“They have never seen it,” Seeker Larus says, “because they do not dare. They treat it with more reverence than you.”
Agnar starts to respond, but Seeker Larus cuts him off. “And the explosion at the second trial? The use of Vondur magic? That was you as well? You could have killed the children.”
“I had it under control,” Agnar snaps. “It was only meant to disrupt the end of the trial. I hoped I could convince you to retake the second trial, or at least delay the third.”
“Why?”
“I couldn’t let you appoint another Seeker. Three of you are hard enough to fight, and I didn’t want a fourth to deal with.” He glares directly at me. “At first I wanted to bring the Vondur over before the trials. But we needed a dragon for the plan to work, to fly us into the Realm. And the first egg I took from the Realm was stolen by her. We got the red dragon eventually, but it wasn’t ready. I needed to delay the trials as much as possible. But you insisted on taking a vote and advancing the competition, so we had no choice but to arrive today, before the trials could finish.”
“No choice?” Seeker Larus says. He shakes his head sadly. “You had plenty of choices.”
Agnar opens his mouth again, but Seeker Larus turns away from him. His gift sparks around his fingers, and I sense a boundary spell of some kind surrounding Agnar. Seeker Larus looks at me.
“Thank you for your assistance,” he says. “I trust you will return your dragon to the Realm?”
“Yes,” I say, but I can’t help sighing. For a second, Seeker Larus smiles. Then he strides away, joining Seeker Freyr and Seeker Ludvik and conferring quietly with them.
Dragon wings beat overhead, and both Lilja and I glance up to see the golden dragon land once again in the arena, Ari on its back. He slides gracefully to the ground and walks up to us.
Lilja practically flattens him as she nudges him with her nose in an excited greeting, and Ari gently rubs her scales. “Hey, Lil,” he says quietly.
Then he turns to me. “Hey, Bryn.”
“Long time no see,” I answer, grinning.
Ari glances over at where Agnar sits, trapped by the boundary spell. “I can’t believe it. We spent all this time trying to find the traitor, and he was right in front of us.”
“Yeah,” I say. “He was the person you saw trading away Lilja’s egg, and the one who let the Vondur into the Realm that night, when we almost got caught. This is what they were planning. He’s probably the one who told the other Seekers about me and Lilja, the day they caught us.”
“No,” Ari says abruptly. “That was Tomas.”
My jaw clenches. “How do you know?”
“He was taunting me this morning as we went into the arena. He said something like, ‘I got your dragon taken away. Shame they didn’t catch you, too.’ ”
“But how did he know about Lilja?”
“I asked him, and he said he knew that you must be hiding something, that you were too well trained not to be cheating. There was one day when he was late for training; I think he must have followed you out to Lilja’s cave and spied on you. Then he told his father, and his father told the other Seekers. He didn’t see me with the dragon, so he couldn’t prove that I knew about her too, but I think he suspected.”
“But why did he do it after I’d already lost the second trial? Why bother turning me in?”
“He was probably hoping I’d be there too, and then I’d be disqualified.”
“I should have reported him to the Seekers sooner. As soon as he told me that the rock throwing was his idea, I should’ve… I think I was too embarrassed.”
“I should’ve reported it,” Ari says. “After you told me about it, I should’ve said something. And I’m sorry about… about you getting caught with Lilja. When I asked you for help with her, I never meant for you to get in trouble. You should be the Seeker, really. You were amazing today, with how you handled those dragons and saved everyone.”
“Well,” I say, heat rising in my cheeks, “I couldn’t have done any of that if I’d been trapped in the arena with everyone else, so I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t pass the second trial and got caught cheating.”
Ari gives a hesitant laugh. “In that case, you’re welcome.”
“And you’re welcome for saving you from the Vondur.”
“Um, don’t you mean I saved you from the Vondur?”
“You did look pretty cool on that golden dragon,” I say. “But you learned it all from me, of course.”
