Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)

11: Jarryd

Jarryd pulled the stopper from his water bag and splashed her face. 

She groaned. 

Surely, this insipid girl could not be the one he sought. He helped her into a sitting position and pushed her head down between her knees, like he had seen done with other fainting women.

Jarryd squinted skyward, running through the words Mother and Dax had used while discussing the interception. They had not said anything about gender at all, which was strange now that he thought of it. Had they known?

Expecting a lad was not a stupid assumption.

Apart from Mother, it must be hundreds of years, at least, since a female dragonspeaker last surfaced. Anyway, Taniel was a boy's name, was it not? 

"There's been a mistake," he said, almost certain now that he had accosted the wrong person.

"You reckon?" 

The girl peered up at him out of the corner of one eye as she tried to turn her head against his hold on the back of her neck. Hastily, he let go.

She attempted to stand but settled on her knees. Using a cupped hand, she shielded her grazed shoulder from flies as she awkwardly accepted his water bag.

Jarryd watched her swallowing throat. His gaze took in the rest of her and loitered on her lap. Plenty to hang on to there, he thought.

The water bag slammed into his gut, forcing him to meet her eyes: warm brown with golden flecks. She looked more alert. Perhaps he would get some sense out of her, after all.

While he helped her to her feet, it suddenly struck him that she was shorter than he was. A quick glance at the ground confirmed they were standing on a level. Jarryd could not stop a stupid grin broadening his smile. He hated it when girls towered over him. His time here might not be in vain, after all.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"What mistake?" she countered.

Bemused, Jarryd recalled his earlier words. "You tell me your name and I'll tell you if I'm mistaken." 

"Taniel." Her gaze drifted to Rufus. "Taniel Bartle."

"But you're a girl."

"Huh?" She frowned. "You said that before."

"I didn't expect a girl."

Her frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"

There was a long silence as he wondered what she was thinking. Not a lot, by the look of her. Since his own mind had gone blank, and he could not recall the order in which the testing should be done, he might as well get on with it. 

Jarryd waved towards Rufus. "My dragon needs to speak with you."

"Me?"

Her voice came out in a squeak, and he did not like the way her eyes seemed to lose focus. 

Jarryd tensed, ready to grab her should she pass out again. If she wanted to be a dragonrider, she would have to toughen up. He took her arm and she allowed him to support her on the short walk to Rufus. 

Jarryd introduced them, formally, as was required for the first union of a mindpath between man and dragon.

The girl and the green dragon exchanged nods. 

That was not the proper way. Both parties should speak their agreement but Jarryd let it go without comment. Obviously, Rufus wanted to get on with the testing as much as he did.

"Touch him," Jarryd said. He unclenched his teeth and worked his jaw as she tentatively reached out and rested her palm on the dragon's shoulder. Nothing happened, at first.

She whirled about, her mouth agape, her eyes wide.

He felt the same disbelief on his own face. A girl dragonrider!

"Jarryd," Rufus said. "There is something wrong."

The girl slumped against the dragon. 

Rufus curved a hand around her waist to prevent her falling. Flies clustered on her graze. Rufus gently shook her. "We must keep her awake," he said.

Jarryd lifted her chin.

"My head hurts, dragonrider," she said.

Gently letting her head droop toward her ample bosoms, Jarryd sighed.

He reached for the water bag.

***

Thanks for reading

25 May 2021: Final update, synchronising Wattpad, Book Funnel and Kindle versions.

7 March 2017 - updated with Kindle version 

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