The ivy-covered wall came up fast. Reecah ducked her head and closed her eyes tight but the collision never happened. Unsure she wanted to open her eyes, she felt the rhythmic up and down lurch of Lurker’s body as his wings pushed air beneath them, rising and falling in cadence.
Wind whipped at her tight braid and tore at her cloak. Fearing she might lose her journal and the Dragon’s Eye stashed in her inner pocket, she dared to open her eyes. Locating the journal with her elbow, she squeezed it against her body, afraid to remove her hands from Lurker’s neck.
With the greatest of willpower, she let her gaze drop to the moonlit ground glistening far below. She gasped to catch her breath, and tightened her hold on Lurker’s neck. The chaotic scene in the Dragon Temple courtyard dropped away as lofty treetops became smaller with each flap of his wings. Far to her left, the river sliced through the valley, glinting as it wound its way toward the ocean unseen beyond a bend in the pass.
Far to the side, Silence soared on the prevailing winds. It took her a moment to locate Swoop, much higher still, the brown dragon silhouetted in the moon. Of Scarletclaws, there was no sign.
The smoking ruins of Dragon Home slid by to the north before she was able to calm her breathing. Her eyes watered in the wind, but she didn’t care. She was flying!
Reecah Draakvriend, the awkward girl who lived on the hill and spoke of silly dreams, sat astride a real live dragon and flew through the air. If only her doubters could see her now.
Amid the heavy pall of grief, a strange calm settled over her and the leagues passed by in silent exhilaration. If not for the approaching coast and the edge of the mountain range falling away to the south, she would never have located the pin-sized monolith of the Fang.
They were over the Niad Ocean before anyone gathered enough composure to speak.
It was Lurker’s voice she heard first, his tone subdued, “Where now, Reecah?”
Reecah struggled to prevent her emotions from getting the better of her. She couldn’t allow herself weakness while fighting to remain on a dragon’s back high over the world, but it was tough. Lurker’s entire colony had been destroyed. Other than Swoop and Silence, Reecah wasn’t sure any of the dragons had survived.
It soon became apparent that Lurker was tiring. They needed to land, and fast.
Searching the night sky, the newly snow-capped summit of Peril’s Peak shone brightly in the moonlight.
She didn’t dare loosen her grip upon his neck to point. “Head to that snow-covered peak. At the base of the upper waterfalls lies a cabin. We should be safe there.”
Lurker never responded. He adjusted his wings and flew toward the suggested destination.
She didn’t mind the silence. She was enjoying the view.
A long-ago memory tingled her skin. If only Poppa could see her now, he would be so proud. His little poppet was flying as high as a dragon.
A New Beginning
Reecah focused on the flames leaping into the darkness, her mind a million leagues away from the hunt camp at the base of Peril’s Peak summit. Reminiscing on days gone by and how different life might have been if not for the unjust prejudices between mankind and dragonkind.
After landing through the night, she had tended the wounded dragons. Silence had taken the worst damage, but given enough rest, Reecah was confident the purple dragon would recover.
The day was spent lazing around the field below the tumbling waterfalls. At one point, Swoop flew off and returned a short while later with a small deer in her claws.
Blinking several times, her mind returning to the present, Reecah grunted at the irony of those sitting outside the dragon hunt cabin. Three dragons and the woman the hunt leader had rejected.
She lifted her head and studied the beautiful faces of Silence, Swoop and Lurker. How could anyone wish them harm? Her anger began to rise so she forced herself to think of something else.
Withdrawing her journal, she checked for the countless time that the Dragon’s Eye remained stashed at the bottom of her deep pocket. It did. What good it was going to be to her, other than an endless worry, she had no idea. A part of her considered throwing it over the edge of the ridge fronting the fire pit, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She couldn’t bring herself to part with the subject of Auntie Grim’s dying wish.
She swallowed, fighting back the tears that seemed to be her constant companion lately. If she wished to confront the high king and convince him of how wrong the dragon hunt was, she needed to toughen up. How did she expect the reigning monarch of the Great Kingdom to listen to the whiny ramblings of a snot-nosed girl?
She sighed and bowed her head. So much death and misery weighed down on her and her friends. It would be a long time before she thought she would genuinely smile again.
Turning the journal around in her hands, she absently flipped through the pages. “What the…?”
Lurker lifted his head from his own contemplation.
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud. Studying the back pages of the journal she considered the bold runes printed there. “I don’t remember these words being here.”
Lurker didn’t respond.
Silence and Swoop moved closer to her to see what she was talking about.
A few of the words were unfamiliar, but it didn’t take long to realize she was staring at a spell of some kind. Flipping to the last page, she pointed. “Look! It’s signed: Grimclaw.”
“I wonder what it means?” Swoop asked.
Lurker and Silence shook their heads.
“Beats me. It looks like something only a wizard would understand.”
With that revelation, the clearing fell silent. The fire crackled and popped, its heat driving away the high mountain chill.
Fighting to keep her melancholy at bay, she forced a smile for Lurker’s benefit and reached up to stroke his beautiful face. “You miss her, don’t you?”
