"None," said Mika, carefully putting his bow and arrows away, his gaze fixed on three stakes of skew- ercd meat that were browning at the edge of the embers. "Nothing at all."
"No matter," grunted Hornsbuck. "Lotus Blossom shot two rabbits down at the stream when we went for water, and I flushed a partridge on my way back to camp. They'll be ready soon."
They shared the meat with the wolves as well as the flat disks of tough bread that Hornsbuck had laid out to bake on rocks scattered in the embers. Hornsbuck, Lotus Blossom, and Mika each drank a mug of hot honeyed-ale. Grunting good night, Hornsbuck and Lotus Blossom rolled themselves into Hornsbuck's voluminous cloak and fell asleep instantly, their whis- ding, groaning snores enough to bring a bear out of hibernation.
Mika carried his own bedroll away from camp, out of the immediate range of the snoring cacaphony, and then wrapping himself in his own cloak, he lay down on the cold, hard ground.
Tam circled several times and curled up at Mika's feet. The princess waited a few moments, as though deciding what to do, the rawhide thong dangling from her neck; she circled as well, finally settling apart from both Mika and Tam.
Mika stared up at the dark sky, arms locked beneath his head, searching out each of the bright pin-pricks of white light and wondering what mysteries they concealed.
He thought about his life and those he had loved. He thought about his strange encounter with the harpy, remembering her pain, wondering if all creatures shared the same emotions as humans.
He had always imagined humans to be the only truly feeling creatures on Oerth, but his limited experiments-polymorphing himself into a wolf and mind-melding with the harpy-had shaken that belief. What if it were true that all creatures were capable of such feelings? The mere thought was boggling. It would mean that humans had no clear rights of superiority or existence, no real right to subjugate everything else beneath their will. Mika's mind reeled, then steadied.
"It must be the drink," he said aloud, reassuring himself. Dismissing the bizarre thoughts from his mind, he shrugged deeper into the cloak, turned over, and was soon asleep.
The princess watched the sleeping human a little longer, her own thoughts a muddle of conflicting emotions. Why had she not allowed the harpy to kill the man whose death she sought? Unwilling to acknowledge the tiny flicker of liking for Mika that had begun to creep unbidden into her mind, she told herself that he would die, but at a time and in a manner of her own choosing-and only after he had returned her to her human form. After a time, Princess Julia closed her eyes and slept as well.
CHAPTER 11
They were off at dawn, munching hard disks of flat bread, twists of salty cheese, and a handful of galda seeds dug out of the leather saddlebags.
The horses, refreshed by the cold, clear water of the stream and the lush grass that grew on its banks, were filled with energy and strained at the reins, begging for speed.
Hornsbuck, his green eyes sparkling, looked at Mika and grinned. "Hheeaa!" he yelled, cutting his horse's flanks with the reins. The stallion lunged forward, his square, ugly head and neck stretched out before him, his forelegs reaching, grabbing, pounding the stony earth beneath them, sprinting away with great strides.
Lotus Blossom followed him instandy, her huge horse thundering into the lead within a few strides.
Mika's own steed twitched and trembled between his thighs. Suddenly, the roan bunched itself and sprang forward, seizing the bit between its teeth and taking control.
Taken by surprise, Mika was nearly jerked out of the saddle by the animal's burst of speed. He dropped the reins, now useless, and wrapped his arms around the roan's neck. The wind whipped around his head, bringing tears to his eyes. Tam and RedTail wheeled, thinking themselves pursued by some unsensed danger. Seeing nothing, they turned and raced after the horses; after a moment's hesitation, the princess followed.
Manes streaming, hair blowing, tails outstretched, horses, humans, and wolves streaked across the plains, hearts pounding, blood racing, muscles stretching in a glorious outburst of effort.
Hornsbuck roared exuberantly and beat on his stallion's flanks with the reins, urging him on to still greater speeds. Lotus Blossom screamed spiritedly, her pigtails flying, her horse still in the lead. Mika, entering into the spirit of the race, clucked into the roan's ear. The horse answered by plunging ahead, his great legs grabbing the earth and spitting it out beneath his hooves, leaving the rough gallop and entering the high, smooth, floating grace of the canter.
They drew up alongside Hornsbuck, paralleled him for a heartbeat, and then passed him by as though he were standing still. The stallion fought to overtake them but, burdened by Hornsbuck's greater weight, it proved an impossible task. Finally, the hooves of his horse beating a staccato rhythm, Mika drew abreast of Lotus Blossom and, despite her greatest efforts, passed her as well. Soon the pace slackened and then, with much blowing and snorting, the horses slowed and came to a halt.
"Cleared the cobwebs out of your skull, eh?" cried Hornsbuck. "Blew the stink of the city off us as well. By the Great She-Wolf, it's good to be back on the open plains!"
The sun was shining brighdy, touching every plant, every blade of grass, every stone with warmth. The birds were twittering, celebrating the joys of life, and the wolves were prancing happily even the princess. All were touched by the sheer glory of being alive. The only thing that bothered Mika, other than his hand and the ever-present misery of the curse over his head, was that they were still heading east into the morning sun, rather than north toward the forests of home. But Hornsbuck knew the prairies like the back of his hand and must know where they were heading, Mika reasoned.
They traveled for the rest of the day with only brief moments of rest. Mika could tell that the princess was having difficulty keeping up by the way she licked her footpads whenever they stopped. He knew that she still blamed him for her metamorphosis into a wolf, whether or not it was his fault; her cold, green and blue eyes fairly glittered with hatred.
In spite of that, Mika felt an odd respect for her. He wondered how he would react if someone were to turn him into a wolf. He felt the magic gem swing on its thin, gold chain beneath his doeskin tunic. Raising his hand to touch it, he wondered if it would be possible to change her back-it would be much more pleasant traveling with a beautiful woman than a wolf. He shook his head ruefully and lowered his hand, realizing that such a spell was beyond him and could only lead to a worse mess. ¦ " ¦
They speared a large land tortoise shortly before dark and roasted the succulent creature in its own shell with a handful of wild onions, salt, and cedar leaves to give it flavor.
The wolves hunted on their own. Mika heard the snarls and clash of snappingjaws, a terrified bleat followed by the high, thin shriek of a dying antelope, and then the crunch of bones. A short time later, all three wolves returned to the fire to groom themselves. The princess casually licked a splash of blood off her leg. Feeling Mika's gaze upon her, she looked up and stared directly into his eyes, licking blood off her muzzle the whole while. It seemed to him that she licked very slowly, using her long, pink tongue to savor each and every tiny drop of blood.
He stared at her, spellbound. There was something almost obscene in the way she seemed to be enjoying the blood, something almost sensual in her hatred. He shivered and looked away, unable to meet her gaze. Her dewlaps twitched and she smiled in a wolven way, curling up next to the fire.
"Yon lady has a thing for you, boy," smirked Lotus Blossom, who had observed the exchange of looks. "Best beware, or she'll have you one fine day. Gobble you up whole, she will, saving the best bits for last." She did not elaborate on what she considered to be the best bits, nor did Mika ask, taking himself off quickly, cheeks burning brightly. Lotus Blossom's bawdy laughter followed him.