Chapter 4

At last the dragon carrying cart pulled slowly into Scoone Avenue, making its way past a collection of mansions on elegantly kept grounds. The main gate of the largest estate had been left open in anticipation of the carts arrival, with its pair of interdimensional travellers and their escorts. Her Grace, the Duchess of Ankh, Lady Sybil Deidre Olgivanna Vimes (née Ramkin) had been waiting rather impatiently in her front parlour for the group's arrival and was soon sprinting out of the front door. She was very light on her feet in spite of her Wagnerian frame.

"Oh welcome, welcome" she smile at Astrid as she stretched her arms towards the young girl.

Igor started to help Astrid down but before she had taken the first step, Lady Sybil had picked her up and lowered softly onto her feet.

"My name is Lady Sybil Vimes of Ankh my dear; and you are?"

"Um... Astrid... Astrid Hofferson of Berk Ma-am."

"And Nobby tells me you and your dragon were brought here by means of some kind of some wizard magic, if I understand correctly."

"She says she's from Globeworld Lady Sybil" Angua informed the wife of her commander "Apparently that's what Rincewind told her."

"Oh... him again" Lady Sybil huffed "Well then, with your permission my dear we'll have a look at this dragon of yours."

Astrid stepped back to allow Lady Sybil easy access to the side of the cart. She hoped that dragon care in Ankh-Morpork was not too dissimilar to the way they did thing back on Berk and she need not have worried.

"Oh what a magnificent creature" lady Sybil grinned with delight as she perused the unknown dragon before her.

Toothless looked up forlornly as the stranger in front of him reached down and gently rubbed the back of his head, just the way he liked it.

"He's so black" Sybil stated the very obvious "I'd wager he would be almost impossible to see at night, even during the hunters moon."

"Where I come from, we call him a Night Fury, and he was said to have been the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself."

"Oh nonsense" Lady Sybil purred "I'm sure he's an absolute lamb. What's his name?"

"Toothless Ma-am" Astrid smiled.

"Toothless eh? Well then my hansom boy, what seems to be the trouble with you?"

"We think it maybe some kind of side effect from his journey through Rincewind's vortex" Angua informed the Duchess as she looked closely at the dragons eyes "Astrid too had been feeling off colour so there is a possibility that people from Globeworld just can't cope well with Discworld magic."

"Well if that is the case, it only makes sense that Toothless would not be feeling 100%. The dragon brain, assuming yours are similar to ours, is quite an amazing organ. They may not be able to speak, but they are very good at understanding various kinds of communication. Add that to their other abilities in advanced aerodynamics, pinpoint navigation and many other probable skills we are yet to discover, makes for one extremely complex mind" Lady Sybil noted.

"Wow... you really do know your dragons" Astrid said, wide eyed.

"Thank you my dear" Lady Sybil smirked.

"Ith there anything you can do for the beatht Ma-am?" Igor asked with concern.

"Nothing I can do personally, but I do believe Errol and her friends may be able to settle your dragon's anxiety a little. Igor, can you bring the cart around to the side of the house please?" Lady Sybil requested.

"Thirtanly Mathster... I mean... Ma-am."

As they all made their way along the white gravel drive, Astrid noticed a tall hooded figure walking with them. She assumed he was one of Lady Sybil's household staff and judging by the huge scythe he carried, and she decided he must have been the gardener.

"I just want you to know, I am definitely NOT the father of your dragon" he stated.

"Um... okay... I never thought you were" Astrid replied.

"But you said he was the offspring of... oh don't bother. I never can get my head around half of what you people say."

"You've met people from Globeworld before? Astrid wondered if this was actually another wizard.

"Not many; only about one or two hundred million of you."

"Are you alright my dear?" Lady Sybil asked as she placed her arm around Astrid's shoulder.

"Oh... as fine as can be expected under the circumstances I suppose" she gave a little grin.

"I wasn't sure if you were upset or maybe just saying some kind of Globeworld prayer to your gods, for your dragon."

"Oh no Ma-am" Astrid replied "I was just having a word with your gardener."

"My what dear? I don't have a gardener" Lady Sybil stated.

"Then who..."

Astrid quickly looked around, but the tall hooded figure was nowhere to be seen. Lady Sybil simply put it down to a combination of the stress Astrid was under, combined with the lasting effects of Rincewind Syndrome.

The cart soon stopped beside a wall of large wooden boxes, each one with a round hole in its centre. Astrid peeked inside of one and saw a small sleeping dragon, roughly the size pf a Terrible Terror but just a tad smaller. Curled p on the top of the wall of dragon nests was another of these little creatures, and it sprang into life at the sound of its mistresses' voice.

"Errol darling" Lady Sybil sang out sweetly "come to mommy!"

The dragon was even smaller than the one Astrid had seen sleeping in the nest box and as Lady Sybil held up her hand to it, the little beast scampered onto her hand and scurried down her arm to her shoulder; purring all the way. Tiny spots of blood appeared on the exposed skin of the Lady's hand and wrist where the dragon's claws had dug in. Astrid must admit that she was impressed at the way this noble woman just ignored the wounds, as a part of everyday life with dragons.

