Gloria Oliver (40 page)

Sonsan pouted at her reply, obviously disappointed. “I’m sure he’ll get in trouble again,” she said without much wind.

“Maybe it might be you instead,” Daltan said quietly from across the table.

Sonsan stared at the dark-haired boy as if he’d suddenly grown fangs. “Well that wasn’t very nice.”

“No, but you earned it.” Yllin gave the other girl a nasty grin.

Mandee hissed in a breath beside her, shocked by her friend’s words. She wasn’t the only one.

Sonsan glared at Yllin before rising to her feet. “I guess this table is just full of bad-mannered people today. I think I’ll go sit with more appreciative company.” Throwing them all a snooty look, she picked up her plate and moved farther down to another table. Talia felt a dull surprise as she saw Sonsan sit with a group of older students. One, whose face she knew well, was glaring in the direction of Kel and Nertak. Maybe all of Sonsan’s prodding and questioning weren’t mere curiosity after all.

Talia sighed. It was over though, Kel was free, and so they would no longer have any need of her. She was still somewhat startled at the unexpected turn of events ending with Sonsan’s leave taking. At least it gave those in her group something other than the squire to talk about.

Kel showed up at his usual place at dinner. Lareen made an appearance as well and seemed to pay the squire a lot of attention during the meal, purposely bringing him into conversations and asking his opinion on several matters. Even with the extra attention, as was his usual wont, Kel left as soon as the door was opened out into the garden.

Talia watched him go, wishing she could find some excuse to go out there with him.

Classes restarted the next day, though enthusiasm amongst the student body was at an all time low. She welcomed the work, however, wanting to keep busy rather than to spend her time as she did the day before, wondering what Kel and Clarence were up to.

Sonsan didn’t deign to sit with them at breakfast, but by lunch, she joined their group again, acting as if nothing untoward had ever happened. Yllin didn’t look excited to have her back. Talia didn’t mind as much as she thought she would, but planned to keep her eyes on her. She was just glad Sonsan was wise enough not to bring the topic of the squire up again.

In the evening, she noticed Kel as he rushed through his meal and left the dining hall by way of the kitchen. When the rest of them were released, she spotted him riding Clarence, the two of them twisting madly in the sky.

Talia stopped and stared as Clarence unexpectedly dived and dropped like a stone. She waited once he disappeared behind the building for him to reappear, but instead heard a cracking, crashing noise.

Without thinking, she took off at a run. A number of the people near her did the same.

Coming around the corner of the building, she skidded to a halt, not sure if she should believe what she was seeing. Past the landing strip, in the line of trees on the right side of the field, broken branches and dislocated leaves littered the ground. She could see Clarence past them, wedged between several trees.

As she watched dumbfounded, Kel stumbled out from the trees and sat down with a plop on the ground, staring back at the dragon.

“Talia. Do you think they’re all right?”

She started as Mandee put a hand on her arm. It was only then she realized her friends had followed her. “Kel, Kel should be. His armor is magicked.” She didn’t say more, not sure if the same would apply to Clarence.

“Well, it seems their month off didn’t help their flying any.”

Laughs sprang up all around at the comment. Talia turned to stare at Yllin, anger flaring up inside her. As their eyes met, Yllin looked away, for once appearing embarrassed—as if she didn’t realize what she was saying until after she said it.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

Talia didn’t wait for her to finish, but turned away and stomped off in Kel’s direction. No one followed her. It was almost as if they were afraid to get too close. It only stoked her anger. Kel and Clarence could have been seriously hurt out there; would they have just been left to die?

By the time she reached the trees, Kel was removing his helmet and critically studying the dragon’s predicament. Clarence’s neck was twisted up and over his back; the dragon watched Talia as she came close.

“Are you both all right?” she asked them.

Kel glanced back in surprise, but quickly looked away, his cheeks flushed. “I’m fine. I’m just a little winded.”

I’m in good health as well, except for this bit of trouble of course
. Clarence sent an annoyed glance at the trees pining him where he’d fallen.

“He’s stuck?” She was already pretty sure of the answer.

