Seekers of the Wild Realm

by Alexandra Ott

  “You know,” I say, “because lilies are natural and beautiful and—”

  “I like it,” he says, cutting off my awkward explanation. “Lilja it is.”

  The dragon—Lilja—snorts again, and we both laugh.

  “See, I knew you’d be the perfect person to help me out with this,” Ari says. “You’ve already come up with a name in five minutes, when I’ve had days and couldn’t think of anything.”

  “It’s true,” I joke. “You clearly need my help.”

  “I was thinking,” Ari continues, ignoring the jab, “that you could watch her while I’m at training, but then when will we meet up to train together? I promised to teach you everything they show us in the training sessions.”

  It’s a testament to how distracting Lilja is that I’d completely forgotten about that. I’m supposed to be getting Ari’s help to win the competition. I can’t lose sight of that goal. “Well,” I say, “I’ll come here when my parents think I’m at training, but of course you won’t be here because you will be at training… but they’ll expect me for dinner afterward. So…”

  “Think you can sneak away again?”

  I frown. “It will have to be at night like this, after they’re asleep. They won’t just let me disappear for hours without explanation.”

  Ari shrugs. “I can get away from my mother at night easily enough. How about you?”

  It was easy to sneak away, I suppose. It was a little nerve-racking in the moment, but no one woke up.…

  “I guess I can do it,” I say hesitantly. The idea still doesn’t thrill me. I’ve never done anything like this before, and now suddenly I’m lying to my parents and sneaking out at night all in the same day.

  But it’s for the competition. To become a Seeker. Right now nothing is more important.

  “Actually, yeah, I’m sure I can do it,” I say firmly.

  Ari nods. “It’s settled, then. Just keep on eye on Lilja tomorrow afternoon while I’m gone. I’ll take the dinner shift, and you can meet me here tomorrow night as soon as you can get away.”

  “Won’t your mother miss you at dinner?” I ask.

  “We don’t eat together, because she works in the evenings. I’ll just grab something right after training and eat it here.”

  I’d nearly forgotten about that. Ari’s mother actually has a job, unlike most of the women in the village. I’m not sure what happened to his dad; he’s lived with only his mother for as long as I can remember. She works at the village bakery.

  “Why does she work at night?” I ask. “The bakery is open during the day.” Once the question is out of my mouth, I wonder if it might be rude. It seems like the kind of thing Mama would chastise me for saying. Don’t be nosy, Bryn, says her voice in my head.

  But Ari doesn’t seem fazed. “They bake most of the goods early so that they’ll be ready for sale in the morning,” he explains. “She bakes at night, and Olga sells to customers during the day.”

  “Oh,” I say. “That makes sense.” I’m having trouble imagining Ari’s life—living alone with only his mother and having her gone at night. It sounds… lonely.

  Ari is distracted by Lilja, who’s tapping the end of her snout against his side, trying to find berries in his coat. He backs up, and she follows, half chasing him around the cave. It looks like this could go on awhile.

  “Well,” I say, “if that’s all I need to know, I guess I’d better get going.”

  “Yeah,” Ari says, sounding reluctant. “I guess you’d better.”

  “You know, because my parents might wake up and…”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Not sure there’s much else to do tonight anyway.”

  “Are you going to head home too?”

  Ari shakes his head, his curls flopping. “I’ll wait here awhile longer, make sure she gets back to sleep. Wouldn’t want her wandering off at night.”

  “Right,” I say. “Well…” For some reason I don’t want to leave. Probably it’s because I’m in the presence of a real, beautiful dragon, a creature I’ve dreamed about seeing for my entire life.

  But also, if I’m being honest, I think I’m a little reluctant to leave Ari alone.

  Which is silly. He’s been doing this by himself for who knows how long—a few weeks at least, judging by Lilja’s size. There’s no reason he needs my help right now. And anyway, why should I care when I clearly can’t trust him? He hasn’t told me the truth about anything, and I still don’t know if he’s going to keep his word and help train me. He could be planning to lie to me about what happens in training, to make sure I can’t beat him during the competition.

