Mastiff by Tamora Pierce Read Free Book Online Page A

Gareth!”

    Tunstall cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him. “Since we lose daylight as we talk, I propose that the three of us begin our Hunt,” he said. “That
is
why you brought us here?”

    My lord Gershom hurriedly introduced us to the king. Then Master Farmer, Tunstall, and I, bowing a great deal, got ourselves out of that room. Pounce and Achoo raced away around our feet, beating us into the hall.

    “That was a splendid escape,” Master Farmer said when the door closed behind us. “Do you know where we should start?”

    “Are you the investigators Lord Gershom brought to us?” A lady approached us. She was exactly my height, with white skin and blond hair that she had pinned back under a white veil. Her eyes were wide-spaced and blue, attentive, set over a short nose and broad, thin-lipped mouth. Like the queen she wore a very light under tunic and over tunic, but her over tunic was plain gray cotton, with small, sober blue embroideries at the cuffs. I saw no magical designs there. She wore a plain gold chain for a necklace, a black stone on one index finger, and a piece of blue lapis lazuli on the other. There were plain gold hoops in her earlobes. Like the queen’s, her eyes were red and swollen with weeping. “Is Queen Jessamine in there?” she asked.

    I glared at Tunstall. I was curst if he would saddle me with talking to every mot we encountered.

    He smiled at the lady. “She is there, with the king, and a white-haired cove who has vexed my lord Gershom.”

    The lady smiled a little. “He’s Ironwood of Sinthya, His Majesty’s personal mage. He vexes everyone, sooner or later. Actually, sooner. If you want a guide—I couldn’t help but hear what you were saying—I’ll take you to whatever you need to see. Her Majesty has no need of me if she’s with the king.”

    Master Farmer offered his hand. “I’m Farmer Cape, handling magecraft for the Hunt. I serve the Provost’s office in Blue Harbor.”

    The lady raised her eyebrows. “I expected one of the mage chancellor’s people. Someone educated in the City of the Gods, as I was, and Ironwood was.”

    Master Farmer shrugged. “Doubtless someone like that is on the way. I’m just here to get the Hunt started.” He said it evenly, as a simple fact.

    The lady must have thought he’d taken offense. She sighed and shook her head. “Forgive me. I meant no insult. I’m sure you’re good at what you do, or Lord Gershom would not have brought you here. And I’m not always so unmannerly. I’m Her Majesty’s personal mage, Orielle Clavynger. Is this a scent hound?” She offered her fingers for Achoo to smell. “She doesn’t look like those we Hunt with.”

    “Her name’s Achoo,” I said. “She
is
a scent hound. I’m hoping to put her to work.”

    When Mistress Orielle looked up at me, I saw iron in those mild blue eyes. She might seem to be sweet and approachable, but she belonged to the court, and expected things to be done in a certain way. Reminded to improve my manners, I introduced us properly. “I’m Rebakah Cooper, guardswoman and handler for Achoo. This is my partner, Senior Guardsman Matthias Tunstall. And you have met Master Farmer.”

    “The day is trickling away,” Tunstall said politely. “We would like to get to work, lady mage.”

    “Oh, of course,” Mistress Orielle replied. “Where would you like to start?”

    “The nursery,” Tunstall and Master Farmer said at the same time. Tunstall glared at the mage, but Master Farmer only gave Tunstall a bland, dozy smile. Mistress Orielle tucked her arm through Master Farmer’s and pulled him along, explaining that there would be little to see. The fire had started in the nursery from what her spells had told her.

    I wanted to tell Tunstall to back off of Master Farmer, but I was distracted by looking for Pounce. He’d vanished somewhere before I could introduce him to Mistress Orielle. I knew he would be all right. A cat who roamed the stars would