Heart Fate (34 page)

“Well done.” He cleared his throat. “Based on the many cases you must have witnessed, can you give me any idea of when her next wave of Passage will be?”

“Passage is individual to the person,” the Residence said pompously.

“Thank you for confirming that.” Tinne stayed casual.

There was a couple of minutes of silence. Lahsin gave a little sigh and rolled over, her fingers slipping from his. She curled into a ball. Tinne stood and put a light blanket over her. Then he stretched and shook his limbs out. His body was stiff.

The Residence still didn't answer, playing a waiting game. “Perhaps it would be best if I asked Primary HealingHall.” Now the premier Healing grove on Celta.

“Upstart.” A hesitation. “My best estimate is that the girl won't have her next experience with Passage before tomorrow afternoon.”

Tinne bowed. “Thank you.”

An itching came at the back of his mind, someone probing for him. He had to leave. G'Uncle Tab would be concerned, and it was nearly time for Saille T'Willow's training. Tonight was also one of the nights that he was supposed to spend in T'Holly HouseHeart. He'd looked forward to the serenity of that, but now he didn't know.

He wanted to stay with Lahsin.

Just being in her presence eased some soreness within him. That might be a dangerous sign that they were becoming too close. Close enough that he was in danger of more than caring.

He looked around for a memo sphere and didn't see one, but there was a writestick and papyrus on the bed stand table. Lahsin's pretty penmanship showed notes on Passage. Tinne didn't read them, but turned the papyrus over and wrote: “No self-defense training tonight. Rest. See you tomorrow evening.” He hesitated long over the closing, then scrawled his first name.

When he opened the bedroom door, Strother rose from the place he'd been lying across the hall. He inclined his head gravely at Tinne and trotted in gracefully. The bad leg was Healed, moving as strongly as his other three.

He was tall enough to look over the bed. His nose wrinkled.
Smells not like herself. Scared sweat.

“Passage,” Tinne said, thinking the emotional upheaval over Strother might have sparked it.

Strother gazed at Tinne.
This is a good person.

“I think so.”

The dog nodded, studied Tinne from wary eyes.
You are a good person, too, despite you have a FamCat.

Tinne bowed. “Thank you.”

A half smile formed on Strother's muzzle.
FamCat did not stay with you when times were hard. Came back afterward. I tell her that. Not loyal like a dog.

With a chuckle, Tinne shook his head. Strother was more intelligent than he appeared.

Strother studied Lahsin.
She might be a good FamWoman.
Tinne heard loneliness in the sentence. Strother continued,
I could help her. I am big and strong and tough and mean to bad ones.
He lifted and rotated his once-crippled leg.
My leg is good now. I could leave, but that would not be loyal.
His gaze slid to Tinne.
She helped me. She fed me. She took me to D'Ash.

“She paid for your Healing with her skill.”

The dog snorted.
Pay, pay, pay. Humans obsessed with pay. Doing what feelings say to do is more important.

Tinne stared.

Cats think of this “pay” stuff, too.
Strother's lip curled.

That was true.

My feelings say to stay and become Fam to Lahsin. I like her very much.
He hopped onto the chair Tinne had vacated, curled up, and watched Lahsin.
She will love me. That is best.

 
 
Lahsin woke, her body aching as if she'd been beaten. Her mouth
tasted horrible, and there was an unpleasant odor. As she came fully awake she realized with a wrinkling of her nose that the odor was her. Hurriedly she glanced down at herself. She was atop the bedsponge. Dirt and sweat showed on her, along with old blood—Strother's blood—but it didn't look like she'd lost control of any other bodily functions. Except . . . she put a hand to her face, which seemed tight in spots. Tears.

Her sigh was more a groan as she propped herself on her elbow. “Definitely going to soak in the Healing pool.”

She whipped her head to the direction of the mental comment and groaned as her neck cricked. Strother lay in a large chair pulled near the bed. She narrowed her eyes, a hazy memory of Tinne sitting there. He'd been here, right?

Yes, he'd carried her to her room. He said he would stay, so of course he must have. The room itself was unusually warm.

She met Strother's big eyes and couldn't quite make out the expression, but it wasn't something she'd seen before. “Are you all right?”

He stood in the chair, took a step, and was on the bedsponge, muzzle close to her face.
I would be your Fam.

Her heart gave one hard thump, and tears welled again so that she had to swallow. A companion! A real animal companion, a friend for life. She stared at him. “Are you sure?”

He looked away, walked easily on the bedsponge to the end of it, and hopped down.
I am sure. You fed me. You took me to D'Ash. You cared for me. Care for me.

She got the idea that it was easier for him to say that when he was a shadow among shadows. Only a small glowspell light hovering near the bedside table lit the chamber.

Swallowing, she rubbed her face. “I guess that's true. I
do
care for you. I like you.”

A movement and he was resting his muzzle on the bedsponge, staring at her.
I like you, too, and we are much alike.

She stood on wobbly legs, stiffened her knees and spine, and did a half bow. “I would be honored to be your Fam.”

Strother lifted his head and nodded, turned, and nails clicking on the wood floor, he walked to the door. It was open a little, and he slipped out into the hallway.
We can go on much like we have been
, he said.

No incredible emotional links, then. She didn't know whether to be glad or not.
All right.
With a yearning glance at the waterfall room, she decided her dirt would be best soaked off. She left the overwarm room, too.

Strother turned his head, and she saw the gleam of his eyes.
But we will stay together from now on. We will travel together.

She sniffed, her feelings were still rocky from Passage.
That suits me fine.

He grinned, and his big, sharp teeth gleamed, but she didn't notice them as much as the tender expression in his eyes or the little hop he gave in pleasure.

