Eshshah brought me out of my thoughts, and let me know she had returned from her hunt. As usual, she was a part of my personal monologue and disagreed with my assessment. She felt the Healer had a point when she once told me that there is a fine line between happiness and duty. I, however, could not find that line.
I grabbed my own cloak as well as Ansel’s and headed toward the kitchen.
“Here, I kept your cloak for you.” I handed it to him.
He looked at me and his face lit up.
Then I held up my own cloak. “And look, now I have one as well.”
His expression dimmed, like a flame that had been blown out. My heart wrenched. I realized he too must have been reminded of our last journey. Did he entertain hopes of sharing it with me again?
Fiona’s words came back to me, “You are breaking that boy’s heart!”
I looked at him ruefully and could only mouth, “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged and forced a smile.
Eshshah waited for me in the courtyard, ready to be saddled. Gallen had a great idea to put wheels on the saddle stands to make it easier to bring them from their storage to the courtyard. It allowed me to get the saddle closer to Eshshah before I had to pick it up to throw on her. The double saddle was quite heavy and very awkward for me to handle — getting it from my small height up to the height of her shoulders. I could put any of the single saddles on easily, but I knew it would take a few tries to toss up the larger one.
My first attempt was unsuccessful. Eshshah did her best to help me by crouching low. After several failings, she suggested that I ask someone to help me. I was too stubborn, of course. I would rather do it myself than ask, so I continued to struggle.
Just as Ansel came out to the courtyard looking for me, I flung the saddle with all my might. This time it landed squarely on Eshshah’s shoulders. Before I could glow in my accomplishment, one of the straps whipped back and lashed at my face, the buckle sliced a gash above my eye.
I grabbed my forehead and swallowed my cry of pain.
“Amáne! Are you okay?” Eshshah and Ansel asked simultaneously.
“That seems to be the question of the day.” I mumbled.
Removing my hand, I inspected my blood-smeared fingers and said, “That’s probably going to leave a scar.”
Ansel brushed my hair away from my bloody face to inspect the gash. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” He shook his head and added, “I would ask why you didn’t call Gallen or me to saddle Eshshah for you, but I already know the answer. You are the most obstinate person I’ve ever met.”
“Annoying isn’t it?” I offered.
“Very much so.”
Eshshah then turned her head and breathed her healing warmth on my cut. She was just as irritated with me.
I ran in to wash up and left Ansel to finish securing the saddle. The Healer had filled a water skin, wrapped some travel cakes in parchment and packed them in a small satchel. It was time for us to leave. Eshshah’s and my excitement was obvious. It had been a while since we had been on a flight of any distance. Flying together was our expression of true freedom.
I bid Gallen good bye and he kissed my forehead, then whispered an apology for bringing up a sore subject at the table.
“I forgive you.” I whispered back, took his face and kissed both cheeks — a new custom for me that Ansel had started.
I gave the Healer a hug, kissed her cheeks, and then turned and mounted. I reached down and locked wrists with Ansel. He swung into the saddle. We buckled up, put on our helmets and lowered the eye shields as I gave Eshshah the word. She launched into the air in an upward spiral, and headed for the Arevale Outpost.
Waiting until we reached a height that was out of earshot from land, I closed my eyes, breathed in the fresh air and laughed out as loud as I could. I didn’t care if Ansel thought I’d gone mad. Flying just had that effect on me. Eshshah rumbled her laughing sound and soon Ansel joined in. We were whooping and laughing until we were hoarse.
Eventually, we calmed down. Eshshah climbed to the frigid heights where it was easier for her to fly. I buried my face in my cloak and settled in for the long cold ride.
Eshshah woke me as we approached the Arevale Outpost. She started her descent while I shook off my stupor. I found I had dozed against Ansel.
“Sorry,” I said over my shoulder, loud enough to be heard over the wind. “You must have been uncomfortable with me leaning back on you.”
“Not at all.” I heard the smile in his voice.
