Rhiannon - Dragonrider

Chapter Fourty Six - Katie, Daughter of Psionon

"If there is nothing else to discuss then you should change your clothes," Psion said after a few moments.

"I should do what?"

"You need to change that smock. You can hardly stand against Rhiannas whilst wearing the slashed sunrise insignia of the House of Rhian."

"He does have a point," Jenko said cautiously from across the lair. "It would look really odd."

"Right, fine! I can go and hack lumps off him, as long as I'm wearing the right clothes! What do you suggest I wear instead? And before you say it, no, I'm not going to go out there stark naked!"

I secured a selection of your mother's garments," Psion told me patiently, "They are in that wooden chest. Beyond doubt, something... fitting... may be found within."

Jenko went over to the chest and, after rummaging around, held up a plain linen smock that was marked at the cuffs and collar with the Psion Family permanent wave mark. "This'll do fine," he said, bringing it across to me.

"If you insist!" I said with a bit of a sigh. "Could you turn your backs, please, while I change."

"Why?" Psion asked. "I'm a dragon... I have no interest whatsoever in your naked form... and, furthermore, had I the least desire to inspect you, I could do so effortlessly by means of my will."

"Just do it," Jenko said with a laugh. "It's a human female thing. There are some things in this world it's best not to understand!"

I mean... they did turn their backs but Jenko carried on sniggering as I changed. It was such an uncomfortable situation that it took me a while to work out that I was putting on my mother's clothes. I didn't quite know how I felt about that.

I walked over to the glass-fronted cabinet to collect the cuirass. "How does this thing work?" I asked as I gently laid my hand on the lustrous red wood.

"I don't know," Psion answered absently as the cabinet clicked open. "All I do know is that it responds to all true members of the Family of Psion."

"It's probably some sort of illusion," Jenko said casually. "I mean, that's what the Psion Family does, isn't it?"

"You are, of course, correct, young man," he said thoughtfully. "The main strength of the Family has, for generations, lain in the domain of illusion. My very lack of curiosity would point in that direction." He started to mumble as he tried to get his brain round what was going on with the cabinet. "It would, of course, explain why there is no dust..."

I ignored him and took the cuirass out. I uncoupled the shoulder clips and Jenko came across to help.

He picked up the breast and back plates and we lowered the leather harness over my shoulders. Then he tightened up the straps for me.

"Thanks," I said. We both knew what a struggle it was to put your armour on by yourself. "He's not going to be much use for a while." I nodded towards Psion who was still deep in thought and mumbling to himself about illusion vectors. "Do you think that I should be worried that, five minutes before we go into a duel to the death with one of the most powerful dragons in the Edifice, my trusty steed and companion is busy contemplating the workings of a possibly illusionary cabinet?" I fastened the clips at my hips and did up the belt which took most of the weight on my waist.

Jenko smiled and stood back to inspect me. "It looks good!" he said. "How does it feel?"

"It feels okay," I replied, doing a couple of experimental turns and stretches. "In fact..." I added, easing off the belt a notch to better balance the weight, "it feels really good. Much better than Zalibar's tatty old stuff." I stretched round to adjust the seating of the plates on the harness.