Rhysel showed up at the pond by the school early in the day, a supply of food in hand.

Theedy swam out. "Good morning," she said. "The little ones are all fine."

Rhysel smiled. "I'm glad. Could I speak with you and Eret about something?"

"All right," the dragon-duck said. "Come inside." She swam back into the cave.

Rhysel followed Theedy, keeping the food dry as she crossed the pond.

Inside, Eret was allowing the babies to use him as a jungle gym. One of them attained the summit of his head, only to be deposed by its sibling, who soon slid down Eret's back after a misstep.

"Hello," Rhysel said by way of greeting.

"Hello," he replied, allowing a brief smile.

She grinned brightly at him, pleased to see him smile. "I had to tell my boyfriend a little bit more about your situation after everything that happened. He promised to keep quiet that you're living here, but I think there's another solution - a way that you can live as secluded as you wish without doing so illegally - if you're interested."

"What do you mean?" asked Theedy.

"I live on an acre of land five miles north of town. No neighbors. I could create a pond there - or even an actual house if you'd prefer - and you could live there. I might even be able to get a neighboring plot of land if you'd rather something larger - I don't think anyone's purchased any of the surrounding lots as yet. Since you'd be living there with my permission, it wouldn't be illegal for you to do so, as I understand it."

"We have no money," said Eret baldly. "We can't pay rent."

"I wasn't asking you to."

"You want to let us live on your property for free?" he asked incredulously.

"I'd prefer that to you living illegally. And my - and Ar Kithen's - being complicit in it by keeping quiet."

"I see," he said.

"If you feel required to offer compensation, I've an idea on that as well, although I certainly won't require it of you."

"What?" asked Theedy tentatively.

"I've had a brownie staying with me, although she'll be leaving soon. She's been tending a garden she put in as well as doing the household chores. I could hire one or both of you to tend to the garden and cleaning, payment being room and board, and a small salary in addition."

Theedy and Eret exchange looks. "You're sure you have no neighbors?" asked Eret.

"None for quite some distance. You're welcome to look for yourself if you wish."

"We accept," said Theedy decisively.

Rhysel smiled. "I'm glad. In addition to room and board, would fifteen aaberik a week be considered an acceptable salary?"

"Each?" asked Eret.

"Sure, why not?"

"Yes," he said, eyeing her suspiciously.

"What?" Rhysel inquired.

"Is this really just because you care all that much about us not having legal permission to live here?" he asked.

"Well, and like I said, I'd rather not be doing anything illegal myself, and I'd rather my boyfriend wasn't either. Besides, it solves the problem for me of who'd tend to my garden once Tasel - she's the brownie - leaves."

Eret nodded slowly.

"But yes, that was a concern. Oh, one other thing - I do have other dragons who visit me - one's teaching me Leraal, and a few are just friends. I'm not going to restrict you or anything like that, but I thought you should be aware."

"We never shift to our dragon forms," he said. "It won't matter unless you tell them or they look really closely at my eyes or Theedy's hair, or one of the babies gets out."

"I don't see a need to say anything to them."

"Why not?" he asked, sounding rather as though he's casting about desperately for a reason to feel sorry for himself in spite of this stroke of fortune. "They'd never want to be anywhere near us if they knew. Some people would think that would make it obligatory to tell them."

"Well, as long as you're not in a position to infect them, why make things difficult for you? If you'd rather, I can let you know when I expect one of them to visit and you can steer clear on your own. They are my friends too, though, so I would hope you wouldn't betray my trust by shifting to dragon form near one of them. I don't expect you would, and again, as long as you're not in a position to infect them, I don't see the problem."

"Even if we wanted to infect other people," protested Eret,"we've got babies who aren't shrens and can't shift."

"Which is another reason I wouldn't expect you would attempt it. Maybe I'm too altruistic, but I don't really expect you would anyway."

"I haven't taken dragon form since I learned to do anything else," said Eret.

Rhysel nodded. "Then it seems I have no need to spread word of your condition around. Unless you'd rather I did so."

"No, are you crazy?" asked Eret. "We are trying to keep it a secret. I'm just making sure you're not going to renege and tell the world if we move in next door."

"There are two reasons I would tell people. One, if you gave me permission, or two, if you started going around infecting other dragons. As neither one seems likely, I plan to keep your secret indefinitely."

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "All right then."

"Shall we then?"

"How are we getting there?" asked Theedy, picking up the nearest baby while Eret scooped up the other two. Theedy also collected the light globes and stashed them in pockets in her skirt.

"I'll take you there. I'll fly you by my magic so you can know where you're at. I'll also hide you from sight while we leave, just in case someone happens to be nearby." She looked at the cave she had recently enlarged. "I should probably make this look more like an actual ducks' nest when we leave too."

