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Daine looked puzzled “The k-k—the what?”

“The K’mir are a people to the east Raadeh is the nahtly less baffled “Never irl to her pen Inside, twenty-seven shaggy ponies in all colors and sizes milled around

“I buy horses I had an assistant, but he got offered a better job working for a horse merchant here, and I wasn’t about to hold him back If you hire on—and I didn’t say I’d hire you—you’ll helpdown in o before all these people take the road to the next fair It’ll be just you and , Tahoi Why don’t you clie ’em”

Daine glanced back at her ,” she ordered sternly, and clambered over the fence and into the pen

Poor thingto a ht She sat on the fence rail to watch

The ponies watched as Daine passed a them Ears went back Those close to her appeared to wonder which would do better: a bite or a kick

When a yellow stallion, the king of the sirl spun and put both hands under hishis head to stare into his face “No, sir,” she told him firmly “I’ll not stand for any tricks I may be human, but I’m not stupid” The stallion tried to rear She forced hiently in his nostrils, to teach hieted—then bowed his head in submission

Horse Lords, Onua thought She’s establishing domination over him and the entire herd!

In years ofhorses, she’d never seen the like This particular breed was famous for its fiery nature (one of the reasons she purchased them for her e her strength, her wits, and bribes All horse folk handled their animals that way Only this child was different: Daine treated the stallion as if she were a pony herself, a dominant one

She isn’t lying about her folks or running away—just about her age If I let her go, she et into trouble There are toofor a pretty like this one The road isn’t too safe—but what is?

She watched the girlher hands over each one She was giving thelad to see she could deal with the animals in a normal way One display like that with the stallion was h

“D’you ride?” she called

Daine came over to the fence “Some Mostly bareback, but I can use a saddle, and I kno to look after tack”

“What about hunting, fishing, tracking?”

The grin lit a face that was too thin and eyes that were too weary “I do all that—had to, to get this far I couldn’t trust folks on the road Some looked like—bandits”

As Daine clirief, Onua decided, but anger too “Tired of them already?”

The girl shook her head “I’ an oil I ha

ve, and a swab The strawberry has ear et theray , and opened one of her packs

“How do you know you can trust me?”

Daine shrugged “I don’t How do you know you can trust me?”

“Was that a joke?” Onua’s voice was stern, but her eyes laughed Her last two assistants had possessed no sense of humor

Daine gave her a quick smile and climbed into the pen, a clay bottle and swabs in one hand Onua watched, airl If soes willingly subhed herself sick

I shouldn’t do it She’s a baby There’re all those ruic will keep us safe at night, and she can handle a bow “Daine!” she called

The girl had finished the gelding’s ears She came over “Yes?”

“I’ll tell you right now—I’ve heard a lot of weird stories lately, about end, so folk say I haven’t seen any myself, but that doesn’t mean I won’t Are you sure you want to hire on?”

Daine shrugged “I hear tales I need work, mum If I see monsters, I see monsters My family was killed and my home burned by human ones”