Dragon Chosen: The Dragon Riders of Eryieth

by Kristin Secorsky

  Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. She got up from her chair and went to answer. She opened the door hoping to see her friend but saw Trystan instead.

  “Trystan,” she said, “what an unexpected surprise.”

  He pulled out a flower from behind his back and passed it over. “A peace offering.”

  “Thank you,” she said, taking the pretty purple flower from his hand. She inhaled its scent. It smelled amazing.

  “Your wrists, Evie!” he exclaimed, taking her wrists up to inspect them. They were sore and bruised from their match earlier. “I’m terribly sorry. I guess I don’t know my own strength. Does it hurt much?”

  “A little,” she admitted. “It was a good fight.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “But I never meant to hurt you. I never want to hurt you. I was just showing off. I’m sorry. I acted like an ass.” Trystan was beating himself up and apologizing profusely.

  She reassured him it was all right.

  He reached her wrists to his lips and kissed them one by one.

  “It’s all right, really,” Evie said, knowing he wouldn’t go away until she accepted his apology. “It was a good learning experience.”

  “Well, just so long as you know how much it hurts me to see you in pain,” Trystan said sincerely.

  Evie nodded awkwardly. She had never expected Trystan to throw himself at her. They had always talked like good friends until the night of the Remembrance Day feast when he had revealed he had feelings for her and kissed her.

  “I better get some sleep,” she said, reclaiming her arms. “Sleep well, Trystan.”

  “Good night, Evie,” he replied.

  Evie shut the door and locked it as she always did. She went over to her table and closed her books, blowing out the candle beside them, and went to her bed. She was tired, but sleep eluded her as she thought about Áedán and Trystan. What a mess!

  CHAPTER 23

  Finally, a day off from training. Evie excitedly dressed to go into town. She wanted to shop for a few items to mail to her mother and also try to see if she could speak to Áedán at the army training grounds. She left the institute in a hurry, not bothering to see if anyone wanted to go with her. She wanted to be alone if and when she talked with Áedán.

  Her first stop in the market was for a bite to eat. She couldn’t resist the delicious smells from the vendors. Then she went and purchased a new scent to wear. With all the harsh training she had to endure, she wanted something to make her feel like a normal girl again. She picked out a light floral-scented fragrance and moved on.

  Evie found herself at a center square where street performers were. She watched a pair of jugglers. She laughed as they put on a silly performance. When they finished, she tossed a few silver dragons into their bucket and moved on. She must have taken a wrong turn on her way back because she found herself in the bad part of King’s Citadel, where unscrupulous women put themselves for sale, and depraved men snuck away from their wives for an afternoon of debauchery.

  Men leered at her as if she were on sale herself. She walked with nervous haste to get away from this particular area. She didn’t even want to stop for directions. When she turned the corner, she was pained by what she saw. Áedán was leaving a building, and a woman with exposed breasts pulled at him not to go.

  “Áedán?” she said, shaking with anger.

  “Evie,” he said, sounding completely surprised. “What are you doing here? I mean how did you know I would be here?”

  “I didn’t,” she replied. “I got lost.” She fought back tears. Tears of knowing that Áedán had come to these women and paid them for sex. “How could you?”

  “You’re one to ask,” he said, slurring his words. He was drunk. She had never seen him drunk before. “You say you love me one minute, and the next, you’re throwing yourself at the prince.”

  Evie shook her head. “That’s not what happened. If you had stayed around, I could have explained. I was going to come find you at the army fortress and try to explain today.” She began to cry and took off, feeling heartbroken. She ran back to the institute as fast as she could, dodging people in the narrow streets. How could he not wait for an explanation? How could he go be with those women so easily and claim to have loved her?

  Evie tried to compose herself before she entered the gates to the dragon school. She didn’t want to appear weak to the other dragon riders. She made her way to the stairs, trying to ignore the riders lounging in the chairs around the great hearth.

  “Evie,” Islwyn called out.

