Ah, now, here’s the bread, butter and a pot of jam.
Sure enough, another ample woman, grinning with the pleasure of what she
was about to bestow on them, deposited the laden tray on the table.
That should help, thank you, Allie,’ Tisha said as Debera added a
murmur of appreciation and S’mon remembered his manners, too. M’rak
made no such delay in grabbing up a piece of the steaming bread and
cramming it into his mouth.
Wow! Great!” Well, just be sure you don’t lose it, preparing your
dragonet’s next meal,’ Tisha said and moved off before the astonished
bronze rider had absorbed her remark.
What’d she mean by that?” he asked the others.
Debera grinned. Hold-bred?” Naw, m’family’s weavers,’ M’rak said.
From Keroon Hold.
We have to cut up what our drago nets eat, though, don’t we?” S’mon
asked in a slightly anxious voice. From the the bodies they got hung
up?” You mean cut it off the things that wore the meat?” M’rak turned a
little pale and swallowed.
That’s what we mean,’ Debera said. If you like, I’ll do your carving
and you can just cut up. Deal?” You bet,’ M’rak agreed fervently. And
gulped again, no longer attacking the rest of the bread that hung limply
from his fingers. He put the slice down. I didn’t know that was part
of being a dragon rider too.
Debera chuckled. I think we’re all going to find out that being a
dragon rider is not just sitting on its neck and going wherever we want
to.
A prophecy she was to learn was all too accurate. She didn’t regret
making the bargain with the two youngsters – it was a fair distribution
of effort – but it did seem that she spent her next weeks either
butchering or feeding or bathing her dragonet with no time for anything
else but sleeping. She had dealt with orphaned animals, true, but none
the size nor with the appetite capacity of drago nets Morath seemed to
grow overnight, as if instantly transferring what she ate to visible
increase – which meant more to scrub, oil AND feed.
It’s worth it, I keep telling myself,’ Sarra murmured one day as she
wearily sprawled onto her bed.
Does it help?” Grasella asked, groaning as she turned on her side.
Does it matter?” put in Mesla, kicking her boots off.
All that oil is softening my hands,’ Debera remarked in pleased
surprise, noticing the phenomenon for the first time.
And matting my hair something wicked,’ said Jule, regarding the end of
the fuzzy plait she kept her hair in. I wonder when I’ll have time to
wash it again.” If you ask Tisha, she’ll give you the most marvellous
massage,’ Angie said, stretching on her bed and yawning.
My leg’s all better.
She and her Plath had tripped each other up, and she’d pulled all the
muscles in her right leg so badly that at first they feared she’d broken
a bone in the tumble. Plath had been beside herself with worry until
Maranis had pronounced the damage only a bad wrenching’. The other
girls had helped Angie tend Plath.
All part of being a dragon rider T’dam had said, but he exhibited
sympathy in making sure he was at hand to assist her. too. Nothing
you won’t grin about later.
Although the room in which Lord Chalkin sat so that the newly-certified
Artist Iantine could paint his portrait of the Lord Holder was warmer
than any other chamber in Bitra that lantine had occupied, he sighed
softly in weariness. His hand was cramped and he was very tired, though
he was careful not to reveal anything to his odious subject. He also
had to do a bang-up job of this portrait as fast as possible, or he
might not leave this miserable Hold until the spring.
Fortunately this first snow was melting and, if he finished the
painting, he’d leave before the paint was dry. And with the marks he’d
been promised!
Why he had ever thought himself able to handle any problem that could
occur on a commission, he did not know.
&rtainly he had been warned: more about not gambling with any Bitrans,