“You girls handle this food with care! We have lots, but I still don’t want it wasted,” the under-cook said, patting her neat bun and smoothing her apron over her hips. “You girls with both hands should take the trays, and the one with only one free can take the extra canteens of water and the sacks of dried foods. We can sling them over your shoulder and if it takes you longer it doesn’t matter since it’s all backup food.”
My mouth dropped open. Could my luck be this good?
Don’t look a gift dragon in the mouth.
He could hear me from here? Our range was getting wider and farther! Every time I thought we’d reached its limits, it expanded a little more.
“Oh, don’t fret, girl,” the undercook said. “All work is important work.”
She loaded me with canteens and jute sacks filled with dried meats, bread, and dried fruits. The other girls were given wide trays piled with similar foods, as well as delicacies of all types, strawberry tarts, candied oranges, fried meats and sweet buns. The smells alone were breathtaking.
“Take care not to spill! A poor showing at the feast before the Havenalla is bad luck! Follow Fitazt and watch your step!”
A spindly man in livery burst out of a doorway, leading the way through the kitchens where cooks ordered under-cooks and under-cooks waved ladles or large spoons at scullery maids as food was chopped, prepared, simmered, sauced and plated. It was like a cacophonic magic all its own. I was distracted by the bustle. If I failed in Dragon School, I’d be a servant just like this. It didn’t look so bad – except that I wouldn’t be with Raolcan and that would be terrible. I turned the last corner and Tamas stepped up behind me.
“Tamas!”
“I’m supposed to follow you and make sure everyone gets to the feast.” He stared at his feet as I slowly hobbled forward. His own arms were full of serving implements, and baskets.
“I’m happy to see you, Tamas. Do you like the kitchens here?”
“Just keep moving, Amel. We have a schedule to keep.”
I hobbled along at the end of the line, following up the stairs – a challenge for me. By the time I’d crested them, the others were so far ahead that I could barely see them as they moved toward the first courtyard. No one was watching me but Tamas. If it wasn’t for him, I could leave out that other door with the supplies I needed. I bit my lip, looking at the gate on the far side and then back at Tamas.
“I need to go, Tamas,” I said.
“Yes, please hurry.”
“No, I mean, I need to go out that gate ... with these supplies.”
He stopped, his eyes finding mine, finally. “Like, you’re going to take that food?”
My face grew hot. How could I take it? It would be wrong. But then again, how long would I survive away from civilization without food or water? I needed these things to survive.
“Yes. I’m going to take it.”
“And you think I would allow that?” His face grew hard.
“I think I need to try to do it anyway.” I said the words slowly, horrified that I was saying them, but certain that by going I’d be preventing something much worse.
“Just because I chose to be a servant doesn’t mean I’m a pushover. It doesn’t mean you can walk all over me.” He looked furious.
“I’m not trying to walk all over you, Tamas. I’m trying to save a friend. And to do that I need these supplies.”
He bit his lip and looked away. “All my friends and family are servants. If I chose to be a Dragon Rider, I would have had to leave them forever. It wasn’t because I was afraid – not completely. You shouldn’t have tried to stop me.”
His change of subject seemed so abrupt, but we were talking about loyalties, weren’t we? And he was thinking about his while he judged whether mine were valid. I’d misjudged him before. The least I could give him now was an apology.
“I’m sorry.”
“Who are you trying to save?” His expression hadn’t melted. He was just gathering more information, but the others were out of sight now and no one else was watching. Was it possible to persuade him?
“Savette Leedris.”
“Her? Why, Amel?”
I sought his gaze with mine. I wouldn’t have understood either a few weeks ago. “Savette trusted me. I can’t betray that. Please, will you walk away and leave me here? Let me take these supplies and go save her.”
I swallowed, my eyes pricked with tears. What would I do if he said no?
He looked down and then looked back at me, his expression torn. It was a long time before he nodded.
“I hope I’ll see you again, Amel.”
“I hope so, too.” I watched him go with a smile. I had more allies than I thought – and more friends.
I always knew you would, but if you still want to leave, you need to hurry.
Chapter Eleven
Is it going to be enough?
I dropped the jute sacks and canteens beside Raolcan and dropped to the floor beside them gasping for breath. The climb up to his alcove with the added burden of supplies had been almost too much for me. My head was spinning and little flecks of light danced across my vision. I needed to rest for just one moment. I closed my eyes.
No! There’s no time to recover. If you have decided to leave we need to go right away. Someone will notice you are gone and come to look for you.
I couldn’t get up yet. I was too tired.
Come on! Dig deep. Stand up and start saddling me!
I groaned but I pulled myself back to my feet, wobbling as I limped to the pack and carefully took down his tack, inspecting each piece. They were all well-oiled and in good repair, just like when I left them. I saddled Raolcan, loaded up the gear I’d stashed and the food and water I’d pilfered from the kitchens. When I was done, I leaned against his hot side, catching my breath. Just one more minute.
Come on, spider. Dig deep.
I wobbled backwards and pulled the scrap of paper from my waistband, maneuvering to stand in front of him. This had better work! Lenora had better not have been lying to me.
Did you discover how to release me?
