Page 11 of Instinct for Disaster

“I can introduce you to the species, yes.”

“May we do that, Overseer Yasku?”

“Yes, kit, we may. Kiddel, I will be on the property for the rest of the day.”

Kiddel nodded. “Yes, Master Yasku.”

Yasku got to his feet and held his hand out to her. “Come along, kit.”

Cassandra stood and took his hand. “Why are you calling me that?”

“Because you haven’t finished developing yet. Kits are allowed to ask questions endlessly, so it is best for you to be a kit right now.”

Cassandra looked at his amused and tolerant expression. She shrugged. “As long as I get to meet the creatures, you can call me anything you want.”

He inclined his head. “Noted.”

Chapter Three

She practiced the names of the birds. “Sluuroth. Nith. Levak.” Species, female, male.

“Close; you almost have it. Slooroth.”

The riding beasts had many names depending on whether you could ride them or not.Keffowere the ones who listened for a call.Meeshawere the breeding females.Korrowere the breeding males. Keffo were normally males that didn’t have breeding rights.Yeshwere the young of both genders.

She tried again. “Slooroth.”

“Excellent, kit.” He ruffled her hair.

“And to summon keffo, you need a special whistle.”

“Yes.” He pulled a tube from a pocket and handed it to her.

She nodded and examined it. “Can I blow it?”

He grinned. “Yes, kit.”

She blew softly and listened to the tone. She nodded. “I can do that.”

He stared at her. “Do what?”

She pursed her lips and replicated the tone, loud and long. When the note faded in the air, Yasku was staring at her. “That is a noise coming out of you I did not count on.”

She smiled and then heard a thunder of the beasts as her keffo approached. “Oh, I think I overdid it.”

Yasku grabbed her and launched skyward as two dozen beasts thundered toward the house.

“You are an overachiever, kit.”

“Yeah. I think I might want to use the manufactured whistle.”

He laughed. “Just know how many keffo are in your area, and whistle accordingly.”

The beasts all stared upward, and Cassandra was embarrassed. “What do we do to them?”

“Send them home. Same whistle. Reverse pitch.”

She tried the whistle, and the beasts slowly turned and wandered off.

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