Blood of Dragons

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Summer

It had begun rather formally as afternoon tea in the captain’s stateroom on the Paragon. But by the end of the first hour, it had become mugs of coffee on the foredeck of the liveship, with the figurehead fully involved in the conversation. Tarman was moored alongside Paragon at the docks of Trehaug. Alise wondered if the two ships communicated on a level that excluded humans but decided it would be rude to ask. It seemed decades since she had last been aboard Paragon. She looked back at her memory of the journey to the Rain Wilds and recalled her awkward conversation with the ship and with Althea and Brashen Trell. She laughed to herself, but no one remarked on it, for Paragon was in the middle of a lively tirade against the indignity of transporting chickens and sheep.

‘And I wish Tarman well with the nasty creatures. Worse than seagulls for squawking and mess on the decks.’

‘Perhaps so, but our boy is going to miss them,’ Brashen observed.

‘I think he’ll miss the fresh eggs more than he’ll miss the messes he’s had to clean up,’ Althea countered, laughing. She stood up and leaned to see past the deckhouse. ‘He and Clef have just about finished transferring the stock to Tarman’s deck. So we have perhaps ten more minutes of adult conversation before you are inundated with questions about the dragons and the One Day War.’

‘We’ll be happy to answer them as best as we can. Not that we were there for any of it. And if we are to believe what every dragon told us of it, then each one was personally responsible for the fall of the city and the death of the Duke.’

‘And the rise of a duchess,’ Althea added. ‘We’ve had bird messages from Selden, but they are not very satisfactory. We have only the bones of his tale, and each time he writes we learn a bit more, but he also tells us that still he cannot come home just yet. That there are still things he must “settle” there in Kelsingra.’ Her emphasis on the word ‘settle’ made it clear that she thought there was more going on than her nephew had confided. She looked from Alise to Leftrin, perhaps seeking confirmation or gossip.

Leftrin spoke hastily. ‘Your youngster looks like he knows his way around a deck. When you think he’s ready to try a term under a different captain, he’d be welcome aboard Tarman. Things are a bit more rustic and he’d be sleeping in the deckhouse with the crew, but I’d be glad to foster him for a trip or two.’

Brashen and Althea exchanged a look, but it was not the boy’s mother who said, ‘Not quite old enough yet. But I’ll take you up on that offer when he is. I know he’d like to see his aunt and uncle soon. Not to mention his cousin Ephron.’ Brashen smiled as he attempted to change the subject. ‘When do you think Malta and Reyn might be bringing the baby downriver for a visit?’

‘You’d take Boy-o off my decks?’ Paragon was appalled.

‘Only for a short time, ship. I know he’s yours as much as ours,’ Brashen replied placatingly. ‘But a slightly wider circle of experience wouldn’t hurt him.’

‘Hmph.’ The figurehead crossed his arms on his carved chest. His mouth went to a flat line. ‘Perhaps when Ephron is old enough to take his place here for a time. An exchange of hostages, as it were.’

Brashen rolled his eyes at them. ‘He’s in a mood today,’ he said in a low voice.

‘I am not in a mood! Merely pointing out that you are a liveship family, and that you should think well before letting one of our own go off on another liveship, with no guarantees that he will be returned. Ideally, the exchange should be a member of Tarman’s family.’ He turned his gaze to Leftrin and Alise. ‘Do you expect to breed soon?’

Leftrin choked on his tea.

‘Not that I’m aware,’ Alise replied demurely.

‘A pity. It might be productive for you just now.’ Paragon was politely enthused.

‘Can we please just not?’ Althea asked him, almost sharply. ‘It’s bad enough to have you offering Brashen and me your helpful insights into productive breeding without you extending your wisdom to our guests.’

Alise could not tell if Brashen were embarrassed or red from suppressing laughter.

‘It was Tarman’s suggestion that they might find such information helpful, as so far they have enjoyed breeding, but fruitlessly. That’s all.’ Paragon was unflustered.

Brashen cleared his throat suddenly. ‘Well, speaking of hostages—’

‘Were we?’ his ship interjected curiously.

‘We were. Speaking of hostages, how did all that work out? There were rumours in Bingtown, but we left to go south to pick up your stock, and then returned right up the river. So we haven’t heard much of that.’