[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
record everything."
"Do you draw?" Kell's eyes were huge, watching the dragons.
"I do. And write a little. Songs. Poetry. Child's play." They were his father's words.
"Songs? Really? I love songs."
He nodded. "I think the dragons would make excellent song subjects. Although it seems
they have their own songs."
Kell nodded. "They do, but you could sing new songs..."
"I would sing about how fearsome they are. And how magical." He gave Kell a soft
smile. "I'm scared," he whispered. "That they'll send me away."
"No. No, I don't think they will. I don't think they can. You belong here."
"You re so sure. You were sure about belonging with Gerri, too, about what to do for
him."
Kell nodded. "Yes. I know."
"I envy that."
"It's just who I am. Just like you are who you are."
Any answer he might have made was forestalled by the dragons' attention returning to
him, their discussions obliviously ended. "You are a puzzle, Velen not of the city. You
will stay with us until we have solved you."
"W...with you?"
Kell squeezed his fingers as the largest dragon nodded. "Here. With us. The answer will
come."
"You will be safe," Sord told him. "The dragons will keep you safe and warm and guide
you through your journey."
"Can I stay with Rafon and Gerri?" he asked the large dragons, feeling so small and quiet
beside them.
"No. With us! With the council. It is a great honor."
"Of course." He knew that, despite the fact he was scared of what would become of him,
he knew that.
The great dragon reached for him, her hand cool and strong, drawing him close.
He felt calmer as he put his tiny hand into her enormous claw and he gasped softly. This
was the right course of action. He didn't know how he knew, but now that he was drawn
close into the heart of the council, he simply knew.
***
Sord didn't want to leave Velen on his own with the Dragon Council; after all, Velen was
his responsibility and he felt he should stay with him. Of course when he suggested it,
Rafon put his head to the side and said it was his choice and turned to go and Sord was
not going to leave Rafon again any time soon, so he dutifully trotted after him.
"Come on, Kell. The dragons will care for him."
"But..." Kell looked torn, worried, maybe a little scared.
"Can you hear Gerri calling for you?" Sord asked. Rafon had insisted Gerri stay behind
and list everything they would need for the celebration.
Those dark eyes seemed to clear, the worry fading at the mention of Gerri' name. Oh, the
strength of a new bond. Chuckling, he took Kell's hand and together they trotted after
Rafon. Kell's happy laughter just rang through the air, the sound calling for Gerri.
Sord fully expected to find the young dragon running to meet them, but Gerri was
obviously on his best behavior for his father, waiting patiently at the cave where they
made their home. Kell hurried into Gerri' arms, the dragonlet crowing, curling around
Kell's body. Sord watched, smiling and then laughing as his own dragon wrapped around
him, the great tail drawing him against the solid chest.
Rafon's cheek slid again his own, the action a mixture of grooming and loving him.
"Is your brush nearby, Rafon?" He had not brushed Rafon's scales in too long.
"Oh. Brushing. Brushing. Kell? You haven't brushed me."
"Brushed you?" Kell looked completely confused.
Rafon chuckled. "You will learn what brushing means. It is a sacred thing between
keeper and dragon. The brushes are in the cave, Sord." Rafon was already sprawled out
on the ground, ready to accept his due of bliss.
Laughing, Sord took Kell's hand. "Come with me. We'll get the brushes."
"Sord? They don't have hair..." Kell followed, warm against him.
"No, but there are these large spiny brushes that we use on their scales. You haven't seen
anything until you've seen a dragon drooling in bliss."
Kell's giggle made him grin. "Drooling dragons?"
He laughed himself, nodding and grinning and putting an arm around Kell. "It's a very
special magic. Gerri has never had it done for him -- only a keeper brushes his dragon."
"What if Gerri doesn't like it?"
Sord laughed so hard he had to sit down. When he finally caught his breath again, he
hauled himself up and petted Kell on the shoulder. "He'll like it."
Kell poked his belly, grinning. "You're laughing at me. You... you big... gavi bird!"
"I can't be a bird -- I can't fly."
He fetched the brushes, giving a couple different sizes to Kell. "I've just never seen a
dragon who didn't love it."
Kell looked the brushes over. "So you just brush like its hair?"
"That and sort of... scrubbing, like it was a pot? And then the softer ones you can use to
clean at the seams, where they join? Save that for last."
"O...okay. You'll help me, right? Tell me if I do it wrong? I don't want to hurt him."
He gave Kell a quick hug. "I'm not sure you can hurt him with just brushes, unless you hit
him across the snout with it, and you may watch me with Rafon if you wish, but it's an
instinctual thing. I think you'll do well as soon as you try."
"Oh. Okay." He got a hug back and then Kell was following him out into the sunshine.
Still grinning, he led the way to where Rafon waited for him.
***
Brushing.
Brushing.
Oh. Oh, he'd waited forever.
For EVER.
He'd watched every other dragon in the whole clearing get brushed but him.
Of course, he had been brave.
Strong.
Sure.
And gone to get Kell from the ugly city.
Now it was his turn.
He vibrated, waiting for Kell and Sord to come ON. Out of the cave.
Come on come on come on.
Finally they came out of the cave.
Finally.
And they were walking so slowly, Sord talking to Kell and gesturing with the brushes in
his hands.
He called for Kell with all his heart. Come on. Come on. Hurry. Hurry. Want to feel!
Both Keepers hurried, steps speeding. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
record everything."
