“Of course,” Lance dithered. “Perhaps this is the wrong paper. I am sure there is a mistake of some kind. I will go back to my master.”
“A wise choice.” Hands spoke softly beside me, taking authority back.
“Well, come along, then,” Lance snapped at his boy and gave the lad a shove. The boy glowered at us as he trailed off after his master. I scarcely blamed him. Lance was the sort who must vent his ill temper somewhere. .
“Will they be back, do you think?” Hands asked me quietly.
“Either that, or Regal must give Ram his coin back.”
We silently considered the likelihood of that.
“So. What must I do when they come back?”
“If it’s only Regal’s mark, nothing. If the King or Queen-in-Waiting’s mark is upon it, then you must give him the horses. “
“One of those mares is pregnant!” Hands protested. “Burrich has big plans for the foal. What will he say to me if he comes back and those horses are gone?”
“We have always had to remember that these horses belong to the King. He will not fault you for obeying a proper command.”
“I don’t like this.” He looked up at me with anxious eyes.
“I don’t think this would be happening if Burrich were still here.”
“I think it would, Hands. Don’t take any blame to yourself I doubt that this is the worst that we’ll see before the winter is over. But, send me word if they do come back.”
He nodded gravely and I left him, my visit to the stables soured. I did not want to walk down the rows of stalls and wonder how many horses would still remain by the end of winter.
I walked slowly across the courtyard and then inside and up the stairs to my room. I paused on the landing. Verity? Nothing. I could sense his presence inside myself, he could convey his will to me and sometimes even his thoughts. But still, whenever I tried to reach out to him, there was nothing. It frustrated me. If only I had been able to Skill reliably, none of this would be happening. I paused to carefully curse Galen and all he had done to me. I had had the Skill, and he had burned it out of me, and left me with but this unpredictable form of it.