  He’s my rival, and I can’t lose sight of that. If meeting Lilja has taught me anything, it’s that I want to be a Seeker more than ever. I can only imagine getting to work with her and more creatures like her every day.

  I don’t care about Ari. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care.

  He’s backing away from me, laughing at Lilja as she pursues him.

  “Bye,” I call to him, turning my back quickly so I don’t lose my resolve.

  “See you tomorrow, Bryn.”

  I walk briskly out of the cave without looking back.

  EIGHT

  I don’t sleep at all that night.

  I can’t stop picturing Lilja. How incredible she is, how strong her magic is. I can’t stop wondering what it will be like to train her each day, to watch her while Ari is gone, to fly to the heights of the Realm on her back.

  And I can’t stop thinking about Ari and wondering if I can trust him.

  In the morning, Mama notices how tired I am right away. “What’s wrong?” she asks instantly. “Are you ill?”

  “No, Mama.”

  She looks skeptical.

  Papa smiles at me. “Too excited about training to sleep?”

  “Right,” I say, latching on to this excuse. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it.…”

  Mama’s mouth twists into a frown. “You’ll never make any progress at that training of yours if you’re too tired to keep your eyes open.”

  “I’m not that tired. I’m awake, look.” I stretch my eyes open wide. Elisa giggles, and I bat my eyes at her, making her laugh harder.

  Mama gives Papa an “I told you so” look. Papa shrugs at her and digs into his breakfast.

  “Well,” Mama says finally, “don’t think that this training of yours and staying up all night is going to excuse you from chores.”

  “Of course not,” I mutter.

  “You’d better get going if you don’t want to be late.”

  “Late?” I don’t remember needing to be anywhere—

  “The docks?” Mama says. “Don’t you always meet Runa there on trading day?”

  “Oh!” I completely forgot about trading day. Once a month, the ships from the mainland arrive at the docks. Our trading partners—the Ermandi, Laekens, and Midjans—each send a ship packed with all the goods they’ve brought to trade. Runa and I love to go. Since we’ve never left the island, trading day is the only time we get to meet people from other lands and learn about their treasures. It’s always fun, even if we can’t afford to trade anything ourselves.

  I rush through the rest of my breakfast and hurry to the village square, where Runa is waiting for me beneath the tree. “What took you so long?” she says.

  “I have loads to tell you.” I can’t help but grin. “You’re never going to believe it.”

  We walk together through the small alleyways of the village, skirting around rows of shops and houses and aiming for the docks. As we walk, I tell her everything: Ari appearing in my garden, the deal we made, and the hidden dragon. I whisper as quietly as possible so we won’t be overheard, but now seems to be a safe time to talk—everyone has already gone down to the docks, and the streets are deserted.

  “I can’t believe it,” Runa says. “You met an actual dragon.”

  “I know!”

  “Do you think Ari’s really going to help you train?” A fro
wn creases her brow.

  “I don’t know whether to trust him or not,” I admit. “But I don’t have much to lose.”

  Runa nods in acknowledgment. We fall silent as we reach the docks, the crowds forcing us to end the conversation. Dozens of people have already assembled on the big wooden platforms that jut into the sea. Ordinarily, only the smaller docks are in use, for our village’s fishing boats. But today three massive ships fill the harbor.

  “So where do you want to go first?” I ask.

  Runa’s eyes light up. “The Laekens, of course.”

  I groan. “I should’ve known.”

  “The Ermandi can be next, I promise,” she says, and I can’t help but smile. Runa knows me too well.

  The Laeken ship is the smallest of the three, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty. Its wood has been intricately painted with swirling designs—whorls of red, blue, green, and yellow that match the colorful patterns on their sails. The Laeken are known for their art, and Runa could spend hours admiring the vivid paints and soft brushes they bring from the mainland.

