My flight turned from bounding to rapid threshing.  The sound came from my right, didn’t it?  I flew toward it, tending lower.  I flew past a high butte.  Were the ferns up there waving?  The wind didn’t???—


    fuck off me!” Staune mimed, including (mercifully) the distant volume.  The parrot then made a harsh thoughtful sound and said, in Ushra’s voice, “Slicktongue says that’s a bad tone.”


    Unacceptable!  I shall come with you, yes.”


    Mawla was in danger.  What would I do if the guards found her already???—


    screeched.  Just for a second.  I flinched in my flight, almost fell out the sky.


    Staune.”


    now.”  I angled my wing, poured determination into the vans.


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    “Kinri is coming and she’ll ground you.  You’ll see.  She’s definitely coming.  Obviously.”  Mawla stood panting, backing away.  Her ashcloak pressed tight to her.


    useless Specter.  Might I ask where she is?  If she’ll bother with you???—??and why would she????—??then what ever is keeping her?”  They???—??he? ???—??stood a hooded figure.  Deep green robes.  Menacing toward Mawla with a club in a large wing.  Venom dripped from their fangs and it smelt sharper than fermented poison.


    calm.


    I accomplish?


    busy at the market, isn’t she?  Somehow, I know that will keep her away.  It isn’t hard to fathom, with how readily she abandoned you before.”


    herself? Who else but she made the mistake of involving herself in these matters?”


    care.  This isn’t about her, and I am not involved in the market operation.”


    manners?”  Their tone scorched dry.  They continued, “Are you this dreadful to whomever you meet, or are you just as witless as your kind looks?”


    trash of this mudpit?  I am above you.”


    shame.  I don’t hope, but I thought there was a possibility that one with breeding as overvalued as yours would have sense.  But Specters were always self-destructive and worthless.”  He spat.


    thought now was the time when he would fly away with his tail between his legs.”  I scratched my cheek.  “Do you agree, Mawla-ann?”  The honorific was a???—??choice.  But I needed Mawla to know I liked her, that the musician’s words were residua.


    forgotten that your name carries nothing down in the mud?  I will not take orders from you.”


    such a crack.


    peer at me with his head atilt.  Cowl shifting as though his jaw were working.  Had he thought I wouldn’t?


    Yes.  I’ll be fine by tomorrow.  Have to be if it turns out there’s sifting again.”


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    We didn’t get far, Mawla leaning against me to walk, before we had to stop.


    quiet sounds, quiet I think because dragons were nearby.  You got used to that quiet, letting your footsteps come softer, letting your reassurances to the dragon beside you go murmured, letting the quiet in.


    it, and you had to stop.


    pecked.  There was a spot of red on her black beak, now.


    Liar.”


    You liar.”


    You did it all yourself.”


    When I say ‘Now!’, you jump out and surprise them.”


    quick and save her!  It was over in instants.  “There was no time to call for you.”


    Get Up already!”  Strong feet gripped my sides and lifted.  I was held in the air then dropped on my fours.  The sifter returned my earlier hug.


    * * *