The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [126]
"Precisely, sir."
Giogi covered the spur with his napkin. The very idea of transforming into something else, even out-of-doors, where there was plenty of room, frightened him. It would be awful, he thought, having wings instead of arms and a horrible stinging tail, loaded with poison, and scales all over one's body. How could Cole have done it?
"Pardon me, Mother Lleddew," Olive asked. "But you said you traveled with Giogi's great-grandmother. She didn't happen to use the spur as well?"
"Yes, she did. That's the beginning of the tale. Lady Eswip's father was Lord Gould the Third. He'd used the spur himself, but he had no son and Lady Eswip proved to be the guardian's favorite. She married her Cousin Bender Wyvernspur, who inherited the family title from his Uncle Gould. They had two sons, Grever and Fortney, and a daughter, Dorath. The guardian didn't care for the boys. She chose Dorath as her favorite."
"Dorath, I take it, did not reciprocate her affection," Olive guessed.
"No," the priestess said, shaking her head. "Eswip died in combat when Dorath was still a young girl. Dorath resented the loss of her mother. Years later, the season Dorath was introduced at court, some haughty fools snubbed her. They called her the beast's daughter. When His Majesty heard about it, he had the idiots banned-Rhigaerd was always sensitive to a pretty girl's tears-but the damage had already been done. No matter that twelve generations of Wyvernspurs before her had won the crown's gratitude protecting Cormyr as wyverns. Dorath perceived the spur's powers as something vulgar and depraved and, of course, the reason her mother had died."
"That's why she didn't want anyone to know about them," Giogi said. "Why the story of the spur passed out of the Wyvernspur family."
"Worse than that," the priestess said, "that's why she never married. She struggled for years to resist the guardian's call to use the spur. It was not easy. She believed the "curse" as she called it, would be passed down to one of her children, like lycanthropy, so she swore to have no children. I could not convince her of her folly. We argued, and she stopped visiting the House of the Lady. She said my advice was tainted because of my were-nature. It must have come as a tremendous blow to her when she learned that the guardian took her Nephew Cole as the next favorite. She blamed the guardian for Cole's death, and Drone for helping the guardian."
Mother Lleddew rose from the table. "I've told you all I know. I must be getting back to the temple."
"Alone? But won't it be dangerous?" Giogi objected.
"The Shard should have finished clearing away all the undead by now," the priestess said.
"Flattery could return and drop some more from that cloud," Giogi pointed out.
The priestess shook her head. "Flattery will waste no more energy on me. It is you he fears. You have the spur, you can wield its power, and now I have told you that he murdered your father. Now you know that your father would have destroyed Flattery with the spur if the wizard had not cheated in combat."
"So Giogi stands a chance, too," Olive said.
Mother Lleddew nodded. "Remember, though, that Cole was a tried and experienced fighter in the wyvern shape. I would not suggest issuing a challenge without practice."
Giogioni had no comment about fighting Flattery as a wyvern. The idea left him numb.
"I must leave now, Giogioni," Mother Lleddew insisted. "I have a memorial service to prepare for your uncle. Selune smile upon you."
Giogi snapped out of his daze and rose to his feet. He scooped up the spur and escorted the priestess from the room. Thomas followed.
"Well, well," Olive said when the dining room door had closed behind them.
"Mistress Ruskettle," Cat said, with a challenging tone to her voice, "there are still some things I don't quite understand."
"I'll do my best to explain them to you," Olive offered helpfully, secretly praying to Tymora that