by A. L. Knorr
A flapping, squawking Blue barrelled into Jordan's stomach. She wrapped her arms reflexively around him and staggered backward into Sol.
Sol staggered back too, his arms wrapping around Jordan from behind. Jordan's yellow feathers blinded him and poked up his nose as Sol's right hand clamped down on something full and soft and warm. There was no mistaking the heavy softness of her breast, and heat rushed to Sol's face. His left hand accidentally wrapped around Blue's hind leg, and the dragon gave a whistle and nipped Sol's thumb. The staggering threesome collapsed in a jumble of limbs, feathers, and flapping leathery wings. Blue made an angry chittering sound as he hopped off Jordan's stomach and sat on his hindquarters in the dirt facing them. He might have been waving a ruler, for the way he looked like a teacher admonishing his pupils.
"I think he's telling me off," interpreted Jordan. "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed as her elbow mashed Sol's hand into the stones.
Sol spat a feather out and pulled his booted foot from between Jordan's back and right wing. "It's okay. Not hurt."
More than a few Strix citizens and visitors chuckled at the clumsy tangle taking up half the walkway.
"Just a little embarrassed," Sol murmured, getting to his feet and holding out a hand to help Jordan up.
Jordan took great care in dusting herself off. Her face had a rosy tinge, and she found it difficult to meet Sol's eye. She cleared her throat. "The old artist was right."
"Who?"
"The artist I was just talking to. He said that Blue would always find me. I guess he was right."
"He knew about dragons, did he?" Sol straightened his satchels, which had become twisted around his torso.
"I guess." Jordan tucked stray hairs behind her ears. “Did you get to the bottom of the lapita problem?”
“Only a start,” replied Sol. “Seems the new trade-master at Maticaw, some fellow by the name of Jack, is putting up roadblocks.”
“Roadblocks you have to deal with?”
“Not me, thankfully. I told Belshar to go there in person.”
“Oh, good. Hopefully he can get it sorted quickly.” She brightened. "But, I have to tell you something amazing."
"Great. Not to rush you, but will it take long? My ring is heating up," Sol said, lifting a fist and showing Jordan his gold signet.
She peered at the ring. "I didn't know you had a ring. I never noticed it before." She found herself noting which hand and finger he was wearing it on, and was surprised by the relief she felt that it wasn't on the fourth finger of his left hand.
That's silly, she told herself. They might not even have the same marriage rituals as we do on Earth.
"Why is it heating up?" she asked.
"It's a signal from the palace that someone needs a courier. All couriers have a signet. When a message needs to be sent, the request is magically telegraphed to the rings. Until a courier shows up to take the commission, the rings get hotter and hotter."
"How hot do they get?" Jordan put a finger out and touched the gold. It was warmer than her skin.
"Hot enough to burn. We can take them off as long as we keep them somewhere we can feel them. Is it something you can tell me on the way back up to Upper Rodania?"
"I'll tell you right now," Jordan said quickly. “My mother is most likely in Maticaw." She didn't wait for this message to sink in. "I need to go back. Will you come with me?"
Sol's mouth opened. "Your mother…?" he gaped. "How do you know that? We haven't even gone to the census office yet."
"The locket. It's a compass," Jordan explained. She put her arms out for Blue, but he looked the other way. Jordan frowned at the reptile. "It drifted up from my neck when we were in Maticaw, and—"
"It did? You never said!"
"I didn't think it meant anything, and I was distracted by the gypsy lady, but—"
Sol put up a hand. "Come with me to Upper Rodania, tell me all about it and we can make a plan. I have to check in before my finger gets burned off.”
"Alright,” Jordan agreed. "Come on, Blue. You can be mad at me and still fly. Let's go, boy."
The dragon gave a growling yawn and flapped his wings, letting them know he was ready to go, albeit still annoyed.
The two Arpaks and the dragon took to the sky and began to climb.
***
They arrived at the palace and landed on the same platform where Blue had last eaten.
"I won't be long," said Sol. "You must be getting hungry for lunch."
