For all her disclaimers, my mother indulged in few of her disparaging sniffs until I mentioned my work with Canyd and Alun.
“It is as well that your father is not here to listen to you prating about smithing.” And she made her disdain obvious by looking down her nose at me.
“It is an honest trade,” Odran said quickly. “You know how well Ide’s smith lives.”
That silenced her, but I had had enough. The meal was ended and I could take my leave without giving of-fense to anyone. I said all that was polite to Melwas and Flora, slipping to her the last of my gold rings as a wedding gift. Then I had to promise Lavinia faithfully that I would return whenever I could.
“I don’t care what Mother says,” Vinny murmured as I tightened my pony’s girth. “I think your work sounds fascinating, and you were always fond of horses. And that’s proper enough for a Varianus. Do come back anytime you can, Galwyn,” she added so plaintively that I hugged her tightly and repeated my promise.
“I can’t say when, of course, Vinny-” “I know …” she said, her voice trailing off unhappily, but she was all smiles again when I turned back to give her a final wave.
Yayin was all smiles, too, when he and Firkin arrived at our meeting place. His father was recovering, if slowly. I think he had had the better visit. But we all traveled back with lighter hearts.
NOT A WEEK LATER, I found that I was to start my new profession far sooner than was planned; for just as spring was brightening the grassy meadows and I was coming to grips with the intricacies of my special training with both Canyd and Alun, a message came from Comes Artos. He wanted all four stallions to be brought to him as quickly as possible at Camelot, which was what he had named his new headquarters. He wanted to show the quality of the stallions to those who doubted then1 use in his strategy.
“It says here he’s sending a troop to escort the stallions and whatever of the larger mounts Rhodri may have trained and ready. And see here, you’re to come.” Teldys’s thick forefinger tapped at the paragraph. ‘”The pony and his rider must come, too, if Cornix will not travel without their company.'”
Being sent from Deva also took care of my recurring nightmare: that Iswy would return to harass the Libyans once again, now that the weather was more clement. Then, of course, since I was such a worrier, I wondered if he would learn that the stallions had gone to Camelot and seek them out there.
“Bericus will be leading the troop?” I asked.
“Not likely,” Teldys replied. “Don’t you remember his last message? That he’ll be away this month on service with Prince Cador? The Irish are raiding again.”
I had forgotten and, for one moment, was downcast. I had hoped to have the support of Bericus both on the way and hi Camelot.
“But… but…”
“But, but, but,” Alun mocked me, smiling to show how pleased he was for my sake, “you’ll do well enough.”
“But if a horse should lose a sandal…” I protested.
“Who better than you to nail it back on?” Alun clapped me so stoutly that I staggered off balance, while Canyd smoothly caught my arm to restore my footing. “In truth, who else can we send? And you’ll know what to do.”
“But… but…” I was aghast at such responsibility. It would be my task to see that the priceless stallions arrived sound as well as safe. What if something happened to one of them, despite every precaution I could take?
Teldys held up his hand. “If Alun and Canyd say you’re the one to go, you are.”
I stopped protesting then. Because even I had to admit that I’d had more training than any of the others, no matter how inadequate I felt myself to be. Still, I was in a state of considerable apprehension, my mind continuing to dredge up, in increasingly horrific variety, all the disasters and accidents to which horses are prone.
Mind you, while they were readying the stallions and the pack animals for the journey, Canyd and Alun added to my apprehensions, battering me with tfs and whens and circumstances and how to repair hooves and which remedies to use for what travel problem.