To Save The Broken Heart: Dragons, Griffons and Centaurs, Oh My! (Dragons, Griffons, and Centaurs, Oh My!)

by Margaret Taylor

  She smiled. “Of course. I know most of the sea, why?”

  “A friend,” She stumbled slightly over the word because Arin should be more than that, right?

  Yes, he should. So then why didn’t her heart beat a little faster now that she was asking about him? A matter she could figure out later.

  “A friend of mine was taken by some Orcs. I don’t know which ship, but it was bound for Golbu. Do you know it?”

  The woman’s head bobbed in a nod. “I know the port. Would you like me to inquire about it?”

  Relief tickled across her chest. “Please. If it’s not too much trouble.”

  “No trouble. The Sea-Net is vast and rather quick to respond. I will see what I can find out. What is your friend’s name?”

  “Arin, Arin Manus,” she supplied, hoping the hitch didn’t show.

  The woman blinked in surprise. “The Arin Manus? As in War Advisor to King Taraxus, Arin Manus?”

  “One and the same. Do you know him?”

  “I know of him. Orcs you say?”

  She spit out another mouthful of sea-water as a wave rolled a bit too high. “Yes. That’s what I heard. Can you help him?”

  Those beautiful blue eyes sparkled. “I will. You have my word. Should I say who inquired after him?”

  Careful girl, remember, he thinks you’re dead. As in dead-dead.

  “Um, no. Let’s keep this between us.”

  Her head tilted slowly and her eyes pinched together. “Very well. Look for a man named Mithrin. He will return with what you seek on the darkfall.”

  And with that, she spun the horse and dove under the next wave, disappearing with only a small splash to mark the fact she’d ever been there at all.

  Swimming quietly back to the beach, she second guessed her decision to keep her lack of death a secret then second guessed that with a shake of her head.

  No, Arin deserved better. He deserved someone that could love with her whole heart, not the broken fragments remaining in her chest. Since her separation from Terra, well, she hadn’t felt at all like she used too.

  Death will do that…

  Shuddaup!

  She’d always had a connection with her twin, one they’d never bothered to try and explain. Now that it was gone, she just didn’t feel…well, right. Empty was a better way to look at it. The reassuring hum of her sister’s essence was gone, leaving a decided vacuum under her ribs.

  Dinsa had filled it, for a while, but now that he was gone too, a feeling of loneliness washed over her like the waves she was swimming through, and it was almost enough to leave her a sobbing wreck on the sand.

  No!

  She couldn’t afford tears right now. She had to be strong dammit. For Terra, for Draven but most of all for herself.

  Because, for the first time in her life, she was truly on her own…

  ***

  Phara Sylor rode straight for the underwater complex of caves the Naiad’s had called home for generations. Zesul’s fins were sure and steady, like always, and navigated the currents with ease. Well before the moon’s had fully risen, he was gliding up the long tunnel entrance.

  Breaking the surface, she cleared her lungs of water with a hard cough. Slipping from the saddle, she paused only long enough to acknowledge the guard on duty before heading straight for her suite of rooms on the fifth level.

  Mithrin caught up to her just as she ducked under the flap of Selkie skin that served as her door. “Where have you been? Father is looking for you…”

  She snorted and leaned her shield against the bed. “On patrol,” she replied, stripping off the sword. If she was going to catch up to Manus, she would need to travel light and fast. Choosing a pair of daggers and a short sword, she tucked them into her belt and grabbed a travel pack from a nearby shelf.

  Mith leaned in the doorway and she could feel his eyes watching her. “And where are you going now?”

  “To help a friend,” she quipped quickly. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she tried to slip past, but he grabbed her arm.

  “Who?”

  She gently twisted away. “A friend.”

  “It is not that Dragon, is it?” her brother asked in a low voice.

  “No, not the King.” She felt horrible for lying to him, even though she wasn’t, not really. “I need you to do something though.”

  An eyebrow rose slowly, his matching sea-blue eyes darkening like a storm rolling across the sea. “What?”

