Siskin raised his head from his curled position on "his" shelf.
Then, with a chirp, he flew out of the weyr.
Where is he going? Out to do his business? K'ndar asked. He was grateful that fire lizards, like dragons, were housebroken.
No! It's a green fire lizard, wearing a message pouch and a bell. I think it's Putzu Raventh said.
Hmmm!
At that moment, Siskin returned with Putzu right behind him.
She hovered in front of him, shivering to make the bell ring.
Clever, he thought, I never thought to teach Siskin that.
Her message bell and the fairly bulky message pouch both had Terilyn's chop on them.
She landed on Siskin's shelf, and wickwicked at him.
"Hello, Putzu, pretty girl, do you have something for me?"
She turned her head and cheeped. Fire lizards were normally reluctant to allow anyone other than their bonded owner to touch them, but training them to deliver messages also taught them that it was safe.
He put down his book and approached her.
"Clever girl, good girl. Let me take that message from you," he said.
He reached forward and gently removed a bundle from the pouch.
She whirred up into the air, relieved of her burden.
"Treat, Putzu? Treat?" he asked. He had a few meat scraps left from feeding Siskin.
Her eyes whirling a faint orange, she dropped her glance. No thank you. Then she chipped, flew past the curtain, and vanished.
"Weeeeeeeeeek?" Siskin asked, his eyes whirling green.
"You silly lizard, you've been fed, but…okay, here," K'ndar said, submitting to Siskin's blandishments. He had just a bit of meat left from dinner. “I shouldn’t feed you too much, you’ll get fat,” he said, teasing.
Never happen. Have you ever seen a fat dragon? Raventh said.
Come to think of it, no. I’ve seen thin ones, like Menkarth, but never a fat dragon.
He laughed.
Opening the bundle, he gasped. Terilyn had created a ceramic draft horse.
There was a brief note.
Hello, K, this brave little horse insisted he belongs to you. I hope you enjoy him.
K’ndar marveled. What talent! He could never ever produce something like this.
Where to put the little horse? His weyr shelves were fully engaged, either with Siskin’s regular roosting spot, or his books, and ever growing number of notebooks. He’d like to keep it here on his desk, but it was too subject to being knocked over by a certain fire lizard, or even his own movements while writing.
He cast his eye around his small weyr. Ah, the alcove. A small natural cubby in the rock wall, where he kept...the opal rock. He’d planned on giving it to Terilyn at the Ruathan Gather, but events had transpired to completely push it out of his mind...until now.
Too heavy? He hefted it, wondering if Siskin could carry it.
Siskin’s message pouch and bell was in with Raventh’s harness.
The opal just barely fit. He had enough room to add his note:
T, thank you so much for the lovely horse! He will have pride of place on my shelf. I had planned on giving this rock to you at the Gather, but, as you know, I was distracted...and forgot, and I’ve been busy since then. Before you ask, no. It is a gift, just as the horse is. Or, if you prefer, it’s to compensate you for whatever it cost you after Siskin and Putzu had their little love match. Thank you! K
He was always circumspect when writing notes, especially when they concerned something of value, like the opal. You never knew if a message could be intercepted by others, or a fire lizard caught by a predator.
Siskin, who’d returned to his shelf, recognized that he was about to be sent on a mission, and chittered. He loved transmitting things.
He flew down to K’ndar’s worktable/desk/nightstand.
“Think you can carry this weight, Siskin?”
The fire lizard looked at the pouch, his eyes whirling.
K’ndar tied the message pouch, making sure the weight was centered on Siskin’s chest.
“Try it,” he said.
Siskin opened his wings and leaped into the air. He flew around the room, testing the weight.
After several moments, he whickered, his eyes whirling blue.
It is heavy, but he can carry it. He’ll be going between, anyway. But don’t use the bell. That might be just too much Raventh advised.
“Okay, Siskin, no bell. Carry to Putzu. Carry?” he asked, thinking of Putzu and Terilyn’s face as he did so.
Siskin chittered, then flew out of their weyr.
How bloody convenient fire lizards were, he thought, it’s amazing. Oh, I could have gone there on Raventh, of course, but…
Why not?
I have duty tomorrow, well, we do. After I finish this chapter, I’m going to bed.
After about ten minutes, he was beginning to worry when Siskin returned.
The pouch was empty save for a message.
Good grief, K, what are you thinking? But thank you, it is lovely, and I will think of ways to turn it into something even more beautiful than it is now. By the way, Putzu had her and Siskin’s clutch some time ago. She hid the clutch, so I have no idea where or how many. She did all the work, it didn’t cost me a thing other than meat scraps enough for a full grown dragon. But thank you, anyway! T
“Good lad! Was it too heavy?” he asked.
Siskin raised his head in pride. K’ndar didn’t need Raventh’s translating.
Of course not, Siskin said, I’m a blue. We can do anything.
3 comments:
Very cute. I enjoyed this a lot.
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