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As they passed a side opening in a widening of the passage, Chap swerved and leaped through the doorway. Magiere and Leesil turned, as well. As Wy
She faltered as fright took a sharp hold on her.
A creature like Vordana would never flee. He would not need to.
Someone screamed out, "No, no! Please no."
Leesil and Magiere were in front her, weapons out but poised where they stood. The broken shelves and scattered pots and implements on the floor told Wy
"No, Chap! Stop it!"
Leesil grabbed her from behind. Both blades were in one hand as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. He lifted her out of the way as if she were a small cat. Wy
Leesil dropped Wy
Chap snarled but obeyed, and Wy
Cowering inside the barren hearth's hollow was a boy dressed in tatters turned dark by dirt and grime. Gaunt, with filthy brown-black hair to his shoulders, he squirmed to the hearth's far side and pressed one shoulder tightly into the comer. He covered his face as he looked out in horror, only one eye peeking between stick-thin fingers. There were fresh slashes down his arm from Chap's claws.
"Chap, what have you done?" Wy
Magiere crept forward in a crouch, ready to lunge at the boy, and her voice sounded forced and slurred. "Leesil, let Chap go!"
Wy
The topaz amulet Magiere had given Leesil hung in plain view, and it glowed brightly.
"It is only a boy," she whispered, looking back to the hearth in disbelief.
The boy shuddered continuously as he tried to force himself deeper into the hearth's corner.
Magiere glared back at Wy
Her irises were completely black, her words barely clear, as if her mouth wouldn't form them correctly. Wy
'Think," Wy
"Wy
"No!" she shouted back, and jerked out of his reach.
Chap tried to snap his jaws closed on her short robe's hem, but Wy
"If you… attack," she said quietly, "They… take your head. Understand? Be still and we… not hurt you."
"Speak for yourself," Magiere hissed.
"Magiere, not now. " Wy
He studied her and finally pulled his hands from his face, glancing now and then at the others. "Tomas," he whispered, as if it were some secret he shared with her.
"Did you eat… the rats?"
The boy shrank back, eyes on Magiere. Wy
"No. My food all dead now. Can't find any but dead ones. " His voice cracked. "I starve now."
Pity washed through Wy
"No toads, no rats, no snakes, and birds all gone," Tomas whispered, and his eyes half closed in exhaustion. "I sleep. I starve. I sleep more."
His face was so coated with filth, it was dun colored instead of the pale shade Wy
Wy
"We have nothing for you," she said, holding out the fruit.
"These come from… living tree. Fresh. Perhaps some life in them."
Tomas lunged at her.
"Wy
She felt his grip close on the shoulder of her short robe as Chap rushed forward with snapping teeth. Before Leesil could jerk her away, Tomas's narrow fingers seized the apples. One crashed in his grip as he quickly retreated into the hearth. Wy
Tomas shrank into his corner. Sharp teeth and fangs sank through an apple's skin. His gaze fixed on Chap as he sucked, hunger overriding fear.
"Wy
This time it was Leesil who held a hand out to stop her.
"Who did this to you?" Wy
Tomas looked at her, still sucking hard upon the apple, and his fingers made dents in the fruit from his tight grip. His brow furrowed over wide eyes, as if he did not understand the question. He glanced about the room before letting the fruit slip from his mouth.
"Long time back… very long," he said, staring at the floor before he looked up at Wy
Tomas set his other two apples on the floor. He flattened one hand there to lean in Wy
"He drank me-like a rat," Tomas said firmly, as if the comparison had just occurred to him. "Like a toad, like a lizard, like a snake but not a bird, because those are too hard to catch. He made me be like him, Lord Massing, but I fooled him. Young master taught me how."
Wy
Magiere crouched low, creeping forward toward Tomas. "Massing? Is mat who lived here? Was he lord of this fief?"
Tomas pulled back. He spat at her, pulling his spare apples closer to hold them between his bare feet.
"Stay away," Wy
"Warm… the warm girl is better," Tomas whispered.
He stared at Wy
"Even nicer than the young master," he added.
"My name is Wy
The boy shook his head and licked his fruit. "Don't know, didn't hear, never told. Wasn't here long before they went away. But the young master taught me of rats and lizards and snakes so I wouldn't need no folks from the village. Can't feed on kin, it's not right. Young master taught me."
"Cursed saints!" Leesil whispered. "Welstiel was here, and he had a son? Or was the son? What's the little monster telling us?"
Tomas looked blankly at Leesil. He seemed unaffected by the names he was called and returned to sucking on the apple.
"They left him here," Wy
"You're eating rats?" Leesil asked the boy.
Tomas shook his head. "No more, just dead ones, all dried up the same day. All gone."
"All at once?" Wy
"Not long back. " Tomas frowned and dropped his gaze from Wy
Wy