“Sometimes you just have to do things without knowing what you want.” I put a hand on my stomach. My pregnancy had definitely gotten visible in the past month, and just a few days ago I felt the first little flutter inside me. “Princesses don’t have as many choices as regular dragon women do…I still don’t know what I want either. But I know what I have. And I know what I love. And those two things overlap quite a lot.” I snapped my fingers. “I think what we need is to invite your brother to dinner.”
“You mean at the same time as me?”
“Yes. But don’t worry. We’ll frame it like it’s sort of business related. You, me, Aurek and Ezeru, Phoebe and the other guardians.”
“Why would I be invited?”
“You’re in the family. It’s fine. Isn’t there a holiday coming up? Harvest comes early in the north, right?”
Five weeks had passed since we were enjoying the performance at Capamere palace. The respite didn’t last long before the army moved to a northern encampment. The soldiers were stationed at Fort Plan while Phoebe and her guardians, Aurek, Ezeru and I were in Phoebe’s old hometown of Istim. It was a sleepy little town that was now completely overtaken by generals and the royal family. They had already built a whole extra town’s worth of temporary shelters to house us all, although the town’s mayor had proudly handed his house over to the priestess and the dragon king. It was a small house when compared to a palace, but luckily we could all make do without too many bedrooms.
Meanwhile, being pregnant with twins was starting to be exhausting. The midwife warned me that I would grow bigger than other women and feel more wiped out. I was very diligent about taking my healing tea, because if I skipped a day, I started feeling sick, but even so, I had back pain and was getting breathless easier.
I was not a fan of all that, but when I felt the babies moving inside me, I started to feel this sense of being part of the fabric of life, like I was fulfilling my destiny, and creating something that would outlast me. Something that would knit us all together forever with the bonds of love.
Usually, as soon as I started thinking these deep thoughts I was in tears. I cried so easily. It was very aggravating.
I was enjoying the trip up north. I’d never seen this part of the country before. Summer had a month to go but it was already cold and misty in the morning now and then. We had a view of snow covered mountains out our bedroom window. And the people of the town welcomed us with a lot of very delicious bread. The children were so excited to see real royalty and real dragons. They seemed to feel like we were descended from the gods, and we could hardly take a step without being offered food, drinks, flowers, or herbal tonics.
I felt bad that the mayor had given us his house, but I also loved the house. It was a two story wooden chalet with a hearth and comfortable chairs downstairs, bedrooms upstairs with sloped ceilings and dormer windows where one could sit and read and look out over the whole town. The only problem was that the mayor’s big goofy dog would sit outside the window and bark at my small goofy cat while she growled back at him for what seemed like hours.
But.
We were always waiting for word of Oszin or Seron, and we knew that word could be bad. I hated that they had missed the babies’ first movements. They didn’t even know about any of this. They might die without ever knowing. That hung over me all the time. I just wanted to move against the mist dragons, strategy be damned, but of course—thankfully, I guess—no one listened to me.
The elders and mist dragons were holed up in the northern caves. We got a daily report on their movements, but so far our soldiers hadn’t made any successful inroads.
“The caverns are just such a labyrinth,” Forrest said, sitting down to tear open a warm roll. “We know there might be dragons there that on our side, but since we don’t know the terrain, we’re at a disadvantage. The elders have a lot of power. They’ve spent many months getting acquainted with the caves and tuning their magic to the stones there.”
I wanted this to be a cozy family dinner, not a royal affair. Phoebe and her mother had cooked a lot of the dishes themselves, and I helped peel potatoes and chop vegetables, so I was very proud of it, but as soon as the men sat down they were heading into Intense Military Strategy territory.
“How much longer do you think we need before we can make a move?” Aurek asked.
“It’s a stalemate,” Abel said. “At the moment. If they come out, we’ll attack, and they’d be on our turf. But if we go into the caverns, they’ll have an advantage of us.”
“And I suppose both sides have plenty of supplies,” Aurek said. “But we can’t just wait here forever!”
Raia gasped faintly like she was going to talk and then decided against it.
“Raia?” I asked her. “I think you just have to jump in.”
“I just—wondered—could lava dragons get in and burn them out?”
“Of course I’ve thought of that,” Abel said. “It’s too dangerous. They could use mist against you. Or you could choke on your own smoke.”
“We don’t have any old maps?” Rin asked. “That used to be our territory, once.”
“Not that anyone could find…” Forrest frowned at Phoebe.
Phoebe chewed her lip. “We need to go to the gate and get control of it from the elders…if there’s any way to do it safely.”
“We have to be patient right now,” Forrest said. “Even if it means we have to winter here in the north. We have enough supplies.”
“Hey, this is a harvest feast,” I said. “Phoebe and her mom worked hard on it. Can we—perhaps—not talk war for an hour?”
“Yes,” Aurek said. “We all need to take a break from our cares.”
“Agreed,” Niko said.
We all commenced to eat in silence, except for Phoebe, her mom, and Gilbert whispering about some neighbor lady at one end of the table. “Oh, I know, well, she means well…you have to remember, this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened in Istim since…”
“Squirt the Hat-Wearing Squirrel,” Phoebe chimed in.
