Exton

The stableboy hears the jangle of reins and a horse coming to a quick stop with a snort and neigh. He peeks out of the stables and gasps. The stable master looks over the boys shoulder, “It's fine. She has been here before..”

“But Sir, isnt she a Wyldfae? Her ears....I have heard things.....”

The stable master gives the youngster a push, “Whatever you heard is probably wrong. And she isnt as bad as most of them. In fact, I think she is friends with Inari..”

As the stable boy approaches the newcomer, the soldier looks to the stablemaster, “That does seem an unlikely friendship...”

“It is, I agree. But this one makes Inari laugh, something she has seen precious little of in the last few years. These two saved each other at some battle at a pissant little village not even big enough to have a name and I am sure you know how few survived that. We now call it the Battle of Three Rivers. There were very few survivors... it was an incredible blow to our forces...”

The two men watch as the stableboy tentatively approaches the Wyldfae.

The woman is standing next to her horse, stipping off her ragtag collection of armor and swearing a blue streak. When she is finally down to her leather pants and short leather vest, she sighs. “Oohhh... thats better. Damn armour gets hot riding... Oh! Where did you come from?” Seeing the stableboy standing in front of her.

“I work here. Can I help you with your horse?”

The wyldfae watches the boy look at her stallion as she makes a pile of her leather and armor. “Sure, but maybe I better come with you, he can be a handful when he wants to be. Take the reins and I'll follow...”

She keeps talking as the boy leads the horse into the stables. “I could really use a shower, and something to eat..”, the boy, startled, looks over his shoulder at her, and she continues, “Dont worry, I dont eat little boys. Too tough and stringy, dont taste good at all..”

By the time the horse is settled the stableboy is talking to the wyldfae with no fear and even laughing. He asks her name and she replies “K'thyri, but you can call me Ky if its too hard to pronounce.” Looking around the stable she sees the brown spotted white stallion and asks, “Isnt that Inaris horse?”

The boy nods, “Yes it is. She went to eat. Not with the court though, she said something about speaking with one of the commanders...”

“Good! A friendly face. I havent seen her for awhile now.” She tosses the boy a few coins and exits the stable. Pausing just outside the doorway she sees several Nighthawks join their commander. She watches for a moment as they dismount, tired from the ride in from the borders. Several give her the eye, which she ignores, and a few frown at the sight of her ears, having no love for the Wyldfae.

As Ky stretches her arms up over her head and smells her armpits. She says out loud, “Food or shower, which first?”

One of the soldiers frowns and says, “Bathe, savage, you stink.”

“Yeah, I do. But I think I will go eat first..” and as Ky walks by the soldier shoves her. Before their commander can say anything Ky has the soldier down on the ground, her knife at his throat. “I believe you owe me an apology..”

The soldier puckers his lips, and before he can spit in Ky's face she knocks him out cold with the back of her hand.

The commander approaches as Ky stands, “I apologize. He is new and...”

“He is an ill mannered pig. Maybe missing his supper will help him to remember his manners.” Ky turns and heads for the mess hall, hoping to catch Inari there. As she walks away she hears a couple of low whistles, a sign of respect from the other soldiers.

Torin grins, telling his second in command “They have a whole different take on manners than the rest of us. Apparently it is all right to smell yourself in public, but shoving is definitely not allowed.”

The soldier grins, “I dont care about their manners. They fight like demons, I want them on our side, not against us.”

Torin nods and watches the fae stride to the mess hall. Maybe we should go to the mess hall. A wyldfae and Inari in the same place? Might prove interesting...