Lurker frowned.
“Your mother.”
Lurker’s sad expression was answer enough.
Reecah didn’t care about the tears flowing down her cheeks. They all needed to heal mentally if they were to move on. She leaned into Lurker, nuzzling her wet face against his shoulder. “I miss my mother too. I never knew her, but I still feel so empty knowing she’s gone.” She fell quiet.
Lurker tilted his head to rub against the top of hers.
“What about your father? You never talk about him.”
Lurker shuddered.
Leaning away, she gazed into his magnificent eyes, the emerald colour aglow in the leaping flames. ‘What is it?”
Lurker hung his head. “Grimclaw was my father.”
A cold wave of comprehension washed through Reecah. She stared hard at her mourning friend, seething at what the king’s men had done to him. Swallowing her unease, she stirred the embers with a stick, sending a flurry of sparks into the air.
Letting her ire simmer in the back of her mind, she stared him in the eye. “I’m going to find the high king and demand he put an end to this atrocity. You should come with me. Together we can show the people of the Great Kingdom you aren’t their enemy.”
A single tear rolled off Lurker’s cheek. “You mean that?”
She gave him a scathing look for doubting her. “I pledge to you,” her gaze included Swoop and Silence, “to all of you, that I will not rest until I convince the king of his folly.”
“They’ll kill you for speaking such blasphemy.”
Reecah’s spine tingled, a mischievous grin dimpling her cheeks. “Not if I have three dragons at my back.”
The End…
…is but the means to a new beginning
I hope you enjoyed Reecah’s Flight.
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Reecah’s Gift<
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Legends of the Lurker
Book 2
Reecah’s Gift by Richard H. Stephens
https://www.richardhstephens.com/
© 2019 Richard H. Stephens
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected]
Cover Art & Interior Art by: kjmagicaldesigns.com
Reecah’s Gift ASIN: B07XXBSWGS
Acknowledgements
Reecah’s Gift, the sequel to Reecah’s Flight, was estimated to weigh in at around 80,000 words and was originally scheduled for a July, 2019 release. As with all things in life, nothing is ever predictable nor goes as planned. Reecah’s Gift took on a life of its own and the initial draft ended up over 110,000 words in length.
Needless to say, I am forever grateful to the people behind the scenes, without whose involvement, Reecah’s Gift would not have been possible.
I have a small group of beta readers who never cease to amaze me with how much they catch. Their selfless dedication to my stories is valued more than they will ever know. My sincere appreciation goes to: Joshua Stephens, Matthew Lane, Paul Stephens, and of course, Caroline Davidson who is always the first one to read it, and the last.
Thank you to my editor, Michelle Dunbar. Through her knowledgeable instruction, my writing style is forever evolving. Find her here: http://michelledunbar.co.uk/
Thank you to my cover and interior picture designer, Katie Jenkins. Another fantastic cover to compliment the series, Legends of the Lurker. You can find Katie at, KJ Magical Designs: kjmagicaldesigns.com
Image of Tamra Stoneheart used by permission of the artist: Sungryun Park. https://www.artstation.com/sungryunpark
Credits:
During the writing of this series, I wanted to give my readers a chance to take part in the creation of the story as a way of thanking them for sticking with me as I grow as an author. Anyone familiar with me online knows of my ‘Name a Dragon’ contest. For Reecah’s Gift, I also ran a, ‘Name the Female Warrior’ contest. Your creativity and insight have made the series magical. Thank you to the following people:
Sandy Fosdick for naming the purple, female dragon: Silence.
Georgiana L. Gheorghe for naming the red, female dragon: Scarletclaws, and also for naming the sailor: Cahira
Angela Carter for naming the high king: J’kaar.
Randy Thompson for naming the elven, female warrior: Tamra Stoneheart.
Lambert Cook for naming the princess: J’kyra.
Johnnie Wheatley for naming the princess: J’kaeda.
Lori Lane Fox and Judith Dayton for co-naming the captain of Serpent’s Slip: Dreyger K’tric.
Shelley Wildgrube for naming the dwarven royal blacksmith: Aramyss. (I added the last name: Chizel.)
Gerri Giesin for naming the red, male dragon: Lasair. (Gaelic for flame.)
I’m always searching for dragon names. You can connect with me on my Facebook Author Page: RichardHughStephens
Despite everything life threw at us; the highs and lows, the triumphs and failures, the immense joys and heartbreaking grief, you have retained your wonderful outlook on life.
Michelle, you’re admired and respected more than you’ll ever know. Thank you for being you.
I know. Fruity.