“No way! I knew Lilja first. You learned everything about dragons from me.”
Ari grins, and I smile back, and for the first time since the Seekers caught me with Lilja, it feels like things might actually be all right.
THIRTY-TWO
The rest of the day passes in a blur. Seeker Ludvik questions me about how I broke the boundary spells to free Lilja from the Realm, then rushes off to restore them properly. Seeker Larus interrogates the Vondur and Agnar about their plan, and everyone else is quickly ordered out of the arena.
With Ari once more on the golden dragon and myself on Lilja, we fly to Dragon’s Point. It’s here, on an outcropping of rock just outside the Realm, that I have to say goodbye to Lilja again.
“Say hi to your new dragon friends for me,” I say.
Lilja blinks and nudges me with the end of her nose.
“Go on, now,” I say. “I’ll see you soon.”
It’s a lie, of course, but I don’t want to tell her the truth. I turn away quickly and give her a tap with my gift, sending her into the air. I can’t bear another long, tearful farewell.
Ari, who has already sent the golden dragon on its way, doesn’t say goodbye to Lilja. He doesn’t need to. I don’t know what exactly the Seekers plan to do, what with the third trial never taking place, but I’m sure he will be selected as the next Seeker eventually. I can hardly look at him as the two of us make our way down the rocky slope toward the village, our dragons soaring into the Realm behind us.
It’s nearly dusk when we return to the arena and ask Seeker Larus if there’s anything else we can do to help.
“I want to thank you both for your assistance today,” he says. “I don’t know what might have happened if the two of you hadn’t demonstrated such bravery and skill.”
Ari ducks his head, embarrassed. “It was mostly Bryn.”
“Seeker Larus?” I ask. “What’s going to happen to the Vondur we captured? And Agnar?”
“We would like to get more information from them about how this happened and what they were planning,” Seeker Larus says. “Then I expect we will release all of them back to the mainland. We have neither the means nor the desire to hold them here.”
“But what if they try to come back?”
“Without a dragon to help them into the Realm, it would be a futile effort,” Seeker Larus says. “Still, there are more protections that we can put in place to better secure the Realm. It’s something we have discussed before, but we didn’t realize how urgent the need really was.”
I nod. “And I guess you’ll need to finish selecting a new Seeker to help you with that.”
Seeker Larus smiles. “I’m sure we will. And I think we have seen enough to confirm our selection. But I will confer with the rest of the council and announce our decision tomorrow. Until then, both of you should go home and get some rest. You’ve earned it.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ari says.
Seeker Larus bids us good night and walks toward the arena. Ari and I head in the opposite direction, into the village.
We reach the path that leads to Ari’s home, and he stops, giving me a sheepish smile. “Well. Um…”
“I’m glad you’re going to be the new Seeker,” I say. “Compared with Tomas and Johann, I mean.”
“That’s hardly a compliment. It’s not hard to be better than Tomas and Johann.”
I laugh. “True.”
“And we don’t know if I’m going to be the new Seeker or not,” he adds. “They could pick one of them
.”
“Yeah right. You did great today, fighting the Vondur like that.”
“Not as good as you,” he says. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to compete.”
“Fortunately for you,” I say, grinning, “because I would’ve totally won.”
He smiles back. “In your dreams.”
“See you tomorrow, Ari.”
I walk the rest of the way to our hut alone. When I arrive, the garden gate is flung wide open, and a candle burns in the window. I race up the path and rush inside.
Mama greets me with a bone-crushing hug. “Brynja! You were so incredible today. And so brave!” She pulls back and looks me up and down. “What were you thinking, jumping onto a dragon like that? You could’ve gotten yourself killed! Were you trying to give your mother a heart attack?” She pulls me close again.
I groan. “Can’t. Breathe.”
“Did you see the Vondurs?” Elisa adds, leaping up from the table and running toward us. “They came inside the arena!”
“Yeah, I saw them,” I say as Mama finally releases me.
“But your silver dragon scared them away!” Elisa continues.
