“While you are simply the lawn ornament of the family,” Finn grinned.
Valor eyed him with a dry expression, his amusement gone. “I am increasing the family’s reputation through my higher learning and success at the Spring Games,” Valor declared smugly.
“While decreasing it with your lechery and gambling habits. I see it’s a balancing act,” Finn said, his voice filled with feigned understanding.
Valor pursed his lips and then burst into laughter and nodded to Finn. “Essentially,” he said and Finn joined him in merriment.
Shaking her head at them and smiling, Jala focused on the topiary and her eyes lingered on the form of a Bendazzi. “Look, Marrow, now I know what you would look like green,” she said, riding a bit closer to the leafy rendition. The details on it had been done with loving care. Small glass pieces had even been set for its eyes.
“Don’t get too close, that’s a golem,” Valor warned, pulling his horse to a stop while she examined the gardens. “They are one of the house defenses and will awaken if you disturb them.”
“It is?” Jala asked staring at it with more fascination. Pulling back gently on her reins she brought her gelding to a halt and dismounted. Marrow paced up beside her and sniffed suspiciously at the shrubbery.
All in all it is a horrible representation of me, it looks so harmless. He stalked in a circle around the creation and froze, his head dropping and his ears flattening to his skull.
“What?” Jala asked in concern. She hadn’t felt the awakening of the magic but the Bendazzi had proven time and time again his senses were more acute.
There are flowers sprouting from its back. Bloody flowers sprouting from a Bendazzi. I can see my kind need to hunt more in Arovan. Marrow’s voice was indignant and Jala had to bite her lip to keep the smile from her face.
“I can feel your amusement,” the Bendazzi reminded her dryly.
“I think it’s beautiful. It suits you well. Beautiful and deadly. There really is no need to take offense, Marrow,” she said in a soothing voice and moved over to stand beside him. She studied the flowers and bit her lip harder and then turned away just before the laughter burst from her.
“What!” Marrow demanded following after her.
“Nothing,” she replied, quickly remounting her gelding and wiping a hand across her face before looking back at the Bendazzi who was glaring up at her with yellow eyes. Shaking her head she gave him a sweet smile. “It’s nothing really,” she assured him. “It’s just in Merro, those flowers are called Kitten’s Paw, for the shape and the fuzz on them. I’m sure they thought it was clever, or perhaps Arovan has another name for the plant,” she explained when he remained unmoving, his gaze locked on her.
“In Arovan, they are called Pussy Foot,” Valor supplied helpfully. “Really I think Kitten’s Paw is a much better name, let’s just use the Merro name,” he added after another snarl from Marrow and turned his horse toward the back of the house. “I think we should find my brother. So much to do today,” he said quickly and kicked his horse to a trot.
Finn smirked and looked down at Marrow. “It’s just a flower,” he reassured the Bendazzi and shrugged. “At least they didn’t use flowers for the entire thing,” He offered and motioned toward topiary farther off. “The fairy display is made entirely of Blue Bonnets and Fox Bloom. It could be worse.”
Jala admired the fairy display briefly and rode after Valor. “Are they all golems?” she asked Finn, guessing he would have the answer.
“Val told me three out of five were, but he wouldn’t say which three. I had no idea the Bendazzi was one, though I should have guessed. Had I been the one arranging it I would have chosen the fairies and the squirrel. The Bendazzi is intimidating enough just standing there in the evening. Trust me, Marrow, you can’t see the flowers at all when it’s a shadowy outline on the yard,” Finn said falling into place beside her.
Valor stopped his horse at the corner of the manor and leaned back in his saddle. There was a commotion ahead of him, though she couldn’t tell what it was. Riding up beside him, Jala watched as a man clung for dear life in the saddle of a dark grey horse that was twisting in the air. They were inside a corral and another man stood in the center holding the lead to the horse forcing its movements in a circle rather than close to the wooden rails. With another squall the grey hit the earth with bone jarring force and launched itself airborne once more twisting with more dexterity than she knew a horse had. Her black gelding flicked its ears in interest and snorted while Valor’s more excitable bay danced in place and rose slightly on his hind legs. Her attention was drawn to a third man and a woman leaning against the corral gate. The man’s back was turned so she couldn’t see his face. He had dark brown hair and was dressed in green and black clothing that looked well-tailored from what she could see. The woman beside him wore a gown of pale ivory with embroidery of every color lining the skirts in fanciful patterns. Her silver hair was pinned up, showing slender delicate features. A wide smile on her pouty lips. Her skirts fluttered to one side and revealed a small girl that had been standing close by the gate, clutching at what must have been her mother.
“Is that your brother and his wife?” Jala asked Valor quietly.
The knight’s attention had been fully upon the spectacle in the corral. At her words, his gaze flicked briefly to the man and woman. “No, that is Sebastian Blackwolf and my sister Chastity, his wife. My brother is the man about to be thrown in the corral.”