Stumble

I had to have looked like hell warmed over and still served cold the next day. Not even blackwine cut the thick taste out of my mouth but I felt better. The migraine had eased into just a headache. I could handle that. I still had to give the boy a bath but first there were chores to see to. It was the weapons Master that I ran into during the early part of the drive. This was my chance to ask him about the tracking lessons. It was probably the only thing that held true interest to me at the moment, real excitement of any kind. I thought I might be good at it and I had even been practicing so I could show him. There were the everyday sort of tracks I could recognize now and I mentioned some others too. Those he surprised me when he said I described two males. That thought turned over and over in my head. No, it couldn't be. Not that I would say he was wrong but ... there was supposed to be a female and a male .. both accounted for .. right?

They still haunted me, disturbed something in my rationale. I could see those eyes. I heard him calling for me in the distant remembrance .. breathe bell .. look around you and remember where you are. When I looked around it was the ringing of coins and a saucy raven that had joined us. I made the coins ring some more. I like the sounds.

That line of sight focused on the Ubar riding up as well. He looked dusty enough to need a lot more than a drink of water but that was what I offered. There wasn't dissappointment when he patted the fresh botas hanging off the pommel, just a little relief that he let me speak to him and didn't carve me into tidbits with that glare. Hot damn, it was all good there for a moment until ...

raven tripped me. She swore it wasn't on purpose but the addition of 'I told you I would kick your ...' sure didn't make it sound or feel that way. Oops hell! Ever have one of those moments gone to pot that slow motion makes all that much more vivid as it unfolds? We both toppled beneath the kaiila and if he hadn't reined in hard to make the beast veer, we would have been toe jamb. Why didn't he just let the kaiila be? That jerk on the bit cut Rocca's mouth bad enough to fill his nostrils with blood. I was trying to get the other girl off me so I could help and all that was coming out of my mouth was I'm sorry .. so sorry. So much for the first real encounter with him. I kicked dirt piles as I moved aside trying not to mutter anything stupid.

I was doing alright too, I think, until Rocca swiped a fang aganst his shoulder. I have no idea where the blue wisp came from but I rolled right over her trying to be of some help. What was the purpose of the first aid lessons if all you are going to do is gawk at the sight of bare skin? So what does he say? Why do you care? Arghh, if I had fangs I would have swiped him with one too.

Well I do care. I always have, I always will and maybe I've learned from my mistakes. I don't know if I got the wound clean with all his wandering back and forth but he finally picked me up and sent me sailing across the lane at the other Master so he could tend to the kaiila. It really was a good catch, thankfully. And it was a good thing he had a tight hold on me when noodle popped off about giving me a black eye. It was only the sound of a barked command to get more botas and finish what I'd started that halted me from bailing back off that kaiila with a 'bring it' look in my eye.

I headed off thinking there was a lot there I left unfinished.