catering to the needs of this demanding, seriously unkempt dragon. But I had not eaten since the day before, and had no idea what plants around me were edible, so instead I planned.
I would need food: I wondered if I could take some meat and dry it to preserve it. How long did that take? If that wasn’t possible, I should at least make sure my next meal was well cooked, and wrap what I didn’t eat in leaves and hide it. I wouldn’t need water; there were plenty of streams running through the forest. The dragon didn’t seem to care about the canister of rice, so that had probably been intended for human food. I could take that, but it would have to be cooked. Unless I ground it into flour and made some little cakes with it, which would keep well and be lighter to carry. I mulled this over for a time. It was cool at night, but there was nothing like a blanket or cloak to be found here, so I would have to grit my teeth and bear the cold.
It did occur to me that I should head back to shore and let my friends know that I was all right. But I was closer to that column of smoke, and it wouldn’t hurt to investigate first, in case that was the lesser temple we were looking for. I made up my mind to grind the rice and make the cakes immediately, and see about having my next haunch of venison overcooked, and got to my feet.
As I brushed the dirt off my rear, I heard another dragon land in the clearing behind me, and let loose with a sigh of my own. Time to make more glark , I supposed. At least I would have an excuse to keep the fire built up. There was a mortar and pestle in the house; if I took care of the rice quickly, I could have the cakes ready and baked by this evening.
But when I stepped back into the clearing, I froze.
The new visitor was Darrym.
“Creel!”
Despite my dyed hair and skin, he recognized me at once. He roared with rage, coming toward me, and I fought down my own anger at seeing the traitor who had kidnapped Velika. But facing an angry dragon is never wise, so instead I turned and ran toward the column of smoke, food or no food.
I had no other choice.
A Column of Smoke
I had been right about the thickness of the forest preventing pursuit: Darrym screamed his rage and even burned a few trees in my wake, but couldn’t come after me. I crashed my way through the underbrush and leaped over fallen logs. As I ran, I sent up a prayer of thanks that I was wearing trousers and boots.
Once I thought I had gotten far enough away, I slowed down and tried to be quieter. Slipping between the bushes rather than crashing through them I also cut down on the trail I left. I felt like I was going in the right direction, but I didn’t dare check by climbing a tree. At least, not yet.
Ullalal and her daughters had been right, I reflected, feeling the corners of my mouth turn up in a bitter smile. I had been a terrible choice for a klgaosh . If their dragon had chosen the youngest daughter instead of me, he and his friends would be sitting around their buckets of steaming glark , gossiping about how clever Darrym had been to capture Velika.
The thought wiped even a trace of a smile from my face, and I continued my grim march through the forest. I heard no noise of pursuit now, and I stopped and held my breath, straining for the sound of dragon claws, dragon wings, or dragon breath like a bellows. There was nothing, only the usual forest noises of birds and insects.
I found a good tree and began to climb, pausing just before I raised my head out of the forest canopy so that I could listen again. Again there was nothing, and I climbed up and out.
It was easy to find the column of smoke. It was closer now, and the air was very clear today, making it stand out starkly against the blue sky. Again I saw dragons making a single circle around it and then coming or going. There were more arriving, and with an intake of breath I recognized Darrym as one of them.
It was a place of importance; I knew it now for certain.
I would need food: I wondered if I could take some meat and dry it to preserve it. How long did that take? If that wasn’t possible, I should at least make sure my next meal was well cooked, and wrap what I didn’t eat in leaves and hide it. I wouldn’t need water; there were plenty of streams running through the forest. The dragon didn’t seem to care about the canister of rice, so that had probably been intended for human food. I could take that, but it would have to be cooked. Unless I ground it into flour and made some little cakes with it, which would keep well and be lighter to carry. I mulled this over for a time. It was cool at night, but there was nothing like a blanket or cloak to be found here, so I would have to grit my teeth and bear the cold.
It did occur to me that I should head back to shore and let my friends know that I was all right. But I was closer to that column of smoke, and it wouldn’t hurt to investigate first, in case that was the lesser temple we were looking for. I made up my mind to grind the rice and make the cakes immediately, and see about having my next haunch of venison overcooked, and got to my feet.
As I brushed the dirt off my rear, I heard another dragon land in the clearing behind me, and let loose with a sigh of my own. Time to make more glark , I supposed. At least I would have an excuse to keep the fire built up. There was a mortar and pestle in the house; if I took care of the rice quickly, I could have the cakes ready and baked by this evening.
But when I stepped back into the clearing, I froze.
The new visitor was Darrym.
“Creel!”
Despite my dyed hair and skin, he recognized me at once. He roared with rage, coming toward me, and I fought down my own anger at seeing the traitor who had kidnapped Velika. But facing an angry dragon is never wise, so instead I turned and ran toward the column of smoke, food or no food.
I had no other choice.
A Column of Smoke
I had been right about the thickness of the forest preventing pursuit: Darrym screamed his rage and even burned a few trees in my wake, but couldn’t come after me. I crashed my way through the underbrush and leaped over fallen logs. As I ran, I sent up a prayer of thanks that I was wearing trousers and boots.
Once I thought I had gotten far enough away, I slowed down and tried to be quieter. Slipping between the bushes rather than crashing through them I also cut down on the trail I left. I felt like I was going in the right direction, but I didn’t dare check by climbing a tree. At least, not yet.
Ullalal and her daughters had been right, I reflected, feeling the corners of my mouth turn up in a bitter smile. I had been a terrible choice for a klgaosh . If their dragon had chosen the youngest daughter instead of me, he and his friends would be sitting around their buckets of steaming glark , gossiping about how clever Darrym had been to capture Velika.
The thought wiped even a trace of a smile from my face, and I continued my grim march through the forest. I heard no noise of pursuit now, and I stopped and held my breath, straining for the sound of dragon claws, dragon wings, or dragon breath like a bellows. There was nothing, only the usual forest noises of birds and insects.
I found a good tree and began to climb, pausing just before I raised my head out of the forest canopy so that I could listen again. Again there was nothing, and I climbed up and out.
It was easy to find the column of smoke. It was closer now, and the air was very clear today, making it stand out starkly against the blue sky. Again I saw dragons making a single circle around it and then coming or going. There were more arriving, and with an intake of breath I recognized Darrym as one of them.
It was a place of importance; I knew it now for certain.
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