by Millie Burns
What would convince the dragon she was innocent? Who could have stolen the egg? “Oh,” Ravyn exclaimed, piecing together the puzzle. She put her hands to her lips, staring off in the direction of Aigerach.
Golden eyes stared deep into blue. “Oh? Have you just remembered where you left my egg?” she snarled.
“Oh, great dragon, I think inadvertently it is my fault your egg is missing. But, I swear to you on my father’s throne I didn’t take it. I am Princess Ravyn of Aigerach. Years ago my aunt bound my father, King Bryant and my mother, Queen Lareina in the Darkness.”
“The King and Queen are dead. Zelera is the Empress now. Even we dragons know the story.”
“My parents are very much alive, as am I. My mother cast a spell of protection and invisibility over me when Zelera attacked us. Now, that spell is unraveling, and I’m trying to get back to Veris to rescue them.”
“A quest. To return the crown. Noble. But what has this to do with my egg?”
“Since the invisibility spell is gone, my aunt is able to locate me through magic, and she’s trying to eliminate me. I think she stole your egg, hoping you’d kill me, thinking I took your baby.” She held her breath waiting for the dragon’s reaction.
The dragon appeared to ponder her words. “Why shouldn’t I kill you, then attack your aunt and take my egg back? Dragons care nothing of humans or their petty wars and struggles.”
“My aunt is very strong in the use of the Dark Arts. If you attack her castle, you will be captured or killed yourself.” She paused, her blue eyes beseeching. “I have to face my aunt. I have to save my parents. I’ll find your egg and bring it back to you, if you will spare me. I know I may not look like much, but I’m the best chance you have of getting your egg back.”
Ena considered the young girl standing proudly before her. She was brave; she would give her credit for that. Ena had seen many grown men cower before her over the past centuries. Moreover, what she said made sense. Things had changed in Aigerach. The peasants struggled to survive. Fewer cattle grazed the fields. She felt a tinge of guilt about the sheep she had eaten the night before. But, only a tinge.
“How long will this journey take you?”
Ravyn noticed the smoke from the dragon’s nostrils had decreased to a slim plume. “Well, I don’t really know. I have to get to Aigerach first, and well, you have rather destroyed my transportation. It’s going to take me a week at least to put together a seaworthy raft to get me across that channel. A half day of sailing, I’d guess. Then it’ll probably take a month or so to cross over the land to get to Veris. How long till your egg hatches?”
“Over a month, as long as it’s kept warm. This aunt of yours stole it for blood, you think? Who knows if my baby still lives.” Ena began to sob, hiccupping a puff of smoke.
“I think she is planning on hatching your baby. If she wanted to kill it, she would have left your egg smashed in your cave. So, if you’ll let me, I’ll start working on what’s left of this raft.” Ravyn sighed.
Ena lifted a taloned foot where the mast and tangled sail lay smoldering. She crushed some embers out with her tail. “I’m not saying I will, but suppose I fly you to Aigerach, to the area of Desolation. You don’t appear to weigh much more than a little lamb.”
Ravyn ran up to the dragon throwing her arms around the powerful sinewy neck. “Oh, that would be so wonderful. It would really speed things up. You know,” she cocked her head as she looked up into the glowing golden eyes, “I don’t know your name. Dragons do have names, don’t they?”
“It’s Ena; it means fiery. I’m named for my temper. Now, gather your belongings. We must leave at once; I have another egg to care for. I’ve been gone from it for far too long.”
Ravyn quickly refilled her water gourds from a little spring that burbled happily nearby. She gathered her pack, cramming it as full as possible with fresh fruit. The coming journey would be hard, and Desolation would not provide as this island had. She walked up to Ena, placing a hand on the smooth scales, “Where do I sit Ena?” she asked, admiring the powerful back, wings flexing ready to take off into the air.
Ena smiled, razor sharp teeth glittering, “I will carry you in my talons. You would likely slide right off my back, and I don’t have time to keep diving down after you.”
