WarMage: Unexpected (The Never Ending War Book 1)

by Martha Carr

  They hurried across the ranch as William protested. “There won’t be any cattle left. If this place was dormant and the cattle were still there, elves would have made off with them by now. Zero chance you’ll find cattle in here.”

  One of the tall barn doors stood halfway ajar, and there were no sounds coming from inside. “That’s not a good sign.” Raven picked up her pace.

  “And yet we’re still running toward it. Not even walking to our demise.”

  Raven stuck her head inside, her hand on the splintered door. A putrid stench hit her nostrils, making her take a step back to get a breath of fresher air. “Ugh! Something’s in there!”

  William shrugged as he caught up to her. “It was a cattle barn, Raven. It’s full of manure.”

  “That’s not manure. Something’s dead.” She pulled the door open and stepped inside.

  “And once again, we’re headed toward it.”

  “I found the source of the smell.” Raven choked out the words, swallowing hard. William followed her in and took a sharp breath, pressing his fist to his mouth.

  Lying on the floor of the barn was the legless carcass of a cow, its eyes open and cloudy and its throat slashed. Blood had stained the ground surrounding it and turned black, and maggots were crawling all over the remains. Dangling above the carcass was a pair of bovine legs, strung up and lashed to the ceiling.

  William twisted his face in disgust. “They were in the middle of slaughtering this one. I guess they didn’t finish the job before whatever happened, happened. What a waste of a good cow.”

  Raven kept her distance from it, covering her nose and mouth from the smell. “The elves must have waited a few days before coming in and taking the cattle. This one would have already been rotting, so they left it.”

  “I need to get out of here before I puke.” William ran for the exit, with Raven behind him.

  The sound of flames shooting in the air pulled their attention away from the barn. “I have to get him out of here,” Raven said. “Otherwise, he’ll never trust me again.”

  “You won’t hear me argue. Let’s go.” William took her by the elbow, and they started running across the open ground. He kept his head on a swivel, still half-expecting to see an unwelcome visitor.

  They reached the gate and Raven scrambled over, approaching Leander with her hands up, trying to calm him down. “Easy! We’re heading out. It’s okay. It’s over. We’re leaving.”

  To William’s surprise, Leander listened and pulled himself together, snorting and shaking his head.

  “Better?”

  “Better. We need to go. I smell death in the air.”

  “The remains of death, that’s all. Whatever happened here, it’s over.”

  “Let’s go.” Leander leaned forward and she rubbed the back of his neck, whispering into his ear, “It’s okay. I’m getting the same feeling you are. We can’t stick around here.”

  The two riders mounted their dragons and took off once again. Raven let William and Teo lead the way, and they headed due east on a straight line toward the Moss Ranch. The farther they got from the Smithey Ranch, the calmer Leander became, breathing easier.

  They passed over the river that ran along one edge of the kingdom, and Raven waved to villagers gathering water and fishing along the banks. It’s like everything is normal. She pulled the orb out of her pocket and looked at it. “The pink is swirling,” she muttered.

  They passed through clouds, the air turning cold around her, and she shivered, shoving the orb back in her pocket and marveling at the small crystals falling all around her. “Like a magic all its own.”

  She sat back and loosened the reins, holding on to the horn of the saddle. Enjoy the ride, Raven. You’re way up high, flying on a dragon. A mage is flying on a dragon. The wind rushed past her ears as they ducked below the clouds and returned into sunshine. William and Teo banked left, flying lower.

  Raven looked down to see a handful of spiral sinkholes in proximity to each other, away from any ranch property. She leaned forward over Leander’s neck. “Look down there. Can we…”

  Before she could finish, Leander was tilting the edges of his wings and lowering his head, plunging toward the ground. Raven braced her feet against the webbing of his wings and tightened her grip on the horn.

  He’s flying closer to help me get a better look. I didn’t even have to ask him. Wild! Her belly swirled with excitement.

