Fire Dragon - Katharine Kerr [134]
“Fellow citizens!” Werda called out. “Listen to me, if it pleases you.”
The crowd began to hush itself in a murmur like sighs. When most had fallen silent, Werda continued.
“I have spoken to this dragon. She does have words, she be no mindless beast. She may therefore be reasoned with, and truly, she did assure me that she wishes none of us the slightest harm.”
The crowd nodded, murmuring in some relief among themselves. Jahdo stood on tiptoe to whisper to Dallandra.
“Then Arzosah does lie a little bit,” the boy said. “We all do know she'd gobble Raena down if the gods did but give her a chance.”
“True spoken,” Dallandra whispered. “But we don't need to tell anyone that right now.”
Werda held up her silver-touched staff again, and the crowd once again fell silent.
“Go now about the business of your day,” Werda called out, “as I shall do with mine. Fear not! If you wish, come greet her and hear her speak with your own ears.”
Many of the townsfolk called out their thanks; others clapped or waved. Slowly, talking among themselves, they began to scatter across the plaza or head back to the downhill path. Since no one seemed to be taking Werda's offer to come meet the dragon, Dallandra and Jahdo hurried over to pay their respects to the Spirit Talker, who with Niffa's help was clambering down from the rocks. Arzosah waddled up the last few feet to the plaza as well. As always Dallandra marvelled at how awkward she was on the ground in contrast to her ease and beauty in the air.
“Dalla!” Rhodry called out. “All's well on our end. How have things been going here?”
“Quiet so far, and my thanks to every god for that.” “Quiet be a lovely thing, truly.” Werda joined them.
“You must be Dallandra. Young Niffa has told me many a pleasant thing about you.”
“My thanks, then,” Dallandra said. “And I'm truly glad to meet you. There's rather a lot we need to discuss.”
Werda's house stood just downhill from the plaza at the end of a path made of wooden steps, some way from the ruined temple and right beside a little shrine to the gods of the lake. To talk in privacy Werda took Dallandra and Niffa into her house, but Jahdo stayed outside with Rhodry and of course the dragon, who would never have managed to squeeze herself inside even if she had been invited. The shrine itself was a simple thing: four stone pillars held up a wood roof that sheltered a roughly worked block of stone. Bunches of yellow wildflowers lay on this plain altar, and a scatter of little green stones. In front of the shrine stood a wood bench. Jahdo and Rhodry sat there, while Arzosah spread herself out on the cobbles to take the sun.
“Where's Dar and his men?” Rhodry said.
“Camped down by the lake,” Jahdo said. “I did see Princess Carra this morning, and she did tell me that the prince be powerful eager to leave here and go back to the grasslands.”
“No doubt. But I think me we'd all best stay till this matter of the alliance is settled. If the Horsekin take Cerr Cawnen, it'll be so much the worse for Deverry.”
“I'd not thought of that. I—wait. Here comes Verrarc, and we'd best hold our tongues around him.”
With a forced smile Councilman Verrarc came striding up to them. He hadn't slept very well, apparently; the dark shadows under his eyes stood out against the pale of his skin.
“Good morrow, Jahdo,” he said. “I did wish to thank you for those splendid tales you told last night.”
“Well, my thanks. I did feel as if I were stumbling over my own tongue by the end of it, and my throat be a bit sore this morning.”
“No doubt.”
“And yet I've not told you all of it,” Jahdo went on. “I do feel that there be much I've forgotten, or mayhap knew not the meaning of.”
Verrarc stepped back with a toss of his head, then forced out a smile.
“All in good time, no doubt.” The councilman glanced at Rhodry. “We've not met, good sir.”
“So we've not,” Rhodry said. “My name is Rhodry from Aberwyn.”
“And I be Verrarc, councilman