The Dragon Keeper trwc-1

by Robin Hobb

  'I'll help you get his tail bandaged up,' Sylve offered.

  'And I can get some fish for him, maybe,' Rapskal said as he wedged himself into their circle between Tats and Thymara, blithely unaware that he might be intruding. He dug into his porridge with fervour. 'Never got porridge for breakfast at home,' he announced suddenly through a full mouth. 'Grain was too expensive for my family. We always had soup for breakfast. Or gourdcakes.'

  Almost all the keepers were present now, all crouched or sitting with bowls and bread. Several nodded.

  'Sometimes we had porridge with honey,' Sylve said. 'But not often,' she added, as if embarrassed to admit that her family had been able to afford such things.

  'We usually had fruit, whatever my father and I had gathered the day before and hadn't sold,' Thymara said, and was ambushed by a wave of homesickness. She looked around herself suddenly. What was she doing here, sitting on the hard ground, eating porridge and preparing to depart upriver? For a moment, none of it made sense, and the world seemed to rock around her as she realized how far she was from home and family.

  Thymara?'

  She nearly dropped her spoon at the man's voice behind her. She turned and found Sedric standing awkwardly at the edge of their circle. He was impeccably groomed and a fragrance almost like perfume floated on the air. 'Yes?' she answered him stupidly.

  'I don't mean to rush your meal, but we are told that the departure time is imminent. I wondered if you could possibly come now to do some translating for me. Alise is already with the dragon…'

  He let his words trail off. Probably the look on her face had silenced him. She looked aside and tried to calm the sudden jealousy she felt. Alise was already up and talking with Skymaw? This early in the day? Yesterday, when she and Sedric had returned, the light was waning. As the day lost its warmth, the dragons became more lethargic. By the time Thymara and Sedric reached Alise and Skymaw, the dragon plainly wished to be left alone to sleep. She had not been too tired, however, to gulp down the fish they brought her, Thymara recalled wryly. She had felt a great deal of satisfaction at Alise's unconcealed astonishment at the size of the fish, and her awe at how quickly the dragon devoured it. While Skymaw ate, Thymara had won her grudging permission for Sedric to be present when Alise talked to her. Afterward, Skymaw had immediately headed for the dragons' sleeping area. Thymara had bid Sedric and Alise good night and watched them go back to the beached barge.

  She had noted how Alise took Sedric's arm, and how he carried all her supplies for her, and wondered what that meant. He'd said he was her assistant, but she sensed there was more between them than that. She wondered if secretly they were lovers. The thought had sent a strange thrill through her, and then she had felt ashamed of herself. It was no business of hers if they were. Everyone knew that Bingtown folk lived by their own rules.

  'Translating?' Greft stood, coming to his feet with a smooth and easy motion that was still somehow challenging. It jerked Sedric's attention to him.

  The Bingtown man seemed startled at the question. So was Thymara. 'She said she could help me understand what the dragon was saying so that I could take notes.' When Greft continued to stare at him, Sedric added, 'I seem to have an unusual handicap. When,the dragons speak, I don't understand them. I only hear animal noises. Thymara told me yesterday she might be able to help me. Or am I taking her away from other duties?'

  It took Thymara a moment to comprehend that Greft's stance had made Sedric think he controlled her in some way and that Sedric must ask his permission for her to go with him. She tucked her unfinished bread in her pocket and stood with her empty bowl. 'I have no other duties at the moment, Sedric. Let me put my bowl and spoon away and I'll come now.'

  'Didn't I just hear you say that you'd take care of the silver? Someone has to bandage his tail and try to form a bond with him.'

  Greft spoke as if he were her superior, reminding her of a neglected task.

  She turned to face him squarely and spoke clearly. 'I'll do what I said I'd do, in my own time, Greft. No one put you in charge of me, or of the dragons in general. I didn't hear you volunteer to take on an extra dragon. Only Tats.'

