Another silence permeated the great chamber, but it didn’t last for long.
“Moving words from a young woman who has yet to face true fear,” the king said dryly.
Jaax opened his mouth to make an angry retort, but Dhuruhn held up a clawed hand.
“Peace, Raejaaxorix, peace. The girl makes some valid points, and is much more diplomatic about your cause than you have been. But, the evening grows late. I cannot decide for certain tonight. We will meet again, in my throne room, a week from tomorrow. Then, I will have an answer for you.”
Jaax gritted his teeth before snarling, “A week! You have had years to consider your answer, and you want another week?”
A low growl rumbled up from Dhuruhn’s chest, the force of it shaking the hall and causing the chandeliers above to swing. His reply came out with a cloud of frosty smoke.
“Yes, a week. You will take it or leave my domain at once. I am king here, and you have no authority. I must confer with the others of my race. Not all Creecemind dragons live within the city’s boundaries. Now, if you will excuse me, my family and I would like to seek out our rest.”
With that, he rose to his feet, making Jahrra feel like a mouse standing before a cat about to pounce. Without even casting her and Jaax one last look, the royal family exited the way they had entered, their long, sweeping forms moving over the ground with serpentine grace.
The doors shut behind them, and Jaax and Jahrra were left standing alone at the front of the room.
-Chapter Twenty-Seven-
A Fading Hope
With some amount of vitriol, Jaax let loose a curse. Jahrra turned and gave him a startled look.
“He has known about this for weeks now. I sent a missive before we left Lidien. He could have consulted his people then.” Jaax sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, a pained look pinching his face. “Let’s just hope he has an answer for us in a week. Come on, Jahrra. No point in lingering here.”
Having no reason to argue, Jahrra hurriedly followed after him. When they reached the main door leading from the dining hall, they found the others waiting for them. Jaax quickly relayed what they had learned.
“A week?” Ellyesce asked, his tone level.
Jaax jerked his head in the affirmative.
The elf furrowed his brow. “I do realize you wish to move on as soon as possible, Jaax. The longer we stay in one place, the easier it is for the Crimson King’s army to find us and trap us. However, resting for a week isn’t such a bad idea, especially for Jahrra’s sake.”
“Ellyesce is right, Jaax,” Jahrra said. “My knee is much better than it was, but it would do us all some good to just relax for a while.”
Jaax looked at her, then glanced up at Tollorias. “What news from the wilderness?”
“I conducted a flight check this morning. No movement to the east or west, and the road leading to Cahrdyarein is empty. The southern city itself appears to have been fully infiltrated by the enemy, but from what I’ve observed and from what the other dragons are telling me, the Red Flange will be staying put for a while.”
The Korli dragon took a breath as if to speak, then shut his mouth with a click. Jaax gave him a suspicious look, missing nothing.
“You don’t think they’ll stay idle for long, do you?”
Tollorias shook his head. “It is a feeling, more than anything. They suffered greatly from our attack on the bridge, and from what you did before leaving Cahrdyarein, but their leader is ambitious and eager to please his lord. If I were you, I would not stay past a week.”
Jaax drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Then, we will make ready to leave as soon as we get Dhuruhn’s answer,” he stated.
“And what will you do until then?” Sapheramin asked.
Jaax regarded Jahrra, Dervit and Ellyesce. The elf was doing an excellent job at appearing calm and unworried, but the dragon had known him for a very long time, and he discerned Ellyesce sensed something beyond their reach as well. Jahrra was a bit harder to read. She did not register as worried, but there was a pall of unease hanging about her, and the limbit as well. The last thing Jaax wanted was for them to spend the next seven days winding themselves even tighter.
“I think,” Jaax said with a small smile, “we ought to spend the next week resting, eating and enjoying what Nimbronia has to offer. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea for Jahrra to meet the other Coalition members, and I think tomorrow might be a good time for some of us to check on Pendric and his family.”
