Of course, he spun the whole story off the top of his head. He had always been good at telling tales—too good, his Sire had always said. But he could see that it was working—the Tenebrian rider, who had been so indignant just a moment ago, was looking at the little priestess with new respect.
Ellilah, for her part, was still staring at Roke with an open mouth and wide eyes.
“So does she travel all around, training zorels?” The Tenebrian Duke asked Roke.
“It’s more accurate to say she trains people who own zorels how to train and handle them,” Roke replied.
Because as far as he could see, that was exactly what the little priestess had been doing—lecturing the tall Tenebrian on the proper care of his mount.
“It is a gift given to her by the Kindred Goddess,” he continued, spinning the story out to its logical conclusion. “And you should feel gratified, Sir, to have encountered her. She just saved your own beast from a pernicious bore-worm.”
“A burrowing gnaw-worm,” Ellilah corrected faintly.
“A burrowing gnaw-worm,” Roke repeated firmly. “If it had been allowed to continue what it was doing, it might have done great harm to what is obviously an expensive animal.”
“Yes, by the Gods—damnably expensive!” the Duke exclaimed, his pale blue skin flushing a darker shade as he spoke. “And I’ve been thinking of returning him to the breeder. It’s a waste of money, having an animal so stubborn and mean, for all he looks so fine in a saddle.”
“You don’t have to do that!” Ellilah exclaimed, still stroking the zorel’s nose. “I can teach you how to gentle him. He’ll be as sweet and quiet as a lambkin when I’m done with him.”
“Well…” The Duke looked at her thoughtfully. “I suppose I could procure you an invitation to the palace. There is a Formal Introduction period tonight and I am close personal friends with the Crown Prince,” he added importantly.
“That won’t be necessary,” Roke said quickly. He had heard of the strange customs of the Tenebrians and he didn’t want the little priestess anywhere near them.
But Ellilah looked up at him with fire in her green eyes.
“Yes, it will be necessary for me to get an invitation,” she said clearly. “How else can I get into the Tenebrian Court and help the Duke, here, learn to train his zorel?”
Roke frowned back at her. What was she playing at? Why in the world would she want to get into the Tenebrian Court? But clearly the little priestess had her reasons. Reluctantly, he held his tongue.
“I will leave word at the palace door that you are to be admitted tonight,” the Duke said.
“And me as well,” Roke said quickly. “I am Lady Ellilah’s bodyguard and companion—she cannot go anywhere without me.”
Ellilah opened her mouth as though to disagree but Roke gave her a quick shake of the head and she subsided, still frowning at him.
The Tenebrian Duke didn’t seem to think there was anything strange about this arrangement.
“Of course you must have your Heart’s Companion with you,” he said to Ellilah. “I will leave an invitation for him as well. Lady Ellilah and…?”
“Roke,” Roke said shortly and saw the little priestess’s eyes widen.
That’s right, he thought. The Goddess told me her name, but I never told her mine.
So this was a kind of introduction, in a way, he supposed.
“Yes, Lady Ellilah and Roke.” The Duke nodded and looked at Ellilah. “And now, if you don’t mind, I must be going.”
He bent down to pick up the heavy saddle—staggered under its weight for a moment—and tried to put it on the zorel’s back.
The zorel promptly side-stepped, leaving the expensive saddle to fall on the ground again.
“Blast!” the Duke swore, his pale blue face going indigo with rage. “This is why I always have the groom saddle him!” he exclaimed to Ellilah.
“Let me talk to him,” she said, frowning at the zorel. “What’s his name, by the way?”
“Wind Chaser,” the Duke said stiffly, picking up the saddle again.
“All right. Now, Windy…” The little priestess began stroking the zorel’s long muzzle and speaking in low tones in his tufted ears.
The ears drooped at first and Roke would have sworn the beast looked ashamed of itself. After a moment, though, the tufted ears perked up. Its nostrils quivered and it gave a snort of steam and nodded its head.
“All right, try it now,” Ellilah said to the Duke. “Oh, and you’re putting it on backwards,” she added. “Turn it around.”
The Tenebrian Duke looked embarrassed as he put down the heavy saddle and picked it up again, the right way around this time. He managed to flop it onto the zorel’s broad back and this time Wind Chaser stood perfectly still for the operation.
“Good boy!” Ellilah exclaimed and Roke wasn’t sure if she was talking to the Duke or his animal. Both of them, however, reacted to her compliment in a positive manner. Wind Chaser blew steam and snorted softly and the Duke smiled and nodded his head.