The hand that she held the talons with began to tingle. Then burn. Excruciatingly so. With a little cry, she let go of
the eagle, leaving it on the ground. She jumped to her feet, shaking her hand as though she could fling off the pain
as easily and stepped back against a tree.
Except there weren’t any trees in the area. Nor did tree limbs reach around and clasp people around their arms.
She yelped anew, flung forward, breaking herself loose from whatever had a grip on her.
“What is it? What have you done?” It was the young horse soldier from the tent, the one who had glared at her with
blatant distrust. Distrustful enough to follow her and see what she did with the eagle.
“What I’ve done?” She curled her fingers, trying to act as though her palm wasn’t burning from the outside in. But
skies, it hurt.
He wasn’t fooled at all. His jaw set tightly. “What’s wrong with your hand? Come here, let me see.” Koric, he was
demanding.
It hurt too much to be prideful. Opening her hand, Santil showed him. Her palm was already turning an angry
swollen pink.
“Eck.” His dark brows drew together. “How in a hundred rots did you manage that?” Though he said it sternly, he
didn’t seem altogether unfeeling about it. “You must have touched a poisonous shrub along the way. Here, rub it in
the dirt. See if you can get some of the sting out.” He pulled her down with him and instead of waiting for her to do
it, he placed his own hands over hers and pushed them across the silty ground. “Better?”
“Ua hum.” It wasn’t as hot as before. Pinning both her hands to the ground with one of his large palms, he pulled
out a flask, popped the lid off between his teeth, and poured water over their joined hands, rubbing and coaxing
the mud away until there was no longer any burning sensation, though it was warm beneath his palm.
“That should do it. Is it better now? You have a bit of relief?”
She nodded, not quite certain what to make of him.
“Now tell me. How did you manage to burn yourself? Did you rub against any of these plants? Some will merely
prick you but others are highly poisonous. I suppose not being from these lands, you Eaglekins wouldn’t know
which plants to avoid. We should have thought of that, though none of you are supposed to being running around
without an escort.” He spoke to her as though she were a child. Of course she hadn’t simply brushed across a
plant. Even though she wasn’t familiar with the wildlife on this side of the mountains, Eaglekins weren’t ignorant
enough to blunder about without first attuning themselves to any new environment they entered. She wondered if
he had appointed himself as her escort after the Chief General let her leave the tent with the eagle.
“No. I was wiping down the eagle.” Her eyes flared wide. “Oh, no no no no.”
His hand instantly encircled her upper arm. “What is it?”
She didn’t want to tell him. It was just one more accusation that could be laid at the Eaglekins’ feet. She bit her
lower lip.
That couldn’t be helped. It would be wrong not to say anything. “It’s the eagle. Oh, Koric, we didn’t do it, I swear to
you.”
“Didn’t do what?”
She winched at his tone. “My hand started burning only after I held the eagle’s talons. Something is coated on his
talons.” She gripped the horse soldier’s forearm. “The Chief General…”
Excerpt from Chase the Wind
She came upon the stench first. Santil moved farther past the wide holes that had been
dug into a small area that was naturally screened by prickly bushes on one side. Here
she gently placed the eagle down and went about the practical business of pulling the
thin metal bolt from the small breast. It had been a clean shot. At least death had come
swiftly.
Softly, she whispered words of comfort and sorrow, everything she would have said to
Rakia. She took the talons in one hand while she cleaned the feathers with the edge of
her already soiled gown. She would have to clean herself somehow before stomping
back through camp in a blood-soaked gown. Not that she had any love for the garment.
It was the clothing of a tolin sha, not the breeches and tunic true-bonded Eaglekins
favored for ease in movement across harsh terrain. She wished she could have stopped
for her water flask, but that meant going to the Eaglekins first.
She came upon the stench first. Santil moved farther past the wide holes that had been
dug into a small area that was naturally screened by prickly bushes on one side. Here
she gently placed the eagle down and went about the practical business of pulling the
thin metal bolt from the small breast. It had been a clean shot. At least death had come
swiftly.
Softly, she whispered words of comfort and sorrow, everything she would have said to
Rakia. She took the talons in one hand while she cleaned the feathers with the edge of
her already soiled gown. She would have to clean herself somehow before stomping
back through camp in a blood-soaked gown. Not that she had any love for the garment.
It was the clothing of a tolin sha, not the breeches and tunic true-bonded Eaglekins
favored for ease in movement across harsh terrain. She wished she could have stopped
for her water flask, but that meant going to the Eaglekins first.