With a sinking heart she realized that the first place Ferren would look for her was her former home in Hery Bay. She would have to beat him there and leave or avoid going there in the first place.
Your family has to know what happened, Mashira entered her thoughts. They deserve that. But yes, we’ll have to be gone before he gets there.
That will be a lot of flying for you, my dear.
I am strong.
Dorelle smiled. I have an idea. We should stop for a good rest in the woods to the east of the coast. So maybe they’ll go and leave again, before we even get there. And then we’ll sneak in when it’s dark.
I like that!
They shifted their course slightly to the east. It was a cold and long flight in the darkness, but Mashira insisted that she knew where she was going.
Finally, after hours of flight and with the sky lighting up in a false dawn, the dragon descended and landed in a small clearing. Large woods covered valley after valley in this area.
Dorelle knew that dragons hated to walk or sit underneath trees where the canopy prevented them from lifting into flight immediately. And that very fact would protect them now.
She dismounted and felt her numb legs give under her. She leaned against her dragon for a long moment, before it felt safe to stand on her own.
Come, Mashira said and started walking into the forest. She didn’t go very far before lying down. Even in the dim light under the trees, Dorelle could see her dragon shift her color to browns and greens that blended in with the trees around her. She stared.
You didn’t know I could do this? Mashira laughed. It’s natural for any dragon.
I thought you had to be trained in it, Dorelle admitted.
She stretched her aching body, pulled off the helmet and then removed her pack, weapons and the flying harness from the dragon. “We both need a good rest.”
Yes. Come, lie close to me. And I’ll stretch my wing over you, so you won’t get cold.
Dorelle curled up next to her dragon, wrapping her blanket around herself and using her pack as pillow. She always enjoyed sleeping close to Mashira, but their stony lair didn’t encourage that. Here, in the woods, she suddenly felt peaceful and safe, cuddled close to her dragon. And she slept.
WHEN DORELLE woke in the late afternoon, she felt ravenously hungry. Some of that hunger was her own, and she dug out a piece of bread from her pack to soothe that. Most of it, however, came from Mashira. That wasn’t a surprise, the dragon had worked hard in the last two days, and not eaten for five.
“Can you hunt here?”
Not really. But I must eat soon.
Dorelle picked up her bow and frowned at it. “With a bit of luck, I might be able to get you some deer. Can you sense any nearby?”
No. They are afraid of a dragon’s scent. Rightly so.
“Is there a water hole or a brook around here?”
Mashira snorted. Yes, lots of water down in the valley. I can’t reach it.
Dorelle shook her head. “This isn’t good. We need to find water and food for you.”
She quickly put the saddle and harness on her dragon and settled her pack before mounting up. “We’ll fly low and see what we can catch.”
Mashira headed slightly southeast towards more rugged terrain. The tree cover was less dense there, and the chances of spotting a running animal were greater.
Soon, the dragon flushed a group of wild boar. Dorelle shot a young one before her dragon simply grabbed a large boar for herself and carried it aloft. The squeals and struggle didn’t last long.
Mashira settled on a rocky outcrop nearby, her eyes on the young boar that Dorelle had shot. It had dropped dead not far away and would provide the rider with dinner for several days.
We’ll pick it up in a moment, the dragon promised before tearing into her prey.
Dragons eat messily. Mashira first tore off the legs and crunched them in her mighty jaws. Then she tore hunks from the body and slurped up the intestines. Dorelle was used to it, but she still didn’t like it. To take her mind off the grisly feeding habits, she scanned the sky. Suddenly, she stiffened.
“Mashira, look. Are those dragons?”
Her dragon immediately assumed the colors of the rock and grass around her. Yes. I think a formation of three.
“Are they looking for us?”
I’m not sure. It’s not a search pattern.
Dorelle took a deep breath. She wanted to visit her home, needed to visit. When her parents heard about her desertion, they needed to know the truth. But it was possible her home had already become a trap. She bit her lip.
We’ll go there in the dark, Mashira said, quite unconcerned. No dragon will see me.
Dorelle pondered that statement, but Mashira said no more on the topic. Instead, the dragon finished her meal and then took her rider to the carcass of the young boar.
A little later, with the dressed boar tied firmly behind the saddle, Dorelle and Mashira lifted into the sky again. The sun was setting in the sea to the west.
The dragon flew low, shifting her color all the time. Dorelle kept staring at the neck and head of her friend and marveled at the quickness of the changes. It would be very hard to spot them from above.
They had visited her home once before, and Dorelle hoped that Mashira would remember the layout of the land around the fishing village where she had grown up.
Of course, the dragon said in her mind and snorted slightly. We’ll get there around midnight.
“What if Ferren is waiting for us?”
You’ll find a way.
Dorelle wasn’t sure. The village was small; only a dozen houses were grouped in Hery Bay. There were few spaces for a dragon to land. They had the long pier where the fishing boats were tied, but the masts made landing on it very dangerous for a dragon. Beyond the houses, a mountain cliff rose sharply, sheltering the village from storms and making access difficult. If any dragons were waiting for her, they would sit there, on the top of the cliff.
