Things were moving so quickly. I tried to grasp the reality of standing in this room with two dragon riders who included me as their equal. I, Amáne, daughter of Catriona, a fifteen-year-old girl, found myself in a world that had heretofore only been legendary to me. Very nervous, I approached the device. It was hung at a height more suited to these taller men, so Gallen brought me a stool to stand on. I placed my right hand on the brass knob and whispered, “Gyan,” and then, “Kei.” The disc lit up and shimmered the colors in a prism, which then became muted as a man’s image formed in the glass. I startled and immediately withdrew my hand. The image instantly disappeared.
“Keep your hand on the knob, Amáne. Try it again. No need to be frightened.”
I repeated my actions and the image transformed again into a visual of Farvard. It was almost like peering into a looking glass, but with someone else’s face looking back. He was a handsome man with dark hair and a greying beard.
“Greetings, Amáne, and my salutations to your dragon, Eshshah,” Farvard said as he saluted, at which I nodded and then forgetting myself, I saluted back with the hand I had on the brass knob. Farvard’s image disappeared once again.
“Sorry,” Gallen said. “I should have instructed you to use your left hand on the knob. One more time, Amáne.”
I got Farvard back in the disc again and gave him a proper greeting. His eyes twinkled in amusement. “She’s younger than you led me to believe, Gallen. And you neglected to mention her beauty. Welcome, Amáne, I hope you will join us.”
I blushed, assured him Eshshah and I could be counted on, then listened while they discussed the state of affairs in the kingdom. They shared their opinions of what needed to be done to set in motion a plan for obtaining an egg for the Healer. I had nothing to add, but struggled to follow the conversation, overwhelmed by it all.
The meeting came to an end and I released my hand from the device, after which I fell into the nearest chair before my knees buckled from under me. Farvard was the third dragon rider I’d met in so short a period of time. I was now fully aware of the fact these dedicated men were working with the Healer to save the kingdom — and had been doing so since before I was born, when Galtero first became a threat. They were bound by duty even with the loss of their dragons — making the ultimate sacrifice for their land and what they believed in. I had to take a deep breath as it came to mind that now Eshshah and I were a part of this movement. I could feel their excitement as they realized their vigilance had not been in vain. They now had hope because of our linking. The honor of being their hope pressed upon me.
Dorjan interrupted my thoughts, “I sure wish we could have had some of these communication discs when I worked under King Rikkar. It would have saved us a few trips. He had us jumping all over the kingdom.”
“King Rikkar?” I was astonished. “That was King Emeric’s father. It’s been more than fifty years since he’s rested with his ancestors, and you don’t look any older than forty-something. How can that be?”
The Healer, Gallen and Dorjan all laughed at my incredulity.
“You have perhaps forgotten the songs?” Dorjan asked. “Dragon riders do not age at the same rate as normal humans. It’ll be interesting to track your lifespan as you’re the youngest rider in our history. The reality of a long life is both wonderful and yet can be quite tragic. You have to watch your loved ones age and meet their ancestors while you’re left behind — your destiny not yet fulfilled. I still miss my wife of 100 years ago and have finally just remarried.”
I reminded myself it was his baby to whom the Healer had me bring the herbs when my mother was ill.
Gallen nodded and added slowly, “That’s the most painful part of being a rider. We crave companionship like anyone else — we are human. But knowing that unless we’re killed in a battle or a quest, we will be left alone. I’ve also watched a wife pass to her ancestors.”
The elation of being a part of this exclusive band of riders quickly plummeted as the air about me shifted — the sorrow, which was thick in the room, caused my heart to beat in pain.
“Then I shall never fall in love, nor shall I ever marry.” I declared to them. This would be my vow.
Gallen responded, “That’s not the best solution, Amáne. You may finally succeed in controlling your temper, but trying to control your heart — you would be fighting a losing battle. I would keep an open mind if I were you.”
Dorjan added, “Wait a while before you take that vow. You’re too young to realize what you’re saying.”
Neither rider convinced me to retract my statement.
