Free Silvermay by James Moloney

had been his most prized possession and he was giving it to me. I kissed him and followed the others to the high road. There, my father took the sword from his belt and passed it into Tamlyn’s hands. ‘Take this, it’s yours.’
    â€˜No, not mine,’ said Tamlyn and he wouldn’t even reach out for the scabbard.
    Father insisted. ‘A bow isn’t much use at close quarters.’
    I could see Tamlyn wanted the sword but something about it held him back. After a moment, he said, ‘I’m honoured to carry your sword, Ossin. One day I will return it to you. The same goes for Silvermay. Until then, I’ll take good care of them both.’
    There was nothing more to say and so, three weeks after they had led their horse into Haywode, Tamlyn and Nerigold finally departed; and I went with them, carrying their baby in my arms.

7
Deer Hunting
    W e were barely out of sight of the village when Nerigold spoke up brightly from the horse’s back. ‘We don’t have to call you by that ugly name any more.’
    Tamlyn turned and walked backwards for a moment to answer. ‘I’ve spent three weeks wishing I’d invented a better one. But we have to keep it for a while yet. We can’t let my real name slip free.’
    He winked at me as he said this but that didn’t stop me wondering. Why hide his name and leave Nerigold’s unchanged?
    We passed through Whittlefinch, a hamlet barely longer than its name, and put another mile behind us before Lucien announced he was hungry. Tamlyn helped Nerigold down from the horse and settled her in the shade of an oak tree where she took the bawling bundle from my arms.
    â€˜Silvermay,’ Tamlyn called, motioning with his hand to draw me away from Nerigold and continuing on another dozen paces until he was staring into the trees. ‘You told me once how you’d been hunting with your father. Did he take you into these woods to the north?’
    â€˜Yes, many times,’ I answered. ‘Once we camped overnight and continued further the next day. After that, the ground rises steadily and not much game ventures up the slopes.’
    â€˜There are tracks through the woods, then; tracks you could find your way along?’
    â€˜Yes,’ I said again. It wasn’t hard to guess why he was asking. ‘I could lead us for two days’ journey, if that’s what you want.’
    â€˜I’ve been counting on it,’ he said and then, dropping his head a little, he went on more sheepishly than I’d ever heard him speak. ‘I must admit, it’s why I didn’t argue more strongly that you stay behind.’
    â€˜You’re taking Nerigold north, then?’
    â€˜To Nan Tocha. That’s another reason you make such a good guide for us. You know a little of the mountains.’
    â€˜As long as you don’t ask me to go down a mine.’
    I didn’t know whether I should be grateful for his honesty or disappointed that he hadn’t let me come for some other reason, one that best went without a name. I distracted myself by thinking of the distant mountainsI’d visited with my mother years ago. What refuge would Tamlyn and Nerigold find there, especially with winter not far away? Nan Tocha could get very cold.
    Nerigold needed to rest after Lucien was finished with her, but by mid-afternoon we were well into the trees, with Silvermay Hawker leading the way as confidently as I could and proud that I was able to help in such an important way. Mother was right when she’d said I needed the skills of a boy and this meant knowing my way around the woods, as well. I felt a twinge of guilt that I hadn’t always been a willing pupil.
    I had a chance to test at least one of my boyish skills the following day. We’d camped by a stream overnight and made good progress through the morning. While Nerigold rested after Lucien’s noonday feed, I saw something move among the trees a