“I cannot believe you were riding the dragon without proper training,” Mama says. “What were you thinking?”
“Your dragon was the prettiest of all,” Elisa says.
A loud chuckle interrupts them both as Papa enters the kitchen and scoops me up into a hug. “I think what they’re trying to say is that we’re all very proud of you, Bryn.”
I smile. “Does helping save the village from dark magicians mean that I’m not grounded anymore?”
“Absolutely not,” Mama says immediately.
I sigh as Papa lowers me back to the floor. “Then would it be a good time to mention this?” I pull the jar of starflower paste from my pocket and hand it to Mama, along with her icefox-crystal necklace. “I might have happened upon some starflowers while I was in the Realm the other day.”
Mama doesn’t respond for a long moment, looking at the glass jar in her hand. Then she straightens and says, “Go wash up for supper. You’ve gotten absolutely filthy. And is that a rip I see in your shirt?”
But she smiles while she says it, and I know that’s Mama’s way of saying thank you.
* * *
The next morning every muscle in my body aches with exhaustion, but I leap out of bed early and help Mama with breakfast. As soon as possible, I excuse myself from the table and rush outside to the village square before Mama can remember that I’m supposed to be grounded.
Runa stands beneath the tree in the center of the square and frantically waves me over. As soon as I approach, she gives me a hug. “You were unbelievable yesterday,” she says. “I had no idea you could ride Lilja like that! And the way you both scared off the invaders and fought Agnar and—and it was amazing!”
I laugh. “I did have some help.”
Runa grins, throwing one arm over my shoulder. “The whole village has been talking about you. You’re a hero!”
“Lilja’s the real hero. She did all the work.”
Runa rolls her eyes. “Right, and I’m sure she used her gift to free the red dragon from Agnar all by herself.”
“Okay, I might have helped her a little.”
“You have to tell me all about it. Every detail. I want to know everything.”
“Of course,” I say. “And you have to tell me everything that happened in the arena before I got there. That golden dragon was part of the competition, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. You didn’t miss much—Larus had just announced the start of the trial. And when the Vondur came into the arena, Ari just charged into action. He leaped on the dragon’s back like it was nothing and tried to keep the Vondur out. He was outnumbered, but he bought enough time for Seeker Ludvik to cast the shield to protect everyone in the stands, and then…”
Runa breaks off as three figures stride up the lane into the village square. The three remaining Seekers, each in their official green cloak, stop directly in front of the tree. Other villagers crowd around to listen, and several of the village criers stand at attention. Ari emerges from the bakery and walks over to my side. We share a wordless look of anticipation before turning our attention back to the Seekers.
“Good morning,” Seeker Larus begins. He stands between Seeker Ludvik and Seeker Freyr, and all three of them are tightly masking their expressions. “As many of you are aware, there is quite a lot of work left to be done as a consequence of yesterday’s events. The council is determined to ensure the safety of both the Realm and the village and make certain that our island will never be threatened again. To that end, we will begin using stronger defensive spells in the Realm to prevent anyone from stealing its creatures. But this will take time and quite a bit of spellwork, and we will need the council to be at full strength. Therefore, we must finish selecting a new Seeker.”
The crowd around us is growing larger, and murmurs break out at these words. When the crowd falls silent again, Seeker Larus continues. “Obviously, the final trial of our Seeker competition did not take place. But the council has decided that we saw enough of our competitors’ abilities, both during the competition and in the aftermath of the Vondur arrival, to make a decision. We have selected Ari, son of Petur, to become a Seeker.”
A few cheers rise up from the crowd. Ari blinks, looking shocked, and I nudge him with my shoulder. “That’s you, dummy. Congratulations.” And despite the lump in my throat, I actually mean it. Ari will be a great Seeker, and he’ll take good care of Lilja. He deserves it.
