As Fenni pulled the heavy door closed, a blonde girl of about twelve summers approached.
“Are you a wizard?” she whispered, loudly enough for everyone in the silent infirmary to hear.
He hesitated. The flaming jaws of a dragon … Flames, what should he say? He’d be thrown out in an instant if the Council of the Twelve Dragon Masters heard about him.
Hang on, he was proud of being a mage. He’d just passed his last trials. He’d been killing tharuks on dragonback with a rider. Who cared what a bunch of prejudiced dragon riders thought? “Yes, I am.” Fenni held his hand out. Letting sparks flit from his fingers, he turned them into tiny green blossoms that disappeared in a volley of pops.
Eyes wide, she clapped and laughed. “I’m Leah, you’re so lucky to be a wi—” She clamped her mouth shut.
The tension in the chamber spiked.
Fenni winked at her. “Yes, I am.” He forced himself to chuckle. “And you’re lucky to live at Dragons’ Hold. It’s beautiful here, even in winter. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on my best friend.”
“Kierion’s your best friend? He’s fun.”
He could be—if he ever woke up again.
Marlies was looking concerned. “Leah,” she said, gesturing at the girl. “Get me some blankets. He’s freezing.”
Shards, how silly of him. “I can help,” said Fenni.
His friend was pale and his lips were tinged blue. The veins in his hands were a mottled purple. He’d been so concerned about getting him home, he hadn’t thought about keeping him warm. If Kierion died, he’d be partly to blame …
Fenni held Kierion’s feet. Jael had explained that if you warmed the peripheries first—the limbs, hands and feet—then it wasn’t such a shock to the body when its temperature rose. Fenni focused on his friend. He channeled sathir through his hands, warming Fenni’s extremities, then limbs and torso.
Slowly, his friend’s hands lost their mottled purple appearance, and grew pink again. The pallor on his face faded and his cheeks took on a healthy hue.
“That’s enough, Fenni,” Marlies said. “Overheating can be as dangerous as under-cooling.”
Fenni’s breath gushed out of him. He rolled his shoulders. How long had he been working on Kierion? Moments or hours? In the underground warren it was hard to tell how much time had passed. How did these people live year round without daylight? He gazed around. There were regular holes in the outside wall, each stoppered with a large rock. They must be windows of sorts in summer. He shrugged. Who needed windows when you could jump on a dragon at a moment’s notice? That was fresh air enough.
Marlies frowned, keeping her voice low. “I’m a little concerned. It’s a bad gash. He’s not showing signs of getting worse, but none of getting better.” She took a slim vial of green juice from a pouch at her waist. “So, we’ll try piaua juice.”
Kierion twitched as she applied it to the gash in his head, but there was no other change.
“We’ll need to sit with him.”
Fenni shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Leah brought more blankets and a bowl of steaming stew for Fenni. “You must be famished,” she said, handing him some crunchy bread rolls. The food was good, better than Giddi’s infamous wizard’s porridge, day in, day out.
Marlies handed Fenni a set of riders’ garb. “You might want to change into these while you’re here. There’s no point in stirring up antagonism.” She shook her head, lips compressed in a thin line. “If only the fools would see reason.”
“Fools?” Fenni wasn’t sure how honest he should be. “You mean the Wizard Council? Or the Council of the Twelve Dragon Masters?”
“Both. And I’m a member of one of them.”
Of course she was, as master healer. He ducked into an alcove crammed with shelves of healing supplies. Among them, he recognized some of Jael’s jars and pouches. His new garb was much warmer than his wizard gear. He bundled his clothes in his cloak and knotted the ends.
Kierion’s breathing was soft and easy, like a lamb. It was uncanny. Kierion was a restless sleeper, thrashing and even laughing in his sleep.
Fenni’s own eyes grew heavy and soon his lids shut.
Hours later, Fenni woke to Kierion’s chuckle. It was strained, but his friend was awake. The torches had burned low. Judging by the number of patients sleeping, it must be late at night. “Thank the Egg, you’re all right,” Fenni whispered. “You gave me a right fright.”
“Not as much of a fright as that rock gave me,” Kierion replied.
“Or as much of a fright as that tharuk got when Riona and I got it,” Fenni said.
