Windsworn: Gryphon Riders Book One (Gryphon Riders Trilogy 1)

by Derek Alan Siddoway

  “Looks like he lost his way on the way to training or something,” Sigrid said as they reached their door. “Must have come across something he wasn’t supposed to see, poor little bugger.”

  “And you didn’t find anything?” Eva asked.

  Sigrid shook her head. “Nope, and neither did anyone else, although most of the older riders are still looking.” Her eyes fell to the ground, and she kicked her boots against the rock. “Eva, there’s something else.”

  “What?” Eva asked, afraid to know the answer.

  “It’s your Scrawl friend,” Sigrid said. “The guards said he started acting strange right before they found the body — chanting and muttering and stuff. Rumor has it the dead boy’s forehead had the Scrawl rune for death carved into it. There’s a lot of the veterans pointing the blame at him. The lord commander kept them from doing anything drastic for now, but it’s not looking good.”

  Eva bit her lip. This was it. For better or worse, she couldn’t keep this thing to herself anymore. It might be Ivan’s only chance.

  “Sigrid, I need to tell you something.”

  Eva related the full account of what happened the night Fury went missing, including overhearing Celina and Uthred talking and finding Ivan in a trance. Sigrid listened without interruption until Eva finished.

  “And you haven’t told anyone?” Sigrid said.

  Eva blushed. “No…I didn’t have any real proof, and if I said something based on what I did know, I thought they’d blame Ivan.”

  “But what if Ivan is to blame?” Sigrid said. “Look, I know you think he’s just a kid, but he’s not. It sounds like he can do some serious rune magic when the mood takes him.”

  “Ivan’s innocent,” Eva said, voice raising. “Someone or something is using him. You didn’t see how he was when the light from my Wonder brought him out of it. It was like two different people. I just need the chance to talk to him without anyone standing guard.”

  Sigrid looked at her like she was crazy.

  “Please,” Eva said. “I need your help.”

  Eva didn’t say anything, but it passed unspoken between them. And you owe me for what you did.

  Sigrid ran her hands through her tousled black hair and blew out a deep sigh. “Storm it all,” she said. “I’ll do it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  They clung to the shadows, using Sigrid’s knowledge of the patrol routes to creep down to the lower levels unseen. As they neared Ivan’s room, Eva reflected on how well the plan was working so far. She’d started to think the biggest problem would be Fury — they’d locked him in their quarters before leaving, but no matter how Eva tried to calm him, he threw an ear-splitting tantrum as soon as the door closed.

  “Damned thing almost took my hand off!” Sigrid muttered. She held up her right hand, showing Eva the bleeding cut.

  “Sorry,” Eva said. “He’s…free spirited?”

  “I don’t care what any prophecy says, he’s a vicious little beast,” Sigrid said. “I wouldn’t trade Sven for that demon even if you made me lord commander!”

  Eva felt a twang of irritation. Fury wasn’t that bad anymore — most of the time. “Can we focus?” she hissed. Bending forward, she peeked out of the crevice they’d hidden themselves in. Ivan’s room was only a few turns and a couple of dozen paces away. “I still don’t know how we’re going to get past the guards.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Sigrid said. “But it won’t leave you much time, so cut the small talk.”

  Eva shot her a questioning glance.

  “I can tell the guards I saw something on the lower levels and need their help,” Sigrid said. “It’s the best I can think of.”

  “We can’t do that!” Eva said. “If they find out you’re lying, who knows what will happen?”

  “The only way I’ll get caught is if you’re still there when I get back,” Sigrid said. “So, make sure you keep it quick. I can’t guarantee much.”

  Eva nodded and sucked in a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  They snuck closer until they were in the same corridor as Ivan’s room. Eva peeked around the corner and saw two guards. She pulled back around and nodded to Sigrid.

  “Remember, be fast,” Sigrid said.

  Without waiting for Eva’s reply, Sigrid sprinted around the corner toward the pair. Not daring to look, Eva remained out of sight as Sigrid told her story.

