F'lessan gave her hand a final pat before the fingers lay lax. She checked again for any seepage from the bandages. It would be like F'lessan to be unscathed by such a desperate antic. When she fumbled to draw the light cover over them, he was breathing evenly and the fretful lines on his face had relaxed. He almost looked like himself, except for the scar and the lack of hair around it.
He sleeps,said both dragons. We sleep.
She gave a happy sigh, ignored the ache in her leg and her bruised hand, put her head on the pillow beside F'lessan's, and turned her cheek against his bare shoulder.
Excited, concerned whispers and running feet awakened her. She was in that state of limp repose that allowed her to be aware of the distraction but unwilling to respond to the air of alarm.
Fortunately it was Sagassy who put her head in the door and stared at them. With a sense of mischief that astonished Tai as much as it did the hold woman, Tai put one finger to her lips to keep Sagassy from alerting the searchers. At that, Sagassy did give them a few more moments' peace, going back into the hall.
"The dragons are sleeping, aren't they? So the riders've come to no harm or be sure we'd've all heard the bugling. Now let's all be sensible…"
Then someone called urgently from the terrace. And Sagassy ran off.
Beside her, F'lessan moved, stretching a little. "I'll bet they found Golly's patch has been removed."
That was the startled news reverberating down the hall. F'lessan slowly slid his arm under Tai's shoulder and nestled her against him, his head on hers.
"It won't be long now," he murmured indolently and kissed her temple. Tai felt something inside her snap, as if all her guts and her ribs had been tangled in a great knot, which the kiss had untied. "I'm going to insist that we occupy this room from now on. It's big enough so you won't be bashing into me. You 're a quiet sleeper anyway. I don't think you moved all night."
"They have to be somewhere," they heard Keita shouting.
"That is, if it's your choice, Tai?"
For a split second-wanting to throw her arms about him in an excess of relief-she didn't know where it was safe to embrace him. So she demurely rubbed her head against his left shoulder. "I choose. I choose you in any condition and any way I get to choose you."
By then, their refuge was officially discovered and they were the victims of some choice sarcastic official displeasure and tongue-lashing. Tai was ejected from the bed so that Keita could be sure that F'lessan had done no damage to himself.
The main puzzle-how had they gotten to this room-was the easiest to answer.
"Zaranth put us here," Tai said. "She can, you know."
"And brought F'lessan out to Golanth?" Keita demanded, still outraged by finding the patch removed.
Tai gave a negligent shrug and let them assume what they wanted to. Then the healer had F'lessan carried back to his sickroom where medicines and bandages were stored, to make sure that he hadn't done himself any harm. F'lessan's grin might have been a trifle off-center as Keita changed dressings to reassure herself that no stitches had broken, but he remained unrepentant.
"I'm soaked in numbweed," he said.
"You both should know by now," Keita said, reproachfully, her expression severe, "that the deadening effect of numb-weed is deceptive. It is so very easy to damage tissue or tendon because you can't feelwhat strain you're inadvertently exerting. If the green dragon did indeed effect your unwise and unauthorized trip to the terrace, then that at least proves you're not totally bereft of common sense, bronze rider."
"And Golly's eye suffered no further damage?" F'lessan asked with a touch of arrogance and, to Tai, a wish to be reassured that it was, indeed, all right. "Persellan has seen it?"
"You're very lucky that the lids have healed as well as they have," Keita said, giving them full measure of her censure. "They were in shreds after the attack. Fortunately dragon membrane, unlike the more delicate eye facets, can regenerate."
"Yes," F'lessan said in a dry tone, "that's been explained. Golly knows he has limited vision but he does have some."
Keita had to admit that.
"He said the lids get very dry."
"Part of the injury includes an inability to generate sufficient moisture to lubricate the lids. I think we can help there, with a light gel, applied when needed. We coated the eye with it before we sewed the lids shut against sun damage."
"Then perhaps I can take over that duty now," F'lessan said, easing his body into a sitting position. Keita watched him, one hand lifting to suggest great care.
Then she said, "I'd very much like to see how green Zaranth does this telekinesis."
I can't do it slowly, Tai.Tai could almost hear her dragon gulp in anxiety.
I do the slow part,Golanth said. You apply the lift.
There is a chair out here,Zaranth added.
"Master Keita, would you have the gel handy?" Tai asked to distract her.
Keita turned to the chest where healer supplies were stored.
Stay very still,Tai heard her green say.
Out of the corner of her eye, Tai saw F'lessan disappear.
Not-so-fast!Golanth said. Her heart gave a thump of alarm, and she shot a glance down the hall in time to see F'lessan's body inserted in the chair, a look of surprise on his face. Trundlebugs had never appeared to notice.
We didn't even bump him,Zaranth said, highly pleased.
A matter of practice. You shove.
I don't. I move.
I slow.
We can try it the other way round,and to Tai her dragon's voice sounded wily.
You can practice onother things,F'lessan said firmly to Zaranth and Golanth but Tai could hear the amusement in his voice.
Hand reaching for a small jar, Keita swiveled, stared accusingly at Tai. She gave a deep sigh of exasperation. "I suppose it's similar to going between!'
"Not really. It's sort of all at once, instead of by degrees. Is that the gel? I'll just take it out to him."
Tai left the room as fast as she could.
"Just so long as he comes out of it alive on the other end," Keita called after her.
When she reached the terrace, F'lessan was still in the chair, leaning down to look at Golanth's hind leg. One of the other healers was just staring at him. Zaranth, on the upper ledge, was blinking and looking, Tai thought, rather paler green than she should be.
Does it take a lot of effort?
No, Golanth helps. Last night I was afraid I might hurt him.
I slowed him down,Golanth said. That's important, too. He isn't a feline.
He also isn't a trundlebug. Heavier.Zaranth replied.
He seems to have survived,Tai said, walking quickly down the hall.
It may be just a matter of control. We must find out how the other dragons are doing,Golanth said.
Tai reached F'lessan in his chair.
"How was the ride?"
"It's notlike going between,"he said firmly, looking her in the eye. "But I got here and Golly's leg isn't near as bad as I thought it was. Couldn't really see it last night, you know."
"You had too much time to think. I told you it was healing."
"I had to see it."
"I know," she agreed affably but, when he started to get up, she pushed him back.
"I want to see all of Golly," he protested.
"Golly can turn around. You stay put. It'll do Golly good to move."
"But he's smeared with numbweed," F'lessan replied hotly. "You heard Keita lecture us."