"Come and meet Toothless sweetums" Sybil declared as she took her pet back to the cart.

Errol sniffed the air before leaping off Sybil's shoulder and onto the side of the cart. She slowly reached her head closer to the forlorn dragon while continuing to take in the scents around her. After a few seconds, the little swamp dragon shuffled down into the cart and rubbed her cheek on Toothless's chin.

Astrid smiled at the acceptance and affection shown to Toothless, especially as he was an intruder into the small dragon's territory. All of a sudden, the swamp dragon scurried up onto the driver's bench and raised her head. A shrill cry then filled the air; it sounded a little bit like birdsong from a nightingale with smokers cough. Dozens of tiny heads then appeared and before you could say "Aaargh, there's fire breathing lizard in my hair", they were all flying around and around the cart until one by one, they each came down and settled around Toothless, as well as on him.

While Toothless had not appeared to have been in pain, Astrid did notice there was something not quite right about his demeanour. All that changed in less than a minute as the big black dragon appeared to be far more relaxed than he had been before.

"Oh my!" Astrid exclaimed "How did they do that?"

"I wish I knew my dear" Lady Sybil placed her hand on Astrids shoulder "It could be simple empathic comfort but I suspect it may run much deeper. I have noticed that when one of my dragons is physically hurt, some of the others will huddle around it in this way. I have also noted that when this occurs, the injured dragon heals much faster than when it is left alone. I suspect that this healing empathy may also affect other maladies, including emotional and mental."

"So the little dragons are actually taking some of the effects the vortex had on Toothless, and suffering on his behalf?" Astrid gasped.

"It could be. I have no way of proving this, but the results I've observed have been truly amazing" Lady Sybil nodded. "And they do this voluntarily too."

Astrid just stood there for a while, smiling at Toothless until Angua interrupted her a short time later.

"Maybe now would be a good time for us to return to the Unseen University" she said.

Even though Astrid liked the idea of tracking down the wizard who had brought her to Discworld, and hopefully finding a way home, the thought of leaving Toothless behind had her worried. Of course Lady Sybil could see the concern on the Dragon Riders face and so she tried to comfort the young girl.

"Trust me my dear, we will our level best to give your dragon the best of care."

Astrid could see this woman would do anything to ensure the health and safety of all the dragons present, but it was still a difficult decision to make. Eventually she smile and nodded in agreement.

"Wonderful" Lady Sybil smiled sweetly "Now Samuel has taken the carriage to see the Patrician..."

"Why would the Patrithian want to thee a carriage?"

"Shut up Igor" Angua snapped.

"...But I can let you take my pacing trap if you wish" Lady Sybil offered.

"That would be very kind of you Ma-am" Angua nodded "I assume the bench is big enough for the three of us?"

"Oh yes... I'm sure Corporal Nobbs will follow later when he's finished eating."

"Y-you mean to say Nobbs did not go with the Commander?" Angua asked sternly.

"Oh no; I heard him tell Samuel that he would wait here for you, and then he said something about how long it had been since his last meal, so I..."

"Sorry to interrupt Ma-am, but where would I find the Corporal right now?" Angua's eyes started to turn yellow again.

"He's err... in the parlour having tea and cakes" came the reply.

"Excuse me Ma-am" Angua gave a slight bow before turning on her heel and marching back to the front door.

By the time she arrived there, her hair had turned rough and matted, and her eyes were positively glowing.

"CORPORAL NOBBS; FRONT AND CENTRE!" she bellowed through the still open door.

The captains voice caused a number of dust clouds to shoot out from every vent and open window in the house, and they were soon joined by a puffing 'Nobby' Nobbs scurrying rapidly out the front door. He had a cream bun in his mouth and a cupcake in his right hand, and he had eaten so much in the last hour or so, that he had undone the top button of his trousers; and so his left hand had been gainfully employed in the task of preventing his pants from falling down.

"You called Cap'm?" he mumbled through his cream bun.

As an afterthought, Nobby stood to attention and saluted but he soon regretted this action when his pants fell down.

"Let me get this straight..." Angua stared to pace back and forth in front of Nobby "...while we've been out there dealing with a rouge assassin trying to knock off wizards, a dragon from another dimension, and a trio of dwarves who have formed some kind of pirate Boring Company for undermining the streets of the city, you my dear Corporal have been sitting here... stuffing your face... WITH CREAM CAKES!?"

"Just err... just keepin' me strength up Captain" Nobby grinned sheepishly while leaving his trousers where they lay.

"Well now that you're all refreshed, get yourself over to Watch Headquarters and tell everyone to be on the lookout for a bearded, middle aged assassin from Fourecks. We don't know if he's armed, but he's definitely dangerous."

"Yes Captain" Nobby agreed while swallowing the last of his cream bun.

Oh... and Corporal..." Angua said as she turned to walk back to the others.

"Yes Captain?"

"When all this is over... go and buy yourself some new underwear... and that IS an order!"

"Yes Captain" Nobby acknowledged.

'


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Well its Christmas Eve hear in Australia and this is the half way point of the story.
As soon as I finish the last chapter, I'll post the last few one per day. I just had a look at the stats and there are over twenty people reading this so I wanted to thank you all for giving me your time.
Marty :)