None of the other griffins came forward, but the contempt in their gazes had lessened noticeably.
No-one moved or spoke for some time, and then there was a scuffling from among the griffins and a third one came forward. This one was female and had vivid silver feathers. She crouched a short distance from him, watching him closely. She seemed uneasy and kept shivering her wings, the feathers rustling.
At last she rose and stretched her head toward him, half-closing her eyes as she sniffed. Then, suddenly, she started and backed away, hissing. “Kraeai kran ae!” she rasped, opening her wings.
The other griffins hissed and began to stir at this, some backing away.
The silver griffin raised a forepaw and held it out toward him, talons spread. “Kraeai kran ae!” she said again. “Kraeai kran ae!”
Arren had never seen or heard anything like this before. “What does that mean?” he asked nervously.
The silver griffin snapped her beak at him. “You are cursed,” she snarled. “Kraeai kran ae! Cursed one!”
Keth started forward. “Okaree, stop this! You know nothing about curses.”
“A silver griffin smells magic!” Okaree snarled, eyes blazing. “I smell it on this man. He is Kraeai kran ae. He is cursed. Beware!”
There was silence, and the silver griffin turned away and flew up into the rafters and through one of the huge open windows in the roof, into the sky beyond.
No-one spoke for some time after she had gone, but then the griffins began to chirp. They were laughing, and they broke up and wandered back to their stalls without another glance at Arren. The brown one stopped on her way past him, though. “Do not listen to Okaree. She is a fool. But perhaps she should have chosen you. You are as mad as each other.”
“Don’t insult me,” Arren snapped back. “I’m still a griffiner.”
The brown griffin paused, looking at him. Then she leapt. She knocked him onto the floor and pinned him down, much as Eluna had once done, and brought her beak toward his face. “Not just a blackrobe, but an arrogant blackrobe,” she hissed, and bit him on the ear.
Keth darted forward to intervene, but the brown griffin removed her claws and walked off, tail swishing.
Roland and Flell helped Arren to his feet. His ear was bleeding, and Roland took a rag from his pocket and gave it to him, saying, “Here, quickly, cover it up before you get any on your tunic.”
Arren folded it up and clapped it over his ear, which was hurting quite badly. “I think she took a piece off it,” he said through gritted teeth.
Flell took him by the arm and steered him back into the chicks’ room. “That cursed thing,” she muttered venomously. “She had no right to speak to you like that.”
Roland looked unhappy. “I’m terribly sorry for that, Arren. Okaree has always been a little peculiar, and Senneck—well, she’s always been like that. Are you all right, lad?”
“I’ll be fine,” said Arren. He took the rag away from his ear and felt it carefully. “She’s bitten a piece off the top. Well, at least it’ll match the other one,” he added bitterly.
“I don’t know why griffins always seem to bite people’s ears,” said Roland. “I asked Keth once, but even she either didn’t know or wouldn’t tell me.” He sat Arren down at the table and pushed a mug of the now-cold tea into his hands. “I really am very sorry, Arren.”
“It’s not your fault,” said Arren, taking it. “I didn’t expect them to be pleased to see me.”
In fact, he had guessed from the outset that they would be unsympathetic, and that they would dislike him on principle given that Eluna had died as a result of being partnered with him. But the rejection had still hurt, even more so than his torn ear.
“Well,” said Roland, ever cheerful, “there’s no cause to despair just yet. Consider yourself my assistant from now on. You can come in here every day to help me keep the place up and running, and I’ll see to it that you’re well paid. And who knows, perhaps things will change for you. We’ve always got more chicks hatching. They’ll get to know you better if you’re here all the time, and I don’t see why one of them won’t change its mind.”
Arren nodded. “Thanks, Roland. This means a lot to me.”
“It’s the least I can do,” said Roland.
Flell scratched Thrain’s head. “You’ll be all right,” she said. “Don’t listen to those