  “Quick, I need your help!” she said. “I just saw someone running down toward the Catacombs. I called out, but they didn’t stop. It might be the killer!”

  Eva heard the skepticism in the guards as they replied. “We didn’t see anyone go past.”

  “They went down one of the side tunnels,” Sigrid said. Her flustered act impressed Eva. “Hurry!”

  Sigrid must have looked desperate or the guards were tired of missing out on the action because a moment later Eva heard armor rustling and hurried footsteps. She ducked around the end of the corridor and herself pressed against the stone wall. Sigrid and the two guards ran the opposite direction, deeper into the mountain.

  As soon as they disappeared, Eva ran for Ivan’s door. “Ivan! It’s me, Eva!”

  She pressed her ear to the thick door but didn’t hear any chanting from inside. A faint rustling sound drew nearer, and Ivan appeared behind the bars cut into the door.

  “Eva!” he said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

  “I don’t have much time,” Eva said. “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “There was some shouting and then the lord commander came by, but he wouldn’t tell me anything,” Ivan said. “What’s happening?”

  Eva hesitated, searching for the right words. “Ivan…” she said. “A boy was killed and…and someone carved a Scrawl death rune into his forehead.”

  The dark, swirling markings tattooed on Ivan’s face stood out in stark contrast to his paling face. “But…how could that be? Who would…It can’t be a Scrawl; it can’t!”

  “Ivan, I came to see you a while ago, the night of the first attack,” Eva said. “I could hear you inside, making some weird chanting noise…do you remember that?”

  Eva studied Ivan’s face, looking for any sign of deception, but the boy looked genuinely bewildered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “But Eva…I’m afraid something is happening to me. The dreams I’m having lately, they’re terrible. I’m in this cavern with a big archway, and someone is chanting in a language I don’t understand. These runes catch fire and they’re burning me, but I can’t get away. I want to run, but I can’t move! And sometimes I forget what I’ve been doing for hours at a time. Eva, I’m scared! What if I’m going insane?”

  Eva’s heart dropped. It was about the worst thing the Scrawl boy could have said. “I’ll think of some way to help you, Ivan. But I have to know — you have to promise me that you’re not part of this.”

  “I promise,” the boy said. “I haven’t hurt anyone!”

  “I don’t know when I’ll be able to talk to you again,” Eva said. “But you’ve got to —”

  “What is this?” Uthred’s voice echoed through the empty tunnel.

  Eva turned around slowly, placing a shaking hand on her sword. The commander blocked the only way out with two guards, who held a struggling Sigrid between them. She was disarmed, hands bound behind her back.

  “I think we’ve found our traitors.”

  “You’re making a mistake!” Sigrid shouted, rattling the cell bars. “Someone else is going to die if you don’t let us talk to the lord commander!”

  But no one could hear her. After disarming and binding Eva, Uthred had them placed in the Gyr’s dungeons in a secluded, forgotten part of the mountain. The cells were square stone rooms with a thick iron-banded door that had a tiny opening set with bars inside. The place was dank and damp as any dungeon had a right to be, buried in the middle of the mountain where even rumor of sunlight didn’t exist.

  While Sigrid continued to pound on
the door, Eva slumped against the far wall. Fortunately, they hadn’t found her Wonder, and she withdrew it but found little reassurance in its soft glow. Sigrid noticed the light and turned around, eyes wide.

  “What in the sky is that?” she asked, backing up to the opposite wall.

  “It used to be my mother’s,” Eva said. “I usually keep it hidden.”

  “It’s a Wonder,” Sigrid said. Rather than amazed or impressed, she sounded suspicious. “What does it do?”

  “Just makes light,” Eva said.

  “Magic’s magic,” Sigrid said. “You sure it doesn’t do anything else?”

  “It’s fine, I promise,” Eva said. Shooting the Wonder stone one last scowl, Sigrid resumed pacing in front of the door like a caged animal.

  “I’m sorry,” Eva said after a long stretch of silence passed between them. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”

  “You did what you thought was right,” Sigrid said, stopping her pacing long enough to shrug. “Nothing wrong with that.”