"In case someone looks," agreed Theedy.

"Right. So, just relax, and let me take over - it'll help me to keep track of where you are while you're invisible if I start levitating you before we leave. All right?"

Theedy nodded.

She floated the parents slightly into the air - just enough to get them off the ground - then caused them to fade from sight, sending them gently outside and making the earth re-form around the area as she floated out herself, also invisibly. She paused at the entrance until the alcove met with her approval, then carried the group of them at speed towards her home. Once they were north of town, she faded everyone into sight again, looking at her passengers to see how they were doing.

Theedy was holding the baby she had hold of quite tightly. Eret looked more composed.

"Are you all right?" Rhysel asked Theedy. "You look a little distressed."

"Fine," the shren woman squeaked.

"Not much longer." She pointed ahead to her tower, visible in the distance. "That's it, there," she said as she brought them down in her yard. "What would you like? A house?"

"Nothing too obvious," said Eret. "Maybe a basement floor to the tower, with stairs to a separate exit, if you can do that."

Rhysel smiled. "Easily. More easily, in fact, than if I were to make a separate structure. My tower's - unique - in that regard. Come inside. Talyn - the boy with the broken arm, Eret - is still here, but he should still be asleep. Either way, don't worry about him. He's - unique himself, but trustworthy." She opened the door to her tower, leading the family indoors. "How many rooms would you like?"

"A room for us, and a little one divided into three for the babies, and a kitchen and a bathroom," said Theedy thoughtfully, "and a family room?"

It's doable, but they'd be small rooms for one level - two stories all right?"

Theedy blinked, and nodded.

Rhysel closed her eyes for a moment, invoking the necessary magic. After about half a minute of silence she opened her eyes again. "Done. Let's go have a look. If you don't like the layout, I can change it from there. Your entrance is around back. Shall we?"

They followed her, silent.

As Rhysel opens the door and steps outside, Talyn came down the stairs, yawning. "Master Camlenn," he said sleepily. "What're you doing?"

Theedy froze, clutching her baby.

"A little remodeling, Talyn. I wasn't expecting you to wake up for a couple more hours yet." She gestured for Theedy to relax.

"You used a lot of magic; it woke me up," Talyn replied. "Can I see? It didn't feel familiar."

Rhysel nodded. "Sure, Talyn, come along. Talyn, this is Theedy - you met Eret yesterday, although I don't know if you remember. They're going to work for me."

Theedy shuffled behind Eret surreptitiously.

"Theedy, Eret, this is Talyn. He's one of my Master's apprentices, and is staying with me for a little while, although he'll be going home before too long, I expect. Like me, he's not native to this world."

"Hi," said Eret shortly.

Talyn waved, sleepily. "Hello." He appeared only half-interested in Rhysel's guests.

"Well, anyhow. Shall we?" Rhysel said, leading them outside and around to the back. The door had a key ring with a key in the lock, which she removed and hands to Theedy. She opened the door and led them down a short flight of stairs to another door, which she opened. Light filtered in from several columns of translucent stone, and several chairs and two couches occupied the room, with a couple of small tables set near the couches.

Talyn looked around with professional interest, looking at the construction carefully.

Theedy and Eret gazed at the features of their new home, slightly dazed.

Rhysel said, "If the layout suits, I can change the colors of things to what you'd find pleasant."

"Lots of colors," said Theedy. "Speckly... color-code the babies' rooms?"

"Whatever you'd like. Let me show you the rest of it first, and we can go from there."

Theedy nodded.

Rhysel opened the door opposite the entrance, leading into a kitchen with cabinets, a sink, a stove, and a fair-sized table surrounded by six chairs. "I'll have to enchant one of the cabinets for a chiller and ensorcell the stove. And tap into the aquifers for water."

Theedy nodded again, gazing around at the room.

Talyn spoke up, "May I do that, Master Camlenn?" He seemed eager to show off his skill.

Rhysel sighed. "Look, Talyn, I'm not teaching you. You can call me Rhysel, okay?"

"Fine, May I do that magic, Rhysel?" he repeated. Rhysel nodded her acceptance and he set about the room performing the simple tasks of stove and chiller before tackling the more complicated task of plumbing the basement with running water.

"Does the layout meet with your approval?" Rhysel asked the shrens.

They nodded.

"All right." She opened another door, opposite the first, leading to another set of stairs which led into a short hallway with three doors. The first, on the left, was the bathroom, which had a large tub and sink, as well as a toilet. Talyn had apparently already set to work on the plumbing for this room as well, as evidence of pipes and running water could be seen.