"No," protested Jordan, but at the thought of food, her tummy rumbled like a tractor. It was almost as though she’d had no breakfast.
Sol smiled. "You are. I am, too. And he definitely is." He pointed to where Blue had waddled underneath a chair and curled up again. "Let me see about this commission, and then we'll talk."
"Okay," Jordan sank into a chair and propped her elbows on the table.
She watched Sol disappear between the columns. Time to think always led to her parents. She wanted to locate her mother as quickly as possible, then go back home to Virginia and talk to her dad. She hadn't thought of what she was going to say, how she was going to break the news or even what her father might already know. After their argument, they never had the opportunity to have the talk—the one where he told her everything.
Is it possible he knows about Oriceran? Jordan's head shook at the idea. Surely her father would have told her something. He also had never seen the portrait inside the locket. And what about in the longer term? Passing through portals was supposedly dangerous and illegal—she shouldn't be making a habit of it. But I’m an Arpak now; I’ve always been one. My home is really Oriceran. On Earth, I won’t have wings.
She fluttered her yellow feathers as though to remind herself they were still there. The weight of them was now a comfort on her shoulders, she couldn't imagine an earthbound life anymore. She frowned at the thought of living in a different universe from Allan. He was alone; it would kill him to lose her. It might kill her to lose him, too. Would he consider living on Oriceran? Rodania is beautiful. But what would it be like for a human? Is my father too set in his ways to make such a huge move?
Her mind wandered back to what Sohne had asked for—that the next time Jordan needed wings, she would seek Sohne out rather than some other source. Jordan wondered why, but it was just one of a thousand other questions jostling in her brain. All this thinking was exhausting.
Her eyelids had grown heavy by the time Sol emerged from between the marble columns. All the events of the past several days were taking a toll on her.
"What's the news?" Jordan asked, sitting up straight. "Did someone else get the commission before you?" She hoped so; she didn't want any delay in going back to Maticaw, and it would just be easier if Sol were with her. She was still so new to the ways of Oriceran and its many oddities and dangers.
"No, the commission is mine." Sol didn't look overly happy about it. "I'll have to leave first thing tomorrow. I have to pick up a letter from Prince Diruk and take it to Operyn.”
"How far away is that?"
"Further than Maticaw. It'll take me about three days, if the winds are with me."
"Three days!" Jordan frowned. Looks like I’ll be going to Maticaw without Sol, after all. I can’t wait three more days to find my mother. "It's funny that you don't have some magical way of delivering mail instantly instead of ferrying it by hand. That’s so much slower."
"There are ways, but the Elves have that magic, and it doesn't come cheap. King Konig and the Council members will sometimes pay for it if the message is really urgent. But it’s not foolproof. They've had messages arrive jumbled, and misunderstandings can be embarrassing and expensive. They trust Arpak couriers—good thing, or I'd be out of a job."
Jordan nodded and rubbed her eyes with her fists. "Right."
"Come on," said Sol. "Lets go home and grab some food. I’m starved."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It wasn't until their plates were clean and their glasses empty that Jordan said, “I’ve never been
so hungry in all my life.”
Sol smiled. “Better get used to that. Strix need a lot more calories than humans do.” He took a breath before shifting topics. "So, I'll be back from Operyn in three days, then we can go to Maticaw together. If you like, I can give you directions to some of the sights of Rodania, so you and Blue can familiarize yourself with the city while I'm gone."
Jordan shook her head. "That's kind of you, but I can't wait three days to go back to Maticaw. I'll leave tomorrow morning; whenever you leave, that's when I'll leave. I'll meet you back here in three days, if that works for you." She brightened. "Maybe I'll have my mother in tow by then, you can meet her."
Sol's jaw went slack, and his ruddy cheeks paled. "Jordan, you can't go to Maticaw on your own. It's too dangerous. Even Arpaks who have been born and raised here don't make that flight by themselves."
"But," Jordan frowned. "My mother."
"She's been here for years, right?" Sol coaxed, moving forward in earnest. "What's a few more days? Besides, you don't know where to look."
"The locket will tell me."