Table of Contents
End of Silence
Thunderhead Thievery
The Naughty Saucer
A Woman She Never Knew
Lecherous Leader
Just Reward
Better off Dead
Scoundrels
Serpent’s Slip
All Hands on Deck
King’s Bay
Chizel
Bone Breaker
Flying Terror
Beaten
Draakval Dilemma
Gift from the Gods
The Ivory Throne
Muscles She Never Knew
Old Attitudes
Cat Fight
Stoneheart
Wizard’s Rat
Flight
If You Fall, I Will Carry You
New Recruit
Precious Spawn
Tracker
Sensations
Witch Hunt
Elven Intervention
Parting Ways
Headwater
Devius
The Maiden of the Wood
Ancient Magic
Familial Fracture
The Unbinding
The Power of Evil
Dragon Breath
Revelation
Dwarf, Giant Dwarf
No Mercy
Reecah’s Gift
Wooden Treasure
To view the full colour maps in the Soul Forge realm, please visit: www.richardhstephens.com
End of Silence
A fortnight had passed since that horrific day in Dragonfang Pass—a day that had witnessed the annihilation of the Draakclaw Colony from Dragon Home. All except for the three dragons waiting for her to pull herself together and get on with her life.
Every passing day since Grimclaw’s death filled Reecah with crushing guilt over her role in the beautiful creature’s demise. She should never have left him, no matter how vehemently he insisted she save herself. Grimelda said her role was to save the dragons—not run away and allow the obliteration of the colony.
Confounding her melancholy were the faces of the two knights she had killed in the courtyard of the Dragon Temple. Visions of their blood dripping from her sword woke her in a cold sweat, night after sleepless night.
In contrast to her unease, her companion, Raver, casually pruned his feathers—his shiny raven’s head pecking away at whatever irritated him. She envied him his simple pleasures—admiring the way he had moved on after such a traumatic event.
Dust motes shimmered in sunbeams shining through the solitary window in the cabin below Peril’s Peak, despite the grime coating its thick glass.
Had she planned on remaining at the dragon hunt camp, she would have turned her attention to tidying up the slovenly interior. If not for her fear of the owners returning to lay claim to their property, Reecah fancied she might have been content to start a new life high atop the world.
Lying on a crude pallet with her hands behind her head, she grimaced. If only life were that simple.
A clamour outside the cabin’s lone door made her sit up. The dragons were scuffling about, impatiently waiting for her to pull herself together and decide on their course of action.
Something about the sunshine flooding the hut melted away her languishing despair. It looked to be a glorious day. Perhaps that was the omen she had been waiting for. A reminder of her pledge—not only to Grimelda, but to dragonkind as well.
They had outstayed their welcome. The king’s men had seen them escape the battle at the Dragon Temple. They would no doubt be searching the area. It wouldn’t do to tarry under their noses.
Reecah shuddered. If the burning intensity on the face of the wizard she had seen at the Dragon Temple was any indication of his determination, her scaly friends were in peril anywhere near Fishmonger Bay.
It was time to put aside her guilt. A dragon war had been set into motion. Facing certain death at the Dragon Temple, she had vowed to avenge Grimclaw’s death. To remain mired in self-recrimination was a grave misjustice to the noble wyrm’s sacrifice. It was time to make good on her promise.
She stretched her neck one way and then the other, raising her arms overhead and taking a last deep breath of peaceful solitude. Pulling on black suede boots, she jumped to her feet to gather her gear.
Silence had risked her life returning to the forest between the Dragon Temple and Dragon Home to retrieve her discarded equipment. Thankful, Reecah slipped her quiver over her shoulder and secured her unstrung bow to her rucksack before shrugging it on.
Pausing at the door, her gaze fell on the large table at
the centre of the hut. A smirk tightened her lips at the irony. Wait until Jonas and his lackeys discovered who had sheltered at their dragon hunt camp. Reecah Draakvriend. She tilted her head, smiling a little deeper as she corrected herself. Reecah Windwalker, the hill witch, had sheltered here—along with three dragons. If only she could stick around to see the look on their faces.
The door opened with a squeal, drawing the attention of her new friends, Lurker, Swoop, and Silence—green, brown and purple dragonlings, respectively. Judging by their sheepish looks, they were up to something.
Allowing Raver to fly through the open door, she let it slam back into its frame. The raven made his way to the tiered waterfall cascading from the snow-capped peak behind the hut.
Drawing her brown cloak around her and slipping on its hood, she raised her eyebrows to stare at the green dragon. “Well, are you going to tell me, or do I have to figure it out myself?”
Lurker lowered his head, his emerald eyes alight with mischief. He glanced at his cohorts.
Reecah almost vomited when the dragons parted to reveal the remains of more than one shredded troll’s carcass. She turned away from the mound of hairy gore. “Do you have to eat those here? That’s disgusting.”
“Sorry, Reecah. We didn’t think you’d be up and about,” Lurker said—his voice sounding in her head. He motioned for Swoop and Silence to get rid of it.
It was a fair assumption. She had become less and less social as the days went by. She waved a hand. “Ugh. Leave it. It’s time for us to leave.”
The dragons considered the carcasses, obviously not done with them yet. While Lurker and Silence ambled over to Reecah, Swoop snapped up a last chunk of troll flesh; noisily chewing it.
Reecah winced at the sound of bones snapping. The brown dragon swallowed, offering her a bloody-toothed grin. It was going to be an adjustment getting used to the habits of her new companions.
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