Page 29 of The Laws of Nature (Heirs of the Empire #3)

TOBI

A s Tobi wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and walks back through the rows of stalls to Baby, his four guards appear, as if Harok had bid them return as he left.

He wonders where they were waiting. If they knew why Harok dismissed them. Can they tell from looking at Tobi that Harok has just used him?

He pushes the thought away and looks over at Baby. She has eaten the trencher of food he gave her and presses up to the bars of her cage.

Tobi climbs up and drops into the cage to greet her properly.

He spends sometime stroking her and rolling around with her in the straw.

His mind still hazy from his brief encounter with Harok.

Was Harok angry Tobi had interrupted his time with Tamello, or was he pleased to have Tobi’s body available to soothe him?

How is Tamello, truly? Tobi wishes there was a way to properly speak with Harok in some language other than his small handful of Ambolk words and rough sex, no matter how sweet .

But he calms his mind, as he so often does, with his beast. His face in her soft fur, his arms around her.

He spends a long while like this with Baby, while his guards watch him, lined up along the stable wall. Tobi wonders if they ever grow bored.

After a while Tobi realises Baby is not quite herself.

He can feel her restlessness. He strokes her and says calming words to her, but he knows that no matter how much attention he pays to her, she is unhappy about being in her cage.

She is expecting a walk. At the circus Baby would sleep in Tobi’s bed and he would walk her around with him as he went about his business.

She would not be shut up in her cage this way.

He strokes her and coos, “There, there, sweet girl. I know what you need.”

Tobi climbs out of the cage and finds the stablegirl. With a little gesturing and Tobi’s grasp of yes and no in Ambolk, he manages to get her to help him find a long piece of good rope and fashion it into a harness.

Once that is done he opens the bolts of the small hatch door into the cage and wraps the harness around Baby. Gripping the other end of the rope, he leads her out.

The stablegirl draws back in shock to see Baby out of her cage. Tobi tries to reassure her. It takes time but eventually she creeps closer and closer. Tobi strokes the fur on Baby’s back, encouraging the stablegirl to do the same.

The first time she touches Baby, the stablegirl instantly draws her hand back again in shock making a yelping sound. Luckily, Baby doesn’t react. As if she knows she must be on her best behaviour to earn her freedom here.

“No, no,” says Tobi, “ Ei, ei. Be gentle and calm.” He tries to convey the idea of ‘gentle and calm’ with his voice.

The stablegirl strokes Baby again and this time she is bolder, running her fingers through Baby’s thick fur .

“See,” says Tobi. “She’s good. She’s ga .”

The stablegirl nods. “ Ga ,” she says, “ Karran ai elet ga garan .”

Emboldened by this, Tobi leads Baby out of the stables and across the courtyard.

As he emerges, the Solwen in the yard look over.

Many of them with shocked expressions. Although some of the younger ones come close, and Tobi urges them to pet Baby, soothing her with careful words to keep her calm.

Soon he has a small crowd around him as he walks Baby into the Sacred Hall.

It is full of Solwen. Some move away, but others approach curiously. A dog growls at Baby, but Tobi beckons it over and after a moment of curious sniffing of each other, the dog lets Baby lick its head as if it was her kitten.

People are stood around laughing when Mereli approaches and says, “Kushir, is this beast safe?”

Tobi replies, “Of course. I am a beast tamer. She will obey me. And she cannot remain in that cage always.”

“ Suskara! ” Harok’s voice echoes across the hall, followed by a torrent of angry Ambolk.

Everyone is looking at him as he strides over.

Baby growls at him as ever. Tobi quickly shushes her with a firm word in Ibian.

Harok doesn’t pay it any heed. He is already enraged.

He points at Baby and says something. Tobi thinks he can guess what it is.

But Mereli translates anyway, “Irgo Harok wants to know what you are doing with your beast out of its cage.”

Tobi looks at Harok and smiles his sweetest, “Please tell my Irgorye that I am a Beast Tamer as he well knows. This is my beast. A beast cannot be caged all day long. She is quite safe while she is with me.” Tobi hopes he makes his case pleasingly and that Harok will understand.

After Mereli relays this to Harok, Harok scowls back at Tobi. Tobi gives him a playful smile .

Harok says something to Mereli.

Mereli says, “Harok is angry that you did this without seeking his permission. A dangerous beast like that cannot walk free around Urynwud. You will return her to her cage immediately.”