"Yeah, but you have no idea where it'll lead you. What if it takes you out of Maticaw and into the wilderness somewhere?" Sol's tone was growing urgent. "Or into some nasty area of the city? I won't sleep for worry, Jordan!"
This last admission gave Jordan pause. She did what her father had told her to do during a conflict: put herself in Sol's position. If their roles were reversed, she'd worry about him—and he was much more capable than she was. The image of his frame crouched and waiting for the harpy attack in the dusty road of The Conca blossomed in her memory. He knew how to handle himself and he still hadn't won against the harpy; they'd had to be rescued. She might think she could take care of herself, but really? Against a harpy? She swallowed as she and Sol stared at one another. She could empathize with his feelings, but it didn't change the fact that she couldn't wait—she'd already waited too long. And a part of her resented the fact that she needed him.
"And what happens if you get back, and right away you have another commission?" she asked quietly.
Sol's lips parted, but he had no answer for that possibility. He closed his mouth and stared at Jordan, her blonde hair drifting around her face in the evening breeze.
His heart gave an unexpected ache.
"Please," he begged softly. "Please wait for me to return. I want to come with you." It isn’t just to keep her safe, he realized. She’s about to find a mother she's never known and, no matter how romantic the notion is of reuniting with a long-lost family member, the whole situation doesn’t seem right.
Sol had no idea why Jaclyn would leave her baby girl on Earth and abandon Jordan's father, but it was the choice she had made. Unless there was some extreme circumstance that could justify the decision, it didn't make Jaclyn look good and Sol was worried about what Jordan might discover when she came face to face with her mother. I want to be there for her. He sat back in his chair as the final thought hit him like a punch in the heart.
"I'll have Blue," Jordan reminded him, breaking up Sol's thoughts like a ship cutting through ice.
Sol gave a disbelieving laugh. "He's a lizard! He'll be no protection for you."
An angry squawk came from the other room, and both of them jumped. They stared at one another with realization
"He understands us!" said Jordan. It seemed Blue had far better comprehension than any other animal Jordan had befriended, and she'd had a pony that put some of her human friends to shame.
"Apparently." Sol raised his voice and called out, "What are you going to do if a harpy attacks her, Blue?"
There was a whistle in answer and the scrabbling of claws on the wooden floor. Blue appeared from the bedroom door and stalked toward the terrace.
"Well?" Sol crossed his arms, waiting.
Blue drew his face back and gave a sort of hiccupping cough, followed by a snort.
"Yeah, that'll stop a harpy right in its—"
A jet of hot flame burst from the dragon's mouth. Sol and Jordan leapt up from the table on the terrace, as the blast of fire reached the wooden furniture and sent it up in a ball of flame.
"Blue!" Jordan cried, tripping over the chair in her effort to get away from the bonfire.
"Stop!" Sol yelled, his hands on top of his head in a comical display of shock.
Blue snapped his mouth shut and the flame died instantly. Smoke curled up from his nostrils and the corners of his mouth. The table was on fire and crackling merrily, sending smoke billowing up into the night sky.
Sol dashed into the kitchen and cranked open his water faucet to full blast. He grabbed a bucket from a closet and jammed it under the tap. "He's a fire breather?!" Sol almost danced in place as the bucket filled far too slowly.
Blue looked over his shoulder at Sol and Jordan thought that if a dragon could grin, that was what Blue was doing. Sharp white teeth glinted in the evening light as the dragon's lips pulled back from his teeth in a terrifying display.
"It's a good thing you're small," Jordan said to the reptile. "You're frightening."
Sol carried the full bucket to the terrace and threw it over the fire, dousing the flames with a loud hiss. He put the bucket down and stared at Blue.
"Sorry," Jordan said sheepishly, feeling responsible for her companion’s behavior.
"I never liked that table anyway," Sol lied. He looked at Blue. "But can you not breathe fire in my apartment ever again, please?"
Blue yawned as if to say, I make no promises. He made his way back to the bedroom, where the dark underside of the bed awaited.
Sol narrowed his eyes at the dragon's back. "Does he look bigger to you?"
