Azure bonds - Kate Novak [51]
The mare that had thrown him was now out of sight, having galloped around a bend in the country road.
"If it isn't one thing, it's another," Giogi muttered. He began to relate his adventure aloud, rehearsing it for his chums. "First I made a fool of myself at Minda's behest and did that silly imitation of Azoun. This caused the bard's lovely but quite mad sell-sword to attack me with a cake knife. Then Darol seized the opportunity to make himself look like a hero in front of Minda and got himself slashed across the face. Minda positively swooned with admiration when she saw his scar, and she gave the scurrilous cove permission to accompany her carriage to Suzail.
"Naturally, I considered I might play up to Minda's sympathies as well. After all, I was the one the lady in blue tried to assassinate. I'm not completely witless. I knew this was not a good time to visit court. Aunt Doroth is a horrible gossip and just a little too palsy with His Majesty's pet wizard, Vangerdahast. And if Aunt Doroth doesn't let the whole sordid affair leak out, you can bet Darol will find a way to let His Majesty know all about my remarkable impersonation.
"So while everyone is riding off to the capitol, I'm forced to travel back to Immersea, all alone, on horseback. Though I must say that Dimswart fellow was quite decent, putting me up for an extra two days until I recovered from my shock. I left early in the morning, traveling up the road to Waymoot. I was thanking Chauntea for the nice weather when Daisyeye reared up on her hind quarters and galloped up the road, leaving me in the mud."
Suddenly realizing that if he didn't catch Daisyeye in a hurry he'd never reach Waymoot by nightfall and would be forced to stay in some roadside inn, or worse, a farmer's bed, Giogi set off after his mount. He hummed what he called "that catchy little number" written by that Ruskettle woman for Freffie and Gaylyn. Rounding the curve in the road, he noticed a clicking noise.
"Is that you, Daisyeye? You naughty girl. Whatever possessed you to run off like-" Giogioni halted in his tracks, his words constricting in his throat. Very cautiously, he took a step backward, then another.
"Just where do you think you're going?" an imperious voice demanded.
The young Wyvernspur froze, unable to answer the red dragon who had addressed him. Quite aside from the shock of discovering poor Daisyeye serving as the red dragon's entree-quite a shock since there was blood oozing all over the cobblestone, and Daisyeye's eyes remained open in death as though accusing him of something-he couldn't get over the size of the monster. A single one of its paws could block traffic along the road, and Daisyeye looked like a chicken leg next to the beast's maw.
"Well?" the dragon asked.
"I-I-I-"
"Oh dear, a stutterer," the dragon sighed. "Try to relax. The words will come out more easily."
"-don't want to disturb your meal. I'll just be moving on. Don't mind me," Giogioni gasped.
The dragon swished its big russet tail around so that the scaly appendage made a curl about Giogioni, blocking all avenues of escape. "You've been so kind to provide me with lunch," the monster said, swallowing another gobbet of Daisyeye's haunch, "the least I can do is offer you a lift."
"Oh, that's very kind, but I wouldn't want to trouble you any." Giogioni took another step backward.
"Freeze!" the dragon ordered.
Giogioni froze.
"What's your name?"
"Giogioni Wyvernspur. Ah, everyone calls me Giogi."
"How quaint." The dragon sliced off the straps to Daisyeye's saddle with a single claw and shoved it over to Giogioni's feet. "Have a seat."
Giogioni collapsed onto the saddle, feeling a little green. I never realized that such a pretty horse could look so awful with her middle slit open, he thought, reaching down into his saddlebag and pulling out the flask of Rivengut he always kept there. Thank Oghma, he prayed silently, it was more than half