Fire Dragon - Katharine Kerr [121]
He saw no horses, no riders, no raven, even though he spent a long time searching, crisscrossing back and forth over the meadows. Although he wondered if perhaps Arzosah had lied to him, he knew that Rhodry never would have done so. It was more likely that Shaetano had come to rescue his so-called priestess and her men and lead them back to the physical world by some devious route. He would simply have to search until he found it—and hope that it lay in a different part of the physical plane than the spot where he'd just set Dallandra down.
Riding through the dweomer mist had indeed brought Dallandra and her band of travellers to a place free of
Horsekin. They found themselves ambling west on a dirt road that ran between two fields of pale green grain, rippling in a soft wind. At some distance off to the south stood a blocky square farmhouse with a steep peaked roof. Dallandra could hear a dog barking, faint on the wind. Jahdo turned in the saddle toward Dallandra, but she could see he was having trouble speaking, caught twixt laughter and sobs.
“Oh my lady! It be true! This be the very road that does lead to my city.”
“Splendid!”
“But I did think of somewhat. Rori and the dragon. They mayn't land on the streets or suchlike. Everything be too narrow and crowded.”
“That's an excellent point. What shall we do with them?”
“There be an open space of sorts on Citadel. If we might fetch them down, I can tell them.”
Eventually Dallandra did get the dragon's attention by rising in her stirrups and yelling like a madwoman. Arzosah flapped her wings in answer, sheared off, and glided down some distance ahead. When the rest of the expedition caught up with her, Rhodry dismounted to stand in the dusty road.
“I thought I'd best not land where those farmers could see me,” Arzosah said.
“True spoken,” Dallandra said. “Jahdo's been thinking ahead to the problem of where you might stay in Cerr Cawnen.”
“A good question indeed.” Arzosah swung her head Jahdo's way. “You're very astute for a hatchling, I must say.”
“My thanks, my lady,” Jahdo said. “Now, when you do fly over our town, in the middle of the lake there be an island. Round the west side of that island there be ruins, these big blocks of stone, all tumbled and broken. But there be trees there, too, and you'll not be far from the plaza, where be a well of sweet water.”
“Sounds like a good choice, then,” Rhodry joined in. “What we'll do is this, if it passes muster with you, Dalla. I think you'd best prepare the town for our coming, like, and so we'd best not turn up till the morrow morning. I'll take some provisions and a blanket and suchlike before we fly off again.”
“I think you're right,” Dallandra said. “Jahdo, tell me, what will your fellow citizens think about a dragon?”
“Oh, we do see them now and again. They come to steal cattle—”
“I wouldn't call it stealing,” Arzosah broke in. “More like a tribute to the beauty of dragons.”
“The ones who own the cows, they do live in ignorance of your beauty.” Jahdo paused to smile at her. “Be that as it may, there be our fire mountain, too, for their resting place. Never before did I know the liking of great wyrms for fire mountains, but now that I do, it does explain why we see them round here.”
“So, then,” Dallandra said, “they'll not panic or suchlike?”
“Oh well now, we be a hard folk to panic. But truly, it be one thing to see a great wyrm fly past, another to have her land amongst you. But the spot I did tell about, it does lie out of the sight of most of the town.”
“Sounds better and better, then,” Rhodry said. “Let's be on our way. You don't want to be caught outside the walls tonight, if there are Horsekin prowling around.”
Once Rhodry had taken the supplies he needed, he and the dragon flew off, veering away from the road due north. As she watched them disappear into a vastness of sky, Dallandra felt a sudden sadness touch her, as if she were seeing him leave her for the last time. You always knew we'd part, she reminded herself. She shook the feeling off and turned to Jahdo.
“Lead on!” she said. “How far