Page 20 of Upon Buried Embers (Upon Buried Embers #1)

Elf

Gentle heat envelops me, causing me to sigh in relief from being out of the winter cold. I love the warmth. Having not had it often, I cherish every moment of it.

A rumble seems to echo in bursts which rattles my nerves, but Rohan doesn’t seem to mind. I watch his back, the torches in here softly light the way through the huge space.

“What do you know of the Dragorie?” His question surprises me because I didn’t think he would care what I know. “You can speak freely, I need to know in order to assess.”

Assess what?

“Um… You have your own customs and practices. Your own… rules.”

“Go on.”

“They… You live away from the towns and local villages, away from the city. You take care of the dragons, sworn to protect them under the Dragon Mother, Morana?”

“Correct. Continue.”

I wrack my brain for any information I heard from Master over the years, from when he took me underground.

“I heard dragons are dying?” The air suddenly chills, more bitter than the cold outside.

Rohan doesn’t reply straight away, he keeps walking for a little while before he finally responds.

“The dragons are not dying naturally, they’re being hunted.”

The news startles me, and my eyes widen as I take in this new information.

What? How can that be? For all the Dragorie clans are known for, they’re fierce protectors of dragons. Even the wild ones, only killing them when they have no choice, like the one that attacked us in the forest outside of The Pit.

“Dragons are predators, we’re merely food to them,” he continues.

“So for a select few to be able to ride them, and control them to an extent, it has always been a threat in the hierarchy of Dracozar, and something others have always wanted to obtain. This isn’t something that has suddenly occurred, just that more action is being taken against us in recent years. ”

“And less dragons, means less of a threat to that hierarchy,” I murmur.

He grunts.

But who sees them as a threat? I’ve never heard of a dragon attacking anything. Not a village, or the city. Maybe a wild one? But I can’t say I would know unless I overheard it.

We turn around a corner and enter an even larger area. The space is cavernous, spanning bigger than the settlement, alight with small fires.

There’s a large opening at the top, the walls glistening with veins of ore from the light. If I wasn’t surrounded by a man who could rip me apart and the beasts who could burn me alive, it would be a sight I’d like to stay and watch.

A dozen dragons lay along the edge of the walls. Rock circles surround them individually, like it’s their designated bed, and there are empty ones expanding further back.

They must belong to the ones that are out.

The dragons lift their heads as we move further inside, the ones that are awake anyway. They make some kind of chuffing rumble sound that I think are a greeting as Rohan approaches.

Rohan rumbles back, and I have to wonder how he can even make that sound. It’s like a purr and a growl, but the dragons seem to like it, laying their heads back down, relaxing.

“Dragonbonds are few and far between,” Rohan goes on. “There are only a handful of us left. Therefore, only a handful can ride Dragons.”

The five clan leaders, I know this at least.

“Dragons only trust the Dragorie because their Alpha has a Dragonbond, and others don’t like that.

For example, these dragons here are with Drogonah, but they trust me, and the clan because I’m a Dragonbond to Drogonah.

” That makes sense. “Dragonbonds are the only ones who can bridge the gap between man and dragon. They give us warmth and protection, while we make sure The Glade is protected and safe for their hatchlings.”

A pause.

“And we are failing.”

His hands fist at his sides at the words, and I’m not sure why he’s telling me any of this, but there must be a reason those words sounded like they crawled from his throat.

“The dragons are losing their trust in us. How can a mere five Dragonbonds keep them safe? They may be dangerous, but dragons just want to feast, mate and sleep. They only attack when necessary. Kill to defend.” He looks at Drogonah.

“Or they’re just grumpy or a wildling. But in The Glade, eggs are going missing, their mothers are being killed.

It’s showing that we cannot keep them safe while others try to claim what is ours. ”

The dragons.

“The Glade is their haven for the time they’re there. Few can get close to the center where most eggs and hatchlings are. Yes, you can observe from a distance, but be close enough to even touch an egg?” Rohan shakes his head, tension lining his shoulders.

“How can they take eggs?” I ask, looking at the sleeping dragons, and amusement runs through me at seeing how they rest their head on the end of their tails. One is even on its back, legs in the air.

They aren’t as scary when they look like that.