"Do you draw?" Kell's eyes were huge, watching the dragons.
"I do. And write a little. Songs. Poetry. Child's play." They were his father's words.
"Songs? Really? I love songs."
He nodded. "I think the dragons would make excellent song subjects. Although it seems
they have their own songs."
Kell nodded. "They do, but you could sing new songs..."
"I would sing about how fearsome they are. And how magical." He gave Kell a soft
smile. "I'm scared," he whispered. "That they'll send me away."
"No. No, I don't think they will. I don't think they can. You belong here."
"You re so sure. You were sure about belonging with Gerri, too, about what to do for
him."
Kell nodded. "Yes. I know."
"I envy that."
"It's just who I am. Just like you are who you are."
Any answer he might have made was forestalled by the dragons' attention returning to
him, their discussions obliviously ended. "You are a puzzle, Velen not of the city. You
will stay with us until we have solved you."
"W...with you?"
Kell squeezed his fingers as the largest dragon nodded. "Here. With us. The answer will
come."
"You will be safe," Sord told him. "The dragons will keep you safe and warm and guide
you through your journey."
"Can I stay with Rafon and Gerri?" he asked the large dragons, feeling so small and quiet
beside them.
"No. With us! With the council. It is a great honor."
"Of course." He knew that, despite the fact he was scared of what would become of him,
he knew that.
The great dragon reached for him, her hand cool and strong, drawing him close.
He felt calmer as he put his tiny hand into her enormous claw and he gasped softly. This
was the right course of action. He didn't know how he knew, but now that he was drawn
close into the heart of the council, he simply knew.
***
Sord didn't want to leave Velen on his own with the Dragon Council; after all, Velen was
his responsibility and he felt he should stay with him. Of course when he suggested it,
Rafon put his head to the side and said it was his choice and turned to go and Sord was
not going to leave Rafon again any time soon, so he dutifully trotted after him.
"Come on, Kell. The dragons will care for him."
"But..." Kell looked torn, worried, maybe a little scared.
"Can you hear Gerri calling for you?" Sord asked. Rafon had insisted Gerri stay behind
and list everything they would need for the celebration.
Those dark eyes seemed to clear, the worry fading at the mention of Gerri' name. Oh, the
strength of a new bond. Chuckling, he took Kell's hand and together they trotted after
Rafon. Kell's happy laughter just rang through the air, the sound calling for Gerri.
Sord fully expected to find the young dragon running to meet them, but Gerri was
obviously on his best behavior for his father, waiting patiently at the cave where they
made their home. Kell hurried into Gerri' arms, the dragonlet crowing, curling around
Kell's body. Sord watched, smiling and then laughing as his own dragon wrapped around
him, the great tail drawing him against the solid chest.
Rafon's cheek slid again his own, the action a mixture of grooming and loving him.
"Is your brush nearby, Rafon?" He had not brushed Rafon's scales in too long.
"Oh. Brushing. Brushing. Kell? You haven't brushed me."
"Brushed you?" Kell looked completely confused.
Rafon chuckled. "You will learn what brushing means. It is a sacred thing between
keeper and dragon. The brushes are in the cave, Sord." Rafon was already sprawled out
on the ground, ready to accept his due of bliss.
Laughing, Sord took Kell's hand. "Come with me. We'll get the brushes."
"Sord? They don't have hair..." Kell followed, warm against him.
"No, but there are these large spiny brushes that we use on their scales. You haven't seen
anything until you've seen a dragon drooling in bliss."
Kell's giggle made him grin. "Drooling dragons?"
He laughed himself, nodding and grinning and putting an arm around Kell. "It's a very
special magic. Gerri has never had it done for him -- only a keeper brushes his dragon."
"What if Gerri doesn't like it?"
Sord laughed so hard he had to sit down. When he finally caught his breath again, he
hauled himself up and petted Kell on the shoulder. "He'll like it."
Kell poked his belly, grinning. "You're laughing at me. You... you big... gavi bird!"
"I can't be a bird -- I can't fly."
He fetched the brushes, giving a couple different sizes to Kell. "I've just never seen a
dragon who didn't love it."
Kell looked the brushes over. "So you just brush like its hair?"
"That and sort of... scrubbing, like it was a pot? And then the softer ones you can use to
clean at the seams, where they join? Save that for last."
"O...okay. You'll help me, right? Tell me if I do it wrong? I don't want to hurt him."
He gave Kell a quick hug. "I'm not sure you can hurt him with just brushes, unless you hit
him across the snout with it, and you may watch me with Rafon if you wish, but it's an
instinctual thing. I think you'll do well as soon as you try."
"Oh. Okay." He got a hug back and then Kell was following him out into the sunshine.
Still grinning, he led the way to where Rafon waited for him.
***
Brushing.
Brushing.
Oh. Oh, he'd waited forever.
For EVER.
He'd watched every other dragon in the whole clearing get brushed but him.
Of course, he had been brave.
Strong.
Sure.
And gone to get Kell from the ugly city.
Now it was his turn.
He vibrated, waiting for Kell and Sord to come ON. Out of the cave.
Come on come on come on.
Finally they came out of the cave.
Finally.
And they were walking so slowly, Sord talking to Kell and gesturing with the brushes in
his hands.
He called for Kell with all his heart. Come on. Come on. Hurry. Hurry. Want to feel!
Both Keepers hurried, steps speeding. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]