“If you and Eshshah are too tired to fly back to Dorsal, I have plenty of room in my apartments at the manor. I’m sure any of the women on my staff could get you whatever you need, and you can fly home tomorrow night.” He sounded hopeful.
“Thank you, that’s a very kind offer, but Eshshah is fine with flying back tonight. And besides, we’ll be back here in two weeks.”
I wasn’t sure I could take him up on his offer anyway. My defenses had weakened and I needed to distance myself from Ansel. Should we have decided not to go home that night, Eshshah and I had the accommodations of the Arevale Outpost, which would have been more than comfortable for us.
The grassy field near the outpost appeared before us. We soared across the expanse that ended abruptly in a drop-off to a beach far below. Eshshah flew over the water before she banked right and headed back toward the cliffs. She found the push-rock that opened the stone door into the entry cavern of the outpost, and we flew in.
I whispered “Sitara” to illuminate the dragon scale light shields — the same lighting devices that hung in all of the outposts. We dismounted. As Eshshah curled up to nap near the ledge, Ansel and I proceeded to the library to contact Braonàn. I put my hand on the brass knob of the communication device and whispered, “Gyan,” and then, “Yaron,” Braonàn’s true name as a dragon rider. Soon the disc shimmered with the colors of a prism, and then cleared to reveal Braonàn, rider of the late Volkan. He saluted.
“Greetings, Lord Ansel. Amáne. I’m thankful you’ve come back safely. The horses are ready. I’ll be there in less than half an hour. Amáne, will you be accompanying us to the manor?”
“No, thank you, Braonàn. Eshshah and I are flying back to Dorsal tonight.”
He gave Ansel a look that was supposed to mean something between them, but I couldn’t decipher it. We signed off and went back to the entrance cavern.
Ansel and I sat on one of the stone couches and shared the travel cakes and water. We ate in the comfort of our silence. He and I had no need to speak, but only enjoy our last few minutes together.
Finally, I stood up and said, “Okay, Braonàn should be close. Are you ready to go?”
“No.” He said quietly. He glanced up at me and opened his mouth as if to tell me something, but changed his mind. I looked at him, tilting my head, curious as to what he was about to say, but he just said, “All right, let’s go.”
I went over to Eshshah, rubbed her jaws and gave her a kiss. I asked in thought transference if she was up to flying back now or if she wanted to stay here for a couple of hours rest. We would still have enough darkness to make it home.
“I could fly all day and all night and not be weary, but you might want to consider Lord Ansel’s offer. In two weeks he’ll have a houseful of guests and won’t be able to give you much attention. Don’t you want to stay for just one night?”
“No!” I said out loud, without meaning to.
“I thought you said it was time to go,” Ansel said, probably thinking I was responding to his ‘Let’s go.’
“I’m sorry, I was speaking to Eshshah.” My bad habit of speaking to her out loud still bit me.
We got back into the saddle and I whispered “Sitara” to turn off the lights. After closing the outpost, we flew to the empty field. Ansel and I dismounted and headed toward the lane where Braonàn would be arriving.
We only had a few more minutes together when Ansel turned slowly and faced me. He took my face in his strong hands. K
issing my forehead and both cheeks, he draped his arms loosely over my shoulders and asked, “So, how did I do?”
“With what?”
“Complying with your ridiculous request to carry on as ‘friends only.’ I tried to keep it simple for you. No pressure. You mean you didn’t even notice?” His shoulders dropped.
“Yes, I did notice! Thank you. I appreciate it, Ansel. See how easy that was?”
“Trust me, Amáne, it was not easy. Can you truthfully tell me that it was easy for you?” He raised one eyebrow waiting for my answer.
I would never have admitted this out loud, and I rejected my own inclination to even think it, but he was right — it was not easy. It frightened me that my resolve was not at the strength I needed it to be.