Kel sighed. “Afraid so.”

“Do you need any help?” she asked. “Just tell me what you want me to do. If you prefer, I’m sure I can round up at least a few people to come over and give you a hand.”

Kel slowly shook his head. “It’s all right. Thanks anyway.” His voice lowered to where she almost couldn’t hear it. “This is all part of my punishment.”

She frowned, not understanding what he meant. “Punishment?”

Kel cocked his head in Clarence’s direction. In a flash, she understood. None of this was an accident—Clarence had landed there deliberately, hoping to make Kel pay for all he went through in the past month. She shook her head, not wanting to believe this, but what the dragon said next took any doubts right out of her head.

Yes, thank you for your offer, but Kel will be able to deal with this on his own
.

She blinked several times as she mentally stumbled for something to say. “I see.”

At this time, two farmers came up carrying axes. Kel walked over and got between them and the dragon—thanking them for the tools and telling them to leave it all to him. Exchanging puzzled looks, the two men shrugged and gave him the axes and then went back the way they came.

Kel removed his armor, setting each piece carefully out of the way. With only his under-tunic on, he sent Talia a sad half-smile and picked up one of the axes. Settling it over his shoulder he approached the largest of the three trees pinning Clarence and got to work.

Talia slowly walked away, looking back as the echoes of Kel’s axe biting into wood followed her. She didn’t understand why Clarence felt the need to do this. She understood even less why Kel was willing to let him get away with it.

The crowd of spectators after the crash thinned and those remaining didn’t look much interested anymore. Yllin stood against the corner of the building, her face grave. Mandee stood beside her. As Talia came close, Mandee waved her over, her eyes imploring her to please come.

“Clarence is all right, too,” she told them softly. “But he’s stuck between some trees. Kel is cutting him out.”

Yllin looked up at her, her eyes miserable. “I’m really sorry for what I said, Talia. I swear I didn’t meant anything.”

She tried to give her a smile. “I know. I just overreacted. I’m sorry. I guess I’ve just become a little overprotective about them.”

“And so you should.”

All three girls turned at the unexpected voice behind them. Lareen gave them a faint smile as she gazed at their astonished faces. She then looked out past them toward the line of trees. “They’re both all right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Talia informed her. “But Clarence is stuck.” Yllin and Mandee tried to make themselves as small as possible even as she spoke.

“Hmm, let me guess.” Lareen’s eyes locked with Talia’s own. “Clarence wants Kel to get him out alone.”

She nodded.

“And Kel is going to oblige him.”

Talia nodded again.

Lareen sighed. “One day their stubbornness is going to be their undoing.” The Administrator’s face looked troubled for a moment but then cleared. “Well, it was nice talking to you. Perhaps in a couple of hours you’d be kind enough to take Kel something to drink? I’ve a feeling he’s going to be at this for quite a while.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Giving her a soft smile, Lareen turned away and headed back indoors.

“I think she likes you,” Mandee whispered beside her as all three watched the Administrator walk away.

“What?” She glanced at her friend, not understanding where she could have gotten such an impression.

“She actually spoke to you seriously, not in the usual, frivolous way she normally speaks to most people.” Yllin nodded slowly in agreement with Mandee’s explanation.

A COUPLE OF hours later, after unsuccessfully trying to finish her reading for the next day’s assignments, Talia grabbed one of her buckets and left her room. She made her way downstairs and then outside, and followed the usual route to the small lake the students pulled their water from. After filling the bucket halfway, she started across the fields to where she left Clarence and Kel earlier.

The sound of steady chopping rose toward her as she came near. The sky grew cloudy, deepening the night, but she could still see where they were by the light of a solitary lamp. Someone must have taken pity on Kel and brought it out so he wouldn’t have to work in the dark. It didn’t occur to her to do that.

As she came close, she saw Kel had already cut down three of the trees holding the dragon. Her brow furrowed as she stared closely, thinking Clarence looked more wedged in now than he did before. She shook her head, trying not to think about what the dragon might be doing.

