Animals could do many things after training. Elephants could perform acrobatics or haul heavy loads; dogs could jump through rings of fire or serve as sheepdogs; horses could perform dressage or become warhorses.
Of course, the Garudas known as "angels" could be trained as well. They worked seamlessly with humans, as though they had truly become wings upon their backs.
Georgiana returned to her tent. Thanks to magic, it was as grand as a palace.
She removed her cloak and moved closer to the cast-iron stove in the middle, driving away the chill that had seeped into her body.
"Would you like some tea, madam?" Carolan asked after picking up the cloak Georgiana had tossed onto the floor.
Before she could answer, a clamor rose outside the tent. Not long afterward, the "priestess" who had been taken prisoner appeared before her.
The little girl had been somewhat frightened at first, but once she entered the tent, its exquisite furnishings captivated her so completely that she failed to notice the shackles around her feet and nearly tripped over them.
"Go prepare it," Georgiana told Carolan. Then she went to a high-backed chair, sat down, and looked up at the prisoner.
"What is your name?" she asked softly.
"Celia," the girl answered, her expression still resolute and unyielding.
"Do you have parents?" Georgiana asked.
"Of course I do." The girl sneered. "Where else would I have come from?"
"I mean, have you ever met your parents? Are they in the tribe too?" Georgiana asked.
The girl did not answer.
"Is there anyone who cares whether you live or die?" Georgiana asked.
"Of course there is," the girl said seriously.
"The people who raised you? Friends? A lover?" Georgiana asked.
"What exactly are you trying to ask?" The girl watched her warily.
"Just