Gloria Oliver (24 page)

Talia stared at the table before her. “She just, she just wanted to tell me I’d been picked for some extra chores.”
Please, don’t ask what they are. Don’t ask.

“What chores?” Yllin stared at her intently.

It took all she possessed not to groan out loud. “I have to take food to the squire and the dragon.”

”
Really
?” Sonsan leaned across the table, her surprise making her eyes wide. A number of the others looked just as amazed.

“Is it safe?” Daltan’s dark eyes gazed at her with worry.

She abruptly realized some of the things which might be going through his mind. “Yes, of course. There’s nothing to worry about.” She tried to give him a reassuring smile.

The boy didn’t look too convinced but said nothing else.

As soon as lunch was served, she dug in, using her need to hurry as an excuse to avoid any other questions. When she finished her meal, she excused herself and made her way toward one of the kitchen’s doors. As she got there, she was almost run down by a woman carrying out a heavy-laden tray.

“Sorry.” Talia opened the door, and made sure to stay out of the way in case anyone else was exiting.

A wave of heat flashed out at her from the inside, even as her eyes drank in the hive of activity within.

Perspiration broke over her brow as she took a tentative step in. The room was large, fully one-third the size of the dining hall. Long tables took up the central portion of the room, each seeming to serve specific functions. Along the walls, cupboards covered every inch. Half were standing open as kitchen staff took things in and out of them.

After staring about for a half minute, she finally found someone who wasn’t rushing off somewhere.

“Excuse me.”

The short, wrinkled woman looked up from where she was filling bowls full of soup from a large cauldron beside her. Looking her up and down, the old woman frowned. “Are you supposed to be here?” she asked her with a thick accent.

Talia nodded, feeling more and more uncomfortable in the humid heat. “Yes, I’m supposed to report to Tula?” she asked hopefully.

“Ah,” the woman said, “she should be somewhere down in that direction.” She pointed off to the far end of the room where large wood-burning stoves covered the back wall. “She’ll be the one standing on the stool glaring at everyone.”

“Thank you.” Nodding in thanks, Talia left her and gingerly made her way deeper into the kitchen, trying not to be trodden on or in the way of those shuffling about. The farther she went the higher the temperature rose. And though the room was filled with mouthwatering scents of breads and cooking meats, the air itself felt heavy in her lungs and was almost stifling.

As she came closer, she spotted the back of a small woman with short-cropped hair standing on top of a stool calling out orders like a general. When she turned to point with a wooden spoon at one of the scullions rushing past, Talia realized she’d seen the woman before. She remembered now—this was the woman who’d brought her and Lareen their meal during her test. Staring at Tula and the others and how they seemed totally unhampered by the raging heat, Talia stepped forward.

“Ma’am?” She was forced to dodge as two men rushed past holding pots full of boiling sauce.

Tula turned on her stool to look down at her. “Ah, I’ve been expecting you.” The harsh expression on her face softened a little, welcoming her. “Everything’s been made ready for you. Come, I’ll show you where everything is.” She jumped off the stool, her movements spry. She stared about her for a moment.

“Teere, take over. I’ll be back in a few.” She led Talia off to the right. “This way.”

Tula walked forward, making no move to dodge those hurtling past her. Cooks and servers parted before her as if an external yet invisible force were moving them out of the way. Talia gratefully followed in her wake. Tula strode out a side door in the kitchen.

Stepping outside was the difference between summer and winter. Talia felt suddenly woozy as the relatively cold air fell around her and leaned against the wall for a moment to steady herself. Tula walked on as if not noticing the radical change. Luckily, she didn’t go far.

“These two barrels are for Clarence. You can use the dolly there to take them to the dormitory.” She looked at the barrels and then at Talia’s small frame. “Do you think you can handle them okay?”

Talia stepped away from the wall to take a look, feeling a little steadier. One barrel was filled to the top with dried corn while the other was filled with oats. Each was almost as tall as she was and three times as wide. She eyed them, suddenly unsure. “I should be able to.”