  She had meant it as a rebuke to him. Too late she saw that she had brought Tats and Greft back into direct confrontation. Tats stood and rolled his shoulders as if loosening them. He might have been sitting still too long, but to Thymara, it looked as if he prepared himself for a possible fight. 'That's right. I did. Sylve, if you need help with the silver's tail, let me know. Rapskal, it would be good if you could find him a fish or any extra food. I'm going to go say hello to my green, and then I'll check on the dirty copper one to see what I can do for him. You go with Sedric, Thymara. We can manage without you for now.'

  She watched Sedric's eyes dart from Greft to Tats, and suddenly knew he was wondering just who was in charge here. Of her. She felt a flush of anger at both of them. It made her sharp. 'Thank you, Tats, but I said I'd do it and I will. I don't need anyone's help. Or permission.'

  The look on his face made her realize she'd spoken more harshly than she intended. She'd only meant to assert that no one was in charge of her except herself. It was made worse by the smug look on Greft's face. She ground her teeth. In less than two days, she'd gone from being mildly infatuated with Greft and flattered by his attention to actively disliking him. She knew he was manipulating the situation, but could not seem to escape his puppet strings. Now everyone would think she was at odds with Tats, when she wasn't. Or at least, didn't want to be. Jerd was looking at the ground but Thymara knew she was smiling. Tats was turning aside from her rather stiffly and there was nothing else to do but follow Sedric. Even he seemed aware of the awkwardness as she walked away with him.

  'I didn't mean to cause you any problems,' he apologized.

  'You didn't,' she said shortly. Then she took a breath and shook her head. 'I'm sorry. That came out wrong. Honestly, you didn't cause any problem. Greft is the problem, and sometimes Tats. Greft wants to be the leader of the dragon keepers, so he just acts as if he is and hopes everyone will fall into line. And it's so infuriating that some of them do! The truth is, no one was put in charge among us; we're all free to do our own jobs. But Greft is very good at causing discord among those who refuse to concede to him. Like Tats and me.'

  'I see.' He nodded as if he actually did.

  'Usually Tats and I get along very well. Then Greft came along, and he just seems to enjoy making trouble. And manipulating people. Sometimes it seems that if he can't make us do what he wants, he focuses on making us as miserable as possible. At first, I thought he liked me. He behaves as if he can't stand for me to have a friend, like it makes him less important. It's almost as if he tries to drive a wedge between Tats and me. Why are some people like that?'

  She hadn't expected him to have an answer, but he looked startled, as if she had asked him something of great significance. When he answered, his words came slowly. 'Maybe because we let them be that way.'

  Sedric felt as if he'd been hit in the back of the head. Twice. First by the glimpse of the extraordinary young man who'd seemed to dispute his right to ask Thymara to translate for him. He'd never seen such a person, at least not unveiled and unhooded. Most people marked as strongly by the Rain Wilds as Greft was went veiled. But Greft didn't. Was that a defiance of custom, or had they travelled far enough up the Rain Wilds River that the locals no longer cared what outsiders thought of them?

  There had been a definite reptilian cast to his features that somehow only lent power to his presence. His blue eyes had gleamed like polished lapis lazuli beneath his finely scaled brows. The austere lines of his face reminded Sedric of a sculpture, save that this was no cold stone. He was closer to an animal than anyone Sedric had ever met. He'd felt he could almost smell him, as if the dominance Greft sought to assert were a musk emanating from him. Even his voice had held an inhuman tenor, a hum that reminded Sedric of a bow drawn across dark strings. The scales repelled him and the voice attracted him. No wond
er the girl at his side was so agitated by his presence. Anyone would be.

  Even Hest. He and Hest would have collided like antlered bucks battling for territory. Even as that thought occurred to him, the girl had asked that telling question. It had snapped a stinging realization into his mind. Hest didn't like him being friends with Alise. Hest didn't want him to have conversations with her or have opinions about her. She was supposed to be something he'd surrendered to Hest, a part of his past he'd given to the man when he suggested that marrying her would put an end to his problem with his parents. He didn't like thinking of all the implications of that. He pushed aside the thought of other friendships he'd neglected for Hest's, even how he'd alienated his father by taking the position with Hest rather than striking out on his own or following his father into his business.

