Page 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A sharp shake jerks me to wakefulness. Tia’s standing over me with a candle, fully dressed in her flight leathers and armed to the teeth. For a split second, I wonder if she’s finally come to kill me like she threatened to do when we were six and I dropped her doll in the well to see how far down the water was. Nearly twenty feet, which I thought was impressive. She did not.

“Wake up, Talon,” she demands impatiently. “We don’t have all day.”

I blink at her, then cast a glance toward the window. It’s still dark outside. “It’s not day at all. What the fuck, Tia? I’m sleeping.”

“We need to leave. Important mission, remember? Vital to the survival of humanity?”

Ugh. I try to roll over, but she’s got a firm grip on my shoulder.

“Tia,” I whine. “Why do you hate me?”

“You don’t want to ask that question. One day, someone’s going to answer it, and you won’t like how long the answer is. Get. Up. We need to leave.”

“We’re not leaving until nine,” I inform her, trying not to take pride in the fact that there are many reasons for people to hate me. I don’t think that was her intention. “Dark means it’s not close enough to nine for me to get up.”

She rips back my blankets.

“Tia! What if I was naked?” I half sit up, reaching for the covers before all the warmth can disappear.

“Please. Like you have anything I haven’t seen before. Or even want to see. Now get up.”

Since it seems like she’s not going to let this go, I muster all my patience and ask, “Why? We’re not leaving until nine.”

“No, we’re leaving at six. In half an hour. Because every master in the city knows we’re supposed to leave at nine, and I can guarantee most of them will be there. And when everyone else sees them, they’ll want to know what’s happening and join the crowd. Do you really want to ride out with an audience that big?”

Fuck me dead.

I scramble out of bed. “On second thought, an early start is just what we need. Could you send someone to let J—Master Kahwyn know?”

“ Jaimin is already in the stable, saddling the horses. Which, by the way, you’ll need to do for yourself in future.” She stands with her hands on her hips, watching as I splash water on my face and then look around blankly.

“Gods’ turds, what am I supposed to wear to ride a horse?”

Tia points to my desk chair, where she’s apparently laid out clothes for me as though I’m a child. To distract from that, I accuse, “You woke Jaimin before me?”

“No. Because he and I discussed it last night and decided this was the most sensible course of action. It was his idea—he’d heard the talk from the other masters.”

Where exactly was I during this secret meeting they had? “I think you’ve both forgotten who the expedition leader is,” I complain.

“He did suggest we talk to you,” she concedes. “But I know exactly how much you hate mornings, so I figured this way was better.”

She’s not wrong, but there’s no way I’m admitting that. “I need to tell my master and get the stone. Or have you already done that too?”

The annoying little smirk on her face is the only warning I have before my door opens. Choking down a shriek—and very glad I’m not still in only my underclothes—I spin to face it.

“Ah, Talon. I can see you’re your usual cheerful morning self,” Master says, grinning. Of course he and Tia are enjoying the fact that they’ve dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night to ride a horse in the fucking cold. “I won’t come down to see you on your way—it’s a little nippy out there in this time before dawn. But I’ve brought you this.” He holds out the box, and I move forward to snatch it from him.

“You’re an evil man.”

“Isn’t it delightful?” he agrees. “Take this as well.”

It’s a leather pouch on a long thong, the kind of thing people use to carry valuables around their necks to deter pickpockets. A shirt and coat usually do the trick to hide the bulge and make it difficult to access.

“I had it made especially,” Master says. “It should make carrying the stone easier when you don’t want to cart a box around.”

“Thank you.” I hadn’t even thought of that, but it’s not like I can just leave the stone in my room at all the inns I’m planning on staying in. And taking a wooden box, even a small one, down to dinner or everywhere else would attract attention. I quickly move the stone from the box to the pouch and hang it inside my shirt. The chunk of rock has been oddly silent so far—it’s probably planning ways to torment me.

“Be careful. We still don’t know enough about these rogues who are raising zombies. Or about the zombies themselves. It’s possible you may run into trouble on the road.”

I stare at him. “ Trouble? Master, don’t you think this is something you should have mentioned earlier? When I could have recruited some nice burly guards to come with us?”

