he didn’t feel quite so much like crying himself when he told Maida not to.
Before Maida could say anything else, Donal walked back to the two of them. His eyes were hard, like old Sarira Woodsinger’s when she’d caught Reade spying on the Spirit Council meeting. The soldier started to say something, as if he were going to order the children not to speak to each other, but then he shook his head, pursed his lips and whistled. Reade only had an instant to wonder at the shrill sound, and then one of the inlander’s dogs bounded to Donal’s side. “Aye, Crusher,” the soldier growled. “Keep an eye on these two. Make sure they don’t move.”
Reade caught his breath at the dog’s size. Dogs ate boys. Dogs ate boys and girls and men and women. They tore them apart with their sharp teeth, and they swallowed the little pieces down their dark, smelly throats. They scratched at little boy bodies with their blood-black claws, and they crunched on whatever bones were left over.
Reade shook like the leaves on the trees above him, trembling as if he
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