Toad Words(41)

Arrin ran a hand over the tight cap of his hair. “Not really.”

“No one ever does,” said the boar cheerfully, and walked away.

His mare yanked at the reins again.

Eventually, for lack of anything better to do, Arrin got on his horse and rode after Snow.

“You’re not allowed to come with me,” said Snow, not turning her head. “If you want to come, you have to wait in the woods. I don’t want anyone to know we’re together.”

“Ashamed of me?” asked Arrin.

She twisted her neck to look at him. “I will be if you don’t stop being dense. We’re both fugitives from the Queen. If they recognize either one of us, fine, but if both of us get caught, then who’s going to keep Puffball and Greatspot here from getting cheated?”

Puffball bumped her with his shoulder. “You know, we’d be a bit upset if anything happened to you. There are more important things in life than potatoes.”

“Not that many things,” said Snow, who had been living on potatoes for so long that she could hardly imagine a meal that didn’t include them. She sighed.

She dug her fingers into the ropes around Greatspot’s back. The sow flicked an ear at her.

Can I really just walk in to a convent and say “Hi, I have these seven magic pigs that I live with and I need you to take over agenting for them because humans are awful and will try to cheat them?”

Probably not. I’ll talk to them. If they aren’t the right sort of people, I don’t lose anything, and maybe we can sell some truffles. Nuns wouldn’t cheat someone. Although they might think the pigs are demons…oh, blast! I hope not. People are so stupid some times…

“It’s not fair,” she said aloud.

“Nothing’s fair,” said Arrin. He slipped off his horse and walked beside them. “That you should be a fugitive least of all.”

“Oh,” said Snow. “No, not that. I mean, no, I shouldn’t, obviously—the queen shouldn’t be trying to kill me. Or anyone, I guess, unless they really deserved it and I don’t think I do. But that’s not what I was thinking about.”

“What were you thinking about, then?”

“People,” said Snow. “And pigs. And potatoes.”

Arrin rubbed his face and wondered if he shouldn’t have listened to Stomper’s advice after all.





The convent was small—a single story, with a cloister and expansive gardens. A row of neatly kept beehives echoed a row of neat little buildings. Snow wasn’t sure if they were outbuildings or if they served as sleeping quarters for the nuns.

The first nun that Snow encountered was middle-aged and plump, with a soft chin and sharp eyes. She was hoeing the garden, and when she saw Snow and the pigs approach, she straightened up and leaned on her hoe.

“Why, it’s the truffle girl!” said the nun, quite pleased. “And your lovely pigs! I was hoping you might stop by.”

Snow halted. “You—you know about me?”

“Only that you came to town and sold truffles to the cook and to Master Elijah,” said the old nun, smiling. “Gossip travels very fast, my dear.” Her eyes lingered on Snow’s hair and eyebrows, but she did not say anything.

Snow relaxed. Yes. All right. That makes sense.

“And did you bring some truffles to sell? There are those who say that the Lord requires us to keep to simple fare, but I believe that He would not have made truffles if he did not expect for us to enjoy them.”

“Yes,” said Snow. “I have a few. I’d be happy to trade for honey, if you have some. And I was hoping to talk to—to someone in charge.”

“Certainly, my dear,” said the nun. She leaned the hoe against the fence and walked to a nearby bench. “Come, sit here and talk to me.”

Did that meant that this nun was in charge? Was she an—an abbess or a Mother Superior? Snow wasn’t sure what the term was. Would the woman in charge be hoeing the garden?

Someone has to do it. Just because my father never did—well, he was the king. Kings are above nuns, I guess, or at least somewhat off to the side, but maybe nuns can’t get other people to hoe the garden. Oh dear! But I couldn’t just walk up and demand to talk to the king, either.

Perhaps she’s a sort of under-abbess, and I have to talk to her before I can talk to whoever’s in charge.

This seemed most likely. Snow took a deep breath and plunged into her prepared speech.

She left out any mention that she was the king’s daughter. She said only that she’d had to leave her situation, and she’d made friends in the forest.

“The truffle hunters?” asked the nun, smiling.