Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [205]
‘I wouldn’t miss it!’ Nell carried her basket on her hip, her other arm going around An’ Lawrence’s waist. They strolled past the central fountain; the grounds were raked smooth and the water crystal clear as it sprayed the marble statues. Flower baskets were full of bright blooms and sapling trees grew where old ones had fallen. Zero nodded from the training ground as he drilled the sword students, the last of the survivors from Half Moon Bay. When she reached the stables her face lit up. ‘Oh how I wish Rosette and Drayco could see this.’ Her eyes welled.
An’ Lawrence squeezed her hand, letting go as one of the cubs spotted him. The little black ball of fur came streaking forward, misjudging the distance and slamming into the Sword Master’s legs. He recovered and climbed up An’ Lawrence as if he were a tree.
‘Ouch! Stop! Claws, little Gratanach! You’re shredding me.’
The cub was jet black with a white star on his chest and streaks of tabby grey on his legs, as if he wore stripy pants. His paws were huge, out of proportion to the rest of his body, and his tail, like his mother’s, was bobbed. An’ Lawrence gave Gratanach a pat before peeling him off his chest and sending him back to his litter mates. Scylla strolled towards him, still heavy with milk, her ears a little droopy. Half a dozen cubs ran about her, hiding behind the hitching posts, then launching an attack and tumbling over themselves to get to An’ Lawrence.
‘Surely you won’t bond with them all?’ Nell said, kneeling down to scoop a small rust-coloured female into her arms. ‘Do they speak to you?’
He shook his head. ‘Scylla says they will choose, if at all, in the spring, as is the way with her line.’
‘That’s a relief.’ She straightened, putting the cub up on her shoulders. It draped like a shawl, a long ringed tail waving in the breeze. ‘Let’s go, Scylla. I’ll help you teach these tykes to hunt.’ She turned to An’ Lawrence. ‘Horses?’
‘I’ll saddle up. Just keep an eye on Gratanach. He’s a wanderer! I had to bail him out of the attic yesterday, and he was trapped under the stable floorboards last week.’
‘Will do.’ She squeezed Rowan’s hand before he walked away. ‘Have you checked lately?’
‘Not since the last of the lava cooled.’
‘Let’s look today.’
He smiled then kissed her lips, lingering. ‘If there’s a way back to Gaela, we will find it.’
‘And if not,’ she whispered, ‘it’s all been worth it. Earth survives.’
‘Survives?’ He laughed and picked her up in his arms, baby temple cat and all. ‘She flourishes!’
Rosette watched Mozzie slowly winding his way across the rafters. He was heading towards his cubby hole next to the chimney. ‘If you get any bigger, Mosaic, we’ll have to build a larger cottage.’
Then, technically, it wouldn’t be called a cottage, Drayco commented.
She scratched her familiar with her big toe. He was laid out on the rug in front of the fire, eyes closed, whiskers twitching.
‘Technically?’ She laughed. ‘What would it be then?’
A chateau, perhaps, given that we are growing grapes on the hillside. Or simply a homestead?
‘Definitely a home.’
Mozzie’s head turned back and he hissed. Drayco leapt to his feet. Do you hear that?
‘What?’ Rosette was at the door, reaching for her sword as she looked out the window. Someone was running up to the gate.
‘Rosette, quickly! Help!’
She swung the door wide, Drayco leaping out beside her. ‘Grayson! When did you arrive?’
‘Help!’
‘What’s happened? Are you being chased?’
He shook his head. His eyes were wild, breath labouring. ‘He’s hurt, or not. I don’t know. He’s frozen cold. I found him near the portal when I came through. He was all alone. Is that normal?’
‘Found who, Grayson? Calm down. You aren’t making any sense.’
Drayco had raced past him and out the gate, but quickly doubled back.
Maudi! Can you hear him! He’s cold. And hungry. Quickly. Get him inside. Get him warm!
Rosette grabbed Grayson and pulled him into the cottage. ‘Who’s cold and hungry? I can’t hear anyone.’
‘He is.’
‘Show me!’
Grayson stomped