all—”
“Do you think he could use some help, caring for her?”
“‘Morning everyone.” “Good morning.” Willem and Cheddar had arrived. Willem continued into the courtyard, while Cheddar stopped next to Sharrah.
“Good morning.” Sharrah smiled at Cheddar.
“How’s Anaya doing?” Willem asked.
Aeron grinned as Willem approached. “Good.”
Liara, who’d only glanced briefly away from Aeron, said, “I don’t know, maybe I’ll ask Master—”
Having reached them, Willem gave Aeron a quick peck on the lips. He grabbed another brush from the grooming chest and began brushing Anaya as well.
Sharrah saw the exchange and heard Liara stop talking. Turning, she saw the girl had gone pale. “Liara, I didn’t get a chance to tell—”
“I’m late.” Liara stared at Aeron. “I mean, I have to study. I have a test this afternoon.” Without another word, she walked away, rounded the corner of the building, and was gone.
“Must be an important test,” Cheddar remarked. “She looked like she was going to cry.”
Sharrah rolled her eyes. Were all boys completely blind? Letting out an exasperated breath, she said, “Yeah.”
Cheddar walked over to Aeron, Willem, and Anaya.
Jessip murmured, “That’s one of the things I used to hate about him.”
Sharrah, brows furrowed, looked at Jessip. He hated Cheddar?
“Aeron’s so damn likeable. I think I started picking on him because I was jealous. I’ve never been very good with people, not since—well, anyway, it seems to come naturally to Aeron. People just like him. Some, even more than others.”
Okay, maybe not all boys. Sharrah filed away this bit of information. “Poor Liara. Aeron and Willem started going steady a couple of days ago. I knew she fancied him, but I completely forgot to tell her about them. I wonder what I should do. Should I find her now, talk with her?”
Jessip shrugged. “Like I said, I’m not very good at that kind of stuff.”
With the three boys, Anaya’s brushing was finished quickly. Kind of a dragon version of a bath, they brushed her down every two days or so. First with a dandy brush, then, with a body brush. The two kinds of brushes, sort of borrowed from horse use, would do until they could determine if there was a better type for dragons.
As the three lead Anaya back inside, Sharrah turned to Jessip. “Want to join us for breakfast?” Despite his self-deprecating comments, he’d known the real reason Liara was upset. Perhaps there was even more to this former bully than was initially apparent.
“Uh, sure. If you think it’ll be okay?”
“Of course.”
As they walked to the Dining Hall, Cheddar said, “Hey, did any of you see the announcement posted about the nahual Aeron and Millinith examined?”
Willem nodded. “Yeah, I saw it.”
Cheddar smiled, a glint in his eye. “More positive publicity for Aeron and Anaya, for dragons, wouldn’t you say?”
Sharrah frowned. “I wouldn’t call it publicity, exactly, it’s not like it’s an ad for dragons. Lord Baronel and the masters are just keeping people informed about what’s happening.”
Arm around her waist, Cheddar pulled her closer and laughed. “True, but you know what I mean.”
“Speaking of dragons,” Aeron said, “Don’t miss the meeting this afternoon. I have some important news.”
Sharrah couldn’t quite read his expression. He seemed concerned, but not alarmed, and maybe a little excited. What was he going to tell them?
+ + + + +
Morning sunlight burnished the tops of buildings as Gregor walked along the cobbled road on his way to the mail station. He’d left breakfast a little early to give himself time before the shift started at the infirmary.
He didn’t get a letter with every week’s delivery, but he checked just the same. Letters from home had come to mean quite a bit to him. In the years since Dayna’s death, he’d relied more and more on them for a sense of normalcy.
A flash of regret made him
“Do you think he could use some help, caring for her?”
“‘Morning everyone.” “Good morning.” Willem and Cheddar had arrived. Willem continued into the courtyard, while Cheddar stopped next to Sharrah.
“Good morning.” Sharrah smiled at Cheddar.
“How’s Anaya doing?” Willem asked.
Aeron grinned as Willem approached. “Good.”
Liara, who’d only glanced briefly away from Aeron, said, “I don’t know, maybe I’ll ask Master—”
Having reached them, Willem gave Aeron a quick peck on the lips. He grabbed another brush from the grooming chest and began brushing Anaya as well.
Sharrah saw the exchange and heard Liara stop talking. Turning, she saw the girl had gone pale. “Liara, I didn’t get a chance to tell—”
“I’m late.” Liara stared at Aeron. “I mean, I have to study. I have a test this afternoon.” Without another word, she walked away, rounded the corner of the building, and was gone.
“Must be an important test,” Cheddar remarked. “She looked like she was going to cry.”
Sharrah rolled her eyes. Were all boys completely blind? Letting out an exasperated breath, she said, “Yeah.”
Cheddar walked over to Aeron, Willem, and Anaya.
Jessip murmured, “That’s one of the things I used to hate about him.”
Sharrah, brows furrowed, looked at Jessip. He hated Cheddar?
“Aeron’s so damn likeable. I think I started picking on him because I was jealous. I’ve never been very good with people, not since—well, anyway, it seems to come naturally to Aeron. People just like him. Some, even more than others.”
Okay, maybe not all boys. Sharrah filed away this bit of information. “Poor Liara. Aeron and Willem started going steady a couple of days ago. I knew she fancied him, but I completely forgot to tell her about them. I wonder what I should do. Should I find her now, talk with her?”
Jessip shrugged. “Like I said, I’m not very good at that kind of stuff.”
With the three boys, Anaya’s brushing was finished quickly. Kind of a dragon version of a bath, they brushed her down every two days or so. First with a dandy brush, then, with a body brush. The two kinds of brushes, sort of borrowed from horse use, would do until they could determine if there was a better type for dragons.
As the three lead Anaya back inside, Sharrah turned to Jessip. “Want to join us for breakfast?” Despite his self-deprecating comments, he’d known the real reason Liara was upset. Perhaps there was even more to this former bully than was initially apparent.
“Uh, sure. If you think it’ll be okay?”
“Of course.”
As they walked to the Dining Hall, Cheddar said, “Hey, did any of you see the announcement posted about the nahual Aeron and Millinith examined?”
Willem nodded. “Yeah, I saw it.”
Cheddar smiled, a glint in his eye. “More positive publicity for Aeron and Anaya, for dragons, wouldn’t you say?”
Sharrah frowned. “I wouldn’t call it publicity, exactly, it’s not like it’s an ad for dragons. Lord Baronel and the masters are just keeping people informed about what’s happening.”
Arm around her waist, Cheddar pulled her closer and laughed. “True, but you know what I mean.”
“Speaking of dragons,” Aeron said, “Don’t miss the meeting this afternoon. I have some important news.”
Sharrah couldn’t quite read his expression. He seemed concerned, but not alarmed, and maybe a little excited. What was he going to tell them?
+ + + + +
Morning sunlight burnished the tops of buildings as Gregor walked along the cobbled road on his way to the mail station. He’d left breakfast a little early to give himself time before the shift started at the infirmary.
He didn’t get a letter with every week’s delivery, but he checked just the same. Letters from home had come to mean quite a bit to him. In the years since Dayna’s death, he’d relied more and more on them for a sense of normalcy.
A flash of regret made him
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