The rest of the afternoon was spent going over everything the Healer could find in her library on Castle Teravinea. Regardless of the plan we would come up with, ultimately, I would be required to know the castle thoroughly. She had some floorplans that I poured over with Dorjan, who knew the castle layout better than most. He had an informant that fed him inside information and kept him current about new construction or any changes. He made the corrections on the large map we had spread out on the table.
The City of Teravinea is located in the central eastern point of our kingdom. Beginning with its vineyards and olive groves that spread through the beautiful lush valley, it then rises to rocky heights. Finally dropping in sheer vertical cliffs to the heavy seas below. It is upon these impenetrable cliffs the castle was built. Surrounded on almost three sides by the sea, it remains a forbidding fortress.
Dorjan pointed out the location of the Castle Outpost. “Its entry is built into the cliffs. The outpost connects to a series of corridors that join it to the castle — if you know the path. It has long-since been abandoned, but it might prove to be useful for our quest.”
After a few hours of instruction, Dorjan took his leave. I spent a little more time on my own with the maps. I heard him, Gallen and the Healer speaking quietly downstairs, but even with my improved hearing, I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then I heard horse hooves as Dorjan rode off of the property. Darkness had already fallen.
“Eshshah, are you getting these plans committed to your memory?”
“Yes, but I’m hungry, Amáne. Do you think you’d be allowed to fly with me tonight when I hunt?”
“Oh, I’d love it. They haven’t let us fly together in a long time. Let’s see if I have any luck convincing the Healer to let me go with you.”
I ran downstairs where the Healer and Gallen were quietly talking at the kitchen table and began my plea. Using my best persuasive tactics, “Healer, may I fly tonight with Eshshah when she hunts? It’s been so long. We’ll do some practice mounts if you’ll let me go. Ten of them — five wing mounts and five tail mounts. Please can I? It’s a new moon and it’s dark enough that no one will see us.” My words spilled out in my excitement as I tried my hand at bribery.
“The darkness of the night doesn’t mean it will be any safer for you, Amáne.”
“What could possibly happen when I have an almost full-grown dragon to protect me?”
“Have you forgotten all of your bruises, scars and near-ancestor experiences you’ve suffered since you’ve been with your dragon?”
“Those were all my ignorance and clumsiness — I know much more now. You’ve trained us well. We’ll be fine. Nothing will happen. I really need to fly with her. Please, Healer?” I tilted my head, my eyes pleaded.
I could tell she was going to give in. I knew she would try to make up for her previous behavior toward me and I took advantage of it. I felt a little guilty, but I didn’t let up. She looked at Gallen, who, more often than not, would side with me. I saw him give an almost imperceptible nod. She turned to me and reluctantly, but firmly, said, “Okay, Amáne, but I want you back here in less than two hour’s time. That’s long enough for Eshshah to hunt. I will expect your timely return.”
I threw my arms around her neck, genuinely thankful we had been allowed to fly again. Running out into the courtyard in jubilation, I threw the saddle on Eshshah as quickly as I could. Esh
shah, as excited as I was, took position for some wing mounts. We did five successful ones and then worked our way through five tail mounts. I think we had to do six or seven to meet our criteria.
On our last mount, Eshshah pushed off and with a quick powerful downstroke of her wings, we were airborne. I deftly buckled myself in the saddle as she spiraled upwards. There is no feeling like the thrill of her take-offs. It’s the most exhilarating feeling to ever experience.
I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool night air. Eshshah’s spicy scent mingling with the salty wind rejuvenated me. It was the kind of feeling I wished I could capture in a bottle and pour over myself whenever the need arose.
We flew to our cove and silently enjoyed each other’s company. Languishing there for a while, we gazed at the stars in the dark sky and cherished our time alone.
Eshshah originally had thought she wanted to fish, but then changed her mind and had a taste for wild sheep. She had some concerns as to whether she should leave me at the cove or take me closer to where she’d hunt. It had been a while since I’d been to the cove. I preferred to stay on the beach. Reluctantly, she agreed to my request after I promised I would wait for her closer to the cliffs. She felt I would be safer there. If anything, or anyone should approach, I would have the cliffs at my back.
