Nantli let out a nervous chirp. So anxious was she that the pulsing of her heartbeats came clearly through the link. They were slower than the rapid pace of his, but even so, they were faster than normal.
It wasn’t from all the ferrying of people over, either. Opening that many portals had tired him a bit, but this was not exhaustion, this was something else. He put his hand on her shoulder. Mine beats quickly, too.
“I’m glad I’m not the only nervous one.” Quillan smiled at Nantli and then looked out at the crowds.
Nervous? Chanté wasn’t entirely sure why Quillan felt that way. The machinist was staring at the bleachers on the north side of the track. Most of the rows were filled. The south bleachers, across the track from them, were completely filled. A raised, covered section, in which most of the important visitors sat, rose above those southern seats.
Mayhap it was the sheer number of people here that made Quillan nervous. They certainly made Chanté anxious. He’d never been around so many, not even as Ulth—
“Iced cider, anyone?” One of the guild’s accepted walked in the small gate with a tray of drinks.
“Gods, yes.” Sharrah walked over to him. “It’ll help settle my stomach.”
“Citlali will be fine.” Cheddar grabbed a mug off the tray. “Oh, hey. Did you want to visit the trade fairgrounds after? See what interesting jewelry they have?”
She shrugged. “I doubt they’ll have anything as nice as Trader Delia makes, but sure.”
“Oh.” Quillan turned to Chanté. “Would you like to go, too? We missed their spring trade fair, and I’d like to see if they have anything that I could use. I’d also like to speak to the merchants, see if I can convince some to stock items I have need of.”
Chanté nodded. “Okay. I guess machine engineering uses parts and such not easily obtained out here?”
“Exactly.” Quillan smiled. “Though, if, ah, Nantli would be willing, a portal to Delcimaar or Stronghold would make for a quick and easy purchase trip.”
“We’d be happy to any time.”
“Isn’t it golden how much everyone loves dragons?” Terry’s gaze moved left and right as he followed the cheer from one side of the oval track to the other.
Stomping of feet had been added to the yells. “We love dragons, yes we do! We love dragons, what say you!”
Korrie chuckled and glanced to the north seats. “Yes. Everyone seems to be very excited.”
“I wonder if we should do something like this at Bataan-Mok?” Liara glanced right and then left.
“That’s a good idea,” Gregor said. “People would visit Anaya all the time while she was, ah, being held there, right? I’d wager that a dragon show would be received quite well.”
“Mia and Ikan get a lot of visitors, too.” She nodded her head and grunted. “I’m going to talk with Polandra and the Guildmaster about it, afterwards.”
It begins.
Chanté glanced at Nantli then at the Guildmaster, who was moving.
She walked toward the track, Itzel at her side. There was a short platform, perhaps a foot high, in the middle running lane. She stepped up onto it, raised her arms, and said, “Welcome!”
Chanté blinked. She must be using that voice amplification spell he’d learned in nahual patrol training. He’d never heard anyone speak that loudly, even shouting, and she was not shouting. Her voice was calm, her tone normal, but it carried, filled the entire area.
“Welcome, everyone!”
The chants stopped and the crowds grew quiet.
“I am Guildmaster Millinith of the Dragon Craft Guild.” She turned and gestured. “This is Itzel, my bond-mate.”
The dusty red dragon let out a bark and a few cheers broke out in the bleachers.
“Dragons are golden!” “We love dragons!”
The Guildmaster chuckled at the shouts and continued. “All of us in the Dragon Craft Guild, along with our host, Lord Baronel, wish to welcome you to the Caer Baronel Summer Festival and to the first annual Dragon Show.”
As cheers broke out from almost everywhere, Aeron made his way to the platform. Guildmaster Millinith stepped down, and Aeron took her place.
His voice boomed out. “Hello, everyone!”
The crowds cheered and yelled.
One shout rose above the rest. “Where are the dragons?”