Tula nodded. “Here, I’ll help you load the first one.” The head cook grabbed the dolly as if it were nothing, and quickly showed her the finer points of loading, unloading, and tipping back the cargo for transport. “The ground’s uneven, so take it slow. When you’re finished, come find me and I’ll show you where to pick up Kel’s meal.”

“Thank you.”

Tula gave her a small smile and then went back indoors. Once she was gone, Talia studied the terrain before her and started off, pulling the dolly behind her. The uneven ground soon made her perspire from something other than heat. A couple of times on the way, the barrel threatened to topple, sending her into a panic to stop it each time. After what felt close to an eternity, she finally made her way across the yard to the entrance of the dragons’ dormitory. Only then did a wave of nervousness sweep through her as she realized she was about to meet someone whose punishment she was at least partially responsible for.

Taking a deep steadying breath, she took herself and the dolly inside.

The interior of the dormitory looked much as it did when she first saw it. Fresh hay covered the floor, and the thick wood pillars holding the roof aloft looked clean. She could see no signs that worms at one time infested the place or that a fire hungrily licked all around it. Magic truly was an amazing thing.

Glancing down the row of stalls, she didn’t see the green dragon. Remembering from her first visit that she’d seen a riding harness on the one at the end, she dragged her burden in that direction. When she reached it, she could see Clarence curled inside it through the slats of the gate, his head tucked beneath a spread wing.

“Excuse me. Lunch is here.” She struggled to drag the dolly out from beneath the barrel.

Clarence’s wing pulled back, and his head rose so his crossed eyes could take a look at her.
Oh. It’s
you
.

She felt her face grow hot at his tone, not sure how to take his words. She tried not to make eye contact. “I, I have another barrel for you. I’ll bring it right over.”

Yes. More corn, surely. Goodie
. He didn’t sound impressed at all.

She almost ran in her hurry to leave. By the time she returned with the second barrel, the first was empty. Without a word, she set the second one down next to the first.

Oh, I see it’s even better than I expected. Oats instead of corn
. The dragon’s disgust was only too clear.

Talia felt more ashamed than ever. “I’m really sorry.” She tried to find something more to say but nothing came.

Clarence’s large head turned away from looking at the barrel.
You shouldn’t be. It wasn’t your fault. It
was Kel’s
. He snorted with the last, sending out two light puffs of smoke through his nostrils.

“But didn’t you help him?” She remembered Kel arguing with the dragon, as if Clarence were resisting him, but still, it’d been the dragon who shot the flames into the cave. It didn’t quite make sense.

Oh, yes, those without the proper knowledge would see it that way, wouldn’t they?
Clarence picked up the barrel of oats with his two forelegs and then leaned back in the hay in his stall with it, looking thoughtful.
You haven’t covered the specifics on the joining, have you?

“The joining?” she asked.

One of Clarence’s eyes riveted itself to her.
Yes, the joining. It’s what happens when a rider and
dragon are paired. A strong link is formed between them through a ritual. It’s supposed to help
them act as one.

“I’m sorry, but I still don’t see—” She stopped, unsure whether she might be pushing too far.

Clarence tipped up the barrel and swallowed a third of the oats. His words flowed undisturbed into her mind.
Though ours may not be a true or whole joining, still, emotions flow from one to the other.

And they can be quite overwhelming at times. I was caught off guard by Kel’s murderous rage. I
wasn’t able to reassert full control until after it was over
.

“Oh.” Caught unawares by Kel’s murderous rage—she shivered. “Do you, do you know why he was so angry?” She was surprised the dragon was explaining himself to her. It didn’t seem to fit with what Lareen said of him. Perhaps it was because he felt as embarrassed and guilty about all this as she did.

Clarence finished the rest of the oats and set the barrel back on her side. His scales rolled along his shoulders, as he seemed to give her the dragon equivalent of a shrug.
It was just the final stroke which
broke the bridge.

Talia frowned, the statement not making much sense to her.