“The stone wouldn’t have allowed that,” he reminds me. “Only the three of you were permitted.”

“Then a lesson in how to wield a damn sword. And a sword to wield!”

“You know how to wield a sword,” Tia reminds me. “Father insisted you be taught. And that’s why you don’t have a sword. Stop worrying. Leicht and I are there to protect you.”

That’s an excellent point—Tia has been training for battle while I’ve been training to use magic, and dragons are basically giant flying lizards who kill. Though I’d never say that to Leicht. I ignore the denigration of my sword-fighting abilities. I might be somewhat rusty now, but I was a competent enough student. Ish. I never accidentally maimed anyone, anyway. They were all healed.

“What if you’re off scouting when we’re attacked? What happens then? I know basic battle magic, but it’s not my area of expertise, and I’ll have Jaimin to protect too.”

They both laugh. I must have missed the joke.

“Then you call for me,” Tia says patiently. “I’ll come back to save you.”

“And you don’t need to worry about Jaimin Kahwyn,” Master adds. “He’s spent a lot more time in the real world than you have. He can protect himself.” Unsaid but heavily implied is and you too.

My pride thoroughly battered, I say, “Well, this has been lovely, but I have a dangerous and uncomfortable journey to begin. In the cold and dark. With a man who believes I'm an immature child and a dragon who hates me.”

“Let’s go, then,” Tia replies, not bothering to refute any of those statements. “Grab your pack.” She strides out without waiting for me.

Miffed, I shove a few last-minute things—including the box—into my already bulging pack and make to follow. Master grabs my arm. “Talon, don’t be shy about checking in with me. Listen to the stone—it will guide you. And… remember what I said.”

Fate and free will. What a fun combination. “I’m honored to be your apprentice, Master.”

He nods and lets me go, and I hurry to catch up to Tia, the damn pack thumping against my side.

She’s already halfway down the stairs when I reach her, and I fall silently into step beside her—until we get to the bottom, and she turns to the right.

“You’re going the wrong way,” I whisper. “The stables are down there.” I point to the left, but she shakes her head.

“Jaimin is meeting us with the horses on the lawn,” she says at a normal volume. “Leicht needs somewhere to launch from, remember? You can take the chasm path around the academy and meet up with the road.”

The chasm path. In the dark and snow. On horseback. This just keeps getting better and better.

When we slip out the side door to the lawn, I’m thrilled to find that it’s just as cold as I was expecting. At least it’s not currently snowing. Off to the east, the sky is slightly lighter, which I suppose means it’ll be light soon… maybe. I don’t know exactly how long the sun takes to rise, since I’ve never been stupid enough to wake this early.

There’s a huge shadow in the middle of the snow-covered lawn that I’m guessing—hoping—is Leicht, and as we get closer and my eyes adjust more, I see a clump of smaller shadows. Jaimin, holding the reins of three horses.

Yay.

“Good morning,” he says, his tone far too cheerful even though he pitches it low enough so it won’t carry. “Give me your pack, and I’ll get it stowed. This lady here is yours. Her name is Sweetie.”

My gaze flies to Tia. “You picked a horse called Sweetie for me?”

She shrugs. “She’s the steadiest one I could find. The stablemaster said she’d stand still in a hurricane.”

That’s comforting, though I’m really hoping this will all be done with long before hurricane season arrives. And that we don’t have to travel as far as any of the regions where hurricanes occur.

I approach the horse warily as Jaimin secures my things to the packhorse and Tia scrambles up Leicht’s leg. “Good morning…, Sweetie.” I try not to cringe. “How do you feel about a change of name?”

In the faint light from the stars, it’s hard to see what color she is, but it’s impossible to miss the way her ears go back and she snorts, tossing her head. I look up at Tia accusingly. “You said she was gentle!”

“I said steady,” Tia calls softly. “I also didn’t say change her name. Stop being an ass, Talon, and mount up. We need to get going.”

The sound of a choked laugh draws my gaze to Jaimin, but the shadows hide his expression from me as he swings easily into the saddle of his tall horse. At least Sweetie isn’t a million feet high. It would hurt to fall that far—trust me, I know.

