I drank from my waterskin, trying to settle my stomach, and stared at the horizon. A dark mass freckled with golden lights grew closer by the moment. It was very vertical, as if, like Dragon School, it was a structure built into a cliff.
When we closed with it, Raolcan banked sharply and I found myself enraptured by the tiny world beneath us, lit in one bubble of gold after another. In those bubbles, tiny people spoke and ate and danced. We crested the peak of the bluffs banking the ocean, swept up over the landscape that formed a kind of horse shoe-shaped dish and then dove down into the center of it where the light was brightest.
The buildings and carved rock grew closer and Ahlskibi seemed to hesitate a moment before banking sharply, extending his feet and then grasping the ground in a muscular landing. Raolcan hit the ground beside her with equal intensity and I was still catching my breath and looking around in bewilderment at the carved rock poles rising high into the air all around us, when Leng spoke.
“Welcome to the Ruby Isles, Amel Leafbrought.”
I gaped at the poles - carved with the faces of beasts and man, some so strange I could not identify them. I let my eyes pass over them and the endless pools lit with floating candles. Bridges crossed and re-crossed them and a party of people were headed our way.
My eyes eventually found Leng’s. His were shining with joy while a small smile played on his lips, like he’d just given me a gift. His fond expression was more intimate than I had expected after his cold behavior earlier. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by the arrival of our welcoming party. What had he been about to say?
“Leng Shardson! Amel Leafbrought! What are you doing here alone?” Grandis Elfar looked exactly as I’d last seen her, except for her worried expression.
Chapter Eight
“I will give you a full brief, Grandis, after I deliver my missive,” Leng said, pulling a long cylinder out of his shirt. He’d had a message all this time? How could I not have known that?
“Of course, Dragon Rider,” Grandis Elfar said.
“Until then, I beg that you keep the circumstances of our arrival secret.”
There were four men with her in official looking black and gold uniforms. I doubted this would be a secret.
Grandis Elfar frowned. “It’s hardly appropriate for you to be traveling alone with one of our students, Leng.Do I need to put you on report?”
“We have very important news,” I said. We needed to tell Savette what was happening immediately.
Leng frowned and laid a hand on my shoulder repressively. “Which we won’t be sharing out here in the open.”
“But-”
This time Grandis Elfar gave me a disapproving look as Leng reached past me and unhooked my crutch from Raolcan’s saddle.
“Your student must be warned from speaking to anyone of what she saw, Grandis. I will alert those who need to know about it myself. I’m pleased to give her back into your capable hands. When you hear my report, you will understand how this situation came about.”
“Of course,” Grandis Elfar agreed. “We will speak when your message has been delivered.”
“And after I tend to these dragons.” He grabbed my bedroll and bag from Raolcan’s saddle and handed them to me with my crutch.
“I can take care of Raolcan,” I said as I adjusted my crutch and the bags.
“Not tonight,” he said firmly. I felt like a child being sent to bed for the night.
“Come, child,” Grandis Elfar said, only adding to the feeling.
I stalled, fiddling with my bags before giving Leng one last look. Only we knew that Grandis Leman and Rais were dead or knew how they died. Only we knew about Prince Raktaran and where we’d seen him. Someone needed to know. “Leng, I really think that I need to tell Grandis Elfar-”
This time his finger pressed against my words to cut off what I was about to say. His words were harsh but his eyes gentle and full of an emotion I couldn’t identify. “I’ve already told you I would deal with it Initiate. This is Dragon Rider business and none of yours. Now, go with your instructor and do not fear for your dragon. I will tend to his needs.”
My mouth dropped open at the distant way he’d treated me and then Grandis Elfar was at my elbow gesturing to me to follow the uniformed guards who were already marching down the path.
“Dragon Rider Shardson will take care of everything, child. I’m glad to see you safe and well. Come to your lodgings and we will add you to a new knot tomorrow.”
