And…This one is super short. :( I don't know why these chapters just keep getting shorter! :)
I hope they've found Abeke, Conor thought as he and Finn rushed down a path that snaked along the castle's east wall. Their search for the hare had consumed more time than Conor liked, and still they'd seen no sign of their friends. Around them, the garden darkened as morning faded into afternoon, and afternoon into late afternoon. Losing the talisman to Devin would be awful,
"We lost it to Devin either way" Rollan said, eying Conor. "Well at least it wasn't for nothing" Conor said "At least I saved my family." "Guys" Abeke said "Stop that. The past is past"
but losing another one of their team after Tarik . . . it would be unthinkable. Briggan glanced over at Conor, as if he'd overheard the boy's thoughts. "Convincing the hare to rejoin MacDonnell won't be easy," Finn said from behind them, startling Conor back to the moment. "Not after the way MacDonnell treated him." "Remember Rollan's horse when we left Greenhaven?" Conor said, looking back at him. "He used to be a spirit animal. He was jealous of Rollan and Essix's bond. Maybe when the hare sees Briggan and me, he'll be jealous — jealous enough to want his bond with MacDonnell back." "Maybe so," Finn said. "I know that I find your bond inspiring." It was high praise coming from the quiet Greencloak, and Conor felt a surge of hope too. They pressed on. Then, suddenly, there it was: a curtain of wisteria. This was in my dream, Conor thought. He dove for it, pushing the cascade of purple flowers out of the way. Beside him, Briggan snorted and rubbed his nose against the ground, protesting the flowers' overpowering scent. The three emerged in a small clearing of trees. There was a stone bench on one side; on the other, the castle's stone wall. The branches arched overhead, leaving only a tiny circle of the darkening sky visible. Finn made an uncertain noise. "The horse's partner died," he reminded Conor. "He had no choice but to go on alone. The hare knows MacDonnell is still alive — what makes you think he misses the bond so much?" Conor took a deep breath before stepping toward the castle wall. He extended a hand to a rosebush planted alongside the stone. "Because," he said. "Do you know what's on the other side of this wall?" "I don't," Finn admitted, voice cautious. "It's MacDonnell's bedroom," Conor said.
"Smart Conor" Abeke said
Careful to avoid the thorns, he brushed the rosebush to one side. With a soft whine, Briggan lay down. Finn sucked in a sharp breath. In the dark, two tiny, beetle-colored eyes shone, peering up at Conor. The hare had clearly been Sleeping, curled up in a ball in the soft dirt. He looked surprised to see someone, much less someone so clearly looking for him. "Hello," Conor said gently. "I'm Conor, and this is Briggan, one of the Great Beasts. We're, uh, hoping to convince you to return to Lord MacDonnell." The hare blinked. He did not look convinced.
"Maybe you should put Briggan in passive form" Meilin said "He is prey and Briggan is a predator, so it might scare him"
His ears sagged — not so much sleepy as hopeless. Conor wished he'd worked out more to say. He had really just thought the invitation, combined with the image of Briggan and him together, would be enough. Behind him, however, Finn exhaled before speaking. "l know what it is to lose your spirit animal. The pain I feel, I see in Lord MacDonnell's eyes. I see in your eyes." The hare blinked again, his ears sagging further. "Please," Conor said. "Come with us. Come back to Glengavin. Give MacDonnell another chance. I know you miss him. You sleep beneath his bedroom window." "He wants you back," Finn added. "He's changed." This time, the hare did not blink. He sat still, his giant front legs locked in place. Only his nose moved, twitching with each breath. They were so close. Once they had convinced the hare to go back to MacDonnell, they could concentrate on Rumfuss. Time was running out. Conor finally reached toward the hare, palm open and promising, growing closer, closer to the animal
"Yeah that's not how animals work" Abeke said smiling
— The hare bolted, gone so fast into the underbrush that even Briggan couldn't have outrun him. It would be impossible to find him in this huge, dark garden.
Olvan opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by Conor. "Don't" Conor said "Don't say Finn and I got an F." Olvan then shut his mouth
"Well," Finn said, sounding defeated. "There goes that." Conor gritted his teeth. Why had he reached out? He should have been more patient, given the animal more time.
"You were also a stranger" Abeke said
He was a shepherd — he knew better than to rush an animal slow to trust. Well, he reminded himself glumly. You were a shepherd. Finn lifted a hand to touch a spot on his bicep — where his spirit animal, whatever it was, stayed dormant. "Perhaps sometimes a relationship is just too broken to fix." Briggan walked to Conor's side and sat down, letting Conor run a hand over his fur for comfort. As soon as his hand came down on Briggan's ruff, he felt something shift in his head. His mind cleared, and the feeling of hopelessness that was threatening to overpower him was washed away. He had to lead. He had to make a decision. "We can at least stop Devin from getting the talisman, even if MacDonnell won't let us take it for the Greencloaks," he told Finn. "Let's go find Rumfuss."
"That was a short chapter" Meilin said "Your turn Olvan." "Why me?" Olvan asked "Fine"
Chapter Sixteen. Rumfuss