I'm sorry to have two slow chapters in a row, but real life has its
boring moments too. I'll try to put some action in the next chapter. Of
course, the location and some of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce,
may she write many more books set in Tortall.
Stella took a deep breathe and began her new career as guide, governess, and groom for Lord Locus of Lakefront. She was so tired. It had taken a lot out of her to be traveling all the time, and then there had been the fight with the bandits. She still had bruises all over and she was moving slowly that day.
"Let's take care of these horses, then we'll get ourselves something to eat and talk some." Lord Lucas scowled at her after those words but did not object. Stella thought that he look tired too. Stella made sure he led Mouse to the creek. She dragged their saddlebags over to a nearby log and began rummaging through Lord Lucas's.
"Hey, those are mine." Lord Lucas came back to see Stella cramming one of his cakes into her mouth.
"You have to pay me and I don't think you have money. You certainly can't provide a place for me to stay. So, you're going to pay me by letting me have some of your food and helping me stay in disguise." The cake was a bit stale; Stella wondered how long he had been away from home. Would his parents be looking for him yet? What if they found him?
~~
"Eat the apple, its good for you."
"It tastes awful."
"Eat it."
"No. I won't!"
Stella wondered how the poor soul who had been in charge of him last had been able to get him to eat his vegetables. She strongly suspected that they hadn't even attempted to make him do anything that he didn't want. He wasn't stubborn he was just used to having his own way. Stella was very stubborn, and not used to just rolling over to let other people have their way. In the end, Lucas ate about two thirds of his apple and gave the rest to Mouse at Stella's insistence.
Stella had already decided that she much preferred Mouse to Lord Lucas. Mouse wasn't stupid she was just patient. She also new that as far as life went, carting around a few spoiled kids was easier than working in mines or serving as the mount for a Rider. Mouse had even met Daine once; the Wildmage had visited Lakefront a year or so ago. Mouse in turned liked Stella for making sure she was cared for and for trying to put Lord Lucas in his place.
Stella sighed; she was absolutely exhausted. They had ridden until it got to dark to see after Stella had discovered that Lord Lucas's estate was only a few miles away; she hadn't wanted to found. She would rather have just left Lord Lucas and rode on. Put she couldn't have moved quickly enough to avoid capture if he had followed through with his threat to tell the guards she was in the area. She didn't really won't to help Lord Lucas run away, but then she wasn't exactly in a position to scold him for it because she had run away herself.
"Bedtime," she told Lord Lucas.
Rather predictably, he told her he wasn't tired.
"Look, we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow. If you're too tired to keep up with me, I'll leave you behind." Stella wanted to leave him behind now but she was worried they might still be too close to his land.
"You may bring me my nightclothes," he said, glaring at her. Stella stamped her foot and bobbed her head like a frustrated horse. She grabbed the nightclothes out of his saddle bag and threw them at him. She stalked of to relieve her bladder. When she returned she banked the fire and curled up on top of her cloak with a blanket from Old Heather over her.
"Stella?" It was Lord Lucas, his voice no longer sounded imperious and arrogant but plaintive and unsure. "I can't sleep."
Stella realized she couldn't either. She got up and walked closer to Lord Lucas.
"I'll warn you, I'm a terrible singer. But I'll do my best to sing you a lullaby." Stella took a moment to try to remember the words. Her mother had sung this song to her years ago, and her aunt sometimes hummed it while she worked.
"All of the horses are safe in the herd, hush, hush and don't speak a word. All of the horses are settled for the night, each with enough grain for his heart's delight."
Stella felt tears of homesickness coursing down her cheeks in the darkness, but she felt better somehow. After a few verse Lord Lucas began snoring. And a minute later, Stella was lulled to sleep by the gentle eating noises of Pinecone and Mouse.
At least this ending isn't a cliffhanger. Please review, I love reviews.
Quote: "A friend is one who dislikes the same people you dislike."- Anonymous
Stella took a deep breathe and began her new career as guide, governess, and groom for Lord Locus of Lakefront. She was so tired. It had taken a lot out of her to be traveling all the time, and then there had been the fight with the bandits. She still had bruises all over and she was moving slowly that day.
"Let's take care of these horses, then we'll get ourselves something to eat and talk some." Lord Lucas scowled at her after those words but did not object. Stella thought that he look tired too. Stella made sure he led Mouse to the creek. She dragged their saddlebags over to a nearby log and began rummaging through Lord Lucas's.
"Hey, those are mine." Lord Lucas came back to see Stella cramming one of his cakes into her mouth.
"You have to pay me and I don't think you have money. You certainly can't provide a place for me to stay. So, you're going to pay me by letting me have some of your food and helping me stay in disguise." The cake was a bit stale; Stella wondered how long he had been away from home. Would his parents be looking for him yet? What if they found him?
~~
"Eat the apple, its good for you."
"It tastes awful."
"Eat it."
"No. I won't!"
Stella wondered how the poor soul who had been in charge of him last had been able to get him to eat his vegetables. She strongly suspected that they hadn't even attempted to make him do anything that he didn't want. He wasn't stubborn he was just used to having his own way. Stella was very stubborn, and not used to just rolling over to let other people have their way. In the end, Lucas ate about two thirds of his apple and gave the rest to Mouse at Stella's insistence.
Stella had already decided that she much preferred Mouse to Lord Lucas. Mouse wasn't stupid she was just patient. She also new that as far as life went, carting around a few spoiled kids was easier than working in mines or serving as the mount for a Rider. Mouse had even met Daine once; the Wildmage had visited Lakefront a year or so ago. Mouse in turned liked Stella for making sure she was cared for and for trying to put Lord Lucas in his place.
Stella sighed; she was absolutely exhausted. They had ridden until it got to dark to see after Stella had discovered that Lord Lucas's estate was only a few miles away; she hadn't wanted to found. She would rather have just left Lord Lucas and rode on. Put she couldn't have moved quickly enough to avoid capture if he had followed through with his threat to tell the guards she was in the area. She didn't really won't to help Lord Lucas run away, but then she wasn't exactly in a position to scold him for it because she had run away herself.
"Bedtime," she told Lord Lucas.
Rather predictably, he told her he wasn't tired.
"Look, we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow. If you're too tired to keep up with me, I'll leave you behind." Stella wanted to leave him behind now but she was worried they might still be too close to his land.
"You may bring me my nightclothes," he said, glaring at her. Stella stamped her foot and bobbed her head like a frustrated horse. She grabbed the nightclothes out of his saddle bag and threw them at him. She stalked of to relieve her bladder. When she returned she banked the fire and curled up on top of her cloak with a blanket from Old Heather over her.
"Stella?" It was Lord Lucas, his voice no longer sounded imperious and arrogant but plaintive and unsure. "I can't sleep."
Stella realized she couldn't either. She got up and walked closer to Lord Lucas.
"I'll warn you, I'm a terrible singer. But I'll do my best to sing you a lullaby." Stella took a moment to try to remember the words. Her mother had sung this song to her years ago, and her aunt sometimes hummed it while she worked.
"All of the horses are safe in the herd, hush, hush and don't speak a word. All of the horses are settled for the night, each with enough grain for his heart's delight."
Stella felt tears of homesickness coursing down her cheeks in the darkness, but she felt better somehow. After a few verse Lord Lucas began snoring. And a minute later, Stella was lulled to sleep by the gentle eating noises of Pinecone and Mouse.
At least this ending isn't a cliffhanger. Please review, I love reviews.
Quote: "A friend is one who dislikes the same people you dislike."- Anonymous