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‘I’ll meet you out front,’ Rhys called to his sister as she stood in front of the little polished mirror that hung on the wall. They’d excused themselves earlier from Hithadan’s company, saying that they had some business to attend to.
Tanni smiled at her brother as she fastened back her thick red hair with a beaded clasp her mother had made for her. ‘Go on, now. Let me just change my blouse and I’ll be ready to go.’ She shooed him out the door, promising she would hurry.
Rhys nodded to the two young fellows sitting on the porch and smiled at the picture of the little girls engaged in their giggling pursuit of the grasshopper. The ostler was nowhere to be found when he got to the stable, which was of no concern really. Nia and Olwen nickered softly as Rhys whistled. ‘Come on girls!’ he called to them, opening the doors to the stalls. The familiar routine of harnessing them to the cart took little time, and soon he had pulled up in front of the inn.
‘See, I told you I’d be ready!’ laughed Tanni, running down the stairs. She climbed into the cart and sat down. The warm afternoon breeze tousled her hair; she pushed back a stray strand, hooking it behind her ear. ‘I hope it’s as Rowan said…that Granny Greenhill won’t mind if we just drop in on her.’ Tanni untied her cloak and slipped it from her shoulders, letting it fall over the back of the cart seat. ‘How long do you think we’ll be gone on our errand?’ she asked in an offhand manner, flicking her eyes toward him and then away.
He raised an eyebrow at her, his mouth curving up in an impious grin. ‘Well, I’m thinking we’ll be back in time for the evening meal. Why do you ask?’
‘Oh, no reason, really. Just making conversation.’
‘Mmhmm…’ he murmured, flicking the reins lightly against the mares’ haunches. And noting, as he did so, she had begun to sing softly to herself.
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