Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [104]
“More daggarts?”
He nodded vigorously.
Ellie laughed. “Yes, one more for each of you. When Bealomondore gets here, we’ll go to the library. We always have full meals there.” She frowned. “I thought you were provided with plenty to eat as long as you obey the curfew and go to bed when the sun goes down.”
Toady wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “There is plenty, but sometimes Yawn has a big hunger and takes food from the smaller children.” Her face twisted in disgust. “Today he took my food right out of my hand. Two of his boys held Grim, and Grim got one right in the face.”
“Got one?”
Grim made a fist and slammed it into the flat of his other hand.
Horrified, Ellie noticed a slight bruise on the boy’s cheek. She’d thought it was a smudge of dirt. No words came to her mind. What could she say about such bullying? Worse, what could she do? Nothing. The children needed manners, instruction, and uncompromising adult guidance.
Ellie held out the daggarts. Then she snatched them back as the two ruffians lurched for them.
She would start with the children she had within her reach. “I am going to give you these. There’s no reason for you to grab them.” She looked the children in the eye. “Reach for them slowly, take them politely, and say thank you before you put them in your mouths.”
Grim rolled his eyes, but he took the daggart gently, said thank you, then looked at her with questioning eyes. She nodded. He crammed it in his mouth. Toady giggled.
Cinder let go of Porky, pushed past him, and inserted his own grubby body between Ellie and Grim. “Don’t give ’em all to him. He’s probably a snitch. Gonna tell Yawn where we are so’s Yawn’ll leave him alone for a while.”
Toady turned big eyes to her companion, then squinted as she looked mean at Cinder. “How’s he gonna snitch if he’s sitting here?”
“When he leaves.”
Around the cake, Grim declared, “I ain’t leaving.”
Cinder shouldered Grim hard enough to knock him over.
“Enough,” said Ellie sternly. “We will all go to the library as soon as Bealomondore and Tak get back with the wagon.”
“You’ve got a wagon?” asked Grim.
“Yes.”
“What are we going to use the wagon for?” asked Toady.
Cinder gestured with his thumb, indicating Porky. “Him.”
“Ain’t he dead yet?” asked Grim.
“Nope.” Cinder grinned, enjoying being the one who could tell what happened. “The little dragons saved him, brought him back from the darkworld, healed him almost properly, ’cept he hasn’t woke up yet. He could still be addled. Don’t know that yet.”
Grim sniffed and pointed with his chin to the minor dragons. “Them’s ain’t stuffed?”
Soosahn hissed from her lookout post on a stack of furniture.
Grim scrunched his head between his shoulders and looked up, spotting the minor dragon for the first time. “They’re all over the place.” He came out of his defensive posture and put on an arrogant grin. “Just birds.”
Toady glowered. “How can you be so dumb? Do you see feathers? You don’t see feathers, do you? No feathers, not a bird. I believe Cinder. These are dragons. And they’ll eat your innards when you go to sleep if you don’t treat ’em right whiles you’re awake.”
“Hush now,” said Ellie. “Someone’s coming.”
“Tak and the wagon?” asked Soo-tie.
Soosahn made a series of chittering noises.
Ellie motioned for the children to scatter. “Soosahn says hide. You’d better do as she says.”
The children dodged behind the boxes and big furniture. Ellie moved to sit beside the one child who could not move. Determined to protect Porky from whoever entered the building, she took a loose chair leg and tucked it under the edge of her skirt.
Yawn stepped between two towers of chairs. Ellie sighed at the sight of his tough expression. She reminded herself that he was a little boy, just like her brothers. But he was a little boy who had bullied his way to the top of the heap of uncivilized monsters. He needed someone bigger, stronger, kinder, wiser, and more stubborn to guide him out of this trap he’d forged for himself. Surely he wasn’t happy being the top dog. His face certainly didn