Tears of War

by A. D. Trosper

  Arandrall settled back into his chair and propped an ankle on the opposite knee. “Yes, please. We will meet with Council this afternoon. That gives you time to bring me up-to-date and for me to prepare you for the Council’s questions.”

  Loki held the weave until he no longer felt the searches of the Spirit mages flutter across the shield.

  “Are sure this is a good idea?” Merru sent. “We did promise Vaddoc and Namir to take more responsibility.”

  “And we did take more responsibility, but I have to do something else for a little while.” Loki peered out through the thick growth of trees and ferns. He glanced back at Merru, who had his bulk pressed against the forest floor. “You don’t have to hide like that, Merru. Someone could stand three feet from you and not see you right now. We’re only in this spot to keep someone from walking into the shield and alerting the Spirit mages.”

  “I’m still unsure about the wisdom of this.” Merru’s sending had an anxious feel to it.

  Loki shrugged. “For weeks we have done everything we were told and it is driving me insane. Day after day of lessons. I want to do something different for a while and now that I can fly with you over long distances, we can do something fun.”

  “It’s a shame I can’t Slide yet. We could see what Kellinar and Shryden are up to.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Loki smiled fondly at the golden dragon. “You may not be able to Slide, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go places.”

  “Did you have someplace in mind?” Curiosity replaced the anxiety in the dragon’s sending.

  “I’ve always want to see Ardien in Boromar.”

  Merru raised his head. “You want to fly to another nation? That would be rather dangerous don’t you think?”

  “It’s not like we’re going to land in the middle of the street, Merru. If we stay fairly high, you will look like a big bird to the people on the ground and we’ll get to see it, even if not too well. At least it is something to do.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Merru stood. “I don’t feel them searching this area anymore.”

  “I don’t either.” Loki glanced back toward the city wall but saw no one this far out. He turned back toward the gold and propped his foot on the dragon’s leg. With quick movements, he tightened the cuff of the catcher strap around his ankle. With an agile leap, he gained the saddle in a single move. In moments, he had the safety straps fastened. “Fly as low and as fast as you can at first. I’ll hold the shield as long as I can, but it’s much harder to keep it intact when you’re flying. If the weave fails on me and anyone in the mage towers sees us, our adventure is over.”

  “You only need to hold it for a few minutes.” Merru moved through the forest, taking care not to crack his wings on any trees. “After that I will have us around the bend in the valley and out of sight of the towers. I’m still not sure why we must sneak away. After our first flight together, we are supposed to be full Guardians and have the freedom to fly where we wish.”

  “Yeah, well, I guess that doesn’t apply when you are the youngest rider ever.” Loki couldn’t keep the sour tone from his sending. He was tired of the emphasis constantly put on his age. He may be young, but he wasn’t stupid. He had survived the streets of the Mallay for years before Kellinar took him in. Loki tried to count the years he’d spent on his own. Maybe three. He wasn’t sure how old he’d been when his parents died. He thought he was around six, but his parents hadn’t been able to count well so there was no way of knowing for sure.

  Merru walked out of the trees and into a small clearing. “Maybe you’re not.”

  “Not what?”

  “Not the youngest rider.” The dragon extended his wings. The morning sunlight rippled along the length of leathery skin in a golden wave.

  Loki pulled his thoughts from trying to figure his age and focused more fully on Merru. “What in the name of the Fates are you talking about?”

  “You don’t really know how old you are, and neither does anyone else. They’re sure you are at least thirteen, but you might be fourteen. Maybe you aren’t the youngest.”

  Loki laughed. “It’s possible that we are off a year on my age, but even so, there hasn’t been a rider younger than sixteen in the history of dragons in this world.”

  “True. I guess we will just have to work around the unusual restrictions placed on us then,” Merru sent.

  “That is what we’re doing, my friend.” Loki smiled as he made the sending, feeling a rush of excitement at the impending adventure. A chance to get away from everyone and all of the rules. He knew everyone was just concerned and wanted to help him be the best he could be and for that, Loki loved them. But, every now and then, he needed his freedom.

