So Tai and Zaranth made their plans and waited until the subdued, quiet, but constant activity of the carers and healers went into nighttime mode. At last Tai slipped out, wincing a bit as she jarred her leg on the stone floors: she had left her cane behind, for it had a metal tip and its click would be audible. Someone might hear her moving and investigate; very quick to investigate, they were.
She slipped onto Zaranth's back. The green padded carefully to the edge, slowly extending her wings above her head, and then, in a maneuver that they both knew was reckless, tipped over the edge. Wind caught under her wings and she glided silently a moment, just above the treetops, before going between.
They chose a little cove off the coast of Cathay, Zaranth expertly coming in over the placid waves to a white sand beach. They landed there long enough for Tai to strip off her clothing, leave her towel, and remount Zaranth. The green then walked slowly into the tranquil sea, chirping happily as the warm water caressed her, until she floated. Tai just fell off her dragon's neck into the sea, elated with the success of their escape and the caress of the warm water.
"We needed this, dear heart," she said, slapping Zaranth's wet wither.
The dragon let herself sink until only her eyes remained above the water, brilliant green and blue-and that unhappily reminded Tai of Golanth's eye. But suddenly dolphins arrived, squeeing and clicking in great sympathy for the red scars on Tai's legs and the black scabbed stripes on Zaranth's body, overjoyed at their unexpected arrival and scolding them, as much as dolphins scold, for staying away so long. And when were Golly and Fless coming to swim, too? Yes, they knew they had been hurt but seawater was good for all hurts, and swimming was good for sores, and they must come and tell them about the furry things. All these questions while sleek smooth dolphin bodies provided the dragon gentle massage and uncomplicated company for the rider. The moon rose as Tai, grasping two dorsal fins, was taken on a wild ride around the little cove, dolphins leaping high in escort and vying to take the place of any who lost her hand.
Indeed, it wasn't until Tai's hands slipped several times from fins that she realized she was tired. So much unexpected exercise.
"You rest," the dolphin named Afri urged, and cheed firmly about her, an order for the others to calm down. Tai was surrounded and supported by dolphin bodies, the light waves splashing over them, lulling her until she was all but asleep.
She came to awareness of how easy it would have been for them to just succumb to such blandishments and find a weyr on the shore and forget the heartache and the dismal prospects at Honshu. But that was impossible, no matter how tempting. She had chosen.
"We've had our respite, Zaranth. We go back now. Dawn's not far away and you know that's when F'lessan is most restless."
Resolutely, she turned shoreward, letting Afri, or maybe it was Dani, tow her until her feet touched the bottom. She walked out, found her towel, dried herself, and dressed. Then she called Zaranth in and checked to be sure that none of the scabs had burst during all that diving and cavorting about in the water.
"Come back, come back. Good for you," Afri said, walking on her tail as she spoke. "Bring Golly. Much better for him."
It would be, too, Tai thought, except possibly for his eye. Buoyed by water, he could exercise his leg and his tail-the bone had healed but the muscles remained flaccid. He might also be able to spread his injured wing, ease open that stiff joint. If only they could gethim up in the air and to the sea. Golanth had a much wider wingspan than Zaranth. Falling over the cliff at Honshu as she had done could have fatal consequences for the bigger dragon. Tai wondered if Ramoth and Mnementh had made any progress in refining the ability. After recommending trundlebugs, Zaranth had not heard anything from Ramoth except that she and Mnementh were practicing.
They returned to moonlit Honshu. Where shadows would mask their approach, Zaranth glided toward the edge of the lower terrace. All was peaceful below so their absence was unlikely to have been noticed. Because of the angle of their approach, facing the main entrance, Tai saw the halting figure making its way to the sleeping bulk of bronze dragon, pausing to hold the edge of a table. F'lessan?
What was the fool doing? He'd walked for the first time that morning. If he should fall, he could damage all the healing of the past two sevendays. What did he think he was doing? Fury for such recklessness dissolved as Tai realized what he needed todo: be withGolanth.
Come in slowly. If we startle him, he might fall,she told Zaranth. D'you think you could support him if he falls?
I could try.Zaranth's tone was doubtful. He hurts.
Of course he does,Tai said, almost glad that pain was slowing him down, making him cautious. Then, she could hear the faint click: he wasn't being entirely reckless, he was propping himself on a cane-hers, no doubt, since none had been offered him yet.
He was concentrating so hard on his goal, reaching his dragon, that he was unaware of being observed. He had ten more meters to move, painfully, slowly.
Golanth knows Tai comes. He does not move. Someone might hear that.
But I can hear the tap of the cane.
They may think it is you, Tai, checking on Golanth.
He managed another painful step in the moonlight, wobbling for a moment, uncertainly balanced.
If he falls. Oh, shards, Zaranth, just move him, as you did the trundlebugs. Move him to Golanth.
I-I. He's nearly there.
Not near enough. Just move him, Zaranth. Do it! You know how you moved trundlebugs!
Tai felt Zaranth gulp. If F'lessan made a sound, it was muffled against Golanth's neck as Zaranth complied.
Put me beside him.
And Tai-more abruptly than she had ever moved without Zaranth beneath her-was standing beside F'lessan who clung to the loose skin on Golanth's neck for balance. Tai put her hand under his left arm for support.
"How the shard did I get here?" F'lessan demanded in a low tense voice. "Where did you come from? There was no one else awake!"
"Zaranth!" Tai murmured by way of explanation.
F'lessan buried his head against his dragon's neck, gasping for breath.
"You could have opened stitches! You could have fallen and hurt yourself more," she scolded him, speaking low, her lips to his ear.
"Why didn't you get Zaranth to bring me to Golly before?" He turned his head, his low fierce whisper conveying his fury, his pain, and his desperate need to be in physical contact with his dragon.
Tai grimaced. "Three reasons: one, because you've been badly wounded and needed to heal a bit. Two," and she allowed her irritation to color her voice, "because I just thought of it when 1 saw you trying to undo all the good done while you were forcefully kept in bed. Three, Zaranth doesn't really know how to control herself."
"Trundlebugs, my dear green, trundlebugs." He took a deep breath and pushed upright, steadied himself on the cane before raising his arm. She saw the knife in his hand-one of the sharp ones that Crivellan used for surgical procedures.
"What are you doing?"
He gave her a shove. She stumbled and hissed as the imbalance sent a jab of pain through her half-healed leg. How had he managed to walk this far with his more serious wounds? "I want to see his eye, Tai. I want to see it."
"Why?" No one had lied to him about Golanth's condition. Didn't F'lessan trust her to tell the truth?