by Zora Marie
“Good morning.” Raven and Orvi said in unison.
“Good morning to you, too.” Zelia squinted at the dragons, tension coiling within her. They were just sitting in the field, but the way they’d spoken together had her scanning them and the field for what they were up to.
“I know you two were planning for a flight this morning, but there’s something else you may want to do first.”
“What is it, Raven? Must you be cryptic?”
“Why? What is she saying?”
They were almost close enough to touch Raven when she moved to the side, her wing lifting, to reveal Frita standing between the two dragons cleaning her foal.
Linithion squealed and ran up to her horse, hugging her before running her hand down the foal’s neck and back. The foal had her mother’s silver buckskin coloring, her coat shimmering in the morning light, and her father’s head and build. It was the perfect combination of the two, hopefully that luck wouldn’t run out in regards to its temperament and personality. The last thing they needed was another Bête Noire on their hands.
“Oh, she’s beautiful,” Linithion breathed. “Have you named her yet?”
“No. I want the two of you to name her.” Frita nuzzled Linithion’s hair and cheek.
“She wants you to name her.” Zelia went around to stroke the foal’s forelock and it stuck its tongue out at her. “Oh, you’re certainly going to be trouble, just like your father.” The foal sucked on the sleeve of Zelia’s riding leathers and she guided the little one to Frita’s teat.
“Speaking of Bête Noire, where is he?” Linithion asked.
“He was being annoying,” Frita grumbled. “Why do you think I’m over here rather than in the other pasture. So, any name ideas?”
Zelia translated for Linithion and she shook her head. “Of course he was. How about Argent Noire?”
“Argent Noire is perfect.”
“I’ll keep them warm while you all go do whatever it was you were planning to do,” Grono said.
Frita didn’t bat an eye as Grono took Raven’s place, the dragons merely a fact of life to the horse now.
“Awe, but she’s so cute! I don’t want to leave.” Orvi pouted.
“You two go on. She needs to sleep. We’ll be here when you get back.” Frita nudged Linithion away.
Zelia couldn’t help but laugh as she dragged Linithion towards Orvi. “They’ll be here when we get back. I believe you said you had a surprise for me?”
“Fine.” Linithion’s tone matched her dragon’s as she glanced back at Argent Noire one more time before climbing onto Orvi.
Zelia fought down the urge to ask where they were going as she climbed on. Maybe we should wait. She too wanted to stay and cuddle with the foal, but Linithion and Orvi took off, leaving her no choice but to follow.
43
They flew east in silence, or the dragons were not including her in their conversation at least. She let herself relax as she leaned forward against the back of Raven’s neck, the wind whipping her braid behind her. It was unusually warm for this early in the year, but certainly still cold enough that she was glad for Raven’s warmth beneath her. She watched the world and the trees that had been covered in snow mere weeks ago speed by below them.
So much had changed in the last year, and there was so much change yet to be had. She wondered what change she’d see in the millennia to come. So much had changed in one short year that she couldn’t imagine what the future would hold. She glanced up at Linithion and found her staring at her.
“She wants to jump over. Do you mind, Zelia?” Orvi asked.
“Of course, I don’t mind.” Zelia freed her arms from the straps and across from her, Linithion did the same.
Then Orvi flipped upside down, rolling over the top of Raven with practiced ease. Zelia’s heart shot to her throat as Linithion dropped. No matter how many times they did this, it always made her nervous to see Linithion freefall for those few feet. It would be so easy, too easy for something to go wrong and one of them to miss.
“Don’t forget to breathe,” Linithion teased as she wrapped her arms around Zelia’s waist.
“Very funny.” Zelia soothed her nerves as she held Linithion’s hand tight to her chest. “So…”
“We’re almost there.”
“Almost where? When did you go this far East?”
Linithion shrugged. “While you were at The Trading Town. Look.” She pointed straight ahead of them.
On the horizon was a smudge of blue slightly darker than the sky.
“Is that—”
“We’re pretty sure it’s just a really big lake, since it’s freshwater. Did you ever see that body of water from the bridge, with Lumid?”
“No, but I wasn’t really paying attention to land masses.”
“Well, you once asked me where I wanted to live, and I think that is where we can live. There on the shore. Somewhere with a pasture for the horses, and there are trees big enough in the area that Starling and I could make all of us homes with a bit of time. That’s if you’d like to live out here.”
“Linithion, I’d live in the middle of a desert if that’s where you wanted to be.”
“Speak for yourself,” Raven huffed.
Zelia laughed. “Apparently Raven doesn’t share the sentiment. Do you like this idea?”
“I do prefer freshwater fish.”
“Then, I say let’s give it a shot. Have you scouted any places in particular?”
“I thought we could do that together. If we don’t find the right spot today, we can try again later with the others.”
“Hm. We’d better find a spot today as I think the others would debate over locations for ages.”
“True.”
They leaned forward as Raven beat her wings, propelling them to the lake. Raven and Orvi banked and took to flying along the lake’s edge, heading south.