Ravyn clamped down on a surge of fear, allowing Ena to enclose her in her sharp talons. They rose up in the air with a few swift strokes of Ena’s wings. Rocks and sand dusted up as the powerful wings pumped. Out across the channel they flew toward Aigerach, one-step closer to home. Ravyn delighted in the wind rushing past her face. The ocean flew past in a blue blur. She wiggled her arms free, stretching them out as if she herself were flying. Her ears began popping as all too quickly Ena angled down toward the shore. Ena growled at Ravyn, “Prepare for a little drop.”
Rayvn felt her feet sink into the hot sand as Ena released her talons, letting Ravyn drop to the sand. Ena plopped down a short distance from Ravyn, kicking up sand. Ravyn smiled at the beautiful mother dragon. “Ena, I will do everything in my power to return your egg to you. You have my word as the Princess of Aigerach. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.”
Ena scratched at a patch of rough skin on her hind leg, peeling off a large length of skin. The red skin shimmered in the sun’s rays. “This may seem a strange gift, Ravyn, but dragon skin has many benefits. Use this skin to shield yourself from the sun. You’ll be surprised at what a help it will be. Now, I must go. Blessings of the Light upon you.” The wings beat powerfully, and Ena rose into the air. Ravyn watched the dragon ascend, gracefully gliding on the thermals back to Draconis Island. Soon just a scarlet speck dotted the clear blue sky.
Zelera’s eyes burned with anger. Damn, damn, damn! She pounded her fist on the table. How had Ravyn communicated with the ignorant beast? That little wench is too damn lucky.
A smile crept over Zelera’s haggard face. She still had the egg. When it would hatch was anyone’s guess. She’d tucked the egg in a dungeon cell with a forge going twenty-four hours a day, keeping it warm.
Zelera grasped for the spot where the Darkness filled her soul. She reached for it, savoring it. It continued growing in strength; soon she would conquer everyone and everything. She created turmoil throughout the country to feed the Darkness, and it in turn continued feeding her strength. She turned back to the task at hand.
Concentrating on the scrying bowl, she retraced her steps to the far edges of Aigerach. How delightful. Ravyn was at the edge of Desolation. Nothing but forty miles of brutal sun, sand, and scrub. She would be at a loss without shelter. If a windstorm should just happen to blow up, all the better. Zelera rubbed her skeletal hands together, gloating. Ravyn would never know what hit her!
Chapter 7
Ravyn searched her pack for food and then swigged some water, sloshing it down her chin. The sheet of dragon skin shimmered in the sand at her feet. It looked like a swath of costly scarlet silk, and she leaned forward picking it up. Light and pliant, it slipped across her skin. The sun’s rays were taking their toll; sweat ran in rivulets down her brow, stinging her eyes. Tossing the light skin around her shoulders, Ravyn felt like she’d just stepped into the shade. She tugged the skin higher, covering her head as well, making an impromptu tent.
Ravyn laid the scrying bowl down on the sand reverently, filling it with a bit of her precious water. She settled her mind and followed her aural thread, searching for the golden-green thread she knew to be Connor.
Over the dry barren land she stretched, out across lush green grasslands and farms. She soared over the colossal mountains and back to the thick forests near Veris. She scanned everywhere for Connor’s green and gold thread. She dropped down below the trees, finding his little cabin a smoldering ruin.
Tension knotted her shoulders. Had Zelera captured him? She sensed a shadowy tendril slithering along the aural field. She pulled back, repulsed. A vile aftertaste sat dead in her mouth. She slipped back to the beach, careful to avoid the re
aching black thread.
It was now the hottest time of the day. Ravyn scooted down the sand to dip her feet in the waves that gently lapped at the shore. Hiding beneath her dragon skin tent, she reached down to splash water on her neck. She sipped the water from the scrying bowl, not wasting a drop. She would travel without landmarks, but she knew the stars. Lying down in the sand, she curled up in a ball, drawing the skin over her. Laying her head on her pack, the waves shushed her worries away, and soon she dozed.
Time slipped steadily past her. After the sun slipped below the horizon, she peeked out from under her silky shelter. She stretched, ironing out the kinks. She slipped the skin into her pack and hoisted the bag onto her shoulder. The stars smiled down at her, and the North Star pointed her in the right direction. The evening air felt cool at first, but trudging through mounds of sand fired up her muscles.
