The morning they flew out was cold and drizzly. Murtagh, leather bag slung over his shoulder, paused in his walk from the kitchens to watch the three junior Riders troop in from fencing practice. He grinned. They were spattered head to toe with mud.
"Have a good practice?" he called.
"Fine!" called Katya, beaming proudly. "We've got some nimble ones here."
"Yeah? I bet." Murtagh watched them with a fond smile as they walked up to him. "Doing all right, you lot? I hope you're minding your teacher."
"Of course, sir," said Ellit brightly, her face flushed with exercise.
"Atta girl." Murtagh clapped her on the shoulder, ruffled Tavis' hair. "Doing all right, Tavis? Lane – can I have a word with you?"
"Of course, sir." Lane pushed his hair out of his face and followed Murtagh a little ways off the path. "What is it?"
Murtagh propped a foot against a rock. "I'm going to be flying up to Ceunon today. Do you have any messages for your mother?"
"Oh, um…" Lane's hair, thanks to exercise, moisture, and his fingers, resembled a bird's nest more than anything else. "Just tell her that I'm doing fine, Kadi's great too, um…" He bit his lip, thinking. "Actually…can I write a letter?"
They really had to get going. Murtagh and Thorn should have flown out a couple hours ago. And then for some reason thought of Selena and how the only reason he knew what his mother's face looked like was because he'd seen a fairth of her.
"You've got fifteen minutes, kid," he said, smiling despite the tight little knot under his collarbone. "Bring it to my house."