“Do you think there is a reason the humans haven’t settled through here?”
“I did some looking into that and it turns out there were water dragons in the lake, I’m not sure if there still are.”
“Father told me about them. He was friends with a few of them,” Orvi said. “They ran the humans off because they were polluting the water.”
Zelia translated and Linithion nodded. “Makes sense. Humans are not very careful with where they leave things. Maybe Orvi will get to meet some of her father’s old friends.”
“Maybe. We’ll have to watch that the boys don’t get eaten before we introduce them.”
“Hopefully, Lucky keeps his pigsty tendencies confined to his rooms, or I might drop him in the lake to teach him a lesson.”
Zelia chuckled. She imagined Linithion would have to beat Jones to that. Just last month Jones had threatened to throw Lucky in the river if he didn’t stop leaving his stuff all over their room.
They spent the rest of the morning flying over clearings and trees. Several would work, but none of them felt like the one. They needed a place that would not only make them happy, but all of their friends happy as well. A place they could all call home.
It was almost time to turn back when Linithion said, “What about that one?” She pointed to a huge clearing up on a cliff.
This one was covered in lush grass and surrounded by massive trees like the ones in Elyluma. Deer scattered into the forest as they neared the cliff. This one, unlike the others, called to Zelia. It felt like coming home in a way she hadn’t felt since before everything had happened. Like this was someplace she could be at peace.
“How about you two go look around. Orvi and I will go catch ourselves something to eat for lunch.”
She didn’t respond to Raven, just slid off Raven’s back and started for the middle of the field. The trees had already started to bud new leaves here, not a speck of snow in sight. Behind them the water lapped and sprayed against the cliff face in a steady, lulling rhythm.
Raven’s amusement hummed down their bond as she dove off the cliff. “Call for
us if you need us.”
“This is it,” Linithion whispered.
Zelia smiled at the way her soulmate stared at the tree line with the same awe she had the glass sculptures and dresses last night. “I think so, too. I think we can all call this home.”
There was a splash behind them and Zelia glanced out at the water as Raven came up with a mouthful of fish. Raven landed on the cliff once more and cooked the fish with her flame before setting them down in the grass.
“I think it has Orvi’s stamp of approval too.” Raven turned to watch Orvi dive in and out of the water, flipping fish into the air to burn before eating them.
Home, Zelia thought. Yes, this could be home—will be home.
They might have stayed in that pasture all day had they not promised to be back before dusk to change, had those wedding dresses not called their names. They would celebrate their union with their family in Elyluma, but they’d build their future along the lake. For the first time in her life, Zelia had a clear picture in her mind of what she wanted her future to look and be like. Having Linithion by her side had been clear since that day she’d nearly lost her on Hyperia, but everything else had been a haze. Now she knew what she wanted and would settle for nothing less, because they deserved nothing less. They’d fought and lost too much to accept anything less.
Their dragons spiraled one over the other as they crossed Elyluma’s inner border. Their excitement and anticipation was almost palpable, like they knew something she and Linithion didn’t. Before them, the trees parted to reveal a crowd had gathered in the field in front of the house. The place that had been full of makeshift forges and tents for the displaced and injured before was full of people, but this time in a festive mood. And in its center, where she and Linithion had built that snow gazebo for Eadon and Eleanor, was one now made of flowering vines.
She glanced over at Linithion and could see by the open shock on her fact that she had no idea Eleanor had planned any of this. They’d asked for a little gathering, because they knew not everyone would be able to leave their kingdoms to travel here. Somehow though, Eleanor had gotten everyone together for them.
Even Rogath stood in the field beside Grono, staring up at her. “Nice to know that I can keep something from you,” Rogath said into her mind.
She had no words. All she could do was shake her head as Raven landed.
“What? No hug?” Rog opened his arms for her, and Raven blew a little fire at him, which he waved away with ease. “Nice to see you, too.” He stuck his tongue out at Raven, earning an amused huff in response.
As she slid off, Raven shifted so she practically tackled Rogath in a hug. They laughed as he staggered back. “It’s nice to actually see you again.”
“You, too. Oh, and you still owe Dain a hug. Here’s here, too, along with some of the others.”
“Rog!” Terik roared somewhere in the distance.
Rogath snickered. “You’d think he’d stop falling for the mist trick eventually.”
“What did you do this time?”
“I just moved his chair before I left.”
“Of course, you’re playing tricks on our wedding day,” Linithion said.
“It’s nice to see you, too, Linithion. So, did you find what you were looking for this morning?”
“Hm. So only spying enough to know we were looking for something?”
“I wanted to know what you were doing so far away today of all days.” Rog crossed his arms. “I suppose that if you’re not going to tell me, you should go get your dresses on.”
“A good idea for once, we’ll have to mark the record books with that one.” Linithion grinned at Rogath as she linked elbows with Zelia and headed for the house.
They’d barely made it halfway when someone tackled them from behind and lifted them off their feet in a hug. “And to think the two of you tried to not invite me, little squirts.” Skylar set them down and ruffled their hair.
