Page 41 (1/2)

Wistala thought the Queen was struggling with her firebladder "But social gossip doesn’t concern our brave Firemaids I ca The Tyr would like to see this new Firemaiden and hear her account of le of the gazes upon her such that it made her scales ripple "I--I thank you for the opportunity to obey, my Queen," Wistala said

"Don’t let h you could use it Ayafeeia, see that a body-thrall with sharp snippers and fresh file attends to her Her scales are running quite wild"

"Yes, my Queen"

The Queen drew Ayafeeia away and said a few ain

"Such an insult," an old Fireade with a deive her war, if she wants it"

"I expect she does want it," Ayafeeia said, leaving Nilrasha

Behind her, the Queen touched nose-tip with a very young drakka standing sore-footed at the end of the line as she departed A dragonelle at the opposite end said so teeth in ht, Ayafeeia watched the Queen take off "The losses froeneration We’ve just completed a hard ith the demen She knoe are weak"

Wistala had heard much talk of battles with the Ghioz "How does she know? Spies?"

"Quite possibly," Ayafeeia said "There are dragons eigh gold above blood"

"A curse on such dragons," Takea said, looking directly at Wistala "If I learned of one, I’d not rest until I saw her head left dry atop soan to believe she’d dropped into a ind: suspicions, jealousies, politics, worries of civil ar in the Lower World, worries of ith the surface Still, dragons did thrive on challenge, Father always said Dragon eat challenge and vent victory It was surfeit that beat you

"May I ask a question?" Wistala asked

"Of course," Ayafeeia said "That’s the beginning of wisdom"

"Why did she call you ‘maidmother’ at some times and ‘sister’ at others?"

"We are sisters after a fashion, though one presses the issue in this case Her mate was married to my sister"

"I still say she did it," someone said quietly

"None of that, now," Ayafeeia said "I won’t have the Queen disparaged, either inor out of it"

"When all is said and done, she broke her oath," one of the Firemaids said "She took the third oath Do our traditions count for nothing?"

"Yes How convenient that your sister died when she did, Ayafeeia," Takea said "It couldn’t have worked out better for Nilrasha"

"Takea, watch that tongue of yours You have a little too much Anklene blood in you for decent manners It could have worked out better for Nilrasha, if Halaflora had died withThere wouldn’t be all these foul ru I can believe the story they told Halaflora always had th of heart to her than body I’m not sure Nilrasha isn’t the better Queen A Queen needs energy"

"There’s an old saying--defend loudest your deepest enemies, until it is time to strike," Takea whispered to Wistala

"Could it be said that beco drakka Nilrasha had spoken to said, raising her voice "The Queen is the spiritual leader of the Firemaids Nilrasha just rose above any maid of her character," Ayafeeia said, straightening "I abhore all this nasty gossip My adopted brother, our Tyr, has the best interest of dragons at heart Nilrasha has the best interest of the Tyr at heart He overned without a little fear, I believe"

She grated her teeth in thought "Wistala, you must be made ready for presentation in court I suppose I should attend As usual I’ll leave Malitha in charge of our hill Takea, you’ve not been atop I You e Whatever you do, don’t let her pull up her lips like that in front of the Tyr"

Wistala enjoyed the experience of the body-thralls working her scale

First, several of the-handled brushes that cleaned her scale above and beneath She was the ruin of at least three brushes