Aeron laughed and raised a hand. “They’ll be here soon. I am Apprentice Dragonlinked Aeron. As part of our training, bond-mates—human and dragon partners—spend a great deal of time learning to fly together. After all those hours of practice, some of us have learned a few techniques beyond our normal flying skills. In fact, even the dragons that aren’t quite old enough to carry their bond-mates have learned some things.” He turned his face upward and unnecessarily shielded his eyes with a hand as he stared up at the sky. The crowds got the hint and looked up, too.
Chanté followed suit. Any moment now . . .
They come.
A line of tiny dots appeared, high in the sky. All the younger dragons flew down toward them, keeping in their rotating formation.
When the crowds spotted them, oohs and ahs along with more cheers broke out.
As the line of young dragons spun closer and closer, concerned murmurs broke out and turned to louder questions as the dragons grew ever larger. When the dragons were very close, outright yells broke out.
“Good gods!” “They’ll hit the ground at this rate!” “Stop!”
There were a few screams just as some in the dragon formation angled off in their assigned cardinal directions, wings booming and thrumming in the air.
More oohs and ahs came from the crowds.
“Golden!” Terry’s excited whisper drew Chanté’s gaze.
The boy looked a bundle of barely contained energy, bouncing on his toes, hands clenched.
Chanté couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s happy eagerness.
Above, the remaining dragons flew their lowering circular spiral, and the others returned. The crowd had fully settled by the time the dragons had reformed in a long line on the other side of the field from the Guildmaster and Aeron.
As the enormous sign was unrolled, cheers began to break out as people figured out what the entire message was. When it was completely unfurled, all the young dragons roared while the two at the ends flamed away.
Chanté grunted. The roar was new. And it was golden.
Nantli let out a happy bark. They did very well!
He smiled. Yes, they did.
Amid loud cheering, the dragons dropped the sign and flew off to their positions for the next part of their routine.
Four people he hadn’t noticed standing across the way grabbed the sign and started rolling it up. There was another show tomorrow and one the day after that, so it would be needed again.
“Sit back, relax, and get ready!” Aeron raised his arms to his sides and turned from one set of bleachers to the other.
With the yells and screams and excitement of the show opening, Chanté had almost forgotten about Aeron.
Gasps came when he slid some sixty feet up into the air like a bow shot. As his rise slowed and the crowd realized that he was going to start falling, there were more concerned yells and a scream.
From behind Chanté, from beyond the trees, Anaya flew in. With an enormous beat of her wings to stop her forward motion, she then hovered below Aeron.
His butt hit the saddle and his voice boomed out. “Enjoy the show!”
Anaya flew them off to the west amid cheers and excited yells, and the young dragons flew back in, starting their next routine.
Quillan chuckled. “Everyone seems to really like it, so far.”
“It seems so.” Much of Chanté’s earlier anxiety had lessened, eased by the happy excitement of the crowds.
“Sharrah?”
He turned and spotted two people, a woman and a large man, standing by the small side gate.
“What are you doing here?” Sharrah walked over to them, Cheddar f
ollowing behind. “This area is for guild members.”
Chanté drew his brows together. Who were they?
From her thoughts, they are her blood-mother and blood-father.
He glanced at Nantli, then back at the woman. I see.
“Aw, honey, I just wanted to see my precious dragonlinked and wish her luck with the show.”
“Mom!” Sharrah’s cheeks turned pink.
Quillan bumped shoulders with him and quietly chuckled. “I always wondered what her parents would be like. She’s so focused, sometimes.”
The man laughed. “Saoirse, you’re embarrassing her.”
“I think we can allow family members,” Guildmaster Millinith said. “There’s plenty of room in the back out of everyone’s way.”
With a little happy sound, the woman quickly opened the gate and stepped in. “We’ll just stand at the back, then. Which one is Citlali, honey?” She looked up at the young dragons performing overhead.
Sharrah covered her face with a hand. “Oh, gods.”
Cheddar chuckled and pointed. “She’s that one there, ma’am. The wine, uh, the plum-colored one.”
