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Jodariel intended to go straight back to the wagon after her patrol. Intentions fell before the sight of Sir Gilman staring at a tree and quivering. She intended to move on and let the knight get on with whatever it was he was attempting. The good sir knight had other plans.
Sir Gilman spun around at her passing. His tail lashed into an unmistakeable salute as he straightened.
“Madam Jodariel, hold if you would please!”
“What is it?” She eyed him, uncertain now if he quivered from excitement or fear, or it seemed likely both. “Does something frighten you?”
“No! This knight knows no fear, he assures you. He is only… he thought he might…” Sir Gilman drew himself up to his full and tiny stature. “This knight merely wondered if he might be worthy of your great assistance, but he would never dream of imposing!” And he sunk back to the ground. “Please forget he has said anything.”
“Speak plainly, wyrm. What do you want?”
Sir Gilman’s eye closed. “This knight still knows a great shame, for it is true he yet struggles with heights…” He appeared to gather himself before opening his eye and he radiated a fierceness. “But a knight shall remain ever undaunted! This knight intends to train day and night and so he thought long and hard about how he might train upon the ground, and the answer appeared all around him.” He heaved an unmistakable sigh. “But wyrms are not meant for trees, you see.”
Jodariel lightly snorted as it all fell into place. “You intend to sit in a tree.”
“If he could but reach.”
Absurd. All of this for what amounted to a simple request to lift him. She knelt, still towering over the wyrm.
“If you need to be lifted, you only had to ask.”
“If you would be so kind, madam.”
She took him into her hands and set him upon the branch just above her. He immediately wrapped around it and his force in keeping his eye open was practically tangible.
She turned away. Leave him to it. She would never fault him for trying to better himself. Yet she found herself pausing with a sigh. He could hardly be left here.
“How do you intend to get down?” she asked, turning back to him.
“This knight shall find his own way!”
She reached a hand up, hoping she wouldn’t regret this. “You would find a closer approximation to our flights in movement. You may come with me. For now.”
Sir Gilman’s eye widened. “You would take this knight with you? Oh Madam you are most kind and he happily accepts. He will keep your watches with you in payment!”
He slithered into her hands. She set him on her shoulder, his weight hardly noticed. A sideways glance told her he rested securely, his tail wrapped tightly into her clothing while his eye was a narrow slit.
“Your cause and our watch would be better served with an open eye,” she said pointedly. A nudge in the right direction and perhaps this ‘training’ of his would pay off in time.
He fully opened his eye, shining now with an internal flame. “Yes! By this knight’s honour, he shall give you his VERY BEST!”
And so it became a common sight among the Nightwings to see Sir Gilman perched upon Jodariel’s shoulder or wrapped around the curve of her horns, and they knew now it was not two, but three eyes that kept a steady watch over them all.
And perhaps one day he would not bury his head quite so deeply into his helmet as the Blackwagon flew.