[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
watched them with apparent equanimity and waited silently behind his bush. As the
moonbeams fell across his body the parts they touched just . . . turned wolfish. Where
the light strayed across his leg, dark fur was suddenly revealed to the light, or was
made by the light or . . . something. Llewellyn couldn't tell which.
Gradually the moonbeams had lovingly caressed every inch of Gabriel's body
with the sensuous silver light. Where the fine and noble figure of Gabriel had stood,
there now stood the same black wolf that even now sat placidly at Llewellyn's feet.
The wolf, his transformation completed, threw his head back with delight and
howled his freedom. He bounded off happily into the night to create whatever mischief
wolves do when left to their own devices. The bowl did not show Llewellyn these
nightly revels. He was sure they would be fascinating, but they were hardly the meat of
the matter at the moment.
"Customarily three nights, yes?" Llewellyn turned to the wolf, who nodded
solemnly. "But sometimes you didn't bother turning back during the day. Such a bother,
after all."
The wolf looked a trifle abashed, and he shifted his paws in seeming unease.
Llewellyn clucked and smiled. "Ah, my boy, I understand. Being a wolf has certain
enjoyments when it's only three days out of every month. But two years of nothing but
being an animal? The experience wears thin, I'm sure." Llewellyn gazed earnestly at the
wolf. "You did not this last time, correct? Check your clothes, I mean. That's why you
didn't notice they had gone missing until the time to change back for good?"
Garwaf nodded. Excitement bubbled up in Llewellyn, making his hands twitchy
for something to do.
Garwaf blinked, and the pictures in the water spun again.
The wolf returned now in the predawn light of what Llewellyn inferred to be the
final day of his transformation. The wolf sniffed at the rock, turning it over with a paw.
Empty. Just a hollow rock.
The wolf sniffed the area. Again and again. Round and round in circles. Down
the road, up, back into the woods. All over. Dawn came and went, and still the wolf
continued his fruitless search.
Llewellyn cast him a look of sympathy. "Even then?"
Yes, even then. The wolf sighed. I didn't believe it.
The next scene would be when he went home to look, ashamed to let Alisoun see
what he had become, yet he needed her help if he was ever to be a man again. He went
home, and he had found Reynard there before him.
Next came the scene in the garden where Alisoun had said where she and
Reynard had first
Well, Garwaf had seen the moment enough in his mind's eye. He did not need to
watch Alisoun's betrayal again outside his own head. He went away from the table and
waited for the last scene of his silent testimony to play out.
When the magic had finished, Llewellyn sighed and leaned back, rubbing his
eyes wearily. "Very illuminating." He smiled and patted his shoulder as he had when
Garwaf had been a lad. Llewellyn gave him a lopsided grin, then set about making a
small bed for him on the floor, since the castle was far too cramped with visiting nobles
to accommodate either of them tonight. "And now, some much needed rest."
Garwaf was suddenly reminded of hunting with his uncle and the wise man in
his youth, before his marriage. Grinning inwardly, Garwaf stretched out next to his
friend.
Llewellyn had crossed his arms under his head and stared up at his ceiling. "And
now I have seen what you had to tell me, I have an idea what is best to be done. You
and I need to speak to the king tomorrow morning. See if he fancies a bit of hunting."
Garwaf yawned and placed his chin on his paws to sleep as best he might with
all the worries and woes pressing in about him. He studied the sleeping wise man, hope
stirring in his wolfish heart that, despite his fears, something could be done to save him.
There had to be a way to unravel the interminable tangle that he and the lady he loved
now found themselves caught up in.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning brought the convocation of the king's lords and the ceremony
where the king's liegemen would renew their oaths of fealty.
By general accord between the king and the wolf, with a solemn promise on
Garwaf's part, they agreed he would attend the meeting, closely chaperoned by
Llewellyn at all times
The king had observed firsthand some of his liegemen in their carousing of the
night before. In deference to the fact that after all that merrymaking some of them
would have heads fit for cracking, the meeting was never called before noon. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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watched them with apparent equanimity and waited silently behind his bush. As the
moonbeams fell across his body the parts they touched just . . . turned wolfish. Where
the light strayed across his leg, dark fur was suddenly revealed to the light, or was
made by the light or . . . something. Llewellyn couldn't tell which.
