Heritage of Power Bonus Scenes by Lindsay Buroker

Author:Lindsay Buroker [Buroker, Lindsay]
Language: eng
Format: epub

3

Scene 3: Babies

The ducks squawked and paddled in the shallows as Tylie healed the broken wing of one nestled in her lap. She sat cross-legged at the water’s edge, heedless of the mud underneath her, churned by visits from dozens of daily duck feet. Sardelle sensed Tylie using her magic to soothe the feathered creature as she worked on the wing, knitting the hollow bones back together. The duck stared into the reeds with a glazed look in its beady eyes.

When the healing was complete, Tylie set it gently on the muddy bank. It quacked and waddled into the pond to join the others, turning an expectant look back toward the shoreline. Tylie smiled, and Ridge’s cracker tin drifted out of the converted duck blind. He hadn’t had time to visit the cozy nook for a while, so the contents of the tin were likely stale, but when Tylie used her power to upend it and shake out crackers, the ducks arrowed for them, not noticeably caring about freshness.

Marinka, who was looking under rocks a little farther up the shoreline, stopped her task to clap cheerfully at the display. Sardelle smiled as she rocked newborn Olek in her arms, though her gaze drifted to the sky. There were more and more reports of dragons striking people and stealing livestock all throughout the country, and she half-expected to spot one flying overhead while she was out here.

“He’s much better,” Tylie said, rising to her feet.

“I can tell,” Sardelle said. “He almost tackled that big male to get to a cracker first.”

Tylie looked over and caught Sardelle gazing toward the sky.

“You’re worried about dragons?” she guessed.

At least Sardelle thought it was a guess. By habit, she kept her thoughts guarded, but Tylie was a gifted telepath, and Sardelle wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she could see past her mental walls.

“A little,” Sardelle admitted, glancing down at Olek. “It’s hard not to think about how little we could do if one swooped in when neither Bhrava Saruth nor Phelistoth was around to help stave it off.”

“Yeah.” Tylie stuck her hands in the pockets of her dress and frowned down at the mud speckling her sandaled feet. Or maybe she was simply frowning down in general. “Sometimes I wonder if…” She shrugged.

“What?”

“If I should be doing more. Me and Phel. I mean, Phelistoth hasn’t said he wants to go into battle against other dragons—quite the opposite, as he prefers they all leave him alone. And I… Well, you know what I like to do.” Tylie waved toward the ducks. “But remember when King Angulus came out to see baby Olek?”

Sardelle nodded. It had just been a few days ago. Usually, Angulus would summon her to the castle if he needed something, but he’d come out with only his bodyguards to check on her and see the new baby. He’d stayed long enough to listen to Marinka explain why earthworms were better than spiders—she’d been learning about both this week.

“Did he say something to you?” Sardelle asked when Tylie didn’t continue on.

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