Embers at Galdrilene (44 page)

Namir was backed against the far wall, his leathery wings spread and his head drawn up high. In the gray, predawn light the source of the draclet’s distress was clearly visible. A young kitten stood in the middle of the lair, back arched and spitting. Golden colored and covered in dark orange stripes, it showed no sign of backing down and in fact seemed ready to take on the young dragon that could easily make a snack out of the small animal.

Namir tried to move toward Vaddoc. The movement elicited a high pitched growl from the kitten and the young dragon froze.

Vaddoc laughed and laid his swords on the platform, the tension in his body dissipating. “Are you truly afraid of that little kitten?”

“It is ferocious! It may be small, but it is terrifying! What is it? Can you kill it?”

“It is indeed ferocious and courageous beyond its abilities,” Vaddoc said. He rather admired the kitten’s bravery. “It’s called a kitten. The young of the small cats that inhabit human towns, cities and dwellings.”

He walked over to the kitten, lifted it up by the scruff of the neck and settled it in the crook of his arm. It kept its wide orange eyes fixed on the draclet even while it purred. “I am surprised you have no knowledge of them. What about all of the memories you hatched with?”

Namir eyed the kitten warily.
“There is nothing in my memories of such an animal.”

“It cannot hurt you Namir. Even with your soft scales, it cannot hurt you.”

“It acts as though it can.”

“And if pressed, it might try. Or, more likely, it would run.”

The gold extended his long neck, reaching out toward the tiny kitten with his snout. The kitten’s ears went back and it growled. Vaddoc placed the kitten on the ground. With a parting hiss, it darted from the lair.

Namir flinched when the kitten passed him on its way out, drawing another laugh from Vaddoc. He walked over and gave the young dragon a pat. “Come on you. It is extremely early, but we are wide awake now. You might as well go and get something to eat and take a swim. I am going to see if I can find anything to eat at this time of morning.”

Together they walked out of the lair. In the still, crisp air of late spring, the undisturbed surface of the lake reflected the pearl gray of the sky. Bright flowers bloomed in contrast against the dark wall of the crater. Namir turned and headed for the far edge of the crater floor to feed.

Vaddoc turned the opposite way toward the large open cavern that housed the kitchens. He walked up the rise to the inner plateau. The fires already burned and the kitchen cavern teamed with undercooks as they made preparations for the day’s meals.

He bypassed the kitchen cavern and slipped through a small door a few paces beyond. The events of the night before weighed on him and he didn’t want to eat in the middle of busy food preparation. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

In less than a minute he was in the passage outside the door of the little private dining room where they took their meal that first night. Kellinar had ferreted out the secret passage and it was much easier to find now.

The servants saw him pass by the kitchen, they would know to bring his food here. He would happily dish up a plate and carry it to the private room himself, but none of the cooks or servants would allow it. Marda almost had a fit the one time he suggested it.

Kellinar and Kirynn already sat at the table, eating. Vaddoc nodded to Kellinar as he walked into the room. Kirynn mumbled, “Morning,” around a mouthful of food.

Vaddoc sat in the nearest chair. “You two are up early.”

Kellinar yawned. “After what happened last night, I think it’s amazing any of us got anymore sleep. It took me forever to get Shryden calmed down. Even when he did calm down and sleep, he was restless and his thoughts disturbed. It didn’t make for easy sleeping the rest of the night. We finally gave up trying to sleep not long before your Namir raised his alarm.”

“You know about that?”

Kirynn nodded. “He projected his alarm to all of the draclets and their riders.”

Vaddoc groaned. “I am sorry. I was unaware he broadcast it out like that.”

“Well silly as it may seem to us, the kitten was a complete unknown.” Kellinar chuckled then sobered. “After the Hatching of a black egg last night, I think it’s pretty reasonable Namir over reacted.”

The door to the dining room swung open as Serena, Mckale and Maleena shuffled in. They appeared as tired as Vaddoc felt with the exception of Maleena. She looked beyond exhausted. The pale cast to her face accentuated the dark smudges under her eyes.

Mckale hovered near her, worry in his eyes. She laid a hand on his arm and said quietly, “Sit and eat. There is nothing here to threaten and no amount of you not eating is going to cure how tired I am. Only sleep can do that. Perhaps later today, Nydara and I can find that sleep.” Mckale relaxed slightly and sat down with Maleena next to him.

Several servants entered bearing trays of food and drink. Vaddoc helped himself to the thin strips of crispy bacon, several boiled eggs and a cup of coffee. He drizzled some honey into the cup and stirred it around.

He noticed an undercurrent among the servants as he watched them bustle around the room. A tightness around their eyes and smiles that didn’t quite hide the worry in their expressions. It appeared word of a black egg hatching had spread quickly through the Dragon Hold. He glanced at Maleena. Her expression was calm, almost serene. Yet he saw the same tightness around her tired eyes.

One young servant, her face creased with worry, almost dropped the plate of hotcakes she was setting on the table when Mckale’s eyes settled on her. The silver of Mckale’s eyes had turned iron gray. Something dangerous and threatening lurked in them.

