Of Liars and Thieves

by Gabriela Lavarello

  “You wouldn’t say that if you met him.” She sighed.

  “I’d love to meet him, and kill him for you, if that’s what you wanted.” Tedric smiled and Aeden leaned into him.

  “I’d like that very much,” she giggled, but Tedric noted a tinge of sincerity there.

  “My father is a complete fool himself, though it’s not for a lack of trying,” Tedric started. “He remarried when I began to train with the Ten, though I think it’s because he wanted to try to start his life over now that I was beginning to do something good with mine.

  “It didn’t last long, unfortunately, and I still worry about him every day. I became a member of the Ten for him, to bring honor and security where he has none.” Aeden was the one to squeeze his hand now, and Tedric looked down at their intertwined fingers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to speak of my father in such a way when you just spoke about how terrible yours is,” Tedric mumbled, keeping his eyes trained on their fingers.

  “No, it’s okay,” Aeden whispered, and Tedric looked up to meet her eyes.

  Moonlight reflected in glistening tears as they rolled down her face, and Tedric brought up his free hand to brush them away. He longed to kiss her, to help ease her pain in any way that he could.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered again, and Aeden blinked, another tear rolling down her cheek.

  Tedric released Aeden’s hand and brought his arms around her, enveloping her body in his. She settled against his chest perfectly, and he ignored the electric shocks that zipped through his skin as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

  “Thank you for telling me about your father,” Tedric whispered, and her grip around his waist tightened.

  “Just hold me,” she sniffled.

  Tedric brushed a soft kiss against the top of her head, and nothing felt more perfect in that moment as Aeden’s tears lessened and she eventually fell asleep against him. Tedric watched the final full moon of fall as it made its descent through the night sky, his mind perfectly empty as he held the girl who had taken his heart.

  21

  Finriel

  “We’re getting close to the nian,” Finriel yelled over the screaming wind as the companions neared the end of their twentieth day crossing through the Steel Mountains.

  It had been nothing but misery in Finriel’s opinion, and she had officially renounced her desire to travel to the mountains ever again. Their day and night in the meadow had been the most enjoyable day in Drolatis as far as Finriel was concerned, and she was sure that her companions would agree, everyone besides Krete and Nora perhaps. Krete didn’t appear to have any issues with the endless days of wind and scrambling through giant mountains with no apparent end, and she had barely seen Nora since they’d entered Drolatis, though she knew that the mogwa was hunting and keeping any potentially harmful animals off their path.

  Every day had grown steadily colder and whatever vegetation that had pushed through the mountainous earth crunched under their feet. The company was making their way down yet another mountainside in silence when Tedric called for a break and Finriel opened the map.

  “I might be a bit crazy in saying this, but the nian isn’t my concern,” Lorian said as he looked down at the map from over Finriel’s shoulder.

  “Is it the lake?” Tedric asked as he, too, came to inspect the map and pointed toward the large body of water near the edge of Dragonkeep, Drolatis’s largest mountain and hopefully the location of their next beast. “That lake has been the only source of slaughter within this realm for one thousand years,” Tedric said loudly in Finriel’s ear so he could be heard over the wind, making her tilt her head away from him.

  Lorian nodded. “It’s a pretty awful lake.”

  Aeden snorted as she came around Lorian, leaving Tedric, who immediately slipped and cursed, barely catching a hold of Krete by his shoulder.

  “I do hope you know we have to pass through the lake, right?” Aeden asked. Finriel paused and looked up at the fairy with a blank stare, even though her stomach threatened to launch out of her throat. Aeden stared back. “You did know that, right?”

  Krete nodded confidently, although it was clear by the sickly pallor of his face that he wasn’t looking forward to the endeavor.

  “It’s the only way to enter Dragonkeep. Well, that or flying in, which is why not many creatures besides dragons have been able to get into the mountain with all of their limbs still attached to their body.”

