Page 113 of The Study of Magic
When in doubt, ask a local. Valek walked over to Kiki. She had ranged further from their campsite. She lifted her head when he approached.
Feeling a bit silly, he asked, “Are there any edible critters around?”
She signaled for him to hop on.
“All I have is my knife.”
A snort.
“Okay, you’re the boss.” He mounted.
This time she took him to a dip in the landscape. It resembled a bowl made of clay. Except, small shrubs grew in it and on its walls. Dropping him off at the center of the bowl, Kiki gave him a significant look before leaving. Valek pulled his knife and waited. Not sure for what, as he couldn’t see over the top of the bowl.
Squeals and grunts sounded just before a carpet of small creatures crested the lip and ran straight at him. About the size of a rabbit, they scurried on four legs like a ground hog. Panicked, they streamed passed his boots. Assuming they were edible, he stabbed one in what he hoped was its heart. Then skewered another.
Soon, the little herd disappeared, and Kiki returned. Magic horse, indeed. They returned to the campsite and Valek butchered the mystery creatures. Then he built a fire and cooked the meat. Yelena slept through it all, and he wouldn’t wake her. She needed her strength for the coming fight.
Valek ate his portion and considered how they would find Alea. The Daviian Plateau was directly south of the Avibian Plains. A rather lifeless place, if he remembered from his history lessons. It was a quarter of the size of the plains, but still big enough that it would take weeks to search it all. Perhaps Kiki the Magic Horse would know where to go.
“Breakfast?” Yelena asked in a hopeful tone.
He turned. “Dinner. You’ve slept all day.”
She sat up in alarm. “You should have woken me. What if Cahil finds us?”
“Doubtful with all this magic in the air.” Valek peered into the sky, sensing the protective power. “Does it bother you?”
“No. I’m a distant cousin to the Sandseed Clan. If I came close to their village with the intent to harm them, I think the protection would attack me.” She paused. “Either that or one of their Story Weavers would.”
Valek considered the last time he was in the plains with Ziva Moon. They’d been confronted by several impressive Sandseed warriors. He’d like to avoid another encounter with them. “How long will it take us to reach the Daviian Plateau?”
“It depends on Kiki. If she decides to use her gust-of-wind gait, we could be there in a few hours.”
“Gust-of-wind? Is that what you call it? I’ve never seen a horse run that fast before.”
“She only does it when we’re in the plains. Perhaps it’s connected to the Sandseed’s magic.”
Valek shrugged. “Faster is better. The faster we can take care of Alea, the better.” He purposely didn’t tell her about his previous encounters with the magician. If Yelena knew that Alea had threatened the Commander, she would also know that Valek planned to assassinate Alea. Yelena had been living in Sitia long enough to know that Sitians preferred to capture their criminals even if they were dangerous renegades. And Yelena would probably get into trouble if she killed Alea. Valek was already the Scourge of Sitia. They should thank him for taking care of their problem.
He pulled the meat from the fire and handed the spit to Yelena. “Eat. You need your strength.”
She sniffed it. “What is it?”
He laughed. “You’re better off not knowing.”
“Poisons?”
“You tell me,” he teased.
She performed the five S-steps of food tasting. He loved that she hadn’t forgotten. In essence, it was a survival skill. When she finished every last bite, they packed.
“Valek, after we deal with Alea, you must promise to return to Ixia.”
He grinned. “Why would I do that? I’m beginning to enjoy the climate. I might build a summer home here.”
“It’s that cocky attitude that got you into trouble in the first place.”
“No, love. It was you. If you hadn’t gotten yourself captured by Goel, I wouldn’t have tipped my hand to the Wannabe King.”