Gradually the moonbeams had lovingly caressed every inch of Gabriel's body
with the sensuous silver light. Where the fine and noble figure of Gabriel had stood,
there now stood the same black wolf that even now sat placidly at Llewellyn's feet.
The wolf, his transformation completed, threw his head back with delight and
howled his freedom. He bounded off happily into the night to create whatever mischief
wolves do when left to their own devices. The bowl did not show Llewellyn these
nightly revels. He was sure they would be fascinating, but they were hardly the meat of
the matter at the moment.
"Customarily three nights, yes?" Llewellyn turned to the wolf, who nodded
solemnly. "But sometimes you didn't bother turning back during the day. Such a bother,
after all."
The wolf looked a trifle abashed, and he shifted his paws in seeming unease.
Llewellyn clucked and smiled. "Ah, my boy, I understand. Being a wolf has certain
enjoyments when it's only three days out of every month. But two years of nothing but
being an animal? The experience wears thin, I'm sure." Llewellyn gazed earnestly at the
wolf. "You did not this last time, correct? Check your clothes, I mean. That's why you
didn't notice they had gone missing until the time to change back for good?"
Garwaf nodded. Excitement bubbled up in Llewellyn, making his hands twitchy
for something to do.
Garwaf blinked, and the pictures in the water spun again.
The wolf returned now in the predawn light of what Llewellyn inferred to be the
final day of his transformation. The wolf sniffed at the rock, turning it over with a paw.
Empty. Just a hollow rock.
The wolf sniffed the area. Again and again. Round and round in circles. Down
the road, up, back into the woods. All over. Dawn came and went, and still the wolf
continued his fruitless search.
Llewellyn cast him a look of sympathy. "Even then?"
Yes, even then. The wolf sighed. I didn't believe it.
The next scene would be when he went home to look, ashamed to let Alisoun see
what he had become, yet he needed her help if he was ever to be a man again. He went
home, and he had found Reynard there before him.
Next came the scene in the garden where Alisoun had said where she and
Reynard had first
Well, Garwaf had seen the moment enough in his mind's eye. He did not need to
watch Alisoun's betrayal again outside his own head. He went away from the table and
waited for the last scene of his silent testimony to play out.
When the magic had finished, Llewellyn sighed and leaned back, rubbing his
eyes wearily. "Very illuminating." He smiled and patted his shoulder as he had when
Garwaf had been a lad. Llewellyn gave him a lopsided grin, then set about making a
small bed for him on the floor, since the castle was far too cramped with visiting nobles
to accommodate either of them tonight. "And now, some much needed rest."
Garwaf was suddenly reminded of hunting with his uncle and the wise man in
his youth, before his marriage. Grinning inwardly, Garwaf stretched out next to his
friend.
Llewellyn had crossed his arms under his head and stared up at his ceiling. "And
now I have seen what you had to tell me, I have an idea what is best to be done. You
and I need to speak to the king tomorrow morning. See if he fancies a bit of hunting."
Garwaf yawned and placed his chin on his paws to sleep as best he might with
all the worries and woes pressing in about him. He studied the sleeping wise man, hope
stirring in his wolfish heart that, despite his fears, something could be done to save him.
There had to be a way to unravel the interminable tangle that he and the lady he loved
now found themselves caught up in.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning brought the convocation of the king's lords and the ceremony
where the king's liegemen would renew their oaths of fealty.
By general accord between the king and the wolf, with a solemn promise on
Garwaf's part, they agreed he would attend the meeting, closely chaperoned by
Llewellyn at all times
The king had observed firsthand some of his liegemen in their carousing of the
night before. In deference to the fact that after all that merrymaking some of them
would have heads fit for cracking, the meeting was never called before noon. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]