[Osirc's Pov—Everheart Estate—Mid-evening]
GLARE!!!!
Not the glare of a soldier, nor the glare of a man about to draw his blade. No—this was the glare of a feathered menace currently perched on the mantelpiece, her golden eyes boring holes straight through my skull.
"My lord…" Aldric, vice-captain of the Everheart knights, cleared his throat, his voice cautious, almost trembling. "She's… glaring at you again."
"I noticed," I muttered, tugging on my black cloak.
Aldric shifted uneasily, then forced the words out. "Wouldn't it be… wiser if we brought her with us?"
I glanced at Solena. The hawk straightened as if she understood every word. Her feathers puffed up, and her talons scraped wood. If she had lips, she would have been smirking.
I sighed. "If we take her, someone will recognize us immediately. She's enormous. She's about as subtle as marching into the market with a war banner and a brass band."
