Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)

27: Taniel

I lifted my head from the ground, wondering how long I had been insensible. I found myself near the mouth of the cave. Outside, it looked late. I rolled on to my stomach.

Crawling to the wall, I used it to get to my feet. My limbs trembled and I fell.

Memory slipped around like a piece of shell in an unbeaten egg. I lay still, tears trickling from the corners of my eyes. I struggled to all fours.

What had happened to me?

My eyes fell on my bare wrist.

I searched for the bracelet, I remembered. I swayed on my hands and knees, grasping for more. I had searched along the paths that I frequented in the woods and checked the dragonrider's camp.

"Jarryd." His name arrived on a gasp.

He would come for me and, should he find me in the cave, instead of at the tavern, he would think I couldn't keep my promise to stay away from the dragons.

Had the sea dragons done something to me?

Suddenly, as if a door in my mind opened, the confusion cleared.

I had finished searching the cave when screams arrived in my head. Piercing screams had shrilled along my mindpath and fear had flooded my very soul.

The screaming and the fear were not mine.

They soon were.

Right until I blacked out, I screamed and feared along with the vivid sensations flowing along my mindpath.

Now, I shuddered and tried banishing the memory. Tears dripped down my cheeks, dropping on the sandy soil between my hands.

I dragged myself up the wall and this time I got out of the cave before hitting the dirt.

Rufus.

It had to be Rufus, I thought, as I crawled to the nearest tree. The dragon's mind still touched mine. Just how far might one communicate with a dragon, I wondered, while forcing myself to keep up a sequence of crawling to a tree, dragging myself upright, and staggering on until the ground claimed me again.

Fortunately, my footing steadied before I ran out of trees. I waded through the creek, not trusting my feet on the stepping-stones. Sobbing sporadically, I sprawled across my daydreaming rock, my eyes closed.

What dreadful thing would make a dragon so scared?

Rufus might not bring Jarryd back. I would be left with no dragonrider, no marriage of my choosing, and no dragon.

Denying that possibility, I washed my face in the creek. I wiped my face on my skirt and scrambled to my feet. Though swaying slightly, I managed to get across the cow-paddock. My gait improved with each step.

Perhaps Jarryd had been killed in some horrible accident - that would explain the dragon's pain.

If so, I must save myself.

It was my problem and it fell to me to bring about the life I wanted. My future did not include Peter and I was all out of dragonriders.

I would have to buy that dragon egg.

***

13 March 2017 - Revised scene added

(Some of this was taken from a later scene and will have relevant comments in that scene)

Thanks for reading!

Vote

Comment?