Read Online Hidden Dragons by Bianca D'Arc - Free Book Online

long on her own without being
careful.
    Isabelle turned and, while she didn’t actually
flee, she certainly moved rather quickly out the door of the barn
and back to her house. Robert had to smile when she sent back a
message via Growloranth, apparently unwilling to talk mind-to-mind
with anyone but the dragon at the moment.
    “ Lady Isabelle invites you to
breakfast when you are ready,” Growloranth
conveyed the message to Robert and Bear with a comically haughty
air. “And may I add my congratulations on
your swift thinking, Sir Bernard. All along I thought my knight was
quicker with the ladies, but I see I have underestimated your
prowess. Well done, and thank you for moving things along. The
sooner you find your mate, the sooner my lady and I can take to the
sky. While we are not pressuring you to hurry, just the same, we
are glad you are showing signs of bringing your search to an
amiable end. Tildeth and I agree that Lady Isabelle would make a
wonderful addition to our little family.”
    “ It will be nice to have another
female to help with the little ones when they come along,” Tildeth put in. “Isabelle is a gentle soul who would be kind to younglings of
either race. And she would sing the sweetest lullabies.” Tildeth sounded almost wistful.
    Robert knew that parenting of babies was shared
by the mixed families in most Lairs. The humans acted as a second
set of parents to any baby dragon born in the family, while the
dragons did the same for any human children. It was an arrangement
that had been working for centuries within the borders of Draconia,
and Robert looked forward to seeing it in action in his own small
family unit—once they found their mate. He would bet his best suit
of armor that Isabelle was the one. Now they just had to convince
her of that little fact.
    They walked to the house, Bear carrying the
heavy sack of provisions he had secured on his early morning
flight. The farmer from whom he’d bought the chickens had sold him
a lot more besides the livestock. Robert was glad Bear had been so
thoughtful, but he felt like a dolt by comparison. He had yet to
shower their lady with gifts, but for the life of him, he couldn’t
think of what he could give her besides his heart. And he didn’t
think she was ready yet to hear declarations of undying love from a
man she had met only a day before.
    When Isabelle let them into her home, Bear took
the lead, placing the heavy sack of supplies on the counter near
the washbasin. It was a smart move because, as Robert quickly
realized, Isabelle had already prepared breakfast using her own
supplies. Bear’s provisions might hurt her feelings or cause
embarrassment in light of her own meager offerings. The last thing
they wanted to do was hurt her in any way. Leaving the supplies for
later was the best course of action at that moment.
    Bear smiled and rubbed his hands together in a
gesture of anticipation as he settled on the tree stump he had
brought in the night before. A large portion of cooked oat mash was
already in the bowl placed in front of him. Robert was treated
similarly when he sat, and they shared a companionable half hour
eating and talking of simple things.
    When it came time for Bear and Tildeth to get
on their way, Bear placed a lingering kiss on Isabelle’s cheek. He
thanked her in the gentlest tone Robert had ever heard from his
fighting partner. It was obvious Bear didn’t want to leave, but
they had come here to do a job and they wouldn’t be able to truly
court Isabelle until their mission was completed.
    Bear nodded to him and left, going directly to
Tilly, who waited deeper into the forest so she would not be seen
by anyone from the village. Growloranth was closer, but Tilly’s
lighter coloring would make her stand out more against the greenery
surrounding Isabelle’s home.
    “ Take care of her. I’ll be in touch
when I have something to report,” Bear
sent to Robert silently as he disappeared into the
forest.
    “ I’ve