Lily stared her incomprehension. Reinforcements?

They soon arrived at the thatched-roof and cracked-fieldstone barn, and were greeted by Caspar who was alone. He opened the doors to let them in and showed Belloc that all was ready. Before leaving them he came up to Lily and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, missy, we're going to miss your sweet laughter around here, and that's a fact. Burli thought you should have this, thinking it's not enough just having a bow, and such a small one at that." He handed her a leather belt, complete with a long sheath. In the sheath was a long dagger, the fine-etched blade and skrimshaw handle of which was wrought with great cunning. Caspar drew it out for her to see, and it was a thing of great beauty, not like a weapon at all, really.

Anest put it on for her, underneath her cloak. Moved by the householdmen's concern, she hugged Caspar, who muttered something gruffly and left.

Touched now by a sense of urgency to be off, they went to their mounts. Belloc's was a grey and white stallion called Nightwind, an aptly named steed for he was as silent as he was fleet of foot. Then, a shatteringly loud whinny shook the barn, and Lily covered her ears reflexively. Out of the shadows came the biggest, blackest horse Brogan had ever seen. Quite fearlessly, Lily walked right up to the great beast and said in a scolding tone, as though she were addressing a child, "Thunder! No wonder Anest calls you that. You're so noisy." There was unmistakeable humour in the horse's eyes as it approached the girl and nuzzled her. Anest slung his saddlebags over the great horse's back, and leapt up into the saddle. Only then did Lily seem nervous as Anest drew her up to sit in front of him, although it was the distance to the ground and not the horse that bothered her.




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