Gods, did all dragons behave that way, or was it just Fimor who had no concept of boundaries?
Selene and Jaken were in the storeroom when he arrived—Jaken busy checking over his harness, while Selene sat on the side chatting with him.
“Hey, Nykin.” She let out a soft laugh when he looked up and met her gaze. “Wow, why so grumpy?”
Nykin carefully placed Fimor’s harness and saddle on the floor directly under his allotted space. “Does Kalesh or Domor ever make inappropriate comments?” he asked as he lifted the saddle first, then positioned it on the two long bars sticking out from the wall.
“About sex, you mean?” He could hear the amusement in Selene’s voice, and when he turned around, she had a big grin on her face. Jaken on the other hand looked as though he’d rather be anywhere else than here, having this conversation. Nykin nodded, reaching back down for the harness. “All the time. She’s terrible, and very matter-of-fact about everything.”
She dropped down to the ground and helped Nykin secure his harness onto the hooks. “Earlier I was annoyed about not being picked to guard the patrols, so she suggested I use Lerran in ‘ a sexual manner ’ to get rid of my frustrations.” Nykin fumbled with his end of the harness, almost dropping it, and Selene laughed loudly. “Honestly, those were her exact words. And she actually huffed in disappointment when I informed her Lerran had gone with Nysad. Dragons either have no idea about boundaries, or they just don’t care.”
Well, at least it wasn’t just Fimor. Nykin immediately felt better, knowing the other riders got the same treatment. “What about you, Jaken? Does Domor talk to you like that?” Jaken had finished with his harness and was now studiously looking down at the floor. Nykin could easily see the pink tinge to his cheeks.
“Unfortunately, yes. He keeps asking why I’m not looking for ‘ someone to mate with ,’ because apparently that’s what all humans do.” Jaken looked up, and Nykin tried not to laugh at the pained expression on his face, but he couldn’t hold it in. Besides, it was a welcome respite from all the anxiety he’d been feeling about the evacuation. “That’s not the worst of it, though,” Jaken continued, the flush on his cheeks getting darker. “He keeps making suggestions of who I could choose to mate with. And they’re all riders, so I know he’s been talking to their dragons about it. I keep getting looks from them.”
Selene was wiping the tears from her eyes by this point, and she put her arm around Jaken’s waist, then pulled him in for a hug. “Don’t worry about it, Jaken. From what I hear of it, you’re not the only one whose dragon is trying to get them married off.”
“Dragons,” Jaken grumbled, but with a small smile this time. He hugged Selene back for a moment before extricating himself from her grasp.
Nykin looked at his friends—traces of laughter were still present on Selene’s face, and Jaken was looking relaxed and happy. He prayed they’d all get through the night unscathed. Not wanting to ruin the mood, he smiled and told them both he’d see them later, before heading back down to the palace to find Ryneq.
H E HEARD voices as he approached his quarters, the door standing ajar a couple of inches. He opened it wider and walked in to find Peros sitting at the table near the balcony with Ryneq pacing in front of the large windows. He walked across the room to join them.
“They’re almost finished erecting the barrier.” Peros glanced back at Nykin, obviously hearing his footsteps. “Glaevahl says it’ll be finished well within the hour.”
Ryneq looked over and smiled at him before turning back to address Peros. “Good. Do we have a better idea how strong it’ll be? I know Glaevahl said it wouldn’t hold up against a sustained attack, but have we any idea how long it will give us?”
Peros hesitated, a noise over on the far side of the room
Selene and Jaken were in the storeroom when he arrived—Jaken busy checking over his harness, while Selene sat on the side chatting with him.
“Hey, Nykin.” She let out a soft laugh when he looked up and met her gaze. “Wow, why so grumpy?”
Nykin carefully placed Fimor’s harness and saddle on the floor directly under his allotted space. “Does Kalesh or Domor ever make inappropriate comments?” he asked as he lifted the saddle first, then positioned it on the two long bars sticking out from the wall.
“About sex, you mean?” He could hear the amusement in Selene’s voice, and when he turned around, she had a big grin on her face. Jaken on the other hand looked as though he’d rather be anywhere else than here, having this conversation. Nykin nodded, reaching back down for the harness. “All the time. She’s terrible, and very matter-of-fact about everything.”
She dropped down to the ground and helped Nykin secure his harness onto the hooks. “Earlier I was annoyed about not being picked to guard the patrols, so she suggested I use Lerran in ‘ a sexual manner ’ to get rid of my frustrations.” Nykin fumbled with his end of the harness, almost dropping it, and Selene laughed loudly. “Honestly, those were her exact words. And she actually huffed in disappointment when I informed her Lerran had gone with Nysad. Dragons either have no idea about boundaries, or they just don’t care.”
Well, at least it wasn’t just Fimor. Nykin immediately felt better, knowing the other riders got the same treatment. “What about you, Jaken? Does Domor talk to you like that?” Jaken had finished with his harness and was now studiously looking down at the floor. Nykin could easily see the pink tinge to his cheeks.
“Unfortunately, yes. He keeps asking why I’m not looking for ‘ someone to mate with ,’ because apparently that’s what all humans do.” Jaken looked up, and Nykin tried not to laugh at the pained expression on his face, but he couldn’t hold it in. Besides, it was a welcome respite from all the anxiety he’d been feeling about the evacuation. “That’s not the worst of it, though,” Jaken continued, the flush on his cheeks getting darker. “He keeps making suggestions of who I could choose to mate with. And they’re all riders, so I know he’s been talking to their dragons about it. I keep getting looks from them.”
Selene was wiping the tears from her eyes by this point, and she put her arm around Jaken’s waist, then pulled him in for a hug. “Don’t worry about it, Jaken. From what I hear of it, you’re not the only one whose dragon is trying to get them married off.”
“Dragons,” Jaken grumbled, but with a small smile this time. He hugged Selene back for a moment before extricating himself from her grasp.
Nykin looked at his friends—traces of laughter were still present on Selene’s face, and Jaken was looking relaxed and happy. He prayed they’d all get through the night unscathed. Not wanting to ruin the mood, he smiled and told them both he’d see them later, before heading back down to the palace to find Ryneq.
H E HEARD voices as he approached his quarters, the door standing ajar a couple of inches. He opened it wider and walked in to find Peros sitting at the table near the balcony with Ryneq pacing in front of the large windows. He walked across the room to join them.
“They’re almost finished erecting the barrier.” Peros glanced back at Nykin, obviously hearing his footsteps. “Glaevahl says it’ll be finished well within the hour.”
Ryneq looked over and smiled at him before turning back to address Peros. “Good. Do we have a better idea how strong it’ll be? I know Glaevahl said it wouldn’t hold up against a sustained attack, but have we any idea how long it will give us?”
Peros hesitated, a noise over on the far side of the room
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