“Good,” said Kierion, trying to sit up.
Marlies appeared at his bedside. “Leah, fetch a bedpan,” she called, and the blonde girl dashed off.
“No way,” Kierion muttered when Leah returned. “Give a man some dignity. Fenni, will you help me to the latrines?”
“Sure,” Fenni said. He needed to go too, but he hadn’t been keen to go on his own, here, in the midst of enemies.
Fenni helped Kierion out of bed. He leaned on him as they negotiated a maze of torch-lit tunnels. Around the first corner, they ran into a slim woman about their age, with long blond hair and jade eyes. Quite pretty.
“Kierion, are you all right?” she said, taking in Fenni supporting him.
“I’m fine. A small bump on the head. That’s all. This is my best friend from Montanara, Fenni.”
“Welcome to Dragons’ Hold. I’m Ezaara.”
“The Queen’s Rider,” Kierion said, nudging Fenni.
“Oh?” Fenni held out his hand. He’d never expected the head of Dragons’ Hold to be their age, but then again, he’d never expected Jael to be a master either. “Nice to meet you, um, your royal rider.”
She laughed. “Ezaara will do. I’m new at this game. Welcome to Dragons’ Hold. It’s not often we have mages here.”
But he was wearing riders’ garb. “How could you tell?” Fenni asked.
She smiled. “You have a smudge of mage smoke on your cheek.” Her eyes flitted over their shoulders and her face tightened. “Excuse me, I have business with Master Lars. Enjoy your stay.” Abruptly, she turned back the way she’d come.
Kierion glanced behind them. “Now, here’s someone I wish you’d use your mage power on,” he whispered. “Sofia’s been spreading lies about Ezaara, saying she not the Queen’s Rider. That her bloodline’s wrong. Apparently, some dumb prophecy is broken. Yesterday she even told someone Ezaara had murdered the real Queen’s Rider so she could ride Zaarusha.”
“But Ezaara seems nice.” What he’d seen of her, anyway.
“She is.” Kierion’s vehemence startled Fenni. He drew himself up. “I’ll walk on my own while that guttersnipe is around,” Kierion muttered. “No point in showing weakness to your enemy.”
That was it. Riders and wizards didn’t have to be enemies if they worked together. It wasn’t your vocation that made you enemies. It was whether your goals aligned.
Within a few paces, the girl passed them, her blond curls bouncing.
“Hello, Sofia,” Kierion called. “Got a moment?”
The girl wheeled. “What? So you can play a prank on me?”
Fenni grinned. Troublemaker or not, Sofia knew Kierion.
“Of course not.” Kierion put a hand on the wall to support himself. “I just wanted to introduce you to a friend.”
Fenni moved closer to Kierion in case he toppled over.
Sofia cocked her head at Fenni. “I haven’t seen you around. Have we met?”
“Not yet,” said Fenni. “Nice to meet you.” He extended his hand, letting a little wizard power trickle through his fingertips.
She grasped his hand then dropped it. “You have hot hands,” she said, shaking her hand—as if that would ease the wizard sting.
“I’d like to remind you to support the Queen’s Rider.” Fenni gave Sofia a smile that was all teeth.
Sofia’s face tw
isted. “What? That murdering usurper?”
“Ezaara is Queen’s Rider,” Kierion said, “and you should respect her. Her bond has been tested and proven.”
“By an ex-traitor,” she snapped.
“He’s proven himself thrice over here at Dragons’ Hold, helping save Ajeuria and assisting when the queen was poisoned by Fleur.”
Sofia spat at Kierion’s feet.
Fenni twitched his hands, but Kierion touched his arm briefly, warning him not to interfere. Fenni fumed. No one spat at his friends and got away with it. This girl was a nasty piece of work.
“Well,” she said, “won’t you be pleased to hear what’s happened to Roberto?”
Who was Roberto?
Next to Fenni, Kierion’s body tensed. “Oh? What now?” He yawned, as if he didn’t care.
Fenni knew that artificially casual tone. Roberto must be a good friend of Kierion’s. This woman was on dangerous ground.
She grinned. “Master Roberto is being held captive by Zens,” she sneered. “I’ll bet you didn’t know that.”
