Page 15 of The Gargoyle's Glade
“Yes, hello. I can hear you.” The rabbit accepted my response with a long blink before hopping away.
“Alright, Merry?” Hailon asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.” I shook out my shoulders, trying to loosen away the residual sensation of being paralyzed.
Seir stared, but as usual, seemed more amused than surprised. “Hailon didn’t tell you?”
“Oh, she did, but it’s quite another thing to see it in person.” We resumed walking, but at a much slower pace. “You greeted him too. Was that just you being friendly?”
“No, I can hear them too. Though I suspect my ability has more to do with my demon nature than anything else. I’ve never had a bonded creature. Neither has Vassago, but with a bit of effort, he can hear Rylan’s bird as well as Greta’s. I’m not sure about Calla’s cat, but she’s a bit different as she’s stone kin.”
“Wait, the cat is stone kin?” I recalled the oversize feline that had rubbed against my legs outside the paddock, realizing it had been far more than a cat and I had actually heard it say hello to me after all.
“Indeed, it’s fascinating to watch her fly.” We approached the portal, and Seir dipped down to kiss Hailon. “My brother Tap manages the contracts for familiars. I’ll speak with him.”
“Ophelia said she’d be sending him a message as well.” I suddenly remembered the leather volume in my bag. “She gave me a book, but I haven’t had a chance to read through it.”
“Would you be amenable to speaking with my brother directly? You would likely have to travel to him, as he rarely leaves his post, but I could go with you.”
“Me too, if need be,” Hailon volunteered.
“Yes, of course.”
He nodded, pleased by that answer. “Alright. Have fun in town, ladies.” Seir kissed Hailon once more and then all but dove into the portal. My stomach heaved.
“Our turn. Shall we?” Hailon held out her arm to me, and I linked it with mine.
“I’d like some seeds, so I suppose we should get on with it.” I shuddered.
Hailon laughed and we stepped through together.
Our trip was veryproductive though short. We’d only needed to speak with Grace, who seemed thrilled to share the burden of seasonal food preservation with us.
“I have my little helpers, but the youngest are bored quickly, and it would be lovely to make a day of it. I’ll see if the ladies here at d’Arcan would like to join as well. Ah! How exciting. I’ve not had a proper seasonal preserving party in ages. My mother and aunts used to do one every year until it got too taxing for them.”
Grace did indeed have a whole schedule, and she added our needs to the list for d’Arcan while feeding us a whole meal’s worth of finger foods with our tea. I could already tell that living here was going to spoil me in no time.
“Let the headmaster pay,” she’d said with a wink, calculating far more than I would have both in seeds and canning supplies. I’d learned already how Grace operated and knew it was pointless to argue. Instead, I asked to look at her brilliant chart and we talked about developing a calendar so that we knew what was coming next. Between the expansion that Rylan had decided on for the campus and our little beds, there would probably be plenty to go around all year long.
“Who’s going to manage the gardening project?” Hailon asked.
“Bridget said she’d take it on.” Grace grinned. “Took some convincing, though. That girl is terrified her thumbs might be black and she’ll disappoint Rylan.”
“I can help,” I found myself offering. “I’m the one who made the suggestions, after all. Once the seedlings are in and growing well, it won’t take much effort on her part. Just weeding and watering. Watching for bugs.” I shrugged.
“That would be wonderful, Merry, thank you.” Grace smiled at me in a way that had me feeling emotional. It was an expression full of pride, one that I hadn’t realized I’d been longing for.
After we’d finished up with Grace, Hailon went to discuss something with Greta, and I spent a bit of time with Jacks. I made sure his stall was clean and his needs well met, then I walked him around the paddock and fed him treats. He was arguably going to be as spoiled as I was, living at the collegium. The stableman, Clem, was clearly dedicated to his work and cared for the animals as if they were family. He seemed all too pleased to have another beast to manage, and Jacks had clearly already taken to him. Jacks’s approval was good enough for me.
The trip back through the portal felt slightly less distressing, which was hopeful. Hailon’s breakfast and Grace’s snacks still flipped around in my stomach, but I only had to pause for a moment to settle.
As we approached my cabin, Hailon stopped mid-stride and laughed. “When did you have time to do all this?”
“This morning, before I came to your place.”
She strode over to the rectangle of turned soil along the front of the house, kicking at one of the lumps of dirt with her toe. “I didn’t realize you’d picked up a hoe or spade.”
“I didn’t. Not exactly.” I laughed at her incredulous expression.
