Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)

94: Taniel

I untangled my limbs and scrambled off Jarryd where he lay, winded, on the floor of the Stakkr door-room. In his haste to bring us away from Skerby, he had tripped over my invisible feet and brought us both down, thankfully on the right side of the portal.

"That's Dax's father?" I grabbed Jarryd's hands and helped him up.

"We haven't time to chat, Taniel," he said, wild-eyed. He jabbed at the flashing door control. "I can't shut it down. They've activated it from the Skerby side."

He dragged me from the door-room and I helped him with the heavy exit door. I spared a quick look at the blackened Wizard Ritter but he did not move or speak in my head.

After a quick hug, we spiralled up to the next level.

"Not that way," Jarryd called as I headed to the curtained doorway. "Here" He pulled up the corner of the tapestry opposite, revealing an ironbound door. Despite its heaviness, the door made little sound as it closed behind us.

"The dungeon," he whispered.

A single, cobwebbed, mage light struggled to brighten the wide passage between the rows of cells carved into the bedrock. Trying not to breathe in the rank air, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dimness.

"No one ever comes here. We will cut through to the other stairs. I hope Driscoll hasn't left yet."

So did I. This delay was my fault.

My scalp prickled. We made our way past the rusted bars and I tried not to think of the horrible deeds done here, in bygone days.

I whimpered. My feet were cold and I feared walking dried-up dead things.

"Are you all right?"

"I forgot my shoes," I said.

"Leaving was a bit of a rush. Look, I can do piggyback."

The thought of him carrying me on his back made me giggle. My dragonrider postured, gamely, holding his hands out behind him. I laughed.

"Shush," he admonished.

I humoured him by tucking one leg over his hip and draping my arms around his neck. He slipped his forearm under my thigh and then felt around for my other limb. I stifled more giggles as he fumbled with my skirts. "Are you sure we have time for this?" I asked.

"Come on, try helping, instead of pissing yourself laughing." He sounded strained, though I still had one foot on the floor.

"Sorry." I managed to lift my other knee so that he found it.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he said, between grunts. Staggering, he shrugged me into a better position and I thought we would fall. He shambled along until we reached an iron-studded door.

From the way he rested his forehead on the wood, he regretted his valour. "Got to get the door," he said.

"Let go, then." When he released me, I slid from his back. I felt oddly bereft once I had taken my arms from around his neck. I liked having my senses full of his dragon smell. "Thank you, honey. Sweet of you," I said.

Jarryd kissed me, his passion filled with promise. "We must keep moving," he said against my lips. He sighed.

My heart swelled. Was I falling for him?

Love, even.

With my heart thumping in my ears, I followed him through the bowels of the castle. Euphoric, my grubby feet forgotten, I realised that not only had I gained entry into the coveted dragon world, I had a man I might be able to love. It was not just all about me, though, not anymore.

I had to think of our child.

Before long, we stood in a shaft of light on a small landing on the far side of the castle. I wished I were visible so he could read my newfound feelings. Before I had a chance to ask where we were, Driscoll buzzed my head, addressing my dragonrider.

Jarryd, meet me at the sea cavern.

"I don't know why I didn't think of that," Jarryd said. "Down." He nodded towards the narrow flight of steps hugging the wall. He must have sensed my shudder. "No more dungeons, just the saltwater baths. I'll find something for your feet."

"Wonderful, sounds great. Lead on, Sir Dragon Knight." I forgot to keep the flippancy to myself as I took his hand. Surely, he earned the title. He treated me as if I was the most important woman in Corrangorach and, standing in the light, just now, he gleamed with knightly virtue.

We carefully negotiated our way down the uneven stairs. I waited while he rummaged for the promised footwear. Mustiness from the slippers twitched my nose when I slipped them on my feet.

I eyed the huge bath, wishing I had washed off the dirt, first. Somehow, in the quietness of the castle bowels, I had forgotten we were in the midst of an escape. Jarryd made me feel safe. It was hard to worry.

My mindpath buzzed.

"We must go," Jarryd said. "Driscoll is getting into position."

We hurried across the bathing chamber. In the shadows, Jarryd fiddled with a hidden mechanism. The castle must be riddled with secret places, I thought. A tiny door screeched open. Sea air rushed in. My ears were assaulted by booming crashes. I had grown used to the sound of the waves thrashing against the foundations but now I expected spray.

Jarryd produced a white orb, the size of a hen's egg. He shook it until it glowed. He squeezed through the hole and reached out to help me.

Hunched, I followed.

"Careful," he warned. "Bit slippery."

The door groaned shut behind us. The little mage light revealed a narrow tunnel, dark and slimy. I could not see how far it went.

"Foul." I shuddered.

"It isn't far," Jarryd said. "Hold on to me."

Once I had a firm grip on his belt, we moved steadily forward, bent double. My feet were soon sodden.

A rock grated. I started. Welcome light poured through a hole about ten paces ahead of us. "I can't fit out that," I scoffed.

"We'll get you out, sweetheart," my dragonrider said.

"Hurry," Driscoll growled. The tunnel dimmed as the firedrake put his eye to the hole.

I forgot about the tight tunnel and the slimy walls for I was about to ride a red dragon.

At last.

***

8 April 2017 - replaced two scenes with this single revised one - the biggest change is that I left out magic

Thanks for reading. 

By the way, I hadn't mentioned a tapestry in the grand hall antechamber before. Guess I better write it in.

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