Page 133 of Halfling
Aoife opened her mouth to say something, but Sorcha waved away her concern. Shoveling the last of her breakfast into her mouth, she rose from the table. “It’s all right, mama, I can do it. The animals like me better anyway.”
The other siblings snickered in agreement and returned to their breakfasts.
Orek watched on, his frustration growing as Sorcha hurried from the room. He was the only one to push back from the table and follow her out to start the day.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she said as he took up a second rake to help muck the goat stalls.
Neither do you,he wanted to say, but instead said, “I want to help. I’ll earn my place here.”
She wore a troubled look still, so Orek added, “Besides, it keeps me near you.”
A reluctant smile overtook her face, and Orek’s mood improved a little to see it. She was pleased to have him there, even if his raking and mucking techniques left something to be desired. Still, he halved the time it would normally take her to get the livestock ready for the day. And Orek did enjoy the bleats and antics of the goats and donkeys.
They were finished early enough that there was plenty of time to walk the young ones to lessons in Granach. Usually, Sorcha hitched a dray to the cart, but Keeley wanted to walk and hold both Sorcha and Orek’s hands, so walk they did. He thought perhaps Calum was old enough to see himself and his younger sisters to school, rather than walk with his nose in a book and have to be reeled in whenever he strayed from the path, but Orek couldn’t begrudge the littler ones any more than Sorcha could.
When they’d returned to the Brádaigh home after their night at Dundúran, Keeley had run from the house when she saw them, flinging herself at Sorcha. Through desperate tears, she’d begged Sorcha not to leave again. Sorcha’s distraught was obvious as she petted the girl’s hair and soothed her with promises.
And when they dropped the younglings off in Granach, Keeley turned to frown up at them, her little face gone serious.
“You’ll be back for me later?” she said.
“Of course we will,” promised Sorcha.
In the meantime, they returned home to resume Sorcha’s duties. Orek followed as she took stock of the horses currently at the stables, conferring with her mother and the head groom about the progress of each and which were already claimed for clients. Sorcha agreed to take on four of the more unruly horses, leaving the grooms the more manageable horses to ready for their clients.
“I’ll need you to work with one of the horses already trained, just to get used to him,” said Aoife. “We’ve got new patrons coming in a few days and I want my best rider to show off the horses.”
Sorcha smiled. “I’ll practice with Fiora today and introduce myself to the gelding. I’ll ride tomorrow so he can get used to me.”
“Perfect.” Aoife pecked Sorcha’s cheek and headed off to oversee the running of the stables, whatever that entailed. It seemed Aoife trained horses as well, directed the grooms, and often met with horse breeders to purchase new stock, all around cooking meals for the family. Of everyone else in the family, the mother seemed to keep the busiest after Sorcha.
His mate introduced Orek to the horses she knew. Fiora came to greet them happily, her gray muzzle velvet soft when she snatched up the carrot in Orek’s hand.
“You’re going to make her as round as Darrah,” Sorcha chided with a laugh. “And where do you keep finding carrots?”
“I’ve found the best way to entice a female is to feed her.” He grinned at her before leaning down to claim her lips.
He only broke away at the sounds of an awkward cough and shuffling feet. Sorcha pulled back, blushing to see some of the grooms staring at them.
She cleared her throat. “Well, let’s make you the most popular person in the stables—you start feeding and I’ll get everyone I need out in the corral.”
Feeding the horses was pleasant enough. He enjoyed their manner and noises, liked the softness of their noses and the liquid quality of their eyes, as if they understood him. Each had a personality and most took to him quickly.
It was also clear that they all adored Sorcha, even the reticent ones.
Using Fiora as a lead, Sorcha gathered a little herd in the corral and began introducing herself to those horses new to her. She had a calm way about her, all soft touches and soothing words. It didn’t take long for the horses to follow her around the corral, to stop when she said and walk where she pointed.
Orek could understand—she’d earned his trust with the same sweetness.
In the early afternoon, it was time to fetch the younglings. Orek and Sorcha ate a quick midday meal on their walk back to Granach. He was touched by Keeley’s squeal of delight to see them and listened attentively as the little girl told them everything she’d learned. Then it was Calum’s turn to talk of what he’d been reading and his ideas for new observations.
Sorcha left the young ones in the house with their mother, who’d come in from the stables to start dinner. She made sure Keeley had a snack as Blaire and Calum ventured off to their own activities. Orek grabbed an apple, pushing it into Sorcha’s hands as they walked back to the stables.
“You need to eat, too,” he reminded her.
She blushed and flustered, but he used his big body to keep her from reentering the corral until only the core was left, which she used to endear herself even more to the horses.
As Sorcha worked with the horses, mucked their stalls, consulted with the grooms, tended the vegetable garden, walked the east border to check for broken fences, and moved the goats from the west field into the stable for the night, the rest of the family did…something.