Jordan crossed her arms. "All the better to help protect me.”
Sol raked a hand through his hair and looked at the smouldering pile of rubble on his terrace. "So he can breathe fire," he shrugged. "He's still no match for a harpy."
"Did you see the length of that flame? He could toast one alive from twenty feet!" Jordan claimed with no small amount of pride.
Sol groaned. "I'm too tired to debate with you any more about this. Will you at least sleep on it?" Sol was certain Jordan would see reason after a good night’s sleep.
Jordan chewed her lip and considered this. "Alright.” Truth be told she could use a bit more rest. “Unless you need it, I’m going to take over the bathroom. I smell like smoke."
Sol breathed a sigh of relief. “Take all the time you want.”
***
Jordan rolled over, a beam of morning light falling across her eyes and rousing her. She opened her eyes and smiled. Today could be the day that I find my mother. Jordan sat up and stretched. The answer was already in her mind. I have to leave today, with or without Sol. There is no waiting. She bounced out of bed and dressed. The sounds and smells of a meal being made were already emanating from the kitchen.
Blue appeared from underneath the bed and bumped his forehead against Jordan's calf with a whistle.
"Morning, Blue." Jordan crouched and took the dragon's blue face in her hands. She looked into his intelligent black eyes. "What do you think? Can we handle ourselves on a journey back to Maticaw?"
Blue's tongue snaked out and slapped Jordan across the chin in a reptilian kiss.
"I'll take that as a ‘yes’," Jordan decided, wiping her chin. She kissed the dragon on the nose and finished doing up her leather vest as she wandered from the bedroom into the kitchen.
"Smells good," she said, brushing her hair back and up, away from her face. She'd gone to bed with damp hair, and now had a crazy bouffant of curls. She raked up the mess and put it into a ponytail. "Morning. What can I do?"
"Morning. Want to make coffee?" Sol gestured to the stovetop espresso maker, which was more squat and fat than the Italian kind Jordan was used to. Sol shook the pan on the stovetop to toss the sizzling purple home fries. "Grounds are in the jar in the corner there."
"I'm so glad you have coffee here." Jordan filled the coffeemaker with water. "O
therwise I'd go back to Earth, never to return."
Sol laughed but his chuckle had an edge. He watched Jordan out of the corner of his eye, still unsure of the outcome of their conversation the day before.
Jordan sniffed the coffee grounds and gave a sigh of pleasure. She filled the reservoir, twisted the coffeemaker closed, and set it over the spiral of small flaming jets—engineering that never would have passed safety tests back home.
Sol bent to check the frittata he had cooking in the belly of the stove. A delicious smell of eggs and vegetables blew into the room.
"Where's Blue?"
Jordan looked around and frowned. "He was just here." She shrugged and looked up at Sol with a guess on her face. "Hunting?"
Sol nodded and pulled the frittata out of the stove. He pulled two plates down and started toward the terrace. He stopped when he saw the blackened remainder of his patio table. He turned back toward the kitchen and set the plates and food on the countertop. "Guess we'll eat here."
Jordan poured the coffee then joined Sol in retrieving a couple of chairs, and they sat down to breakfast side-by-side. They picked up their forks.
"So." Sol cleared his throat. "About your trip to Maticaw…"
Jordan's eyes met his. "I have to go today. Please don't ask me to wait. I just can't."
Sol closed his eyes against her decision and let out a breath. "Jordan—"
"Of course I would rather you come with me, but…"
Sol looked at her. Jordan hated the sadness she saw there, the worry. "I won't stop you," Sol finally relented. He put his fork down.
"What about an escort?" Jordan offered. "In The Conca, Toth escorted us—"
"We're not in The Conca. Things don't work like that on Rodania. Toth is a rebel, a mercenary for hire. He has an agreement with the people living there." Sol put his elbows on the table and tented his fingers, thinking. "If you would agree to wait, I could probably arrange something with a Nycht from the palace guard who is off-duty, but—"
"I have to go this morning. As soon as we're done with breakfast, and Blue is back."