I followed her through the dark, so stunned that I couldn’t give my new surroundings a proper inspection. She took me to a grand building, led me through a narrow door and up a flight of stairs to a wide room with open windows and beds mounded with sleeping forms. Silently, she showed me an empty bed and left me in the moonlight. With nothing else to do, I stripped out of my wet leathers and went to bed.
Chapter Nine
“Do you think she’s competition?”
The voice sounded uncertain and I hoped it wasn’t talking about me. I just needed a few moments more of sleep.
“Her? She’s a cripple!”
So, it was definitely me. Hopefully, they would stick to speculation and just let me sleep.
“Well, she won’t be competition if she sleeps right through the first day, and it looks like she’s going to.”
First day? My eyes popped open to see a ring of girls in grey and brown leathers looking at me speculatively. This must be Grandis Elfar’s knot. There weren’t any from my original wave of initiates and I didn’t know any of their names. Two of them were blonde and identical in appearance, right down to their crowns of braided hair – very practical for riding dragons. One more had curling red hair that looked far too much like Starie’s for my preference. A fourth wore her black hair in a thick braid down her back. They were all fit and muscled as most Dragon Riders and initiates were.
The redhead smiled at me. “Awake, sleepy head? Aren’t you from the newest wave? The ones they rushed through?”
I nodded sleepily. “I’m Amel Leafbrought.”
“I’m Artis Sandblown.” Another commoner. That was nice in a world that seemed to be full of High Castelans and princes these days. She smiled kindly at me. In her brown leathers, she was Sworn and the green scarf she wore suggested she probably rode a green dragon.
“Stop wasting time with her, Artis. If we don’t find some breakfast soon, I doubt we’ll get a chance to eat all morning.” That was the one with the black braid. She was also wearing brown and I recognized her haughty voice as the girl who had thought I’d be no competition because I was a cripple. I gave her a steady level look and she raised her chin. She was not impressed by me.
“I won’t waste anyone’s time if you’ll just give me a chance to get dressed.” I reached for my bag and dug out a fresh set of leathers, grateful to have something that wasn’t soaked in rain.
“Don’t take too long,” Artis said. “Lenora is right. We need to find breakfast and then tack up our dragons. Grandis Elfar wants us in the sky first thing, practicing. When the Dark Prince arrives, we will escort his ship in and we need to be ready to fly in formation and hold up the reputation of the Dominion.”
It sounded like quite the role to fill. The blonde girls backed up, serious expressions on their identical faces and I got dressed. I was buckling my belt when Grandis Elfar strode into the room.
“Come on, Initiates! We have dragons to gear up and practice to get to. You’ll have more than enough time to sit and gossip later. When the Prince of Baojang comes there will be dinners and dancing and long soaks in the hot springs. Is that what you want, Sky People of the Dominion?”
The other girls answered in unison with a guttural. “Ho!”
I agreed with the sentiment, but dinner sounded good. My stomach growled loudly and I gripped my crutch as my face grew hot.
“I hope the rest of you are more focused than Amel is. Now, march! Let’s get to the alcoves and get our dragons oiled and tacked.”
/> The other initiates streamed out the door and I hobbled after them. I was almost through the arch when Grandis Elfar drew me aside by the elbow.
“I spoke with Dragon Rider Shardson about what transpired when your knot was on its own. We are devastated by the loss of Grandis Leman and Rais Tenpenny.” Her leathery face took on a grim look. “We don’t really know all the circumstances yet, so until we have finished investigating, we request that you remain quiet and speak of this to no one. You are part of my knot now and I will see to your care and education.”
We didn’t know? What did she mean? I knew. I’d seen it all.
“Grandis Elfar, I saw-”
She frowned and made a suppressing motion with her hands. “Obey me, Amel. Obey or leave the Dragon Riders forever. Our orders are not optional.”
I nodded my head and she smiled. “Good. Now, it sounds like you had no time at all for learning. I’m going to assign Artis to teach you what you need to know of decorum and manners and you can learn flight formation and maneuvering flying with the other girls. That should be enough new training for now. After the Prince of Baojang’s diplomatic mission, we’ll test what you’ve learned and reassess. Be dedicated in your studies. Just because we are currently away from Dragon School doesn’t mean that we’ll tolerate slackers or hangers-on. Come now, let’s find the others.”