“ Ei, ” Tobi says to Harok. “ Ei, Irgorye. ” Then, in Artemian he adds, “Please, she is quite safe. Look.”

Tobi drops the rope halter that holds Baby. Leaving her free to do whatever she wishes. The Solwen gasp as Tobi steps back, but Baby simply looks at Tobi, blinking her big lilac eyes.

“ Kitu, ” Tobi says. Another Ibian word. And Baby obeys, sitting on her back legs. Tobi notices the dog she was playing with also obeys, sitting up alertly. Tobi takes a few more steps away from Baby, commanding her to stay where she is with another word. “ Samulli. ”

The entire Sacred Hall is watching. Baby only has eyes on Tobi.

Tobi keeps backing up until he stands beside the table against the wall that is laid with food and drink.

He picks up a small piece of meat. He commands Baby with a call of “ Lazig, ” to come and she leaps up, racing to Tobi.

Some of the Solwen shriek, but Baby stops as she reaches Tobi and he commands her, “ Kitu ,” again.

She sits obediently. Tobi holds out his palm in front of her, with the piece of dried meat, offering it.

But she will not take it until she is commanded.

This is a simple little trick. Any dog can be trained to do this.

But he knows it looks far more spectacular with a lykat.

However, he needs more than this. A small finale. A show stopper. He beckons the nearest Solwen child, a small girl of about four summers, over to stand beside him. She shakes her head. But Tobi beckons again and she walks over, hiding a small smile, to stand beside him.

Tobi pulls the girl in front of him and raises one arm, crying, “Alik!” and Baby stands right up on her back legs.

The girl shrieks. Baby is a big beast, but it is clear just how large she is when Tobi commands her like this.

She towers over him and the Solwen child.

Tobi can feel the whole hall holding its breath.

Perhaps they think they are about to see a reluctant, kidnapped kushir murder a child in revenge for his capture by feeding her to a beast.

Baby teeters over them. She cannot maintain this stance for long. Tobi gestures to the girl to clap her hands. She grins up at him, excited now and he nods. The girl claps. At the same moment Tobi makes a silent hand signal and Baby drops flat on the ground at the girl’s feet.

The girl hoots with laughter, then leans forward to pet Baby.

The Solwen in the room laugh, some of them applaud.

Tobi gives Baby the meat and bows, before picking up the rope harness, walking her back over to Harok and Mereli.

Harok is staring at Tobi, unsmiling. “You see,” he says to them both.

“Please tell Harok the beast obeys me. I am her master as he is mine. And she is no more dangerous to the Solwen than a dog or a cat.”

Mereli repeats this to Harok.

“ Sho ,” Harok says eventually, before speaking more to Mereli. And Tobi allows himself a little hope, although Harok’s face betrays nothing.

When he is done, Mereli turns to Tobi. “Irgo Harok says that you should have sought his leave before doing such a thing. However, he understands you care for your beast. You have his permission to walk her through Urynwud. But you will keep her on that rope.”

Tobi smiles pleased with his small win. “Chancellor Mereli,” he says, “How do I say thank you in Ambolk?”

“ Damalik ,” Mereli says with his own amused expression.

Tobi steps forward. He strokes the back of his hand down Harok’s chest, looks into his eyes and says breathily, “ Damalik, Ereyek .” And he flicks his tongue out of the corner of his mouth.

He sees Harok’s eyes go dark with lust. He says something else in Ambolk. His voice low and throaty, before he turns away and walks back across the hall.

Tobi turns to Mereli, “What did he say?”

“He said you need to go to your chambers and prepare for dinner.”

Tobi does as he is bid, he takes Baby for a short walk around the wooded grove, then returns her to her cage and makes his way back to his chamber.

Since Tobi was last here earlier in the day, the chamber has been aired and the fire tended.

There is a clean alit laid out for him and a golden bowl on the dresser beside the window.

When Tobi inspects it he finds it is full of warm water with flower petals floating in it.

There is also an urn, similar to the one Mereli had, with a jar of honey, a wooden box of the flaked bark and two glazed clay cups beside it.

He pours himself a cupful, adds honey and takes it over to the fire. He’s drunk most of it when the chamber door opens and one of his body servants appears, giving Tobi a small bow, before waiting patiently for instruction.

Tobi cannot easily give any instruction, but after some pointing and miming he has her help him wash and change into a clean alit.

When Tobi is prepared, the serving woman bows and leaves.