Talon the Black

by Melissa Mitchell

  She closed her eyes and swallowed a few more times as fear washed over her. There was nothing worse than dreading death. The pain wasn’t nearly as bad as the fright that came with it, but that told her something. Surely her wound wasn’t as bad as it felt, because if it was, she would have been begging for death.

  Opening her eyes, she pushed herself up. She clenched her teeth together to keep from crying out. Everything began to spin before settling into a steady state. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Reyr crouched beside her. “Not too fast,” he said. She looked from his worried face to her leg, her eyes widening. The lower part of her pant leg had been rolled all the way up to her knee. There she saw an angry slash, but no blood, which was a good sign. In the middle of the gash was a black line sending out little black veins like a collection of small tributaries leading into a river. The poison was there—she was very familiar with its appearance.

  Reyr followed her gaze. “You can thank Koldis for his quick actions. It was he who saved you. He is the only one of us here skilled at reversing the effects of poison in its early stages. He was able to keep it from spreading at his own expense.” Reyr motioned with his head to where Koldis lay upon the ground, eyes closed. “He is sleeping now. He must regain his strength before we can continue on.”

  It was dawn and the sky above them was flat gray. The air was humid and sticky, making her more uncomfortable than she already was—if that was possible. “How—how long have I been out?” Speaking was difficult. Her throat felt like sandpaper, and her voice was almost like a croaking frog’s.

  “Only a few hours. None of us except Koldis has slept since the attack.”

  “And—and my wound?” She did her best to hold still. When she wasn’t moving, she could almost block out the pain. Almost.

  Reyr’s words brought immediate relief. “It will not kill you. The poison will not spread, Koldis has seen to that. But it will pain you until it is properly healed. None of us here possesses the ability to fix it. Not even Koldis.”

  A new panic set in. “You mean, I’ve got to carry on like this until—until I get to the capital?” By the end of the sentence, her voice was hardly a whisper.

  “No, fortunately not—if you are lucky. We will be upon the forest in less than two days. There you will find the healing you need.”

  “The—the forest?” He didn’t mean it, did he?

  “Aye. The Gable Forest. We will be there by tomorrow’s nightfall.”

  She stared at him in with wide eyes. “But…” They couldn’t go to the Gable Forest, nor Esterpine. That was where the Sprite queen lived. Cyrus told her about the queen and how angry she was with the Drengr monarchy. Cyrus marched right in to Esterpine, right up to their queen, and demanded they return the Dragon Stones to their rightful owners. Despite the warnings given, and their need for Sprite protection, he took them anyway. There was no way the Sprites would forget the offense.

  Reyr’s forehead furrowed as he studied her reaction.

  “Reyr, what makes you so sure that I will get help in the forest?”

  “I cannot be sure. Perhaps if you ask nicely, the Sprites might take pity upon you.”

  It was in that moment, and because of the innocent look on his face, that she realized Reyr had no idea what transpired between the Sprite queen and Cyrus. How could he have known? He hunted Cyrus for weeks, following his scent from the bond they shared, sending him straight to the Gate. It was likely that Reyr had never entered the forest in search of Cyrus—never visited the Sprite queen to find out what happened...

  Reyr said no more on the matter. Instead, he rose and walked away from her to speak with Jovari. Their voices were low so she heard nothing of their conversation. But not long after, they woke Koldis in preparation to leave.

  “How is she?” Koldis yawned as he looked over at her. Upon finding her eyes, he quickly looked away and didn’t bother waiting for an answer. He merely rose and stalked off. She had no idea what to make of him.

  Several minutes later, Koldis returned. After having a quick look at her leg with pursed lips, he went to the fire and removed a pot, pouring some of its liquid contents into a bowl. “Drink this,” was all he said before leaving her alone. She smelled it apprehensively. There were bits of green stuff floating around in what looked like water. It smelled like herbal tea—but a harsher version.

