The Wizard Read Online Free PDF

coughing. When he could see again, what he saw was a knight in green and gold reining a gray taller than any horse he had ever seen. "Is that you, Toug?" The knight slung his shield on his back and removed his dragon-crested helm. "Who hit you?" "Sir Able!" More smoke wreathed us as I helped him into the saddle. "Watch that sword, buddy. Better hold it crosswise." Coughing, he did. "I got this from a giant," he gasped, "and Lady Idnn's promised me a shield." When we were clear of the smoke, I said, "One of the hardest things a knight's got to learn is how to use his weapons without hurting his horse. Master Thope told me that, but knowing it's one thing and doing it's another." Toug craned his neck. "Have you killed some giants?" "With my sword today, you mean?" I slowed Cloud to a walk and had a look at the battle. "Not a one. But Gylf's probably done for a couple." Idnn and her women had come up by the time Toug said, "Isn't the fire going to kill everybody?" "I doubt it," I told him. "The battle's drifting out of its way, and there's a storm brewing. From the smell of the wind, I'd say a snowstorm. We've still got work to do." We did it, but it would take me longer to write about everything than the fighting tookrounding up the mules and pack horses in the snow. We spent the night in the big house that had been Bymir's, with fires roaring in every fireplace and most of us as near one as we could get. Toug found me in the barn, where Master Egr and his muleteers were unloading, feeding, and watering their charges. "II wanted to talk to you, Sir Able. Can I?" "May." I stepped away from Cloud and looked down at him, trying not to grin. "Okay, you may if you're willing to work. Are you?" "Sure! Anything." "Only you're tired and your face hurts." "Svon's hurts worse, and he's been doing a lot." "Which hasn't included unsaddling his horse and seeing that it has water and corn. Not so far, anyhow." "He's been helping Lord Beel and Lady Idnn." "That's good." Reaching up to the level of my eyes, I ran the comb along Cloud's back; when I got to her tail I handed the comb to Toug. "Know what this tool is?" "No, sir." "It's a currycomb, the comb you use to groom a horse's coat. If I had a squire he'd take care of my mountnot because I don't think it's important, but so he could learn to do it. When he was a knight himself, he might not have anybody to care for his horse." "You have a squire, Sir Able. It's Svon. He told me." I shook my head. "If Svon was my squire, he'd be here, seeing to Cloud." "He's afraid of you. That's what I think." "There's something else here of which he ought to be a lot more scared. Does Uns know about it?" "The visible monster? I don't know, sir." "Tell him next time you see him. I'm going to teach you how to take care of your horse now. Are you ready to learn?" Eyeing my charger, Toug nodded. "Can you talk while I'm doing it?" "Sure. Are you scared of Cloud?" "A little bit. He's so big." "She. Size has nothing to do with it. A vicious horse is terribly dangerous, even if it's small. A gentle one may hurt you by accident because it's so much bigger than you and so much stronger. But it isn't likely. The man you told me about the one who hit youis more dangerous to you than I am. This's the same kind of thing." Hesitantly, Toug nodded again. "The first thing you have to do is take off the saddle and saddle blanket. His saddle tires your horse as long as it's on his back. If you've ever lifted one, you know why. The saddle blanket will be wet with sweat, so it comes off too. If he's hot, or outside in cold weather, you ought to cover him. Anything clean, dry, and warm is okay. In here, I don't think we've got to do that." "I understand," Toug said. "Good. A horse doesn't think like you do, but a good one hears your thoughts better than you hear his. You've got to listen hard, and your listening starts with knowing your horse gets thirsty, hungry, cold, and lonely just like you do. If you know that, your horse