Two days later, Frederica pushed away a tinge of disappointment as she found Quickthorn alone by the Dragon Stones. When she had received the sending from Cerridwen telling her to go there again, she had hoped against hope for another potential companion, one who was not afraid of bonding. But apparently that was not to be.
At least she did not have a witness to her disappointment this time. Elizabeth had been out walking the fields when the sending came, so she would never know Frederica’s hopes had been raised. It was just as well, since Elizabeth had been in such high spirits today after finally connecting to Darcy last night using her dragon scale.
Frederica was determined not to wallow in her disappointment. Quickthorn was interesting, and any chance to talk to a dragon was more than shehad once dreamed of. But why had the dragon called her here? “Honored Quickthorn, I am glad to see you once again.”
“I suppose that must be true, since you cannot lie to me,” the dragon grumbled.
“I am always pleased by the opportunity to meet with a dragon, especially another truth-caster,” she said. “You are the only one I know apart from Companion Amelia, and she seems to carry the challenge of truth-casting more gracefully than I do.”
“Or than I,” said the dragon. “But most mortals do not like my company.”
Frederica considered this challenging but no doubt perfectly true statement. “Well, I do. You speak your mind, and I like that. I do not demand that everyone be cheerful all the time.”
The dragon peered at her. “Why are you so different from the others?”
She shrugged. “My mother always said I was born different. But it is not just that.” She paused to think. Why did she like this particular cranky dragon? “I am always blurting out things I should not say, but I mean no ill by it. Well, at least not most of the time; only if someone truly deserves it. And when you read me, when you came with Agate, I felt no malice in you. I was bitterly disappointed when you said I should not try to make a bond, but I could tell you were saying it for Agate’s good. As you should.”
“Why did you want to bond to a nestling?”
It did not matter now. “I did not particularly want a nestling, really. I just wanted to be a dragon companion, and I thought the Nest would be more likely to permit it if I showed them a way it was to their benefit. A nestling might help me convince human skeptics more easily. But for myself? I had no great desire to wait for a young nestling to mature enough to be a true companion.”
“Then you would not refuse a dragon who was older?”
“I would be happy if any dragon were willing to take me as a companion.” Could it be that the door was not completely closed, that Quickthorn had another potential match to propose? She could not hold back her excitement. “Is there a possibility of that?”
Quickthorn scratched at the ground with her back leg, an odd embarrassment emanating from her. “I am not what you wanted, neither very young nor at all agreeable.”
It took a moment to sink in, that the beautiful sea-green dragon was offering herself. Frederica just barely repressed the urge to jump up and down and clap her hands. “You would be perfect for me.”
“You mean that.” The dragon sounded surprised.
“I do! I have thought a great deal about what you said, that I would dominate a nestling. You would never let me dominate you, and you understand me.”
“Our minds work along similar lines. I saw that when I read you. That is important, for a successful bond.”
Frederica thought her smile just might split her face open if it got any wider. “What would I need to do? Should you read me again, to be certain you can trust me?”
“If you wish to proceed with this, yes. We must both be sure. The Eldest has already given her blessing to the attempt.” She paused, then added grudgingly, “She wants more of us to take companions, now that the Great Concealment has been broken, but she thinks you will not consent. She has never considered me as a possible companion, because no mortal would want me.”
“Then she is wrong, because I want you!” Frederica said stoutly. “And I still want to help humans to accept dragons. They will find you appealing, too, only in a different way.”
A snort of smoke. “As long as I do not speak to them.”
Frederica cocked her head. “There is the truth-caster problem, yes. I always thought people simply disliked me. Once I learned about truth-casting, I realized that was why I made them uncomfortable, because they found themselves saying more than they wanted to me.” It did hurt still, all those years of rejections, but there was no need to explain that to another truth-caster.
“We are indeed uncomfortable company. But perhaps we can find a way, you and I.”
Frowning, Elizabeth walked back into the drawing room. She had gone to the cottage in the oak grove before sunset, specifically so she could have access to all her land Talent when Darcy connected with her. But how was she to make any sense from Darcy’s new sending? It had been a long walk back to the house by lantern light.
Frederica was already dressed for dinner, her bright expression fading at the sight of Elizabeth. “Oh, no! What is the matter? Was he not there?”
“No, I felt him,” she said slowly. “But I do not understand what he tried to say.”
“The words were not clear?”
“It was a perfectly clear image – of Napoleon carrying huge eggs from a cavern, and a sea serpent looking on.” She shivered, remembering the frightening serpent in her dream. “It felt ominous.”
“That is odd. Were they sea serpent eggs?”