  She drained the contents. Her parched throat welcomed it at first. But the liquid was extremely bitter, causing her stomach to do an unhappy churn as it greeted the fluid. Yet, the effect was almost instant. The intense pain numbed.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she did her best to stand and quickly pack up her belongings, limping pathetically around their little camp. The others did not pity her, and she was happy for it. The last thing she wanted was consolation from any of them, especially after the way they had treated her over the last week.

  She was even more relieved that they said nothing about the attack. She expected to be bombarded with questions, but such demands never came. They must have been in a real hurry to resume their journey.

  They were soon airborne. She sat nestled in the dip of Reyr’s neck, right where his neck met his wing joints. It hadn’t been easy climbing up to her perch. All the technique she had developed was no longer useful with a wounded leg.

  Despite their lack of conversation on the ground, in flight, the Drengr’s words and opinions flowed freely. They wasted no time in erupting into a discussion regarding what had transpired. They talked about the suspiciousness of the attack first.

  “They were after Claire, Reyr. Surely you cannot argue with that.” Koldis was adamant as he spoke, and she did not miss the hint of both confusion and surprise in his telepathic voice.

  “No. I cannot argue it, Koldis. It was obvious to me as well.”

  “I grow tired of her silence. She knows the exact reason for the attack, surely. Yet we are left in the dark. It angers me. She may have known they were coming for us. She could have warned us!”

  “I understand, Koldis. But what would you have me do? Torture the poor girl into disclosure?”

  This time Jovari joined in. “She has been tortured enough. The blade of a Vodar wraith is lethal. I cannot begin to imagine her pain.” The others in turn agreed. “It is a lucky thing, Koldis, that you were there to save her.”

  A short silence followed before Jovari spoke once more, this time presenting a new theory, one she was happy he stumbled upon. “Her wound, the black poison—it reminds me of what we saw on Cyrus.”

  “So you think it was the Vodar who killed Cyrus?” Koldis asked with obvious skepticism.

  “Aye, I am beginning to wonder,” answered Jovari.

  “It seems entirely possible,” Reyr said.

  Koldis remained unconvinced. If Jovari’s theories were correct, why was Claire involved? What was the reason for it?

  “I have no solid explanation as to why, Koldis,” said Reyr. “But perhaps if she observed Cyrus’s death, perhaps if she saw those who were responsible, then I could argue that their attack on her was a way to eliminate a witness.”

  “And create three more by assaulting her before our very own eyes?” Koldis did not buy it.

  “Yes, it is indeed odd.”

  “It is obvious that they want her dead,” said Jovari. “That tells me she knows something. I would like to know what. What is she hiding?”

  They continued like this for some time, speculating over her involvement. What seemed to bother them more was the fact she did not die immediately. “Any human subjected to poison would drop dead in seconds,” said Koldis. “Many long minutes passed before I could attend to her.”

  She was immediately troubled by this, for it was something she had not yet considered. Cyrus told her much of the same thing. Now the Drengr had the confirmation they sought—she was no ordinary human. The last thing they needed was another reason to doubt her.

  “Moreover, have either of you ever seen a woman fight the way she did?” Reyr’s next o
bservation was one she had also failed to consider.

  “Nay, not ever. Saffra perhaps, but she wields a bow. Claire commanded the sword as if it were a part of her, as if she had years of experience with it. Yet, when you gave it to her, Reyr, she displayed obvious unfamiliarity.” Jovari’s answer did not sit well with her. She too wondered how and why she was able to fight. “Yet, I am more concerned by the way she was fighting. Her style was unique—did you notice? It reminded me of…” Jovari trailed off.

  “It reminded you of Cyrus,” said Koldis. “Indeed, it was the same for me.” His tone grew sad. “Cyrus was a great warrior, full of assuredness in his abilities. I will always remember him for such.”

  Each of them agreed.

  It was a very uncomfortable conversation to overhear. She wished more than ever that she could tune them out. It felt wrong to listen in any longer, but what choice did she have? Only one positive thing seemed to come from it: They no longer harbored hostilities towards her. Curiosity had replaced their doubt and mistrust.

