“Of course I am!What’s this about, anyway?Why do you want to know?”
“Because as soon as you left, Elfed went wild when anyone came near him.And the same thing happened to Cariad.And Edith fixed it after.It was because they’d bonded.Remember?”
Violet dropped the shovel.
“What happened that night, Violet?”Una insisted.“Was it a full moon?”
But Violet wasn’t listening anymore.Her eyes had gone glassy, and she flew towards the stairs.
Una caught her arm.
“You smell of wyvern,” Una warned.“They won’t like that.”
Violet blinked once or twice.“I’ll wash in the beck on the way.”
“Do you want someone from the village to see you in your combinations, Violet?”Una said severely.
Violet made a noise of irritation.“I’ve worn a spangledléotardand scarlet tights in front of a crowd of strangers, I’ll have you know!”
For a moment, Una imagined this scene in excruciating detail.Then she shook her head clear of it.
“I’m going to pretend I did not hear that, Violet,” Una said, in a voice that was much calmer than she felt.“But you really mustn’t go see Elfed without getting that smell off you first.”
Violet looked about dimly, then picked up the pail of water and upended it over her own head.Una jumped back, gasping.
Violet shook out her hair, and ran out of the cellar up the stairs, leaving a trail of drips behind her.
Una stood for a moment with her mouth open.Then she stamped her feet in the empty cellar, suddenly laughing.
“Oh,Violet!“ she gasped.
Violet scrambled through the woods and plunged through the old fording place in the river with a wild hope throbbing in her veins like wine.She had almost reached the enclosure when she heard Una’s voice calling after her.
“Just wait!”Una cried.“I’m trying to help you!”
Violet peered over her shoulder.“You aren’t trying to stop me?”
“Why would I have eventoldyou, numpty!“ gasped Una, throwing out her arms in exasperation.“If this is going to work at all, someone needs to distract Cariad.”
“Oh.Right,” said Violet.She patted her pockets helplessly.
“I’ve got it,” said Una, holding up a sticky twist of brown paper.
“Thanks,” said Violet weakly.
“Go round the back,” nodded Una.“When I’ve got Cariad, you call Elfed.”
Violet circled the enclosure, crouching low.
She watched as Una got herself over the wall and talked sweetly to the dragons, offering them treats and discreetly untying Elfed from his tether post.They were only tethered during tourist season, as there was always a fear that some visitor might have brought a concealed firearm and take a shot at a large flying dragon if it came too close.
Violet’s mouth was bone-dry.Finally, it was time.
She whistled.Both dragons turned to look for the sound.Violet stood up, scrambling up the wall and standing on it to make herself as visible as possible.
Both dragons, golden and rust, made a beeline for her.But Cariad stopped short, arrested by her tether.
Violet held out her arms for the huge creature thundering towards her.