Sighing, I lean in to whisper to my horse, “Listen, a little mutual respect can go a long way. You like apples? I can get you apples.”

I’m close enough to see the way she stares back at me disdainfully, and I give up. Keeping a hand on her neck so as not to startle her in the dark, I take the few steps necessary to reach the saddle. Fuck, it seems a long way up. Do I even remember how to do this?

Five agonizing minutes and a humiliating scramble later, I’m finally mounted. “Let’s go,” I order, as though they haven’t been waiting for me.

Leicht launches with a giant flap of his wings, the backdraft making me cling to my pommel. Sweetie doesn’t even twitch, so at least the stablemaster wasn’t lying about that.

However, it takes three attempts from me to get her started, and even then I think she just notices that Jaimin and the packhorse are leaving and doesn’t want to be left behind.

The stories about glorious quests never mentioned this part.

We reach the city gates in the pearly light of dawn and are the first to go through when the guards open them as the sun breaks above the horizon. After our slow walk along the chasm path and then through the city streets, I’m more or less used to being on a horse now, but still wait another half hour, until the city road meets with the highway, before I begrudgingly tell Jaimin we should pick up the pace. There isn’t another village or town for miles yet, so it’s unlikely we’ll accidentally ride right past the champion. Not to mention, if they’re this close to the city and the stone has made me go through all this rigmarole, I’m going to find a hammer and smash it into pebbles.

Jaimin’s mouth quirks in the way that irritates me so much, but he obligingly nudges his horse into a canter. It takes me a moment to convince Sweetie to do the same. I’m starting to think that when the stablemaster said “steady,” he actually meant “stubborn.”

Or it could be that she just doesn’t like me.

The highway is well-maintained, but even though we’re already at a lower elevation and most of the snow here has melted off, the mud remains. It’s been a long time since I rode, too, much less at this pace, so I bump along like a sack of flour until I remember how to keep my seat properly. I hope Jaimin was serious when he said he was bringing something to help a bruised ass, because mine is going to be black and blue after this.

Tia stays in more or less constant contact with me as she and Leicht scout ahead and behind us, occasionally returning to circle overhead, but the first part of the morning passes uneventfully. We trade off walking with cantering a few times, pausing to water the horses, and it’s a little past nine when we approach the second village off the highway. We’re well below the snow here, and it’s definitely warmer—though at this time of year, that’s not saying much. I slow Sweetie before we get there, reaching out to Tia.

“Is there somewhere around here you can land? The horses need a break, and I think we should talk.”

“Let me look.”

“Is something wrong?” Jaimin asks, slowing beside me. I glance over and see him looking at me with a curious expression.

“No. I’m just hungry and thinking this might be a good time for us to rest the horses. Do you know if there’s somewhere nearby where Leicht could land? That way when Tia circles back, she can join us.” I mentally pat myself on the back for that clever idea.

Jaimin looks around. “Hmm. It’s been some time since I came this way, but I think if we head over that way, there’s an old quarry. It’s only a few hundred feet off the road, through those trees. There should be a small road somewhere…”

While he looks for the road, Tia says, “Leicht’s spotted a clear space off to the right of you, about a hundred yards into the trees. I think I can see a road, too.”

I hide my grin. I really am a genius. “Perfect. Jaimin’s about to lead us there. Give us a ten-minute head start before you join us.”

“There it is.” Jaimin points just ahead, where an overgrown road branches off the highway into the sparse forest. “Do you want to try that? Or maybe we shouldn’t leave the road, in case Tia can’t find us.”

“Don’t worry about that,” I assure him, trying to get Sweetie to turn and succeeding on the fourth attempt. “Leicht’s eyesight is a lot better than you’d think, and Tia says they can see pretty much everything that’s not under cover. Besides, I’d still rather we stopped out of sight, at least until we’ve got our stories straight. We’re likely to get some questions.”

He follows me, but there’s a doubting look on his face. I don’t blame him. We’re following a major highway, not a backwoods road. The villagers who live near highways are used to seeing travelers and don’t usually ask a lot of questions.

