The horse fair was a waste of time. Thoth had known it would be.

He wandered around aimlessly while Morveren got under his feet and Bluefeather flapped around his ears, eagerly asking this one? This one?? every time they wandered near a horse. All of the horses looked at Thoth like he was some kind of insect. Two of the five he tried to engage in conversation ignored him completely, while the other three made derisive comments. The further they walked, the lower Thoth’s mood fell. Finally, he threw up his hands.

“I’m going home,” he told the blue macaw. Bluefeather cawed sadly.

“Aww, but…”

“No buts! I told you.” Thoth spun on his heels and started marching back towards the exit. “Horses are dicks. Junebell is an exception.”

His heart twinged a little. He had finally outgrown his pony, Junebell, who was also getting a little old for the long, hard rides he liked. She’d been a stable pony before she’d belonged to him, and there were more grey flecks than ever in her flea-bitten coat. He’d finally retired her to Dragonbone Moor into the care of his sister. Eselda, his nephew, had been thrilled to have a docile pony to learn with. Since then, Thoth’s other animal friends had been trying to persuade him to get a new horse, to no avail. When Bluefeather found out about the fair, he’d absolutely insisted they’d come. There was every kind of horse at the fair – racehorses, farmhorses, stable ponies – but no nice ones.

Morveren, who had been bounding ahead of him, paused and cocked her head. Thoth glanced at her and followed her line of sight, a small frown creasing his forehead. Two men were arguing over a round-bellied mare by the entrance while a girl about Thoth’s age seemed caught in the middle. Thoth had no time for people in general and would have ignored it but for the mare’s condition. She was clearly pregnant. Her head was low, her coat dull and her mane and tail matted. As he got closer, he could see layers of dried mud clinging to her legs and welds in her neck where rope had rubbed the skin raw.

Thoth’s heart twinged in a different kind of way. With a silent snarl, he crossed the distance between them at a considerably quicker pace. Bluefeather, caught by surprise, had to flap rapidly to keep up.

“You’re the thief,” Thoth snapped, just in time to overhear the last part of the conversation. He stood with his legs apart and his hands balled into fists. “Five hundred doubloons will buy you a Thoroughbred here. Anything more than a hundred for this one is a crime.”

“What do you know, kid?” The boy with the mare smirked. “This girl is a – hey! No touching the merchandise!”

He yanked the poor horse’s reins. Thoth withdrew the hand he had outstretched to touch her nose and studied her instead, some of his anger dimming.

“You okay?” He asked her, switching languages easily. The boy blinked in surprise at the nickering sound which came from Thoth’s mouth, but a look of realisation dawned on the guard’s face. He chuckled quietly, as though looking forward to what might happen next.

The mare didn’t answer. She gave Thoth a sad, curious look. His anger flared up again, and he snatched the reins from the boy’s hands.

“Hey!” The boy protested.

“Thoth,” the guard chided him. “It is thieving.”

“So report me to the king,” Thoth snapped back. He spun around and realised the girl was still standing there. “You coming or what?” He growled as he started walking away, the mare following dutifully. Bluefeather whistled excitedly overhead and Morveren reached out to sniff the girl’s hand, wagging her tail like a dog.


MASTER OF THE ORBIS . MASTER OF THE WATER ELEMENT . SON OF AURA