by Audrey Faye
Karis laid a hand, ever so gently, on her giant dragon’s shoulder. “You’re saying that Kis and Elhen aren’t the right speakers for this message because they have faced their worst fear and gone through it.”
The part of Lily that thought things and had learned not to say them out loud because they sounded too mean jerked on her throat. “Yes. Kis did that long before today.” It was why he had been the first one in the water. A thousand waterfalls had nothing on falling from the sky.
Karis nodded. “Elhen too. She nears death.”
Lily hadn’t even thought of what the old queen must fear. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Afran blew gently on her face. ::You believe the message must come from one of us who can yet see our greatest fear looming.::
Lily nodded slowly, the wild sadness that leaked off both Karis and Afran nearly knocking her to her knees. She didn’t understand, but she could feel their pain. “I think the dragons of old need to hear from someone who hasn’t gone in the water yet.”
There were more words flooding out behind those ones, and they did push Lily to her knees. “One day, maybe Sapphire and Lotus will need to fly really far to bring the dragons of old to their new home.”
Karis nodded—it was one of the ideas that had been much discussed through the winter.
Lily could feel relief and certainty rising inside her like a flood. “I don’t think Oceana and I will go. We’ll stay here with the ones like Kis and Elhen who can’t go. It’s not just five of us who will do the saving. It’s everyone.”
Afran’s eyes glowed. ::You and your dragon will join us all together.::
Lily nodded, feeling lightheaded as the last piece fell into place. “Everyone’s strength matters. But a great warrior knows when to use their strength.”
She heard Kis snort behind her, but she kept her attention on Afran. “Kis got us here. Fendellen got the fliers in the water. Now it’s your turn.” She included Karis in her gaze. “Both of you, I think.”
Karis raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“I think you’ll eventually be the ones who teach the old dragons.” Lily blew out a breath. “They won’t listen to me, or to Sapphire, or to our dragons. Fendellen, maybe, but she’ll probably be too busy doing something dangerous.”
Irin chuckled behind her. “You’ve always seen things clearly, missy.”
Karis raised her eyebrows at the weapons master. “You think she’s right?”
“I don’t have a better idea.”
Lily rolled her eyes. Irin never told anyone they were right. He always said they needed to sort things out for themselves, and preferably before somebody ran them through with a sword.
She felt very much like she had just done her sorting.
“They’re back.” Fendellen waded into the shallows and shook, spraying water everywhere. “I think the big warrior on the other side is going to start reciting recipes for elf stew soon, so if you’ve got something to say, you need to do it now.”
Alarmed, Lily stepped back into the water, and into the hot soup of emotions seeping out of dragons near and far. She could feel the heat of hate from the big, black warrior at the center and a steady, solid wall keeping that heat under control.
::The queen’s work,:: Fendellen said quietly. ::But Elhen tires.::
Suddenly Lily understood why there were so many dragons back in the water. So many large, fierce creatures who no longer looked remotely playful. Fendellen nodded at Afran. ::You try to talk with him. If he tries anything foolish, he answers to me.::
Lily gulped and squeezed forward, Oceana wrapped in her arms.
Afran loomed beside her, in the water before anyone had even noticed.
Except for a small, hissing blue-green dragon.
Lily eyed the head sticking up out of her arms. “Now isn’t the time to be difficult.”
Oceana glared at the big dragon who had never earned her trust.
They had no time for this. Lily turned a blue-green head by the chin until all her dragon could see was the eyes of her kin. “You won’t like every dragon in the village or every dragon way out there in the water, just like Kis and Irin probably didn’t like everyone they fought to keep safe. Maybe Afran will be your friend one day and maybe he won’t, but it doesn’t matter. This is who we belong to, and this is our part to do.”
Oceana sniffed, but she turned her head back to the great charcoal gray dragon and edged her tail in his direction.
Afran nodded his head solemnly. ::I thank you.::
Lily managed not to roll her eyes as her dragon preened a little.
The large dragon stepped deeper into the water, his eyes on the enormous black warrior they could all see. The one breathing fire, his eyes full of hate. The one with daggers in his eyes for every elf on the back of a dragon.
Lily gulped. The dragons with kin were all standing in the front row. No coddling indeed.
It was Kis who spoke first, rumbling from Afran’s side. ::One day, you will no longer fight the elves. If you are to survive, you will also need to stop hating them.::
::Never.:: The thought blasted across the water, crashing into Lily’s head like a weapon.
::Enough.:: Afran’s voice was as stern as Lily had ever heard it. ::You must show respect. Kis is the finest warrior I have ever known. He gave all that he was to the battlefield. He does not ask anyone to stop fighting lightly.::
Lily would have done anything Afran demanded in that tone. The dragon who was kin to Kis was not nearly so easily swayed. ::He permits an elf to stand at his side. No such puny creature is required for battle.::
Irin snorted. “Those puny creatures are fighting you to the death, or you would have no reason for such hate.”