  “The lake isn’t the only way to get to the Dragonkeep,” Lorian interjected. “I reached it through the Clelac Crags.”

  Tedric barked a laugh at this, but Lorian’s face remained impassive. The commander’s smile died and he gave the thief an incredulous look.

  “Wait, are you serious?”

  “Unfortunately so.” Lorian nodded. “I have been to the lake as well, I skirted around it when I was twelve. However, with the time constraint upon us, I think that it’s best if we go through the passageway.” He sighed as Finriel gave him the same look she’d directed toward Aeden mere moments ago. He shrugged and avoided her gaze, scuffing his boot against the hard ground. “Being a thief makes you do many stupid things. Including stealing a dragon’s egg.”

  As if they had heard him, the distant guttural cry of a dragon sounded from somewhere beyond the next mountain ridge looming ahead. Lorian’s jaw worked and he turned away abruptly, taking a few steps from his friends. Finriel felt a pang of sympathy as she watched the thief’s hunched figure and the dark cloak that billowed around him.

  “Just give him a moment,” Finriel said softly to the others. They glanced at her and nodded, each still bearing an expression of curiosity. She watched him with an amount of concern that still surprised her, though she was getting used to the strange array of emotions that were beginning to follow along with her slow forgiveness for his betrayal.

  “Come with me,” Lorian finally called to his companions. “I know how to get to the lake.”

  Finriel followed Lorian as he started picking his way up the mountain. She lengthened her stride so that she was soon walking beside him, but he didn’t look at her. His angular features were drawn into a grim expression, a black curl strewn over his clouded eyes.

  Lorian’s words still prickled in her mind, and she found herself growing more curious about his past with each day. She yearned to question him about why this place affected him so much. She wanted to stand with him and comfort him. The realization struck her in her bones, and yet she found that she didn’t mind anymore. Just another emotion to add to the list, she supposed. She was beginning to realize that forgiveness was much easier than she had thought, and that holding a grudge since she was ten years old had been one of the most exhausting things in her life. Finriel still didn’t know why he had left, and she had been too stubborn and hot headed to believe anything other than him not caring enough about her to stay. She didn’t even have to ask the question that pushed at her tongue before Lorian spoke.

  “Shortly after escaping my captures, a group of thieves employed me to steal a dragon’s egg from a nesting pond at the base of Dragonkeep. I didn’t want to go through the lake at all, because that would force me to go deep into the mountain. I skirted the lake and went through the entire expanse of the crags. It was a miracle that I even got ten feet through without getting burnt to a crisp by the dragons.”

  He paused for a moment, and Finriel stayed silent. It seemed a perilous mission for anyone, especially such a young boy. But she still didn’t understand why it had affected him so badly. He opened his mouth to speak once more, but Finriel placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.

  “You don’t have to if it’s too much,” Finriel murmured. “When you’re ready, I am here to listen.”

  Lorian looked up and suddenly they were children again, the baggage that had burdened Finriel for ten years fading away. She smiled and he returned it, bringing up his hand to gently brush her cheek. Finriel stiffened, but she didn’t say a word as he seemed to realize wha
t he had just done and quickly dropped his hand to his side.

  Lorian and Finriel settled into a comfortable silence, only the sounds of boots crunching against stone and the soft murmurs of Aeden, Krete, and Tedric conversing behind them filling the air. It was much colder in the mountainous kingdoms than in the forest kingdoms, and Finriel shivered against the constant crisp breeze that blew against her face and down her neck. She placed a comforting hand on Nora’s back, receiving an endearing purr from the mogwa in turn. Nora had returned from hunting some time ago, and had apparently decided to stay close to them for a few hours. The squeezing sensation in her heart persisted even after their conversation had faded for some time, and Finriel sagged against the extra weight as they started up another steep hill.