The moon rose, its full face illuminating the bleak landscape. It created the illusion of a sea of sand, and like the sea, never ending. Cool whispers of wind chilled the sweat beading her skin. Goose bumps popped out along her arms, sending shivers racing down her spine.
She rubbed her arms, plodding onward. She realized she was counting each step, and when she got to a hundred, she’d start again. She didn’t even know how many times she’d reached a hundred. She stopped counting and began reliving memories of childhood. When that got tiresome, she sang every song she could think of. Her voice became hoarse in the dry air, so she started humming instead. Her calves cramped, screaming with every step. A new pain took up residence in her ribs, twinging with each breath. She pushed onward, covering as much ground as possible in the cooler climate. Time ticked slowly by.
The sky lightened with the arrival of dawn, doing nothing to improve the view. She paused, looking around for shelter. She leaned against a boulder, eyeing some scraggly brush. She massaged her aching calf, wincing as the muscles protested any kind of ministration. The horizon stared back at her, offering nothing.
“Well, this is the best I’m going to do,” she found herself saying aloud. She sighed, slipping the pack off her shoulders.
Ena’s skin was coming in handy. She draped it from the bush’s twiggy branches, creating a small-tented area. She uncorked a gourd. Greedily she drank, stopping mid-guzzle. There were miles and miles to go. Her thirst cried for more, but she ignored it, putting the cork back in place. Breakfast consisted of a dry biscuit, bruised fruit, and a handful of nuts. She wolfed them down.
The air warmed making her drowsy. Settling under her shade, her eyelids drooped. Her breath softened as she drifted into slumber.
Colors swirled about her head. They seeped together, becoming a howling black void that was sucking her parents into its depths. She grabbed her mother’s hand, trying to pull her back to the beach. Rocks and sand whirled around her, ripping at her skin. Ravyn gasped, her eyes snapping open. The wind shrieked at her, flying grit stinging exposed skin.
She snatched the dragon skin before the wind snagged it away. Curling into a little ball, she tucked Ena’s skin tightly about her. Her aunt’s evil influence tainted the wind; it smelled of rotten eggs and sent goose bumps racing up her arms.
The shrieking wind raged, yanking at the skin and tossing sand and rocks at her. She gripped the silken material tighter, cosseting herself from the biting gale. She began humming, finding a melody and losing herself in the song.
Time lost meaning as she huddled in her silken cocoon. The squealing gale subsided to a moaning wind, and then it shushed into nothingness. Complete silence reigned. Ravyn blinked, tears springing to her eyes. She tried to stretch, but couldn’t move, sand pressed down on her. Her breath came in ragged little gasps as she gulped down her shrinking air supply. Panic clawed her, bile filling the back of her throat. Summoning all her strength, she wriggled wormlike upwards. The sand slid away grudgingly. She emerged from the sand like a gopher poking its head out of its hole.
She pulled her feet free. Jumping up, she tossed the dragon skin aside, shaking sand everywhere. She filled her lungs with air, noting the sun sinking down in the west. To the south, the endless dunes glowed like fire in the last of the sun’s rays.
The scent of pine washed over her. She opened her senses, registering Connor’s aural thread hovering over her.
‘Ravyn, you are fine? You didn’t use magic. By the Light, how did you survive?’
‘A dragon gave me a piece of her skin and that protected me from the sandstorm. Oh, Connor, I was worried about you! I tried contacting you but couldn’t find you. I sensed Zelera searching, and I didn’t know if she was looking for you or for me, or if she’d captured you. Thank the Light you are safe. ’
‘A dragon, eh? We have much to discuss, but little time. I am on the move; Zelera is on me like bees on clover. Blade is on his way to meet you. You have about one more day’s walk through dunes, then another day through the borderland. When you arrive at the grasslands, civilization begins. Here you will find small farms and cattle land. The first village you come to will be Land’s End. Blade will find you there. You may have to wait a few days for his arrival, but a friend of mine will take you in.’
‘Blade’s coming! I can’t wait! I’ve missed him so much. How will I know him? I’ve changed over the years; I’m sure he has too.’
Connor chuckled, ‘You’ll know him. Neither of you have changed that much. I must go now, but I’ll talk to you as soon as I can, and you can tell me all about that dragon.’
