Chapter 15

With a snort I set about grazing myself, though I tore up the grass more sharply than strictly necessary. I ignored his patch of clover, keeping my distance, and feeling a strangely satisfying spite at eating the poorer grass and blaming him for it. All of this was his fault. If he’d just died when he should have, or if he’d had the sense to kill me when he’d had his sword at my throat on that first day, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

When I finished grazing, I lifted my head to find Raneld again, still fuming irrationally at him. Part of me knew it was only the geas, yet I couldn’t quell it. Right now, all my gripes against him seemed perfectly sensible. Looked around, I didn’t see him for a moment, then realized that he’d returned to human form. He had his sword out, and was slowly going through one of his dance-like patterns, moving somewhat gingerly on his no-doubt still sore ankle.