“Asking a Dragonbond a question, how brave.” I still, realizing that I did speak out of turn. Again. “No, we do not go back on words, they’re important, you own them.” After a moment, I raise my eyes to his as we walk toward the dragons, my steps a lot more hesitant. “Ask again.”

I clear my throat. “How can they take their eggs?”

He nods his approval. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.

How does one get close enough to an egg in The Glade without dying?

And then how does one take even a single egg without being ripped to shreds by other mothers and guardians?

Even dragons passing through would rip them apart if they saw someone with an egg that wasn’t their mother or father,” he growls.

“A dragon wouldn’t just let them be taken. ”

It just doesn’t seem possible, unless…

“A Dragonbond,” I mutter without thinking, and Rohan snaps his gaze to mine.

“Good, Elf.” Warmth fills my stomach at his praise. “That is one of the possible explanations I have at the moment, but I cannot be certain.”

We come to a stop in front of Drogonah. He peeks his eyes open, one white with blindness, the other purple that locks onto me and he growls.

“Hush now,” Rohan chastises. “It’s not like she can hurt you.”

The comment would sting, but he’s right.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you all of this information,” he says, stroking a hand down Drogonah’s snout as little plumes of smoke puff out.

“I am,” I say softly.

“Are you a spy?” I shake my head.

“I’ve been this way since I was younger.” I point to my collar, and he nods.

“There are a few reasons why I took you.” He looks at me intently and my heart rate speeds up. “One of them is that you may have the ability to find out how eggs are being stolen.”

“Me?” I ask, eyes wide. Is he crazy, what can I do?

He turns to Drogonah, running a hand along a horn that sticks up from the side of his forehead. It curves to the back, his ears flicking under it.

“Elves can talk to animals. I’ve seen it once with an elk when I was younger at the border.”

I’m already shaking my head. “But I’ve never done that. There was no one around to teach me.” I lift my hands helplessly. “There was just me.”

“I’m very much aware from what you’ve told me.”

“Which means I’m of no use.”

Which means he will kill me.

Some part of me feels relief at that thought.

He pauses and tilts his head. “Are you?” He murmurs.

I swallow and look away. All my elf heritage has been good for so far, is getting me a beating and a collar around my throat.

Sure, there were other slaves in the underground, but an elf isn’t something many see often. I was one of the very few elves down there that would be seen, all of us having our roles.

None that would help him with this task.

I lift a hand to my neck absentmindedly, and a growl sounds. I look at Rohan and then Drogonah, not knowing which one it came from.

“Even if being… me wasn’t useless, you want me to talk to a dragon? I’ve never heard of that. I wouldn’t even know how?” I stumble over my words, panicking.

“It’s unheard of, but not impossible. Dragons are just another creature.”

“And if I could somehow understand them?”

He picks up a stone from the side of Drogonah. It’s small in his hand, but it would fill both of mine.

“If you can talk with them, somehow, you can talk with the other Dragonbonds’ dragons.

Maybe garner information from them. This could let me know if a Dragonbond is involved with the eggs going missing, their mothers dying.

Their dragons won’t like them being involved, but they’re bonded, so they can’t kill each other. ”

But another can.

It would make sense. He could find out if one among them is a betrayer, take them out, if that’s even possible, and then the eggs would be safe. But…

“What if I were to lie to you?”

I don’t know where my sudden boldness has come from. I wouldn’t have dared to say such a thing aloud before. But he… needs me. At least for now. I can be safe, then work my way back to Effy.

A stillness overcomes the space, the temperature rising and Drogonah growls, like he can feel the anger flowing off his Dragonbond.

Rohan turns, eyes sharp and deadly, and I take a step back, only for him to roughly grab my chin to halt me.

“If you were to lie to me, I’d show you the fury only a Dragonbond has.

Do you think your life has been terrible?

You think it can’t get any worse?” I swallow.

“It can get far worse than any Master, or any Pit can put you through,” he spits, and I see it in his eyes then, the cruelty they’re so known for, and I know he’s telling the truth.

He lets me go, face pulling into a sneer.

“I’m taking a risk with you, but we’re running out of time and options, so, tell me.”

I frown, rubbing my chin. It didn’t hurt, but my skin tingles.

“What do you want in return?” He asks. “I can take you back to the Elven lands.”

I blink in surprise. I didn’t even think of that.

I could find my family.

“You would do that?” I tentatively ask, my hands rubbing my arms, feeling oddly vulnerable.