I followed her out into the sunlight, gaping as I finally saw where we were. We stepped out onto a cobblestone road, every cobble carefully cut with six sides. In clusters or alone, the massive poles I saw last night stood high, towering over buildings or clustered along roads. Every one was carved with a dozen faces of animals and man. They felt important and ominous all at once. In the distance I saw one so large that a dragon was perched on it, looking out over the city, his rider balanced precisely on his back. Spires rose all along the shore of the rocky island and roads curved along the edge of them. The harbor was filled with ships of every size and shape. Most of their sails were furled, but here and there I saw a white sail being tied up or raised as a ship left. I didn’t see the saffron sails of Baojang anywhere. Had Leng told Grandis Elfar about that part of our journey?
I followed her as we climbed up behind the rows of grand houses, warehouses and small palaces towards the cliffs behind them. Bridges crossed and re-crossed the canals and rivers that crisscrossed the port city.
“What is this city called? I’ve only heard the place called the ‘Ruby Isles.’” I asked.
“They call it Ruby Isle City. They’re not known for their creativity beyond these Ashavan Poles.” Grandis Elfar replied, but her focus was on something ahead and I followed her gaze to where servants were hanging garlands along the streets.
Bunting and colorful banners were also being set up along the steep roof peaks of inns and taverns and across the front of markets as we passed. The buildings here were low and squat with roofs far taller than the walls of the buildings, soaring in steep peaks and thatched heavily. The walls were all white mud smeared to silky smoothness. I’d never seen buildings like this before, but I’d never been so far north, either.
The cliff faces were not far, and soon I was pulling myself up a ladder behind Grandis Elfar and feeling very grateful for all the practice I’d had at Dragon School. Above us were the dragon alcoves and a chance to see Raolcan again. It felt like days since I’d seen him last since this place was so different than the wilderness we’d left behind. I needed his wisdom. Should I really hold my tongue like Grandis Elfar had asked, or should I be searching for Savette? Shouldn’t she know what kind of man she was being asked to marry and who might be threatening her life?
Chapter Ten
“Here we are. Hurry, now!” Grandis Elfar pointed to the end of the line of alcoves as we arrived on the third level and I hurried down the line. Green dragons were in every alcove, snapping and hissing as I passed. Grandis Elfar’s dragon was in the first alcove I passed, his name chalked on the wall – Telvsut. The rest of our knot were along the rest of the row and I read their names on the chalkboards as I passed. Artis Sandblown and her dragon, Cenieso. Castelan Lenora Deneris and her dragon, Lypukrm. The twins were Olla Tencorran and her dragon, Nniojue, and Orra Tencorran and her dragon, Eyemmay.
Raolcan, as usual, was on the end and the only purple dragon in the long line. I scrambled into the alcove with his name chalked on the board and stopped dead at the sight of Leng standing beside him. I thought he told me not to spend time near dragons that weren’t mine and now here he was breaking that rule. I felt glad to see him there. Perhaps, he was sorry for treating me so distantly.
“Did Grandis Elfar talk to you about keeping your mouth shut?” he asked.
I felt my cheeks grow hot. So, he was here to make sure I could keep quiet. Didn’t any of them trust me?
“I’m glad that you look well. How do you feel?” We could try for some courtesy, at least.
“Don’t worry about me,” he said. He seemed agitated. “Just be sure not to tell anyone what you saw, Amel.” He moved in close so that we were only inches apart and whispered his next words. I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the ground. I didn’t want him to see my hot cheeks and embarrassment. “If anyone knows what you saw, you could be in danger. I don’t want you hurt over a fight that isn’t yours.”
“Leng, both Starie, and the Magikas know what I saw.”
“And by the time they get here, I hope to have the High Castelan here ready to arrest them. Seriously, Amel, your safety is important to me.”
