She cocked both of her ears at him, and added, :And while you’re at it, it wouldn’t hurt to make a poultice for that black eye you’re getting. It’s becoming rather spectacular.:

* * *

Herald Alberich, Weaponsmaster to Heralds’ Collegium and sometime intelligence agent for Queen Selenay, put down the brush he’d been using on Kantor’s mane and stared at his Companion in complete and utter shock.

Companions didn’t lie—but what Kantor had just told him was impossible.

“You must be joking!” he said aloud, in his native tongue.

Kantor turned his head to look at his Chosen. :As you well know,: he said, with mock solemnity, :I have no sense of humor.:

“In a pig’s eye,” Alberich muttered, thinking of all of the tricks his Companion had authored over the years—including the one of smuggling himself past the Karsite Border to Choose and abduct one Captain Alberich of the Karsite Army.

:But I assure you, I am not joking. Cymry has managed to Choose that young scamp you’ve caught eavesdropping on you over the past couple of months. He is a thief, and she’ll probably be delivering him to the Collegium some time tomorrow. So I suggest you prepare your fellow Heralds. He promises to make things interesting around here.: Kantor arched his neck. :But before you do that, you might take that brush along my crest; it still itches.:

“What in the name of Vkandis Sunlord are we supposed to do with a thief?” Alberich demanded, not obliging Kantor with the brush.

:What you always do with the newly Chosen. You’ll train him, of course.: Kantor turned his head again and regarded his Chosen with a very blue eye. :Hasn’t it occurred to you that a skilled thief would be extremely useful in the current situation that you and the Queen have found yourselves in? Scratch a thief, you’ll find a spy. Set a thief to take a thief, and you have been losing state secrets.:

“Well—”’

:Of course it has. All you have to do is appeal to the lad’s better instincts and bring them to the fore. I assure you, he has plenty of better instincts. After all, he’s been Chosen, and we don’t make mistakes about the characters of those we Choose. Do we?: Kantor didn’t have any eyebrows to arch, but the sidelong look he bestowed on Alberich was certainly very similar.

“Well—”

:So there you are. About that brush in your hand—:

Belatedly, Alberich brought the brush up and began vigorously using it along Kantor’s crest. The Companion sighed in blissful pleasure, and closed his eyes.

And Alberich began to consider just how he was going to break the news about this newest trainee to Dean Elcarth and the rest.

Assuming, of course, they weren’t already having similar conversations with their Companions.

* * *