  “Hello, Runa,” says an elderly woman in a red shawl as we approach the tent that’s being hastily pitched on the dock beside the Laeken ship. Elder Margret has been the chief Laeken tradeswoman for years. “Hello, Brynja,” she adds when she sees me.

  “Good morning, Elder Margret,” we chorus.

  “Do you have anything new this month?” Runa asks excitedly. “I’ve still been thinking about that orange tonic from last time.”

  More than the art supplies the Laeken bring, Runa loves to look at all their herbs and ointments and medicines. While the Laekens don’t have magic like the people of our island do, they’re known for their skill with healing. Runa loves to ask Elder Margret about all the new ways they’ve found to treat burns or coughs or colds. Personally, though, I have to say that rows of bottles filled with funny-smelling goo don’t appeal to me much.

  As Runa admires the latest Laeken wares, I cast a glance at the ship at the next dock over. The Ermandi have the largest one, befitting the largest mainland clan. I never know what to expect from the Ermandi ship, but it’s always something new and exciting. Last month, one of their tradesmen showed me a mainland plant I’d never seen the likes of before—it had tall thick stems, cone-shaped leaves, and petals the color of a sunrise. I might not have any interest in plants after they’ve been bottled up in jars and sold as tonics, but I love them when they’re still growing. That plant had a magical energy I’d never felt before, soft and bright all at once.

  I take a step closer to the Ermandi ship, but someone in the crowd jostles me, and I bump into a boy walking past. “Sorry,” I say.

  The boy looks up and pauses. It’s Tomas. After a moment of awkward silence, he says, “Brave of you.” But he doesn’t say it like a compliment; his mouth twists into a sneer.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Showing your face in public. After Agnar kicked you out of training, I figured you’d be off crying somewhere.”

  I’m so taken by surprise that I just stand there for a second. But I recover as best I can, drawing myself up to my full height. “Well, you figured wrong. I’ve been too busy training instead.”

  Now he’s the one who’s surprised. “Training?”

  “For the competition, of course.”

  He blinks. “You can’t compete.”

  “Of course I can. I was kicked out of training, not the competition.”

  “But Seeker Agnar said—”

  “Seeker Agnar isn’t the whole council. He isn’t even the head of it. Unless all of the Seekers pass a rule that says girls can’t compete, there’s no reason I can’t.”

  Tomas opens his mouth, but he seems to think better of whatever he was about to say and shakes his head. “Well, I hope you do show up. It will be hilarious watching you try to keep up with no training.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’ll be the one laughing,” I say, “when I beat all of you.”

  “Sure. If a dragon doesn’t eat you first.”

  “I—”

  “Bryn!” Runa calls, interrupting me. She appears at my elbow, and her eyes are wide. Something is wrong—something bigger than Tomas. “Bryn, we have to go,” she says.

  “What? Why?”

  Runa hardly glances at Tomas. “It’s the Vondur,” she says. “One of their ships is coming here. Right now!”

  “What?”

  Tomas laughs suddenly, causing both of us to look up at him. “You haven’t heard?” he says. “The council had a big fight about it. The Vondur keep asking them if they can bring a ship—they claim they just want to trade. Oskar was always one of the Seekers who was most opposed to letting the Vondur come back, but now that he’s gone, Seeker Agnar and my father persuaded Larus that it was the right decision. Ludvik still opposes it, but he was outnumbered.”

  “Why would your father want that? Why would anyone want that?” Runa asks.

  Tomas shrugs. “It’s been ages since the Vondur were last here. Maybe they’ve changed. And this could be a good economic opportunity for the island, trading with them.”

  “Yeah, but letting their ships into our waters puts them really close to the dragons when they’re hunting,” I say. “The same dragons that the Vondur love to kill.”

  Tomas shrugs again. “According to my father, the new Vondur chief promised the council that they wouldn’t harm any magical creatures in close proximity to the island. I guess the council believed them.”

  “Bryn,” Runa says, tugging on my sleeve. “I really think we should go. If our parents find out we were here when the Vondur showed up, they’ll kill us.”

