“You aren’t going to be able to get to a dragon,” I said.
“Not if you keep delaying me,” he said. “But I can feel it. I can feel the burning. They aren’t far.”
He tried to push past me, but I stood firm on the King’s Road. “We should go back,” I told him.
“Not until I do this, Ashan.”
He pushed, the suddenness of it startled me, and I tripped, getting tangled still holding on to Adela’s reins.
When I got to my feet, he was ambling down the road, moving quicker than I would’ve expected him to. I guided Adela along, cursing under my breath as I trailed after him. “What exactly do you think you’re going to find?”
“I told you what I’m going to find, Ashan.”
“I don’t feel anything out here,” I said.
“Because you’re not paying attention to it,” he said. “Focus. You have to listen. You have to allow yourself to be open to the heat. Only then will it come to you.”
“The day is hot enough as it is,” I said. I wiped my arm across my brow. I’d been working hard even when the caravan had come past, and now I was hotter than before. Part of that was the irritation stewing within me, enough that I could practically feel it burning. If I felt anything, it was only going to be just how upset with my father I had become.
Maybe I should have tried to get Alison to come with us. She would’ve had a way to talk him down. For all of her complaining about the role she had in the household, she did have a gentle touch with him. She always managed to talk him down when he got worked up like this. Were it not for her, he would have wandered off dozens of times in the past.
“If you’re just going to get in my way, you can head back,” he said.
“I’m not going to get in your way,” I told him.
Maybe it was best that I follow him, see what he intended. Maybe it was nothing and he would realize he felt nothing more than the heat of the sun. Then I could convince him to turn around.
Besides, I wasn’t going to be able to head back home until I had my father with me.
It was just another wasted day. I groaned, trailing him as we made our way along the King’s Road. He moved faster than I would’ve given him credit for. We walked for the better part of an hour, and when the road began to slope upward, he slowed, looking down toward the distant forest.
“Can you feel it now?” he whispered.
“I can’t feel anything,” I said.
“Because you haven’t opened yourself to it. I bet your sister could.”
I nodded. “I’m sure that Alison could.”
“Thenis can. He always had a connection. I’ve tried to explain that to your mother, but she doesn’t want to hear anything about it. She blames me for that, you know. That’s why they came for us.”
“They?” I shouldn’t engage, but if this was a moment of clarity, I wanted answers.
“The creatures that came for us.”
Maybe not. “They’re not coming for you now.”
“You don’t know that. You can’t. You aren’t paying attention to what I’m telling you.”
I sighed. “I’m paying attention. How much further do you intend to take this?”
“I intend to take this until I see the dragon. I used to see them all the time,” he said, sadness in his tone.
He continued on, heading toward the forest.
I followed him, letting him have a bit more space that began to stretch between us. I had never seen my father quite like this before. He had wandered off, and he had acted more like a child than like an adult at times, but he had never spoken of dragons in this way. What had triggered this?
I couldn’t help but feel as if it had stemmed from my conversation with him the other night about the Djarn. Could he have decided that he had to go find them, to see the Djarn himself? I hadn’t said anything about dragons, but stories of the Djarn and dragons were often intertwined.
As we approached the edge of the forest, he began to slow. I caught up to him, and he looked over to me, blinking slowly. “Ashan?” he asked, frowning as he did.
“I’m here,” I told him.
“Why did you bring me out here?”
“Why did I what?”
“Out to the forest?”
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, steadying my breathing. “You wanted to come out this way, Dad.”
“I did?” He shook his head, looking along the road in either direction before turning his attention to the forest. “What did I need to come out here for?”
I didn’t know if reminding him of the reason that he had decided to come in this direction would be a problem or not. It might only agitate him even more.
“You thought you saw something,” I told him.
“What did I see?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I was working on the fence.”
“You’re doing a great job with that, by the way. It’s nice to see the yard expanding. You know I always intended to do that.”
I grunted. “I know.”
There were many things like that, tasks that he had always told me that we needed to get done, and tasks that had fallen on me when I had taken over working the farm. “It should only be another day or so.”
“That’s nice. Has Joran been helping you with it?”
“Not recently,” I told him.
“He should. You know that—”
A burst of thunder rumbled. I frowned, looking up at the sky, but there were no clouds there. There was no sign of a storm. Still, I couldn’t shake the rumbling that I had heard and felt.
