by K J Taylor
“Don’t mind me,” said Arenadd. “I’m just visiting.”
Skandar came in after him, and the effect on the griffins was astonishing. Before, they had been all over the place—flitting in and out of the rafters, squabbling with each other, eating, sleeping, or screeching at each other for no apparent reason. But when the great black-and-silver griffin appeared in their midst, they went silent almost instantly.
They stopped what they were doing. Some lay flat to make themselves look smaller; others bowed their heads. Some actually fled, flying out of the openings in the roof or using the hatches at floor level.
Skandar held his head high and looked majestically at his inferiors, like a King watching his subjects.
Arenadd took Laela by the arm and muttered to his friend in griffish. Skandar rasped back. Then he turned his attention to the griffins. They raised their heads to listen as he said something to them. Whatever it was, it sounded vaguely like a command, and that idea was proven to be correct when they stood up and began to come forward.
Arenadd pushed Laela toward them. “Stand in front of me,” he said. “Let them see you; you’re being presented to them. Skandar’s telling them about you. They’ll come forward to inspect you; keep still and let them. Don’t show fear. Don’t. They don’t have any respect for someone who shows them she’s afraid.”
“Right,” Laela muttered back, and stumbled forward.
The griffins were all staring at her. She felt dizzy. To be surrounded by so many of them . . . each one horribly strong and full of magic . . .
She kept still and stood as tall as she could, raising her chin and trying her best to look fearless and dignified.
Skandar stopped speaking, and a horrible silence fell while the griffins regarded her, their eyes full of cold curiosity.
Finally, one broke away from the group and loped toward her. It was one of the smaller griffins, fortunately—its head was level with her face. Laela stood still, heart pounding, and the griffin circled her, sniffing at her clothes. It pushed at her a few times with its beak, and then peered at her face.
After a few moments, it made a dismissive noise and walked away. Several other griffins left with it.
After some hesitation, another one came to look at her, but it, too, left. So did the next.
As if that was a signal, the group suddenly began to break apart and wander off. Laela watched them go, crestfallen. It wasn’t that she wanted to be a griffiner that badly, but it was such a clear and obvious sign of rejection and disinterest that it hurt her more deeply than she would have expected.
Arenadd stepped forward. “Kree!” he shouted.
Many of the griffins stopped to look back at him.
Arenadd came to Laela’s side and spoke in loud and rapid griffish, emphasising whatever he was saying by thumping his stick on the floor.
Some of the griffins hesitated a moment longer at this; some turned away and left regardless, but others stayed.
Finally, one of them came closer. It was small—barely bigger than a large goat—but it had the same aura of danger that all griffins had. It came to sniff at Laela, and Arenadd quietly moved away while it did.
Laela braced herself while the griffin examined her up and down and looked her in the face. Then, without warning, it reared up onto its hind legs and planted its front talons on her chest. Keeping still then was much harder, especially given that the thing’s weight nearly pushed her over, but she managed it somehow, and squeezed her eyes shut while it sniffed at her face. Gods, its breath was awful . . .
The griffin moved away and dropped back onto its forelegs. When Laela opened her eyes again, she found it staring at her in a way that made her more than slightly nervous.
“What do I do?” she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.
“Just keep still,” said Arenadd. “Don’t panic, no matter what—”
The griffin kept staring at her. It looked like it was going to pounce on her, like a cat with a mouse. And a heartbeat later, it did exactly that.
Laela had never imagined that a creature so big could move so fast. One moment it was crouching back and staring at her, and the next it had sprung straight at her, wings open and talons spread. She yelled and backed away, but it came after her, screeching. It caught up with her without any effort at all, and hurled itself at her. Its talons caught in her clothes and pulled her toward it, and its beak opened wide, ready to strike . . .
“Help me!” Laela yelled. “For gods’ sakes, do somethin’!”
A moment later, she had fallen over, and the griffin was on her. It bit her, using its hooked beak to tear at her as if she were food. Its talons wrapped around her body, holding her tight. Any moment they would go through her clothes and sink into her flesh.
