Энн Маккефри - Dragon’s Kin

“She’s just a girl!” a gruff old voice exclaimed as M’tal led her into a large, echoey room. A younger voice—that of a girl Nuella judged to be younger than Renna—giggled nervously. Nuella made a note to ask everyone’s age beforehand next time. If there was a next time.

She paused, taking a deep breath. She could smell a fire burning on the hearth and turned her head slightly toward its warmth. A pleasant scent, not perfume but a nice soap, came from where the girl’s voice had originated. A sharper, woodsy smell came just faintly from her right, away from the fire.

Nuella turned toward it. “You must be Renilan,” she said, letting go of M’tal’s arm and raising her right hand in greeting.

She heard the old man’s sharp gasp and figured that he was still a meter distant. Then she heard him walk slowly toward her and felt his gnarled hand grasp hers firmly.

“My wife lost the use of her eyes three Turns before she passed on,” he told her softly. He sighed. “She had the most beautiful eyes. Like yours, lass.”

Nuella smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’ve a pretty smile, too,” he added.

“And I’m stubborn,” she told him.

“I think you must be,” Renilan agreed. “And I can tell by the way you said it that you’ve been told that I’m stubborn, too.” He gripped her hand tighter. “My Lord Holder asked me to meet you. He said you could teach me what Lord J’lantir couldn’t. How to talk to my Resk, here.”

Nuella shook your head. “I can’t teach you that,” she said. “All I can do is help you learn it. If you’re willing to do that, then the next time there’s an emergency at your cothold, you’ll be able to get Resk to call for help. From dragons.”

She heard the surprised gasps of the two youngsters on the other side of her and knew that they were drinking in every word.

“Ah, that’d be a good trick indeed, lass,” Renilan said. “If it could be done. But I’ve tried already with Lord J’lantir—tried for nearly a month, and the only thing I’ve got to show for it is a bare larder and hungry wee ones to feed.”

Nuella nodded in understanding. “Could you introduce me to your watch-wher, please?”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, lass,” Ranilan said with a trace of nervousness in his voice. “Resk and I are well bonded and he’s not one for strangers. I’d hate it if he bit you or anything.”

Nuella stepped around the older man and toward the sound of the watch-wher, her right hand held out, palm up.

“Lolanth, would you ask Resk if I could greet him?” she said out loud. She heard a surprised snort from the watch-wher and then a quieter chirp.

“Resk, my name is Nuella,” she said in soft, soothing tones, still walking slowly toward the sound of the watch-wher. “You just heard Lolanth, J’lantir’s dragon. He’s a nice dragon, I just rode in on him. He’s a relative of yours from back in ancient times. He’s a very friendly dragon. He wants to help. He helps like you do. I know you can hear him. Can he hear you? I can teach you how to talk to him. I can teach you and Renilan how to call to the dragons. Would you like that?”

Warm, moist air blew softly across her outstretched palm. Nuella moved her hand up, slowly, to touch the hard hide of the old watch-wher. Resk started and moved back, but Nuella waited patiently. Slowly, she heard him return. Presently she felt his hot breath on her palm again.

Concentrating on calm thoughts, she stood still, trying to get a feel for the old watch-wher.

After a moment, she turned back to Renilan. “May I touch him?”

“I don’t see why you’re asking me, lass,” the old man said with a snort. “You’re practically touching him now.”

“Manners,” Nuella replied tartly.

Renilan let out a bellow. “Ha! Put me right in my place, you did!” he said, still laughing. “Very well, on your head be it. At least you seem to know what you’re doing.”

“Thank you,” Nuella said. “But could you please tell Resk that it’s okay?”

Renilan sobered up. “Ah, I see what you mean. Good one, lass.” To his watch-wher he said, “Resk, let the lass touch you, there’s a good lad.”

“I just want to get a feel of you, Resk,” Nuella said calmly. “You can feel me, too, if you wish.” Slowly she raised her hand to follow the line of his jaw and up toward his neck. She felt the watch-wher’s shock and alarm, and his growing calm as she moved her hands down his neck. She stopped.

“Are you itchy? Can I rub your eyeridges? The dragons love that, you know.” She stretched her senses until she felt that the watch-wher had acquiesced. “Okay, let me do that now.”

Slowly she reached up and scratched the watch-wher’s left eyeridge. After a moment the watch-wher lowered his head so that she could reach more easily. Nuella kept scratching.

“That’s a good lad,” she crooned.

Resk turned his snout toward her and butted her with it. Nuella laughed. Resk gave a sweet chirp and butted her again. Then Nuella felt the watch-wher’s slivery tongue slide along the line of her jaw and he gave another happy chirp.

“I don’t believe it!” Renilan exclaimed.

“It’s just the salt on my skin,” Nuella said, turning her head to the old man.

“Ha!” Renilan snorted. “If that were so, I’ve much saltier skin than yours—he’d be slobbering all over me.”

She giggled. “Then you might try washing more.”

The two holder children gasped at her cheekiness, but Renilan just guffawed. “Washing!” he said between laughs. “Oh, I’ll try that for sure.”

Nuella heard him walk over to her and felt him clap her on the shoulder. “You’re a good one, lass,” he said approvingly. “You’re a good one.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said, reaching up to pat Resk again. “I hope you’ll still say that when I’m done.”

“Weelll... let’s say that I’m willing to listen,” he admitted.

Nuella shook her head. “Listening is not enough,” she said firmly. “Learning is.”

She heard poorly stifled groans from the children behind her. She turned to them and smiled. “Lord Darel, Lady Erla, M’tal tells me that you work with the Hold’s watch-wher, Lemosk. Is that right?”

“Yes,” Erla admitted after a moment’s hesitation and some whispered consultation with her older brother.

“Well, I don’t think that you can learn all that much without Lemosk here,” she said. “And it seems to be awfully late. Would you prefer me to teach you another day?”

“I’m not tired,” Lord Darel insisted over his yawn.

“Very well,” Nuella said tactfully. “However, I think I should work with Renilan and Resk first, so that they can get back to their people, don’t you?”

“Yes,” the two youngsters said in chorus.

Nuella smiled. “Great. You can watch if you like,” she told them. “But there won’t be all that much to see. In fact, the first thing we’ll do is close our eyes. I’d like you and Renilan to close your eyes and turn toward the fire in the hearth. Can you do that?”

She heard Renilan’s stubborn hiss and turned to him with a smile and an inquiring look. The old man sighed reluctantly. “There. Now what?”

“What do you see?” Nuella asked. “No, don’t open your eyes. With your eyes closed, what do you see?”

“I don’t see anything,” Erla said crossly.

“Really? Don’t scrunch your eyes, my Lady, just close them, like you’re asleep.”

“It’s lighter toward the fire,” Darel reported.

“What color is it?” Nuella asked. “Is it gray or some color?”

“Sort of orangey-red,” Erla said. “And I can feel the heat on my face.”

“Very good,” Nuella said encouragingly. “Renilan, how about you?”