Page 44 of Consorting with Dragons

No, Rylan had to have contacted Blake, this “omak-ahn” of his, and ask him for his help. The idea was infuriating.

“Why don’t you arrange that, General?” Davos said. “The training, I mean. I can provide any extra funding for it if need be. I think it would be really useful if it works. The dragons of Horvath could be a valuable asset to us.”

“Oh Grandfather, that would be wonderful,” Rylan exclaimed. “Talon is so bright and he’s very expressive. I think he could easily teach the others if I worked with him a little. I already showed him how to practice with Sulamon.”

“Who?”

Rylan laughed, happy, I supposed, now that he thought he’d gotten his way. “Sulamon is Quinn’s dragon, remember? He’s a Red, so he’s also a fire breather.”

“A fire breather? You mean he shoots out actual fire? I had no idea, but I’d like to see that.”

“Yes,” Rylan said eagerly. “That’s one reason the Alliance soldiers gave them the name of dragon. They can fly in close to targets if you want them to, and they’re impervious to heat-seeking missiles, because they have cold blood.”

“I think I should have become familiar with these animals a long time ago.” He turned back to me. “After speaking with you, General, Mikos looked up your record with these Dragon Riders, and it’s most impressive. I’d like to see some reports on what their full capabilities are. Perhaps some demonstrations are in order too.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll have some reports forwarded to you right away. And just let me know when you want to visit a camp for a demonstration.”

“Excellent. I will.”

“In the meantime, the cook has prepared us a meal,” Rylan said. “Perhaps we can continue our discussion over dinner, and I can tell you more about Talon.”

Chapter Thirteen

Rylan

My grandparents hadn’t stayed too long after dinner. I’d wanted them to spend the night, but Blake insisted they needed to go back to their ship, because he wanted to be on the way home. He wanted to be there by the next day to meet visitors—my cousin Mikol and his consort. Blake and my grandfather led busy lives, and my cousin Mikol was coming to them for an extended visit, now that the tensions with the Pton on Loros were finally at an end. As Mikol was in direct line for the throne one day, it was important that the people of Tygeria saw him regularly, and it had been a while since he and his consort Kalen could leave Loros to visit Tygeria.

After they left to go up to their ship, I was tired from all the excitement of their visit and went to bed right away. Of course, I wanted some time alone with my husband. I’d turned to him almost as soon as door closed behind them, draping myself over him as he stood beside me, but to my surprise, he shrugged me off, pulling my arms down from around his neck. He said he’d promised to spend some time with Sulamon and Talon and that he’d be back in a while. He was a little stony-faced and cool, but I thought he must have a lot on his mind. I lifted my face for a kiss, but he seemed not to notice as he turned and abruptly took off outside.

I tried to stay awake to wait for him, but with all the swimming, sun and exercise from earlier in the day, not to mention the excitement of seeing my grandparents, it soon putme out. I never knew what time Quinn came to bed that night, or even if he came at all.

By the time I awoke the next morning, he was already dressed and preparing to head back to his camp in the mountains. He was standing by the side of our bed looking down at me when I opened my eyes.

“I need to be on my way back, Rylan.”

“But you only just got home. I thought you might spend the morning at least and perhaps have lunch with me. We could have a little time together this morning before you have to leave.”

“Unfortunately, no. But I’ll be home again in a few days.”

“Oh, okay, then. I guess I could start working with Talon on some teaching methods in the meantime. To see if he can explain to another dragon how he communicates so easily. You know, explain his process.”

“I think if he could do that, he’d already have done it. He’d have had Sulamon talking like he does. Don’t get your hopes up about this idea. How would he or anyone for that matter teach someone else to use telepathy? Surely, you know that’s never going to work, Rylan.”

“But you agreed to try it when Grandfather brought it up.”

“Did I? I don’t remember making any promises like that. I did what I always do when some king is talking about something he knows nothing at all about but starts making pronouncements anyway—I keep my mouth shut and my thoughts to myself. And you know full well exactly what I think about you staying in camp with me. It’s a terrible idea and it’s not going to happen. I resent you going behind my back to put him up to it.”

“Put him up to it? I did no such thing!” I sat up angrily and glared at him. “Though that’s a great idea. I wish I’d thought of it.”

He glared down at me, looking surprisingly hot, angry and frustrated.

“Why? Because you’d like to display yourself to other men? Is that what interests you? There are easier ways to do that, Rylan. Stand on any street corner in the city with all that curly hair down around your shoulders. It’s a good advertisement. They’ll easily take you for some kind of...of…”

“Of what? Prostitute? Whore? Are those the words you were looking for? And now you object to my hair? That’s what you don’t approve of? Gods, how can you be so-so stupid?”

“I don’t think it’s me who’s being that way. We’ve talked about this foolishness before, damn it, and if you have no sense of modesty and decorum, then thank the gods I do! You’ll go nowhere near the camp; do you hear me? It is out of the question! I forbid it.”

I was shocked at all the angry words, and no one had ever spoken to me like that before. For a moment I just stared at him. Who the fuck did he think he was talking to? And was this why he hadn’t come to bed the night before to make love to me?

---