  “Gather as many of the Black’s as you can find and head for the West Beach.”

  His eyes narrowed and suspicion rolled off him in a thick wave. “Why?”

  She huffed. “Just do it. Someone needs our help. She will explain when you get there.”

  That eyebrow inched higher. “She? Who she?”

  Argh! He could be so stubborn!

  She stomped a foot. “Just go! Trust me. You will understand when you arrive.” She pushed at his thick chest, urging him back into the hallway.

  “The last time I trusted you sister, I nearly got my head taken off by an angry Griffon.” He took her upper arms again. “Now, explain or I shall drag you in front of Father and you can tell him…”

  It wasn’t an idle threat. She didn’t doubt for a second he would do just that and trying to convince their father to interfere in the lives of mortals was an undertaking she didn’t have time for. Not tonight.

  Besides, it was always better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, was it not?

  “Fine,” she snapped. “I met a female…” She took a few precious moments to bring her brother up to speed. She left out the part about Manus’ dire circumstances, at least the severity of it. “So, I need you to bring our friends to her. Her plan is solid and will give Bra’ka the time it needs to prepare, or at least more time.”

  Mithrin had crossed his arms during the tale and tapped a finger against one as she finished. His lips pursed and she could see the wheels turning by the flash of his blue eyes. “Very well. I will do as you ask. Now, where are you going?”

  “To warn the King of course,” she lied again, schooling her face into a practiced mask of indifference. “The interim King, Tyleios Cannis.”

  He snorted and she couldn’t tell if he believed her completely or not. Probably not, but to his credit he kept it to himself. “Safe journey then sister. I will see you on your return.”

  She smiled up in to the eyes so like her own. “Thank you, Brother. Safe journey to you as well.”

  Not giving him another chance to stop her, she raced back down the flights of stairs and leapt onto Zesul’s back. Sea-water filled her lungs as they dove and she leaned over his neck, urging him into the fastest slip-stream she knew of. If she had any hope of catching up to the War Advisor and repaying an age-old debt, they would need every precious heartbeat of speed they could get…

  ***

  Mithrin watched his sister dip beneath the gently lapping waves of the cavern.

  “She is going after Manus.”

  It was a statement of fact and he didn’t bother to turn. “Probably. Should I send aid along with her?”

  His father’s large hand dropped onto his shoulder. “Nay son,” he said quietly. “She is still young and headstrong.” A long suffering sigh echoed across the rocks. “She needs to make her own mistakes now and again, just as you did at that age.”

  He scrubbed a hand down his face, scratching a cheek. “True. But, what if she finds trouble?”

  A chuckle was an easy thing to interrupt. “She always does. She will be fine. You taught her well. Now, what of this female she spoke of?”

  He cut a look back over his shoulder. “She is human, I think. Phara did not give a lot of details. But, if what she said is even remotely true, it could affect all of us, in the end.”

  His father’s large head nodded slowly. “Agreed. Do as she asked then. Take a few of the Blacks and do what you can, but steer clear of true involvement, yes?”

  “As always,” he replied. “I will re
turn on the next rotation.”

  Neptune squeezed his shoulder with strong, sure fingers. “Safe journey my son.”

  He turned enough to see the face he trusted above all others and bowed his head. “May the currents be with us both…”

  Chapter Nine

  Mithrin spent most of the intervening rotation seeking out and rounding up several family pods of Black’s. It wasn’t difficult, just tedious. They were heading toward Mit’ctho where they’d spend most of the Sun feeding off the newly grown seals, selkies and various other wildlife inhabiting the southern ice shelf.

  Once he had a fair number, he gently requested they come along and was soon working his way back toward the West Beach.

  If half of what Phara had told him was even remotely true, he might be tempted to go against father’s dictates and become involved. If it wasn’t, there would be no harm, other than to set the Black’s back a rotation or two in their travels.

  He was leaning toward his sister’s way of seeing it though. He’d felt a change in the air, or rather the waves under which they existed.

  Something was shifting the balance.