“Hey!” Linithion batted his hand away.
“What? It was already a mess from your ride.”
“I thought you were busy,” Zelia said.
“I can afford a couple days off. Your friend, Kafthry, picked Nikolas and me up on his way.”
“I assume Saria is here, too,” Linithion said.
“Along with a few other royals and leaders.”
“Um…” Zelia pursed her lips as she turned to scan over the crowd in the field. This was definitely not the little wedding they’d thought they would have.
A throat cleared behind her and Zelia turned to find Eleanor was already dressed in a splendid gown of shimmering green and silver. “Zivu and I would like to do your hair, if you’ll have us.”
“We would love to have you do our hair,” Linithion said.
“And Zivu?”
Beside her, Linithion tensed. She still hadn’t forgiven Zivu for how she’d left Orvi behind the day Terik had been taken. Zelia herself hadn’t completely forgiven Zivu, but it wasn’t worth spoiling their day with anger and regret to turn Zivu away. So, she squeezed Linithion’s hand as she nodded. “She can do my hair.”
44
Zivu met them at the top of the stairs, a hesitant smile on her lips. Did Eleanor tell her? Linithion didn’t so much as look at the Hyperian Queen, she just kissed Zelia’s cheek and followed Eleanor to her room across from theirs. Regret flickered across Zivu’s features as she watched Linithion go and nodded slightly to herself. Then she entered Zelia’s room without a word.
Zelia busied herself with removing her riding leathers to avoid the urge to fidget in the tense silence. She’d rather have been happily admiring her dress with Linithion while doing each other’s hair, but they had agreed to let Eleanor plan the evening.
“So,” Zelia said, “how much trouble has Rogath been stirring up lately?”
“He’s back to his usual, pulling pranks on Terik and some of the others. He misses having you there in person.”
“I know he does, but my home is here on Mineria. My family is here, most of them anyways.” She carefully folded her riding leathers before sliding her dress on.
“These sculptures, who made them?”
“Linithion made most of them. They’re a connection to her mother.”
“They're beautiful. She’s very talented.”
Zelia came out from behind the vine changing screen and set her new riding leathers in the armoire. “I’ll have to figure out how we’re going to move them this time.” They’d have to pack them back up if they were going to move, but it was worth the hassle to give them to Linithion last night, to let her have a reminder of her parents for today.
Zivu tied the back of her dress. “I’m sorry I’ve spoiled the mood of your day. I shouldn’t have come. Should have come to work things out with the two of you sooner.”
“You have to realize that Orvi is like a child and best friend to Linithion.”
Zivu’s actions had terrified both of them. Even now, after more than a year, Zelia could still feel the terror that had consumed the young dragon. Orvi was more of a friend than child now, but Zelia knew Linithion was just as protective of her.
“I know and I regret the way I acted. I hurt all of you.”
Zelia glanced at the mirror that had been propped up on the table amongst Linithion’s sculptures. Behind her, Zivu was blinking away tears before they could ruin her makeup. She’d never seen Zivu tear up before, not even when Terik had been taken.
“Zivu, I understand why you reacted the way you did. None of us are perfect.”
“Do you—” She swallowed. “Do you think Linithion will ever forgive me?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. If you found some way to get Orvi’s forgiveness, Linithion might forgive you, too.”
“You think Orvi would?”
“Well, she didn’t torch Connan the last time we saw him, so there’s hope.”
“That’s very reassuring.”
“Well, you didn’t outright try to kill her, so I’d consider it re
assuring.” Zelia smiled and Zivu shook her head.
“Would you be willing to translate for me?”
“Of course. I’m pretty sure dragon translator is my official job these days. So, how are you planning to do my hair?”
“Oh, you’ll see.”
Zivu made her sit on a stool with her back to the mirror and began combing out the mess Skylar and riding had made of her hair. Zivu hummed as she worked to weave little braids.
“Thank you for letting me do this. I always dreamed of having a daughter and getting to do her hair for her wedding day. Though I admit I never thought I would be doing it in a tree on Mineria.”
“You are a mother to me in some ways, you and Eleanor. You may not have raised me, but watching you with Rogath—the love between you two helped me get through the things Asenten and the others did to me, made me do.” Zelia rubbed her hands over one another, as though the motion could wash away the stain of innocent blood on her hands. She was glad her dress wasn’t white like the humans preferred, it was too pure of a color given the things she’d done.
“Zelia,” there was a motherly hint to Zivu’s tone, “you’ve earned this day, don’t let them have any of it. But thank you, it means a lot to hear that from you.” Zivu let out a shaky breath and then slipped another pin into Zelia’s hair. “There, now tell me what you think.”
Zelia turned to look at her reflection and was taken aback. Zivu hadn’t just braided her hair, she’d woven little white flowers into it and what she’d thought were pins were little twigs that together with a braid formed a crown. Some of her hair hung loose around her face, framing it in light curls.
“It’s beautiful.”
