Dragon Tamer - Book 1

Chapter 20

Dafne insisted she still take some medicine for the next couple of weeks. And rest for that long.

She tried to, she really did, but it was hard when your life generally revolved around physical activity.

And besides she felt marvellous, better even. When she woke up there was no drowsiness that usually signalled the start of another day, she was always full of energy, always felt ready to do something, she spent whole days doing things, tidying up the house, chopping wood ready for the winter, gathering herbs and pulling up the last of the vegetables from the garden.

She fixed broken roof tiles, secured windows and sanded down the door frame to make it fit better. Her father even came and joined her in her activity's, they spent most of the time in companionable silence, only broken when Junca asked her where she wanted something or what to do. He never voiced his disapproval of what she was doing, probably afraid it would break this truce that had settled between them.

She occupied her thoughts while she saw to the chores by communicating to Dara via feelings and images, she was getting better and better at doing so and they almost had full conversations just with their emotions. Dara liked knowing what she was doing as he didn't do much all day, just stayed close to his mother and played, sometimes ate small rats and mice that his mother left for him as she did not appear to be eating much, something which disturbed Marcie and Dara.

Doing chores also helped to keep her busy, otherwise she would begin to feel stressed and make plans to travel to the cave and see Dara. And she wanted to wait a while until everything had calmed down, and mainly when those close to her stopped worrying enough for her to leave again without them causing a fuss.

And, she also admitted, she liked having her father back. Liked having him sober and alert enough to be an actual companion rather than an embarrassment and burden.

She also caught up on all her sewing and took it to Miss Maiden. Who was incredibly pleased to see her up and about but warned her to take it easy and payed her a more than she should for the work. Marcie tried to give back the extra but Miss Maiden absolutely refused and Marcie left her shop feeling embarrassed and guilty.

While she was in the village she stopped by to see Luce. Maybe she could slip the money behind the bar while she was there, hide it away in the little money box The Barman kept locked up but which Merrick had long ago shown her where he hid the key.

The older woman was well into her pregnancy and was resting in bed while the children played outside. After calling in on her, Marcie spent some time playing with little Susanne and Malam, the older Callia, put her cute nose in the air and pronounced that she was far to old to play and stalked off inside.

She reminded Marcie a little of her older sister, and imagined it was an attempt to emulate her.

She spent quite a while playing with the children and after a time, Callia sulked out of the house to join in with her siblings.

Marcie had Malam on her back and was spinning him round in a circle while he cried out in delight when Merrick's older sister came round the corner carrying a large bundle of herbs in her arms, she stopped short when she saw Marcie and attempted a pained smile that did not reach her eyes.

Kena was a gatherer like her brother and she was beautiful in a very delicate way. Thin with a small face and pixieish features, her appearance was such that she often brought out a protective instinct in men and indeed anyone who met her.

She was yet to be married but this was more to do with her many admirers and the difficulty she had in choosing between them, oh how she must suffer.

The large bundle of herbs in her arms appeared almost too much for her and she walked slowly and carefully peering over the top to check where she was walking.

Marcie had known her as long as shed known Merrick and even though she was older, Marcie had been at the right age to notice how, when she reached child bearing age and began to attract attention with her looks, she became unable to do much of anything by herself. As a result she rarely had to carry anything very far before a 'helpful' gentleman took it from her, she would flutter her eyelashes at him and thank him profusely, and of course she could carry it herself, and they would insist and she would accept graciously.

Whenever Marcie witnessed these displays of helplessness she couldn't help but let her lip curl in disgust.

She and Kena had never gotten along, even when they were children, Merrick teased once that it was jealousy but Marcie had retaliated with anger and smacked him so hard he had a bruise for days so he never said it again.

Still Marcie did not believe for one second that she would ever be but acquaintances with this girl. They were just too different.

Marcie watched her stagger her way to the shed where the herbs were hung to dry and did not offer to help.

More children came out of the tavern to see their sister and then they saw Marcie. She loved the way their faces lit up and she was soon swarmed with little yammering voices and bodies, she picked up the nearest, Jamil, a cute little boy of six summers who had Luce's eyes and was a little small for his age, she sat on the step of the door so she could pay attention to them.

She got many questions,

"Mummy said you got ill and we cant play with you, is that true?"

"Why haven't you been to play with us more?"

"I want a piggy back!"

"I still want to play even if you're ill!"

Kena came out of the shed and called over to the rabble,

"Come along brats, dinner should be ready soon and i'm sure Marcie has to be going soon" she gave Marcie a forced smile.

Jamil, by far the loudest of all his siblings despite his small size squealed unhappily,

"No, no, Marcie stays here, Marcie plays with us" he said, wrapping his arms around Marcie's neck almost choking her, he turned to his sister and stuck out his tongue, she frowned unhappily,

"She really must be going now" Kena said trying to send Marcie a pleading look.

Marcie had to agree, she had to stop off at Dafne's before she headed home to make her own dinner,

"I'm sorry children, Kenas right I need to go and I think I hear your mother calling you" she said, cupping her ear and pretending to listen,

"I don't hear anything" said Paddy stubbornly, folding her arms in a pose reminiscent of her sister when she wasn't getting her way.

"Well I do, and I must go" Marcie got up to leave but several pairs of hands grabbed hold of her trousers and held on,

"Please don't go!"

"We'll be good we promise!"

"Play with us!"

Susanne took her thumb out of her mouth long enough to point it at Marcie and say,

"Marcie sing?"

The other children agreed with Susanna enthusiastically, and after much begging Marcie gave in,

"Very well, one song and then I'm gone" she said

The children squealed with delight and yammered happily to each other, they sat themselves carefully and neatly on the ground around her legs and stared up at her with excitement and expectation.

She thought for a moment and then decided on a changing of the seasons song in the old language, all about the coming cold and snow and the beauty of it all.

She began to sing and watched as delight filled all the little faces around her, and they leaned closer, a few villagers began to gather around the fence and in the doorway to the tavern, stopping what they were doing to listen to Marcie No Ones Bride singing.

Kena nearly ruined the spell that had fallen by stamping past Marcie and the children to go into the tavern slamming the door.

Marcie smiled widely and sang louder as she came to the end of the second verse and started on the third, after all it was well known that she was the best singer in The Village.