  He forced himself to focus on the business at hand. He glanced over at the annoyed girl stalking along beside him. 'I'm sorry I created problems for you.'

  She snorted in amusement. 'Oh, you didn't create them. They came with who I am, and multiplied when I signed a contract to do this. That's all.' She cleared her throat and he could almost see her wrench the topic to one side. 'Why is Alise awake so early for this?'

  'She's eager, I suppose. Once we start to travel, I suspect she'll have little time for chatting with the dragons.' That wasn't the truth. He'd wakened Alise and suggested to her that she attempt an interview before the day's travel began. She'd been very willing, appearing fully dressed only a few minutes later. He was hoping against hope that they would both have all they needed before the dragons actually departed. That hope was fading now, but this was his final chance. If the results of this morning's 'interview' were as lacklustre as what she'd recounted to him last night, perhaps he could persuade her that she'd learn more by remaining in Cassarick for a few days and studying the ruins there. If luck favoured him, perhaps they'd still find a way to connect with Captain Trell and journey home on Paragon.

  'Or it could be that she'll find she has far more time than she can actually fill. I suspect this expedition is going to take a lot longer than they told us it would. I don't think anyone actually knows where we are going, and the folk who aren't going with us don't much care, as long as we take the dragons with us when we leave.'

  Sedric thought that summed it up nicely, but it hardly seemed kind to say so. He tried to find a way to herd the conversation back to something he'd overheard earlier. When inspiration didn't strike, he simply pushed it there. 'So. In addition to the blue dragon, you'll be taking care of a silver one?'

  'So I said,' she admitted. She sounded as if she regretted it now.

  'Tats said the dragon was injured? Something about his tail?'

  'I haven't taken a close look at it, but he has some sort of wound there and it looks infected. The dragons are fairly immune to the acidity of the river water, as are the water birds and fish. As long as their hides are intact, they do fine. But the water eats away at open sores. So we need to clean the injury, bandage it well, and somehow make sure he doesn't get his tail in the water if we have to do any wading. And I consider it very likely that we will.'

  Alise and the blue dragon were walking by the river.

  The dragon made her seem tiny. He knew that Thymara had spotted them as well, for the girl quickened her pace. He deliberately walked more slowly, holding her back. What he had to say to her was not for Alise's ears. 'I've always had an interest in animals and medicine, and dragons in particular. Perhaps I could be of some assistance in helping the poor thing.'

  Thymara shot him a startled look. 'You?'

  It rather stung. 'Well, why not me?'

  'I just… well, you can't even understand them when you hear them speak. And you're so, well, particular. Clean, I guess I mean. It's hard for me to imagine you dealing with a muddy dragon with an infected tail.'

  He put a smile on his face. 'You've only just met me, Thymara. I think you'll find there's a lot more to me than meets the eye.' That at least was true!

  'Well, I suppose if you want to help, you can. But first I'll translate while Alise talks to Skymaw. I don't think that will be for long, for they'll be bringing the dragons' food soon, and I know Skymaw will want to eat just as much as the others. But after they've been fed, I want to check on the silver and see what I can do for him.'

  'Perfect. I'll gather my equipment and come with you then.'

  'Equipment?'

  'I've some basic medical supplies I brought with us for this journey. Lint and bandages. Sharp knives, if we need them. Alcohol for cleaning wounds.' And for preserving specimens. With a bit of luck, he might have a vial of dragon scales before they even left the beach. Sedric smiled at her reassuringly.

  It was not going well with the dragons. Alise knew it and the sense of impending failure burdened her. Why had she ever imagined that it would be easy to talk with dragons? Yet in her dreams, when she arrived at the Rain Wilds, the creatures had sensed a kinship with her and opened their hearts and memories to her. Well, that fantasy certainly wasn't coming true.

  'Can you share with me any of your ancestral memories?' she asked the dragon. She phrased it that way out of despair. Skymaw, as her keeper called her, had neatly deflected every question she'd asked of her.

  'I doubt it. You are only a human and I am a dragon. In all likelihood, it would be impossible for you to ever share the remotest idea of what it is to be a dragon, let alone comprehend any of my memories.'

