The Draykon Series (1-3)

Orlind: Chapter Twelve

Llandry hoped the owners had been evacuated rather than killed. Someday they might return to reclaim what had once been a neat, comfortable dwelling halfway up the trunk of a medium-sized glissenwol tree. Most of the walls were still intact, though parts of the ceiling had fallen in.

'We need to go down,' she told him. 'Avane can't fly, and there aren't stairs.' That thought made her frown. 'Wait. How did you and Mags get up here?'

'Never mind that,' he said impatiently. 'Who is Avane, and why can't she fly?'

'She's another draykon-human, and she's from Glour.'

'So I suppose she's also blind.'

'No. Limbane gave her glasses.'

'You and the blond fellow can bring her up.'

'Ori,' she sighed. 'All right, we'll try.'

Luckily, Avane wasn't much taller than Llandry herself, and she wasn't heavy. She suffered the indignity of being hauled up the glissenwol trunk in silence. Llan hoped they hadn't hurt her on the way.

Rheas stared at the three of them in silence. 'And,' he said after a while, 'why have you brought me these people?'

'Grandfather,' Llandry said, already losing her patience, 'we're here to learn whatever you've got to teach us. You'll have noticed there's a problem still raging on out there.'

'I agreed to help, not to teach a ragtaggle bunch of beginners.'

Ori stiffened in annoyance at that. He'd gone almost all the way through summoner training before he'd had to go into hiding, and he was very talented. Avane, on the other hand, was truly a beginner at everything but sorcery, and she felt her lack of experience sorely. As usual, Rheas was ruining the hopes and spirits of everyone around him.

'If you could do it by yourself, why haven't you already?' Llandry said coldly.

Rheas's lips stretched in a thin smile. 'It takes time.'

'It'll take less time if five of us are working on it.'

Mags appeared behind Rheas, laid a gentle hand on his arm and stretched up to whisper something in his ear. Whatever it was didn't improve his temper, but it did change his mind.

'Fine,' he growled.

Mags's only response to Llandry's questioning look was a comfortable smile.

'Start with you,' Rheas said, pointing at Llandry. 'Fetch your friend.'

She blinked. 'Which friend?'

'The one with the fur,' he said, speaking insultingly slowly.

Oh... he meant Sigwide. The orting was asleep in his carry-pouch again, but he roused quickly enough when she lifted him out.

Food? he said.

Not yet. Later.

Disappointed, he twisted in her grip and she set him down on the floor.

'No!' Rheas barked. 'Pick him up. You'll need some contact.'

She gathered Siggy up again.

Rheas glared at her. 'I can't understand why you need to be taught,' he grumbled. 'You're on the edge of it already but apparently you need to be nursed through these things.'

That stung, but Llandry stiffened her resolve to avoid a fight.

'Rheas,' Mags said in her gentle way.

His eyes flicked toward her, and back to Llandry. 'Fact is, you can only get so far with ordering them around. Got to make yourself the same. Then you can get them to do anything.'