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of
the job rather than any order of his thoughts. He tried to shun the images that
came to him, like bubbles floating up through murky water, but it proved to be
useless. He saw the red road, soaked with blood, the sky that was painted with
the life of countless innocents. He saw the tree looming over the water and
witnessed the corpses swaying back and worth. He saw countless crimes being
done to him, watched through the windows of someone else’s eyes, and felt the
same helplessness creep up on him now that he felt in his dreams.
    “The horse seems to like you.”
    Adrian nearly fell backwards from stool he was
sitting on. He whirled around, dropping the horse’s hoof, and looked at one of
the three men that had shown up the previous day. It was the young one, and
even now he was smiling. He stood between the open doors, a shadow against the
brilliant day behind him.
    “I didn’t mean to startle you,” said the man as
he stepped inside.
    “You didn’t startle me,” Adrian said slowly. He
wondered how long the man had been there, and then wondered just old he was.
Looking at him, Adrian judged him to be no older than twenty.
    “I simply came to check on the horses,” said the
young man as he walked over to where his companions’ and his mount were kept.
    “The horses have been well taken care of,”
Adrian said defensively, annoyed that the man didn’t trust Connor and him to be
able to take good care of the animals.
    “I see that.” The man walked to his sturdy brown
mare and began to pet the horse’s dark mane.
    Adrian looked at his back for a few moments
before returning to his own work. The man came over and huddled down beside
him, looking at the hoof he was working on.
    “Do you enjoy working with the animals?” he
asked, glancing at Adrian.
    Adrian felt slightly uncomfortable with the man
so close but did not want to show it. “Sometimes.”
    The other man continued watching as he pried out
a small rock wedged in the horseshoe. At last he said, “My name is Alexis
Marshall.”
    “Adrian Moor,” Adrian said, and let go of the
horse’s hoof in order to extend a hand towards the man. Alexis looked at the
offered hand as though he had not expected it, then grinned and shook Adrian’s
hand with his own gloved one.
    “Were there not two of you yesterday?”
    “Yes, Connor and I, but he’s gone down to the
market.”
    “Ah. I see,” Alexis said. It seemed to Adrian as
though he hesitated uncertainly over whether or not to pursue further conversation,
or the way a man will keep his quiet when thinking of what next to say. At last
Alexis stood. “Well, I can see that the horses are in good hands with you,
Adrian. I believe it’s time for me to leave you to your work and perhaps
explore some of your city.”
    “All right,” Adrian said and stood up. Alexis
walked off into the bright light of the afternoon whistling a cheery tune.
Adrian watched him go and shook his head.
     
     4
     
    Alexis came to the stalls the next morning again
and Adrian introduced him to Connor. Adrian saddled his mare while he made
small talk about the fair weather and the din surrounding the markets, and
asked them what lay around the city. He ignored Jic, who watched their
conversation with a hungry look, as though hoping to be invited into their
talk. Adrian felt himself warming to Alexis, if for no other reason than that
he spoke to Connor and him as equals, not merely as boys.
    Alexis bid them farewell and led his horse out,
to explore some of the outer edges of the city and to exercise the horse.
    “Seems friendly enough,” Connor said as he
climbed to the hayloft. “Not much like his companions.”
    Adrian nodded in silent assent. He did not think
much on Alexis or his companions. They were only passersby, like any others who
stayed at the Golden Lilly, to be forgotten the next week, if remembered that
long at all. He had his demons to contemplate, and they did not leave him much
room to dwell on idle matters.