I looked up, finally, catching an expression on his face that I hadn’t expected – tender protectiveness. He really did care about my safety. He was a dedicated defender of others.
Or perhaps, he actually is your friend and your hurt feelings were for no reason.
If only I was a dragon with the ability to read another person’s thoughts.
You can wish all you want, but it’s the one thing humans will never have.
Except, I could read Raolcan’s thoughts.
Leng cleared his throat, before pulling me into a sudden hug. “Just take care. Be safe.”
He rubbed his scalp awkwardly, smiled and then left so quickly that my arms were still open from the hug. What in the world should I make of that? He blew hot and cold from moment to moment, friendly and kind one moment and then barking orders.
Never mind him. I need some oil on my spine and by the smell of it, they have oil infused with basil. I love it when they infuse the oil.
I moved to get the oil and tend to Raolcan and his needs. Leng’s sweet concern meant something to me, but I’d have to think about it later.
Twenty minutes later I had my tack cleaned, oiled, and inspected and Raolcan oiled and watered. He seemed pleased at the prospect of flying formations.
I don’t like having to sit around in an alcove and I’ve been spoiled the last few days. I like flying. When you’re a full Dragon Rider be sure to be an ambitious one so we can fly all the time.
I made a mental note to do that. I liked flying, too.
“Ready?” Artis poked her head into the alcove. “The rest of us are about to launch. Do you know how to take off from an alcove?”
“Sure.” I didn’t, but Raolcan did, and I wouldn’t bother to tell him how to do his job.
Good girl.
“Okay, then here’s how we’ll fly. I’m lead, Olla and Orra are seconds in the V. You and Lenora will anchor. Have you flown formations?”
“Once,” I said nervously. Even with Raolcan doing the flying, I should know about this.
She sighed. “Okay, it’s simple. As anchor, your job is to stay tight on the second’s tail but not to crowd her. Watch for danger from behind and anticipate your move by watching us closely. It’s easy to foul things up as an anchor if you aren’t prompt in the maneuver, but at least you don’t need to know every move, you just need to know how to follow. Got it?”
I nodded.
“Make me proud! We’re practicing to be an escort for the Baojang diploma
tic ship, you know! Okay, I’m off to mount up. Wait for Orra to launch and then you kick off and follow her tail, alright?”
I nodded again.
“I need to hear it. You say, ‘Yes, squadron leader.’”
“Yes, squadron leader,” I said as enthusiastically as I could. She smiled, pulled her red curls back and tucked them into a headscarf and hurried away at an almost-run.
I mounted Raolcan, tucked my crutch in the saddle and waited for my turn. This should be fun.
Chapter Eleven
Artis was first to leap from the ledge on Cenieso. He leapt like he was going to dive into the ground below, then he somersaulted and kicked against the rock face, rocketing horizontally towards the horizon. I gasped, wondering how long it had taken Artis to master such a bold move. Orra and Olla were both still in grey leathers, which meant they were initiates like me, though they’d been in training a lot longer. Surely, they wouldn’t try anything as showy or dangerous. I cinched my straps nervously, checking that all the safety leathers were tight.
With sudden speed, the twins dragons shot out of their alcoves, diving head-first towards the ground and the somersaulting and pushing off from the rock face in the same way Cenieso had, their great muscles bunching with the force. They were like divers leaping into water and then swimming, all forward thrust and force. I was mesmerized by their flight skyward, their speed was beyond belief.
Raolcan surprised me when he stepped forward, his toes right on the edge of the ledge. I glanced to the side and saw that Lenora and her dragon Lypukrm were lined up with us. She nodded haughtily to me. Oh no! It was our turn. I didn’t think I could do it. I was going to throw up or faint or-
Raolcan launched while I was still panicking, diving like the others had toward the rocks below. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming and then we were somersaulting through the air with nothing but the straps holding me in place, my head whirling as we flipped and then shot forward on the force of his kick-off.
Dragon School: The Dark Prince Page 3
