And he elected to take out his grievances on this Karsite—Alberich—who had somehow come within his reach. Why the child felt this way, Alberich had no idea—but it was apparently a driving passion, and had driven him to gather up a pack of his cronies to act when Alberich had unwittingly put himself in a position where he could be attacked with relative impunity.

But there was also no doubt in his mind that the boy—colt?—had been forcibly shown the error of his ways. And that his contrition was real, his repentance sincere, his shame overwhelming. And there was only one answer that Alberich could make to that.

He stepped forward, and put a hand under the colt’s chin. The Companion started at his touch, and began to shake, his skin shivering with reaction, as Alberich forced his head up so that he could look into the colt’s eyes.

“Pardon I give, freely,” he said, as he felt the colt fighting to keep from bolting. “But more. Forgiveness I give also.”

:Jasker?: prompted the stallion.

The youngster blinked, and Alberich was startled to see two crystal teardrops form in his eyes and slide down his pale, moon-silvered cheeks. :I am so sorry—thank you—:

“From you, I will have a promise in exchange,” Alberich replied grimly. “Never again to act without due thought, or so terribly without honor!”

:I promise!: the young one replied fervently—but Alberich was not finished.

“And you—the rest!” he continued, raking them with as stern a gaze as the stallion’s. “Never, ever again to let one with passion lead you to unreason!”

He “heard” murmurs of assent, so subdued that he could only hearken back to the day when Berthold had discovered that some of the cadets had slipped into his personal quarters to assuage their curiosity and had been caught rifling through his possessions. Not Alberich—but he had witnessed the tail end of that confrontation, when the miscreants had been brought up before the entire corps.

“Then your punishment to this gentleman, I leave,” he said. “My forgiveness you have. His—you must earn, I suspect.”

The stallion nodded gravely. A few more moments passed, during which there were, no doubt, a few more silent exchanges. Then the others slunk away.

The stallion turned his attention toward Alberich and Kantor. :Brave, Kantor. And very wise, to call me, rather than take them on yourself:

:I am glad you took no longer to arrive!: Kantor bowed his head. :Taver, they are children—and we both know how Jasker… Well. One of us elders should have seen to him before this. We are fortunate that nothing worse came of this.:

:Probably.: The stallion’s flanks heaved with a sigh. :One cannot foresee everything.:

:No. One cannot. Thank you, Taver.:

The stallion turned to Alberich, and suddenly he knew why he had that nagging sense of familiarity—

“You are of Talamir bonded, no?” he asked.