lantern.”
“I was about to light one.”
“I’ll do it. Don’t leave him.” She moved quickly to a lantern hanging on a post near the door. On a ledge below was a flint and stone. She struck them together, flame flared, and a momentlater she was carrying the lighted lantern to Galen.
He could see the shadow of her limbs through the thin blue batiste of the high-waisted gown she still wore.
She set the lantern on the ground beside the bucket and admired the horse. Her hand stroked his muzzle. “He’s beautiful. What’s his name?”
“Selik.”
“What happened to Telzan?”
“I use him for breeding now. Selik is one of his colts.”
“He’s very gentle. You don’t expect that quality in a stallion.”
He gazed at her curiously. “And what do you know about stallions?”
“Not enough. I need to learn more.” She knelt beside him. “Was the snake poisonous?”
“Yes, but it was only a glancing strike.”
“What salve are you using?”
“An herbal mixture of mustard grass and rye.”
“Have you tried mixing mint with it?”
“No.”
“It cools the flesh, which makes the animal able to tolerate greater heat from the cloth.”
“How do you know?”
“I experimented with several herbs when one of the Count’s mares developed a strain.” She reached past him, unwound the cloth from around Selik’s ankle, and gently stroked the horse’s ankle. “Just look. Have you ever seen such delicate bones?”
Her bones were far more delicate, he thought. He felt as if he could crush her with one careless caress. He could see the tracing of blue veins at her wrist, and the steady pounding of the pulse at her temple a few inches from his own. “Exceptional.”
“One has to wonder how ankles such as those ever manage to support all that weight.” She dipped the cloth in the bucket and squeezed out the excess moisture. “We’re going to need more very hot water.”
“I’ll get it.” He stood up, took the bucket to the door, and threw out the water, then turned and strode over to the kettle and filled the bucket again. “What count?”
“Hmm?” Her brow was knotted in concentration as she wrapped the ankle. “Oh, the Count de Sanvene. He owned the estate next to the convent. He had a fine stable of horses, but not one to compare to this boy.” She sat back on her heels to look admiringly up at the stallion. “Do you have many horses like Selik?”
“No horse is like another.”
“I agree.”
“The sisters let you visit the Count?”
“Not at first. I had to sneak away.” She grimaced. “I can’t tell you how many times I was caught and sent to the Reverend Mother for discipline.”
“How old was the man?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I never asked him.”
“Guess.” Galen heard the sharpness in his voice and tried to temper it as she glanced at him in surprise. “Young?”
She shook her head. “He had grandchildren, I think.”
Galen felt a little of his tension melt away. He brought the bucket of steaming water to her side. “You liked him?”
“I liked his horses.” She nodded. “He was quite irritable at first, but when he saw I could be useful around the stable, he became almost pleasant.”
“Almost?”
“Well, he didn’t shout at me anymore, and he visited the Mother Superior and convinced her to let me come twice a week.”
“How did he do that?”
“He assured her he would watch over me, and he told her I had a healing talent with animals. He also said he was sure Saint Francis of Assisi would have approved of my helping the beasts.” She chuckled. “It was the first time I’d ever been compared to a saint. The Reverend Mother was very surprised.”
“So the good Count acquired a new stableboy?”
“I didn’t mind. I loved being with the horses. They made the convent bearable.” She turned to him, her face alight with eagerness. “Someday I’m going to have a fine stable and breed horses like Selik and Telzan.”
He
“I was about to light one.”
“I’ll do it. Don’t leave him.” She moved quickly to a lantern hanging on a post near the door. On a ledge below was a flint and stone. She struck them together, flame flared, and a momentlater she was carrying the lighted lantern to Galen.
He could see the shadow of her limbs through the thin blue batiste of the high-waisted gown she still wore.
She set the lantern on the ground beside the bucket and admired the horse. Her hand stroked his muzzle. “He’s beautiful. What’s his name?”
“Selik.”
“What happened to Telzan?”
“I use him for breeding now. Selik is one of his colts.”
“He’s very gentle. You don’t expect that quality in a stallion.”
He gazed at her curiously. “And what do you know about stallions?”
“Not enough. I need to learn more.” She knelt beside him. “Was the snake poisonous?”
“Yes, but it was only a glancing strike.”
“What salve are you using?”
“An herbal mixture of mustard grass and rye.”
“Have you tried mixing mint with it?”
“No.”
“It cools the flesh, which makes the animal able to tolerate greater heat from the cloth.”
“How do you know?”
“I experimented with several herbs when one of the Count’s mares developed a strain.” She reached past him, unwound the cloth from around Selik’s ankle, and gently stroked the horse’s ankle. “Just look. Have you ever seen such delicate bones?”
Her bones were far more delicate, he thought. He felt as if he could crush her with one careless caress. He could see the tracing of blue veins at her wrist, and the steady pounding of the pulse at her temple a few inches from his own. “Exceptional.”
“One has to wonder how ankles such as those ever manage to support all that weight.” She dipped the cloth in the bucket and squeezed out the excess moisture. “We’re going to need more very hot water.”
“I’ll get it.” He stood up, took the bucket to the door, and threw out the water, then turned and strode over to the kettle and filled the bucket again. “What count?”
“Hmm?” Her brow was knotted in concentration as she wrapped the ankle. “Oh, the Count de Sanvene. He owned the estate next to the convent. He had a fine stable of horses, but not one to compare to this boy.” She sat back on her heels to look admiringly up at the stallion. “Do you have many horses like Selik?”
“No horse is like another.”
“I agree.”
“The sisters let you visit the Count?”
“Not at first. I had to sneak away.” She grimaced. “I can’t tell you how many times I was caught and sent to the Reverend Mother for discipline.”
“How old was the man?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I never asked him.”
“Guess.” Galen heard the sharpness in his voice and tried to temper it as she glanced at him in surprise. “Young?”
She shook her head. “He had grandchildren, I think.”
Galen felt a little of his tension melt away. He brought the bucket of steaming water to her side. “You liked him?”
“I liked his horses.” She nodded. “He was quite irritable at first, but when he saw I could be useful around the stable, he became almost pleasant.”
“Almost?”
“Well, he didn’t shout at me anymore, and he visited the Mother Superior and convinced her to let me come twice a week.”
“How did he do that?”
“He assured her he would watch over me, and he told her I had a healing talent with animals. He also said he was sure Saint Francis of Assisi would have approved of my helping the beasts.” She chuckled. “It was the first time I’d ever been compared to a saint. The Reverend Mother was very surprised.”
“So the good Count acquired a new stableboy?”
“I didn’t mind. I loved being with the horses. They made the convent bearable.” She turned to him, her face alight with eagerness. “Someday I’m going to have a fine stable and breed horses like Selik and Telzan.”
He
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