Jahrra lit up at that. “Oh, yes! I’ve been worried about them ever since waking up this morning! Perhaps Pendric will even be up to a few sword fighting lessons.”
Jaax actually laughed out loud, and Sapheramin gave him an amused look.
“I don’t know about that,” he offered. “He might still be recovering from his wounds.”
Jaax regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Jahrra’s joy seemed to dissipate as she recalled everything her friend had probably been through while trying to defend his city.
“Don’t worry, Jahrra,” Dervit announced. “I saw him yesterday afternoon. He said he was feeling a bit sore but nothing a good amount of rest wouldn’t cure.”
Jahrra smiled down at her friend, and Jaax’s heart eased.
“Well,” Sapheramin chirped, “that all sounds marvelous, but if you plan on keeping yourselves occupied for the next several days, you had best get some sleep now. I myself am feeling quite exhausted, so Tollorias and I will bid you goodnight.”
The female Korli ducked her head at them all, and then, she and Tollorias strode away down another hallway.
Dervit yawned and added, “That sounds like a good idea to me.”
The four companions traveled back to the floor where they all parted ways to seek out their own quarters. Before closing the door to her own room, Jahrra was brought up short by Jaax’s voice.
“Jahrra,” he said.
Wondering what else her guardian might want to discuss, Jahrra stepped back out into the now deserted hallway. Her guardian studied her, one brow lowered over his eye, his head tilted slightly. Despite the muted light of the corridor, she felt rather exposed all of a sudden.
“I just wanted to reiterate how lovely you look tonight, and to thank you for speaking up on my behalf.”
Jahrra flushed slightly at the compliment, still not used to receiving them from her guardian.
“Thank you,” she managed. “But, you don’t need to thank me.” Then, she added with a smirk, “We’re a team, remember?”
Jaax smiled and nodded once, then turned to head for his own chambers.
“That we are. Good night,” he called over his shoulder.
As he left his ward standing in the hallway, the enchanted icicles above casting a soft blue glow over everything, Jaax couldn’t help but recall Dhuruhn’s words regarding her gown and the royal family of Oescienne.
He had not purposely asked the seamstresses for those colors; they had come up with them all on their own. Probably because they knew of his and Jahrra’s connection to the Coalition of Ethoes, and the rich moss green velvet complimented the colors in the silk underskirt so well. But the king had a point in his mentioning it, and when Jaax had first laid eyes on Jahrra earlier that evening, his heart had clenched. Because Dhuruhn was right: She looked every inch a queen of Oescienne, and Jaax had been startled by that realization. Was it a sign they would come out of this impending war triumphant? Or was it a reminder, a warning, to him alone?
The Tanaan dragon shook his head before his thoughts could spin further out of control. He doubted he would sleep well this night, but at least he could try. Their perilous journey would continue in a week, and he needed to get as much rest as possible before then. The dragon cast one final glance down the hall, to make sure Jahrra had made it safely into her room, then slipped through his own doorway with the determination to let his weariness take him.
* * *
The following week passed b
y faster than Jahrra expected. The morning after the grand dinner and uncomfortable introduction to the royal family of Nimbronia, Jahrra and Dervit went on a quest to find Pendric, Whinsey and Erron. After asking Saria and a few of the other attendants scurrying about doing their chores, they were finally directed to their friends’ quarters.
Whinsey was the one to open the door after Jahrra knocked, and her face lit up with joy upon seeing the young woman and the limbit.
“Oh, Jahrra! Dervit! It’s so good to see you. How are you?”
She held Jahrra at arm’s length, and gave Dervit a warm smile.
“We’re just fine, and you?”
Whinsey let loose a wistful sigh and welcomed them into the room. “Better than can be expected. Pendric is feeling more like his old self, and Erron seems to be taking this whole awful experience quite well.”
“Whinsey! Who’s here?”
Jahrra’s ears perked up at the sound of her trainer’s voice.
“It’s Jahrra and Dervit!” she called back.