Vaddoc cleared his throat. “Mckale, my friend, I do not believe any of these young servants wish any harm to Maleena. Scaring them is not going to do any good.”

Iron eyes locked on his for a moment and then his friend let out a long sigh. The tension in him seemed to flow away with his breath. “I know. Logically, I know. This connection, these feelings and emotions, are almost as powerful as those I share with Tellnox. It is difficult to sort it all out and control it.”

“That will come in time,” Bardeck said as he walked into the room, weariness etched in the lines on his face. “You can’t expect to have complete control over all the emotions that go with bondmating in such a short time.”

“It has been a month since our dragons hatched,” Mckale said.

“One month is nothing in the life span of a Dragon Rider,” Bardeck replied. “Give it more time and you will have better control.”

“Mckale worries needlessly about me,” Maleena said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s natural. You would feel the same if your roles were reversed. You are almost as much a part of each other as you are a part of your dragons.”

Bardeck had the same tense wariness in his eyes as Mckale. Vaddoc glanced at the door and back to Bardeck. “Where is Emallya?”

Maleena’s head snapped up as she looked quickly around the room. “Is she alright?”

Bardeck sat and began placing eggs and hotcakes on a plate. “She is fine, just tired. She elected to stay in our lair and sleep. I had the kitchen send up a tray of food and made sure she ate before I left her to rest.”

Maleena looked relieved and went back to picking at the food on her plate. Bardeck glanced at her plate. “You should eat, too. There is every chance there will be more black Hatchings. Although they won’t affect you as badly, you will still need your strength for them.”

Maleena nodded but continued to push the food around. “Please eat,” Mckale said, his tone held a hint of pleading.

She raised her eyes and sighed. “I think I have eaten as much as I can stand. I’m going to follow Emallya’s example and try to find some sleep. Nydara has finished feeding and is ready to sleep as well. It will be best for both of us if I go and sleep in the lair with her.”

Mckale started to rise from his seat. “I will come with you.”

Maleena pushed him back down. “No, you stay. You haven’t eaten yet. Besides, Nydara says Tellnox isn’t ready to sleep yet and he will need you.”

Vaddoc smiled slightly to himself. She had made it so Mckale couldn’t protest. No matter how strong his bond with Maleena, the bond with Tellnox was stronger. Mckale couldn’t ignore the possibility of his dragon needing him. Only the draclet could relieve Mckale of that worry. Since Maleena could talk to Tellnox as easily as Nydara, Vaddoc wouldn’t be surprised if she had arranged for Tellnox to “need” Mckale.

It didn’t take Maleena’s magical abilities to see Mckale had to be distracted from his worries. Vaddoc admired Maleena for not clinging to Mckale, for having the strength to handle what her magic dealt out. And for making sure, even in the midst of her own problems, Mckale got what he needed.

Kellinar watched the exchange in silence and after Maleena left, he continued to study Mckale. Vaddoc knew Kellinar was very perceptive to the moods of the people around him. Most likely a skill developed out of self-preservation in order to gage if the person in front of him intended to place a knife in him at the first opportunity.

Kellinar took a long drink and set his cup down. “Mckale, I know it’s been a long night, but since your Tellnox doesn’t seem in any rush to sleep, perhaps you could continue to show me how to use a sword.”

Vaddoc said nothing as he waited for Mckale’s answer. He could do it, but that wasn’t the point. Kellinar in his ability to read people and the close attention he paid to detail knew Mckale could easily get caught up in teaching the sword.

Mckale sighed. “Since she made it impossible for me to watch over her, I will gladly help you with your sword. Although I must admit, I have never seen anyone learn faster than you.”

Kellinar smiled. “In the Mallay, if you don’t learn fast you die.”

Vaddoc nodded in approval. Just turning the conversation to sword play had changed Mckale. The tension in his friend’s shoulders and face relaxed.

Vaddoc glanced at Kirynn and she smiled across the table at him. She had as little sleep as the rest of them, but nothing in her face showed it. Nor did it show any of the worry or fear that hung like a cloud over the hold. He found her physical endurance very attractive. Maleena was strong and fragile at the same time. Kirynn reminded him of a good sword. Strong, beautiful and deadly.

She cocked a grin at him. “Since it appears this is going to be a practice morning, would you like to try and best me again? I haven’t had the chance to thump you around the practice field in over a week.”

Vaddoc laughed in spite of everything. By the Fates, the woman was as cocky and confident as she was fearless. “I bested you once.”

She snorted. “Only because Syrakynn distracted me. It won’t happen again.”

He chuckled. Burn it, she was attractive when she had that challenging light in her eyes. “Bring it on woman.”

Serena cleared her throat. “I think I will come, too. I’m still nowhere near as good as I should be and Kellinar has truly put me to shame since we both started learning at the same time. Besides,” she glanced between Kirynn and himself, “one of you might need healing before the day is out.”

Vaddoc laughed again and this time everyone joined in, even Mckale. The dark mood of the morning dispelled, they left the table and headed for the practice field, ribbing each other good-naturedly.