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mini_nanowrimo
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"You will stand as sister to the alien," Prettygrass, the Mother of Dogs said.
Lurcher looked to where the aughisky and his companion crouched next to each other. The aughisky had his hand around the other's neck and his forehead pressed against the other's temple. Who is comforting who? she wondered, as the man's hand came up to curl around the aughisky's neck.
She walked over to them and asked, "Honored Rider?"
The aughisky didn't look up but the other did. His eyes were pale river stones in a face as drawn and wan as the winter moon.
She crouched down beside them and put her hand on the aughisky's shoulder. After a moment, he raised his head and she was treated to eyes dark and burning.
"I'm Lurcher Dog."
"Dog House?" the aughisky asked.
"No. I'm Dog to Crowther." When the aughisky looked blank, she added, "Crowther of Nightmist's Holding."
"Iros of Magpie's Slew." He caressed his companion's pale head and blew a reassuring breath over the man's face. "My Dog, Turnspit."
"Come with me. I have a place for you to sleep." She offered her hands to pull the aughisky and his Dog up.
They followed her slowly out of the Great House. The Dog walked stiffly and leaned against Iros as they crossed the village to the Dog Longhouse. She led them over the threshold and took a taper from the hearth fire. Lighting an oil lamp, she shepherded them over to her bed.
The children slept on, though Thornjingle winced against the dim light and scrubbed his face. She clucked at him and soothed him; when he turned over, she reached under the bed and retrieved the mats and extra blankets from under it.
With Iros' help, she unrolled them and set them out as bedding. The aughisky added blankets of his own and together they settled Turnspit among them. Iros bent down and licked over his Dog's eyes, before standing up and nodding towards the hearth.
"Did the Mothers tell you?" he asked as the sat by the hearth fire, his voice soft. "I must finish my circuit, but Turnspit is not well. Your Speaker and your Mothers will allow him to shelter in your village and me to overwinter with him when I finish my circuit."
"Why did you bring him on your Ride anyway?" Lurcher asked. "He is ill, and has been for some time, I can see that."
"I didn't bring him on the circuit. I found him on it. In a clockwork mine."
Lurcher froze. " A clockwork mine?" She'd left the Dog with her children!
"He killed two novitiates. Ones who didn't remember the difference between courteous exchange and outright rape. The Lord Brewster decided he had been wronged enough and sent him to the clockwork mine, instead of staring him in the courtyard.
"I found him a twelve and six days ago."
"Is he a danger to my children?" Lurcher growled.
The aughisky glared back at her. "No. He's not."
"How do I know that? What proof do you have? And did you tell the Speaker and the Mothers?"
"I can turn the clockwork back on."
Lurcher stared at him.
"I can turn it on and give you the codes. The Brocks made me learn them before we left. I didn't tell Turnspit, but if you demand I turn the clockwork on, I will tell him why. He's not well, and that would hurt him."
"Do it," Lurcher said.
next
mini_nanowrimoprevious
"You will stand as sister to the alien," Prettygrass, the Mother of Dogs said.
Lurcher looked to where the aughisky and his companion crouched next to each other. The aughisky had his hand around the other's neck and his forehead pressed against the other's temple. Who is comforting who? she wondered, as the man's hand came up to curl around the aughisky's neck.
She walked over to them and asked, "Honored Rider?"
The aughisky didn't look up but the other did. His eyes were pale river stones in a face as drawn and wan as the winter moon.
She crouched down beside them and put her hand on the aughisky's shoulder. After a moment, he raised his head and she was treated to eyes dark and burning.
"I'm Lurcher Dog."
"Dog House?" the aughisky asked.
"No. I'm Dog to Crowther." When the aughisky looked blank, she added, "Crowther of Nightmist's Holding."
"Iros of Magpie's Slew." He caressed his companion's pale head and blew a reassuring breath over the man's face. "My Dog, Turnspit."
"Come with me. I have a place for you to sleep." She offered her hands to pull the aughisky and his Dog up.
They followed her slowly out of the Great House. The Dog walked stiffly and leaned against Iros as they crossed the village to the Dog Longhouse. She led them over the threshold and took a taper from the hearth fire. Lighting an oil lamp, she shepherded them over to her bed.
The children slept on, though Thornjingle winced against the dim light and scrubbed his face. She clucked at him and soothed him; when he turned over, she reached under the bed and retrieved the mats and extra blankets from under it.
With Iros' help, she unrolled them and set them out as bedding. The aughisky added blankets of his own and together they settled Turnspit among them. Iros bent down and licked over his Dog's eyes, before standing up and nodding towards the hearth.
"Did the Mothers tell you?" he asked as the sat by the hearth fire, his voice soft. "I must finish my circuit, but Turnspit is not well. Your Speaker and your Mothers will allow him to shelter in your village and me to overwinter with him when I finish my circuit."
"Why did you bring him on your Ride anyway?" Lurcher asked. "He is ill, and has been for some time, I can see that."
"I didn't bring him on the circuit. I found him on it. In a clockwork mine."
Lurcher froze. " A clockwork mine?" She'd left the Dog with her children!
"He killed two novitiates. Ones who didn't remember the difference between courteous exchange and outright rape. The Lord Brewster decided he had been wronged enough and sent him to the clockwork mine, instead of staring him in the courtyard.
"I found him a twelve and six days ago."
"Is he a danger to my children?" Lurcher growled.
The aughisky glared back at her. "No. He's not."
"How do I know that? What proof do you have? And did you tell the Speaker and the Mothers?"
"I can turn the clockwork back on."
Lurcher stared at him.
"I can turn it on and give you the codes. The Brocks made me learn them before we left. I didn't tell Turnspit, but if you demand I turn the clockwork on, I will tell him why. He's not well, and that would hurt him."
"Do it," Lurcher said.
next
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