  Loki sensed Merru ready to take off and grabbed the handles on the pommel of the saddle as the dragon lifted off with powerful strokes of his wings. His heart made the familiar leap as they rose above the tree tops. Diving off the edge of the caldera floor and coasting to the ground below when Merru had been younger didn’t compare to the thrill of actually flying the dragon.

  Merru angled his wings and flew low and swift, the tops of the trees only a few feet beneath him. Loki didn’t have time to soak in the enjoyment of flying at that moment; every ounce of his concentration was on maintaining the shield that hid them both from view and from the searching weaves of the Spirit mages.

  The stunning gold dragon raced down the valley. Loki nearly lost the weave and Merru’s anxious sending came only a moment later. “Are you alright? I can feel the strain on you from trying to maintain the weave. Perhaps we should try this later.”

  “I’m fine. Besides, how many times has Bardeck told me how useful this weave might be in battle if I could ever master it? How many times has he worked me to maintain it while moving?”

  “Very true. Hold on just a little bit more; I will be around the bend in a moment.”

  Loki fought to hold the weave, sweat rolling down his face and chilling in the wind that rushed passed them. Only a moment more. The weave wavered and he threw more energy into it. He had to hold it. If they got caught, they would have to work ten times harder to get away next time. Desperation fueled his determination and he managed to keep it just long enough.

  The weave collapsed as they rounded the bend and Galdrilene was lost from sight. Loki sat up and sucked in a deep breath. Throwing his hands in the air, he let it out with a loud whoop. “We did it Merru! Fates be damned, we did it!”

  Merru rumbled his pleasure and soared down the wide, deep canyon that opened up before them. It was all new territory for them. Never had they flown this far in this direction. They had flown far into the unpopulated northern range, but never south or east.

  They followed the canyon and its river rushing along the bottom until they were far from Galdrilene. Then Merru climbed higher and turned south, the sun flashing off his strong wings like golden fire.

  Merru rose until he caught the updrafts to conserve energy. Not that he would tire anytime soon. Dragons possessed incredible stamina. Still, it was a long flight to Boromar and they would spend most of the night flying back to Galdrilene. Loki wanted a little freedom, but he didn’t want to worry everyone back home. He never left longer than a day and a night and knew they would worry if he stayed away longer. He would make sure they were home before the sun rose the following morning.

  Hours moved by, the landscape below sliding smoothly past. Loki stretched his arms over his head and arched his back to loosen the muscles made stiff by hours sitting on the back of the dragon. The sun had passed its zenith and now sank slowly toward the ocean spreading out to the horizon on their right.

  Loki glanced at the unbroken stretch of blue water and then looked again. Dark storm clouds boiled in the sky over the ocean and lightning flashed from cloud to cloud. It had been clear just a little while ago. He knew from living in Galdrilene that storms came in quickly off the Abendigo Ocean. It was never an issue there since the Weather mages sensed storms long before the
y arrived.

  There would have been no warning for this one though since it was well over a half a day as the dragon flies to the south and no one was supposed to be this close to Boromar right now. “That storm might be a bit of a problem, Loki,” came the apprehensive sending from Merru.

  Loki watched the clouds roll in, the sound of thunder echoing through the air. He glanced down and saw the city of Ardien in the distance. “Do you think we can still make a fly over of Ardien and get out of the way before it reaches us?”

  “We’ve come all this way, it seems a shame to not make it. I think we’re going to try.” He felt the determination in the dragon’s sending and smiled as Merru picked up speed. Loki tightened the hood around his head to keep the chill wind off. The day had been warm enough, but at this altitude, it was cold.

  Loki kept a close watch on the clouds as the city approached far below them. The storm seemed to be picking up speed. Lightning split across the sky, the ensuing thunder so loud it vibrated Loki’s chest and made him flinch.

