London, Mid-Winter, 1820, Kaoterker
She was dressed and sat at the kitchen table sipping tea, when Thirrin padded in through the door.
“You’re up early.” His mind tone was faintly accusing.
“It’s my flat, I can get up when I like.” Elizabeth pulled over a clean cup and poured tea into it. “Sugar? It’s normal tea; I can’t get Earl Grey here.”
Thirrin shook his head, “No, thank you.”
She pushed the cup over to where the other chair was and Thirrin lifted himself up onto it, bracing his forepaws on the edge of the table so that he could lap the tea up.
“Why did they send you?” she asked as he made short work of the liquid.
“I told you why last night.” Thirrin slurped up the dregs from his cup and chewed on a small lump of tea leaves for a long moment before he swallowed.
“You told me that the Hall would die if I didn’t come with you. I need more information than that.” Elizabeth poured out another round of tea.
Thirrin sighed, “I was asked to bring you to the Tavern where Benjamin and Madame Gillee would then explain exactly why they need you. I don’t know any more than that.”
Elizabeth stood up and moved over to the stove, carrying her cup with her. “Porridge or bacon?”
“Bacon please.”
She lit the gas and focussed on cooking breakfast. Thirrin drank his tea in silence. After half an hour, Elizabeth put a plate of bacon in front of him and refreshed the pot before sitting down to eat the porridge she’d made for herself. Thirrin buried his head the pile of bacon, eating and letting out little puffs of green smoke.
The sun peeped in through the kitchen window, sending a golden glow across the whitewashed walls. As they finished eating a bell rang in the kitchen.
“That’s Lila. I’m normally just about getting up by now.” Elizabeth said, standing up.
“I’d better hide then.” Thirrin replied, trying to scrape the bacon grease off his head with an equally greasy paw.
“Let me do that.” Elizabeth took a soft cloth, wet it at the sink and washed Thirrin’s head and paws. “You don’t have to hide. I’ll explain you as one of my clockwork toys. All you have to do is blink and let out smoke rings every minute or so.”
“I can do that,” The little dragon shook his wings into a comfortable position and took a deep breath.
“Just don’t fly or make a noise. I’ll carry you around on my shoulders.” Elizabeth grinned as he let out a smoke ring and blinked. “Perfect.”
She scooped him up and settled him on her shoulder, then walked through to the front door, pulled the lever and went back to the kitchen. As she walked in, there was a knock at the kitchen door, so she unlocked and opened it.
“Good Morning, Miss.” Lila said as the door opened.
Elizabeth stepped back to let her inside and Thirrin let out a puff of smoke as he lost grip on her shoulder. She caught him and resettled him. “Whoops.”
“Oh my! Is that the new toy you’ve been working on?” Lila’s eyes widened.
“Yes, I finished him last night.” She smiled as Lila extended a shaking hand to touch Thirrin.
“He’s warm.” The maid caught her hand back abruptly.
Elizabeth shut the door behind her. “You’d be warm if you had a miniature steam boiler inside you.” She set Thirrin on the kitchen table and after she’d stripped her gloves and cloak off, Lila came over for a closer look.
She stroked the little dragon’s back. “What sort of leather did you use for his skin? Its divinely soft and the scales are so smooth and shiny, you’d think they were real.”
“She’s tickling. I don’t know how much longer I can stay still,” Thirrin told Elizabeth.
Elizabeth laughed. “The scales are real. It’s a new leather from the Far East. The Supplier said it was a type of Lizard called a Komodo Dragon, so you might say it’s actually Dragon skin.”
“He just looks so real.” Reluctantly, Lila moved away from Thirrin to the sink. “Have you already had breakfast?”
Elizabeth stretched and yawned, covering her mouth politely with one hand. “I woke up early, so I ate early.”
“Are you opening the shop today?” Lila began picking up the plates and bowls. “My, you were hungry weren’t you,” She said as she collected Thirrin’s cup and plate, “Bacon, porridge and more than one cup of tea.”
Elizabeth picked Thirrin up, cradling him on her forearm and absently stroking his back with the other hand. “Creating is hungry work. I used one cup last night before I went to bed and the second this morning. I have to go out today, so the shop won’t be open and I doubt I’ll be back for lunch.”
“Shall I dust the shop as well as up here then? I won’t touch the workshop; it’s too dirty in there.” Lila began heating water for the washing up.
Elizabeth walked across to the door. “Yes please. If there are any messages or deliveries, just put them in the office.”
“Very well, Miss.” The maid looked at Thirrin again. “What’s his name?”
Elizabeth looked down. “I called him Teacup when I started his design. He was supposed to be small enough to sit inside one of those large tea cups that the Ile Café have. It’s as good a name as any.”
Lila grinned. “I’ll see you and Teacup later then.”
* * *
Elizabeth tucked the tight breeches that she wore underneath her lightweight skirt into her knee length boots and strapped an elaborate tool belt around her waist.
“Where are we going that you feel the need to wear trousers?” Thirrin asked from his position on the window seat.
“I have a contract to maintain the workings of the clock on Westminster Tower. There’s a lot of climbing involved.” Elizabeth slipped a leather waistcoat on and began adding more tools to the pockets. “You can stay here or come with me… but if you come with me, you’ll have to pretend to be a toy some more.”
“I can do that. I want to see how this world is different to Arkingvale.” Thirrin said, shaking his wings out.
Elizabeth finished her ensemble off with a long leather coat and top hat, a pair of goggles sitting on the brim. “You’ll have to ride on my shoulder then.”
Thirrin hoisted himself into the air with a couple of wingbeats and then swooped over to her right shoulder, flipped his wings back into their folded position and wrapped his tail through the shoulder strap on her left arm and slipped one forearm through the right one, linking his claws together to look like they were attached to each other. Finally he rested his head on his forepaws.
“How’s that?” he asked.
Elizabeth looked in the mirror, “Perfect. Hold tight, try not to breathe or smoke too obviously and don’t make any noise.” She picked up her tool bag and left the flat through the kitchen door.
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