him." Why did he want to know? Did he want me to be? "Why do you ask?"
He didn't answer directly. "I should be back shortly. These maneuvers never last long." He spoke as though he'd been on thousands.
"Perhaps I'll see you soon then, and you can tell me about the other ogres you catch."
"Perhaps you can teach me how to tame an ogre."
"ahthOOn SSyng!" I said. "That's farewell."
"It sounds evil."
"It is," I answered, and we parted.
16
SIR STEPHAN was indeed talkative. He had a small manor in Frell, a wife, four daughters, and two hounds. The hounds were the joy of his life. "Smarter than pigs, cats, and dragons all rolled together," he said. As we rode, he recounted tale after tale of their bravery and cleverness.
"When do you think we'll reach the giants?" I asked when he stopped for breath.
"Three days, I should think."
The day of the wedding! And we might arrive after it ended.
"Can we go any faster? I don't need much sleep."
"Maybe you don't, and I'm eager to get back to those ogres. But the horse needs his rest. We'll go as fast as he'll take us."
I kicked the horse, hoping to spur him on and hoping Sir Stephan wouldn't notice. Sir Stephan didn't, and the horse didn't either.
Sir Stephan began a tale about exhausted horses and a charge against a dragon.
When he finished, I hastily changed the subject.
"Do you like serving under the prince?"
"Some might not fancy answering to a youngster," he said, "but I'm a toiling knight."
"What's that?"
"Not so noble I can't curry my own horse, nor so greedy I have no time to serve my king."
"Is Char a 'toiling prince'?"
"That's a good description of him, little lady. I never saw a lad, page or prince, so eager to learn to do a thing right."
According to Sir Stephan, Char was almost as wonderful as the hounds. He wasn't only eager to learn, he did learn, and quickly. He was kind. They had departed Frell late because of his kindness. The cart of a fruit-and-vegetable seller had overturned in the road ahead of them.
"When the seller began screeching that everyone would trample his precious tomatoes and melons and lettuces, Char had us right the cart; then he spent the better part of an hour on his hands and knees, rescuing vegetables."
"As he rescued me."
"You're a long mile prettier than a grape or a squash, and you needed a long mile less rescuing. I never caught an ogre so neatly before."
I turned the conversation away from me and back to Char.
"He's smart and he's steady, the prince is," Sir Stephan continued. "Too steady, maybe. Too serious, maybe. He laughs when there's something to laugh at, but he doesn't play enough. He's been with the king's councillors too much." Sir Stephan was quiet for a rare moment. "He laughed more in a morning with you than in two weeks with us. He should frolic with the young folks more, but they're on their best behavior with a prince." He turned his head. "Except for you, little lady." I was alarmed. "Did I behave badly?"
"You acted natural. Not like a courtier."
Manners Mistress would consider me an utter failure. I smiled.
* * *
WE SPENT our nights at inns. The first night I retired to my room soon after dinner. I set my Agulen wolf on the table next to my bed so he could protect my sleep. Then I opened my magic book.
On the verso was a letter from Hattie to her mother. On the recto, one to the same lady from Olive. I read Hattie's first.
Dear Mama,
is not my penmanship much improoved? I have been practicing my flurrishes.
The words may be harder to read, and Writing Mistress dispares of my spelling, but when you stand away from the page, is the result not charming?
Sir Peter's daughter has vanished. Madame Edith says she was called away in the night. However, I suspect that Madame Edith is lying and that Ella has run off. There was always something devious and deceetful about her, although her father is such a charming, rich man.
My new tresses are divine, and I emmerged among the other girls again two days ago when they arrived. I suspect my locks may have vanished with Ella. A hartfess prank to play on me, who always treated her with kindness. But I still hope she has come to no harm and has not been eaten by ogres or captured by bandits or caught fire or fallen into bad company, as