DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [102]
“Yes, I was.”
Now that’s not very polite.
Regidor grinned. Bardon responded with a laugh, and the two young friends embraced, pounding each other on their backs. Regidor was more than a foot taller than the squire.
“You overgrown lizard,” exclaimed Bardon. “What have you been up to? And I have a hundred questions to ask you about those in the bog. Did you finish your apprenticeship? Are you a wizard?”
“I am,” said Regidor. “Best pupil Fenworth has ever trained.”
“I bet!”
“Well, considering Fen slept through most of my instruction and Cam Ayronn and Librettowit taught me most of what I know, it is an amazing feat. Of course, the venerable Wizard Fenworth is capable of any task.”
A sudden thought struck Bardon as odd. Greer had not told him of the arrival of another major dragon. “Regidor, how did you get here?”
“Sir Dar—”
“No, no. Physically, how did you get here?”
“I floated in on a stiff breeze.”
Bardon looked at his friend’s serious face for a moment. The expression was almost too serious, as if he were trying to hide an emotion.
No, he couldn’t have. But… “You flew?”
Regidor’s green eyes gleamed, and he silently nodded.
The squire gasped. “I didn’t know it was possible.”
“There is very little known about the meech, including whether or not they fly. I figured I had the wings, so I would give it a try.”
“And?”
“And I fell off successively higher platforms until I eventually got the coordination down right.”
“Ouch!” Bardon laughed. “Are you joining our quest?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me introduce you to our party.”
The riders stepped aside so Bardon could lead Regidor to Granny Kye and N’Rae.
“Granny Kye,” said the squire in his most formal tones, “may I present Regidor.”
The meech dragon bowed, and the emerlindian granny curtsied. He took her hand and kissed it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Granny Kye. I admire the wisdom of your people.”
“Oh w-well,” Granny Kye stuttered, “you see…well, I kind of missed out…on the wisdom. Took my mother forever just to teach me to tie my shoes.”
“That would seem to be a problem of dexterity, not discernment.”
Granny Kye took back her hand and propped her chin on it. “Yes, I see your point, but I’m not sure they would.” She shook her head. “No, that doesn’t make sense at all. Now my fingers are much more clever than I am. I paint, you see.”
Regidor nodded his long head solemnly. “Yes, painting requires dexterity.”
“Bardon, you will unravel this knot for me at a later time, I trust.”
Oh yes.
“And this is her granddaughter, N’Rae.” Bardon gestured toward the pale emerlindian. “It is her father we seek to rescue.”
Regidor bowed. N’Rae curtsied.
“Charmed,” said the meech dragon.
The emerlindian girl giggled.
“A beauty.”
Don’t.
“Don’t what?”
Dally.
“Why not?”
She innocently captures men’s hearts and then doesn’t know what to do with them.
Bardon cleared his throat. “I’ll introduce you to the guard Sir Dar sent to accompany us. Captain Anton will want his riders to get back to their duties.”
The captain and his riders were loath to return to camp. None of them had met a meech dragon or knew anyone who had. But their military training won out, so they took their curiosity and returned to camp.
Bardon moved to the next member of their questing party.
“Bromptotterpindosset, this is Regidor.” He turned to the meech. “Regidor, our mapmaker friend reads and speaks meech.”
Regidor’s eyes grew wide. “A rare accomplishment. I do not speak the language of my heritage. I would be honored if you would instruct me.”
“Gladly.” The tumanhofer beamed with pleasure at such a prospect.
“May I ask, where did you learn meech?”
“On the vast continent of Punipmats, there is a thriving colony of meech in a hard-to-reach area surrounded by tropical forest.”
The two would have continued their discussion, but Bardon interrupted.
“We have four more members of our party.” He took Regidor’s elbow and turned him to face the marione.
“Holt Hoddack is…a riding-animal expert.”
As the two exchanged conventional greetings, Regidor snickered in Bardon’s thoughts. “This