The Rain Wild Chronicles: The Complete 4-Book Collection. Robin Hobb
I’ve heard rumours that they’ve chased a few. And devoured at least one corpse in the midst of the family funeral. I don’t know what’s to become of them, other than gradual decline and death.’ She paused, sighed and said, ‘I think Paragon has decided they are not dragons because that is less painful for him. He can do nothing to help them. So, by separating himself from them, perhaps his shame for them is a bit less. I really think there is nothing any of us can do for them.’
Alise sat very still and silent for three breaths. Then she said quietly, ‘Little of this has been heard in Bingtown.’
Althea smiled, a secret shared between fellow Traders. She poured fragrant tea into the cups. Captain Trell came to the table to accept his cup but immediately returned with it to his post by the window and his watch on the river. ‘Our Rain Wilds brethren have always kept their own affairs quiet. And for generations, those of Bingtown stock have been trained not to gossip about them. It still seems strange to me that the outside world now knows that they exist and wish to visit their cities. For so long we kept them secret, to protect them.’
Alise looked directly at Althea and suddenly felt grateful for the woman’s bluntness. ‘Do you think I will be able to speak with the dragons at all? Learn anything from them?’
Althea shifted in her chair. From the corner of her eye, Alise glimpsed Captain Trell regretfully shaking his head. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said. ‘From what I saw of them, they are fixated on the basics of life. The only talk I heard from them were demands for food. And complaints about their condition. From what little I know of Tintaglia, I would say that dragons do not deem humans worthy of thoughtful conversation. And the hatchlings at Cassarick disdain us as completely as if they were full grown and powerful dragons. Combine that with the bitterness they feel …’ She gave a shrug of her shoulders. ‘I do not think they will confide their ancestral memories to you. If they have any.’
Alise nodded dumbly. She felt empty and sick. She took a sip of her tea to give herself time to think, but no ideas came to her. ‘I feel so foolish,’ she said softly. She looked at Sedric and apologized, ‘I’ve dragged you all this way, for nothing it seems. I should have listened to Hest.’ She laced her fingers together on the table in front of her and spoke to Althea past a lump in her throat. ‘I only booked passage on your ship as far as Trehaug. From there, I planned to travel by one of the cargo barges, the small ones. I didn’t buy tickets for our return, because I hoped to stay weeks if not months learning from the dragons.’ She reached up to massage her own temples. A storm of a headache was brewing in her skull. She tried to keep tears out of her voice as she asked, ‘Is it possible to arrange to return to Bingtown immediately?’
‘You can travel back with us.’ The captain spoke without moving away from his window. There was sympathy in his voice.
‘But you should understand that it takes time for us to unload cargo and take on supplies and more cargo,’ Althea cautioned her. ‘And I had planned to visit Malta while we were here. So we will not be immediately returning to Bingtown. You will have to spend a few days in Trehaug while we do so.’
‘I understand,’ Alise said faintly. ‘I am sure we will find things to see in Trehaug until you are ready to begin the journey back to Bingtown.’
‘Then you don’t plan to even visit Cassarick? I can’t believe that! Alise, you must go. We’ve come so far, it would be foolish not to at least visit it.’
The apparent disappointment in Sedric’s voice startled her. A few minutes ago, he had seemed positively hopeful that their journey had been for naught.
‘What would be the point of it?’ she asked him dully.
‘Well,’ he seemed to flounder briefly for a reason. ‘Well, to say that you’d seen what you’d gone to see. Done what you meant to do. You said you wanted to see the young dragons for yourself. Do so.’ Suddenly he seemed more confident of his words. He leaned across the table and took her hands. He gazed earnestly into her eyes. ‘Isn’t that what you’ve been telling Hest you wanted, for years now? Simply to see for yourself?’ He gave her a twisted smile. ‘Surely you don’t want to go back to Bingtown and admit to him that you came all this way and didn’t even look at a dragon?’
She stared at him. Suddenly she could imagine Hest’s delighted grin at such an admission from her. Bile rose in the back of her throat. No. No. Her disappointment was big enough without letting it be his triumph. She blinked back tears, and suddenly felt a wave of gratitude toward Sedric that he had thought of her and spoken out to save her from such shame. ‘You’re right,’ she said in a shaky voice. She thought of her years of carefully compiled notes, scroll after scroll, page after precisely lettered page. Resolve settled and firmed in her. ‘You’re right, Sedric. I have to go. The least I must do is see them for myself.’ She drew a deeper breath. ‘I’ve committed a grave error, one that too many scholars fall prey to. I’ve let my expectations and hopes colour my opinion. If what I see are deformed and near mindless creatures, then that is what I must observe and document. Just because my studies do not reflect what I hoped to find is no reason to turn aside from them. Thank you, Sedric.’ She sat up, squaring her shoulders and met Althea’s measuring gaze. ‘I will be journeying on to Cassarick.’
Althea slowly nodded. A grim smile of understanding touched her face.
‘But we won’t be staying long,’ Sedric hastily added. ‘I suspect that we will still be travelling downriver with you. In fact, I’d like to secure our passage home right now.’
Both Althea and Brashen were looking at Sedric oddly. Alise understood. If she hadn’t known the man, she too would have wondered at his weather-vane spinning. He’d gone so quickly from persuading her that she must go to Cassarick to declaring that they would stay only a very brief time. But she knew why. She sat silent as he discussed with the captain the likely dates of their departure for Bingtown. Without a word, she signed the note for funds for their return tickets. All the while, she looked at Sedric, not with new eyes, but with fond remembrance of their old friendship. He hadn’t wanted to come to the Rain Wilds. She was certain he didn’t want to make the uncomfortable journey by flat-bottom barge to Cassarick. But he would do it, for her sake. He’d help her save face with Hest, no matter the discomfort and inconvenience to himself.
When their business was concluded and she rose from the table, he offered her his arm, just as he always did. As she took it, she looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back and patted her hand reassuringly. ‘Thank you, my friend,’ she said quietly.
‘Not at all,’ he replied.
Day the 23rd of the Growing Moon
Year the 6th of the Independent Alliance of Traders
From Detozi, Keeper of the Birds, Trehaug to Erek, Keeper of the Birds, Bingtown
From the Traders’ Councils at Cassarick and Trehaug to the Bingtown Traders’ Council, in a sealed scroll case, an accounting of the expected expenses for moving the dragons to a spot more conducive to their good health, with the Bingtown Traders’ Council’s share of the expenses itemized in detail.
Erek,
You should not listen to silly gossip. The dragons are to be moved, not slaughtered or sold! How rumours do twist as they fly. I have received the peas, and the difference in my birds’ plumage is already noticeable. Is this feed expensive? Is it possible you could acquire a hundredweight sack for me, if it is not too dear?
Detozi
Leftrin straightened up from slouching against the railing and peered down the dock at the procession headed toward the Tarman. Was this what Trell was sending his way? He scratched