DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [92]
Sittiponder carefully removed his arm from Ahnek’s hold. “I am not as helpless as you would think.”
“Of course not,” Ahnek said quickly. “But wouldn’t it be convenient for you to have a servant?” A big grin spread across his face. “I’d like that if I were you. Bet you’ve never had someone at your beck and call. Sounds good, huh?”
Bardon knew something of Sittiponder’s history as a street urchin who told stories in exchange for food. He almost laughed at the irony of one boy being servant to the other. But the dignity exhibited by both lads kept him from so much as smiling.
“You shall both come,” he said, “and you shall both do chores that fall to you. Sittiponder, go to each dragon and determine who is the best mount for you. Ahnek, accompany him. You will ride with him on whomever he chooses.”
Sittiponder chose the largest of the dragons. Named Frost, the blue purple major dragon had wings with a silver shimmer over his sapphire hide. Silver also edged each purple scale. Small blue stones and silver beads adorned his black leather saddle and straps.
“You’ve chosen well,” said Bardon. “He’s muscular enough to carry the triple saddle and supplies.”
“He’s magnificent, Sitti,” Ahnek said after describing Frost in detail. “Why did you pick him?”
“He’s the only one who talked to me.”
“He did?” Ahnek’s mouth hung open. “You mean like mindspeaking? Talking back and forth in your head without words?”
A small smile slipped into place on the gentle tumanhofer’s face. “There are words, but I hear them in my thoughts, not with my ears. I hear voices a lot. It used to scare me when I was little, but someone told me about Wulder, and from then on, I could tell which voices were good and which were bad. I learned to shield myself from the bad voices.”
“For true? What did the bad voices say?”
Sittiponder laughed. “Do you know that hardly anyone ever asks me what the good voices say?”
Ahnek rolled his eyes. “Well, what do the good voices say?”
“They tell me the secrets of the universe.”
“Secrets?”
Sittiponder nodded.
“Are you allowed to share the secrets? Say, with someone who is your personal servant and does all sorts of things to make your life more easy?”
Sittiponder’s smile twisted at one corner of his mouth. “I suppose…if I knew such a person. I don’t know such a person yet. Someone who has actually been of service and not just talked about it.”
“Do you have a parcel I could fetch for you?”
“No.”
“Are you thirsty? hungry? Can I get you something?”
“No.”
Ahnek’s shoulders drooped. “This isn’t going to be easy.”
Bardon laughed. “You boys better get on board. Ahnek, Sittiponder has never ridden a dragon. You will need to describe the way to climb up, and give him a hand.”
“Right!” said the young o’rant. “This way, then.” He put his hand on Sittiponder’s elbow and steered him to Frost’s hind leg. He stopped, a look of confusion washing over his features.
“Squire Bardon?”
“Yes, Ahnek?”
“The thing is, I haven’t ever ridden a dragon myself.” He scratched his head. “I don’t suppose you could show us the way up.”
“I’d be glad to.” Bardon stepped closer to the boys. “First, since this is a dragon you are only briefly acquainted with, the proper etiquette would be to go to his head and ask permission to board.”
“I’ll do that,” said Sittiponder. He moved away from Ahnek and walked deliberately along the reclining dragon’s side, directly to Frost’s head. Frost looked at the lad solemnly, and his head bobbed. Sittiponder grinned.
He came back to Bardon and Ahnek. “He thought it was funny when I asked if it would be too much extra weight to carry us. He said we were like fleas on a dog, to climb up, and he’d appreciate it if we didn’t bite.”
Bardon showed them how to mount the dragon and explained the triple seat. One