Chapter 47: A Dragon’s Reward
When Rue came into view, I descended.
After Sedol’s dense buildings, Rue’s houses seemed few, with no carts or cargo lining the road. Yet seeing its familiar fence and roofs naturally eased my wings.
I circled outside the village and landed.
“Val!”
Lina ran over before I finished folding my wings, with Dario behind her.
“Are you hurt?”
“…No.”
“Really?”
“…Really.”
“That’s your first question for someone returning from his first town?” Dario asked.
“It’s Val.”
The answer was unfortunately convincing. I had intended only to tour Sedol but ended by flying east to rescue people.
Lina peered at me.
“Something happened?”
“…Yes.”
“I knew it.”
“…Why does everyone know?”
“That told us.”
We went to the chief. Villagers asked about Sedol, but I postponed the details until everyone could hear.
The chief came outside because I couldn’t enter his house.
“You caused no trouble?”
“…I wasn’t the one who caused it.”
The chief narrowed his eyes.
“So trouble happened.”
“…Yes.”
I lay down so the humans didn’t have to crane their necks.
First I described entering Sedol with Elmer. There were many people, houses, and goods; horses feared me; and a cart driver had angrily told me I was blocking work.
“Val got scolded?” Lina asked.
“…The cart couldn’t move.”
Dario smiled. “A dragon in town isn’t simple.”
“…I really was in the way.”
Then I explained the horned gray wolves east of Sedol, the attacked cart, the five survivors, and the wolves moving west in scattered groups beyond the bridge.
“Like the ones seen south of Rue?” Dario asked.
“…Yes. But don’t know if same pack.”
“Good. Don’t force a connection.”
I didn’t know the cause either. The chief decided there was no immediate action for Rue, though Dario would watch for similar movements in the mountains and south.
I then mentioned the other matter.
“…Also asked to do work.”
“Work?” the chief asked.
Lina brightened.
“Val?”
“…Guard cargo.”
A Sedol man wanted me to escort an eastbound cart because of the wolves.
“Did you accept?”
“…Not yet.”
“Good.”
Lina objected. “Isn’t it amazing that they asked him?”
“If he is useful, many people may ask.”
The chief turned back to me.
“What payment did he offer?”
“…A reward.”
“What reward?”
I fell silent.
“So you didn’t ask,” Dario said.
“…Didn’t ask.”
The chief pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Before considering work, ask what they want, where your obligation ends, and what you’ll receive.”
“…I haven’t accepted.”
“That’s not the point.”
A reward might be money or goods. The requester hadn’t said.
Then the chief said something I hadn’t expected.
“If you accept the work, the reward belongs to you.”
“…Mine? Not village’s?”
“Why would it belong to Rue?”
“…Because I’m Rue’s dragon.”
“When did you become village property?”
The answer came sharply.
“If you choose the work and do it yourself, receive the payment yourself. If you want to give something to Rue afterward, decide that then.”
Until now, the village had often shared food with me, but never as a precisely agreed fee for each protection.
This proposal was different: undertake defined work, finish it, receive compensation.
“What do you want?” Lina asked.
“…Don’t know. Meat?”
Dario laughed. “Naturally.”
“Meat is fine,” the chief said, “but agree on the amount. Don’t imagine a whole cartload.”
“…I didn’t imagine that much.”
“You considered it.”
I didn’t answer, and Lina laughed.
The chief also asked whether the job would keep me away from Rue.
“…Don’t know. That’s why not decided.”
“Then ask. If you take it, tell us before leaving.”
“…Permission?”
“No. Don’t let no one know where you are. If we know you’re away, we plan accordingly.”
I understood.
“…Would it be better not to accept?”
“Don’t make me decide that. Hear the terms. If you want it, accept. If not, refuse.”
It was much like Elmer’s answer. I preferred that to an order.
◇
Lina demanded the rest of the town story.
“You only talked about wolves and work.”
I recalled cloth, sacks, barrels, boxes, iron tools, voices, and wheels.
“…Tools of iron. Cloth. Barrels. Unknown things too.”
“You should’ve asked what they were.”
“…Things got busy.”
“Then ask next time.”
“…Next time?”
“Aren’t you going back?”
I hadn’t answered the proposed job, and many things in Sedol remained unseen.
“…Probably.”
“Look at food next time.”
“…Because you want it?”
“That too. And it may help you choose a reward.”
It was a plausible excuse.
“…Really?”
“Half.”
“…Thought so.”
I still didn’t know what I wanted for payment.
At minimum, next time I should begin by hearing the entire request.