  He’d started to notice it about thirty rotations ago. The mammals he called friends all seemed…what was the word? On edge?

  No, not quite, but concerned. Yes, that was it.

  They seemed concerned, as if some force was growing and interfering with their natural ways. He’d tried asking about it, but none of them seemed to be able to put a fin on the reason any more than he could.

  Now, maybe they had one…

  It would certainly make sense. The Unicorns hadn’t reared their ugly heads in a number of Suns and it would stand to reason they’d simply been biding their time. Or working secretly in the background to maneuver things this way and that.

  It was their way…

  He surfaced near the beach as the last rays of sun dipped over the western horizon. In the grey twilight he could just see the shadows moving about the sand. Some were backlit by the fires under the large vats but there was no doubt they were all diligently working at some task.

  He slid off Fancar’s saddle and slowly swam further out before circling back toward the beach itself.

  No need to give his presence away just yet…

  He felt like a thief in the night, an odd sensation and one he generally didn’t like. But if what Phara had posited was close, it was best not to take chances. He may be powerful, but he wasn’t a God. Not like Father.

  Quietly exiting the waves lapping at the shore, he slipped into the jungle’s cover and carefully made his way toward the camp.

  On its outer most edge, he found the woman Phara had described. She sat in a rather large cage, her back against the bars and had a totally uninterested look on her perfect face.

  He stopped dead, one foot hanging in the air and just stared. Mainly because in all his Suns, he’d never seen anything so beautiful.

  She shouldn’t be though, not really because in reality she was absolutely filthy.

  Her long red hair was as tangled and matted as dying seaweed, but it caught the last ray of sun and called to him with a song similar to the Sirens of Falu. Her silver eyes roamed across those outside her prison, flashing brightly as she seemed to calculate every move they made at any given time. Her slightly heart-shaped face was smudged with dirt and sand, but that did nothing to hide her beauty. She was worrying her lower lip between her teeth and he had an inexplicable desire to run a thumb over the plump surface in order to ease her concern.

  Her clothing was tattered and torn, a rip in the shoulder of her shirt giving him a glimpse of the pristine skin underneath. His hands twitched to expand the gap, see more than just a glimpse. She had a hole in one knee of the brown breeches on her legs and a quake of longing rolled through his gut.

  To have those long legs wrapped around his waist…

  Oh yes, any rotation of the Sun! He took a breath, steeling himself and continued the inspection.

  Her forearms rested across her knees and his chest ached to feel her long fingers digging into his flesh. His heart quivered and he stood mesmerized by her presence. It sped up, slowed down, sped up again and for the first time in nearly a thousand Suns, a desire other than the protection of his people and their way of life, pulsed through his veins.

  He wanted this woman. He wanted to rip the gate right off its hinges, gather her in his arms and dive beneath the waves, spiriting her back to his home. He wanted to tear every creature here limb from limb for even daring to hold her prisoner.

  He wanted to…

  “I assume you are Mithrin?”

  His hand dropped to the hilt of the long sword on his belt. The only thing restraining him from striking out was the voice was low to the ground and too small to be much of a threat, even if it came from behind him. “I am. And you are?”

  Small nails clacked against the bark of the tree he’d stopped next too and a ferret scrambled into his line of sight. “I am Furiem Corlant, Official Reporter of King Tara—“

  He held up a hand, interrupting the introduction. “Are you friend or foe?”

  The little guy frowned a bit. “Why, friend of course. We were told to expect you.”

  He eased his grip and drew in a lungful of humid air. “Yes, my sister told me about her, but not you.”

  Furiem’s head tilted in a nod. “I apologize. An oversight on Ms. Lanni’s part I am sure. Now, how may I be of service?”

  He chuckled softly. “I was going to ask the same of you,” He jerked his chin toward Lanni in the cage. “And her.”

  Furiem cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I fear we cannot do much until most of the work crew heads off for the darkfall. I was able to gather some fresh fruit, would you care to eat while we wait?”

