Discussion over Breakfast

There was still that dull ache in the region of his shoulder, but otherwise he felt a lot better. He used his arms to swing himself off the table on which he had been lying, and let out a muffled oath when his right arm buckled under the strain, and he landed on his feet rather more heavily than he had intended (but at least his ankle seemed to be wholly cured). He ruefully realised that the arm was very weak. It was going to require a lot of building up before he would be able to use a sword effectively again.

Belboz, Checkers and Astra had been breakfasting at a table situated in an alcove of the chamber, so that it was only with Fred's imprecation that they realised that he was awake. Astra came round the corner into Fred's field of view first. A broad smile lit up her face when she saw that he was up. Checkers appeared behind her a split-second later, and then Belboz joined them a couple of seconds after that, as befitted an elderly mage.

Don't get too lovey-dovey with him, Princess, Belboz warned Astra. Whatever his future may prove to be, since you will be staying with me as my bondswoman you will not be part of it.

Astra ignored him. Instead she took Fred's hand in hers. "How are you feeling?" she asked him. "Come over to the table and have some breakfast, if you feel well enough."

"It's good to hear your voice for the first time," he said with a smile. "It's as lovely as the rest of you. I feel quite well, except for an ache here," and he indicated the area of his right shoulder and chest. "The muscles in that area seem to be much weakened. I shall have to exercise them to build them up. At present I could barely lift a sword, never mind use it."

"Couldn't you use your sword in your left hand?" Checkers asked, as Fred took his first mouthful of bacon and eggs. (It tasted excellent.)

"Perhaps I could - after about six months of practice. Even then, I'd never be as good as with my right hand. So, are we going to resume our dragon hunt today? Of course, from what you told me last night, you have now seen the dragon as well as Astra."

1. Belboz intervenes, to say that he does not think that Fred is yet well enough to go dragon-hunting.
2. "Yes," Checkers says. "Oh, but I forgot to tell you about the talisman that Astra found last night." That is news to Belboz too, of course.

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