“Sounds like a storm is moving in,” my father said.
“So it does,” I told him. “We should head back.” I offered him my hand, and he took it. When I guided him over to Adela, I had to fit his foot into the stirrup and shove on his backside to lift him into the saddle as he climbed atop her. At least he wasn’t fighting anymore.
Father leaned forward, patting Adela on the side. “Easy there, girl. You don’t need to go so fast.”
Adela jerked on the reins for a moment, almost as if trying to look over at me and tell me how ridiculous that comment was.
I guided him back to the farm. He nearly tumbled out of the saddle, frowning at Adela before limping back inside. I heard my mother’s surprised cry, and stood staring at the door for a long moment, trying to gather myself. If he kept wandering off, I didn’t know whether or not I would be able to tolerate it for too much longer.
As I stabled Adela again, she pulled on the reins, turning toward me as if to try to tell me something else. The knot in the pit of my stomach lingered as I returned to work. This was a job I was going to finish before I went back into the house. It was long overdue.
4
For the fourth time in less than a week, I found myself near the edge of the forest, this time holding on to my longbow. I’d promised Alison that we’d go to the city, but this had to come first, especially since I’d caught sight of a wolf prowling near our pens. It wasn’t as large as the pawprint I’d seen before , but large enough. If I let it get too close, it’d slaughter the animals.
Alison would have to understand. The livestock we kept wasn’t just for our family, but we also sold the meat for other farm necessities. Having a wolf come so close was a good reason for me to abandon my chores. Hunting it wasn’t something I enjoyed. It wasn’t something I was particularly skilled at, either. I could follow the tracks out here in the open. I thought I would have an easy enough time trying to find it, but it had managed to get close to the edge of the forest before I had a chance.
I was on foot. That meant that I was going to have a long walk back home when all of this was over, but until then, I could spend as much time as I needed to find this creature.
North of the King’s Road the forest here was denser than it was in other sections, making it difficult for me to see more than a few steps into the trees. Easing back on the bow, I let out a frustrated groan.
These days, every
thing frustrated me. It was challenging. Hunting the wolf was something I didn’t have time for. I had livestock to care for, and the fence to finish. I still hadn’t managed to complete that task.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and I looked up. We still hadn’t had another rainstorm, and for that I was thankful, knowing it would only wash away the work I’d done. If I were caught in a storm now, I would have a harder time getting back.
The sky was gray, dark, and the clouds moved quickly. Far too quickly. I wasn’t going to be able to linger here for much longer.
So much for catching the wolf.
As I started to turn, I could’ve sworn I saw movement just inside the treeline again.
Stepping into the trees, the darkness of the forest swallowed me. The air had a different texture to it. The air seemed to be thicker, as if the humidity of the forest was amplified. There was no breeze, and yet I could hear voices whispering on the wind.
I waited, looking for signs of movement. I couldn’t have imagined it. When nothing else came, I shook my head muttering to myself, and started to make my way back toward the edge of the forest when something caught my eye on the ground.
It was a footprint.
There was no mistaking it. It wasn’t a wolf’s pawprint, and it wasn’t from any of the other strange animals I knew existed within the forest.
One of the Djarn.
There was no way it could be anything else.
I traced the footsteps through the forest. It brought me away from the edge deeper into the trees, and I paused to ensure I could find my way back.
So far, I was certain I could. At least for now.
At some point, there was the risk that I would end up too deep into the forest and get lost. Too many had been lost in the forest over the years. The denseness of the trees made it easy for one to get turned around, and it was easy enough to get quickly disoriented, finding that there was no way to get free.
I had the footprints to follow for now, but if it started to rain then they would wash away. I pushed those thoughts from my mind.
This was the first time that I had seen any sign of the Djarn within the trees, other than the half-glimpsed view of a face I could’ve sworn I’d seen. I continued along, and then suddenly the forest thinned ever so slightly, the trees not quite as close together. Though the massive trunks suggested it was more a matter of the trees needing space than a lack of life. It was just enough for me to navigate a little bit easier as if a path had opened.
It wasn’t a straight shot, nothing at all like the King’s Road, but I suddenly felt as if I was able to make my way through quicker. I followed the footprints along the narrow path as I weaved through the trees.
This was a Djarn path.