  Skymaw dashed her hopes yet again. And she did it with a well modulated voice that was treacly with courtesy and kindness. Her lovely eyes spun as she spoke to Alise, and Alise's heart yearned for a bond with this creature. She knew she was falling under the dragon's glamour; she recognized the hopelessness of the unrequited worship she felt for the dragon. Yet she could not help herself. The more the dragon patronized and insulted her, the more she longed to win her regard. It didn't help that she'd read of such things in her old scrolls. One could read about addiction and still fall prey to it.

  She made a final desperate attempt. 'Do you think you will ever answer any of my questions?'

  The dragon regarded her in silence. Without moving, she seemed to come closer to Alise. Alise was flooded with a mawkish love for the creature. If only she could spend all her days in service to the dragon, she would be happy. She had been right to come to the Rain Wilds, and if she did not accompany this dragon up the river all of her life would have been a meaningless tragedy. Skymaw was her destiny. No other relationship could fulfil her as this one—

  As abruptly as a dropped doll hits the floor, Alise jolted back to the summer day on the riverbank. 'They're bringing the food,' the dragon announced suddenly, and Alise actually felt the creature dismiss her. It had been a glamour. The dragon had been toying with her. She could not deny it, and she should have felt shamed to have fallen to her so easily. Instead she felt only a wretched longing to regain Skymaw's attention. It echoed unpleasantly how Hest had once made her feel, and that memory of utter humiliation finally broke the spell. Something hardened in her and she turned away from the dragon. All that she had longed for was never going to be, not with Hest and her life in Bingtown, and not with her foolish dreams of journeying with the dragons. Abruptly she decided it was time to go home.

  Did the dragon know she had lost her worshipper? It almost seemed that way, for on the way to the barrows of carrion, Skymaw suddenly halted and looked back at her. Alise looked resolutely away. No. She would not fall under her spell again. It was over.

  'Oh, dear. It looks as if we're too late.'

  Sedric's voice startled her. It was even more surprising to discover that he had arrived with Skymaw's keeper in tow. The girl looked as disapproving of her as ever; or perhaps that was an assumption on Alise's part. The way her exposure to the Rain Wilds had disfigured her, it was hard to read the girl's expressions.

  'Skymaw was hungry and decided to go and eat rather than to answer questions,' she explained needlessly. She glanced at the g
irl, wishing she weren't there, and then spoke anyway. Her words came out stiff, as if the lump in her throat had squeezed all inflection out of them. 'Sedric, I've discovered that you were right. Brashen Trell and his wife were right. Even Hest was right. I'm not making any headway in speaking to the dragon. She delights in thwarting me.' She formed the last and most difficult words. 'I've put us both through so much to get here. I foolishly signed an agreement to go upriver. And now I wonder if I will gain any real knowledge of dragons at all from this experience. That creature is so, so—'

  'Exasperating,' Thymara supplied quietly, with a small smile.

  'Exactly!' Alise replied. And to her surprise, found herself smiling back at the girl.

  'Well, at least I know that it isn't only me.' Thymara cocked her head at Alise and asked shyly, 'Does this mean you're giving up and going back to Bingtown?'

  Alise could not miss the mixed emotions that flickered across Sedric's face. Hope seemed to be a strong one, but anxiety was there as well. He spoke before she could. 'It's perfectly understandable if you've decided not to make the journey, Alise. I can have us packed and unloaded from Leftrin's barge in a very short time. But before we do that, I promised Thymara that I'd assist her with one of the other dragons. An injured one.'

  'The silver,' Thymara said quietly.

  Alise looked from him to Thymara and back again, trying to make sense of his words. She had never known him to have any fondness for or interest in animals. Oh, he shared some of her scholastic interest in dragons, but she had never seen him pet a dog or talk to his horse. And now he was going to assist this girl in doctoring a dragon? There was something here, and she felt she stood at the edge of a strange and perhaps dark current. Could he possibly be interested in the girl? She was so young and so peculiar looking. It would be very inappropriate. She spoke without thinking.