The shrens followed, still carrying their hatchlings.

The second door Rhysel opened, the one on the right, led to a room divided into three sections, a small bedroom for each of the baby dragons.

Eret and Theedy put down the dragonets, who wandered in to explore these rooms of their own accord.

Rhysel led the parents into the hall again, opening the final door at the end of the hall - it opened into a fairly spacious bedroom, furnished with a large bed and a pair of chairs set next to a small table. "This is it," she said. "Unless you'd like something changed."

"It's fine," said Theedy softly, looking around.

Rhysel smiled. "There are advantages to being able to construct one's own home," she said as Talyn rejoined them, apparently finished with supplying water to the ncessary rooms.

"Rhysel," he said, his voice slightly pleading, "can you show me how to do that?"

"Eventually, perhaps, Talyn. Not right at the moment." Rhysel replied. She concentrated again, and the rooms become alive with a wash of color: the walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture took on the appearances of various types of marble or reflective tile patterns, in colors of red, blue, white, green, black, and purple.

Theedy seemed very entranced by the sudden play of color.

"Let's head back upstairs, and I'll show you what needs doing, although I expect you'll have a day or two before Tasel leaves so you don't have to start right away. And if you'd like something colored differently, I'll tend to that on the way back up," Rhysel said. Talyn was again studying this new display of magic with interest.

Theedy and Eret followed mutely.

Taking their silence for approval of the color scheme, she led them outside. "This is the garden you'll need to tend to. I understand many of the plants need watering multiple times a day - if you're not sure how something should be tended, I'm sure Tasel can fill you in. Just don't let anything die, and bring in any fruits or vegetables that are ripe. You can keep some of those for yourselves as well, just share out equally anything you've a mind to take. Any questions?"

They shook their heads, looking at the plants.

"All right," she said, leading them inside. "I've hired an elf boy - his name's Kolaan - to deliver groceries for me weekly. Write up a list for me - I'll show you where I keep paper and pens - of what you'd like, and I'll see it gets purchased and delivered with my order. Until he comes this week, feel free to take what you need from my kitchen. I'll have him stop by either tomorrow or the next day. I'd like you to keep the kichen clean, and the dishes washed and so on - along with the other rooms. The only exception will be in my workroom." She led them up the stairs. "Oh, do either of you have really good handwriting?"

"Eret has," said Theedy.

"If you'd be willing to copy some books from my language into Leraal, I'll pay you an additional 20 aaberik per book." She showed them the second floor.

Eret picked up a book and flipped through it. "A lot of this technical terminology won't translate," he remarked.

"I'll have Ar Kithen talk with you when he's got some spare time - he may be able to help come up with Leraal words for the terminology."

Eret nodded.

"Anyhow, the furniture in here changes a lot according to what I'm using the room for at the time. Just clean up whatever happens to be here." She led them up to the top floor, bypassing the workroom for the moment. "And keep these rooms clean as well, please." She indicated her bedroom and bathroom. Talyn's eyes went wide as he saw the size of Rhysel's tub and he grinned at her, although he made no other comment, his concentration apparently on something else.

Hearing no questions from the pair, she led them back down to the workroom. "This is my workroom. I'd prefer it if you ask before cleaning up in here - some of the things I work on can be a little unpredictable, and I wouldn't want you to get injured. Anyhow. Paper and pens are over here. Go ahead and take some, and leave a grocery list on my worktable there." She pointed to it. "I'll add it to what I'll ask Kolaan to bring. Any questions?" Rhysel asked.

Theedy helped herself to paper and writing implements.

"Oh, you'll need this too," Rhysel touched the wall, forming a spare key to her front door. "So you can get in if it's locked." She handed the key to Eret.

He took it and put it in his pocket. "Thank you," he finally managed.

She smiled. "You're welcome. But you're earning it, after all. Which reminds me. I paid Kolaan for four weeks in advance when he started working for me. Seems only fair if I do the same for you." She fished into the pouch at her waist and scooped out a handful of aaberik, counting out 120 of them and pouring them into Eret's hands. "I'll let you know when Tasel leaves. I expect you to start working then." She smiled at the pair.

Eret stared at the coins, and handed them to Theedy, who had more capacious pockets.

"Now, unless there's anything else you need, I'm going to fix myself and Talyn some breakfast. Would you care to dine by yourselves, or join us?"

"I - think we'll eat by ourselves," said Theedy. "We've got what you brought this morning to last until we get a list put together."

"All right," Rhysel said agreeably. She started to fix breakfast for herself and Talyn as the couple let themselves out.

---

Home Table of Contents Dramatis Personae Setting Gallery News About Us Contact Us