be, and a spanking hasn’t done a thing to help him repent.
“His father’s right. At least this way he doesn’t get to spend all of his time playing aboard ship. And as for you, you’re not fine. You swallowed an awful lot of sea water, Darius, and though you’ve been trying to hide it, we’ve all heard the coughing.”
Darius opened his mouth to protest, but Daniel held a hand up to silence him. “True, you have improved—if you hadn’t I would have tied you to the bed and let Dearra have her way with you.”
William and Darius both stared at Daniel with mouths agape, not quite able to believe what they had just heard.
“Oh, for Cyrus’s sake! I mean healing! She had all kinds of poultices and treatments she wanted to try, but I insisted you would be fine, and she should just leave it be.”
“She did?” Darius asked. “She was worried? I didn’t know that. I mean, I know she needs me to help rescue Pip, but I didn’t think she still—”
“That’s because you’re an idiot, boy. If you two would just talk, you could get past all of this, and the rest of us could stop being so uncomfortable.”
“I don’t know. What if I…Well, what if something…happens?”
“Like what?” Daniel asked menacingly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
“What do you think, William?” Darius asked, hastily turning from the threatening gesture the weapons master had made.
“Talk to the girl, Darius,” William said.” For everyone’s sake.”
“Okay. I’ll do it.” Darius squared his shoulders, as if preparing himself for battle.
***
Darius left the deck and headed towards the girls’ cabin in search of Dearra.
Royce tried to scamper after him, toting the cool water he had gone in search of, but William put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Leave Darius alone for a bit, Royce.”
“I thought he was thirsty,” Royce said, a look of confusion on his face.
“Don’t worry about it, Royce,” Daniel said kindly. “Turns out he was hungry instead.”
Royce sighed. “I will never understand grown-ups,” he said, and walked back to his look-out at the rail.
Daniel and William just grinned knowingly and returned to their tasks.
***
Carly heard scratching at the door and pulled it wide to admit Reo. The wolf yipped his puppy bark and bounded into the room to have Dearra scratch his ears as was his habit from time to time. He used to disappear into the ship’s hold as well. Everyone assumed he was chasing a rat or two that had found its way aboard before leaving Maj. As it turned out, the wolf was spending time with Royce who had managed to hide himself there amongst the crates and barrels. She smiled and shook her head, actually a little proud of young Royce’s ingenuity. He would make a fine warrior someday. When she looked up, she was startled to see Darius standing before her.
“Carly, is…uh…is Dearra around?”
“I’m sitting right here. It’s not a big room, Darius.”
Easy—temper, temper, Fuzzy. He came to talk—maybe you could try letting him.
“I think I’ll just go on deck and get some air,” Carly said, backing out of the room.
“Carly, wait!” Dearra stood to stop her friend, but she’d already closed the door behind her when she’d made her hasty retreat.
The two of them stood several feet apart. A long, awkward silence stretched on and on until finally—
Isn’t this cozy? Well, it’s good that we all have this chance to work things out. Now, we can discuss this like rational, intelligent—Oh, right! I keep forgetting you’re not dragons. Okay, I’ll be rational and intelligent, you two just muddle along the best you can.
“Brin?”
Yes, Dearra?
“Take a nap or something, would you?”
Nice. Very nice. The last time you two were alone I practically had to torch Darius, and now you want me to go away.
The look of pain on Dearra’s face at Brin’s observation did not go unnoticed, judging by the low growl of warning that came from
“His father’s right. At least this way he doesn’t get to spend all of his time playing aboard ship. And as for you, you’re not fine. You swallowed an awful lot of sea water, Darius, and though you’ve been trying to hide it, we’ve all heard the coughing.”
Darius opened his mouth to protest, but Daniel held a hand up to silence him. “True, you have improved—if you hadn’t I would have tied you to the bed and let Dearra have her way with you.”
William and Darius both stared at Daniel with mouths agape, not quite able to believe what they had just heard.
“Oh, for Cyrus’s sake! I mean healing! She had all kinds of poultices and treatments she wanted to try, but I insisted you would be fine, and she should just leave it be.”
“She did?” Darius asked. “She was worried? I didn’t know that. I mean, I know she needs me to help rescue Pip, but I didn’t think she still—”
“That’s because you’re an idiot, boy. If you two would just talk, you could get past all of this, and the rest of us could stop being so uncomfortable.”
“I don’t know. What if I…Well, what if something…happens?”
“Like what?” Daniel asked menacingly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
“What do you think, William?” Darius asked, hastily turning from the threatening gesture the weapons master had made.
“Talk to the girl, Darius,” William said.” For everyone’s sake.”
“Okay. I’ll do it.” Darius squared his shoulders, as if preparing himself for battle.
***
Darius left the deck and headed towards the girls’ cabin in search of Dearra.
Royce tried to scamper after him, toting the cool water he had gone in search of, but William put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Leave Darius alone for a bit, Royce.”
“I thought he was thirsty,” Royce said, a look of confusion on his face.
“Don’t worry about it, Royce,” Daniel said kindly. “Turns out he was hungry instead.”
Royce sighed. “I will never understand grown-ups,” he said, and walked back to his look-out at the rail.
Daniel and William just grinned knowingly and returned to their tasks.
***
Carly heard scratching at the door and pulled it wide to admit Reo. The wolf yipped his puppy bark and bounded into the room to have Dearra scratch his ears as was his habit from time to time. He used to disappear into the ship’s hold as well. Everyone assumed he was chasing a rat or two that had found its way aboard before leaving Maj. As it turned out, the wolf was spending time with Royce who had managed to hide himself there amongst the crates and barrels. She smiled and shook her head, actually a little proud of young Royce’s ingenuity. He would make a fine warrior someday. When she looked up, she was startled to see Darius standing before her.
“Carly, is…uh…is Dearra around?”
“I’m sitting right here. It’s not a big room, Darius.”
Easy—temper, temper, Fuzzy. He came to talk—maybe you could try letting him.
“I think I’ll just go on deck and get some air,” Carly said, backing out of the room.
“Carly, wait!” Dearra stood to stop her friend, but she’d already closed the door behind her when she’d made her hasty retreat.
The two of them stood several feet apart. A long, awkward silence stretched on and on until finally—
Isn’t this cozy? Well, it’s good that we all have this chance to work things out. Now, we can discuss this like rational, intelligent—Oh, right! I keep forgetting you’re not dragons. Okay, I’ll be rational and intelligent, you two just muddle along the best you can.
“Brin?”
Yes, Dearra?
“Take a nap or something, would you?”
Nice. Very nice. The last time you two were alone I practically had to torch Darius, and now you want me to go away.
The look of pain on Dearra’s face at Brin’s observation did not go unnoticed, judging by the low growl of warning that came from
Similar Books
