Shaking her head, she started off toward the stable, she itched horridly and hoped to find someone with a bit of spare time to groom an unchosen companion. Perhaps Keren or Sherrill would be between classes, both of them would gladly brush out any companion that needed it. But with so many young ones, many who had never ridden before, chances were they would have their hands full.
"Hello."
Dedren almost jumped straight out of her hide at the sound of the soft little voice. She would have blushed in she could have, she had been so lost in thought she had almost stepped on the girl. Then again it was rare enough to find someone sitting alone in the field. A glance at the embroidery frame in her delicate hands told Dedren why the girl had sought the solitude of the field rather than a garden. The companion regarded the delicate beauty of the future tapestry, a soft green heal-all vine woven with a grape vine in fruit and golden wheat formed the frame of a rich green field and clear blue sky, with blank areas in the shape of companions. Dedren knew when it was finished the piece would be highly sought after, it was as much a work of art as a painting.
Dedren nosed the frame gently and nodded in what she hoped was approval. The girl smiled shyly, the soft silver gray eyes were extremely expressive Dedren thought to herself.
"Thank you, I'm glad you find it pleasing. Now if I could just get the white right." She waved a slender hand at the assortment of threads on her outspread skirt. "Nothing so far has been truly the right shade. Well nothing save a few tail hairs I collected from the bushes earlier. But I can't quite go plucking companions bald."
The smile transformed the plain little face into something lovely, Dedren make a sound that was as close to laughter as this body allowed. Then froze up with a sudden idea and took off at a dead run toward the tack shed. Carefully nosing open the tack room door Dedren grabbed the handle of one of the grooming boxes firmly in her teeth. Hurrying back as swiftly as she could with the awkward weight she was pleased to see the girl still there.
"Oh I thought something had happened." The girl said softly as Dedren sat the box down beside her. At first she looked confused, but then caught the idea as Dedren lifted out a curry comb. "Oh I brush you down and I can keep the hairs I need?"
Dedren bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically making the girl laugh aloud. "Very well it seem a very fair trade to me." She gathered the sewing and replaced it in her basket.
A candlemark later Dedren stood half asleep as the girl finished braiding her tail, coat now spotless and shining, mane and tail in neat braids that wouldn't tangle and catch on every bush. And the girl had a gift for finding every itchy place. The girl finished tying the braid off and sat down to carefully free the long tail and mane hairs from the brushes. There didn't seem to be very many to Dedren, but a quick check soon had two other unpartnered companions fully willing to be groomed in exchange for the loose hairs.
The girl looked up a bit in surprise at the pair's approach, but a glance at the badly knotted tail of the younger and she understood the reason for their sudden appearance. Nimble fingers that were accustomed to detangling thread made short work of the troublesome knot without painful tugging much to the young colt's relief. In short order he was off to play again with gleaming coat and the older mare was dozing off under the gentle attention of the girl.
By days end the girl had a decent skien of shining white hair and several of the younger companions were wondering now to find a job for her in the castle so she would stay nearby. Dedren understood their desire as she led the girl to the tack shed to replace the box. She briefly considered breaking the rules to ask the girl her name and if she would be back. But she saw Kantor enter the building and decided it would not be the wisest thing to do.
Kantor for his part took note of the freshly groomed Dedren and the grooming kit the girl was replacing and mentally chuckled. So that was what the younglings were talking of. His amusement caught his partner's attention, Trouble?
No, just the younglings trying to figure out how to kidnap a young lass who agreed to groom them. He replied showing Alberich an image of the girl walking beside Dedren toward one of the gates. They seem quite taken with her.
Albrerich mentally shook his head, Don't let her bring apples to the field, else an angry parent looking for their daughter we will have.
Kantor was inclined to agree with that, to bad the child wasn't a chosen, there were too few who thought of grooming the unpartnered companions. But it took more than a gentle hand at grooming and a sweet nature to make a herald.
Lyrissa waited calmly at the gate for her uncle, she answered the guard's polite questions of her day. She hadn't gotten much done of the small tapestry, but she had enjoyed the silent company of the companions. She smiled a greeting at her uncle, "So what did you do today Mousekin?"
"Nothing much at all." she answered softly.