e&tg 38

I rubbed my head sheepishly. "Yeah, well, i've been busy." I looked at her hair. "What happened to your braids? They were beautiful."

She shook her head. "Too much work. Once i got the job here as a stablehand, i wanted to devote all my time to my job. And now, i am Stablemaster, for three years." She clapped her hands. "But enough catching up. Let us look at your beast."  She opened a door in the fence and walked up to us.  "Come outside, please.  He is making the horses nervous."  She led us to a corral with high walls, barred the gate behind us and turned to examine Kohasadi.

"Twelve hands and a half... mmm, the wings make things difficult... you have to sit up close to the neck, yes?"  I nodded.  She continued mumbling to herself, "Your legs probably get in the way of his flapping..."  She moved to his back.  "Gorgeous tailfeathers.  Could you have him take off?  I want to observe it."

Kohasadi squawked and started beating his wings, which startled Ysadil.  "He understands Western, you see," i told her with a chuckle after Kohasadi landed.

"Marvelous," she breathed.  "Where did you find him?"

"Outside the wreckage of a keep.  It's a long story."

"I do not doubt it."  She ran her hand over Kohasadi's neck and shoulder.  "Jumuwadi, mount him and take off.  I want to see you riding him."

I hopped on and braced myself for takeoff.  After a few seconds of hovering, Kohasadi put us back on the ground.  I hopped off and asked Ysadil, "Well?"

She shrugged.  "It can be done.  I will set up an appointment to measure him and i'll give you an idea—"

"I'm, ah, i'm actually in a bit of a hurry.  I need to leave town."  She raised her eyebrows.  "Not permanently.  Just for a while, and quickly."

She narrowed her eyes.  "I see."  She sighed and put a hand over her face.  After a few seconds, she looked back at me and said, "Wait."  She left and came back soon with a pony saddle.  She put it on Kohasadi's neck, pulled out a knotted length of rope, and measured various lengths across his body.  She then pulled out a stick of charcoal and made a mark on the saddle.  "Come tonight, two hours after sunset.  It will be done."  She frowned at me.  "I won't waste my time asking you for payment, as it seems the likely source of your need to depart."

"I—  No—"  I gave up.  "Look, i don't want to owe you a favor.  I promise to come back and pay you, not just for this, but for the custom job."

She looked at me for a few moments, then nodded.  "All right.  See you tonight."  She left quickly without a look back.  I grimaced in discomfort in her wake.

e&tg 38

I rubbed my head sheepishly. "Yeah, well, i've been busy." I looked at her hair. "What happened to your braids? They were beautiful."

She shook her head. "Too much work. Once i got the job here as a stablehand, i wanted to devote all my time to my job. And now, i am Stablemaster, for three years." She clapped her hands. "But enough catching up. Let us look at your beast."  She opened a door in the fence and walked up to us.  "Come outside, please.  He is making the horses nervous."  She led us to a corral with high walls, barred the gate behind us and turned to examine Kohasadi.

"Twelve hands and a half... mmm, the wings make things difficult... you have to sit up close to the neck, yes?"  I nodded.  She continued mumbling to herself, "Your legs probably get in the way of his flapping..."  She moved to his back.  "Gorgeous tailfeathers.  Could you have him take off?  I want to observe it."

Kohasadi squawked and started beating his wings, which startled Ysadil.  "He understands Western, you see," i told her with a chuckle after Kohasadi landed.

"Marvelous," she breathed.  "Where did you find him?"

"Outside the wreckage of a keep.  It's a long story."

"I do not doubt it."  She ran her hand over Kohasadi's neck and shoulder.  "Jumuwadi, mount him and take off.  I want to see you riding him."

I hopped on and braced myself for takeoff.  After a few seconds of hovering, Kohasadi put us back on the ground.  I hopped off and asked Ysadil, "Well?"

She shrugged.  "It can be done.  I will set up an appointment to measure him and i'll give you an idea—"

"I'm, ah, i'm actually in a bit of a hurry.  I need to leave town."  She raised her eyebrows.  "Not permanently.  Just for a while, and quickly."

She narrowed her eyes.  "I see."  She sighed and put a hand over her face.  After a few seconds, she looked back at me and said, "Wait."  She left and came back soon with a pony saddle.  She put it on Kohasadi's neck, pulled out a knotted length of rope, and measured various lengths across his body.  She then pulled out a stick of charcoal and made a mark on the saddle.  "Come tonight, two hours after sunset.  It will be done."  She frowned at me.  "I won't waste my time asking you for payment, as it seems the likely source of your need to depart."

"I—  No—"  I gave up.  "Look, i don't want to owe you a favor.  I promise to come back and pay you, not just for this, but for the custom job."

She looked at me for a few moments, then nodded.  "All right.  See you tonight."  She left quickly without a look back.  I grimaced in discomfort in her wake.