7.2

Jewel spotted the peddler’s caravan while she was ostensibly out ‘with’ Smithson on his rounds through Valasect.

But for most of this season she was rarely any closer than ear shot to her squire.

Instead she spent much of her time meeting up with the children of the village while they attended the duties of youth. And when the mood struck them took off as fast as their legs could take them for no other reason than the simple joy of it.

Running on two legs still felt like she was going to fall over at any given moment but she mostly did not anymore.

Yes there were in fact some tumbles but Jewel was not actually any clumsier in that regard then her ‘peers’. It was while she was sitting for a breath with the pack of children she mostly could not place names too that she first spotted the peddler.

“Eyaa!”

A quick shout reaching sharp and clear through the air not entirely unlike birdsong. Jewel found that for however stunted and small this smaller throat was, she was far better at bird calls then any other child in Valasect.

A quick glance around the valley showed that small faces were already turning to peer at her. The few children that had been resting with her were already paying attention when she had gone stiff and attentive.

Assured she would be seen and understood Jewel explained in the wide clear gestures of her Flight Cant.

It was mostly as the Gryphon Riders used with her in flight, with a few gestures and flourishes that she and the children had taken too where Jewel had simply not known a simple way to describe something.

“Caravan afar grounded.”

She had never realized it before she started teaching the children but Flight Cant gestures were always done with the assumption of altitude.

Things like ‘march’ and ‘walk’ always came together with the gestures for below and grounded.

The same gesture without that always implied flight.

Which just came naturally when you mostly used it in the air.

Jewel was repeating her gesture as she scanned the valley. Making sure that everyone interested had gotten a chance to spot her waving.

Some signaled acknowledgements and turned away.

But most kept their eyes on her.

One of the better canters of the older children waved at her a question from across the fields where they had been checking a fence.

This one was a field canter.

If they were a wood canter it would have been harder to discern the gestures.

Those among the village youth who had practice in slings or even in one case a hunting bow had taken to Flight Cant with a will. The ability to gossip with any other canter silently while sneaking up on a bird or other game had made ‘Gem’ very popular among them.

But the hunters tended to not move as openly or widely as even the stiffest new Gryphon Rider.

This boy was not one of these wood canters, he signaled wide and open so you could tell the signs from each apart across the fields.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Burdened Treasure?”

That one was awkward for Jewel, the children had declared the meaning to be treasure. And the way they used it and gestured it had shifted enough to be distinctly its own; it was not really the original signs she had demonstrated when one had asked for a word to something she didn't know.

It was closer to say that the gesture had been a mix of the signs for “Vital Target” and “Provision”.

But then it became the two quickly made one after another.

Then later one of the kids started doing the two motions in a kind of mixed form with both hands.

And then it just settled together and like that Flight Cant had a new sign where before it had lacked it.

One that if you were sharp eyed you could see across the open spaces of Valasect’s valley.

Unsure of the answer to the question she turned away to peer at the slow approach of men and beasts along the southern road.

Jewel squinted as hard as she could at the caravan. There were quite a lot of animals. At this distance though she was not certain of the kind.

At least eight were definitely mules carrying heavy packs and about that many great white beasts she assumed were cattle. But there was a muddled herd of smaller beasts she could not place as either.

Some might have even been sheep or maybe small horses. Jewel however was confident none of the beasts bore riders.

She hoped Bethica liked whichever of them was her new ‘betrothed’.

But she could not even guess which one that was at this distance. Even if she knew what he looked like.

The horns on some of them seemed a bit silly compared to the bulls the wyrm spawn could currently remember having seen.

Even across the valley the sheer span of them was visible.

Easily further between the tips then her smaller body was tall.

She was glad neither of her selves had the misfortune to have horns that splayed out like that or that far. It would make it horrendous to pass through doorways.

After peering long enough to judge with an intensity that sparked mixed feelings of her memory of flying with the army Jewel turned back to her audience near and far.

She signed wide and slow in sweeping arcs that would be clear to the many faces scattered in their chores. Many of them watching her instead of seeing to their due labors.

“Possible Treasure, Heavy Load, Many Beasts, Burdened Mule, Armed Support”

And there certainly were armed men.

They were outfitted well enough for a questing knight who either expected mobility to trump solid steel in their mission or could not afford better.

Six, perhaps seven of them?

‘Gem’ had better eyes than most of the kids.

But they were nothing compared to the vision of her Wyrmself.

And unfortunately like her height they had stalled out in growing better this year.

Still it was enough.

The field canter signed assent and then warned.

“Reporting”

Which was a gesture taken up by many around Valasect before youth were running to tell their elders of the approaching strangers.

Audibly, Dorota spoke up.

“tell ma ‘n pa ‘n betha.”

Which Jewel could only nod agreement too.

With that the siblings and Jewel were off again, running far too quickly for Jewel’s comfort.

And yet they were so wonderfully exhilarating in their speed she was soon joining them in their laughter.

Her own voice trilling and whistling like birdsong.

The moment of it so joyous she entirely forgot why they had been in such a rush until Bethica was there before them.

Jewel was so dizzy and joyous from her run she flailed at the uncomprehending cow before remembering with a shame-faced flush Bethica didn't know Flight Cant.

She was so distraught Albert had to tell the bemused cow the news.

“Your Bull’s arriving!”