[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

pet.
Discussion swept around the table after Styr left and none of it was about mineral
rights, the original point of the meeting.
Aester raised his hands.  Meeting adjourned. I have to find my pet.
He left the room, anxious to start his search. If anything happened to his sweet Orlin
someone was going to pay. He d start with the doctor.
* * * *
Orlin escaped the spaceport with little fanfare. No one regarded him with suspicion as
he fled as far from the intake facility as possible. Lost and unable to figure out where to find
his king, Orlin stumbled across a traders market.
His feet hurt as he walked over the hard cobblestones but, after his stressful morning in
the scary white building, Orlin was just happy to be out in the open. He enjoyed the colours
and noise and the vibrancy of the street vendors hawking their wares. After walking past
booth after booth, Orlin s eye caught on a brilliant yellow bird singing in a cage. He could
identify with the pretty creature.
 What kind of bird is that? he asked the stall owner.
www.total-e-bound.com
ORLIN S FALL Amber Kell
34
The owner s eyes widened as he looked at Orlin but he responded quickly enough.  It s
a Valla. They are one of the few birds that are happier in a cage. They re nearly extinct
because their largest predators have outbred them. Their lives are tripled if kept inside.
Orlin examined the pretty bird and wondered when he could return to his own gilded
cage. It would probably be safer for him inside it, too.  How much is the bird?
The merchant smiled and mentioned a price far exceeding the pocket change in Orlin s
possession. He gave the merchant a smile.  I d best send my master back to buy it then. It
was the least the king would owe him after the doctor fiasco.
He received a wink from the seller.  You do that.
Orlin scanned the area, searching to see what treasures the other booths could hide.
Food would be most welcome.
As Orlin looked on, a thief grabbed a woman s purse and shoved her to the ground
before running away. It all happened so fast that he reacted without thinking. Enraged at the
woman s treatment, Orlin ran after the purse-snatcher. Intersecting their paths, he jumped
over a milk cart and landed on the thief s back, knocking the man to the ground. Both men
quickly regained their footing. The thief attacked Orlin, who slid to the side and punched the
man in the nose. The thief fell over with a thud. Orlin grabbed the woman s purse and
searched the crowd.
Since the victim was a blue cat woman, it wasn t hard to find her.
With a final glare at the downed thief, Orlin headed for the woman.  Here you go, he
said, handing over her purse. He spoke to her in Cresslitian the cat language careful to
put his hissing accent on the right words.
She gave him a relieved smile as her bodyguards appeared at her side, then went to
take control of the thief. Orlin wondered where her guards had been a moment ago.
 Thank you for your help. The cat woman s ears flicked her approval as she curled her
tail around her waist, a sign of pleasure with the Cresslit race.
Orlin gave her one of the bows his father had drilled into him as a youth.  It is my
pleasure. I hate to see a lady lose her belongings. The cat people were diplomats and
dedicated to living their lives in peace and harmony with their environment. Unfortunately,
their rich planet often made them victims of kidnappers and other unsavoury characters
when they wandered off world, so few of them ever travelled without bodyguards.
www.total-e-bound.com
ORLIN S FALL Amber Kell
35
 I am Dansi of the Vleuri tribe.
 I m Orlin, King Aester s new pet. He hoped he wasn t making a poor decision in
telling her who he was. However, she might be able to help him find his way back to the
king. He would deal with the fallout over the doctor if necessary short of ever seeing the
evil man again but he refused to be listed as a runaway. The penalties for abandoning a
contract were brutal.
She looked pointedly around.  Where are your guards?
 I had an unfortunate encounter and had to flee. I m currently without protection. He
shifted in place, examining the cobbled stones beneath his feet.
The woman tilted his head back so she could look him in the eyes.  Someone so kind
and beautiful should never look so sad. You are remarkably good at speaking my language. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]