He hasn’t eaten in a while. You might want to hurry so he won’t starve to death
. Clarence lay back down, his long tail coiling about him as he made himself more comfortable.

“Oh.” Realizing what he said was true and that Kel wouldn’t eat until she took food to him, Talia picked up the first of the two barrels with the dolly and went back the way she’d come. She pushed the barrel as fast as she dared back toward the kitchen though her arms were already unhappy about the heavy loads from before. She then rushed back to the dormitory to get the second one and noticed Clarence was back to the tucked position she’d originally found him in. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she picked up the second barrel with the dolly and left.

Gasping by the time she made it back to where the barrels were kept, she propped her cargo beside the first barrel and then set the dolly up against the wall. With a small grimace, she walked over to the door leading back into the kitchen. She opened the door and immersed herself once more in the waves of heat coming from inside. It felt worse to her than the first time.

“Ah, there you are!”

Talia glanced to her left and spotted Tula looking over at her.

“Come, his lunch is getting cold and he hasn’t eaten since yesterday,” Tula said. She waved for her to follow.

Talia nodded and let the head cook lead the way, too tired for anything else. Tula took her to a small table set beside the doors leading out into the dining hall.

“Did you manage okay?” Tula picked up the tray as she spoke, and handed it to her.

She only nodded again.

Tula grinned. “You won’t be short on time today, so it should help. I’m sure you’ll get used to it all soon enough.”

Talia doubted it. The tray in her hands already felt like dead weight to her tired arms.

With precise directions, Tula then told her how she could make her way to the roof and Kel’s quarters.

Talia thanked her, finally getting enough of her strength back to speak.

Making her way out into the dining hall, she saw most of those who’d been there had already cleared out of the room and were taking their walk around the garden. She picked up her pace, and headed for the door leading out of the hall and toward the stairs Tula had told her of.

Following the head cook’s directions, she climbed to the fourth floor and then opened the small door at the top of the landing which hid the narrow stairs leading to the roof.

The top of the school was a huge space. From it, she could see all of the surrounding mountains and the wide-open sky. It was also one of the tallest things Talia had ever stood on. She stepped close to the edge and looked down. After getting a glimpse of the far-off ground and the way it seemed to be calling her down to it, she backed off, no longer curious.

The middle area of the roof sloped upwards in the shape of a giant triangle and held the large, round glass windows she’d seen on her first day. On her right rose the strangely shaped structure holding the school’s tilted clock face. A small door faced her from the side. It was the only door she could see up there.

Suddenly remembering why she was there, she felt her stomach tighten. She forced herself to go on up to the door, and trying not to think on who was on the other side, she knocked on it with her foot and waited for it to be answered. No one came.

Frowning, she balanced the laden tray precariously on one hand and reached out with the other to try the door. It was unlocked. She went ahead and opened it.

The room which greeted her was about the size of her own, if not a little larger. The roof sloped strangely from one end to the other and the walls had no windows. A lone globe illuminated the place, keeping the room in half shadows, though she spotted two others in the room. A small bed was set against the shortest wall. A tub sat against a corner, as did a dresser and a desk. This left the middle of the room bare, except for a large, deep colored carpet and a low table with thick cushions set around it.

Stacked books filled over half the table, and also packed a number of shelves set about the room.

Large tubes and gears were visible through the tallest wall, a part of it carved out and replaced with glass so one could look into the clock’s inner workings. A ledge was set before the window, which adjoined a small stooped door on the right side. It was there where she spotted Kel. His back was to her.

“Just set it down anywhere.” He didn’t glance away from the gears as he spoke. A soft ticking thrum filled the room from the direction of the machinery.

Talia ventured further into the room and walked to the short table. Now that she was closer, she noticed Kel was dressed much the same as he’d been the day before. And though as far as she could tell his hands were now free, the manacles around his ankles were left intact.

“If it’s all right, I’ll, I’ll pick up the dishes when I come back tonight.” She took an involuntary step back as Kel snapped around at the sound of her voice.