Radlan winked at Arana. “What is it like to fly above the forests and the land?”
“Glorious. Yesterday we went to the pass and back.”
Radlan whistled. “That’s more than a two day trip by horse. Shame everyone can’t fly.”
Arana laughed. “Think of the number of dragons there would be and all the beasts needed to feed them. There would be no room for people.”
“Never thought about that. Did the flight make you feel safer?”
“More than before. The pass is snowbound.” She frowned. “I found it odd the guards remained in their house and didn’t come to stare at the dragons. The villagers waved and cheered. I hope the guards are alert. If Lagon hears about our dragons he will come here.”
“I wouldn’t like that,” Sofona said. “He’s a cruel man. Your whipping still angers me.”
“He had a reason to beat me. I let the red escape and didn’t tell him. What scared me the most was his desire to have me in his bed. He needs an heir and says he was promised the mother would be from High Peaks. I don’t understand his obessession with me. He already has a child of High Peaks’ blood.”
“Who?” Radlan asked.
“A daughter. She was born to Drakon’s mother. I know Drakon wishes to end Lagon’s line and avenge the deaths of his family. I hope the child will be spared.”
Sofona finished oiling Verde and moved to Azure. “If she is Lagon’s child he must have trained her to hate everyone from here.”
Arana shook her head. “He ignores her, and refuses to allow her near the dragons. Should one of his bedmates have a son, the girl will be sent to the slave quarters, or he might sell her to the slavers.”
“The man’s a monster,” Sofona said. “Did he hurt the lady of High Peaks?”
“He sought to break her spirit. He drugged her and kept her a prisoner in his bedchamber. After the birth she managed to escape the room and threw herself from the tower heights.”
“Does Drakon know about his half-sister?”
Arana frowned. “I haven’t found a way to tell him that won’t cause more pain and increase his anger.”
“Before he goes to confront Lagon you must tell him,” Sofona said. “For him to be responsible for his half-sister’s death would destroy him.”
“Why does he want to go after Lagon? Aren’t we safe here?”
“For a time,” Radlan said. “As long as Lagon lives, you are not safe. When he learns there are dragons here, he’ll come. There is no way to keep the news secret, especially in the fall when trading partiers come from the other towers."
Arana felt her spirits tumble. From deep inside, her fears rose.
“You must tell Drakon about his half-sister,” Sofona said.
“I will. As soon as I find the right way. Will Drakon do at Sea Cliff what was done here?”
“The temptation to lay waste to the tower and the villages will be great,” the older man said. “But Drakon has no large band of men to send against the tyrant. As long as the dragons of the other towers are held captive, he has but the men from one village and those on the farms.”
Arana moved a barrow of meat to the feeding trough. She scooped handfuls of meat into each one and then added the allotment of thorns or berries. When she reached Verde she giggled at the way he preened. *Vain creature.*
*I am a rare dragon.*
*Not forever,* the Old One said. *One day, just as I have promised, there will greens for you to teach.”
When she finished distributing the meat, Sofona called Arana over. “Will you come to the tower to break your fast?”
“I’ll wait for Drakon to wake.”
A short time later Radlan appeared with a large basket and a steaming kettle. “Sofona said you should eat, and when he wakes, Drakon can do the same.”
“Thank her for me.” Arana placed the porridge in the heated sand. After setting the basked on the round stone she and Drakon used as a table, she spread cheese on one of the oatcakes. That would hold her until Drakon woke.
Verde purred. *Some dried apple and bread, please.*
*After Drakon and I eat.* She went to her cot and lay beside Drakon. She drifted to sleep.
*Arana. Arana. Wake up.*
Verde’s urgent call pulled her from a dream. *What? Who?*
*An intruder. A woman. She creeps across the sand toward Roja. She does not speak.*
Arana rose and pulled on her boots. She strode to Roja’s wallow.
The young woman inched forward. Long dark hair hung to her waist. She was taller and more buxom that Arana.
“Who are you and why did you come?” Arana asked.