The sound of someone moving around in another room carried through the apartment, and within moments, a door on the opposite wall swung open. Pendric stood there, his right side supported by a crutch, his left arm in a sling. His face was badly bruised, and a cut ran from the corner of his jaw down his neck.
Tears welled in Jahrra’s eyes the moment she saw him, and Dervit reached up to squeeze her wrist.
“Oh, Pendric. I’m so sorry!” she breathed.
The captain of Cahrdyarein’s guard gave her a sharp look. “Don’t you dare take the blame for any of this, Jahrra. This was all that traitorous rat’s doing. He deceived all of us.”
At the mention of Keiron, Jahrra’s tears burned away, suddenly replaced by that all too familiar pinch of anger and regret.
“Come inside and have tea with us, will you?” Whinsey offered, taking Jahrra’s arm and leading her to a couch.
Jahrra set aside her crutches, not needing them to move around in the small sitting room, and limped over to where Whinsey indicated. Dervit followed after her, and with a little bit of creative maneuvering, Pendric was able to join them as well.
“I owe your guardian a great deal of gratitude,” Pendric managed, after swallowing a large portion of his tea. “If not for him, I would have perished in Cahrdyarein.”
With the rest of my soldiers, Pendric didn’t say aloud, but the words were there, hanging in the air between them. Jahrra could feel it as strongly as she felt the pain in her heart each time she recalled Keiron’s betrayal. She wished, more than anything, she could wipe away Pendric’s own anguish, but she knew it was something he would have to come to terms with on his own, just as she had to come to terms with her own sorrows and regrets.
Setting her jaw, Jahrra glanced at the captain of the guard. He gave her an encouraging smile, and she matched it. She had begged Jaax to keep her friend alive, and he had followed through for her. She would never forget that. Because of him, Whinsey still had her husband, and Erron still had his father. That last thought made Jahrra realize she hadn’t seen the boy yet.
“Where’s Erron?” she asked, looking around their small suite.
Whinsey rolled her eyes good-naturedly and poured more tea for her husband. “He was out late with some of the neighbors’ children. Up on one of those dragon landing platforms watching stars. Apparently, there was a meteor shower last night.”
The mention of watching meteor showers made Jahrra think of Hroombra. What would he think of them all now? Would he be proud of her? Of Jaax? As Jahrra pondered everything they had done so far, she felt an ache grow in her chest. It wasn’t really a sad feeling, more of a regretful pang wrapped in a calm happiness. Yes. Hroombra would have been proud of both of them.
For the next several minutes, the four friends got caught up, trading their tales of their own escape from Cahrdyarein. Although some details were hard to discuss, they were all smiling and laughing by the time Jahrra and Dervit said their goodbyes.
“We’re leaving in a week, so if I don’t get a chance to say goodbye ...”
Jahrra let her voice trail off, and Whinsey pulled her into a fierce embrace.
“We will be thinking of you, Jahrra. I’ll always be grateful to you and Jaax for what you did for my family.”
Jahrra nodded, sniffling back impending tears.
“Will you stay here, then?” Dervit asked.
Pendric nodded at him, a bit of sorrow coloring his features. “We cannot go back to Cahrdyarein, it is lost. At least, not until the war with the Crimson King is over.”
He looked up at Jahrra, his pale eyes serious. “I wish I could accompany you and Jaax, Jahrra, but I will not be healed in time.”
“And,” Whinsey cut in, moving closer to her husband as she ran her hands over her swollen stomach, “your family needs you here. I’m sorry, Jahrra.”
Jahrra shook her head vigorously. “No. I would not want you to come with us,” she insisted.
Pendric gave her a small smile as he pulled Whinsey close to plant a kiss on the top of her head. “When I am well again, I will see if King Dhuruhn needs anyone in his guard. Perhaps, I can work my way up to captain’s position once again.”
Jahrra beamed at that. “If I get a chance to mention it, I’ll put in a good word for you. Although, the king of the Creecemind isn’t too impressed by me, I’m afraid.”