  * * *

  “Stop,” Lorian called out as they reached the crest of one of the largest and most vexatious mountains, which they had begun to scale two sunrises before. Finriel took in a sharp breath at the landscape around them. The bottom of the mountainside they currently stood upon opened into a wide expanse of browning meadows and small pools. Animals of all types moved through the meadows and a flock of small birds set off into the sky in a dark cloud of feathers and wings. Finriel narrowed her eyes as she spotted the faint shimmering wall that lay in the center of the meadow, marking the kingdom line between Creonid and Drolatis. The large expanse of meadows and hills of Creonid was scorched black and a whiff of charred grass swam through her nose, sending a twinge of sorrow through Finriel’s chest at the sight of the scarred earth. Krete had good reason to want to help get the beasts back into the pages and right the storyteller’s misdoings. His kingdom had been depleted into ash and stone. She squinted, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fabled Creonid mountain, but the city of stone was still nowhere in sight.

  Finriel took deep gulps of air as she watched Tedric and Aeden scramble the rest of the way to where she and Lorian stood. Nora bounded up to stand beside Finriel, the deep orange sun setting her thick grey pelt in an unearthly glow. Krete looked like he was taking a casual stroll through a flat forest as he climbed up the rock with a grace and nimbleness that surprised Finriel. He had not once complained during their time here, and it was clear that he felt truly at home in the mountains. He walked with a slight smile on his face as he reached the top of the mountain, where Finriel and Lorian waited.

  Tedric sniffed and scrunched his nose. “Is that salt in the air?”

  Lorian nodded dully and pointed to a glittering blue expanse at the far coast of Drolatis. “It’s the Sandrial Waters.”

  Finriel gasped. She never thought that she would live to see the ocean. Yet here she was, laying her eyes upon the distant barrier that separated her from her mother for the first time.

  A sharp cry shot through the air, and Finriel tore her gaze back to the meadow. She squinted to make out the change of terrain closer to the mountains, revealing dark rough ground and large caves. Farther to the east, the ground soon fell away to meet the ever-pounding crash of the Sandrial Waters below.

  The ocean curved around the crag to disappear from sight behind an impressive mountain. Its surface looked blackened and dead, likely caused by frequent streams of dragon fire. Finriel eyed the mountain with growing trepidation. They would have to go inside of it, into the darkness and thick stone walls. But it wasn’t the scenery that soon caused Finriel’s blood to run cold. It was the dragons. So many dragons flew in the sky and prowled the ground. The beasts were still enormous even from so far away. Some dragons were so large that they seemed to swallow up the sky around them. Other dragons were so small that they were merely dark specks upon the ground.

  “It’s the Clelac Crags,” Aeden breathed as she looked upon the dragons in awe.

  Lorian nodded glumly and then pointed to a place slightly away from the Clelac Crags. “And that’s Lake Lagdranule.”

  Finriel looked down upon the glittering blue water. The lake was enormous, taking up most of the space that was not open expanses of meadows and creatures. She gazed at the water as it sparkled and glinted in the lowering autumn sunlight, its color so vibrantly blue that it seemed as if it was a painting, not a real lake. It looked calm enough, but Finriel had heard of the terrors that lay beneath that cobalt disguise.

  “There’s a cave at the base of this mountain that should be safe to stay in for the night,” Lorian said, breaking the tense silence. “From there, we can go to the lake.”

  “It’s probably a good idea to have at least one good night out of the wind before we face the creatures of Lagdranule,” Krete agreed, his attention still trained upon the Clelac Crags.

  Dragons were beginning to settle in for the night, it seemed, the beasts that were still airborne began their descent to the dark stone crags.

  “We should get moving unless we want to all turn into icicles or a crisp snack for the dragons,” Aeden said, and gestured for Lorian to lead the way.

  22

  Tedric

  The setting sun bathed the companions by the time they reached the wide dark opening of the cave. Tedric looked at the entrance, something like a gaping mouth, as he slid and picked his way down toward it. The cave appeared to be hand carved out of the mountain itself, and Tedric wondered just how many people and creatures alike had used it for shelter on previous occasions, or if it was perhaps already occupied at this very moment.

