Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)

29: Taniel

At the gate to the tavern yard, I rested against the top rail, both my mind and body bruised.

I tried to remember if my window was unlatched. I supposed Father would come looking for me to see if I had found the bracelet. Losing it had to be connected to my sudden dragonspeech which, in turn, explained my father's odd behaviour. He should have told me.

But, I kept secrets, too. It was going to hurt Father when I told him I was leaving, and why, but I was not going to give up my dragon dream just because the going got too hard.

Perhaps I did not need to mention betrothing another dragonrider. Offer up a half-truth. Tell Father that a sea dragon spoke to me. No, that would not do.

If Jarryd arrived to claim me, I would look an idiot.

I wished I knew what had happened to my dragonrider's dragon. Perhaps I had over-reacted and not all was as bad as I had imagined. I searched my mindpath for the dragon's presence.

Rufus, I know you are there, I feel you ... please...

Despite a stronger connection, he did not answer. Frustrated, I stared north-west. Why would they be there when Jarryd's home lay south? If I sensed the dragon, then Rufus should hear me.

Rufus?

The dragon must have reasons for not responding.

I sighed. Straightening, I checked the windows for watchers. I shut the gate behind me and brushed loose dirt and leaf litter from my clothes. I ran my fingers through my tangled hair.

My gut knotted.

Any day now, a wizard would come. Jarryd promised to look after me. He must return. Maybe it would take a little longer, what with something nasty happening to Rufus and all. Of course, he would find his way to Skerby by other means.

Relief suffused me. I need not talk to Father about leaving until then.

A laugh interrupted my reverie.

I found myself motionless, one hand still on the gate and the other twisted in my curls.

Erin, framed in the window of Father's den, smiled at me and shook her head. "You're wanted in here, Taniel, when you're ready." The curtain billowed out as she spoke, sticking to the rough sandstone.

I could not see into the room.

A wizard might be in there, right now.

I forced my feet to the back door. Muted voices and muffled laughter meandered from the common room. I tried to act as if I was not watching Erin watch me.

Could she be a spy for Eighalh?

She came looking for work not long before Jarryd arrived. She was always watching me and trying to be my friend. Were the two new people in my life coincidence?

Erin moved out of sight.

Stifling a scream, I fell on to my backside. I had walked into the edge of the open door.

After darting a sideways glance at the den window, I scrambled to my feet, grateful my stupidity had gone unseen. I fingered my forehead.

Great, another bruise, more blood loss.

I shoved the brick aside, fending off a big blowfly lured by fresh blood. The door slammed behind me. I sidled along the wall, listening for others in the den with Father and Erin.

I stood outside the door, reluctant to enter. A scolding for lost possessions and undone tasks would be preferable to a waiting wizard.

The door opened and Erin backed out, still speaking. "You're her father, Hanrey, you probably know best."

They were talking about me.

"You're hurt," she said. Her pale eyes flicked over my face and, before I could react, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it against my cut.

"Don't." I recoiled, leaving a smear of blood on the cloth in Erin's hand. My wound trickled. "You made it bleed more."

"Sorry." More gently, she dabbed again.

"Leave it alone." I pushed her hand away and shoved past her.

Father rose from his chair, face full of concern. He walked around the desk and brushed my hair aside to examine my forehead. "It looks fine, lass." He kissed the top of my head before returning to his seat. "Erin won't have time to do the suppers tonight," he said. "And you'll have to clean the dining room, too. Your aunt is delivering the Herrick's' firstborn. It'll take all night."

I could not go upstairs with suppers, not by myself. Scenarios tripped over themselves. Jarryd said it was the sneaky wizards I needed to watch out for; the official ones need not lay in wait.

"Katie, can she stay?" My voice sounded small.

"No, she's been here all day. You haven't." He frowned. "How did you get so dirty?"

"I slipped into the creek," I said, hearing my fake voice. "I better go change."

Father smiled. "If Peter hadn't been with me all day, I'd think you'd been rolling around in the woods with him." He pushed away from his desk, and came to me. "I'm glad you and Peter have made up," he said, pulling me into a hug.

I stared over his shoulder as I returned his embrace, wondering if Peter was the answer. Would he protect me in the same way that Jarryd intended? No. Peter would not want to leave his precious tavern. My head whirled so much that I barely noticed Father leave the room.

There must be a way around the rules. I needed to talk to someone who knew about such things.

I wondered about Aunt Rita. Before coming to Skerby to pull Father out of the bottle, she was a midwife to wizard's wives in Eighalh. She must know how their baby-making system worked.

Aunt Rita would know what I must do.

***

13 March 2017 - replaced with revised scene

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