Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [57]
“We only took what we needed, like a hunter takes the life of an animal only if he needs the meat for his family.”
“Or if the animal is a marauder who does harm and can’t be reasoned with.”
He paused for a moment. “Oh dear, I think you’ve hit on the only reason for war.” He kissed her forehead. “Let’s go. This conversation has gone too deep.”
He picked up the stack of linens and walked away. Ellie put her hand lightly to her brow as if she might tarnish the warm spot left by Bealomondore’s kiss. A smile broke out on her face, and she brought her hand down to cover her mouth. She gave herself a shake and willed composure. She would enjoy the long walk to the library. She had an excellent companion.
Ellie stood beside the loaded wagon. She still would have liked to bring some eggs but recognized that they would not survive the journey. That irritated her, and the fact that Bealomondore had on that sword as if they might run into crazed vagabonds instead of six-year-old children also pinched her patience. Laddin landed on her shoulder, and she felt a rush of contentment.
Ah! So that was it. The healing dragon informed her that although she looked physically fit, her core still suffered from fatigue, both from the injury and from the body’s work getting well. She eyed her tumanhofer friend again and didn’t feel quite as snappy anymore. He worked hard to keep her comfortable and out of harm’s way. He’d be pulling this wagon all the way back to the library.
“Maa,” said Tak.
Ellie raised her eyebrows. “Is there a harness in that shed?”
Bealomondore looked from the wagon to the goat to the shed. “Not a harness that would fit Tak. Does he pull a cart at home?”
“Most definitely. My father does not believe in having animals for pets. So I had to train Tak to pull the goat cart or give him up. It would be convenient to have Tak help.”
Bealomondore rubbed his chin. “I could go look in the barn where the chickens are. That place seemed to have just about everything.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Leaving the daggarts and diaries in the wagon, Ellie, Bealomondore, and Tak made the short trek to the mansion. The chickens squawked their disapproval at strangers poking around their outbuildings. Ellie found harnesses for a pony trap. Bealomondore found much larger leather straps that must have been for a very big carriage. Tak stood beside one of the empty stalls, watching their every move. Occasionally he bleated, sounding impatient with their efforts.
“I guess we will have to pull the wagon ourselves,” said Ellie when they’d looked through each small shack and the barn.
Bealomondore slapped his hands against each other, knocking off some of the dirt and straw that clung to them. “Rigging a harness to the wagon might have been difficult anyway.”
“Let’s go,” Ellie gestured to Tak for him to follow.
The goat lowered his head and stayed where he was.
“Oh no,” said Ellie. “Don’t go all goaty on me. Just come on.”
Tak turned his head away in his typical I’m-ignoring-you pose. Ellie started toward him, but he leaped in the air and darted into the empty stall.
“There is nothing for you here. No button grain. No nannies to impress.” She followed him into the boxed enclosure. “Bealomondore?”
“Coming.”
He stood behind her and laughed. In a dark corner of the stall, a red harness with bell trimming hung on a hook.
“That’s what I think it is, isn’t it?” He put his hand on her shoulder.
“Yes.” Her face warmed. The goat had shown her up many times before, so it wasn’t his antics that caused her to blush. The desire to lean back just enough for her back to rest against Bealomondore’s chest did a lot to make her uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in a very pleasant way. She cleared her throat. “Well, let’s see if we can figure out a way to hitch it to the wagon.”
Bealomondore took a basket down from where it hung on the wall and stuffed it with old hay.
Ellie grinned. “Eggs?”
He winked at her. “It can’t hurt to try to take some back to the library.”
It took them only a few minutes