Reviewers, you rock, and a few of you are still mentioning ideas that move this story forward. This chapter was much better thanks to a timely comment from WellITriedSoManyOptions.

The Emperor's Mage
Chapter Thirty-six: Elusive

Arram Draper was surprisingly hard to find, once she started to make the effort. She made the mistake of asking two-leggers first, who sent her in all directions imaginable, before remembering that the People already had quite a bit of interest in the two-legger that had came back with Daine. A few of the menagerie animals even had their own gossip that she would be producing kits with the man at any given moment, and the tigers had refused to dignify any of her protests with a response. The bears had at least listened to reason, but tigers were the worst, when they'd gotten an idea latched into their heads.

When the tigers actually took an interest in a two-legger, then all of the menagerie wanted to know what was so special, and with the entire menagerie gossiping about Daine's new friend, it had taken under a week for nearly every animal in Corus to recognize Arram on sight. Cloud was very smug when Daine finally thought to ask someone that would know useful things.

Look for your stork-man in the food-room. Cloud lipped Daine's shoulder, for once showing no interest in biting. The tigers were right, you know. He would make very fine foals.

Daine reddened at the images that her mind happily supplied. "Thanks, Cloud. I'll go talk with him now and let you think about that all on your own." She retreated fast, muttering to herself when a few of the louder birds yelled for all to hear about Daine's future eggchicks. She did manage to collect herself, before she went right on into the dining hall, but she needn't have bothered. Arram was sitting at one of the tables in the empty mess hall, but he wasn't alone. Kitten was sitting in his lap, of all places, and imperiously tapping various pictures in some large book or other with her claws.

"Hullo," Daine said, from far enough back that neither of them were all that started. Kitten whistled at her, but even when Daine took the seat beside them, it was clear that her dragonet was going to be soaking up someone else's attention for a while.

Arram had his arms occupied with steadying Kitten and keeping the book steady, but he did smile at her. "Kitten has requested lessons in anatomy. These books are meant for you, but she had them opened before I was here. Buri said I might as well keep her occupied."

Daine didn't know what to think of any of this, so she looked over a fancy picture of the insides of a rabbit. It was nice to see Kitten getting on with anybody so well, let alone someone she hadn't known for even two weeks yet, but it had been hard. Kitten could hold a grudge when she so chose, and it was fair easy when there were so many other people keeping the dragonet happy and spoiled. Daine could have gone to Pirate's Swoop, but Thom was busy catching up on his magic lessons with Harailt and the twins were staying with Auntie Thayet. George and Alanna didn't have near enough time to themselves, so she was in Corus, but Onua had left that morning to head up to Galla for the horse fair.

Roald was very busy with being a page, and Kalasin was quite happy showing Kaddar all that the city could offer. Thayet and Sarge were still figuring out the likely way that they'd need to handle Carthak, Buri was helping with that and working out the annual reports for the Riders, and it seemed like all her friends were too busy to do things with her. At least her pony was still all hers, even if Cloud would think that somebody like Arram would pick a gawky teenager that still forgot that her da was a god.

She looked on while Arram explained to Kitten what a duodenum was, and that seemed to be the last lesson of the day. Kitten settled back thoughtfully, chirping to Arram before crawling over to Daine's lap and promptly slumping over asleep. Daine couldn't help looking surprised when her wayward dragon finally settled with her again. Arram smiled, but there was nothing unkind in the expression.

"I think that she was looking for you, but was forced to settle with listening to me," Arram said gravely.

"You'd've known if she were settling. I don't know if anyone introduced her proper, but this is Kitten. Her proper name's Skysong. Her ma, Flamewing, came through the barrier all on her own when a bunch of Carthak mages were attacking Alanna's home 'cause Thayet was there." Daine stroked Kitten's neck a little too hard, checking to see if she was listening, but the dragonet was too exhausted to perk up at the familiar story. "Dragons are smart like two-leggers, and I saw scrolls in Flamewing's mind. It'll be years and years before Kitten can talk to me, too, but she understands well enough."

Arram looked as if he were holding back ten dozen questions, and Daine knew that sometime he would find her with an entire blank scroll, a quill, and ink to get the answers to every question he had about dragons. "I think that's the most we've been able to talk all week," he said. "I imagine that Kitten would prefer to stay just where she is, but I've gone five entire days and haven't offended the Rider mess cooks yet. Would you like me to ask if they have any makings for a cold lunch?"

Daine hadn't thought about lunch in her treks all over Corus looking for the man, much like she hadn't thought about what she would say to him. Kaddar was leaving as soon as he could take his country back, or as soon as George's contacts could guarantee his safety in one of several potential rebellions. Kalasin would be following him, and Daine bet that it wouldn't take all that long. Kally was eleven, now, and with such an important marriage she'd likely be in the country a full year before the wedding. She might be gone in just a few more years.