The young woman halted. “I came for my dragon so I can fly with her when she mates, and lay with the lord of High Peaks after the flight.”
“You can’t. I’m Roja’s speaker."
“You are the one who was twice a slave.” The dark-haired woman stepped closer to the red.
“Who are you?” Arana demanded.
“Bekla.” She laughed. “You are the one who brought the green dragon. I heard about you when Drakon came to the village.” A sly smile appeared on her face. “I will have the red dragon.”
“You will not.” Arana glared. What had Drakon said about her?
Bekla fisted her hands on her hips. “Why not? Horses accept anyone who can ride them. A dragon is no different.”
“A dragon is not a horse. There is a deep bond between a dragon and a speaker. One forged during the daily care of the dragonets.”
“I don’t believe you.” Bekla darted past and placed her hands on Roja’s flank. The red hisses. “Tell her to stop that noise. Tell her I am her speaker.”
The dragon lowered her head. Her mouth opened to reveal her jagged teeth. The hiss became a growl. Behind Roja, Azure reared. His growls added to the noise.
Arana jerked Bekla away. “Leave Roja alone. You say you are a speaker, but she can’t hear you.”
“Bring me the tea.”
“I will not. There is no berry tea served at High Peaks.”
“Then how do you speak to the dragons?”
Arana’s hands curled into fists. “I am Roja’s speaker and do not need the tea.” She held her hand so the red could sniff. The growls subsided. “As was in the days when the dragons came over the mountains and the speakers were found at High Peaks, only those free of the poison will speak to and ride the dragons.”
Bekla stamped her food. “That’s not fair. I want a dragon.”
Roja growled. Azure hissed.
*Do not harm the foolish one,* Arana said.
*I will not bite her. She smells bad and would not taste good.* Distaste filled Roja’s voice.
Arana covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Bekla wore a perfume that permeated the air with a cloying sweetness. Arana dragged the dark-haired woman toward the mouth of the cavern. “Take your horse and return to the village. There is no dragon for you here.” If she had her wish there never would be one.
Bekla pulled free with a jerk causing Arana to stumble. The dark-haired woman slapped Arana’s cheek. “No slave tells me what to do. I’m not leaving.” Her hand snaked out and yanked Arana’s braid.
“You are.” Arana cocked her fist and smacked Bekla’s nose. Though the other woman was taller and heavier, Arana’s wiry strength had been honed by her labors in Sea Cliff and in caring for the dragons.
Bekla screamed and clawed Arana’s arms. Arana pushed her rival to the ground. Bekla grabbed Arana’s leg. She hit the ground. Her breath whooshed out.
As Bekla tried to scramble to the dragons, Arana recovered and rose. She knocked Bekla flat and landed across her rival’s legs. Bekla scratched and tried to bite. Over and over they rolled. Arana grabbed the other woman’s hair and wrapped it around her hand. Bekla screamed and spat.
“Go.” Arana kept her voice low. “You do not belong here.”
The dragons roared. The sound startled Arana into releasing her hold on Bekla.
“I belong more tha
n you do. I am far kin to Drakon. I am the one he must choose as his wife.” Bekla snarled. “You are an escaped slave.” She backed away.
Arana stepped toward her. “The lord and lady of High Peaks freed me. They planned to kin claim me when I came of age.”
Bekla laughed. “Why would they do that?” She danced away.
“Even as a child I spoke to the dragons.” Arana darted forward and grabbed Bekla’s arm.
“What’s going on here?” Drakon pulled Arana away from the other woman.
“She tried to steal Roja.”
*I would not go with her,* Roja said.
“The red is mine.” Bekla placed her hands on her hips. “You promised.”
“You lie.” Drakon pushed Arana behind him. “I told you the speaker for the red had been chosen. Only those who can speak without drinking the tea can ride a High Peaks dragon.”
“I can speak,” Bekla insisted. “Years ago, I did.”
Arana moved to stand beside Drakon. “Prove you can speak without drinking the tea. Call Roja to you.”