She followed him down the cool halls and the stairs at the far end of the corridor that came out on one side of the kitchen.
Thank you for waiting to eat dinner with me.
She waved the kitchen lights on. Flair welled within her. She had more now; it came to her faster and felt more polished—easier to work with.

Strother grunted, took a stance beside the no-time.
I would like wild turkbird tonight.

Lahsin raised her brows.
A feast meal.
Wild turkbird from the old no-time of BalmHeal Residence would be different than wild turkbird now. Tempting.

Understatement.
Yes, you had your leg reset and are no longer crippled, and I have undergone Passage.
Suddenly she was ravenous. She chose wild turkbird and rice, requested a plate of dark turkbird meat for Strother. The no-time opened and showed steaming plates. Her mouth watered at the aroma.

Using a hot pad, she lowered the plate to the floor for Strother, then went to a small one-person table and chair that she'd found in storage. The table was topped in large, old tile squares showing herbs. One had a piece missing and the chair was battered and had a short leg.

She got water for them both and sat, then said a blessing. Strother murmured a half growl that she thought was his contribution to the prayer.
One more thing before you eat.

Strother nodded.
You will thank him. But the Residence also helped you. It made the room nice with good smells and made it warm when you were cold and cool when you were warm.

Thank you for telling me.
She cleared her throat. “Residence?” “I am here.” And still cranky.

“Thank you for helping me during Passage,” she said.

“The doors to the MasterSuite and the HeirSuite need refinishing,” it said.

Lahsin suppressed a sigh. “I'll do that tomorrow.” But she didn't let the Residence's manner taint her appetite. The meal was fabulous. She'd have liked to ask the Residence for the recipe, but figured it was considered a Family secret.

When she returned to her room to get her cloak and roll up some towels for herself and Strother, she saw the message from Tinne. No lessons tonight.

This time she let a long sigh escape. Truthfully she wasn't ready for self-defense training. Her body hurt even when she walked slowly. But she would miss talking to him.

She would miss peeking at his body.

She would miss putting her hands on his firm back, stroking ointment into his supple skin.

Twenty-five

The next morning a cold nose sliding down Lahsin's arm and a
little, high-pitched whine woke her with a jolt.

Strother stepped out of reach.
Past time for breakfast.

“Wha—?” She sat up and glanced out the windows. The day was gray, no sun, it was later than she thought. She usually woke at sunrise. A look at the timer told her it was an hour past WorkBell. Late.

It has snowed all night, is still snowing
, Strother said.

“Huh.” Not very smart this morning. “Thank you. Give me a minute while I use the waterfall room.”

Strother sighed.
You never come out of the waterfall room in less than a half septhour. I will go down to the conservatory. When I hear you in the kitchen I will meet you there. I would like scrambled eggs for breakfast.

“I didn't know dogs ate eggs.”

She didn't want to contemplate eating raw eggs. Shell and all? “Fine. Be down soon.” She took care of her bladder and her morning breath. She was still pretty clean from soaking in the Healing pool the night before, but stood a couple of minutes under the waterfall anyway. She loved that she could spend so much time in the waterfall without punishment.

A few minutes later, she was eating at the café table in the greenhouse, her chair set to see outside and the soft, thick flakes of snow swirling down too fast with no sign of stopping. By the time she finished, a good twelve centimeters had fallen. That wouldn't melt away quickly as previous snows had. Winter had come for good and all in FirstGrove.

She thought of Tinne. She wanted to see him tonight—every night. Wanted to talk to him. That was not surprising, since he was her only solid contact with the outside world, but it was more. She liked him, cared for him. Thinking about
not
seeing him made her as irritable as BalmHeal Residence.

One option would to be to go to the Turquoise House, but she hadn't mastered teleportation. That skill usually came after Second Passage. Taking inward stock of herself, she thought she might have enough Flair, but no practical experience. That was something she could remedy. She'd listened closely to her brother Clute when he'd explained it to her and had teleported
with
people many times. The experience yesterday hadn't surprised or confused her. No time like the present to safely experiment.

She memorized the atmosphere, the light, the area of the conservatory and told Strother what she was going to do and told him not to wander onto the flagstones. Then she walked to the kitchen and visualized the greenhouse.
Yearned
to be there. With a loud pop, she arrived.

She'd done it, all by herself! Shrieking with glee she danced around, then visualized the kitchen and checked to see that Strother was in the conservatory with her. She teleported to the kitchen successfully. The rest of the morning she practiced and refinished the door to the MasterSuite.

She couldn't wait to tell Tinne that evening.

Maybe, now that she could teleport, she might venture into the city.

Maybe.

Tinne felt great. The night before had gone well. He'd been fo
cused on all his lessons and had been able to face sleeping in T'Holly HouseHeart with equanimity. He'd drummed there, with its approval, then had settled down on the soft moss and slept.

This morning his teaching was going equally well, and he checked on Lahsin several times through their stronger link. The increasing bond was a concern, but he tucked it away. He sensed when she awoke and narrowed their connection.

Between morning classes, Ilexa appeared and waited until Tab was in the main salon before she spoke.
I am ready to tell you about the Sallow household.
She burped discreetly.

Tinne had completely forgotten that, so much else had happened. His muscles tightened. Damn. “So?”

Nasty Lord went there with nasty daughter. Sniffed at them.
Ilexa demonstrated a disdainful sniff. Even though this was not good news, Tinne's lips twitched at his Fam. He liked having her back. “And?”

Treated Caprea bad. Like a stup, unFlaired Commoner. Sallows didn't like. Dogs didn't like. Housefluffs didn't like
—.

“—I get the picture.”