  Eva swallowed, fighting back the rush of emotions and fatigue that threatened to break her. “It doesn’t matter,” she said in a thick voice. “All I did was get us both in trouble.”

  Who knew how long they’d be left down here? Surely, Andor would at least get their side of the story, wouldn’t he? In the meantime, Uthred was free to roam the halls. Eva’s stomach turned thinking about Fury alone and unprotected.

  “You’re a lot tougher than you look, you know?” Sigrid said from across the cell.

  “Thanks, I guess?” Eva said.

  “No, I mean it.” Sigrid hesitated then sat down beside her. Eva could tell she was struggling to say more. “I was jealous of you, when the red egg hatched for you. After all the work I did to become Windsworn, I didn’t think it was fair you just got to show up here. So, no matter what happens, don’t feel sorry. This is the least I could do.”

  “Thanks for helping me,” Eva said. “And for being my friend.”

  Sigrid nodded and ducked her face down. Eva looked away as a sniff echoed in the dimly lit cell. They huddled together, shivering in the cold. Neither spoke. Eva didn’t know when, but she must have dozed off. Sometime later, Sigrid shook her awake.

  “Someone’s coming!” Sigrid said.

  Sure enough, footsteps echoed through the chamber. Eva rushed to tuck her Wonder beneath her uniform, and the light faded. They pulled themselves to their feet, stiff from lying on the cold stone ground.

  “Hey!” Sigrid yelled, rushing to the door. “Get us the storm out of here!”

  The footsteps stopped outside their cell. Eva looked through the little window in the top of the door and saw Tahl peering at them.

  “What are you doing here?” Sigrid asked. “What’s going on? Let us out!”

  The boy shushed them, glancing around as Sigrid’s shouts echoed throughout the dungeon.

  “Will you keep it down?” he said in a low voice. “Nobody knows I’m here. The lord commander has left the Gyr; there’s been a massive Juarag raid out on the frontier, the biggest in years. Most of the riders have gone with him — there’s mostly just elders and recruits in the mountain now.”

  “But what about the attacks?” Sigrid asked. “How could everyone just leave?”

  “That’s what everyone left is doing — searching,” Tahl said. “They say Celina is worse, maybe on her deathbed. Uthred is in charge. He doubled the guard on the Scrawl boy. There’s some who think the Scrawls are in league with the Juarag, that’s it’s all some big scheme.”

  “Can you get us out?” Sigrid asked.

  Tahl shook his head. “I can see about getting you some food, but you might be here a couple of days. Uthred told everyone you were trying to help the Scrawl boy escape; is that true?”

  “No!” Eva said. “Ivan is innocent! Uthred is the one who needs to be stopped.”

  Tahl looked at her, confused. “Stop him from doing what?”

  “Eva think he’s the one who been behind the attacks,” Sigrid said. “Which I said was —”

  “No,” Tahl said. “Commander Uthred is one of the most decorated and honored riders in all of the Windsworn.”

  Once again, Eva recounted overhearing Uthred and Celina in the tunnels.

  “You don’t have to believe me,” Eva said when she’d finished. “Just get us out, and stay out of my way. I’ve got to get back to Fury before something happens.”

  Tahl looked taken aback, but Eva was too cold, tired, and hungry to care what he thought.

  “None of this makes any sense,” Tahl said.

  “Please,” Eva said, locking eyes with him.

  “Do you believe all this?” Tahl asked Sigrid.

  “Well…” Sigrid hesitated and looked at Eva. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but yes.”

  In spite of the dire situation, Eva beamed at the other girl.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Tahl said.

  As soon as he’d gone, Sigrid turned to Eva. “What are you planning on doing if we get out of here?”

  “We’ve got to get a message to the lord commander,” Eva said. “I’m a fool for not telling him in the first place — I just hope it isn’t too late now.”

  “It doesn’t look good,” Sigrid said. “I mean, if it was Uthred, what’s stopping him now?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The hours stretched by while they waited for Tahl to return. To their surprise, the guards brought them a hot meal of stew and bread but delivered it at swordpoint after they’d forced them back against the far wall. Eva and Sigrid devoured it like starving gryphons as soon as they’d left.