Bekla closed her eyes. “Come to me,” she crooned. “I am your mistress and we will fly to mate again and again.” Her face reddened. Her voice rose to a scream. “Red dragon, I said you were to come to me.”
Drakon shook his head. “I have listened and heard nothing but your outer voice. There are no sounds on the speaker’s path. None of the dragons heard you.” He turned to Arana. “Calm Roja. She threatens to bite.”
“I know. She is angry because Bekla hurt me. Once Bekla is gone from the cavern and the tower, Roja will settle.”
“Arana, do as I ask.”
Did he want to be alone with Bekla? Arana glared at the dark-haired woman. Bekla was shaped like the most sought after women in the slave quarters at Sea Cliff. Arana stared into Drakon’s eyes and searched for an answer. The distaste she saw calmed her fears. She walked to Roja. *Be at rest. Drakon will send her away.*
*Did you bite her?*
Arana laughed. *I pinched and scratched her. I pulled her hair.*
*Is that as good as biting?*
*I think so.*
*I want to pick her up with my claws the way I do a deer. Then I would drop her on the rocks and she would break.*
*Roja, enough. She’s leaving.*
*Drakon goes with her. Call him back. She can’t have him. He is ours and must stay with us.*
Azure growled. *He is not yours. He is mine.*
*I’ve heard enough from both of you,* Verde said. *She is leaving. He will stay. Azure, you do not own Drakon. You must learn to share. Roja, you cannot bite someone who makes you angry.*
The three dragons settled on the sands. Arana sat beside the round rock and waited for Drakon. When she thought of Verde’s words as he scolded Roja and Azure, she laughed.
* * *
Drakon grasped Bekla’s arm and pulled her toward the cavern’s entrance. Her body shook and from her expression he knew she was enraged. He prepared for an eruption. As they reached the forecourt, she whirled.
“How dare you treat me this way? The red dragon is mine. I must have her. I’m destined to be the lady of High Peaks.”
“Not in my lifetime,” he said. “You weren’t invited to the tower. There is no place for you here.”
She wrenched free. Her dark eyes narrowed. “How can you say that? I saw the dragons in the sky. The red called to me. She told me to make ready for the mating flight. Why else would she fly near the village?”
“I heard no call.”
“How can you say that? You drank the berry tea and flew in your thoughts with the blue. With the tea, I can be the one with the red.”
He shook his head. “I’ve no need for the tea. My bonding, and Arana’s, come from caring for the dragons while they matured. Even before then I could hear and speak with the Old One.”
She glared. “I want a dragon.”
“So you came here to make trouble. If you saw the dragons and arrived today you left the village before our flight.”
“So.” Belligerence flashed in her dark eyes. “I heard Tiron and Cerene talking about how they would become speakers. That wasn’t fair. I want to be here when the dragons rise to mate. You have no idea how intense the sexual experience becomes after you ride during a mating flight.” She stepped closer. “I can show you.”
Drakon frowned. “Never.”
“Why is that whey-faced girl with carrot hair better suited to have a dragon than I am?”
“She hears them without the tea.” He pulled her across the forecourt to where she had left her horse. “Return to the village. Do not come to the tower again.”
“I will inform everyone you’ve chosen a woman who has no ties to this, or any, tower.”
“Not so. “My parents fostered, and would have adopted her if the men of Sea Cliff had not invaded. Because of Arana, there are dragons at High Peaks.”
Bekla glared. “Let her have the green.”
Drakon lifted her to the saddle. She struggled and he nearly dropped her. She grabbed the saddle horn. He untied the reins and handed them to her. The anger growing inside him was akin to what he’d felt in the harras. “Roja does not want you. There will be no berry tea brewed at High Peaks, for a speaker cannot ride a dragon under the influence. How many times must this be repeated?”
She laughed. “What a fool you are. Your father and your brothers drank the tea. They flew with the dragons. So did I. After the flight, I rode your brother’s dragon.”
“They rode in their thoughts. Yesterday Arana and I sat on the dragons’ backs and flew.”
