Garion looked around the library, the light from the dawning sun enough to light the room without needing a torch, he found a basin on a shelf, and filled it with water from a tap in the wall beside the northern facing window. The excess water splashed into a gulley in the floor leading to the plant bed in the centre of the room. He placed the basin on the table and as the surface of the water stilled he took a moment to look over his face.
His dark brown eyes stared back at him from behind long dark brown hair, his hair and beard not enough to disguise the grime. He cupped the water in his hands and washed days of sweat and stress off his face, and did his best to clean the rest of his body. He was caked in the dirt of a long journey and damp with the sweat of a night spent somewhere not quite a dream. He dried himself off, got dressed in plain dark green robes and donned his cloak.
He tucked the small leather pouch on the cord around his neck inside his tunic, out of sight from the rest of the world.
He had to retrieve his supplies from the stable, and check on his steed. He had forgotten yesterday to tell the stablehand any information on how his particular choice of mount should be kept overnight. He chuckled as he wondered what state the poor boy might be in.
He crossed the library room to the door and exited the circular chamber into the spiral staircase. The winding torchlit passage looked the same as the had the day before. As Garion reached the foot of the stairs he hesitated. He turned to the bottom stair and, with a small nudge of magical energy, the protection spell flickered back into life. Although none of his supplies were in the room yet, he still thought it best to get into the habit of locking his door.
Garion traced the footsteps he and the King had taken the day before back to the feasting hall. As Garion crossed the grand hall past the long empty table, he saw a few of the red robed staff he had seen the day before busy setting the table for the mornings feasting as he hurried through the room.
As he entered the court yard, he was approached by the gatekeeper from the day before. “You’re the one with the black horse?” he said accusingly as he approached, pointing a gloved finger in Garion's direction. Garion nodded, there was no point in denying his owner ship of the creature. “You owe me 50 apples.” the man glowered at him. Garion was slightly taken aback by the amount of fruit. He stood there unsure of what to say to get the gatekeeper to calm down. “DO YOU KNOW HEALIN’ WIZARD?!” The gate keeper screamed at him as if angered by some insult taken from Garion's silence. Garion nodded. With this the gate keeper grabbed his arm and led him to a stone building just east of the main building.
It had a roof of rough slate and large wooden doors. As they approached, Garion could hear someone whimpering in pain. As he was dragged through the stable door, the source of the whimpering became apparent.
The room inside was separated into multiple fenced enclosures leading into a central corridor. The nearest enclosure to the entrance contained a stable boy, he was sobbing in the corner of the enclosure furthest from them clutching his hand. Garion's steed was pacing the enclosure between the cornered stable boy and the exit of the enclosure. “Your horse wont let me get in to check on him, I found him crying there around midnight.” Garion entered the enclosure. As his horse noticed him it seemed to calm down a little and trotted over to him.
Garion raises his hand and as it came into contact with the great beast he heard a familiar voice in his head as his trusted friend began to telepathically talk to him.
“I am so happy you’re back, can you deal with these idiots for me?” said the voice in his head.
“Sure thing buddy,” Garion said aloud, “Can you tell me what happened?” he asked his mount.
“Well its interestingly actually, I’m not used to this form. It irks me actually, its just grass and walking mainly” The horse rambled in thought at Garion. “Anyway this, creature here offered me a bargain of sorts. After you handed me over to his care, he offered me a bargain.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“A bargain?” asked Garion aloud to the Gate Keeper and the still whimpering stable boy.
“Yes this creature offered me the choice of the apple or the whip, natural I took the apple to be polite and save him a finger or two. But around midnight the bargain changed.” the horse said in Garion's head. “The apple was no longer an option.” It continued. “So I broke the whip, this moron has been in the corner ever since.” the horse finished.
“So?” asked the gatekeeper somewhere between a command and a yell. “Can you heal him or not?” he asked
“There's nothing to heal” Garion calmly replied. “Jezta apparently only disarmed your Stable boy. I doubt there's any physical damage. Take him and see for yourself!” With Garion’s permission, the stable-boy sprinted for the gate of the small enclosure. He was followed by a bewildered gatekeeper, leaving Garion and Jezta alone in the stables.
“Please by god get me out of this stupid form. I want to be able to hunt again.” Jezta thought to Garion. Garion began taking off the saddle and packs from Jezta’s back. The horse had apparently chosen not let the stable boy take off his saddle and packs the day before. Once the Horse was free of the saddle and reigns. Garion reached out a hand to the horse’s forehead.
Together, both he and the horse focused, and in a low voice laced with power, Garion uttered “Facti Parum Venator” The great dark horse shimmered in a dark green light before disappearing. In its place a tiny black kitten sat. Garion bent down and picked up the tiny cat.
“Little hunter?” came Jezta’s amused voice in his mind. “You children do amuse me.” Garion smiled as he carefully placed the kitten on his shoulder inside his hood.
“Keep close.” Garion thought back. “There's no big game in this kingdom. It’s the best hunt you’re going to get I’m afraid.” The cat didn’t respond. As Garion left the stable building, the small being fell asleep, nestled in the hood of the cloak.
As Garion entered the courtyard, a red robed servant approached him. “You have been summoned to a meeting of the high council.” It rasped from beneath its hood. “Please follow me to the council chambers.” Garion gestured he would followed and the red robed person led the way once more into the inner keep of Brackenfell.