Maybe Mashira could come in over the sea and settle on the tiny strip of beach at one edge of the bay but she’d be vulnerable to an attack from above.
Sooner than she expected, Dorelle could see the sea sparkling in the distance. Moonlight reflected on the waves in a most beautiful way. It failed to warm her heart today.
Mashira elected to come in from the north, softly winging down along the coastline. And there was indeed a dragon lounging on the cliff. Dorelle’s heart sank.
He will not see me.
“Who is it?”
Zomel.
Dorelle took a sharp breath. Her own Wing Commander had decided to hunt her down. He would surely sit in her parents’ main room, settled in the big armchair, feet propped up, just waiting for her to sneak into the door.
Sudden fury gripped her. This conceited man who only thought of his own glory and not of the lives entrusted to him, this brutal officer – and she snarled that title in her mind – would not stop her from telling the truth to her mother and father.
Mashira surprised her. She landed in the sea, away from the harbor, and paddled around to the edge of the beach, braving the breaking waters. She crawled out of the water in the shade of the cliff, hugging the rock.
Dismount. And hurry, we have to get out of his sight before the sun rises.
“I know. Is he alone?”
Yes, I can only sense Zomel. No other dragons are here.
Ferren was very conceited indeed if he thought he could catch and keep her on his own. Dorelle gritted her teeth.
She hurried along in the shadow of the cliff, staying out of Zomel’s sight as she sought her parents’ house. There was no way she could just walk in the door. But then, she had discovered other ways as a child, and wasn’t above using them today.
So she crept around the back of the house where old gear was dumped and forgotten. Her father hated sleeping without an ear to the weather, and so their window was only shuttered, but not closed.
Gently, Dorell
e worked on the shutters and finally manged to open them. She listened to the breathing inside the room for a while. She heard the slight snore of her father, the gentle whistling her mother produced. That was all.
She climbed in. Her mother was the lighter sleeper, so she tiptoed over to her side of the bed and put a hand over her mouth. Her mother never made a sound, even though her eyes flew open and she stared at Dorelle.
“So it is true,” she whispered. “You are bringing shame on us.”
Dorelle felt fury rise hot in her heart. “He threatened to kill Mashira. Of course I ran. And I’ll leave as soon as you hear my side of the story.”
Her mother took a deep breath, then lit her bedside candle. “Wake your father.”
Soon they were all huddled on the bed, wrapped in blankets. Dorelle explained everything that had happened in a quiet whisper, including her stunt with General Gerdal. Her father chuckled a little at that one.
“So what will you do now?” her father asked when she had finished her tale.
“Go far away and never come back.”
“I thought so. And I wonder if your dragon is strong enough.”
“For what?” Dorelle was intrigued. “She is very strong.”
“Good. I haven’t been there myself, but there is an island far to the Northwest. It is at least a day’s sail with a good wind. Not many know of it, and it is barren.”
“Does it have water?”
Her father nodded. “As far as I know, yes. Nobody has sailed beyond it, but… only the gods know what else is out there. It might make a good hiding place.”
Dorelle nodded, even though the island didn’t sound very appealing. “Certainly for a while, yes.”
“Go now,” her mother said. “I wish I could meet your dragon again, but that must wait for better times. Go, before that other beast notices you.”
Dorelle swallowed hard. As she hugged her parents, tears flowed against her will.
“Safe flying, dear daughter.” Her mother’s eyes were brimming, as well.
A few moments later, Dorelle slipped out of the window. Behind her, her mother closed the shutters and blew out the candle. Dorelle waited a long moment until her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, then crept back to Mashira’s hiding place.
They took off quietly. The dragon struck out to the sea, in the direction Dorelle’s father had mentioned. Dorelle didn’t look back once, hoping against hope that she could return one day without fear.
They had been flying for a while, when Mashira suddenly winced and missed a stroke with her wings.
Zomel saw us. He’s coming. He says he’ll kill me. The dragon shuddered.
Dorelle swore under her breath. Then she reached for her bow and strung it.
“He will not hurt you,” she promised her dragon.
Mashira kept to her course doggedly. He is faster than I am.
“Yes, because he’s bigger. But I will not let him hurt you,” Dorelle repeated. “Is Ferren with him?”
No. Mashira sounded surprised.
Dorelle laughed grimly. “Good. He’ll find out that he’s not just hunting you, he is hunting a warrior team. He is a stupid dragon. Fitting for a rider who won’t let dragons think.”
It took quite a while before the big dragon caught up with them. He positioned himself above and slightly behind Mashira. Dorelle knew that from there, he could easily flame them.
“Say hello and ask him…”
He’s ordering us back to the land.
“Or?”
Or he’ll flame us.
Dorelle gritted her teeth. “That means we’ll fight.”
She wondered how much strength her dragon had left.
Plenty. We’ll surprise him. But formality first. Zomel, what awaits us on the land?
After a moment, she told Dorelle the answer. He says we’ll be torn to pieces at the Dragon Tower.
Dorelle laughed. “And he thinks that will make us surrender? Stupid dragon. Stupid Ferren. And now we’ll fight.”
Hang on.
