“Hold,” Miranda commanded, smacking a claw into Greystone’s furred chest. She whipped her head around and ducked low. “Ugh. Sorry. I’m not trying to give you orders. Old habits, in this environment. But look down.”
Greystone snorted and gazed up at the crimson dragon he’d known for twenty years now. He wasn’t used to seeing his partner with gold filigree patterns painted around her eye ridges and snout, or the multi-faceted diamond that indicated her rank. “You are the princess,” he said dryly, and looked at the garden mulch at his paws. “Oh!”
A baby dragon, no more than six inches long, whipped a rose-colored tail at his paw and tried to gnaw on one of his claws.
“I forgot it’s that time of year,” Miranda said. “She’s no more than two hours old. The palace kitchen garden’s popular as a hatchery.”
He dangled the claw above the gleaming, darting scales for the tiny creature to chase. “I thought mothers carried the babies in their mouths.”
She shrugged. “They get tired toward the end, and it’s warm enough they can leave the eggs for a bit. Meanwhile, the eggs blend with the cabbages, the litters find the cabbages hysterical for some reason, and if they hatch here, they have a food source.”
He planted his paw, toes spread wide. “Of cabbages.”
“Well.” She blew a tiny flame for the dragon, who gurgled in glee and fell onto her back. “Yes, technically, but also the chickens that used to free-range through here. Because no self-respecting dragon noble eats cabbage. That’s a baby baroness we’re entertaining, after all.”
“Obviously,” Greystone drawled. The snow leopard watched the miniature, paler version of his friend dart toward a rocking egg the same color as the purple cabbages planted in a neat row. “I take it we should find a different place to take a walk.”
“Indeed,” Miranda agreed. “Anything on the grounds except the hedge maze. We can’t talk freely there.”
“Not where the murderer might be hiding behind the shrubberies.”
***
I forgot to send a prompt into MOTE this week and grabbed a spare: There were dragons in the cabbages again this week…
Professor Porter update: Book two is back on track!