  Many hours passed until her exhaustion took her. She sank into a fitful sleep as her body tried to forget its pain. If she thought riding a dragon was uncomfortable before, it was nothing compared to riding with an injured leg. The longer she nursed it, the more aware of it she became.

  Think of other things. Keep it from your mind...

  She almost laughed at the absurd advice coming from the back of her mind. Think of something else? She was sitting in the sky on the back of a dragon with nothing else to occupy herself. What the hell else was she supposed to think about?

  “If we make good time, we will be in Esterpine by tomorrow night.” She was hardly cheered by Reyr’s announcement that afternoon. The muscles in her right leg were clenched tightly, as if that would help with the pain. Even her teeth had become sore from unconsciously clenching her jaw.

  Eventually, the flat gray sky gave way to rain. It began to fall in great sheets, cooling the world around them. She was glad to have a bath, even though it left her clothes and everything else sopping wet. She was also happy when the clouds passed and departed south, and it did not take long for everything to dry.

  As the afternoon waned, a great smudge of green appeared on the horizon. It stretched to the left and right, before her. She knew that she was seeing the Gable Forest. An odd feeling of familiarity accompanied her recognition as it settled over her, and her heart rejoiced. Whether it was because she hoped the Sprites would offer healing, or for some other reason entirely, she could not be sure, but seeing the forest on the horizon put her mind at ease.

  The land here was not as barren as it was further north. They passed over several small settlements. As they continued south, she began hearing foreign voices in her mind. They were whispers at first, growing louder and softer as they moved along. It took several of them for her to realize these belonged to other Drengr.

  After she realized this, a set of voices grew increasingly louder without ceasing. She knew then that there were Drengr approaching them. Her eyes scanned the distance, eventually spotting a smudge of color far away to her right. Jovari, Koldis, and Reyr were no longer the only Drengr in this patch of the sky. Yet, the three of them appeared oblivious.

  She listened intently to the strange voices. The first one said: “Look ahead! If I am not mistaken, those are King’s Shields, three of the Drengr Fairtheoir.”

  “Let us fly to greet them,” said another voice.

  Her companions failed to notice. It was strange. Did they not hear the conversation the way she did? They continued along their path without noticing what she noticed.

  She then reasoned that Jovari, Koldis, and Reyr could not hear the distant voices because those voices had not directly addressed them. That meant she could hear conversations others could not—she could hear conversations that were meant to be private between Drengr. It also meant that her ability to overhear any and every conversation outranked the telepathic abilities of all the Drengr. She smiled smugly.

  The approaching Drengr were curious about her party. They wondered amongst themselves what business three King’s Shields had in the North, and what had brought them so far from their home.

  “Look!” A surprised voice caught her attention. “One of the three carries a human! If I am not mistaken, it is Lord Reyr. I have seen his golden body many times in Fort Squall.”

  Another spoke. “Have you ever seen a Drengr Fairtheoir carry a human?”

  “Nay. Never,” came the reply.

  Once again, she was beginning to feel uncomfortable as she often did when she was forced to listen in on Drengr conversations. Their shocked reactions reminded her of how Jovari and Koldis complained at the thought of Reyr carrying her. Why was it such a big deal?

  It did not take much longer for her companions to notice what she already had. “To our right! See there? A group of Drengr approach.”

  Just then the new party hailed them. “Greetings Drengr Fairtheoir.”

  The two parties approached each other in flight, and then intercepted and continued flying south together towards the Gable Forest.

  “We are surprised to see you so far north, Lord Reyr. What brings you to this part of the kingdom?”

  Reyr was given no time to answer before an agitated voice interrupted the conversation. “Whose body is that upon your back, Lord Koldis?”

  “Let us discuss this on land,” Reyr said. The invitation was accepted. They landed and greeted each other cordially. There were five Drengr and they each had a female Rider. When the Drengr shifted, she noticed that they were all male. Were there no female Drengr?