  “Are you sure that it’s safe?” Aeden asked from behind Tedric, apparently feeling the same unease about setting foot inside the cave.

  “Of course it’s safe,” Lorian replied from a few feet ahead, where he, Finriel, and Krete were already nearly at the cave’s entrance.

  “The word ‘safe’ coming from your lips is not making me feel any better,” Aeden grumbled, and Tedric grunted in agreement.

  It had been many weeks since the companions had entered Drolatis, and Tedric had found a certain rhythm to each footstep and scramble through the loose stones and slippery mountain faces. He still hadn’t decided which was worse, however, going up or down. Either way was exhausting, Tedric found, even though his body was honed for constant movement and strain. He would be glad when it was over and he could go back to trekking through fields and riding his horse. Tedric thought longingly of Dario, and hoped that the stable boys were caring for him adequately.

  “Are you all right?” Aeden asked, coming up to Tedric’s side.

  His mind flashed to the night under the moon with her sleeping in his arms, and Tedric quickly hid his face. They hadn’t spoken about it in the morning, as she’d simply risen at daybreak and, without another word, returned to her cloak by the other companions before any of them had woken up.

  “Yes,” Tedric replied finally, “I was just thinking about my horse.”

  Aeden smiled, and they finally stepped onto the more even ground that preceded the cave entrance. “He’s in Keadora?” Aeden asked, and Tedric nodded.

  “Perhaps I can take you to see him one day,” he said with a smile of his own, but Aeden’s expression tightened at his words.

  At that moment, a soft swishing sound started from the darkness within the cave, making Tedric forget his sudden worry over Aeden’s change of expression as he looked toward the sound. A deep sigh reverberated through the air, and Tedric watched petrified as an unfamiliar creature sauntered out of the darkness.

  The creature’s size was similar to that of a large bear, its muscled body seeming to be made out of a dark green shell, apart from the long sand-colored hair that covered its catlike face and back. Its small yellow eyes surveyed the companions one by one as it stalked toward them. Four long ivory horns grew from the top of the creature’s head, dark designs and patterns swirling around them from base to tip.

  “I have been waiting for you for some time, my master,” the nian said in a deep grumbling voice that reverberated through the air though its mouth did not move.

  The nian’s clawed feet dug into the hard earth as though it were nothing but sand, and in a few short moments, it w
as standing before them.

  “To whom are you speaking?” Tedric demanded, his voice stronger than he had expected it to be.

  “Why, to you, of course, my master,” the nian answered calmly, inclining its feline face toward the commander.

  Tedric choked on the curse that nearly flew from his lips as he eyed the beast before him. They had been told that the creatures were spreading death and fear among the lands, but now it was hard for him to believe. Tedric blinked in surprise at the nian’s words, but quickly recollected his features before speaking again.

  “I don’t understand.”

  The nian swept his narrow gaze over the rest of Tedric’s petrified companions with mild interest before saying, “I can kill these annoying creatures if their presence insults you.”

  “No, don’t do that,” Tedric barked, taking a step forward in defense.

  The nian raised its hackles and let them fall as if shrugging. Tedric exchanged a glance with Lorian, who raised his brows, looking as nonplussed as Tedric felt.

  “As you wish, they smell like pests to me though,” the creature responded. “Now, I suspect that you are going to order me back inside of that page that you currently have in your left hand.”

  Tedric opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again as he glanced down at the page he’d silently taken from his cloak. He simply nodded and stepped forward.

  The nian took a step back and shook his head. “You must promise me one thing before I agree to go back inside of that page.”

  The five companions exchanged wary glances and then Tedric turned back to the beast, the page clutched in his hand as if it were a sword.

  “Go on,” Tedric answered tentatively.

  “You must release me back into the realm on the night of the blood moon.”