  Evie felt badly about it, but she ignored Islwyn and ran up the stairs as fast as she could to her room. When she got there, she shut the door behind her and locked it so no one would enter. She didn’t want to see or talk to anyone, but there was a knock on her door anyway.

  If it is Trystan, I am going to scream. She threw open the door, “What?” She saw High Mage Myrddin standing before her at her door, with one eyebrow raised.

  “Please excuse me, High Mage Myrddin,” she said apologetically. “I thought it was one of the other riders coming to bother me.”

  “You must mean Prince Trystan,” the high mage said, chuckling. “He fancies you.”

  Evie wondered how he always seemed to know everything. She nodded her head.

  “No matter, child,” he said, walking into her room without an invitation. “Please close the door.”

  Evie shut the door and turned around.

  The high mage took a seat at the chair by her table and smiled as he clasped his hands together. “Are you upset?”

  She wiped her teary eyes. “Um…yes.”

  He motioned with his hands. “Come here.”

  She moved closer as the mage took out a bottle. He threw some powder on her and put the bottle back into his pouch. Euphoria immediately overtook her senses.

  “What is that?” she asked. “It’s wonderful.”

  “Something I concocted to calm nerves and induce a state of tranquility,” he replied. “It helps the king when he is stressed. How do you feel?”

  “Fabulous actually,” she said, sitting down in another chair.

  “Good,” the high mage replied. “I came to you in secret because I have a quest for you and only you.”

  Evie looked up in surprise. “But I’m not allowed—”

  “Yes. Yes. I know all of your dragon-initiate rules,” the mage said dismissively. “That is why this is a secret. You must try to not get caught. Have you heard of the wizard’s prophecy that the return of the female dragon rider would signify the rise of Gwythr?”

  “Yes,” Evie replied. “Well not Gwythr specifically, only the rise of a great evil power.”

  “Well, many believe that would be the evil wizard Gwythr, as he was never destroyed but merely banished to a magic spirit realm. As we speak, Gwythr’s followers search for an amulet that can bring him back from that realm and restore his power,” the mage replied. “They know about the female dragon rider all over the land by now. Gwythr’s followers rejoice, as it is a sign of his imminent return.”

  “What does the amulet have to do with me?” she asked.

  “I want you to find it before they do and bring it to me. I want to destroy it so that no one can ever bring Gwythr out of banishment from the magic spirit realm.”

  “I wouldn’t even know where to begin to look,” Evie admitted. “Can’t you choose someone else?”

  “No,” Myrddin said matter-of-factly. “You have something to lose if it is found and something to gain.”

  Evie thought long and hard. If she could find the amulet and destroy it, people’s fear of her would go away. She saw it in the king’s and queen’s eyes. She could see it in the way the other dragon riders treated her.

  “I accept the quest,” she said.

  “Good,” said the high mage. “Now come close so I can tell you what I know.”

  After the high mage left, Evie went to talk to Islwyn. She knew the high mage wanted her to keep this quest a secret
, but Evie wanted and needed Islwyn’s help. He was the only one she could trust with this. Evie knocked on his door, and he answered a few seconds later.

  “Can we talk?” she asked nervously.

  Islwyn opened the door and signaled with his hand for her to come in. “What’s going on?”

  “I felt bad and wanted to apologize for ignoring you earlier,” she said. “I was upset and didn’t want to speak with anyone.”

  “Apology accepted,” Islwyn said. “I figured you needed some space and would come to me if you needed to.”

  “Thank you for accepting my apology,” she said, hesitating to tell him about the quest.

  “Is that all?” Islwyn probed. “No, it isn’t. Is it?”

  Evie took a deep breath. “I was given a secret quest by High Mage Myrddin.”

  “You can’t be serious!” Islwyn said angrily. “He knows initiates are not allowed to partake in quests.”

  “Yes. He knows I am forbidden,” Evie said. “He came to me anyway. I need to locate an amulet that would allow Gwythr’s followers to resurrect him, so the high mage can destroy the amulet first.”

