Page 16 of Dragon Fire

“Like Gowan said, we didn’t mean to intrude. We came down to the beach so Sir Hrardorr could join us, and then, we were supposed to meet up with Mistress O’Dare to introduce her to our visiting dignitary from Gryphon Isle.”

“Miss Livy’s coming here?” a small girl asked, her eyes wide as excitement sparkled.

“Hush, Jenny,” Leo told the small child gently.

Seth intervened, crouching down to meet little Jenny’s gaze at eye level. “Do you know my friend, Miss Livy?”

Jenny nodded, her whole body moving up and down with her little head. “She gives us sweeties sometimes,” Jenny admitted.

Seth dug into his pockets, remembering he had a few hard candies in there somewhere. Sure enough, he found the small parcel, wrapped in cloth. He unveiled the small sugar-dusted drops like he was unwrapping a magician’s rabbit, enjoying the way Jenny’s eyes widened as she watched.

The other children had gathered around him, and when he offered the little mound of hard candy drops to them, the candies were gone in a flurry of little hands. They were polite about it, though, each taking one first, to be sure everyone had one, only then going back for more. They were happy, well-behaved children and Seth thought he understood a little better about Leo and how strong a family foundation he’d come from. No wonder he’d been chosen so young. He came from good people and would doubtless turn into the best of men, in time.

CHAPTER SIX

While Seth entertained the children, Gowan took the opportunity to have a quiet word with Leo. He gestured off to the side, away from the dragons and Seth and the kids, where they could talk privately. Leo followed, somewhat formal in his movements, since technically, Gowan was his superior.

That was good, as far as Gowan was concerned. It showed that Leo was aware of the chain of command and respected it, but it also made Gowan want to put the young man at ease. After all, they’d intruded on his time off with his siblings. Gowan wanted to make sure Leo realized it had been purely accidental that their paths had crossed.

Then again… The Mother of All worked in mysterious ways. Maybe their paths had been meant to cross all along. Maybe this group of youngsters was just what Flurrthith needed today, to keep his mind off the troubles in his homeland and the idiotic delay in responding from the Lair leadership.

“I’m sorry we interrupted your family time,” Gowan told Leo, speaking plainly as was his usual habit. “It wasn’t our intent. We merely wanted to get Sir Flurrthith away from the Lair for a bit and introduce him to Livia O’Dare in hopes that she could connect him with some younger people that he might enjoy meeting. He is very young to have been sent on such a mission, but you can see why.” Gowan looked over at Flurrthith, talking with the dragons. “He is an amazing flyer for his age.”

“I didn’t realize he was young. I’ve never met a gryphon before. Are they bigger than that when they’re adults?” Leo asked, his eyes on the gryphon, as well.

“The adult gryphons in the capital are larger, but I’d say Flurrthith’s wings are even longer than the adults I’ve seen fly around Castleton. His wingspan is remarkable for any age—or so Genlitha assures me. I have not spoken to a gryphon before either. Flurrthith is my first, but I hope not last.” Gowan frowned, thinking about the trouble facing the gryphon’s island home right at this very minute.

“Then, you want us to go help the wizard and the gryphons?” Leo asked.

Gowan looked at the young knight. “I do.” He had to sigh, thinking about the complications at the Lair. “But I very much fear our leadership is going to be…shortsighted, on this issue.”

“You think they’d leave Gryffid in the lurch?” Now, Leo’s expression took on an appalled cast. Good man.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do, but recent events have led me to doubt their courage.” Gowan had just uttered a huge insult, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to regret his words. They were the absolute truth, and he’d stand behind them if Leo went telling tales for some reason.

Leo’s lips went thin as he clenched his jaw, looking from Xander to Flurrthith and back again. Then, his bright eyes shifted to Gowan again.

“Sir. Xander and I have been talking this over.” That was a good sign, Gowan thought. The young knight was seeking the counsel of his dragon. “If it comes down to it and the leadership does something incredibly stupid, we’re considering…”

Gowan put a cautious hand on the young knight’s shoulder. “Do not do anything without telling me, son,” Gowan advised, knowing Leo’s strong heart would demand he and Xander race off to try to help the allies they had unknowingly put in danger from the pirates.

Leo met his gaze, a core of iron showing in his dark eyes. “Likewise, Sir.”

Well. That was unexpected. If Gowan didn’t misunderstand, Leo and Xander had just volunteered to go rogue with him and Genlitha if the leadership denied Gryffid’s request for aid. Hmm.

There was no chance to take the conversation further since, at that moment, a cheer went up from the children as they were the first to spot Livia O’Dare making her way toward them from the direction of town. She had walked along the beach to get to them, much to Gowan’s surprise. He’d thought the dragons and Flurrthith were going to walk into town to meet her, but apparently, she’d found a way to get free of her father’s guards and come here on her own.

Then again, Livia was a very creative lass, with a mind of her own. If anyone could escape those who would try to keep tabs on her, it was Livia.

Livia had managed to escape her watchers for the day when she saw the dragons flying overhead with the small gryphon. It was easy enough to point out the fact that it would be simpler to go meet the dragons on the beach than to make them walk into the crowded town looking for her.

With a stern warning, her father had let her leave their place of business. He’d taken to letting her do the bookwork with him each day, since he’d found no fault with her bookkeeping while he’d been away. In fact, he’d been very complimentary about her running of the office.

He hadn’t meant to leave her in charge of the whole thing, but when the man he had hired to run operations ran off with a saloon girl a few weeks after her father had set sail, there had been no recourse. Frankly, Livia was relieved the man had gone. Without him to get in the way, she’d been able to run the operation as she’d always known she’d be able to. It had been a challenge, and she had risen to it.

Luckily, her father agreed after some initial anger.

As she worked with him in the same office, she hoped to show him that she really was an adult, not the child he’d left behind. It was slow going, but if she was ever going to get out from under his thumb in a graceful manner, she had to prove to him she wasn’t some silly child.

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