  The sinkholes were spiral, with a spray of soil around the edges. William was making a wide turn, sailing downward as Raven passed over, pointing to the sinkholes.

  William leaned over one side and took a long look. He glanced at Raven and shrugged. “Sinkholes, okay? They happen. There may be caves under the area.”

  “You have an explanation for everything.”

  “Yeah, that’s how it goes. When is it ever monsters? Come on, the dragons need to eat, and so do we. Let’s head back.”

  Raven took one last look and patted Leander on the neck, saying nothing more. He flapped his long red wings, rose higher, and pointed his nose toward home.

  Raven took slow, steady breaths and leaned to different sides, taking in the view. Maybe William is right. Maybe I’m seeing what I want to see.

  Once they reached the Moss Ranch and landed in an open field, William took Teo into the barn, while Raven led Leander back toward his pen.

  The dragon sighed. “Back to captivity.”

  Raven turned around and patted him on the head, walking backward for a few steps. “Hey, listen, you and I keep bonding, and you won’t have to be cooped up in here much longer, okay?”

  They both entered the pen, and he stood still while she unstrapped the saddle from underneath his belly. “When we were flying over those sinkholes, you dipped down to get a closer look. Why did you do that? I didn’t even get the chance to ask you.”

  Leander puffed out his chest, the corners of his mouth curling up. “Ah, so much better. You didn’t have to tell me. I could sense that you were interested in seeing them, so I got you a closer look.”

  She dragged the saddle off his back and tossed it on the ground. “Can you read my mind or something?”

  He licked one of his front claws clean. “I wouldn’t go that far. I just felt...I don’t know, a connection. Stronger than before. I knew what you wanted. You didn’t have to say it.”

  Raven bit her lip and said something she had been wondering for a while. “Do you ever worry about getting your wings clipped?”

  Leander looked at her, his eyes half-open as his long, forked tongue slid out, licking the edges of his paw. “What’s the point of worrying? I have no control over it.”

  Raven curled her hands into fists, keeping her voice low and even. “You and I have all the control in the world over it if you pass those tests.”

  “Then why worry?” He turned around and around and lay down in the straw with his back to her, his usual signal he was done talking.

  Raven looked at the spikes along his back and the scales shimmering in the light coming from the lanterns. You are the most beautiful living, breathing beast I’ve ever seen.

  He let out a sigh and rested his head on his paws, staring at the wall. “I care about the tests if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Raven felt an ache in the middle of her chest. “Yeah, that’s what I was asking. I swear, Leander, I’ll do everything I can and then some to help you pass.”

  Raven lifted the saddle with both hands and carried it out of the pen. She walked along the path to the barn and rested it on a wooden stand. She stood for a moment in the barn and took a few deep breaths, letting them out. “It has to be enough. It has to.”

  She wiped her face with her sleeve and picked up a bag of feed, carrying it back toward the pen. At the gate, she paused before heading inside. Too late, she realized she couldn’t open the bag.

  “Can you help a girl out? I forgot my knife.”

  “A war mage without a weapon.” The dragon shook his head as she
held up the bag. He leaned down and bit the top, tearing the burlap. “Thank you. You have a point. I even have a small dagger I can tie inside my boot.”

  Raven dumped the entire contents into the trough attached to the edge of his pen. “You earned it today.”

  Leander trudged over to the trough, shaking the ground, and sniffed the food. “Not bad.”

  She patted him on the nose. “Thanks. I will remember this day forever. I had fun out there.”

  “Me too.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She lingered for a moment, watching him eat. Leander looked up at her from the trough.

  “I don’t need tucking in, small girl.”

  “Not even one story about a wombat and a turtle? Okay, I’m going. I can take a hint.”

  “Prove it.”

  “See, here I go.” She walked out of the pen as Leander went back to munching on his feed.

  William intercepted her in the middle of the ranch. The afternoon was getting later. “You got along out there today.”

