Page 158 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
Bronwynn reached up and covered my hand with her own. “Thank you, that helps. Andno, wehaven’tcome to an agreement!”
Bronwynn squeezed my hand once before pushing it off her shoulder. I didn’t mind; she needed to summon the wagon.
She waited until there was enough space to bring it out of her storage ring, and then started strapping Donna into the breastplate and girth.
“If it helps,” I told the horse, “you’ll probably have your answers after we meet Momo.”
“That reminds me. Do you know what Slake’s plan is?” Bronwynn checked everything once over just in case.
“Slake is going to meet us later.” I waved at the stable hand and tossed him a copper coin for a tip. The lizardkin lad had just been standing there the whole time while we spoke, politely waiting to see if we needed assistance. He bowed, and I hopped into my seat on the wagon. “I think he’s spending the day with Their Royal Highness. I heard the fox ask Slake if he was free today.”
“What would they do with a grimalcat?” Bronwynn joined me on the driver’s seat.
“The same thing we did when Slake traveled with us, I imagine: give pets and get mauled?”
It was nice not having to worry about maneuvering my tail between the seat and backrest. And it was nice not having a full coat of fur under the afternoon heat.
Sadly, I hadn’t packed a hat.
“Good point.” Bronwynn picked up the reins, but Donna started moving before the bard could guide her.
“You know,” I said as we traveled over the bridge heading toward the northeast city exit by the military district, “it’s unfortunate that we had to leave so soon.”
“Why?” Bronwynn asked. She set her reins down and pulled her lyre harp out of its case. Instead of playing a song, she summoned a cleaning kit from her storage ring and prepared to give her instrument a fine tuning and maintenance.
I smiled, staring over my shoulder at the great Emerald Palace on the other side of the city. Its beautiful ornate towers shone under the bright sun. “I’m sad we’re going to miss the fireworks display, and Their Royal Highness showing off why they’re still the ruler of Peldeep.”
Bronwynn gently wiped her instrument clean, and then pulled out a bottle of oil. “The last time I saw Their Royal Highness use their skills, I was four. They pushed back a level forty-eight kraken that had decided the inner harbor was a great place to make a lair.”
I whistled slowly. Kraken were giant sea monsters that looked like squid the size of a building, with ten extra tentacles. They were very territorial and prone to eating things. Like people.
We left the city and started the gentle incline toward Hearthcrest. I thought about Madame Potts’ Cast again, and wondered if that wasn’t the reason why Their Royal Highness had invited Slake to join them …
Any battle would be a better battle with a grimalcat.
CHAPTER 96
Tinker Tate’s Traveling Tokens and Tales
Brownie
Brownie was still angry at Donna after a good night’s sleep. And on the road to Hearthcrest. And she was still angry at Donna when they rode up to the inn—the same Lonely Hearth Inn that was her new favorite inn because it was where she and Rufus first got to petting. She was angry that night, despite only renting out one room this time and getting ample amounts of petting, cuddling, and canoodling.
She was having a hard time letting go.
It was almost a good thing that Slake wasn’t there yet. He’d be the first to tell her that spite was an excellent motivator, and vengeance the only option.
To a grimalcat, revenge was the best form of flattery.
But she didn’t want revenge on her horse; she wanted … well, to not disappoint Momo. The grimalcat had saved her life and befriended her, and trusted her to keep her promise.
One did not simply break a promise to a grimalcat.
Brownie wasstillangry when they all loaded up and set on their merry way to the Dark Enchanted Forest the next day. It was a very distracting thing, being angry.
She was so busy being upset, in fact, that she almost missed her first encounter.
“Look over there.” Rufus poked her shoulder and stuck a finger toward a vardo, a covered caravan wagon, that had pulled off to the side of the road. Despite the sunny weather, the preela was busy hanging up a soaking wet waterproof canvas cover on a rope secured between the vardo roof and a tree. He was standing on a single-person landing at the front door of the vardo.
