Well, Kordas thought, taking note that not only Hakkon, but Isla and Delia, clearly approved of his choice. That’s one hurdle taken care of.
Now there are only a million more to go.
* * *
—
Delia had to admit she was impressed with the new man. He was able to tell a good tale without boasting, he was deferential without being servile, and from what she could tell from his stories, he seemed to be the ideal choice for the job. Hakkon could have done it, of course—but Hakkon was going to have his hands full for the duration. She could be spared, and she wouldn’t have objected—but she didn’t have nearly the qualifications this fellow did. I’m going to take this as a good omen for our prospects, she thought, as she headed to the stable to work with Star.
But the new man, Ivar, was already there ahead of her. At his side was a massive mastiff—one that had not had his tail docked nor his ears clipped as was fashionable, which was mutilation as far as she was concerned. He went up another point in her estimation.
Grim was already speaking with him as she came in. The dog lay at his master’s feet, looking from one face to the other, as if following the conversation with interest.
“ . . . and how did you want to go about introducing the dog, milord?” Grim was saying.
“Well, that’s not for me to say, Stablemaster,” Ivar replied, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “How do you think Manta will take him? And what course of action would you suggest?”
“I’d say, let’s put her in the round training ring on a lunge line, just in case. Have the dog wait outside the ring while I introduce you to the horse, then if you can get him to approach her calm and sociable like, we’ll see.”
“The last won’t be a problem,” Ivar told him confidently. “I’m eager to see Manta, and that’s a fact. I’ve heard a lot about Valdemar Chargers, but I certainly never expected to be given the use of one.”
“You’re being given more than the use of her, milord,” Grim said, motioning to Ivar to come along to the back of the stable. “The Duke was very specific that she’s to be yours, if you get on.”
Delia thought that Ivar looked a bit shocked as well as elated. But then again, she knew the market price of Valdemar Chargers. There were city houses that were cheaper. In fact, there were entire farms that were cheaper.
She decided that Star could wait a little, and followed them as Grim got Manta from her stall at the back of the stable and led her to the training ring, with Ivar and his dog following at a respectful distance. It was clear from the looks that Manta was casting over her shoulder that she was well aware of the presence of the dog, and not entirely happy about it.
Grim put her on a lunge line and motioned to Ivar to come into the ring. Ivar did not march immediately up to the two. Instead, he stood about a length away and spoke to Manta until she flicked her ears forward and lifted her head, looking at him with interest instead of wariness. Then he approached her slowly, with his right hand in a fist; he offered it to her to sniff, then touched her muzzle with it, all the while talking to her. As soon as he had her full attention, he immediately turned to the side. Delia knew what that was—the invitation to the horse to follow.
Manta was clearly very pleased with this mannerly approach, and followed him. He touched her muzzle again with his fist, continuing to talk to her. Grim let out the lunge line as he turned again, and she continued to follow him. Finally he touched her for the third time on the muzzle, and stopped, opening his hand and moving it up slowly to her neck. She arched her neck in an invitation to him to stroke her. This he did for a good long time, before patting her on the neck, touching her muzzle, and looking where his dog lay patiently just outside the fence of the yard.
“Bay, come under,” he said in a quiet voice, and to Delia’s astonishment, the dog crawled beneath the bottom fence-board rather than leaping over it.
Manta snorted. She didn’t like this . . . but she did like the new human, and the human had clearly summoned The Beast. So she was wary, but not quite ready to attack it.
Ivar had his dog approach slowly, a few steps at a time. If Manta showed signs of aggression or nerves, he would tell the dog “back,” and Bay would back up a few steps until told to stop again. Finally they were within a length of each other; Ivar gathered the reins just under the mare’s chin and touched Manta’s muzzle again. “Manta,” he said, and her ears flicked toward him at the sound of her name. “Bay is my friend. If we are going to be friends too, you need to accept him. Come up.”
Now he walked her one slow step at a time to his dog. Bay sat as still as a statue, no whining, no twitching. Now Ivar touched his fist to Bay’s nose, then to Manta’s muzzle. He continued to do this, over and over, until finally Manta reached out with her nose, warily, and sniffed the dog.
Now Ivar praised and made much of her, and took her for a little walk in a circle. Then he brought her back to the dog, and began the process all over again.
By the time the candlemark was over, he was on Manta’s bare back, with the dog trotting a length away, even with his right heel, and Manta was perfectly happy with the situation.
Grim was clearly gobsmacked. So was Delia.
“Well. I never,” Grim said, as Ivar swung his leg over Manta’s shoulder, and dropped to the ground. “That does beat all!”
Ivar blushed, pleased. “I suppose I’ve got a bit of a knack with animals,” he replied. “I like them better than most people. Present company excepted.”
Grim cast a look at Delia that she interpreted as a reminder that she was supposed to be working with her foal, and she scooted back to the stables that held the mares and youngest foals. Ivar was certainly an interesting fellow, and in many ways.
But right now, the important thing was that he was one more piece of the Plan, and a vital one at that.
* * *
—
Kordas was doing his level best to keep his impatience in check, but it was dreadfully hard. He exorcised it as best he could by riding out every single day to the farms and manors of those he trusted absolutely, whose sons and daughters would form the vanguard of the planned migration. This was not a message he wanted entrusted to the written word.
His working plan called for the supplies going out first, accompanied by his first recruits. These were all going to be people no younger than fourteen, and no older than thirty; ideally single and ideally around twenty. They were going to be a mix of farmers and people with at least some experience with weapons. Some of them were coming straight off the Valdemar Ducal farms, because most, if not all, of the Chargers, the Tow-Beasts, and the Heavies were going to be needed to haul all the barges. Kordas intended to drain the Duchy of its resources before his household and the heads of all the other households took the final trip through the Gate.