  “Yeah, like he was really my familiar. I felt like a rider, even if my fire-throwing needs work.”

  “One is dragon-riding, the other is spells. The combination takes work. Give yourself a little time.”

  Raven smiled and took William’s hand. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Is it okay if I let myself in and take Leander to the field to train?”

  “You promise to fly low and stick to the empty training field or the test course?”

  She nodded.

  “I suppose I’ll have to let you. Not much time left. But never forget, you’re training a dragon.” He pulled her in for a quick hug. “Nice job out there, Dragonrider.”

  “That’s ‘war mage.’” She punched him in the shoulder.

  “Soon enough. Three weeks.” He smiled at her and waved, heading for the house.

  Raven reached the road heading back to her ranch and paused, looking at the sky. It was growing darker. Soon, it would be pitch-black. She reached into her pocket and slipped out the orb. The pink was swirling toward the top.

  A chill ran up her spine. I feel like I’m being watched.

  Raven shoved the orb back into her pocket and tapped the pin on her tunic. She took off in a sprint toward the Alby ranch, her fingers ready to cast a spell if magic became necessary.

  Chapter Thirty

  The weeks passed, one day fading into the next as Raven repeated the same routine. Training with her grandfather, chores, the academy, and then off to train Leander, except on the days she had no school. Then she was off to the Moss Ranch earlier.

  Some nights her grandfather found her at her desk under her window, slumped over her spell books, sound asleep. Each time, he ignored his worry as he lifted her and tucked her into bed.

  Every morning, Henry and Murphy talked on the way to school about Professor Worley. “Did you know he has several familiars? Mind blown.”

  Or about Professor Fellows and the rumors he was once a raider who got a chance to do some good or go to prison. “Total rubbish. I don’t believe it.”

  Or about Headmaster Flynn and the hundreds of stories that flew around the school about his days as a Wizard Rider. The enemies were always large and formidable, and in most of them, he almost died before coming out on top.

  More than once, Murphy pointed out that Daniel Smith had asked about Raven, but she ignored her, too busy thinking about the last mistake she’d made on a quiz, or how to run the course better. She only had time to think about school or how to get Leander to go faster with fewer mistakes.

  Every afternoon, she ran out of her last class and across the grounds of the academy on her way to Moss Ranch without stopping to say goodbye to anyone.

  William would wave to her as she ran past him, busy working on a pen or leading another dragon out for training. Leander was even starting to look forward to her visits, stomping and blowing smoke if she was fifteen minutes late.

  Her old bruises faded and were replaced by new ones, but she was getting stronger and staying in the saddle easier. Leander had stopped trying to throw her, but he wasn’t against testing her by taking a corner at a right angle to see if her feet stayed in the stirrups.

  Slowly but surely, she was getting stronger, and their bond grew. Still, doubts lingered in the back of her mind. Leander was yet to be tested among other dragons.

  Dawn came early, catching Raven out in the field, practicing her flame control before chores. She was lighting the torches faster from farther away while balancing on a rail of the fence. Three days ‘til the trials. Just three days. The thought kept pinging around in her head.

  “You’ve improved,” Connor Alby said, impressed by her progress. “This is a hard spell to control. Still needs a little work, but I already see a lot of improvement.” He climbed up a ladder to extinguish a torch, placing a metal bucket over it to snuff it.

  She grabbed a nearby rake to spread the fire and let it burn out. “I’ve taken Leander out for flights and have mastered the fire spell from his back. Took a few times.”

  He gave her a look of concern as he moved the ladder. “You were out in the wild using spells already? With a dragon?”

  “Yeah,” she replied matter-of-factly. “What’s the big deal? You know I’m training him.”

  He put out the next torch. “Raven, a flame from a dragon is much more unpredictable than a controlled fire like the one I built for you. Strange things can happen if you don’t have mastery of a spell. What other spells have you tried?”