  “We aren’t going to make it, Merru. Forget the city. Fly east as fast as you can and see if we can put enough distance between the storm and us so we can turn back north.”

  “I think you are right.”

  Merru banked to the east as more lighting filled the sky. Loki looked down and saw Ardien directly below them. At least they had made it there. Now if they could get away before they were hit by lightning.

  Lightning flashed in front of them and Merru twisted in the air, throwing Loki against the safety straps. As the clouds started to roll over them, Merru started to climb higher. “What are you doing?” Loki sent, holding tight to the handles on the saddle and leaning forward to balance with the dragon.

  “If I can get high enough, I can come out above it and then we will be safer and able to fly straight back to Galdrilene.”

  Loki laughed a little darkly. “You’ll be safer, my friend. Kellinar told me all about these kind of storms. They go up too high. You’ll be able to breathe up there just fine, but I won’t.”

  He sensed Merru’s surprise as the dragon turned and dove down. The rain soaked them and the turbulent winds lashed at them, attempting to pull them from the sky. “I will have to get below it then. I can’t even tell which direction I’m going in this mess.”

  More lightning flashed around them, the claps of thunder deafening inside the storm. The wind became violent and shoved Merru toward the ground and then shifted and dragged him higher in the sky. The golden struggled to maintain his direction. A nasty swirl of turbulence caught the dragon’s wing and flipped him, sending them tumbling toward the ground.

  Loki held tight, his heart in his throat as he worked to keep his sudden fear under control. He stayed out of Merru’s mind so the dragon could concentrate on recovering his flight. The storm fought the dragon, knocking him around every time he tried to catch the air with his wings. Somewhere in the distance, a roaring whine filled the air.

  The wind became more violent as the roar increased until it overpowered the noise of the thunder. Merru righted himself and unfolded his wings only to have the gusts slap one wing up and the other down. The gold folded his wings slightly and rolled with it this time, but he was no match for the powerful down rush of wind that smacked them out of the sky. Loki sensed Merru’s frantic distress call broadcasting to every dragon he could reach.

  Rain lashed at them as the wind shear hurtled them toward the ground. The streets of Ardien rushed up at them. “Merru!” Loki shouted in the dragon’s mind. Terror and regret flashed through him and then the violence of the storm slammed them into the paving stones of a wide road.

  Loki hung from the safety straps, his mind full of fog and the enclosing darkness. He dimly noticed the whining roar growing louder as the world faded.

  Anevay!” Tania shouted as she ran into the hold. “Loki and Merru are in trouble.”

  Anevay was already sprinting for the caldera. “I know, Latia heard him too.”

  “I got Latia’s saddle on for you.” Tania panted as she turned to follow Anevay.

  Anevay barely heard her as she ran for the large yellow dragon waiting for her on the inner terrace. Bardeck too, ran toward them. “I’m coming with you.”

  “We have to hurry. I can’t reach Merru,” came Latia’s anxious sending.

  Anevay grabbed the catcher strap and started fastening it around her ankle as Bardeck did the same with the second. “Where is Mernoth?”

  He pulled the second catcher strap down. “Mernoth’s wings hurt him enough when he flies without trying to fight a storm. He will stay here and I will ride with you.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Mernoth is going to be sick with worry.”

  Bardeck shook his head. “Mernoth will be fine. It’s Loki and Merru who need us now. From what he sent out before they crashed, it seems as though they crashed in the middle of Ardien. That’s going to cause a few problems.”

  She looked at him sharply as she tugged on the catcher strap to make sure it was snug. “Boromar is a friend of Galdrilene.”

  He flashed her a wry smile. “That’s not a commonly known fact in Boromar. Only the very top leaders are privy to that information. Everyone else thinks they believe the same as the rest of the world. It’s why their ‘executions’ for magic are not done publicly. They send them up here and announce to the nation that the deed has been done.”

  He gave the catcher strap a yank and continued, “However, a dragon crashing in the middle of the city is going to blow it all wide open. We were hoping to wait until Kirynn had a chance to make it there before that happened. She is an accomplished person in their army and is someone they would all relate to. It would have made it easier. Too late to worry about it now.”

