Chương 238: 10.5

Was this why her mother drank so deeply? Jewel apparently ended up swaying that night in a way that Paul claimed looked like she had finally managed to find a cup deep enough for her draconic constitution to succumb to the spirits of mead and beer. To be honest she could not remember very clearly what happened for most of the evening that followed. At least according to Smithson, Paul and Muriel her festive mood was actually a boon in discussions with the Nobles and guild masters. She had to take their word for it.

There were disconcertingly no memories of any coherence to call up. But Muriel had some lawyers and clerks to aid in the training of the Kaeketeh guard. Paul had gotten the rest of the guilds to join the Butcher's and Sopper's in providing a kind of justice militia for patrols. There were several decrees waiting for Jewel's seal in the morning after which even suggested that the guilds had offered to partly relieve poor Paul and his council with a triumvirate of Guildmasters and possibly nobles.

A kind of minor common law council that would convene after the winter celebrations. Jewel had only the fuzziest recollection of agreeing to this. But it seemed promising. In matters without shed blood or threat of violence a triumvirate would judge common law by unanimous agreement. Said trio could be no less than two masters of the guilds in good standing (but no more then one from each guild) with a Noble acknowledged for the role by Jewel or her nascent law council (Paul, Smithson and Muriel).

It seemed good and she noted that most of the text was in Paul's fluid hand, so she trusted that whatever strange wyrmish nonsense apparently could relieve her of all sense and decorum was not overly influential on the matter. The last three days of winter celebration in Kaeketeh were only marginally better than the first. Jewel had found that as long as she kept either to flights over the city or early hours on the streets the 'vapors' of revelry in the city were not too incapacitating.

But if she went out at noon, or fortune damn her after evening? Well she could feel it seeping into her. Jewel was now sequestering herself in the keep after sundown. Still she could not deny the feel of the city in revelry outside the walls at night entirely. It raged against the night. Against the dying light. Longer than even the darkest night the fervor continued. Softened by her words perhaps, more joyous than angry. But still jagged in fear.

Jewel wished that her speech had taken on some kind of sorcery and magically resolved everything in Kaeketeh. That the words and some wyrmish nonsense had healed the city and all the people in it and left them whole and stable. Safe to be delegated to some city equivalent of a head man. But as far as Jewel could tell it did not even fully clear her name among the citizens! If this was one of the tales or ballads it would have. One impassioned sorcerous speech from the newly raised noble lord or lady.

Many of the histories of Old Cantor even read like such. But either Jewel lacked that magic, or like with so many other things her books had left out important interstitial moments. Kaeketeh had finally had its wounds tended. But it was not yet healed. And now it was Jewel's hatching day. But she was absent from her father and mother. Jewel was not at Rochford. She had not seen Alexander for over a year, although her fool brother at least was occasionally sending letters.

Blizzard-wrath was growing well and had shed his first coat of down. His flight feathers had mostly kept the white he was named for. Alexander expected the Gryphon would be fully fledged come spring and then the first training for flight and command would begin. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. In another year after that if the Gryphon grew as expected Alexander would be able to start gliding from the cliffs.

That was when Blizzard-wrath would begin to try to climb and lift aloft with the burden of her Brother. If all of that went well without injury or incident Jewel and her brother would both be in their second decade when he was inducted as a full Gryphon Knight. Jewel yearned to fly with him. However the most critical and dangerous time for Blizzard-wrath's rearing would be over next half-year. A just fledged Gryphon while not yet strong enough to take off and be ridden could fly under their own power.

The bond that would last the rest of Alexander's life would be complete. Jewel was going to make sure her fool headed brother made it to Rochford for her next hatching day. Even if she had to fly to the eyrie and drag him and his charge back home herself. As she penned the message on the tiny little scrap of vellum she had to pause. Paul had barely even met Alexander. The wedding had been a sea of politics and foreigners. Half of which had sneered at her brother for having Blizzard-wrath with him for the event.

Jewel had only known he was there from the scent of him in the crowd so isolated they had been from one another. She'd not even gotten a chance to see more than a bit of his hair or a flash of his smile and eyes between the rest of the guests. That really needed to be remedied, she added a few pointed words to the message scroll. Rolled it closed, melted the wax over a candle and then pressed the seal of Viznove to it.

So Secured she called for one of the Keep's staff to take the now sealed scroll to the messenger pigeons to see that it was sent to the Rochford. From which her father could make sure the message reached the eyrie. Her nightly correspondence complete Jewel finally stretched, her wings touching the ceiling of the feasting hall while she extended her neck clear across the stone floors.

Sending a twisting wave from her head all the way down her neck, both sets of shoulders and finally in a wiggly little rattle at her hips and tail tip. The motion made her skin shiver and tremble in waves up and down her coils. Some of the largest of her freshly grown scales almost rattled with the motion. But most important of all was the relief it brought her spine. She would not dare fly over Kaeketeh at the height of its revelry. Jewel could feel how the festive faux fire was filling the air clear to the sky.

No, she would find some snow to roll in come the morning before breakfast like she had today. Paul finally spoke, having waited politely while his wife worked the aches of stillness out of her substantial body.

"They're celebrating your hatching day tonight. That bonded woman of yours says their drinking and eating things lit on fire in your name. Word is some are disappointed you didn't hold a public feast for them." Jewel sighed heavily.

"I don't think I should go out after the sun peaks in winter here. The feeling of it is far too tempting." Paul laughed.

"So Dragons get drunk on a city's spirit of revelry?" Jewel shrugged both shoulders and yawned to her husband.

"It's never happened before in Rochford or Valasect." Her husband's smile faltered a bit at that.

"What's your wizard friend say about that?" Jewel sighed even heavier and shook her head.

"I don't know, Tsulogothulan has been away since they began the project of gentling the Ogien. I'm sure there will be quite a lot of discussion when they return. Probably in the spring." That seemed to surprise Paul.

"Wait, The wizard has been absent this entire time?!" Jewel could only stare at her Husband.

"Yes, since right before the final ceremony of fealty. Why did you think they had not been seen?" Paul just stared.

"I assumed they were just a summoning word away this whole time and you'd been speaking to them in private like you usually do. They're a sorcerer! They can appear anywhere they want." Jewel paused at that. Then considered more carefully.

"I don't think it's actually as simple or easy as any of the wizards make it look. Even when you can't see them a Wizard is actually present before they arrive. And if they are actually away they do not cover the distance as simply as you'd think." Paul stared at her then shook his head.

"Whatever, so you mean to say that there hasn't been a Wizard waiting to reveal themselves in a dire moment all winter? That your sorcerous support was not simply a single word away?" Jewel stared down at her husband, unable to keep the exasperation from her tone.

"Of course not, why would you even think that?" Which was matched by Paul's own exasperated groan.

"Because that's what Wizards do!" Jewel could only laugh at that.

"I can assure you dear husband they most assuredly do not. Sorcerors just like to make you think they can." The way Paul looked simultaneously betrayed and angry at what Jewel realized probably was a carefully guarded secret of wizardry tickled her wyrm flame so wonderfully. It was actually rather adorable!