DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [21]
Was that barn so far away when Hoddack brought me down here? And I don’t remember there being a hill between the two barns. He put one foot in front of the other. And I don’t remember the hill being this steep. Oh, what a gift it would be to have Kale’s healing dragon, Gymn, right now.
Hoddack glared at him as he counted out the five hundred grood, but he also handed him a bottle of liniment. Bardon tucked the large gold coins into his pocket and carried the bottle on the long walk back to the inn. I wonder if the bonus of a bottle of liniment means Hoddack’s taken a “likin’” to me.
Lanterns of lightrock illuminated the darkened streets by the time Bardon entered the inn. He asked for his traveling companions, and the sturdy marione innkeeper ushered him to a private parlor.
“What happened to you?” N’Rae sprang to her feet and came to greet him. “You’re filthy.”
“And in pain,” added Granny Kye. “Innkeeper Nald, bring up a tub and hot water to the young man’s room. And a good, hot meal.”
“For you two ladies, as well, or just the young man?” asked the tumanhofer.
“I think we’re all ready to eat,” answered Granny Kye.
The innkeeper bowed. “I can have a meal here in a trice. The gentleman can eat while his bath is prepared.” Nald backed out of the room as he spoke, then closed the door.
N’Rae tugged at Bardon’s sleeve. “What have you been doing?”
“Breaking a kindia for a marione named Hoddack. I earned five hundred grood. There are five more of the beasts waiting. By the end of the week, we should have three thousand grood, enough to get us started.”
N’Rae frowned. “How did you break this kindia?”
“The usual way. I sat on her until she decided I wasn’t a danger to her.”
“How long did that take?”
“A little more than eight hours.”
A knock on the door announced dinner. N’Rae opened the door, and several servants brought in trays of food and drink. They laid the food out on the table and left. N’Rae brought out Jue Seeno’s basket and set up the minneken’s tiny table and chair so she could eat with them. Granny Kye prepared a medicinal tea for Bardon’s aches.
Bardon hesitated to sit with the ladies.
N’Rae, sitting next to the minneken, giggled. “Mistress Seeno says you may be sweat and grime all over, but you labored for us, so you may sit at the table.”
Bardon nodded to the imperious little matron and sat. He enjoyed the delicious food, and the minneken decided to regale them with tales of the Isle of Kye. The squire relaxed. The tea eased his discomfort. The food filled his stomach. And the company was pleasant, not taxing his poor social skills. He noticed N’Rae held her tongue and wore a pensive expression.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as they ate crisp lemon daggarts for dessert.
“Nothing,” she answered.
“You’re thinking about something.”
She blushed. “I would like to go with you tomorrow.”
“To Hoddack’s?”
She nodded.
“Whatever for? Watching a kindia being broken may be exciting for the first fifteen minutes, but from there on out, it’s just repetitions of the same thing, over and over. You’d be bored. And it’s hot and dusty, and there’s nothing but a railing to sit on.”
With her eyes downcast, N’Rae whispered, “I may be able to help.”
Help. Did she say help?
Bardon looked to Granny Kye. The old emerlindian nodded with a twinkle lighting her brown eyes. The squire looked at Mistress Seeno.
The minneken lifted her chin. “She does have one talent. But when she saw through the chicken’s eyes, I told her just what I thought of such an ability.”
“Saw through chicken eyes?” Bardon asked as he turned back to N’Rae.
She looked up, met his eyes, and looked down. “I can communicate with most animals.” She darted a glance at Jue Seeno. “The chicken didn’t have any thoughts, but I could see exactly what she saw. It was interesting.”
“But useless!” exclaimed the minneken.
“Yes,” agreed N’Rae, “useless.”
Granny Kye scooted her chair away from the table. “Taking the child with you may yield unexpected results. She can always come back to the inn if nothing comes of it.”
N’Rae now looked at