  “Assuming the Vondur don’t kill you first,” Tomas says with a smirk. “Yes, run along home, little girls.”

  “You—” I start, clenching my hand into a fist, but Runa grabs my arm and drags me away.

  “Save the fighting for the competition,” she says, towing me along.

  As we follow the path uphill, back to the center of town, I turn and look beyond the docks, out to sea. There, on the horizon, I catch a glimpse of white sails crowned with bright-red flags.

  The Vondur ships have arrived.

  * * *

  I find Papa in the garden, where he’s practicing magic with Elisa. She has a defender gift like Mama, rather than a nature gift, but Papa still likes to help her nurture her magic. Even though she’s only been developing her powers for a few years, she’s already strong. Some people have gifts that develop fast that way.

  “Papa,” I say, “did you know about the Vondur?”

  Papa straightens up. “What do you mean?”

  “Their ships. They were coming to trading day. Runa and I left before they got there. Tomas—Seeker Freyr’s son—says the council decided to let them come.”

  Papa’s expression is unreadable. “I didn’t realize they’d be arriving so soon,” he says. “But yes, I knew the council was discussing it. And with Oskar gone, it seemed only a matter of time. Some of the younger Seekers have been very… insistent on the issue lately.”

  “But why? Aren’t the Vondur dangerous?”

  Papa doesn’t respond for a moment. “They are not known for being peaceful. But things change.”

  “Do you think they’ve changed?”

  He steps toward me, leaning heavily on his cane, and places one hand on my shoulder. “It’s not for you to worry about.”

  “But if I’m training to be a Seeker, then I should worry about it,” I insist. “The Vondur kill magical creatures. You said so yourself. What if the Realm isn’t safe?”

  “When you become a Seeker, you can discuss it with the others. For now, though, you should focus on your training. Isn’t that where you’re supposed to be right now?”

  Oh. Right. I forgot Papa doesn’t know that I got kicked out.

  “Right,” I say. “I was just headed that way.…”

  “Can I come too?” Elisa asks, and I wince.

  “I think you
r mama needs your help here,” Papa says to her gently. Elisa must have been coughing a lot last night. Otherwise Papa wouldn’t try to keep her at home. He usually encourages us to be adventurous.

  I can’t help but picture the jar of starflower paste on the kitchen counter. When I saw it at breakfast this morning, less than a fourth of the jar was full.

  Papa starts to head inside, but then I remember what I meant to ask him. “Hey, Papa…”

  “Yes?”

  “I was wondering: How do baby dragons learn to fly?”

  Papa leans back on his heels, considering. He doesn’t find the question remotely unusual, or at least doesn’t seem to. I ask about magical creatures all the time. “They usually learn to stretch their wings within a week after hatching,” he says. “They’ll hover a bit for a few weeks after that, getting used to being in the air. They start truly flying anywhere from three to six weeks old.”

  I don’t know how old Lilja is, though I’d guess from her size that she’s at least two or three weeks. “But how do they learn to fly? Is it just instinct? Do they just do it? Or do I—I mean, Seekers—have to train them somehow?”

  “Much of it is instinct, it seems,” he says. “Though they also learn from watching the adult dragons, of course.”

  I swallow hard. That’s what I was afraid of. “But what if there weren’t any adult dragons to learn from? What if, say, a dragon egg hatched and the baby was alone? Would it still figure out how to fly on its own?”

  Papa frowns, scratching his beard. “Interesting question. How much of it is innate and how much of it is learned? I can’t say for sure, since I’ve never seen a dragon that was raised on its own like that. We always have a plentiful population in the Realm.”

  “I know,” I say impatiently, “but just in theory…?”

  “In theory, yes, I expect the dragon would figure flight out on its own eventually, though it might take longer.”

  “Okay,” I say. “That’s what I was wondering. Thanks.”

  “You’d better hurry along to your training. Perhaps you’ll even get your first magical creature introduction today!”