I made light of her concern but conceded to her desire. But I declined her following plea to light a fire for protection. I preferred the darkness so I could enjoy the infinite display of stars, especially since it was a new moon. She gave in.
Marveling at her beauty as she took wing, I sat in bliss and delighted in my solitude — of course, that was solitude with Eshshah in my consciousness. I also shared the pleasure of her hunt, except in her final kill. Per my desire, she blocked me out for that part.
Relaxed for the first time in so long, I started to doze off, but awakened when I heard shuffling and sniffing nearby. My senses sharpened. I slowly and silently withdrew my dagger.
“Amáne, what’s happening?” Eshshah’s awareness directed toward me.
My sight, even in the dark night, was excellent and I saw the shape of a large dog, probably a wild dog, which are not uncommon around here. They’re usually more afraid of people than we need to be of them. Relaxing my concern, I made the mistake of answering Eshshah out loud. “It’s just a wild dog sniffing around.”
I stiffened as the night’s peace was broken by a thunderous growl. The dog turned its large head toward my voice. More than just a common dog growl, it was a ferocious wild snarl from deep in his throat. The vibrating sound continued as the dog approached. I gaped at the biggest dog I had ever seen. He stalked slowly toward me. His eyes glowed in the starlight — red, crazed eyes. His lips curled over large exposed teeth. The animal was not right. Foam collected around his mouth. Saliva dripped from its jaws. This was a rabid dog. I had learned at a young age about the rabies disease when a childhood friend had been bitten. It was a horrible illness and in less than three weeks my friend rested with his ancestors. I held my dagger in front of me and wished I had brought my spear instead. Why didn’t I at least put on my sword before I left the house? The dagger suddenly seemed so ineffective.
“Eshshah, please.” I entreated her to come quickly.
“Amáne, be careful, I’m already on my way.”
No sooner had she said this than the dog leaped at me without warning. I ducked to the side and swiped my blade at him, cutting into the beast’s shoulder. Its warm blood sprayed my arm. With an unearthly howl of pain, he landed and immediately lunged again. I side-stepped him once more. Just barely avoiding his snapping jaws, I found my mark in another slice, this time to his hind leg.
Instead of slowing him down, it angered him more. With a loud rumble in his chest, he advanced more slowly, calculating. His glowing eyes locked on mine as he came in for the kill.
I stepped back matching his pace. As I retreated closer to the cliff, my boot caught on a rock behind me. I went down hard, but rolled out of the way just in time to miss his spring. In an unexpected move, the mad dog spun around and lashed out as I tumbled. I felt his vise-like jaws close on my calf. Screaming in pain, I called out for Eshshah. A cold rush of panic filled my chest. Realization flooded my mind — I had just been bitten by a rabid dog.
I reached for a branch that laid on the ground in front of me. Twisting, I brought it down on the dog’s snout. With a yelp, he released me and I rolled to my feet. The branch in one hand, and my dagger in the other, I crouched in a fighting stance to face him. In shifting my weight, a sudden piercing pain shot up my leg. It gave out. Falling backwards I watched helplessly as the dog made his leap to finish me off. His body stretched in its arc of descent toward my throat as I lay on my back, paralyzed in shock and pain.
My life swept before me in slow motion. I regretted my approaching demise, which would mean the failure of my mission to save Teravinea — even before I had a chance to participate. I grieved that Eshshah would be without a rider. I felt for the people of the kingdom. I felt for the Healer having to prepare another friend to rest with her ancestors.
Wait. What was I thinking? Those were the thoughts of someone who had given up. That was not me.
At that same instant I came to my senses, Eshshah said, “I’m almost there, Amáne, fight!” She melded her mind with mine and gave me the extra strength I needed.
