“I’m seventeen, almost eighteen,” she said in indignant tones, “and priests aren’t supposed to go around with women; at least ours don’t. Who ever heard of a married priest?” In a lower voice, she halfway apologized. “I’m sorry, but how was I to know? You never said anything about that new animal. And how did you know he was there, anyway? I heard nothing and I have good ears.”
“I accept the apology,” the priest said. “And I might as well interrupt your story briefly and spell out a few more things, since we’re apparently going to be traveling together for some time, until I can figure out what to do with you. Does anyone in your country have the ability to speak with his mind? That is, send silent thoughts, so that without using his, or her, voice, another person or perhaps an animal can understand him?”
Luchare drew back, lips parted slightly, her dark brown skin reflecting the firelight in soft, shadowed movements.
“The Unclean, the evil monsters from the days of The Death, are said to do this thing,” she said slowly. “And there are many rumors, which I know now to be true, that they are ruled by the most wicked of men, horrible sorcerers, who also have this power. An old church priest who taught me my lessons, a good man, said that such powers of the mind might not themselves be evil in theory, but that in actual practice only the Unclean and their devils seemed to know how to make use of them.” Her eyes brightened suddenly, “I see! You knew the animal was out there by thinking to him! But you are not one of the—” Her voice failed as she realized that she might be in the presence of one of the nightmares of her childhood, a wizard of the diabolic enemy!
Hiero smiled cheerfully. “Unclean? No, Luchare, I’m not. And neither is Gorm here.” Gorm, go over slowly, lie down, and put your head in her lap. She has (never) seen a bear (I think?) or believed (been taught) in thought/speech/mind sending. We’ll (have to) teach her, like a cub.
The slim, dark brown girl sat, frozen, as the small bear ambled over and did as he had been directed. But when a long, pink tongue came out and gently licked her hand, she relaxed a little.
“You—you told him to do that, didn’t you?” she said in a shaky voice. “You really can talk to him, just as you do to me?”
“Not as easily, no. But he’s very clever; in fact, I’m not sure exactly how clever he is. He’s really something almost as new to me as to you, and we’ve only been together a week. Now Klootz, my bull morse, the big fellow outside, has been my partner for years. I can talk to him easily, but he’s nowhere near as clever as Gorm here. Still, he fools me at times too, and just when I think I know the limits of his brain, he tries something brand new and surprises me.”