Alone again, Ravyn sifted through the sand finding her pack and water gourds. One of the gourds cracked in half, the water lost. She took a small sip from the remaining gourd. She sloshed the contents around; it was half-full. Shouldering her pack and keeping the setting sun on her right, she headed south, out of Desolation.
The night was uneventful. She continued slogging over the sand, her calves screaming at her, threatening to cramp with each step. The air was utterly still, nothing stirred. ‘One more step,’ became her mantra. She felt her feet slide out from under her, and she slid down a dune on her bottom. She dusted herself off, picked herself up, and started trudging on without missing a beat.
Sand gradually gave way to gravel, and little thorny bushes littered the landscape. Little branches reached out for her, scratching and biting. Ravyn took a small sip of water to wet her parched mouth. The borderlands lay at her feet. She peered before her, looking for some sign of civilization. Her eyes met only boulders and scrubby bushes, a landscape nearly as bleak as endless dunes. One day, just one more day.
Finding a cozy niche between boulders, she covered herself with her silky skin blanket. Exhaustion claimed her before her head even hit her pack.
Fingernails bit deep into pale white skin, drawing blood. Zelera watched her niece shaking off sand. “Damn little snit,” she screamed as she tossed her books on the floor. She stamped her feet like a fussy toddler, yanking at her hair and screaming like a banshee. She faltered; her legs threatened to collapse. Zelera grasped her worktable, keeping herself upright. Her vision became fuzzy; it was as if she were looking through a veil. She inhaled a deep breath, relaxing. She let the anger settle deep within her, and the world came back into focus. Her lips curled in a nasty grin.
Zelera stepped over to her scrying bowl. She chanted a few dark words while sprinkling blood drops into the swirling waters. Soon a grumpy pudgy face, like a bulldog, swam into view. He was peering at her through a hand mirror.
“Your mightiness, how can I be of service to you?” leered Tilgey. He eyed her image, appraising her up and down. Spittle formed little balls at the corners of his fat lips.
Zelera released power through the scrying bowl; violet lightning arced from the glass, striking Tilgey in the forehead. He squealed as his eyes crossed and his hair stood on end.
“Repugnant little man, remember to whom you are speaking. If you forget yourself again, I will see you writhing in agony for eternity.”
Tilgey bowed low, his belly nearly scraping the ground. He grunted a
s he tried to stand back up without falling over. He tugged at his waistband, hitching his pants up. A nervous hand smoothed his stained frock. “Your highness, I meant no disrespect. I am ever at your service. What can I do for you?”
Zelera flicked a bony finger at the scrying bowl as she chanted. An image of Ravyn coalesced on Tilgey’s mirror. “This is Princess Ravyn. She will reach Land’s End in a day. She is crossing the Borderlands. Capture her, and bring her to me.”
Tilgey leered at the young girl in the mirror.
“You will not harm her, Tilgey. That is to be my pleasure. I have plans for this little bird.”
“And, what kind of reward might me and me men expect, ma’am, if you don’t mind me asking?” his greedy little eyes sparkled.
“You have the pleasure of living another day, you filthy swine.”
Swallowing, Tilgey mumbled, “Ah, I see. Don’t hurt to ask, ya know. Times are tough. Not much worth stealing nowadays.” He ran a dirty hand under his nose, sniffing.
“Tilgey, don’t disappoint me,” Zelera sneered, sending another sharp jolt of power through the bowl. She laughed as Tilgey screamed, licking her lips as she tasted his fear.
Chapter 8
Ravyn pushed herself up, rubbing her gritty groggy eyes. Her mouth felt dry, like she’d been sucking on cotton. Reaching for the water gourd, she sloshed it around. There was less than a quarter left. Though every muscle in her body was screaming, a broad grin spread across her face. Desolation was almost ancient history.
Exploring the contents of her pack, she found squashed fruit, some hard cheese, and even harder biscuits. She gnawed at cheese and a biscuit, washing down the pasty meal with sips of water. She folded up Ena’s skin, replacing it in her pack.
She set out as the sun slipped below the horizon. Loose rocks and uneven ground sent her slipping and sliding. Aching muscles begged for mercy as she lost her balance again.