  “Evie,” Islwyn said calmly. “I forbid you to go off in search of some mythical amulet and put yourself in danger.”

  “Please, Islwyn! If you’re my friend, you will help me,” she pleaded.

  “I am your friend, which is why I am telling you no,” he countered. “Stick to your training. The dragon trials are coming up in the next few months. If you pass, then I will help you look for the amulet, after you have moved up to apprentice. If you are caught breaking the rules, they will throw you out. If I were caught helping you, then I would be out too. The high mage knows better than to ask an initiate. I should report this to the dragon-master council.”

  “Islwyn, no!” Evie begged. “If I promise not to go in search of it, will you promise not to report it? I promised the high mage I would keep this a secret.”

  Islwyn thought on it for a moment. “Yes. I suppose.”

  “Then I promise I won’t go after the amulet until I have passed initiate training,” Evie lied.

  “Good,” he said.

  He told her no, but Evie wasn’t defeated yet. She would have to sneak out without Islwyn. She could do this alone. She was going to find that amulet.

  CHAPTER 24

  Evalina was in her quarters, preparing a travel sack and her weapons. After speaking with the high mage, she was determined to locate the amulet. She was still in training and inexperienced, but she felt like she could take care of herself after all of her combat and weapons training so far. She was a natural with a longbow and a short bow. Her sword skills were decent, and she was quick with a set of daggers. Plus, she had her dragon.

  Evie tied a harness around her waist that held a dagger and sheath for her sword. She stored a set of smaller throwing daggers inside a pouch on her belt. She stuffed her sword, short bow, and a quiver full of elf-made arrows into a large sack so she could sneak out of the dragon institute without anyone catching on. Her dragon could hunt for himself, but she needed food. Evie shoved some bread and hard cheese that she snagged at dinner into a cloth and shoved it into her bag along with a bladder of water. Her hands shook as she did so. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this alone. Doubts crept into her mind. Evie tried to push them aside, but she was fearful of the solo quest she was about to embark on.

  Evalina threw the cloak Islwyn had given her over her shoulders to hide her combat rider clothing so she wouldn’t draw attention as she left. Then she threw her small supply sack across her back and hefted the larger weapons sack in her hand. She stepped out of her chamber and closed the door, locking it behind her. Candlelight flickered against the bricks of the dim hallway walls. Luckily, no one was up and about. She walked down the hallway to the spiraled stone stairs, stepping silently as she descended. She was almost at the bottom when she rounded the corner and ran straight into Islwyn.

  “I should have known,” he said, smirking. He looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow as he examined her large sack. “Now where exactly are you going with all that stuff?”

  Evie pulled the sack by her side. “I—”

  Islwyn stepped up to her level and cornered her against the wall. He stared down into her eyes furiously. “You are going after the amulet after I told you not to.”

  Evie looked down, ashamed to have been sneaking around behind his back. “I have to. If the goblins and orcs are looking for it to restore Gwythr’s power, I have to get it and destroy it first.”

  “Don’t you think anyone has tried before, Evie?” Islwyn asked angrily. “No one who has gone after that thing has ever returned. I’m not even sure this amulet exists. It’s a myth…a legend.”

  “Why would the mage tell me about it then?” Evie asked.

  “Don’t you see it by now, Evie? You have enemies. I don’t trust this mage. No one had ever heard of him before his arrival in King’s Citadel, and suddenly he lands a high position with the king and the mage’s guild.”

  “No one knew the description of the exact valley it is located in,” she said. “The mage seemed pretty sure of his information. We have an advantage the others didn’t. If it does exist and can be used to bring back Gwythr, shouldn’t we try to get it first and destroy it?”

  “You don’t have enough experience. You can’t just take off on an unapproved quest by yourself. You could get killed,” Islwyn scolded. “The dragon-rider masters would never approve this anyway. You are still an initiate. Please, Evie. For your own safety, I forbid you to go.”

