Page 75 of Salt Between the Wolves

The stablemaster frowned and turned toward the stalls. For several moments he said nothing. Then:

"Actually..."

He walked a few steps farther down the aisle.

"One of the mares is missing."

"Which one?"

"The bay mare from the western pens."

Mara recognized her immediately. Not Eira's usual horse.

The man scratched his beard.

"Strange."

"Why?"

He hesitated.

"I didn't think much of it earlier. The Alpha's patrol rode out this morning and several horses went with them."

The explanation sounded reasonable.

Then he frowned again.

"No."

"What?"

"That mare wasn't assigned to the patrol."

The stablemaster frowned, clearly trying to make sense of it.

"Maybe Lady Eira changed her mind and rode after them."

The explanation sounded reasonable enough, yet something about it settled wrong in Mara's chest. Not because it was impossible, but because she already knew Eira had been planning something for weeks.

The man stepped closer to the stall and peered inside, as though expecting the horse to materialize from a shadowed corner.

Nothing waited there.

The stall stood empty.

For several moments neither of them spoke. Then the stablemaster slowly turned toward her, and Mara watched understanding arrive on his face.

"Oh."

The word was barely more than a breath.

Mara closed her eyes briefly as the pieces finally fell into place with brutal clarity. The withdrawn silence. The weeks of isolation. The supplies that had disappeared a little at a time. The missing mare. The empty room.

Individually, each detail could have been explained away.

Together, they left little room for doubt.

Eira hadn't wandered away, gone for a ride, or disappeared by accident.