She struggled wildly. “Get off! Get off me! Arenadd, get it off me!”
But the griffin continued its attack, and neither Arenadd nor Skandar appeared to help her. It loosened its grip on her and reared up, its beak aimed at her face . . .
Instinct pushed Laela into action. She freed her arm, and punched it square in the throat.
The griffin backed off, hissing furiously. She managed to get up—before it attacked yet again. It knocked her over and bit and scratched at her until she managed to free herself, only for it to come at her again a moment later. She tried to take shelter behind Skandar, but he had moved to the other side of the room, and Arenadd was nowhere to be seen.
She started to panic.
The griffin attacked a fourth time, but it was at this point that she realised that, despite its greater strength and apparently murderous intent, it hadn’t seriously injured her at all. It was just toying with her, maybe to get as much fun out of her as it could before it killed her.
She grabbed it by the beak and pushed hard, forcing it away from her. “Get off!” she yelled. “Get away, or I swear t’gods I’ll kill yeh!”
The ridiculous threat had no effect whatsoever on the griffin, of course, which struggled to free itself and dug its talons into her even more painfully than before. Desperate now, she let go of it with one hand and jammed her thumb into its eye as hard as she could.
The griffin screamed.
The talons let go instantly, and it backed off, shaking its head violently and hissing. Laela got up and tried to run out of the Hatchery, but a knot of griffins were in the way, and when she turned back, she found the one she had hurt still there, its eye swelling and probably making it even more violent than before.
But it didn’t attack. It sat back on its haunches and rubbed its head against its flank, and then settled down to groom its feathers as if nothing had happened.
Laela checked herself for injuries, and was frankly astonished when she found nothing more than a few scratches and a shallow gash on the side of her neck. Her clothes were torn, but other than that, the griffin hadn’t done anything to her at all.
She looked around for Arenadd, but couldn’t find him.
“Arenadd? For gods’ sakes, where are yeh? What’s goin’ on? Get me out of here! I ain’t jokin’!”
There was no reply.
The griffin finished its grooming and stood up. It came toward her, but slowly this time.
Laela backed away. “Keep away, or I’ll get yer other eye next, yeh overgrown parrot.”
It ignored her and came on until it was only a few paces away from her. Then it stopped, sat down on its haunches, and dipped its head toward the floor. It said something in griffish.
Laela blinked. “What?”
“She said, ‘You are a half-breed human, but you saved the King’s life,’” said Arenadd, from behind her.
She turned sharply. “What?”
The griffin spoke on.
“‘You are clever, to have come this far and climbed so high from such beginnings,’” the King continued. “‘With help, you could go much further.’”
The griffin came closer, but it looked placid now. It lifted its head toward her face and said something
else.
“‘I have tested your courage, and found you worthy,’” Arenadd translated. “‘I will go with you now and make you my human until one of us is dead.’”
Laela blanched. “What?”
The griffin nudged at her hand and made an odd cooing sound.
“Touch her,” said Arenadd. “She’ll let you do it now.”
“I ain’t touchin’ that thing!” Laela exclaimed. “The damn thing nearly killed me already; it’ll take my hand off!”
Arenadd chuckled. “Laela, if she’d wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.”
“Well, it attacked me, anyway,” said Laela. “I ain’t gonna pet it, that’s for damn sure.”
“She was testing you,” said Arenadd. “To see if you were brave and strong enough to fight her off.”
Laela eyed the griffin. Its own eyes were a brilliant green and contrasted with its tawny feathers. It didn’t look as if it were going to attack again. “That was a test?”
“Nearly all griffins do that,” said Arenadd.
Laela looked at him. Then she looked at Skandar. “Did he do that?”
“Yes.”
She looked at the griffin again. It still hadn’t moved. Very slowly and carefully, she reached toward it. The griffin made no move. Finally, Laela put her hand on its head and left it there. The griffin’s only response was to blink.
“Stroke her,” said Arenadd. “You don’t have to be too gentle; she won’t mind.”