  “Forbid me?” She raised her brows at him in surprise. “Fine. If you won’t help me, at least don’t stand in my way.” She walked down a step.

  Islwyn growled in frustration. “If we are going to do this, we will need help.”

  Evie paused on the steps. “We?” she asked with a smile. She turned back to look at him. “So you will help me then?”

  Islwyn let out a loud sigh. “You are so stubborn. Of course I will help you. I would do anything for you,” he said, reaching his hand out and softly stroking her cheek.

  Evie blushed and looked down. He always seemed to look straight through her to her soul. He knew her better than she did. Islwyn was beautiful, strong, and intuitive. She had thought of him as a friend and mentor for the longest time, blinded by her feelings for Áedán. She loved Áedán, but things had changed between them, and there was no going back.

  Áedán had felt left behind. He went off and joined the King’s Army to their father’s dismay. He misunderstood the kiss between Trystan and her and had sought comfort in the arms of another woman…or many for all she knew.

  “I’ll meet you outside,” she said, breaking the awkward moment.

  “Let me grab my weapons, and I will be down shortly,” Islwyn replied.

  Evie walked down the stairs as Islwyn sprinted up them. She snuck outside of the main hall to the training grounds and stood in the courtyard. She put her dragon whistle to her lips and blew a pattern especially for him. She couldn’t hear the whistle. Dragons have an excellent sense of hearing. A few moments later, Emrys swooped down beside her from wherever he had been as Islwyn walked out to meet her with Zeb in tow.

  “I hear we are going on a quest,” Zeb said excitedly.

  Evie laughed. “Thanks for your help.”

  Islwyn and Zeb whistled for their dragons. Saria and Eira flew in quickly. As soon as they were all mounted, they flew northeast toward the Forbidden Lands.

  They flew all evening, passing over River Town without stopping, and through most of the morning to reach the Whispering Mountains. They were just southeast of the mountains and west of the northern forests of Farryndell. Wanting to be unseen, they stayed away from Old Town and stopped to rest closer to the elven forests.

  Evie flew in closer to Islwyn and Zeb so their three dragons were flying together. She followed them as they landed. After she hopped off, Emrys made his way over to the river to drink.

  “
Where to now?” she asked, awaiting their guidance.

  “The mountain range is huge. This could take days. There are hundreds of valleys,” Zeb remarked.

  “What did the mage tell you?” Islwyn asked.

  Evalina recounted the details. “The mage said we are looking for a plateau with a series of narrow crevices like long, meandering fingers. The narrow points open up below into hidden valleys. A river runs through the valley we are looking for. The valley extends and widens where the plateau ends into a larger valley where the river continues to run. There are two large rock pillars on either side of an altar of some sort in the enclosed part of the valley. It is surrounded by smaller stones and boulders with carvings of symbols and runes. He believes the object is hidden by the altar.”

  “Let’s start in the north and work our way south, looking for that plateau,” Zeb suggested.

  Islwyn nodded in agreement. “We are west of the northern woods of Farryndell now. Let’s continue to ride north and start our search there. If we need to make camp tonight, we can ride back to the safety of the elven woods and pick up our search in the morning.”

  Evie nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.” She had no desire to make camp in the Forbidden Lands even if it meant taking extra time to fly back and make camp where it was safer.

  They flew north for several hours. The air grew colder the further north they went. Evalina shivered under her cloak. She pulled a pair of leather gloves out of her satchel and put them on as Emrys continued to fly. Snow-capped mountains lay below them. Islwyn lead them to fly a little lower between the mountains to get out of the frosty air for a while.

  The three riders spread out widely, scanning the mountain range for plateaus. Evalina looked around carefully, making sure not to miss anything. They searched the entire afternoon, and found nothing. They made it as far as the Dragon Caves by sunset when they could no longer search.

  Evie followed Islwyn and Zeb to the safety of the elven woods to make camp. As soon as they dismounted their dragons, the dragons went off in search of food.