  He almost laughed out loud. In a time of pending doom and a ferret was playing the good host. Oh the boys back home would get a kick out of that for sure. Biting back his amusement, he squatted down, asking the first question that came to mind. “I fear my sister did not have much detail, why not bring me up to present time, yes?”

  Furiem sat on the limb, his small feet kicking back and forth and did just that.

  “Well, that is quite the tale Sir Furiem,” he said when the story was complete. “How sure are you of everything?”

  The ferret tapped a finger against his chin. “Very sure. I was there for most of it. With the exception, of course, of Ms. Lanni’s side of things. She has told me what happened to her and her sister and His Majesty, and I have no reason to doubt her. You should not either.”

  He waved a placating hand. “I do not. It just seems a bit farfetched. I find it hard to comprehend that a Unicorn has gained that much influence.”

  Furiem sighed. “I do not. He certainly controls things here and I would not doubt he has people inside the King’s Court, maybe even as high as the Council. Elsewise how do you explain the events that have taken place.”

  He couldn’t. That was the crux of things.

  He’d already known some of this. There had been rumors floating around the Caverns for several rotations that the King had somehow survived the attack, despite the reports, but no one had been able to confirm it.

  Until now.

  Of course, he was getting it second hand even third hand from the human to the ferret to him, but still. Everyone knew it was extremely difficult to kill a Dragon. So, it made sense. And, it would also follow that Taraxus wanted to keep his survival hidden until an appropriate time.

  “Do you know what Lanni intends? With the Black’s?” he finally asked.

  Furiem nodded. “I do. She intends to ask them for help.”

  “Ask them?”

  “Oh my yes. She is a Dragon Born of Decia’s line.”

  He blinked, rapidly and shifted enough to see her again through the foliage. She hadn’t moved in the last ticks they’d been sitting there, which surprised him. In his experience, most women couldn’t be still for long. But there she was, in the exact same positio
n she had been when he arrived. “So, she communes with animals?”

  “She says she can. I have no reason to think otherwise.”

  He did, but he didn’t. Decia’s blood had been strong, one of the most powerful they’d ever known, but he didn’t know how much she’d inherited of it. He would just have to see.

  Lifting up enough to peek over the foliage, he checked the area. Finding most of the workers had moved off, he cut a look toward Furiem. “Would you kindly let her know I am here?”

  The ferret gave a sweeping bow and hopped off the branch.

  He watched the mammal scurry quickly from the tree line to the cage and slide through bars. Lanni jerked slightly when he landed on her shoulder then dove beneath her hair so he wouldn’t be seen. He must have passed along the message because her eyes shifted ever so slightly his direction and there was a minute dip of her dirty chin.

  Another tick passed before she actually moved though. A tick of watching her do little more than breathe and again her patience impressed him. It wasn’t until the area around the cage was completely clear that she stretched, like she’d just woken up and stood. With ease, she paced the cell, circling it once, twice, even a third time, presumably to make sure no one was paying her any mind, then sidled up to the gate and quietly slipped a key in the lock.

  She winced when it grated out a creak and froze.

  His hand dropped instantly to the sword, ready to jump out and defend her, but no one shouted an alarm, no feet thumped across the sand. He released the air he’d been holding in a whoosh hard enough to rattle the leaves.

  “Hi there, thanks for coming…”

  ***

  Lanni wasn’t sure what to expect in Mithrin. She hadn’t really thought about it. In truth, she was more concerned with the whales. Getting their help in this was primary…

  But, when he turned, everything in the world spun around on its ass and she totally forgot about the whales, and the evil unicorn and even the emptiness in her chest.

  At least for a heartbeat.

  She gulped, locking with a pair of sea-blue eyes that reminded her of the crystal waters off the Bahamas. They were uninhibited by all the baggage one might normally find in the eyes of another. A small bump at the bridge of his nose and the slight upturn at its end gave him a rough, rugged look, despite a lack of facial hair or scars. His equally bright blue hair had been pulled back into a ponytail near the top and the remaining length rolled down his back in a wave of softness her fingers quivered to dive into.