  Anevay climbed into the saddle with Bardeck right behind her. She was glad again of the ingenious two saddles in one design thought up by one of the apprentices among the saddle makers. It made transporting two people on dragon back much easier. As they both began to fasten the safety straps, Anevay looked over her shoulder. “What about the storm? It’s only been a few minutes. I doubt it has let up.”

  “We’ll have to do the best we can. Latia is older and a stronger flier. She can also Slide if she needs too, she’s gotten much better at it.”

  Latia gathered herself and leaped into the air. When she reached the height of the rim, Anevay saw the image of Ardien that Merru had broadcast form in Latia’s mind. The Slide spun open and the yellow dove into it.

  A roaring whine pressed on their ears and the wind knocked Latia sideways as they came through the Slide. Lightning arced across the clouds. The yellow threw her wings out and she felt panic flash through the dragon. Anevay looked ahead and her heart nearly stopped.

  A huge funnel of twisting, roaring clouds danced on the ground obliterating the houses in its path. Chunks of stone and broken trees flew through the air. Latia narrowly dodged a full tree, its roots ripped from the ground, as it hurtled toward them.

  “I can’t fly in this!” Desperation lay in her sending.

  Anevay didn’t blame her but when she saw the image of Galdrilene form in the dragon’s mind and felt her prepare to Slide, she reached out, “We can’t go back without Loki and Merru. They are somewhere in this and…”

  A large branch slammed into them. It knocked the wind out of Anevay and sent black flecks swirling across her vision. Her cheek and scalp stung as shards of wood tore through her skin before the branch flipped away and flew like a thrown spear toward the ground. She barely noticed the warm blood pouring down her face as she struggled to breathe. The safety straps cut into her thighs as Latia hurtled through the air, tossed by the violent winds. Behind her, Bardeck coughed and groaned.

  With tremendous effort, the dragon righted herself and struggled against the wind and blinding rain. With a gasp, Anevay was able to take a breath and get her lungs to work again. “Are you alright?” she shouted over the storm to Bardeck. She thought he shouted something ba
ck but the gusts whipped it away.

  “Are you hurt, Latia?”

  “I think it scraped and bruised the leading edge of my wing, but I’ll live. You are injured though, we should go back.”

  “I won’t die from my injury.We can’t leave them in this.”

  A sudden silence interrupted the storm. The twisting finger of clouds disappeared and the rain became nothing more than mist as the wind died to nearly nothing.

  Stunned, Anevay looked around. A massive blue dragon hovered not far from them.

  Kellinar and Shryden.

  “Shryden says Kellinar can only hold the storm for so long. He says for us to get Loki and get out of here while he tries to direct the fury of the storm to a less populated area.” Latia paused and the rest of her sending came in a mental whisper. “They are both very angry.”

  Anevay took a deep breath. “They will have to get over it. They have their duties and we have ours.”

  She started to scan the streets below for Loki and Merru.

  “There they are,” came Latia’s sending at the same time Anevay spotted the pair in the middle of an intersection where two wide roads met. Her heart clenched at the sight of the broken pair.

  Latia tilted her wings and angled toward the ground. Anevay’s heart thundered in her chest. What if they were dead? The yellow pulled up just short of the ground and landed heavily, jarring Anevay in the saddle.

  She didn’t care how rough the landing was. She ripped away the safety straps and leaped from the saddle without bothering to unbuckle the catcher strap. It was long enough that she could reach him with it on.

  Anevay ran to Loki first, knowing if they lost him they lost them both. She dropped to her knees beside where he hung from the safety straps at an odd angle and reached for him with her hands, a healing weave already forming. A deep sigh pushed past the ache in her side where the branch had hit her. He was alive.

  Beside her, Bardeck laid his hands on Merru and began a healing weave. Anevay’s heart soared with relief. Merru was alive too.