  “The potion communication spell. That’s a hard one while you’re in motion. I spilled it all over myself and accidentally called Murphy. All she could hear out of the mirror in her room was me yelling and the wind rushing past.”

  Connor Alby eyed his granddaughter. “If I remember correctly, you’ve already been taught how to light an arrow in mid-flight.”

  Raven looked away, raking the grass.

  “I’ll assume you tried it too. How did it go?”

  “The first arrows turned to ashes, but I got there, sort of. It’s difficult firing an arrow, lighting it, and hitting a moving target. Work in progress.”

  “You’re a very determined young woman. Speed is not an asset to learning proper magic, especially on a dragon in flight. Someone could get hurt.”

  “There was nobody around for miles. I’m not stupid.” She tossed the rake onto the grass. “I need a familiar, and I still think there’s a chance it could be Leander. That means I have to be riding and working on my spells with him. I have very little time left. Neither of us does. There are just days left now.”

  Connor put out the last torch and climbed down. “I didn’t mean to say you were stupid. I’m sorry. You’re a confident young woman, but sometimes confidence can become foolhardiness.”

  Raven bristled but pressed her lips together, determined to say nothing. It didn’t last long. She kept her face turned toward her work and said in an even tone, “It’s because of Mom and Dad, isn’t it? That’s why you’re always warning me to slow down and be more careful.”

  She heard her grandfather sputter then say, “That may be true, but I’m not wrong. Accidents happen.”

  “You’ve never told me everything about what sent the wagon over that cliff.”

  “Not today, Raven,” said her grandfather, exasperated. He regretted it and patted the back of his head. “I promise I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Whatever I know, which won’t fill in every hole. But not now, okay? Can we take a break from staring at the past just for today?”

  Raven saw the weariness in his eyes. “Sure, we can do that. But I won’t forget.”

  “No, I wouldn’t expect you to. Go on, finish up. Have to get to school soon.”

  They worked in silence, listening to a hawk screech overhead until it was time for Raven to get ready for school.

  Spellcasting and chores had left her hungry, and she met Henry at the gate with a warm roll wrapped in a cloth. As they walked down the road together, steam wafted
off the roll, and she tore a bite off and popped it into her mouth.

  “Hey, hey, hey! I’m hungry, too.” Henry patted his stomach. “Did you bring enough to share?”

  “Don’t I always?” she replied around a mouthful. “Take it already.” She handed him the extra roll, and he bit into it.

  “I have another for Murphy. She’s meeting us by the fountain.”

  “You two are becoming good friends.”

  “I could say the same. Don’t worry, you’re still my permanent BFF.”

  “Thanks!” He stuffed the rest of the roll into his mouth, hardly chewing before he swallowed it. “Today’s the day we start combat training with partners. Finally! Kapow!” He swung an imaginary pole through the air.

  “I’ve been fighting elves since I was old enough to hold a stick. I should be fine as long as I’m not paired with Bella. I haven’t forgotten that she fired an arrow at my head.”

  “You shot one back at her, remember? I’m a little worried to tell you the truth. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

  “You started the year saying you wanted to be part of the elite fighting squad. Today’s your chance to work out in their arena. Besides, I’m not sure what you said is true.”

  “What part?”

  “Any of it. Let’s just say you’re the best I’ve ever seen with a slingshot, and you’ve never said more than hello to Jenny.”

  “I’m a riddle wrapped in an enigma.” Henry shook his head. “Jenny has yet to notice me. Maybe fighting is my real strength. Dad thinks I should go into farming.”

  “It’ll be okay, Henry. You and I will do the best we can, and like always, marvel when it turns out somewhat okay. Rinse and repeat.” Like training a dragon. It has to be okay.

  “You always know just what to say. How’s the familiar coming along? Gotten him through the time trials fast enough yet?

  “Four days in a row. Booyah! We flew through the rings and fried the hay, no problem! It was so badass!”

  Henry smiled and put out his hand. “Well, put her there. I’m impressed!”