I read the words on the paper aloud. “Raolcan of the Purple, by the authority over you granted to us by Ha’drazen, Queen and Sovereign of Dragons, we release you from the bond of your word and blood to remain in this place. Your other bonds to rider and school remain. Protect your rider and remain faithful to your true word.” I paused over the last sentence, but when I said, “Be released,” a cracking sound echoed in the words, and for a half a second I saw both Raolcan and a second Raolcan – this one white and ghostly – before the second one disappeared. My head flared with pain like I really had done some sort of magical thing.
What had just happened?
Raolcan shook, starting with his head and then right down through his spine to the very tip of his tail, like a dog flinging water from his coat.
No time to lose! Let’s ride!
From outside the alcove, I heard the sound of raised voices. Did someone know what we were doing? I mounted Raolcan hurriedly, tucking my crutch into the strap at his side. He shuffled forward as easily as if we were just flying out for daily maneuvers.
Hold on.
As we stepped into the morning light, my gaze found a knot of people hurrying toward us, led by Tamas. He must have had second thoughts!
He pointed at me as Raolcan’s feet found the edge of the ledge. Behind Tamas, the under-cook shouted something and then we were dropping like a stone, spinning into a somersault and kicking off to burst forward through the rushing air.
I didn’t scream, but something let loose in my chest like a dragon breathing fire. We were off! The city streets raced beneath us, a busy hive of workers decorating and preparing, decking every hall, every doorway, every bridge with garland, lights and flowers. Tonight, would be the party of a lifetime and I wasn’t at all sorry to be missing it. Starie’s moment of triumph meant only one thing for me – that Savette was still missing, kidnapped by enemies, and
depending on me for her rescue.
Don’t fear. We will find her. Now, hold on tight. I need to fly low. The guards are defending against attack from the outside. We don’t want them to notice that we are breaking out of this island until we’re well away
I couldn’t believe those simple words had set him free.
They were more than just words or it wouldn’t have worked. I couldn’t have told them to you. Someone with authority must have. Word magic comes from truth and authority.
Truth and authority. What an interesting idea. I’d need to think on that and what it meant for Dragon Riders and for me. I gripped the saddle tightly, leaning down to lay across Raolcan’s back, my cheek pressed to his neck. He didn’t need my help to fly and I was still catching my breath from the hard work of getting us to this point.
That’s right, spider. You can trust me. I’ll take over from here.
Moments later, we were over the ocean, the land far behind us. The guard dragons – not knowing that our flight was unauthorized - gave us the sign of goodbye as we flew past and I returned it, glad to finally know Dragon Rider hand signals. Even so, I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until we were so far out over the water that the Ruby Isles were nothing but a speck in the distance.
Chapter Twelve
Where were we headed, exactly? It seemed to be to the West.
Daedru Castel and the sprawling sky-city of Vanika.
I’d seen it on a map before, but never in person. I focused my mind, thinking back on my lessons. It should be about three days flight by dragon – not very far at all, but I’d never been in such a large city before.
I’ve never been within one, either, though I’ve passed by Vanika many times. Cities – even sky cities - are not home for dragons. We like the outdoors.
Would there be other dragons there?
Many. There will be the Blacks who build and maintain the sky cities and guard them, Reds moving through on their endless campaigns, Green to push the bounds around her and White promoting the healing arts. If you wanted an adventure, this is going to be one. Forget backwater places like the Ruby Isles or Dragon School out on the edge of nowhere. Daedru Castel is an important place and Vanika is the fifth largest sky-city of the Dominion.
My mind filled with images of a sky city – I’d never seen one, and yet I knew they existed. Held by arcane magic and the strength of dragonsteel, they rose up from the ground on a single pillar and then spread out like a sunflower from the stalk, reaching for the sun above. I’d seen drawings in my textbooks, but I wondered how accurate they could be. Could a whole city be formed from a lace of steel and magic? Could it sprawl out across the sky, filled with inns and taverns, homes and apothecaries, barracks and dragon cotes but no farms or wells or cellars? It was a strange idea, but one that excited me.
You will have all the excitement you could want, but we will have to be clever. You won’t be able to admit you are a student or they will send you back to Dragon School. You’ll need different clothing and a story to tell anyone who asks.
I didn’t have the money for that, or the ability to lie like others seemed to do so easily.
We’ll figure something out. We’ve come this far.
Of course we would. With Raolcan, I could do whatever I set my mind to. Savette was out there and I was going to find her and free her.
There will possibly be a chance to flame people. I’d like that.
Then we’d bring her back – victorious - and of course Dragon School would forgive us for going when they realized what a big mistake it was not to take her kidnapping seriously.
That might be more of a daydream than a possibility. They tend to take things like betrayal and rebellion seriously.
And if they were reluctant, then Savette’s father would arrive in a blaze of Castelan glory, setting everything right and just being so grateful that she was saved.
You bring up a good point. Where is the mighty Castelan in all this, with his daughter kidnapped and before that being sold off to a foreign prince as a bribe to prevent a war? You know that dragons don’t do that, right? Marry for power.
And somehow we’d expose what the Prince of Baojang was hiding.