“Is that all?” Kierion acted disinterested, but Fenni could feel the change in Kierion’s sathir, the anger simmering beneath the surface.
Sofia stalked past Kierion—and found her way blocked by a wall of green mage flame. She spun, face suddenly pale in the torchlight. “You’re a—”
“Yes, I am,” said Fenni.
She dashed in the other direction. Fenni waved a hand and another wall of flame sprung up.
“Sofia,” he said, holding out his hand and examining his nails. Sparks dripped off his fingertips, bouncing on the stone at her feet.
She hopped from foot to foot, avoiding them.
Fenni sped up the sparks. Now she was literally dancing. “It’s not nice to demean your Queen’s Rider.”
“It’s not nice to trap people with wizard flame,” she snapped, eyes burning with hatred.
“Of course not, but then again, I’m a wizard. Wizards aren’t nice.” A fireball shot from his fingers, flying at her head.
She ducked. “You sharding beast,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Do you promise to be loyal, now?” Fenni asked softly. The fireball circled Sofia, getting closer, until she stood stock still, her arms pressed against her sides, not daring to move. “Or do I have to visit you again?”
“You, you …” she faltered. “Yes. I’ll be loyal. I promise.” Her eyes slid away.
There was nothing more he could do. He’d get in enough trouble for threatening her. Fenni snapped his fingers and the fireball flew into his palm. He closed his hands, extinguishing it. “Thank you, Sofia.”
Sofia bolted, flinging words at them. “And I look forward to seeing Kierion before Lars and Tonio, explaining what this jumped-up mage trainee is doing here.”
“That was fun,” said Kierion, once she was gone.
“Come on, let’s get you to the latrines and back to the infirmary.”
When they returned, Marlies was concerned. “You’d better leave, Fenni. Riona will take you back to Mage Gate immediately. Alban’s been in here, asking about you. We don’t want a fight on our hands.” She shoved Fenni’s clothes at him. “Keep the riders’ garb. You may need it in the future.”
“Thank you.” Fenni fastened his cloak about him. Did she want him to keep the garb to fight with Kierion again? He’d thought all riders hated mages. He strode outside, mounted Riona and they were soon swallowed by the inky-black night.
§
As Fenni and Riona descended to Mage Gate, a volley of mage flame shot at them, no doubt one of Master Starrus’ defensive tactics. Conjuring an ice shield, Fenni stopped the fire. Riona landed with a thump in the soft snow, staying barely long enough for him to slide off her back.
He didn’t blame her; no one wanted to be attacked. Although, he’d just threatened Sofia. Did that make him just as bad? No, the hostile snipe had needed to be stopped—he trusted Kierion’s instincts. He held a hand high, sparks flitting from it to guide him across the dark clearing, the snow still pocked with gouges from their duels.
Within moments, he was surrounded by members of the Wizard Council—Masters Starrus, Reina and Hemlon. “Just one moment, young trainee,” Starrus said.
Fenni was tired of Starrus’ power trips. Everyone knew Master Giddi was more powerful than Starrus, so why wasn’t he head of the Wizard Council? “Apologies, Master Starrus,” Fenni said, “but I’m no longer a trainee. I’m a qualified mage. You said so yourself.”
“Yes, yes, as that may be, however, that doesn’t give you the right to come in at all hours of the night riding a dragon. They’re dangerous beasts and you shouldn’t bring them near here.”
“Dangerous?” Fenni raised his eyebrows, sure they weren’t as effective as Master Giddi’s. “Not as dangerous as the twenty tharuks I’ve just killed while on dragonback.”
Master Giddi was striding over the snow.
Master Starrus said, “We can’t tolerate this. You’ve overstepped your bounds.”
“Consorting with riders is despicable,” interjected Master Reina. “They insisted we banish our friends and loved ones, then shunned us for years.”
Master Hemlon gazed down his pudgy nose at Fenni. “Dragons can turn on you.”
Behind Starrus, Master Giddi raised an eyebrow. A sudden chilly wind wove its way between the three council masters. The masters clutched their cloaks around them to ward off the chill.
“I have a question, if I may?” Fenni asked. “What’s more dangerous? A dragon or a tharuk troop?”
Starrus snorted. “A tharuk troop, of course.”
“Zens’ blasted beasts,” replied Master Hemlon.