“Kel, I brought some water for you.”

The young squire let the axe swing one more time and then left it embedded in the thick trunk he was working on before looking up. The top half of his tunic lay nearby on the grass, leaving his exposed skin covered in sweat. His hair clung stubbornly to his head and his face was heavily flushed. He gave her a grateful, tired smile as he tried to catch his breath and stumbled over to where she was standing by the lamp, which was sitting on an old stump. “Th—thanks.”

Kel took the bucket from her with slightly shaking hands and drank some of the water down with great heaving gulps. He then took what water was left and dumped it over his head.

She stepped back as the water splashed around him. Clarence watched from where he lay somewhat disinterestedly.

“Would you like some water, too, Clarence?” she asked the dragon. “I could bring you some in one of the barrels.”

It would be incredibly nice
, he said.

“No, I’ll get it,” Kel interjected. “I need a break anyway.”

I should think not
. Clarence’s eyebrows arched high.
My situation has barely improved since you
started working and I’ve no desire to remain out here all night
.

She saw Kel’s fist clench at his side. “So you’re not satisfied with just punishing me, you have to bring her into this as well?” A hard edge crept into his voice that Talia had never heard before.

I’m not doing anything of the kind
, Clarence replied haughtily.
She offered to do it—I didn’t ask her.

If you’d gotten me out of here in a timely manner, she would not have even needed to do so. So in
the end, her inconvenience is your fault as well
.

She stared from one to the other of them as their words escalated. “It’s no one’s fault I offered. I wanted to.”

You do not need to cover for his uncouth behavior, Talia. We all know who we’re dealing with
here
. The dragon’s tone was in no way kind.

“That’s enough, you ungrateful
lizard
,” Kel said heatedly. He took a step toward him. “You and I both know you’ve been wedging yourself in tighter whenever I’ve even come close to getting you free. And it’s no secret you crash landed here on purpose in the first place!”

Clarence snorted, sending a thin stream of smoke flowing from his nostrils.
So you say
.

“You want out,” Kel said angrily, “I’ll get you out. This is how I should have done things in the first place.” He turned on his heel and snatched up the glass lamp.

“Kel what are you—?” She took several steps toward him, fearing what he might be about to do.

Though she was loath to admit it, she was frightened of his temper, and of the extreme things it drove him to do before.

Kel glanced over at her, his eyes losing a bit of their fire as he saw the misgivings on her face. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt him. I’m just going to give him a little incentive to get out.” With that said, he abruptly dashed forward.

Clarence spotted him and swung his tail hard in the squire’s direction. Kel jumped over it as it came at him. Running forward, he threw the lamp as hard as he could at one of the trees still holding the dragon prisoner.

The glass shattered on impact, smearing the tree’s trunk with oil and a moment later with hungering flames.

Clarence hissed and tried to hit Kel again with his tail as the squire retreated. At the last moment, Kel rolled out of the way and, getting back on his feet, quickly ran out of the dragon’s range.

The flames licked farther up the tree and down several small limbs, reaching out to caress Clarence’s flank. The dragon gave a mental roar made up more of annoyance than pain.

“But the forest will catch on fire!” Talia looked from Kel back to the burning tree, still shocked by what he’d done.

He glanced over at her, shaking his head. “It won’t. He won’t let it.”

As if to show her the squire’s words were true, Clarence roared again, his tail lashing madly back and forth even as his back legs took hold on the trees to either side and pushed. Both trees snapped, the sound echoing about them, and he pulled his body free. Turning sideways, Clarence let out a mind-numbing roar before thrusting his body against the burning trunk. His claws dug into the dirt around him and brought it up to smear it on the trunk as well.

When the flames died down, leaving only burning embers, strange formless words echoed in her mind as a swirling cloud grew just above them and thickened over them until they were smothered.

As soon as the embers were out and the danger was thwarted, the small cloud disappeared and the dragon turned to glare at his partner.
Human!

Clarence advanced on the squire, a heavy storm advancing on a lone skiff. Kel waited for him, his stance defiant and unafraid. “Lizard.”