29
But if Tarkyn thought that simply giving Midnight support and protection would stop his mischievous ways, he was sadly mistaken. Midnight was a playful, wilful seven-year-old who had grown up with little but punishment and a***e. He had a very weak foundation on which to base his trust in anyone, and it gradually became clear that the first task he had set himself was to test out both Tarkyn’s limits and tenacity.
The next morning, Tarkyn emerged holding a frog he had found in his shelter. He held it out ruefully to show Lapping Water.
She laughed. “You know why that is, don’t you?” When Tarkyn shook his head, she continued, “Because he was angry that you went off into your shelter without him. He’s used to being alone but he doesn’t want to be. He wants to be with you, especially at