Despite the condition of the road, we reach the quarry quickly enough. It’s probably not the best place in the world for Leicht to land, what with all the random rubble strewn around, but I know the dragons can manage with worse conditions—and it was his suggestion, anyway.

“Is that a well?” I ask, squinting toward a cluster of abandoned buildings that were probably used for… whatever it is that people use buildings for at quarries. I wouldn’t know, not having any interest in digging for rocks.

Jaimin’s already headed toward it. “Yes,” he calls back. “Let me check if the water’s safe.”

Huh. Looks like having a healer along is going to be more useful than I thought. Though, now I think about it, it’s possible I was taught how to use magic to check if water is foul or safe. It was a long time ago, and since I never planned to be away from the comforts of a well-stocked kitchen, I didn’t pay that much attention.

Sweetie ambles to a stop beside Jaimin’s tall gray horse, and I maneuver out of the saddle, trying not to wince as my muscles protest. I spend a moment clinging to Sweetie while my legs learn that yes, standing is something they know how to do.

“It’s good,” Jaimin says just as I attempt a few faltering steps. I manage to stay on my feet, and as he drops the bucket to pull up some water, I rack my brain to remember what I need to do for my horse while she rests. Water, food… check her hooves. That’s going to be fun. Loosen the girth? Yes, I need to loosen the girth a little too.

I do that first, since it’s the easiest. There’s plenty of grass along the edge of the trees, so they can graze on that while we talk. Maybe I can check her hooves while she’s distracted by the water Jaimin is right now pouring into an ancient trough.

That’s if I can even remember how to do it.

While I’m mulling that over, I warily approach the packhorse. It seems placid enough, but a single glance at the pack-holder-thing tells me I have no idea what to do to make it more comfortable.

“I’ll take care of him,” Jaimin says behind me, and I jump and spin around. He’s closer than I expected, and I swallow hard. It’s really unfair that he’s so handsome and smells good even after riding a horse all morning.

“Uh… we should take turns,” I protest weakly, and he laughs, moving forward to loosen a strap on the pack that somehow doesn’t make the whole thing fall apart.

“I don’t mind. Your job is looking after the stone and finding the champion. Until we work out what my job is supposed to be, I can look after the horses.”

“Except Sweetie,” I insist. I might hate riding, but one thing our old groom beat into me was that you look after your own mount. You can’t expect a horse to carry you where you want it to if it doesn’t know you. Personally, I’d rather not know Sweetie, but I don’t shirk my responsibilities. Dammit.

He studies me for a moment, then nods. “That’s your decision to make. I won’t come between a man and his horse. But I need you to demonstrate that you know what you’re doing.”

Aw, the super-powerful healer cares about equine well-being. I bet he rescues kittens too.

“Fine. But I’ll be honest, I don’t remember how to check her hooves.”

He smiles at me. It’s warm and encouraging and makes me feel like I did something amazing. “You remembered it has to be done, though. I can show you how.”

I trail after him like a puppy, hating that his approval is seemingly so important to me, and grateful that I get to stand close and breathe him in for a moment longer.

Tia can never learn of this.

We spend the next few minutes making sure all three horses get enough water and their hooves are free of stones, then retrieve food and water for ourselves and turn them loose on the grass for their snack. No sooner have we found a semi-comfortable group of rocks to sit on than Jaimin glances up and says, “There’s Leicht.”

Faster than most people expect—though not me because the bastard’s surprised me this way many times before—Leicht dives from high overhead to land with surprising grace not too far away. He waits for Tia to slide down, then launches into the air again.

“Where’s he going?” Jaimin calls to my sister. There’s a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“To find a sheep or something,” she replies, smiling at him. “He’ll be back.”

“Too soon,” I mutter, but it’s not quiet enough. She kicks me lightly before taking a seat on the rock beside mine. I pass her a chunk of bread and cheese.

“Be nice to Leicht, or I’ll let him eat you like he’s been threatening to do all these years.”

“If he’d stop threatening, maybe I’d be nicer,” I counter, and they both laugh as though I’ve said something hilarious. I’m feeling distinctly ganged up on right now. “Let’s not waste time,” I continue in an attempt to actually show I’m the expedition leader. “It’s time to talk to the stone and see if we can form an actual plan.”