Dorelle gripped the saddle handle with one hand, holding her bow ready in the other.
Mashira suddenly folded her wings and dropped down towards the water. Falling, she spiraled around and used her additional speed to reverse direction.
Shoot him!
Dorelle aimed and loosed one arrow at the large dragon floundering above them. It stuck his left wingtip, exactly where she wanted.
Zomel roared.
The injury wasn’t grave, but it would reduce his speed and maneuverability.
“Tell him that the next arrow will go to the center of his wing.”
You don’t want to kill him?
“Not if I don’t have to. Dragons are too precious.”
Mashira took them into a tight turn, facing her opponent.
This dragon isn’t, she growled.
Zomel rushed at them, a reddish glow around his maw. Dorelle knew he intended to flame them. She gripped her dragon’s neck with her legs and aimed the next arrow.
With a roar, the large dragon released his flames.
Mashira twisted out of the way of the attack and dove below.
Dorelle aimed up and shot.
This time, the arrow sliced through Zomel’s wing at the upstroke, splitting one wingsail in half.
The large dragon squealed and lost altitude quickly.
Mashira veered and strained to gain height. Now she was in a good flaming position while Ferren’s dragon struggled to stay above the water.
Tell Ferren that we allowed you to get home alive, Mashira snarled.
He says: May the fish eat your sorry carcass.
She spat a bit of flame in his direction, then resumed her flight towards the mysterious island.
Dorelle took a few deep breaths, as they left the large dragon behind. Then she unstrung her bow and stowed it away.
“Do you think he’ll make it back to the land?”
I don’t care. Mashira’s growl showed that she was still in a fighting mood. They should not be training young teams. So it would be better if Zomel died.
“I hope the Skyforce General will remove Ferren from his position.” Dorelle shrugged. “But we probably won’t find out.”
Her dragon sighed deeply. Let’s find that island.
WHEN THE sun rose, after an endless night of steady flight, Mashira lifted them up to third cloud height. From here, they both hoped, they could see the island and maybe just glide down to it.
And so it was. In the distance, a shimmering haze lay on the water. Dorelle sighed with relief.
“Take us there, dear heart.”
Gladly. It will be good to rest.
Even just gliding steadily, it took them some time to reach their destination.
As they came closer, they could see that it was indeed a barren, rocky island in the sea. Sea birds soared all around it. Dorelle spotted one waterfall spilling over tall cliffs.
No wonder the island was useless for sailors. She detected a single tiny beach where boats might land, but that was all. That beach was ringed with cliffs. No natural harbor, no shelter.
But she arrived on a dragon, and didn’t need access from the sea. Mashira took them to a small valley that boasted a few wind-torn trees and a brook. When she settled heavily on the ground, Dorelle realized how tired her dragon really was.
She quickly removed her pack, the boar and the harness.
“Sleep my dear. Nothing will threaten us here.”
So tired. Her dragon’s voice was muffled, and Dorelle quickly embraced her head.
“You did so well, my dear, strong friend. Sleep.”
Mashira curled up on the rocky ground, heaved a big sigh and closed her eyes. A few moments later, she snored slightly.
Dorelle smiled involuntarily. Her dragon only snored when she was very, very tired. Gently, she patted Mashira’s neck and then built her camp before curling up in her blanket.
THEY SPENT two days resting and sleeping. Dorelle gave most o
f the small boar to Mashira, roasting her share over a small fire. On the third day, they explored the island from the air. It was soon clear that while they could survive on this island, it wouldn’t be easy. There were no caves and no animals larger than mice. Mashira managed to catch a large fish that didn’t taste like fish at all, but the idea of living out the rest of their lives here was very depressing.
So they rested one more day, and then Dorelle filled her water bag in the stream and packed her few belongings on Mashira.
The dragon took them up to third cloud height again and glided towards the north, away from the mainland.
Several hours later, a little after midday, Mashira shifted into a lazy circle. This is the point where we have to decide whether to turn back and try another direction, or move on and risk not finding land by nightfall.
Dorelle frowned. “Can we survive a night at sea?”
Not easily. I can float, but I don’t know what hunters might lurk under water.
Dorelle sighed and remembered her family’s sea lore. “Yes, sharks might make us a meal. It’s not likely, but you need to rest.”
Both of them scanned the horizon.
I don’t want to go back, Mashira said after a while. That island will kill us both slowly.
Dorelle just nodded. “Let’s go on, then.”
The dragon adjusted her wings and soared towards the north, the sun moving around their back and then to the left side of their bodies.
“Look at those clouds,” Dorelle said eventually.
Mashira turned her head northwest. What about them?
“I believe there is land underneath them.”
Sudden excitement colored the dragon’s voice. I believe you’re right!
A series of clouds were forming in the midst of a darkening sky. Like pearls on a string they stretched out for a while until dissolving again.
Mashira turned her effortless soaring into a gentle dive, aiming at the first, small clouds. Some time later, she flapped her wings happily.
Yes, there is land. I can see a shimmer above the water.
“Let’s hope it has some water we can drink. My water bag is almost empty.”
There should be. It’s making clouds, isn’t it?
Dorelle's Journey Page 2