Chap. 155 The Gatha at Ruatha-Undoing the Fix

Chap. 155 Undoing the fix

Wish I had a horse right about now, I'd get there a lot faster, K'ndar thought, as he tried to hurry through the throngs filling the lanes of the Gather. It seemed as if everyone was heading against his path, now that he was in a hurry.

Your sister and Lizard are here with me. They want you to hurry.

Fear had stabbed his heart. Glyena! Had something happened to her? I KNEW I shouldn't have let her go off alone!

Is she hurt?

No. She told me to call you here. They are well.

Relief flooded his heart, but he was still concerned.

I am coming. I am so happy you can understand us humans.

It is easy. You talk with your bodies almost as clearly as with your mouths. But not as clearly as with our minds, yours and mine. Send Siskin, then they will know you are coming

That is an excellent idea, you are a smart dragon!

I am RAVENTH!

Despite his concern, K'ndar laughed, causing the people nearest him to look at him, curiously.
"Siskin," he said to his blue, "Go to Raventh. Wait for me there."

Siskin chirped and flew away.
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He regarded his sister with a new appreciation for her brains.

"That was smart, Glyena, you did exactly the right thing, going to Lizard."

"Thank you," she said, "I thought of going to Terilyn but she is on the other side and I know she is busy. Lizard was closer. It was his idea for us to meet here, and we told Raventh to call you," she said, patting the brown's jaw. Raventh had his head on the same level as theirs, taking in everything.

Tell her my jaw itches he said.

"He wants you to scratch there," he said, grinning. Glyena reached up and began to scratch under the dragon's chin.

Yes. Thank you.

They were resting in the shade Raventh's body cast. It was getting warm, or maybe it was because he'd hurried?

"So, what do we do, Lizard? How do we handle this situation?"

"I don’t want to be seen with Glyena any more than I've already been," he said. Glyena looked surprised, and hurt.

"Nay, little lass, it's not because of you. It's because…well, I've been giving this thought while we waited on K'ndar.

We can nip this little gambit in the bud, before it blossoms into a weed. K'ndar, I want you and Glyena to tell Ruatha what is going on. I think it's better for you two to warn them, without me. People have seen you two together all morning. It's obvious you're brother and sister, whereas there are folks who know I'm a crusty old bachelor, a loner without a family.

If too many people see me with Glyena, they'll begin to wonder. We don't know if it's just these two louts doing this on their own, or if there are more people involved. No matter, we don't want them tipped off that they've been busted. I don't want too many people connecting you, me and Glyena. This is serious business, and the less folk who know ours, the better," he said. His fire lizards were perched on his knees and he gave the gold a scratching. She purred.

"It's why I wanted to meet here, amongst the dragons," he said, "no crowds here. Amazingly, there are still people on this planet afraid of them."

K'ndar shrugged. "Sometimes that works to our advantage," he said, without elaborating.

Lizard nodded.

"Now, then, Glyena, YOU are going to the track because you were told by 'the trader' that the buyer wanted a bridle made for a horse with its name on the browband. Yes?" he said.

"Yes! It's for Swiftsure, right?"

"I believe so. But you don't know, understand? The Trader wasn't too clear, he was busy, what? That's why you're going to meet with Rhian. He's the Ruathan who bought the bridle, and wanted one with a name braided in. You're going to talk to him, and ask to measure the horse he wants it for. And K'ndar, you and Glyena, while doing this, you are going to, very quietly, tell him what Glyena heard."

K'ndar, his eyes downcast to focus his attention, nodded. "So as to keep anyone listening or watching to think we're just there to measure, not…not tip them off."

"Aye. In the meantime, I'll be at the track, too, but I'll be talking to the punters. I've some friends among them who trust my information without asking too many questions as to where I got it, and they'll take care of it on their end. Competitors they may be at a race, but they're still a tight clan, and they stick up for each other when things get dicey. Small wonder, they're mostly Wanderers, and I've already made a good name for myself amongst them."

He got up, brushing off the seat of his pants. "If you see me, greet me, but only as a business acquaintance, nothing more."

"That is something I wanted to talk to you about," Glyena said, rising to her feet.

He looked at her curiously.

"You said you were a bachelor with no family," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

K'ndar recognized THAT motion, she looked just like Mum in that stance, and it usually meant laying down the law.

"I did. I am."

"You don't have family? WE aren't family? Huh? Sandriss? K'ndar? Me? Who is, if not us?" she demanded in an alpha mare tone of voice.

Lizard's face twisted. A haunted look flashed in his eyes, one that told of a sorrow, long buried, suddenly illuminated by a young girl.

"Uh…um…"

""Um is not an answer", Lizard sir. Far as I'm concerned, you're family," she said, tartly.

K'ndar bit his lip to keep from laughing, but his heart soared, too, at Glyena's words. By the egg, she was Mum, from body language to "Um is not an answer"!!

Lizard burst out laughing, the shadows in his eyes retreating back into his soul.