“So, Abel,” I said. “Are you enjoying the small town setting? You don’t seem like a real ‘courtly’ sort of guy. It seems like this might suit you.”
“It’s true, I get the comforts of home and the thrill of a campaign at the same time. I do prefer this. I’ve never enjoyed being a glory hound like some of the generals.”
“We have a few like that in the dragon army too, don’t we, Raia?”
I honestly didn’t even know if that was true, but I assumed that every group of people had annoying members.
“Yes…” Raia smiled. “Captain Birsha. I served under her when I was a scout. It was my first post… and I still remember—she got mad at me for having dirty fingernails. Hers were never dirty at all and one day I caught her transforming her hands into dragon claws so she could get the dirt off easier because dragon claws don’t have the same little ridge.”
“Isn’t that against the rules there?” Abel asked.
“Yup. So I told her she’d better lay off me.”
“You were one of those types that keeps the captain up at night, weren’t you, sister?” Abel asked.
“I hope so. I mean—not to interfere with her work, but—she could be pretty rigid in her thinking.”
“Yes, yes, the young ones always think they know something the older ones don’t.” He smiled. “But sometimes they do.” He paused. “Are you trying to suggest that I’m rigid in my thinking?”
“No!”
I almost smiled. “Or…you know…maybe.”
“My lady! I mean—I have nothing but respect for you, brother. And you take after our mother.” Raia was much younger than Abel. I’m sure that didn’t help. She couldn’t really stand on her brother’s level.
I looked at Abel. See how flustered your baby sister gets around you? Please…be good to her.
“Raia…I hear you’ve been talking to Mr. Sewell about how women and men work together in the dragon mi
litary. Maybe you and I could have tea together and I could ask you some questions about that too. There are women who want to serve after they saw the female warriors in the dragon army, and I have no idea how to negotiate it without causing trouble.”
“I’m really not an authority,” Raia said, blushing.
“Raia.” I nudged her. “Just say yes.”
After that, they started to relax a little, and the party seemed like a success, especially as everyone else was talking and laughing and having a good time. Peri, Niko and Ezeru were even chatting away with a combination of signs, speech and writing. “I feel so grown up,” I marveled to Aurek as it was all winding down and Phoebe’s mother was clearing dishes away, with Forrest getting up to help her.
“I didn’t know this was necessary for your coming of age,” he said.
“Well, I chopped onions and cried! Maybe it’s because this sort of thing is like Oszin’s holidays, and he would always tell me about them.”
“The onions are delicious,” Aurek said.
“You didn’t even eat them.”
“Well, I don’t know what the hell all this is. Just imagine if you were blind while eating all my food.”
“I would pity you more if you were pregnant.”
“You’re getting the food you enjoy while you’re pregnant.”
“I’ll be pregnant again, I’m sure.”
Ezeru cleared his throat. “Are we allowed to talk about war again?”
I froze. Why did Ezeru want to talk about war?
“What’s on your mind?” Aurek asked.
“The gate,” Ezeru said. “The priestess controls the gate. Or she would. Phoebe needs to close the gate to block the mist dragons in, but she can’t get close to it. Meanwhile, Izeria will be wary of coming out because our armies are waiting for her. It’s a stalemate, but she thinks she has an advantage. She has Seron.”
“She doesn’t think she has an advantage,” Aurek said. “She does have an advantage. We’re afraid to do anything unless she hurts Seron.”
“No. We have an advantage: my rock dragons. They’re all over the northern caves, and I can persuade them to follow me.”
“But you have to get to them first,” I said. “The mist dragons will attack you!”
“Will they?” Ezeru scratched his chin. “Mist dragons can’t tell rock dragons apart. Not in the slightest. I’ve seen them mistake one servant for another, when they’ve been at the palace for years. We’re all the same to them.”
“Then, you would have to go in alone,” Abel said. “With no aid from us. And you’d have to make it seem as if you were just part of the regular movements of rock dragons.”
“I could do that,” Ezeru said. “I’ve developed so much trust with my rock dragons. They can obey my commands much better than they ever followed Izeria’s.”
“You haven’t trained for that!” I clutched the seat of my chair. “Ezeru…that is way too dangerous.”
“No one can read the caverns like I can,” he said. “If I get into trouble, I can hide inside the rocks themselves.”
“You can’t protect yourself from mist. You still have to breathe,” Aurek said.
“But the longer we wait, the greater the chances that Oszin or Seron is killed or damaged,” Ezeru said. “Yes, I would love to find Izeria and crush her. But—what matters more to me is that Seron and Oszin can be here for the birth of your children, and you won’t have that worried face every day.”
“You’re gambling with all of their lives anyway,” Niko said. “Let’s see what fortune says.” He cast dice across the table and rolled his eyes. “Proceed with caution. I get that one for everything nowadays. But—could be worse.”
“If you can just get someone in there to gather information, that would really help. The gate isn’t far. Ezeru should be able to get it done within a week.”
“Damnit! All because I had this dinner party?” I couldn’t help but feel that I had caused this somehow by getting them all together.
