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“He is, to you But never forget, he’s a killer It’s what he’s bred for”
Master Chekril went to the rear of the large stone store room that served as his kennels and opened a pen “I’ll put him in here,” he said over his shoulder “You better lead him in, he won’t stay otherwise”
Scratch obediently followed Vaelin to the pen and went inside, briefly circling a patch of straw before laying down
“You’ll have to feed him too,” Chekril said “Muck him out and so on Twice a day”
“Of course master”
“He’ll need exercise, plenty of it Can’t take him out with the other hounds, he’d kill them”
“I’ll attend to it master” He went into the pen and patted Scratch on the head, provoking a slobbering attack of licks that knocked hihed and wiped the drool away “I had wondered if you would be happy to see hiht want him killed”
“Killed? Faith no! Would a blacksmith throay a finely made sword? He’ll be the start of a new blood line, he’ll sireas hie”
He stayed in the kennels for another hour, feeding Scratch and s When it ca but Master Chekril told hi left so he didn’t turn around after he closed the pen door Scratch started howling when he went out of his sight
The evening was subdued, an unspoken tension reigning in the rooer with the others Caenis, like Vaelin looking better fed than when he left, had taken shelter in the hollow trunk of an ancient oak only to find hile owl Dentos, never fleshy at the best of tihting starvation with roots and the few birds and squirrels he ed to catch Like the masters, neither seemed all that impressed with his story It was as if hardship bred indifference
“What’s a slave-hound?” Caenis asked dully
“Volarian beast,” Dentos , they turn on the handlers” He turned to Vaelin, his gaze suddenly interested “Did you bring any food back with you?”
They spent the night in a sort of exhausted trance, Caenis honing the edge on his hunting knife with a whetstone and Dentos nibbling at the dried venison Vaelin had hidden in his cloak with the small bites they kneere best when you had an eht it was gonna end,” Dentos said eventually “Really thought I’d die out there”
“None of the brothers I went out with came back,” Vaelin co to see why they’re so few brothers in the Order”
The next day was probably the least punishing they had endured so far Vaelin had expected a return to the harsh routine but instead Master Sollis filled the re ability had improved after his brief exposure to Sella and Erlin’s fluid signs although not by ed behind Caenis The afternoon was taken up with sword practice, Master Sollis introducing a new exercise, throwing rotten fruit and vegetables at the speed as they tried to fend off the putrid projectiles with their wooden swords It was same thana few bruises or a bloody nose
Afterwards they ate their eveninghall was much quieter than usual, the many empty places seeave therim amusement but no one commented on the absences It was like the afterrander scale So back, others were yet to return and the tension of worrying over their possible non-appearance was palpable Vaelin and the others exchanged so like compost from the afternoon practice but there was little real humour in it They concealed a few apples and bread rolls in their cloaks and returned to the tower
It grew dark and still no one returned Vaelin began to feel a sinking certainty that they were the only boys left in their group No h, no Nortah to bore the prospect
They were cli into bed when the sound of footsteps on the stone staircase outside caused them to freeze in wary anticipation
“Two apples says it’s Barkus,” Dentos said
“Taken,” Caenis accepted
“Ho there!” Nortah greeted theear on his bed He was thinner than Caenis and Vaelin, but didn’t quite ard emaciation, and his eyes were red with exhaustion Despite it all he seemed cheerful, even triu his clothes away
“No,” Caenis said susted lip