As I bit my lip, my heart fought for dominance over my necessity to remain detached. Truly, it was no small feat for me to hide whatever fondness I had for him — to adhere to my own rules of remaining strictly on a friendship level. But it was necessary. This entire day, when I thought I’d been successful in my efforts, it appeared that he saw right through me — again.
I couldn’t honestly answer his question. I tried to avoid his eyes. Too late. Looking up in a weak moment, I was drawn fully into his ardent gaze. The battlements I had so carefully built around my heart were breached, the white flag of defeat already being raised.
A soft smile turned the corners of his mouth as he pulled me close. He found the answer he sought — albeit a silent one.
“I didn’t think so,” he whispered as he tilted his head and pressed his lips to mine. The warmth of his kiss wafted around me, forcing me to surrender without even a fight.
Our lips separated. His eyes shone with pure joy. “I’ll take the victory on this round, if you don’t mind.”
“I concede.” I said, angry with myself, yet still weak-kneed. “I’ll fight harder next time,” I promised. Pushing him away good naturedly, I said, “Now, just go! Here’s Braonàn. I’ll see you for your birthday.”
He kissed my forehead and my cheeks again, turned lightly and headed for his horse — victory showing in his every step. I stood there frustrated as I watched him go. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head, reprimanding myself.
Weak, weak, weak! I didn’t even try!
Eshshah just looked at me with her golden eyes. I knew she was satisfied that her rider had lost this round.
Dipping my brush into the creamy ceramic glaze, I applied it onto the piece I had spent the last few weeks working on for Ansel’s birthday. Unable to afford an expensive gift, I wanted to give him something more personal — just from me. What better offering could I give? Clay, potter’s wheels, kilns and glazes had been a part of my life — it was in my blood. My mother was a potter. And before her, her family had run the potter’s guild of the City of Teravinea for several generations.
I sat in my mother’s studio at our cottage studying my creation — admiring the goblet I had thrown on her potter’s wheel. I’d formed two dragons and had attached them to the bowl of the goblet, noses touching while their tails intertwined down the stem. Quite satisfied, I couldn’t wait to see Ansel’s face when he opened his gift. But this thought brought me back to my dilemma.
Eshshah and I used the long flight home from the Arevale Outpost the previous night to discuss my situation. We had gotten nowhere as she insisted that I follow my heart, and I was adamant that I procure the dragon egg before I even thought about giving my heart the reins. We arrived back at the Healer’s at early morning, just before light. I threw myself in bed for a few hours rest before running here to finish my goblet.
My mother’s cottage was about a fifteen minute run from the Healers — outside the walls of Dorsal. I came here every so often to take a break from my training, to think, to get away. It was my sanctuary.
The thought had crossed my mind that maybe I should opt out of the birthday ball and send the goblet with the Healer and Gallen. But the Dragon Rider Council was the day after the ball — and that, I could not miss. Besides, it would hurt Ansel if I didn’t attend his eighteenth birthday. He was, after all, my best friend.
The heat of the day dried the glaze in a short time. I decided I would load my piece in the kiln to complete the one last glaze firing. As I arranged the wood, I felt a twinge of pain in my head. My ankle started prickling. My stomach lurched as fear gripped my heart.
“Eshshah!” I called silently. “I can hear hoofbeats and men approaching. I’m having the same symptoms that I had at the gathering yesterday.”
“I’m with you, Amáne. Get out of there now!”
The closer the hoofbeats, the more pain I experienced, which slowed my actions. Eshshah gave me her strength as I hurried out of the studio and headed toward the large rocks behind the cottage. There was a path I knew well where I could stay hidden while I made my way to the town walls and safety.
I reached the concealment of the boulders just as three horsemen arrived at my mother’s cottage. They were the same three that had galloped behind me at the Master Brewer’s tent. My ankle burned. Fever threatened to slow me even more. I stopped to catch my breath, leaning against the cool side of the rock. Something compelled me to peek around it, just to get another glimpse of the men. As I craned my neck to see, one of them jerked his head in my direction — the evil looking one who had caught my gaze yesterday as they galloped by.