Seeker Larus raises one hand, and the crowd falls silent again. “However,” he says, and Ari’s eyes widen, “the council has also decided, in light of yesterday’s events, to strip former Seeker Agnar of his title and place on the council. He will be exiled to the mainland along with the Vondur as penalty for his crimes. Therefore, the council is now short another member. Given the urgency of the situation, we have decided that we do not have time to attempt another round of competition, so we will make a second selection based on what we saw yesterday.”
Several people glance around, looking for Tomas and Johann. As the only other competitors to make it to the final trial, one of them has to be the council’s second pick.
“One person,” Seeker Larus continues, “showed us something incredible yesterday. They demonstrated exceptional strength of spellwork, quick thinking during a crisis, and bravery in the face of danger, as well as an innate and remarkable ability to work with magical creatures. We are all truly indebted to her for her actions.”
My heartbeat slams to a stop. Surely he can’t mean…?
“Therefore,” Seeker Larus says, and he smiles directly at me, “we have selected Brynja, daughter of Jakob, as our fifth Seeker.”
For one moment, everyone in the village is silent.
Then Runa lets out a loud whoop, and a few cheers rise from the crowd. Applause breaks out, and most of the people surrounding us join in.
Ari nudges my shoulder. “That’s you, dummy. Congratulations!”
Runa hugs me again and yells something in my ear, but I’m so shocked I hardly notice. It’s only when Seeker Larus tugs both Ari and me forward and presses folded green cloaks into our hands that it finally sinks in.
I’m going to be a Seeker.
I did it.
Ari and I can’t help but grin as we turn and wave to the crowd, which continues to applaud. I spy my family—Papa, holding Elisa up on his shoulders, leaning one hand on his walking stick, and Mama, her eyes full of happy tears.
Elisa will never run out of starflower medicine now. And I’ve never seen my parents look so proud.
As the crowd disperses and word of what’s happened flies through the village, Ari and I both spend a quiet minute with our families, accepting their congratulations.
“Am I ungrounded now?” I ask Mama as she hugs me for what must be the fifteenth time.
“Absolutely not,” she says, but she smiles as she says it.
/>
“When do I get to ride your dragon?” Elisa says. “And I want to see some unicorns!”
Papa laughs, swinging her down from his shoulders. “I guess you’ll have to become a Seeker just like your big sister, El.”
Mama glares at him. “Don’t encourage her! I won’t have both of my daughters running around getting into trouble. One is quite enough!”
From across the square, Ari leaves his mother’s side and waves at me. Then he points up to the sky, almost questioningly, and I nod. I know exactly what he wants to do.
“Mama,” I say, “can I go spend some time with Ari for a while?”
Mama and Papa exchange glances I can’t read, and Mama nods. “Be back in time to help prepare supper,” she says. “You’re still grounded, remember.”
“I will!” I say, already racing off. “Thank you!”
Ari grins at me. “Want to go see your dragon?”
“Always.”
As we walk out of the square, a little girl, probably about Elisa’s age, comes running up to me. “You’re Bryn!” she says.
“Yes,” I respond, smiling. “What’s your name?”
“Inga,” she says. “And I want to be a Seeker just like you when I grow up.”
“Good. I’m going to need another girl up there with me to keep boys like this one in line.” I point at Ari, and she giggles. “Keep practicing your magic, okay? And I’ll see you in the next Seeker competition.”
As she waves goodbye and runs away, the tears that have been threatening to emerge all day finally spill over. My heart feels so full I think it will burst.
“Are you okay?” Ari asks.
“Yeah,” I say, rubbing my eyes. “Let’s go get our dragon!”
At Dragon’s Point, Ari and I both cast out our gifts so Lilja can sense us and whistle three high notes. As we stare up into the Realm, the shadow of a small silver dragon appears on the horizon.
“Everything’s going to be different now,” Ari says quietly. “The Vondur came way too close to being successful. They might try again. And others might too, once they hear what happened. We’re going to have to defend the Realm more than ever.”
Seekers of the Wild Realm Page 28