“Then, he has not looked at you close enough,” Whinsey pointed out.
Jahrra was warmed by her compliment and after giving them all one last hug of farewell, she and Dervit left. Jahrra couldn’t deny the ache in her heart, for she wondered if she’d ever see Pendric and Whinsey again. To help ease her sadness, Dervit suggested they visit the stable and look in on Phrym. That cheered her up, and after spending a few hours grooming him and feeding him apples, she and her limbit friend returned to the castle for the evening.
The next handful of days passed in this manner, with Jahrra either spending time exploring the halls and streets of Nimbronia with Dervit or Ellyesce, visiting the castle’s healers so they might check to see if she was mending properly, soaking her injured knee in the natural, magic-infused hot springs scattered throughout the city or attending some of the Coalition meetings with Jaax. She met other dragons, mostly Korli and Tanaan, and even spoke with a few of the Creecemind guards posted randomly throughout the city.
As the week drew to its end, Jahrra found herself looking back on her short time in the City in the Clouds with a certain nostalgia. Nimbronia had grown on her. Its stark, frozen beauty was beyond compare, and despite the relative lack of plant and animal life, she did not feel isolated or alone here. The people were kind, if not overly friendly, and the diversity of merchants and wares rivaled those found in Lidien. In fact, if Jahrra had to describe Nimbronia in a few words, she would say it was like the City of Light, but forever caught in winter and magnified a hundred fold.
The day before their meeting with Dhuruhn, Jahrra, Ellyesce and Dervit started packing their belongings into their traveling bags. Jahrra had been so distracted by everything to see and learn of late, that she hadn’t had much time to consider the future. Which, she told herself, was probably a good thing. She would have plenty of time on the road to imagine what awaited her in Ghorium, with or without the help of the Creecemind.
The following morning, Jaax arrived early to walk with her to the king’s throne room. Dressed in her nicer set of traveling clothes, she met him at the door. The Tanaan dragon had on his formal dressings once again: The chain that hung around his neck and the woven circlet sitting atop his horned head. He lifted a scaly brow at Jahrra when he noticed her clothing, and she gave him a hard look.
“King Dhuruhn made it clear he thought we were trying to manipulate him when I wore my formal gown, so I thought I’d try something less distracting. Besides, this is who I am,” she indicated her deerskin pants, tunic and vest. Her long hair was braided back, and she had slipped on her good walking boots. She left her crutche
s behind, the hot springs of Nimbronia having worked their magic on her wounds and all but healing them completely. “I should not have to don fancy clothing to have my voice heard.”
To her surprise, Jaax’s mouth curved into a grin. “Well said, Jahrra. Well said indeed. I only hope he can see what the rest of us already know.”
Jahrra pulled the door shut and started walking after her guardian, her limp all but gone. “And what is that?” she asked.
Jaax peered over his shoulder at her. “A young woman with the heart of a warrior.”
Pride welled up inside of her then, and she gave her guardian a sheepish but appreciative smile. Come what may, Jahrra knew he would always be on her side, even if everyone else abandoned her.
They walked for several minutes, traversing the halls and corridors of the immense castle until they reached the great open central chamber they had visited before on the night of the dinner. Instead of heading to the dining hall, however, Jaax took Jahrra to a wide set of stairs carved from solid ice. At the top of the staircase stood two massive doors, flanked on either side by elves in royal armor. The huge chamber echoed with the voices of the people getting an early start to their day, but none of them were lingering near these doors.
“Ready?” Jaax murmured.
Jahrra took a long, shuddering breath, her nerves suddenly coming to life, and nodded. Jaax signaled the guards and they, in turn, informed a pair of Creecemind dragons on the inside of the doors to push them open. The chamber inside was comparable to the dining hall, but instead of a low dais at the end of the room, there was one large platform with two smaller ones on either side. No enormous table took up the middle of the room. Instead, a blue and silver carpet ran from the front of the platform all the way to the where Jahrra was now standing.
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