`Ever ridden?’ Laria asked Kincaid.
`Ridden what?’ Kincaid replied uncertainly.
`Ponies, small horses.’ `Oh, animal riding. Yes, somewhat,’ he said and Laria beckoned him to follow her to the stables.
`Can I join you two?’ Zara asked.
`Sure,’ Laria said without hesitation. Saki’s mine! she roared after her siblings who were already in the stable.
who’d dare take her with you around?
Laria thought that muffled response came from Rojer for it had the ring of an elated personality.
Is he yours, sister? Zara asked on a thin line.
Kincaid? He’s not for either of us, dear. And you a healer to miss it! And carul, Zara, `cause I know you can’t resist a healering `look’. He was as near burned-out emotionally as I’ve ever touched.
what does the navy do to the empathic?
Emotional burn-out? Zara asked sharply, her healer’s instinct alert Plus considerable strain on a T-2’s abilities. I think he’s healing but ri you could, at your deftest, slip in and check, I’d be relieved, Zar, Laria said gratefully. I’m speaking as Kincaid’s Prime.
Zara nodded as she slipped the headpiece over her pony’s ears while Laria found a saddle suitable for Kincaid’s size. She found it very good indeed to be surrounded by ponies; grateful to see that the oldest were still vigorous and whinnied anxiously against being left behind. The entire complement was needed to mount the hunters, with three spares taken on lead ropes in high hopes of bringing back much game.
Kincaid eschewed sling-shot and bow and arrow, choosing a small-bore rifle and ammunition for it as if he knew what he was about.
Laria was rather surprised to see Flavia take bow and arrow. She also saw the grin on Thian’s face.
As each hunting party was armed and mounted, they moved off in preferred directions. Laria decided on an eastern route, to the foothills. With only her parents, the four younger kids and the `Dinis, there wouldn’t have been much call to go too far from home for scurriers, rabbits and the small plump-breasted avians that nested nearer by. Although Laria had thoughtfully chosen a steady mount for him, Kincaid’s `somewhat’ was near enough to the level of her own abilities that her respect for him went up another notch. She raised her arm, signalling a faster gait, and kneed Saki into the ground-covering canter, a rocking gait that required little more than balance for a rider. She heard the other two ponies pick up to the same gait. A second, surreptitious glance showed her Kincaid, easily sitting into the canter and grinning with pleasure.
He was also a good shot, as he proved when their approach flushed a covey of avians from their hedges.
He got two brace of them, each neatly shot through the head. Zara had also chosen a rifle but she went after the scurriers, which broke cover when Kincaid’s shots startled them. Laria got three rabbits, two scurriers and even one avian hen in that first stop.
`No-one’s been hunting this way in a long while,’ she said to her sister as they bagged their catch.
`When was the last time you were home?’ asked Zara with a bit of a snort. `This always was the route you preferred.’ `Yes, but you’d think someone would have tried to keep the game down all over the hills.’ `Do you always hunt for your table?’ Kincaid asked, handing over the birds he had retrieved.
`Uhuh!’ the sisters said in unison and all three laughed.
`When we were younger, we used to take our `Dinis with us …` Zara began.
`They were small enough to ride pillion then Laria continued.
– ů And didn’t consider it beneath their dignity to grab a stirrup leather to get up the hills.’ `Ah – – `Kincaid began tentatively, `what did happen to your brother’s original `Dinis? I’ve only caught snatches and I’d rather not misinterpret.
Laria and Zara exchanged glances and begged his pardon.
`Apologies, Kincaid,’ Laria said, taking the initiative.
She related the incident quickly, trying not to let her emotions colour the facts. Neither sister expected his bitter reaction.
`Bad enough to try that sort of coercion on someone of full age and your own species, but to subject a kid He flushed, thinking he might have belittled their brother’s abilities. `I admit that I like Clarf far more than I thought I would, even in the short time I’ve been at your Tower, Laria, but I haven’t changed my mind about naval practices at all.’ He looked down at the ground, at the pattern he was scuffing in the thick moss.