  Once the food was gone, they tried to get some sleep, but every time Eva closed her eyes all she could think of was Fury and Ivan. The thoughts and scenes her imagination conjured up nearly drove her crazy before she heard voices echoing down the chamber later that night.

  “Ow! Will you watch where you’re going?”

  “And will you be quiet before we’re thrown in a cell, too?”

  Somewhere outside, gryphon hissed as well, and Eva held out hope they’d found Fury. Tahl and Wynn’s bickering carried down the passageway outside, and Eva felt a ray of hope through their dank confinement. Moments later, Tahl appeared at the door.

  “We’ve got to hurry,” he said. “We found a secret passage through the back, but the guards might have heard us when we shifted the stone door covering it back into place.”

  “We found a secret passage?” Eva couldn’t see her, Wynn’s voice rose from the other side of the door, indignant. “We didn’t find a secret passage, golden boy, I showed it to you.”

  Tahl sighed. “Yes, of course. Can you keep it down?”

  Eva wondered how Wynn knew about a secret passage into the dungeons but decided that given the circumstances it would be better to ask later. Moments later, the door swung open, and a flash of red burst through the door, straight for Eva.

  “Fury!” Eva said, trying to keep her voice down. The gryphon purred, rubbing his head against her knee. “I missed you too, boy.”

  Tahl and Wynn stood in the doorway, a large sack between them on the ground.

  “Your weapons,” Tahl said, untying the bag.

  Eva buckled on her knife and short sword while Sigrid gathered her collection of knives and axes.

  “Let’s go,” Eva said, rushing for the door. But Tahl blocked her path. “Tahl, look out! We’ve got to get a message to Andor.”

  “Eva, it’s too late for that,” he said, dropping his eyes to the ground. “Something happened while I was gone.”

  Eva’s stomach twisted, and her heart felt like lead. “Oh no,” she whispered. “Ivan. They didn’t…”

  Tahl shook his head. “They didn’t kill him, not yet, anyway. But he escaped from his cell — burned down the door like it was kindling and overpowered all the guards. They tracked him to the Catacombs but haven’t found him yet. If they do, he’ll likely be killed on sight.”

 
; “No,” Eva said. “No, no, no. There must be some mistake. Uthred —”

  “Commander Uthred searched the lower levels with everyone else,” Tahl said. “The Scrawl’s gone, Eva. He deceived you.”

  “No,” Eva said again, undeterred. “You don’t understand; there’s something else going on here — I’ve just got to find him.”

  “And how are you gonna do that?” Sigrid said, hands on her hips. “If no one else could find him, what chance do we have?”

  Eva paused. It was true. She had no idea where Ivan would have gone. Her mind raced through their conversations…and then it hit her.

  “I know where Ivan went,” Eva said. “Or at least an idea. When I talked to him last night, he told me he’d been seeing a cavern with a big arch in his dream — I’d bet anything it’s somewhere in the Catacombs! If we find that cavern, we’ll find Ivan!”

  “Well, let’s go, then,” Wynn said as if that settled it.

  Eva grabbed her shoulder before the younger girl could walk away. “Wynn, you can’t come.”

  “The storm I can’t!” Wynn said in a loud voice. The others cringed as it echoed throughout the dungeons. “You aren’t going to leave me behind after I rescued you.”

  “Helped rescue,” Tahl said. Wynn’s eyes narrowed, but Eva stepped between them before the younger girl could hit him. “And besides,” he continued, “this is treason!”

  “Wynn, I need you to get a message to the lord commander and Soot,” she said. “This is just as important as what we’re doing. They need to know what’s happened. Can you do that for me?”

  The young girl hesitated a moment and then reluctantly shook her head. “Fine…but I want full credit for helping out with this, you hear me?”

  Eva let out a dry laugh. “If I’m wrong, you won’t want anyone to know you had anything to do with this, but it’s a deal. Now hurry!”