The lunch was very nice, but all of her unasked questions went unanswered. One of the cook's assistants had helped bring two trays out, a smiling blonde woman that made Daine think of Varice and all of the half-written letters cluttering Daine's desk.

She said barely anything while they ate, mostly excusing the awkward silence by fussing over Kitten. The dragonet opened her eyes for a few moments, to scarf the offered cheese, but then she curled more comfortably on Daine's lap and didn't so much as twitch. Arram was a clever man. He could certainly tell when he was being ignored, as odd as it was for a body to ignore him after all the trouble of seeking him out.

"Daine, is everything alright?"

"No." She looked up, startled that she had said even that much, and it was his expression that made her continue. Whatever might happen later, he was her friend. She wouldn't stop being his friend because he and some one of the Rider cooks were happy tumbling each other in the hayloft, or even because Kaddar kept offering bribes and coaxing to bring Arram back to Carthak after Ozorne was deposed. "I s'pose I just don't like not knowing things, and there's a lot of that going on. My friends are all over the place and nobody knows where anybody's going to stay, Kitten's like to be staying back for at least another week before she really talks with me again, my da's a god and Jon's threatening me with a title all over again, since he's giving me half-credit for making the peace with Carthak even if it won't hold at all."

Arram nodded, and considered that deluge of information for several seconds before replying. "I can completely sympathize with a dislike of uncertainty, and even with not knowing quite what friends will do. Kitten will forgive you in time, especially when she realizes how much more content she is chattering with you. I'm afraid that having a god for a parent is entirely out of my line of expertise, but Jon has been dangling a title at me, as well."

Daine half-smiled at the very calm response. Just like Arram, to have an answer for everything. "Jon's been meaning to do it for a while, I think, but he needs to be sure that there aren't nobles fighting that he's making a commoner a full noble. He's just making me a lady, not a countess or anything, but a couple nobles have been very rude about my ma not being married."

"Hm. It would be unwise to say the least to advertise your parentage broadly, but if you like petty slights, I might watch the archery performance of any man or woman who slights you. Weiryn's influence is weak, this far from his mortal domain, but he certainly can pull at a bowstring."

Daine couldn't remember at all why she'd been so irritated with the man just minutes before, but she never seemed to feel just a little when she was talking to him. It was either all irritation and being vexed and thinking that no one in the world was so impossible, or all smiles and feeling like she'd taken a full cup of punch from a Rider party at Midwinter and like no one else would ever understand her so well. Onua understood horses, and Lindhall all the rest of the animals, and Alanna having magic you didn't understand and George knew about people thinking that you weren't worth what life would give you. Sarge knew about ignoring what the world said that you were, and the children knew all about not getting enough credit, and Cloud remembered everything about running with wolves.

Somehow, she had the feeling that Arram could understand all of that, even if he'd never ride a horse with anything resembling grace.

"I might let Jon do it, this time," Daine admitted. "He said it wouldn't be until my seventeenth birthday, to be sure he has time to bully everyone into doing it right and Thayet has time to be sure that she has the rest all in place. I don't know at all about running a fief, yet, but Myles and Alanna and George are all set to teach me and they'll get someone to keep things going for me, at least for a while."

"I think you would like it, if only to have land all your own." Arram closed the book carefully, brushing a hand over the title embossed on the leather cover. An Encyclopedia of Animalian Anatomy was written stamped in golden script, large enough that the author's name was only thin lines of gleaming. "It could easily become a sanctuary for whatever animals that you'd care to protect."

No one else had broached that idea, or Daine would have readily taken on a title years ago. The rush of exhilaration at what she could do, given some land of her own, gave her the boldness to ask the question that had been bothering her for two weeks.

"And what of you, Master Draper?" she teased, not even caring that the blonde cook was making her way over to their table. Maybe that woman was sleeping with Arram, but Daine was the one that had his attention. "Just where are you going to stay?"

He answered seriously, just like he knew that she wasn't actually teasing. "I'll be in Tortall for as long as its majesties will keep me," he said. "I know that Kaddar will turn Carthak around, but I've had enough of deserts and crocodiles and politics. Tortall will take just anybody in, it seems, and that's exactly why I want to stay."

It felt like a promise when their eyes met, even if they didn't say another word about the subject. He assured the cook that the meal had been delightful and he was much obliged, but then he offered to carry the books back to Daine's room in the palace. Any servant could have done the task, of course, but the petty little thoughts in the back of her mind were much happier with this arrangement. Daine hefted Kitten up into her arms, and she swore that Arram's chest puffed out when she was impressed he'd carry all of those books without a magic to lighten them. (She thought she saw the books rise two inches, just a minute later, but she didn't say a word about it. There was no use in having him exhaust his arms carrying her books around.)

They talked all the way back to the palace, and if nothing was as serious and no eye contact as much of a portent, she hadn't smiled so much in days, and he wasn't putting any real effort into impressing her. Maybe that was a bad sign, for those murky later plans that her thoughts helpfully supplied, but it wasn't at all a bad thing in a friend.