Maybe it wasn't Vetch who was creating the curses—or blessings. Maybe it was the sea witches, and Tian magic was so effective at deflecting curses, blessings, or both, that the best outlet the magic could find was to improve the life of a single serf turned dragon boy.
And then, by nightfall, yet another variant emerged. There was a more dangerous possibility than the magic of mere mortals as the cause of Sobek's downfall, the injury of one Tian Jouster and the disgrace of both. Maybe the Altan gods were striking back through him, or had taken an interest in his welfare. Sobek had been one of the boys who had been the most vocally contemptuous of Vetch, and his Jouster one of the Jousters most opposed to a serf as a dragon boy, and now—Sobek was dismissed in disgrace, Reaten lying in his bed with a cracked skull.
No one wanted to annoy a boy who might have attracted divine intervention. So even though the gossip was meant to hurt, in a way, it helped him.
As for Coresan, by nightfall, she was back to being a bit more even-tempered. She'd had two big meals, she'd been buffed, her chain lengthened, and when he was done with Kashet, Vetch perched cautiously nearby on the very edge of her wallow, and talked to her soothingly until dark. At first, she had been suspicious, but after a time, she accepted his presence, listening to him warily.
Given the rumors flying, he was pleased, rather than otherwise, that she didn't warm to him immediately. That she had lost that dangerous edge was enough, for now. He really did not want to add fuel to the rumors by taming Coresan down into a Kashet in the course of half a day.
She wouldn't settle down and go to sleep while he was there, however, so when his own stomach growled, he decided that he had given her enough attention for the first day, and he would leave her alone until morning.
When he arrived at the kitchen court, he paused for a moment in the entryway. And although conversation didn't stop, it paused for a moment, and everyone—literally, everyone—stopped to take a look at him.
Then they went back to their food. But in that brief moment, he had a sense of what had been going on while he had been shuttling between two dragons. The reaction his presence caused could not have been more remarkable. In those looks had been caution, respect, just a touch of fear, here and there. From the slaves and few fellow serfs, he saw pride, admiration. No contempt.
And when he sat down at his usual table, the two serfs and two slaves who shared it with him gave him quick, congratulatory smiles. No more than that, but those smiles, and the approving pat on his back from his favorite serving woman, created a surge of warmth inside him that took him by surprise. The serfs and slaves then turned the discussion—among themselves—to the rumors that they had been hearing. None of them mentioned Vetch, Sobek, or Coresan by name, nor did any of the conversationalists speak to Vetch directly, but it was clear that they were using this method to let him know just what was being said about him.
But best of all, truly the top to his day, was when a still-weary, but not-so-haggard-looking Ari arrived at Kashet's pen after sunset. And for once, Kashet could not be roused, not even by his beloved Jouster.
'We flew the equivalent of three combats today,' Ari said, after calling the dragon's name and getting no response. 'And to tell you the truth, he's not in fighting condition after the rains. So I'm not surprised he won't awaken.' Ari stretched, and winced. 'I'm not in fighting condition either, to be honest.'
'You should get another massage,' Vetch said severely, knowing by now that such boldness wouldn't even earn a rebuke from Ari. 'It doesn't do me any good to take care of Kashet if my Jouster won't take care of himself.'
Ari chuckled. 'Truth to tell, I just wanted to come and tell you that you have done a very fine thing with Coresan today. It was brave of you to take her and stand firm and let her test you, and braver still to work with her afterward. You gave her nearly a full day of the best possible care, and I do think that she will respond to that.'
Vetch felt himself flushing, with embarrassment, and pleasure. 'Ah—' he stammered, ' —I just didn't want to see her made into a mar dragon after you'd gone to all that difficulty in catching her.
And after all you've told me, I thought I could probably read her aright.'
'If what I've told you is helping you to get her properly tamed, then I am well-rewarded,' Ari said, with warmth. 'You've done well, Vetch. It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I'm quite proud of you.'
'Oh…' Vetch was quite taken aback, both by the praise and by his own reaction to it. 'Ah, thank you.' He tried to think of something else to say, and couldn't.
Ari didn't seem to mind. 'It's been a cursed long day for all three of us,' he said, into the awkward silence. 'And I'm going to follow Kashet's example and your advice. You should probably do the same. Good night, Vetch.'
He limped off, but Vetch did get the last word after all, for he called after the Jouster, 'Get another massage!'
Ari's chuckle floated back in the darkness, making him feel warm inside.
Everyone seemed to take it as a given that Coresan would lay eggs, even though she'd only mated the once.
