Page 15 of Crown of Ashes and Awe

Sweetie stopped screaming as his friends tried to remove the rest of the curltails correctly. Minkin placed one on the ground, intending to crush it with her boot, but I stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.

“Swarm mind,” I explained. “Kill them and more will come for revenge.” I opened my stash of dragonspice and sprinkled a few kernels of the stuff on the little monster. It flexed, then scuttled away. The rest of the pests immediately surrendered their hold on Sweetie and fled.

After watching the pests merge into the rock walls, Tearloch turned to me for an explanation.

I shrugged. “Dragonspice, crushed.” I took another precious pinch and lifted it toward Sweetie. “Look for black shadows in the bites. That’s the poison. Not all will have it. Just from the young ones.”

Without the man on his chest, the beast’s entire body was exposed, surprisingly human. Apparently, whatever spell had been cast had been limited to his head.

I turned away to spare his dignity. When the shadows were found, I looked only where necessary to sprinkle some of the powder into the wound.

Sweetie hissed but didn’t complain. When all the poison had been located and treated and he was clothed once more, he came to stand before me. “I offer you my thanks.”

“Accepted.”

He pointed to my sack. “You protected yourself with that, with your circle.”

“I did.”

“You might have explained.”

“You might have asked.”

I twisted the top of my waxed sack, then folded it over the bulk of powder that was still good-sized. Then I wrapped the ties around the mass and made a fairy knot before putting it in my pocket. “Never come to the canyonlands without dragonspice.”

Sweetie nodded, dipping his large horns in a motion that denoted humility. “I will not forget.” When he looked at my face, I noted a touch of fear in his eyes. “What should I expect from the poison?”

“You may be thirsty but expect nothing more than that. If you feel any stinging, it’s the pepper dissolving.”

He blinked rapidly, and I wondered if he was experiencing that stinging even as we stood there. “An antidote as well as a deterrent? Magical stuff, then.”

I shook my head. “A canyonland answer to a canyonland problem. That’s all.”

“I am…” He ground his teeth, and his massive jaw flexed. “Indebted.”

One thing my master had stressed was the conviction that debts meant complications and thus were to be avoided at all costs. So, I shook my head again. “No. No debt.”

He scowled down his nose, then snorted and turned away. I suspected he’d feel obliged to me no matter what I said.

8

MEMORY TREES

They strapped their water horns and various weapons back on their bodies, preparing to set out again. I did a quick check to make certain my dragonspice was secure and laid a hand on my chest for a dose of quick comfort from the key lying against my skin. Hidden safely beneath layers of thin gauzy cloth, it wasn't unlike the feel of Demius' hand resting on my shoulder. Only now, there was no accompanying weight. No large crackling set of bones needing my support.

Now it was me, wishing I could lean on him.

Tearloch caught me staring at the black gloves on his hands but offered no explanation. He and Sweetie set off at a quick pace. I started after them, then stopped, realizing that I was about to cross a new threshold.

"What is it now?" Tearloch put an impatient hand on his hip and waved his other hand to indicate the quiet canyon around us.

I lifted my shoulders. "It's just...I've never been here before."

"This canyon is not your home?"

"I've never stepped here before. Was never allowed past that junction."

"Never allowed?" His brow creased and he shook his head. "No one to stop you now though, eh? So, let's shake our tails. I want to leave these crawlers behind."

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