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Authors: Cross-Eyed Dragon Troubles
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I’ve made my decision.” Talia took the parchment on dragon maintenance.
Lareen’s brow rose on her lovely face. “That one? Why not the first?”
The Administrator’s seeming amazement at her choice surprised Talia. Her mind stumbled to come up with an explanation even as a small part of her now doubted her choice. “The, the list is nice and is made up of useful things, but other than to maybe be used for figuring out the general weight of things, you can’t really use it. Though it has prices on it, there’s no way to tell whose prices they are so the information is worthless.” She hoped she didn’t sound as unsure as she felt.
Lareen nodded. “And the poem?”
“It was funny. But other than possibly cheering someone up it has no real use.” Her stomach knotted as the notion occurred to her that Lareen might have written it.
“Hmm, and the story?”
Talia forced herself to take a breath and plunge on. “Entertaining, but lacks any real information.”
“All right, then why did you pick the one you did?” Lareen asked, her eyes bright.
She looked away from the woman’s suddenly intense stare. “Well, it has good, practical information.
Things which as a guild member I could use.” She tried to come up with more to say but her brain wasn’t cooperating. She hoped it would be enough.
“Keep it then. I think you’ll definitely find it helpful.” Lareen rose from the bed. “Let’s go on over to my office. Bring the cart, won’t you?” Her colorful skirt rustled as she crossed the room. Talia picked up the other parchments, dumped them into the cart and, tucking the one she was to keep inside her vest, rushed to follow.
The Administrator’s office was the door closest to the golden door. A large, abused looking desk sat prominently in the back. Papers lay in neat stacks on one side of it. Lareen waved her toward the three padded chairs facing the desk.
Talia rolled the cart to the closest one and sat down.
“If you’ll look at the last shelf on the cart, you’ll find a nice assortment of knives there. Look through them and find one you like. Sheaths for them are in the drawer beneath it.” As she spoke, Lareen sat down and picked up one of the stacks of papers.
“Yes, ma’am.” She turned to do as she was told.
The last shelf of the cart held thirty-two knives in all. Some were made of silver, others of bone, some even of gold. Some held long blades; others were curved like snakes. Just as she’d done with the gems, she took all of them out of the cart and spread them before her. At least this was something she knew a little about.
Without much thought, she set aside the strangely curved blades and those made of precious metals. The curved blades would be too awkward for her to handle and the others were either made of a metal which would be too soft to prove useful for anything but decoration, or would tarnish too easily. The blacksmith’s son, Lir, taught her these things even as he learned them. Unlike her, Lir knew all along what he wanted to be. He, too, would be apprenticed to a guild soon. She wished he were here with her now.
Telling herself she had no right to think such things, Talia studied the eleven blades left. One by one, she picked them up and tested their balance and weight as well as how they felt in her hand. She put three of these quickly off on the rejected pile. After several more minutes, she finally settled on a thin, double-edged blade with a leather grip. She very much enjoyed the comfortable fit of the grip in her hand. The blade was also light, possessed good balance, and appeared to be able to take a good amount of abuse.
She placed all the other knives back in the cart, then opened the drawer beneath and sifted through the sheaths there until she found one that would handle her blade.
Once done, she stood up and glanced at Lareen, wondering what the Administrator would want her to do next. The fact she was being tested was obvious, but what
Lareen’s brow rose on her lovely face. “That one? Why not the first?”
The Administrator’s seeming amazement at her choice surprised Talia. Her mind stumbled to come up with an explanation even as a small part of her now doubted her choice. “The, the list is nice and is made up of useful things, but other than to maybe be used for figuring out the general weight of things, you can’t really use it. Though it has prices on it, there’s no way to tell whose prices they are so the information is worthless.” She hoped she didn’t sound as unsure as she felt.
Lareen nodded. “And the poem?”
“It was funny. But other than possibly cheering someone up it has no real use.” Her stomach knotted as the notion occurred to her that Lareen might have written it.
“Hmm, and the story?”
Talia forced herself to take a breath and plunge on. “Entertaining, but lacks any real information.”
“All right, then why did you pick the one you did?” Lareen asked, her eyes bright.
She looked away from the woman’s suddenly intense stare. “Well, it has good, practical information.
Things which as a guild member I could use.” She tried to come up with more to say but her brain wasn’t cooperating. She hoped it would be enough.
“Keep it then. I think you’ll definitely find it helpful.” Lareen rose from the bed. “Let’s go on over to my office. Bring the cart, won’t you?” Her colorful skirt rustled as she crossed the room. Talia picked up the other parchments, dumped them into the cart and, tucking the one she was to keep inside her vest, rushed to follow.
The Administrator’s office was the door closest to the golden door. A large, abused looking desk sat prominently in the back. Papers lay in neat stacks on one side of it. Lareen waved her toward the three padded chairs facing the desk.
Talia rolled the cart to the closest one and sat down.
“If you’ll look at the last shelf on the cart, you’ll find a nice assortment of knives there. Look through them and find one you like. Sheaths for them are in the drawer beneath it.” As she spoke, Lareen sat down and picked up one of the stacks of papers.
“Yes, ma’am.” She turned to do as she was told.
The last shelf of the cart held thirty-two knives in all. Some were made of silver, others of bone, some even of gold. Some held long blades; others were curved like snakes. Just as she’d done with the gems, she took all of them out of the cart and spread them before her. At least this was something she knew a little about.
Without much thought, she set aside the strangely curved blades and those made of precious metals. The curved blades would be too awkward for her to handle and the others were either made of a metal which would be too soft to prove useful for anything but decoration, or would tarnish too easily. The blacksmith’s son, Lir, taught her these things even as he learned them. Unlike her, Lir knew all along what he wanted to be. He, too, would be apprenticed to a guild soon. She wished he were here with her now.
Telling herself she had no right to think such things, Talia studied the eleven blades left. One by one, she picked them up and tested their balance and weight as well as how they felt in her hand. She put three of these quickly off on the rejected pile. After several more minutes, she finally settled on a thin, double-edged blade with a leather grip. She very much enjoyed the comfortable fit of the grip in her hand. The blade was also light, possessed good balance, and appeared to be able to take a good amount of abuse.
She placed all the other knives back in the cart, then opened the drawer beneath and sifted through the sheaths there until she found one that would handle her blade.
Once done, she stood up and glanced at Lareen, wondering what the Administrator would want her to do next. The fact she was being tested was obvious, but what
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