“She so pretty!” Saoirse turned to her husband. “Toran, can you see her?”
“Aye. She’s a beauty.”
Sharrah lowered her hand and looked up at the dragons. With a smile, she murmured, “That she is.”
“And yours, Cheddar?” Saoirse searched the sky.
“Which one is yours, son?”
Cheddar’s head whipped around to stare at Toran.
Chanté had no name for all the expressions that crossed the young man’s face, but pride and determination were among them, and what remained when the others had passed was what looked like supreme happiness.
Smiling, Cheddar pointed. “He’s right there, sir. Xoc is the copper fellow.”
“Ah, yes. He’s handsome, too.”
“So,” Liara said as she walked over to them, “you’re Sharrah’s parents?”
You feel a little jealous.
Chanté, cheeks warming, turned to Nantli. What do you mean?
Was your family not like that?
He turned to Sharrah, who was smiling at something her mother said. It was not. In fact, there is very little similarity between living as a human and my life before. I’m a little worried.
Living as a human still worries you?
That’s not—No. Chanté glanced at Quillan and then at the ground. Not at all. Living like a human no longer troubles me.
You really are starting to sound more human.
I am?
You are making as little sense as they sometimes do. The love coming through the link tempered her halting laugh. If living as a human no longer troubles you, why is there cause for worry?
Because it will end some day.
+ + + + +
As he ambled along the sidewalk, Tobin dodged around a merry group of revelers and couldn’t help but smile at their tippled singing. The Summer Festival this year was being embraced by the citizens of Stronghold more than ever before. With all that had happened recently, he could see why they’d want to make the most of the happy atmosphere. And of spirits, wine, ale, and beer.
He continued his walk, heading away from the theater. They would soon be getting word that the top-billed performer for tonight had been in an unfortunate accident, victim of a drunk carriage driver. The supposed broken finger would make it impossible for the poor woman to play the piano. When Tobin returned from lunch, the owner of the theater should just about be losing his sanity trying to find a last-minute replacement of the same caliber. Tobin would pipe up, then, and suggest—
Laughing people bumped into him at the street corner.
“Apologies!” they called over their shoulders.
The pretty young woman, arm in arm with two young men, smiled at him as the three continued down the side-street, laughing and singing. All had the faint blush of intoxication to their cheeks.
Tobin lifted a hand in acknowledgment, chuckled, and resumed his walk to Lord Koen’s manor.
It was unfortunate that Elke and Preeti would miss out on the festival. They’d left this morning and were on the way to his mother-in-law’s home. Elke had protested when he first suggested it two days ago, but, thankfully, she’d come around. They would be safe there. With the strange way Cadoc and Lord Koen had been acting the last few weeks, he didn’t want to take any chances.
If he made it through this, then maybe next year they’d enjoy a Summer Festival together wherever they ended up. It wasn’t likely there’d be a magi-works show like the one later on here along the river just after sunset. The way the sorcerous shapes and patterns reflected on the water made the light show all the more dramatic. Perhaps there would be something similar they’d get to enjoy. Again, though, that was if he made it through this.
As of right now, he wasn’t entirely certain he would. Tobin frowned. Maybe he should just leave, meet up with them. A fast horse might be able to catch up to them within a day or so.
His growling stomach interrupted his thoughts, and he picked up his pace. He’d think more about it after lunch. What would Johnathan have fixed for the meal? It wouldn’t be what the chefs had been prepared for Lord Koen, obviously, but the lunch for the staff was always delicious.
After taking a different circuitous route through narrow alleys, through buildings, and through any convenient crowds he could find—all in the interest of shaking anyone that might be following—he finally arrived at the manor.
On his way to the stairs down to the servant’s area, he was stopped by the junior butler.
“Excuse me, sir. Lord Koen is looking for you.”
“He is?” Tobin raised his brows.
“Yes, sir. If you would come with me and join him for lunch?”