“An illusion from the tea.” She gathered the reins. “You will be sorry for turning me away. I will have what I want. You will see what I mean.” She prodded the horse. “I will have a dragon, and I will see you and Arana dead.”
Her words chilled him. Was there a way to stop her?
*You should bite her,* Azure said. *Arana did.*
*That is not my way.* Drakon feared the dragon was right, but when he considered killing Bekla, he was constrained. By what he’d learned as a child or by the conditioning of his youth? He entered the cavern. “She’s gone.”
Arana clasped his hands. “I’m glad. So are the dragons. What did she say?”
“She will see us dead, though I have no idea of how she’ll achieve that goal.”
“She’ll find a man to do what she wants. Maybe Lagon.”
Drakon drew a deep breath. “We must remain alert.”
Arana nodded. “We will. I finally remembered her. She was younger when she came here with the villagers and the produce. She flirted with your oldest brother.”
“Why don’t I remember?”
“You and I were sent to stay with near kin because of the coming mating flight.”
Her answer troubled him for another reason. Spring hovered on the horizon. Roja and Azure would rise to mate, and thus insure a second dragon pair at High Peaks. He would have to remain to guide the blue in flight. After the flight Arana would turn to him for pleasure. Though she had given him pleasure once, another step was needed. Could he take it?
She touched his arm. “No sense worrying about what hasn’t happened. Sofona brought food so we could break our fast. After that I must do something about my eye. It’s painful.”
He studied her face. A long scratch reached from the corner of her eye to her jaw. The eye on the opposite side was red. “Sofona will have something. Do you have other hurts?”
“Bruises, some scratches, and a bite mark on my arm. I hope both her eyes turn black and her nose swells and turns as red as a tomato.” Her mouth formed a firm smile. “She’ll make trouble for us. What did you say to make her think she would have a dragon?”
“Nothing. She’s the kind of person who thinks because she wants something it will be hers. The chief priestess of the temple was that way.”
Interest shone in Arana’s eyes. “What did she do?”
“Tried to kill an acolyte who defied her. I hope she
caused her own death.” He swallowed. “I’d hate to think the priestess was on the other side of the mountain plotting more deaths.”
Arana leaned forward. “And Bekla. Will she return?”
“She might.” Drakon walked to the round rock and poured a cup of cider. “The moment she heard about the eggs, she decided one was hers. She knows there will be a mating flight, but I’m not sure she knows there will be more eggs.”
“I hope she doesn’t.” Arana placed the kettle of porridge on the table. “There were slaves at Sea Cliff who had that kind of belief. They sought Lagon’s attention and believed they would give him an heir. When they failed their punishment puzzled them.”
Drakon spooned porridge into a bowl. “Do you think I should have killed her? Azure does.”
*Yes.* Roja and Verde shouted their opinions.
Drakon clapped his hands over his ears. *Who asked you? If I had killed her, I would have become like Lagon.*
*Oh.*
The response was tripled. He turned to Arana. “Did you hear them?”
“What speaker couldn’t? I fear they’re right.”
“I won’t bring that kind of behavior to High Peaks. I would even let Lagon live.”
“You would?”
He nodded. “I would sell him to the slavers.” He drizzled honey over the porridge. “As for Bekla, until she harms us I won’t act against her.”
Arana sighed. “I know you’re right to feel that way. I’m afraid they might unite against us.”
“We’ll find a way to solve any problem she causes. And any trouble Lagon raises.” He began to eat. “Though Bekla is far kin she has no status in the village, especially since she’s related to the men who betrayed my father.”
Arana put her spoon down. “What will we do about Lagon?”
Drakon met her gaze. “In time there will be a confrontation, but not here. We must go to Sea Cliff before he attempts another invasion. Finish your food. Then we’ll see what Sofona can do for your eye.”
* * *
Verde had watched the scene between Arana and the stranger woman with interest. The intruder had little ability for speaking. How could she imagine she could have a dragon? Even Radlan and Sofona would have success if they drank the tea. *She will never have a dragon.*
Dragons of Fyre (Island of Fyre Book 2) Page 13