Emboldened, Laela began to move her hand—running her fingers through the griffin’s head feathers. The griffin closed its eyes and crooned.
“You see?” said Arenadd. “She likes it!”
Laela kept her hand on the griffin’s head as she looked at him. “Yeh mean this griffin’s . . . mine?”
“Don’t ask me, ask her,” said Arenadd.
Laela looked at the griffin. “Are yeh . . . uh . . . are yeh my griffin?”
The griffin rasped back.
“‘You are mine,’” Arenadd translated. “‘From this day, you shall go where I go and do all that I ask, as a human should. You shall clean my talons, bring me my food, translate for me, give me treasures, and clean my nest.’”
“Oh yeah? An’ what do I get back?” said Laela, hiding her bewilderment with sarcasm.
“Eee-an oo,” said the griffin.
“‘Everything.’”
Laela gave up. “This is . . . this is ridiculous. I can’t be a griffiner!”
“Why not?” said Arenadd.
“I ain’t no noble, I ain’t rich, I ain’t powerful—I ain’t nobody!” said Laela. “That’s why! I only just learned how to say ‘my favourite colour is blue,’ for gods’ sakes!”
“But you’re very high in the King’s confidence,” Arenadd pointed out. “You’re obviously a girl who’s going somewhere. And with a griffin beside you, you’ll go a lot further. And you showed a lot of courage. She likes that.”
Despite herself, Laela felt a blush of pride on her face. “Well.” She looked at the griffin again, with a new appreciation. “What’s yer name, griffin? I’m Laela.”
The griffin stood taller. “Ooooeeek-a,” it chirped.
“Oeka,” said Arenadd. “‘Greeneyes.’”
“Oeka,” Laela repeated. “Oeka.”
The griffin clicked its beak at her. “Leeeeaela.”
Laela grinned. “That’s Lady Laela now, Oeka.”
16
How to Care for Your Griffin
Laela left the Hatchery and felt a deep and wonderful thrill of excitement when Oeka followed her. With the small griffin at her heels, she went back toward her quarters.
On her way, she ran into someone she recognised—and recognised in a way that made her feel sick with fright.
She halted. “Lord Torc.”
He eyed her cautiously. “Laela. Where are you going . . . ?” He trailed off as Oeka appeared around a corner. The tawny griffin came to stand beside her human, and a look of open bewilderment showed on the face of the Master of Law. “What . . . ?”
Laela’s mouth curled. “This is Oeka,” she said, savouring every word. “My griffin.”
Torc’s eyes had gone wide. “You have a griffin?”
“That’s right,” said Laela, brazenly putting her hand on Oeka’s head. “Now, we’ve got t’get goin’, if yeh don’t mind.” That said, she pushed past him and went on her way with her head held high.
She passed other people on her way—servants, mostly, but also one or two of the royal officials, all of whom gaped, and then bowed low. Laela watched them, first with wonder, but before long she felt her pride and confidence soar. Oh, my gods, she thought, over and over again. Oh, dear gods . . .
It was probably the greatest moment of her life. By the time she reached her room, she was almost strutting.
She had talked to Arenadd before she left the Hatchery and knew what to do. She opened the door and let Oeka go in ahead of her. “This is my place,” she said. “Our place now. Make yerself comfortable while I go an’ get yer nest ready.”
Oeka acted as if she hadn’t heard her at all. She padded into the room and began to explore, shoving furniture aside and poking her beak into nooks and crannies. Laela left her to it and crossed the room to the wall opposite the door. There was a large tapestry hanging there, and she tore it down to expose the arched opening on the other side. Laela went through it and found a huge, bare, stone room. There was a water trough and some mildewed straw on the floor, but that was it. The other side had another arched opening, this one leading out onto a balcony without railings.
Laela took it all in and nodded in satisfaction. A griffin had lived here once, and now Oeka would. But she would have to find someone to bring more nesting material.
She went back into her room, where she found Oeka standing in the middle of the floor and giving her an impatient look.
