DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [22]
“Why not?” he said, wanting to please her. “I can’t see that it could do any harm.”
8
A FINE TALENT
The next morning, N’Rae hovered close to Bardon’s side as they walked through the bustling streets of Norst. Her expressive eyes displayed many emotions—fear, awe, and dismay chief among them. The squire kept her hand in the crook of his elbow and patted it reassuringly whenever she flinched at the noise and confusion surrounding them.
“Have you never been in a city before?” he asked.
“This one.” She leaned close to him rather than yell over the noise. “But we came in the middle of the night, went straight to the tavern, and left through the gateway.”
“That certainly didn’t give you much time to get acquainted.” Bardon swung his hand in front of him, indicating the people and shops along the street. “This is a very nice city—clean, prosperous, and populated by mostly genteel individuals. Some cities are much uglier, both in appearance and in the way people behave.”
“I don’t think I want to go to one of those.”
“N’Rae, you will learn that a quest, by its very nature, generally takes you to a lot of places you would rather not go.”
N’Rae stopped short and pulled her hand away from his light grasp. “You think I’m pretty stupid, don’t you?”
Oh, great! I didn’t mean to be so condescending. It’s a trait Kale tried to hammer out of me. And Sir Dar. And Grand Dost. And Scribe Moran. Now, I’ve offended N’Rae. He considered her indignant expression. How do I get out of this? Apologize or explain? Or both? “Not stupid, inexperienced.”
Her hands went up to rest on her hips in tight fists. Her mouth flattened into a stubborn line. “I have plenty of experience, just not in the things you seem to deem important.” She glowered at him. “How many babies have you seen born? I helped my mother deliver babies when I was six. Not high race babies, of course. But Mother said ropma babies arrived in the same manner as an o’rant or a doneel or any of the others.”
Bardon spoke in a calm voice. “You’re right, N’Rae. I have never been at the birthing of a baby. I’ve seen a litter of kittens born. Does that count for anything?”
“Not much.” She still glared. “And I can forage and keep myself alive in the wilderness.”
“Now, I can do that.” Bardon smiled, trying to get past her anger. “I’m sure we will be very useful to each other as we trek across Amara.”
“I know medicinal plants and how to use them.”
“I only know a few of the most common ones.”
N’Rae relaxed a bit at that remark. “I can hide, and I can track.”
“Again, very useful.”
“Are you patronizing me? Mother always said patronizing the ropma was rude, even if they were like little children.”
“Not in the least. It’s good to know in which areas I will be able to depend on you.”
She studied his face for a moment, as if trying to read his true feelings. Bardon’s years of keeping his expression neutral served him well with this prickly young emerlindian.
She looked away. “And I have very acute hearing.”
“Probably developed by conversing with Mistress Seeno.”
Her head whipped back so she could see his face. After only a glance, a twinkle came to her eyes, and she laughed. Smiling broadly, Bardon took her hand and tucked it back in the crook of his arm. They walked out of the market district, through a well-kept residential area, and into the country. Hoddack’s farm was only a mile out of Norst on the road to the sea.
Less than an hour later, they bypassed the larger barn near the farmhouse and went directly to the expansive paddock where the five young kindias still grazed.
N’Rae glanced at the animals and at the sod that the angry kindia had churned up with its hooves the day before.
“May I see the animal that did this?”
“I should think it would be all right. Her name is Mig. Follow me.”
The dark, cool barn smelled of hay and saddle soap. Only a faint, earthy odor of animals rose from