The White Road - Lynn Flewelling [44]
"What?" Alec mumbled, already half asleep.
"This is the first time I've ever had a lover in this bed. I feel a bit wicked."
Alec snorted softly. "Don't you always?"
CHAPTER 10
Snowbirds
TO ALEC'S SURPRISE, and Seregil's too, Seregil was summoned to Adzriel's chamber to meet with the clan elders the next morning. Adzriel had the authority to bring Sebrahn here, but she'd chosen to meet with the elders, as well, and fully apprise them of the situation. Seregil was part of the council. Alec and Sebrahn would be called in later.
Left to his own devices, Alec decided to do a bit of exploring, since Adzriel had kept her promise and not shut them up in their room; he fingered the bedroom key lying in his pocket like a talisman. Alec deeply appreciated the risk she was taking, both for herself and her clan, knowing what she did about Sebrahn's powers.
The clan house had seemed like a maze last night, and it was no different in daylight. Since he had no particular destination in mind, he just wandered around with Sebrahn, meeting a few people and finding a kitchen and several large halls. At last they found themselves on a long covered porch that overlooked the lake.
It had snowed again last night and the mountain air was biting cold, but it was a fine day. Too fine to stay indoors. Hoping he could find his way back, he hurried with Sebrahn back to his room. Mydri had found a warmer coat for him than the one he'd been given in Gedre, sheepskin with the fleece on the inside, and a hat to match. They were bulky but warm, like the garments he and his father had worn. She'd given him mittens, as well, knit in intricate patterns of green and white yarn. There was a fleece coat for Sebrahn, too, and mittens that he wouldn't keep on his hands any more than he would keep shoes on unless Alec tied them tightly, as he had today; no matter how Alec tried to explain the rhekaro's lack of needs, women were always fussing over him, and it wouldn't help anyone to accept Sebrahn's strangeness to see him walking barefoot in snow.
He did manage to find the porch again, though through a different door. Here, little bells tinkled overhead, hung from the eaves. Their clappers were tied to long cards that spun in the breeze, bearing prayers and wishes in elegant 'faie script. Seregil had put one up this morning. Its card read simply, WISDOM.
There were chairs here and there along the porch, and benches built into the wooden railings. It was easy to imagine a crowd out here on a summer's eve, enjoying the bells as they watched the sun set over the mountains, painting the lake with gold. The lake was silver-grey today, and frozen along the shoreline. Out in the middle wild geese and ducks bobbed among the whitecaps, diving for their breakfast.
He chose a chair and propped his feet up on the rail. Sebrahn immediately took his place on Alec's lap. A lone raven called from the forest, followed by the bright trill of a willow tit. Sparrows, doves, and a little green bird he'd forgotten the name of pecked at the crusts scattered on the ground for them. A few tiny brown dragons scuttled among them, too, and more scrambled and chirped for the red and yellow boiled millet and honeyed milk set out just for them. Several fluttered up to perch on Sebrahn and Alec's hands. Sebrahn patted them, and one curled up in the rhekaro's lap and went to sleep. Alec shook his head, smiling. Maybe Sebrahn was a "dragon friend," like the man Seregil had mentioned?
There were more dragonlings here in the mountains than at Sarikali, according to Kheeta, and it certainly appeared to be true. He spotted several in the rafters overhead, and more perched on the railings and chairs. It was for that reason that no one in Bokthersa kept cats. He hadn't seen any in Sarikali, either, though cats were common enough in Gedre. Now that he thought about it, he'd never seen a dragon in Gedre.
The fingerlings didn't