Page 3 of Griffin Food

“It is for the best,” I say. “Rest assured, I shall be having an adventure.”

Her return smile is rueful. “You have always been different, always bent upon your scholarly pursuits, always clear upon your path. And strong, so very strong. Not even Elisa could break your spirit. Of all my daughters, you always had such clarity of purpose and thought. But an adventure? Traveling alone. That would be far too dangerous, and doubly so given your nature.”

“I have two beta men I trust, whom I have trusted all my life, and they will accompany me. We have talked about it at length.”

“You are set upon this course,” she says.

“I am.”

She doesn’t argue. “When will you go?”

“When I am ready.”

“You’re not going to tell me that, either, are you?” she says.

“No. Only that it will be soon.”

She cries a little, and I hold her hand. We talk about happier times, about the mischief of my sisters, about Rebecca, who has a little centaur babe, about Rosalind, who is pregnant with her third child, and Clarissa, who is expecting her first… about how wonderful it would be for my mother to visit them.

“I’ve never seen a centaur baby,” I say. “Did you know that they are human babies until somewhere between four and six, when they change into a centaur? Some very rare ones can shift forms, but more often they become a centaur, and they do not change back at all.”

My mother laughs, happiness shining in her eyes. “Who would have ever thought that my dear Rebecca would mate a centaur and be happy about it?!”

“There are worse things than centaurs.”

My mother raises her brow. “And I dare say you would know, given all your research… like what?”

“Bear shifters, for one. They are aggressive and disagreeable, and they war with everyone. The dark fae are unquestionably evil. Then there are griffins…”

“Griffins,” my mother says. “There was a distinctly wistful note when you mentioned them. Please tell me you’re not going to chase after griffins.”

“Of course not.” My denial is stringent and, hopefully, quick enough. “They are cruel and unfeeling, and even more disagreeable than bears.” My research suggests they are also noble, and perhaps, given so little is known about them, the other tales are merely exaggerations…

I have thought about centaurs often—their lore is riveting—and more so since Rebecca accepted one as a mate. But griffins have always been my secret fascination.

“I wish you well, Violet.” My mother hugs me once more. “Know that wherever you are, my love is with you. Go. Have your adventure. And when you are ready, find your one.”

And so it is that I am poised to go on an expedition, one that will take me across seas and far away, one that will take me to other lands, and the highest mountain ranges where the griffins make their home.

Chapter Two

Violet

Ilied to my mother when I said I had two men I trusted. I have no one and no idea what to do about it. But I am exemplary at research, and so I research everything I shall need.

It is quite a list, and no small amount daunting, but I feel better for making it. I have clear targets now on which to set myself. I like checklists. They are very structured and provide a sense of achievement for the steps along the way to a greater goal.

Some points are reasonably easy to achieve. Some not so much.

My focus settles upon one of the larger obstacles: riding a horse.

I am average at best with a docile horse, but if I want to go on an adventure, I need to select the best and become proficient.

No one pays me any heed when I go to the library and fill the old wooden cart with every book I can find on horses and horsemanship and take them back to my room.

There, I neatly stack all the books onto my table and work my way through, listing pros, cons, and considerations.

There is a lot of information. None of it is remotely magical or mystical, and I soon find it hard to maintain my interest. But it becomes clear quickly that a mare is not a good choice for long travel. They can distract or provoke stallions I might meet on the road, and absolute chaos would ensue if they went into season.