  There has never been a female Drengr in our history…

  “You carry a human with you,” one of the Drengr stated. “And the body? Who is it? Anyone we know?”

  “I have grave news,” Reyr said. “We carry a fallen comrade. Cyrus is dead.”

  “No! Surely not!” Several in the party gasped.

  “How could this be?” A tall woman stepped forward. She was dressed in what Claire assumed to be flying gear. It looked like a lighter form of armor.

  “We do not have the answers you seek,” Koldis said. “But we plan to determine such answers in time. We are going straight to the king with this matter.”

  “The king does not know yet?”

  Reyr shook his head. “Alas, he does not. We will tell him as soon as we are free of the forest.”

  “Understood.” The Drengr who led their charge nodded. “And who is this—this woman?”

  “This is Claire.” Surprisingly, Jovari stepped forward to her defense. “She is with us.”

  To her relief, the Drengr and their riders didn’t question them.

  “Greetings, Claire,” many of them said, bowing their heads briefly to her. She didn’t miss their quizzical looks.

  “Tell me, what news of my brother?” Reyr asked, looking to the one in charge.

  The man nodded, cracking a happy smile. “Lord Davi is well. He and Lady Emmy would surely be delighted to see you.”

  “And my nephew?”

  “Also well! Perhaps after you are free of the forest, you might pay them a short visit?”

  Reyr bowed his head in agreement. “I intend to.”

  “Wonderful. We do not wish to delay your journey. Please give the king our sincerest condolences,” their leader said. Jovari, Koldis, and Reyr nodded. The Drengr backed away and transformed, quickly leaving them as they and their Riders took to the sky. She watched their ascent in awe. It was the first time she had witnessed Drengr-Rider pairs since hearing about them from Cyrus.

  “May as well break here for a few minutes before we continue on,” Reyr told her. She gathered his meaning and made her way to a private spot where she could relieve herself, returning several minutes later.

  “Are all Riders female and all Drengr male?” she asked Reyr.

  “There has never been a female Drengr. You seem surprised.”

  She shrugged. After everything, it should not h
ave surprised her. “Why aren’t there female Drengr?”

  “I cannot say. I only know that there has never been a female in the history of my race.”

  “So the Drengr are male and their Riders female?” She never realized this, and Cyrus hadn’t made it entirely clear.

  “Aye,” said Reyr. “And as you have probably guessed, our mates become our riders, for the bond we develop is lifelong and intimate. That is why the others were surprised to see you upon my back. It is considered quite unethical to carry another who is not a mate.”

  “But why?”

  He sighed, as if frustrated by her questions. “The act of flying with another is considered nearly as intimate as making love.”

  Her mouth fell open. She had no idea that flying with Reyr was seen in that way. It seemed incredibly absurd—and far too old fashioned for her tastes. She had to remind herself that the people in this time were far more reserved and archaic.

  “It appears that I have answered your questions. Are you ready to take flight?”

  She nodded, eager to reach the forest and heal her leg. As she climbed upon Reyr’s back, she had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out as searing pain shot through her leg. They were back in the sky almost immediately after, and she was glad to be off her leg once more, thankful that they needn’t walk the distance to the forest.

  They did not stop again until it was time to make camp. Already the trees were much closer on the horizon. Koldis took the first watch. She was glad to rest her aching muscles, glad to sleep in hopes that she might escape the pain she felt, glad that by tomorrow night she would hopefully gain reprieve from it.

  That night, she kept her sword next to her. She intended to do so for the remainder of the journey. There was no telling when the Vodar might return. And if they did, she wanted to be ready.

  24

  Kastali Dun

  Desaree inhaled deeply and her hungry stomach growled with anticipation. In the morning, the Great Keep’s cookery often smelled of freshly baked spiced bread. She crept over to the countertop beside one of the many massive brick ovens. Several loaves were already sliced, and they sat steaming, taunting her with a most heavenly fragrance. She snuck a few slices, buttering them before anyone noticed.