They didn't have to wait long to see whom the horses belonged to. Quickly they each took a men's saddle each off Rabidash, murmuring their thanks. Then they hurriedly saddled their horses.
And in rode four people.
"Who are you? And did you know you are trespassing on royal grounds? And what are those bones there for? They weren't here yesterday."
The tall man dismounted. He had black hair and brown eyes, was extremely tall, and was studying the skeletons of the horses Myanh had scorched. Of course, half of the wolves still looked like dead wolves, not sun bleached skeletons.
He looked up to watch in interest, as one girl whispered quickly to the others.
"Look, Miliko, Myanh. I think that's Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malories Peak. See the one over there, with red hair and grey eyes? I think that's Cleon of Kennan. And"
"Look, Shadi, I read the books, remember? You had to tell me to stop quoting them. But from the description in the books, I didn't think she'd be so pretty. And the guys don't notice her? That's weird." Miliko interjected.
"I know. Can I finish introducing them now? I kind of like doing this. The one with the chin length hair, and green-flecked brown eyes? She's Keladry of Mindelan, protector of the small. Don't be fooled by her dreamer's looks. She's sharp. The last one is Nealan of Queenscove. Alanna must have given him a day off. Or she could be here. Personally, I hope she is here. She's the lady knight I told you about, the one that's always fighting. Then fainting," Shadi said smugly. Miliko rolled her eyes. She already knew all of this.
Myanh rolled her eyes. "Well, what do we say?" she demanded.
"Um, name and fief. Miliko will introduce us. She did all the acting in medieval plays. So, you know what a fief is right?"
"Yes, I do. I'm going to be, Myanh of Hawaiiki. Got it?" Myanh said bossily.
"I'm Shadi of Venice, kay?"
"And I'll be, um, hey! I know! I'll be Miliko of Nyujiirando." Miliko exclaimed. For a couple of months she had gone on a Japanese spree after finding out her name was Japanese.
Miliko walked forward. The big man, Raoul, Miliko reminded herself, looked up from where he had resumed his inspection of the dead wolves.
"Are you going to tell me who you are?" He asked.
Miliko took a deep breath. "Yes, milord. I am Lady Miliko of Nyujiirando. My friend with the dark brown hair, she's Lady Shadi of Venice. Lady Myanh of Hawaiiki, she's got the black hair," she said politely. As she introduced the other two, they curtsied as well as they knew how. Well, Myanh did. Shadi bowed.
Raoul listened intently. "How did you get here?" was all he asked.
"Shadi said a spell, we found ourselves in a clearing. This one to be precise." Miliko said nervously.
"Were there any wolves?" Raoul asked, shifting his gaze to the bodies, decaying rapidly.
"Yes." Miliko was answering the question, and nothing else.
"Where are they?"
"Right in front of you."
"Were they like this when you got here?"
"No."
"How did they get like this?"
"They attacked us."
"And you did this?" That was Nealan of Queenscove.
"Me and Myanh, with a little help from the animals."
"What did you do?" That was Raoul again.
"Pointed at them."
Myanh and Shadi were walking slowly closer.
"And they became skeletons just like that?"
"No."
"How did they become skeletons?"
"Myanh."
"What did Lady Myanh do?"
"Burned them."
Myanh was now standing right behind Neal.
"How did she burn them?"
"Dunno. I was too busy pointing at wolves." Miliko was starting to feel like she was repeating herself.
"What happened when you pointed at them?"
"They died."
"Do you know why?"
But before Miliko could answer, Myanh pushed Neal over, and sat on him.
"Nice seat." she commented, polishing her nails.
"Myanh, up." Shadi commanded.
Myanh did so, but slowly. "I'm going to get dirty," she whined. Shadi ignored her in favour of talking to Cleon.
"In an answer to your question, Sir, I think it was because I wanted them to die. I don't like wolves. As you can tell."
"Okay. Myanh, is that your name? Can you please not push people to the ground? I need him to be healthy. We are actually looking for the source of a scream we heard earlier. Something like we're going to die. Sound familiar?" Raoul looked at the girl who was now standing on one of the horses.
"Myanh, get own." Miliko ordered.
"But, Miliko, I'll get dirty." Myanh said petulantly.
"So, call Rabidash. Now, get down."
"Fine. Shadi, get my flying horse here, right now." Myanh ordered.
"No. I'm talking." Shadi answered.
While Raoul had been talking to Miliko, Shadi had been asking Cleon questions. And Judging from the look on Kel's face, she didn't approve.
"Look, girl, whatever your name is, get away from him." Kel said threateningly.
"Jeez, calm down. I was only talking," Shadi said, but walked away all the same.
"Good. Now what are we doing, Sir?" Kel asked Raoul.
"Well, we found out what the scream was about, and how it was dealt with. Now, ladies, where are you going?" Raoul asked the teenagers.
"Um, nowhere, we kinda just appeared. I think Shadi wanted to meet the people from Tortall. We were just taken along by her spell." Miliko said.
"Well, ride along with us. It shouldn't be too much extra."
Myanh and Shadi opened their mouths to protest – Myanh because she thought she might break a nail, Shadi because she wanted to explore – but Miliko beat them to it. "We'd appreciate that. Thank you, my Lord." And so it was that Miliko, Myanh and Shadi came to Tortall, and began to change it forever.