Tobin hesitated. Why would Lord Koen invite him to a meal?
“Sir?”
“Sorry.” Tobin shook his head. “Please, lead the way.”
As he followed along, he thought on why Lord Koen would do such a thing. Was it a bribe to ensure he continued with the plan? A kind of apology for Astin’s death? That seemed a bit much for someone like Lord Koen, however.
Before he realized it, they were at the dining room. The junior butler stopped at the side of the doors and opened one, indicating with his other arm and hand that he should enter.
When Tobin stepped in, all thoughts as to Lord Koen’s reason for the invitation flew from his mind. He stood frozen, staring at those seated around the end of the table.
“Ah, Tobin. Welcome!” Lord Koen spread his arms wide, then gestured to the empty chair across the table from Elke. “Please, join us.”
“Tobin.” Elke smiled at him. “You really had me going with your talk of visiting my mother.”
He couldn’t breathe. Each beat of his heart was a tight, painful clenching in his chest. How could this be? They were in a stagecoach on the way to—
“You had us pack so we could spend the weekend here!”
He swallowed—difficult with a dry throat.
Cadoc, sitting across from Preeti, turned to him, a faint smile on his lips.
Tobin made his way to the chair on unsteady legs and sat. Cadoc was on the left, and Lord Koen, seated at the end of the table, was on the right.
Across the table, Elke looked so happy. Her large smile was reflected in her eyes. Where had she gotten that dress? It was beautiful.
Preeti, to her right, stared at him. She also wore a beautiful dress, but her eyes were not smiling. Somehow, she knew exactly what was happening. “This place is amazing, Uncle Tobin. I only wish my friends Coatl and Fillion could have come, too.”
What was she talking about? Those names sounded vaguely familiar, but Preeti had no friends that he could recall.
She stared at him with a look as if she were trying to impart something to him by the sheer power of her gaze. “I’m so excited, my heart pounding in my chest feels like a dragon beating its wings in there.”
Tobin drew his brows together. What was she—?
Lord Koen cleared his throat. “After recent events I thought it might be nice to give you some nice memories of the summer, Preeti. Gorgeous gowns, lunch here at the estate, and later,” he glanced at Tobin, “after my performance, a very nice view of the magi-works display at the river far from the rabble.” He turned to Elke and smiled. “Then we’ll return here for a lovely dinner.”
She smiled back. “It sounds wonderful.”
“Tobin thought it a splendid idea,” Cadoc said.
Unable to even force a smile, he merely stared at Elke.
Doors opened and lunch was wheeled in.
The meal proceeded with him not noticing anything that passed his lips—food, drink, or word. Automatic responses and motions must have got him through, because the next time he actually saw what was before him, his hand held a small porcelain cup of coffee.
He stared at it a moment, unsure how it got there, then took a sip. With a frown, he set the cool drink down.
“Unfortunately, Tobin must return to work,” Lord Koen said, a sympathetic and wholly false smile on his face, “or he could join us in the salon for the piano performance.”
Tobin stood so quickly, the chair made a loud sound as it was shoved back. “Y–Yes. There are many things to attend to before tonight’s festival performances.”
“We’ll see you soon.” Cadoc eyed him with that sinister little curve to his lips.
“See you this evening, Tobin.” Elke’s smile nearly broke his heart.
“Take care, Uncle.”
He stared at Preeti. Was her slight emphasis of that word evidence of her disgust that they were related? If so, he couldn’t blame her.
Chest tight, Tobin quickly turned and left. He had to get away, get out of that room, out of this manse, and into the open air. Maybe then he could breathe properly.
As he made his way down the hallways, he noticed people he’d never seen before about the place. Not many, one or two here and there, but as he passed, they all eyed him with a blank expression as if examining a bug and finding it uninteresting. And all of them, even the smaller ones, exuded sheer confidence. Confidence that they could squash him like a boring little ant.
Of Gods, Trees, and a Sapling: Dragonlinked Chronicles Volume 4 Page 79