Fenni nodded. “I thought so. Well, the dragon and I have just killed troops of those beasts, so that leads me to my next question. What is more dangerous, a dragon or a bunch of prejudiced fools who would let their own hatred get in the way of killing a common enemy?”
Master Giddi stifled a snort.
“Which master authorized this activity?” Starrus snapped. “You’ll be raked across live coals if you’ve engaged in this manner without approval.”
Fenni glanced at Master Giddi, who shook his head.
So Master Giddi wasn’t going to get involved? Shards, he was about to have his new mage crystal stripped from him.
“I did.” A voice rang out of the forest. Jael walked into the clearing. “And I’ve just returned from burying the family we were trying to defend.” Ignoring the council masters, he came over, shaking Fenni’s hand. “Well done, Fenni. You fought admirably, as did the dragon rider who was hurt. Did you get him to safety?”
“Yes.”
“Well done. A successful skirmish.” Jael clapped his arm over Fenni’s shoulder and turned to the council masters. “Any more questions? If not, Fenwick and I are a little battle weary.” Without waiting for an answer, he steered Fenni toward the cabins.
Master Giddi’s voice drifted across the clearing. “I didn’t give up my wife just to let you fools ruin the Wizard Council. Those young ones have mettle, and from now on, I’ll be fighting with them for the good of Dragons’ Realm. Even if it means fighting you.”
Give up his wife? What was he talking about? Master Giddi had never been married, had he?
§
Kierion was used to waking up at dawn, so he was alert when Master Lars and Master Tonio marched into the infirmary. They chatted with Marlies, but by the way Lars’ gaze kept flitting to him, Kierion knew he was in trouble. “Riona, can’t I flee on dragonback?”
“Nonsense. Tell those men you were killing tharuks. Does it really matter who you fight with?”
“Good point. You’re sharper than my sword.”
Riona chuckled.
“Good morning, Kierion.” Lars loomed over him. “How are you feeling? Marlies tells me you banged your head.”
Had she said how? Could he get away with a lie?
At the foot of his bed, Tonio watched impassively, hi
s eyes crawling over Kierion’s face. Some people said the spymaster could smell a lie. Others said he could read faces. Whatever the case was, Riona was right. He might as well take the dragon by the talons. “Morning.” Although the gash was healed, his head still throbbed. “Actually, a tharuk threw a rock at me, when I was fighting a group of them with two wizards, so it wasn’t technically banging my head.”
Marlies was at a nearby table, pounding herbs. She winked at Kierion.
“And you’re aware that consorting with wizards is forbidden?”
“I’m aware that tharuks are overrunning the realm. Does it really matter who I fight with?”
Riona interrupted. “Good choice of words. You’re quoting the wisest of dragons.”
“Kierion, I told you if you missed kitchen duty again, you’d be in deep trouble. I’ve spoken to Benji and you haven’t helped in days.”
“With all due respect, Master Lars, you told me I had to organize kitchen duty, which I did, impeccably, via my new roster.”
Lars huffed his breath out. “Start from the beginning and tell us everything. I want to know who you were with, how many tharuks you killed and how you did it.”
“And I want to know exactly how many times you’ve been out.” Tonio folded his arms.
Gods, that man was so austere.
“And who got hurt in each fight,” Master Lars added.
“I might as well be honest,” Kierion told Riona. “I’ve got nothing to lose.”
“Except the privilege of riding me,” she said.
Well, there was that.
Master Lars took a seat, beard in hand. Kierion told him about fighting with Fenni, his best friend. Although Kierion felt as guilty as a dragonet stealing tidbits, he glossed over Adelina’s injuries, left Riona’s out, and downplayed his own.
When he was finished, Master Lars said, “Despite your kitchen duties, you seem to have spare time on your hands. So, tomorrow morning, bright and early before our dragon races, you must catch the entire quota of fish for the race day feast.” Master Lars looked at Tonio, and sighed. “The wizard was his best friend from Montanara. At his age, we might’ve done the same.” His blue eyes pierced Kierion. “Although the wizard was your friend, mages are dangerous. If you consort with them again, we’ll have no choice but to ban you from riding Riona.” He stalked from the room.
Riders of Fire Box Set Page 81
