Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb - Wyvern's Spur_122
 

half of the door open
climbed up into the unharnessed
open buggy
and settled onto
the cushioned seat. She sighed once and sat very still with her hands folded in her lap. She closed her
eyes
but not completely
and from her posture
the halfling could tell she was still alert and aware.
Olive trembled with anger. The treacherous witch didn't waste any time
the halfling thought. As quietly
as she could
the burro tiptoed out of the stall and slipped into the shadows at the rear of the carriage
house. How long
she wondered
would it take for Cat's master to arrive from his throne? Cassana and
ol' Zrie Prakis sat on thrones. Mages who sit on thrones always mean trouble
Olive-girl. They take
themselves too seriously.
Either Cat's little paper bird had the speed of a dragon
or her master's throne was just on the other side
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of town. Whichever it was
the woman didn't have too long to wait. In less time than it took to hard-cook
an egg
something arrived.
A huge black raven swooped through the open upper door and landed on the buggy's lantern pole. The
bird shook its feathers dry and fluttered to the buggy seat beside Cat. At first
Olive thought the bird was
some sort of magical messenger
perhaps Flattery's familiar. Then the raven grew monstrously. Its
feathers became cloth and hair
its wings turned into arms
and its claws into legs. Cat remained still and
silent throughout the transformation.
The raven finished changing into a man. He wore a black cloak of great size. Silky black hair
shinier
than raven's feathers
hung to his shoulders. His face was turned away from Olive
but the halfling had no
trouble hearing his words
and there was something disturbingly familiar in his deep bass rumble. Well
Catling?" he demanded.
Cat trembled and bowed her head. When she spokeher tone was so meek that Olive cringed to hear shox running shoes