Ezeru smiled faintly and took my hand. “No. I want something to be done. I know Izeria. The threat against the others is very real. We can’t wait.”
“And it has to be you…?”
“Yes,” he said. “It does. No matter what, you’ll still have Aurekdel. That is as many husbands as most women have.”
“Er, yes, well…I don’t care if it’s selfish, but…”
Phoebe laughed. “I’m sorry. We spent too much time together, huh?”
I thought Aurekdel might make one of his old sarcastic comments about being left behind, but he just squeezed my shoulder and then picked up his wine glass. “Ezeru,” he said, lifting it. “Gods keep you, King of the Rock Dragons. Bring them back and if you get a chance to put Izeria’s head on a pike, you have my blessing.”
Chapter Twenty
Ezeru
“Here…it’s the tea. For your lungs.” Himika dropped a cloth bag in my hand and then she looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Be very careful. Don’t get cocky. You stand out.”
“I swear I will return,” I said. “I’ve never had anyone to look at me like that before.”
She threw her arms around my chest and squeezed me tight. I put my arms around her in return. It really was difficult to say goodbye to such a girl. Even the most glorious afterlife would be pointless without her.
Aurekdel gave me a brief, solemn bow. “Be very careful.”
“She just said that.”
“Well, it bears repeating.” He shook a finger. “I know you want revenge on that woman. I do too. That feeling can be quite powerful. Or perhaps some noble whim might strike you. Just keep your head down. Gather what information you can, turn as many rock dragons as you can easily manage without arousing suspicion. That’s it. If you can get Oszin or Seron it would be a bonus, but that will be much more difficult. Back in a week, no matter what.”
“I understand, Aurek. I’ll see you next week.” I took off the black crown and handed it to him. “Keep this for me.”
The second I started to turn, Aurek gave me a brief embrace too. Before he drew back, he dug his claws into my arms. Then he stepped back to console Himika, who was trying to look brave but really just looked small to me. The thought that I might never feel her touch or hear her whisper in my ear or taste her sweet body, and I almost regretted that I had ever suggested it.
I left in a hurry now. I had already said goodbye to Peri and everyone else.
The rock dragons were ready to move out. They had some meager supplies packed to their backs, but they didn’t need much. They could create armor from the rocks around them and hunt for food anywhere.
Outside the walls of the village, I took off my clothes and stashed them inside an abandoned barn. I would turn into a dragon for the duration of the trip. I was larger than the others, so I would stick out, but I suspected in a group, I could still blend in.
I had only taken the very best of my rock dragons, for a band of about twenty-five, like a small tribe that might naturally be roaming the caves.
“Remember, if we see other rock dragons, we tell them that the rock dragon king is outside the gates in the human town,” I said. “But you don’t tell them that I am the rock dragon king.”
“Yes, yes.”
I wasn’t used to being in dragon form at all. As a child, Dvaro didn’t like to see me as a human, but he liked me even less as a dragon. I realized my dragon legs weren’t used to running on all fours, so I was always getting out of breath. One of the older females started bringing me handfuls of bitter herbs to eat, scolding me, “You weak dragon!”
Then the other dragons got mad at her. “You speak bad words to our own king? King Ezeru is first king and best king! We never had best king before. Pretty big king, too.”
“I tell him truth,” she said haughtily. “He need become strong.”
“I’m becoming stronger,” I said. “I’m not used to being a dragon so my body needs time. It doesn’t happen in one day.”
&
nbsp; “Strong dragon king needed, I say,” the old woman huffed.
Nuru dashed forward and growled at the old woman. “King is strong human to make human baby with queen,” she said. “Then we have peace because king and queen make special baby to share.”
“Ahh…” The old woman nodded.
“That made more sense than what I said?” I muttered.
“I know,” Nuru said. “I have baby.”
“You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“Mmhm,” she said, holding her tail high.
“Then you shouldn’t have come to fight.”
“Oh no, I like fight. Human girl not fight, but I fight.”
“Human girl wanted to fight…,” I said. “But we wanted to keep her safe because babies are important. Your baby is important too.”
“Okay. But King? Can I have marriage dress now like pretty dragon?”
“You’re doing it out of order, Nuru. You’re supposed to get married first and then have the baby. But I suppose…maybe.”
As usual, traveling with the rock dragons was like somewhere between managing small children and a pack of wolves. When we ran into a big angry furry animal in the forest, with claws and fangs, as large as I was in my dragon form, the rock dragons killed it themselves and tore it up into pieces to cook on the fire that night. They even cut off the fur pelt to tan and tied up the skin in some trees to dry out.
“We come back later,” Nuru said.
Times like this I realized I didn’t always know what they could actually do when they weren’t trapped in a castle.
Although the human guards expected us, we avoided them anyway, moving over the rocky terrain where no human would choose to travel. I had looked at some rough maps of the entrance to the gate, but for centuries this area had been an abandoned ruin, the caverns considered too dangerous to enter. Rogue, twisted rock dragons prowled around on the hunt. They were corrupted by magic and I couldn’t get through to them. They would even attack my dragons. All we could do was put them out of their misery.
The Kingdoms of Sky and Shadow Box Set: A Fantasy Romance Page 70
