Ghost Fields - Book One of The Fields of Mendhavai Trilogy

Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The next morning, I sent a well-rested Selanne and his passenger, Danu, west to Jakhar on the largest, swiftest horse in the stable, aside from my beloved Lundir. The keep felt empty without Danu’s company, not even Mivius was there to plague me with his complaints and so I sought out Compa. He was in the cellar scribbling busily in a large book, cataloging the scrolls and books and sketching the items he’d come across.

He jumped, smearing precious ink on his paper when he realized someone was peering over his shoulder.

“Sorry!” I said, grabbing a cloth and patting at the ink blotch. He snatched the cloth out of my hand and continued to jab it at the paper irritably.

“Compa, is everything all right?” I asked, putting my hand on his forearm and stopping the dabbing.

He looked up at me for the first time since I’d startled him and turned pale when he realized who his company was. “I’m sorry, my Lady! I didn’t know it was you!”  He looked back down at the splotch on the paper, embarrassed at his outburst, but restrained himself from blotting at it anymore.

“I think perhaps you should take a short break from this musty cellar and breathe some fresh air. I’d like to take you someplace I think you would be very interested in.” He started to protest but I held up a hand. “I need someone with sketching and scribing abilities beyond my own. Besides, you’ll have all winter long with nothing to do but read and scribe, and if you’d like to spend it all in here away from the sun then at least do it when the weather is rotten, not now while it’s still beautiful outside. Ride with me while the weather is nice,” I pleaded.

“I’ll think about it,” he said non-committally, “while I finish up what I’m doing here. Then I will let you know.”

I nodded, though he didn’t look up to see it, and went back up the stairs to the kitchens. I was disappointed, as I’d thought he’d be more enthusiastic.

“What’s wrong, lass?” Murcii asked when she saw my long face.

I sighed. “Well, besides Danu not being here…” I trailed off.

“He’s only been gone a few hours now, ye smitten girl,” Murcii scolded me softly with a twinkle in her eyes. “What else?”

“I’d thought I would show Compa the old ruins on the south road, but he seems rather disinterested.” I sighed again, sitting on a stool by the big block table and propping my chin in one hand. I poked idly at a rising wad of bread dough until the cook ruthlessly slapped my hand away with a wooden spoon.

“I know just th' thing,” she said, turning back to the oven as I rubbed at the rising red welt on the back of my hand. She produced a large pan of small sweet cakes with a flourish. “His favorite,” she grinned at me. “Help me frost 'em when they’ve cooled and I’ll let ye to take some to 'im fer a bribe.”

“I will,” I said, smiling gratefully. With a huff of approval she began removing the cakes from their individual pans and laid them on the table to cool.

I spent the next hour in the stable brushing every last speck of dust from Lundir and carefully combing and separating each strand of his long lush mane and tail. Thanking me with a hard shove to my back with his nose, he pushed me back out the door of the stable. Go get your scribe; I’d like to go for a ride myself, even if he doesn’t want to come.

It’ll be a bit, yet. I still have to bribe him! I said, feeling better after the time spent with my best friend and the calming effect his grooming had on me.

I went back to the kitchen where Murcii had already whipped up the frosting for the cakes and separated it into two bowls, with a spatula resting on the rim of each. After I finished washing my hands in ice cold water from the kitchen pump, she gestured at the bowl of frosting impatiently.