Still on my back, I felt her power flow through my body. Like lightning I slashed with my dagger and severed the mad dog’s head halfway off. His blood drenched me as he hovered above in mid-leap. At the precise moment I completed my stroke, Eshshah swooped in and caught the beast as it dropped, saving me from being crushed by his body. She flung it away from me — I heard it splash into the sea.
“Amáne, you’re covered in blood. Where are your injuries?”
“It’s mostly the dog’s blood,” I cried, “but Eshshah, it was rabid and it bit me.” Even though my life didn’t end with the dog ripping out my throat, I anticipated it would end in a matter of a few weeks when the symptoms of the disease would begin to show, and the infection became fatal.
“Where, Amáne? Show me quickly.”
I unlaced and removed my boot to expose my left calf where the dog’s razor-sharp teeth had punctured the leather and deep into my flesh. Eshshah immediately placed her nose on the wound and breathed her warm healing breath. I could feel her concentration was more intense than it had been for any of my other injuries. She hummed as well, which also differed from her previous healing practices. The heat from her healing rose in my calf and became almost too hot to bear, but she didn’t ease up. My leg no longer hurt from the bite, but the heat became more unbearable. Still she continued her treatment.
After quite a while, and just before I could take no more, she pulled back and breathed a deep sigh, “I think I got it all, Amáne, let’s get you back to the Healer. She will never trust me again,” Eshshah lamented. “This is all my fault — I talked you into flying with me tonight.”
“Eshshah, please don’t say that. It was I who talked the Healer into letting us go. And it was I who wouldn’t listen to you about leaving me in the cove.”
I gathered my boot and hobbled to her side to try to reach the saddle, but had some difficulty getting up to it. She practically had to lay down so I could mount. With shaking hands, I buckled myself in. Eshshah took to the sky and headed back to the Healer’s.
I caught sight of the courtyard from a distance. Both the Healer and Gallen appeared agitated as they waited for us outside — we had gone over the two-hour time limit they had given us. I began to get nervous about their reaction to my blood-soaked clothing, so I started calling down to them as Eshshah circled lower and then back-stroked her wings to make a gentle landing.
“Healer, Gallen, I’m okay. Don’t worry it’s not my blood.” Not all of it anyway, but I didn’t add that. They both rushed up as we touched the ground, shock on their faces as well as relief.
I slid off, but when I hit the ground
my leg buckled under me. I stumbled into the Healer’s arms. In a delayed reaction to the terror I had just experienced, both tears and words flooded out of me like a dam that had burst.
“Healer,” I cried, “it was awful. Eshshah didn’t want to leave me at the cove, but I talked her into it, and she went to hunt, and then there was a rabid dog and I thought I was about to be killed, but Eshshah gave me her strength and then she swooped in before his body could fall on me, after I nearly severed his head, and I don’t want to die of rabies, but Eshshah thinks she got it all.”
“Slow down, Amáne. You got bitten by a rabid dog?” Her face went pale. “Gallen, please take her in to her chambers. I’ll need Eshshah’s help. Now, tell us again, what happened, Amáne.”
Gallen carried me into my room as I tried again, without much success, to explain the horror we had just been through. As we came into the light I gasped at the blood that drenched my clothing, not knowing which was mine from my cuts and scratches, and which belonged to the dog. I tried one more time to relate my story as the Healer examined my calf.
“Puncture wounds, relatively deep into your muscle, but it doesn’t look like major tissue damage. Your boot saved your leg. From the size of the bite marks, it looks like he could have torn your leg off. Eshshah did an exceptional job, but we will need to keep up the treatment until we’re sure the virus has been eliminated. Time is the only way to tell.”
She rushed off to mix one of her concoctions. When she returned Eshshah put her nose on my calf again as the Healer placed a poultice on the wound. It just added to the burn. I gritted my teeth as the heat rose.
“There has been talk about a wild dog that’s been terrorizing and killing the livestock around here.” Gallen commented, “They said it was larger than any wild dog anyone has ever seen.” He shook his head in disbelief. “You severed his head off with only your dagger, Amáne?”
Amáne of Teravinea - The Chosen One (The Teravinea Series Book 1) Page 12