Now you’re on to something. That man has secrets.
And I would swear before the Dominar and continue on as a student of Dragon School.
The Dominar is interesting. I know he is the supreme ruler of this land and I know he rules through his Castelans, but why this song and dance with Baojang? Do you think he has a hidden motive, too?
And we’d all live happily ever after...
Okay, that was a nice daydream, but maybe it’s time to come back to reality.
It was easy enough to do that when we landed in a clearing six hours later: tired, sore, and under a light drizzle. It was hard to light a fire, harder to find any place dry to sleep. In the end, I ate cold food from the jute bags, kept all the gear wrapped in the tent to keep it dry, and curled up against Raolcan in a damp blanket to sleep.
I felt a lot less optimistic in the cold and dark with a smoky, guttering fire and no stars. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Instead of being grateful, I’d probably be kicked out of Dragon School, or made a servant, and I might not find Savette at all. The sky city was probably a big place and not forgiving to a girl with a crutch – nowhere ever was. I bit my lip and squirmed. My belly was so tied in knots that it hurt.
Dark of velvet, deep embrace,
Silver, bright, smiling face,
Moon and stars reign above
Nature’s intertangled love.
I’d never heard a dragon song before. It was like the roar at the heart of a fire. It warmed me to the core of my heart. I fell into a deep sleep, reaching with my heart towards the tantalizing song.
Chapter Thirteen
The next day, cold descended. The wind was boisterous and so rough that it seemed to swirl from all directions at once. It sparkled with tiny particles of ice, giving the forest an other-worldly air and turning my damp hair and clothing stiff with frost. I shivered constantly, and my hip was so stiff and painful that the throbbing didn’t let up from when I woke to it in the dark hours of predawn. I struggled to keep from angry, jagged thoughts while I managed my pain.
We were taking a direct route to Vanika. Ahead, jagged mountains loomed, purple and shrouded in gusting snow.
“Do we fly over those mountains?” I asked, the wind ripping my words away so that anyone but a dragon who could read minds would never have heard them.
No. We need to fly through a pass. The air above the mountain is too thin. I could fly there, but I don’t think you could breathe.
Did he know a way through?
I can find one. It just might take a while. I need to look.
We spent the morning trying one way and then backtracking to the next. The wind buffeted me and chilled me to the core until, by noon, it was all I could do to just hold on. I shut down curiosity and eventually even hope in an attempt simply to endure against the constant, bone-chilling cold, the loud intensity of the wind and the jarring pain that spread from my hip into my lower back and dead leg. Snow descended, filling the wind with ice and stinging my cheeks and hands as I clung to the saddle. It obscured my vision so much that I could hardly tell anymore where we were going or if we’d been there before. I would have cried, except that I was too cold and too despairing even for that.
Eventually, Raolcan landed, creeping into a rocky crevice that partly hid us from the wind.
We’ll have to stay here until the wind calms. I don’t see what else we can do. It’s too stormy to find the path.
Was he even sure that there was one?
I’m sure. Don’t lose hope.
I shared my water with him and ate a little. There was too little wood for a fire.
Just keep holding on. It will pass.
How long could a person be so cold before they froze in place?
A lot longer than this.
I closed my eyes and leane
d my forehead against his neck, grateful for the heat of it. I needed to persevere. Just keep putting one foot in front of the next, Amel. I let my mind drift, tired from the concentration of trying to see through the blowing snow. I must have drifted off, even though I was standing, since I was utterly startled when I heard a voice.
“Amel? Is that you? We’ve been looking everywhere!”
I spun around. Lenora’s hair swirled in the wind and the wool cloak she wore - fur lined, of course – flapped like a flag. She held Lypukrm’s reigns and his eyes burned with what I imagined to be angry resentment as he crept forward, lifting his feet high as if the snow stung them.
Oh, you aren’t imagining it. Snow is terrible when you’re hot-blooded.
Behind her, Artis landed in a puff of snow and Olla and Orra were right behind her, their dragons in line like they had been flying in formation.
“Lenora!” I gasped. “What are you doing? You aren’t supposed to be away from the Ruby Isles!”
“I could say the same to you.” Artis had to yell over the wind to be heard as she dismounted and stalked towards us. “Did you think no one would notice you were gone? What in the world do you think you’re doing?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. Would she tap her foot next? Behind her, Olla and Orra landed in the snow, their dragons protesting the cold with loud snorts.
“I can’t just leave Savette with her kidnappers. I have to find her and rescue her.”
“Savette Leedris? She was in your wave, right?”
“Yes.” Despite the cold, I felt my face growing hot. After all, I was the most inexperienced of all of them and a cripple as well. What did I think I could do to save my friend?
You can care. Right now, it looks like you are the only one who does.
“Are you friends?” Lenora asked.
“Yes ... I think.”
“You don’t even know where she is! No one does.” I’d never seen Artis so angry. “You know that we’ll be thrown out of Dragon School, too, if you don’t come back, don’t you? You need to give up this idea and come home with us. Well make up a story for why you left, okay? We’ll make sure that we don’t all have shattered dreams over one little mistake. It isn’t too late.”
Dragon School_The Ruby Isles Page 4