The big black warrior raised his head, fire in his eyes—and froze as his queen stepped forward. “You are correct. One elf is nothing more than a pest, but in numbers, they can quell even the fiercest dragon. Our hate is justified, but we do not lack in respect for our enemies. Baraken speaks words in the way that our young warriors need to hear. They would confuse respect with fear.”
A silence, and Lily could feel the sharp edges in the water easing a little.
Afran slowly inclined his head and ducked his nose down nearly to the bay. ::Do the elves make your skin crawl as much as this terrible water?::
A sound came out of Lovissa that sounded very much like laughter. “At least one of you has some sense. It is exactly thus. Our skin wants to escape the water and the sight of the elves both.”
Afran waited a long moment before he spoke again. ::Those are instincts rooted deep in your skins and hearts. They will take a long time to change.::
Baraken’s fire was a fearsome thing. ::There is no need to change.::
Oceana quivered—and then she thrashed her tail on the water’s surface and blasted water.
Straight into Baraken’s face.
Every dragon and every elf on both sides of the water froze. Lily felt like she might never breathe again as the fiercest warrior she had ever seen prepared to attack.
And then Kis rumbled his amusement loudly enough for the stars to hear. He craned his head down to Oceana and blew smoke at her head. ::I didn’t know you could do that, small one.::
::Apparently, we aren’t the only ones who sometimes underestimate those who are puny.::
Lily looked up to figure out who had spoken and gaped at the queen across the water.
Lovissa inclined her head. ::Respect, little one. We will think on what you have said.::
Lily figured she couldn’t make anything worse than what her dragon had just done. “Think hard. The Dragon Star picked me to try to help save you, and I’m not going to be much use if you still want to make me into a stew.”
Baraken’s roar cut off sharply when Oceana lifted her tail.
Lovissa switched her gaze back to Afran. ::Are elves always so rude?::
Afran’s voice remained steady and calm, but Lily was quite sure his eyes looked amused. ::I believe that i
s something you will have to judge for yourselves.::
Karis stepped out of the shadows of his side. “We invite you to know us. Slowly. At times of your choosing.”
The queen’s eye ridges slid up slowly. ::I will not weaken my warriors. We must win the spring campaigns or there will be no dragonkind for you to save.::
Afran looked around at the collected dragons and shivering elves, and no one in the bay or across the water missed his rumbled reply. ::In that case, I suggest you start with swimming lessons.::
Epilogue
Lovissa watched the three young warriors standing on the edge of the sea, looking at Baraken like he’d asked them to compose cyclic ballads in elvish, and contemplated just how strange her elder years had gotten.
Swimming lessons.
They had chosen the bravest for this small beginning. Told them that fear gave their enemies openings in battle. That part had been Baraken’s idea. A way to begin the slow process of changing their ways without weakening their warriors.
She would discuss this with the dragons over the waters at their next meeting. Change must be slow. Dragonkind must survive long enough to be saved.
But she already had seen changes, even though her finest warrior had told no one of the elves. He fought as fiercely as he ever had, but late at night, at the fires of victory, he spoke of small things he had noticed about the puny warriors they fought. Mostly weaknesses, but also things that made them real. That made them individuals. Some even worthy of respect.
A word here, a word there. Dripping like the infernal water.
Lovissa shuddered. When the Dragon Star once again reached its highest point in the sky, she would return to the sea. This they had agreed to with the dragons across the waters.
One of the young warriors working with Baraken managed to dip a claw into the water and jumped back, squealing like a dragonet and looking like she’d just sucked on a washberry. Lovissa waited until the student had her reaction back under control and then nodded. Offering the approval of a queen.
The young warrior preened. The other two looked abashed and edged closer to the water, learning to face what they feared most. One day, perhaps they would use that lesson to befriend their enemy and save everything that mattered.
Or perhaps she would reign over the time of swimming lessons. There were certainly stranger things queens had been known for.
Lovissa arched her neck and welcomed the warm rays from overhead. There was no hurry. For now, her dragons would put claws and tails in the water and begin to learn of bravery and fear and confronting unchangeable truths and permitting them to change.
She unsheathed her wings and waited for Baraken and his students to notice. It was time for her warriors to remember why she was queen. Always, she had led them into battle. Today, all that was required was that she wet a claw and offer a few words of encouragement. Tomorrow, perhaps they would work on tails. They had time. There were three more yet for the Dragon Star to choose.
Lovissa tossed herself off the cliff and began the steep glide down to the sea. Three more to be chosen. If they were anything like the first two, the shaking of all she held dear and true had only begun.
Thank You
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As you might have guessed, there are more Dragon Kin books on the way. The next one features an elf who dreams of boys and dragons, and at least one of those might come true. To hear about the next release, head to audreyfayewrites.com and sign up for the New Releases email list. You can also find Audrey on Facebook. And if you’ve been kind enough to write Sapphire & Lotus a review, please read this note :).
If you’re a reader who likes to graze widely, you might enjoy some of Audrey’s other books while you wait. There’s everything from spacefaring singers to assassins and mermaids.
Shae & Audrey