“I’ve opened up the nest for yeh,” Laela told her. “Come an’ look.”
The tawny griffin yawned and came toward her. Laela let her pass, and watched hopefully while she walked around the nest, flicking the old straw aside with her feathered tail.
“It ain’t much now, but once we’ve got some new straw in . . .”
While she spoke, Oeka turned dismissively and walked back through the archway, pushing past her without a backward glance.
Laela followed. “I know it ain’t pretty, but we can soon—hey!”
Oeka reached the bed, and casually climbed up onto it.
“That’s my bed!” said Laela. “Yeh can’t just . . .”
Oeka gave her a look, and Laela’s indignant tones faded away.
“Uh, I mean . . . well, I guess yeh can use it,” she stammered. “I’ll go an’ see about the nest.” She backed out of the room as quickly as she dared.
The servants, obviously used to this sort of thing, brought several baskets full of freshly cut dry reeds and grass, clay jugs of water, and a newly slaughtered pig carcass. In very little time, they’d made the nest fit for a griffin, and when Oeka smelled the food, she got up off Laela’s bed and sauntered into the nest.
Deeply relieved, Laela opened her wardrobe and took out a new set of clothes—the one she had on had been utterly ruined by the griffin’s talons. She checked herself after she had stripped, and marvelled at the fact that she had nothing but cuts and a few bruises. If she had wanted, Oeka could have torn her to pieces—Laela had no illusions about that.
Frightened, but awestruck as well, she dressed and sent a servant to bring her some food.
By the time it arrived, Oeka had wandered back into the bedroom. She sat down by the fireplace and watched as Laela settled down to eat.
The griffin’s silent stare was deeply unnerving. Laela did her best to look relaxed as she picked up a piece of bread. “So how do yeh like yeh new home? I can make it better, like. Over time an’ that.”
Oeka, of course, said nothing, but she was obviously listening.
Laela swallowed a mou
thful of food. “Look, I dunno how to say this, so I’ll just say it . . . uh . . .” She hesitated. “Thanks for choosin’ me. I mean, it’s . . . well, it’s an honour. I dunno if I’ll make a good griffiner, but I’ll do my best.”
Oeka shifted and clicked her beak.
Laela put her cup down. “I won’t let yeh down, Oeka,” she said. “I promise. Whatever yeh want from me in return for choosin’ me—I’ll give it. Even if I ain’t got much.”
The tawny griffin put her head on one side. Finally, as if she had made a decision, she stood up, snatched a wedge of cheese off Laela’s plate, and strutted away.
“Yer welcome,” Laela said weakly.
Fortunately, Oeka didn’t seem to want anything else. She threw her head back to swallow the cheese and left back through the arch. Laela got up to see what she was doing, and saw the griffin go out onto the balcony and launch herself into the air.
Laela felt oddly relieved.
Once she had finished eating, she sat back in her chair and thought. What should she do now?
Well, what do yeh want to do?
Tell Yorath, of course. She wanted him to hear the news from her first. With that in mind, she got up and left the room, her heart pounding with newfound excitement.
• • •
Yorath sat back. “Tell me ye’re lyin’. Please.”
Laela grinned. “Can’t. That’d be a lie. I never was that good at tellin’ lies anyway.”
He looked her in the face. “Ye. Ye are a griffiner.”
“Yeah, I am.”
Her blunt reply obviously threw him off. “What’s the griffin like?” he asked eventually.
“Only small,” said Laela. “Well, not that small. Arenadd—I mean, the King—says she’s got big paws. That means she’ll be very big when she’s grown up.”
“What’s her name?”
“Oeka. Means ‘Greeneyes.’”
“So what’re ye going to do now?” said Yorath.
“How d’yeh mean?”
“Well, ye’ve got to be trained. An’ after that . . . griffiners have big responsibilities, Laela.”
Nervous heat touched her cheeks. “Well. I already got the trainin’ sorted out . . . dunno about the responsibilities, but I know I’m meant t’look after her an’ that . . .”