A sorcerer, I thought.
I ducked back behind the rock, hoping I wasn’t spotted. My heart beat at an unheard of pace. The pain and fever drained my energy.
“Amáne, I’ve alerted the Healer,” Eshshah’s urgent thoughts informed me. “She’s sending Gallen to get you. You must make it to the road that leads to the East Gate. I’ll offer you more of my strength. I’ve never shared this amount. I’m not sure how it will affect you, but it’s necessary to get you away from those men.”
“Who are they and what do they want?” I asked her as I felt a surge of her power enter my body.
“The Healer believes they’re Galtero’s men searching for the ‘man’ that entered his castle to rescue Lord Ansel. She’s just received reports of three horsemen terrorizing the people of Dorsal. There have been injuries to several who tried to defend their families. Word is that they will search every household until the thief is found and brought back to the king. The Healer suspects that something about a prophecy has brought them to Dorsal.”
I moved along the path and made good time with Eshshah’s extra strength. But I found myself short of breath. I couldn’t get enough air — my chest tightened. When I shared this with Eshshah, I felt her concern.
“Then that’s how my extra power is affecting you, Amáne. I’m not sure which will slow you more, difficulty in breathing or your pain and fever.”
“I think I can go faster without the pain.”
It seemed that the further I moved away from the men, the less I hurt. My guess was that the sorcerer was somehow the root of my pain.
As my distance from the men increased, Eshshah began to withdraw her strength. Breathing became easier. The pain continued to decrease as the space opened between the sorcerer and me. I made it to the main road and turned to head toward where I would meet with Gallen and safety.
Without warning, my head felt like it would explode. I heard horses coming up the road behind me.
“Eshshah!” I at least had sense to call her via thought transference. She poured out her extra strength once again. Although my head and ankle were now manageable, breathing was difficult again. I hoped Gallen would find me before I became too light-headed.
The horsemen quickly approached. My fear increased. I had nowhere to hide. An idea came to me when I looked down and noticed the herb, Valeriana Officinalis growing at the side of the road. I bent down and began to pick it, feigning concentration on my task. When the horsemen came close enough that I could hear their horses breathing, I turned, looking surprised as they pulled up. Rising slowly, I made a concentrated effort to avoid fainting as
my head spun.
“Hello kind sirs,” I said innocently as I curtsied. My voice came out in a whisper.
“What have we here?” said the man on the nearest horse, as he leered at me.
I hoped my disgust didn’t show.
“A fine wench from this backward township you call Dorsal. I have to say that the women here are easy to look at, and —”
“Borgen, enough,” said one of his companions.
I regretted that I only had my dagger hidden in the folds of my skirt. Borgen repulsed me. But truthfully, my fear began to rise. On a fair fighting field I could easily take him, but I could feel the eyes of the sorcerer as they bored into me. Because of him I would not have full use of my skills. I found myself at a dangerous disadvantage.
The sorcerer emanated an air of power — I could feel it. Only with Eshshah’s additional strength did I avoid his intense stare. If I looked at him, I feared he would have discovered my identity — dragon rider and the subject of their search. However, resisting his pull, probably drew his attention as well. I preferred this alternative over the terror of his gaze.
Ignoring his companion, Borgen dismounted and stood in front of me — closer than was proper. “What are you doing here alone, m’love?”
Stepping back slowly, I suppressed a shudder as he looked me up and down. I managed to keep my jaw from clenching. I fought for control to maintain my innocent pretense.
“I am a healer’s apprentice, sir. I came to pick Valerian for her. My father is meeting me here momentarily.” Starved for air, my voice came out weak.
“What is Valerian used for, girl?” The gravel-like voice of the sorcerer tested.
“It’s a powerful sedative and a tranquilizer, my lord.” I kept my eyes lowered.
Amáne of Teravinea - The Prophecy (The Teravinea Series Book 2) Page 4