All who lived near the forest suspected the Djarn had their own trails , but no one had ever managed to reach one—and if they did, they were unable to return to it again.
As I walked, I paused every so often, listening for the sound of thunder, noticing it wasn’t getting any closer.
It seemed as if I had some time to explore and see if there was anything else I could uncover. The air crackled with heat, and sweat dripped down my back. It got darker the deeper I went into the woods, and the air carried with it the earthy aroma of damp soil, tree bark, the forest flowers, and the dung of unseen animals.
I paused. The Djarn path I’d been following seemed to branch off, heading in two different directions. Could I really have found a network of paths through the forest?
Should I explore?
Goose bumps raised on my arms at the possibility. There was much we could learn if we had an opportunity to find the Djarn. They’d always been impossible to find. A path that could lead to them and maybe even to one of their cities…
I shook that thought away. Thoughts like that were how my father and brother ended up injured, chasing stories and rumors until they had to be dragged to safety.
This wasn’t the kind of thing that I should explore. Not alone. I knew better than to risk myself exploring in the forest where it seemed to have a power that led people astray. I needed to return, to get back to my family, and to make sure I was out of the forest before the storm came.
I still didn’t see any sign of the wolf or of the Djarn. They must have noticed my presence in the forest. Given that I was an outlier, and had no business being here, that wasn’t surprising.
I turned, following my footsteps in the opposite direction. As I walked, I noticed the Djarn’s steps weren’t nearly as deep, and strangely seemed to be fading the farther I went. My own footsteps didn’t do that.
I had spent some time within the trees, generally hunting along the outskirts, and had never seen any sign of Djarn footsteps.. I needed to mark this somehow.
I paused at one of the trees. Pulling my belt knife out, I scratched at the bark, and began to make markings as I went, until I reached the edge of the Djarn path If not me, I was sure Joran would want to find his way back through here. I could imagine him wanting to explore.
Thunder rumbled again, but this time much closer. I reached the edge of the forest, and I stood there for a moment, feeling the heat wash over me.
If I didn’t get moving, I wasn’t going to get back before the storm came. I would have to reach the King’s Road, and only then would I be able to move as quickly as I needed. Out here on the plains when the rains came, they could come in such a torrent that it would make it difficult for me to slosh through it.
As I stepped forward, a strange growling erupted.
I spun, shifting the knife that I’d been holding, and reached for my bow.
That didn’t sound anything like a wolf. It didn’t sound like a camin, either.
I frowned, listening, but when another peel of thunder came, I started forward.
I had gone another dozen paces or so when the strange growling sound came again.
I turned back toward the forest, looking at the trees, and could have sworn I saw a dark figure glaring at me from within.
Not a wolf or camin. It was too large for that.
What if this was the creature that had made that massive pawprint outside the farm??
I started to jog, but when the rain came, I turned, sprinting toward the King’s Road.
I wasn’t going to be able to get back before the heavier rain started, but I hoped I could stay ahead of the worst of it. I slipped the bow around my shoulder and sheathed the knife into my belt as I ran. If there was some creature behind me, it was going to have to wait. I had no idea what I was trying to outrun, only that I needed to get ahead of the storm.
Thunder rumbled again.
The wind picked up, whipping around me, catching my jacket and pants. Heat slapped me, baking me, and suddenly it felt as if I were standing near the oven while my mother and sister were cooking.
I looked up, and my breath was sucked out of my lungs.
A dragon soared above the forest. This time, there was no mistaking it. It was high in the sky. This one had deep blue scales that seemed to catch the fading light, and glowed with a strange energy. A burst of flame erupted from the dragon. I froze, transfixed as I watched the dragon circling above.
The creature was massive. I caught a faint glimpse of the darkened rider sitting on top, but couldn’t make out any other details.
Was it only a rider—or could it be a dragon mage?
There was a small part of me that couldn’t help but stare. I had always wanted to know what it would be like if I were to ever have the opportunity to sit atop a dragon. To know what it might be like to feel the freedom with the wind whipping around me, heat radiating off the dragon as it swept over the land. It made me think of my father. Some of the stories he’d told of dragons, and how they’d flown over Berestal when the king claimed these lands. And, even some of the crazier talk of the power that he’d felt. All of that flooded me at the sight of the dragon.
Reality suddenly came crashing back down. My family needed me, and I couldn’t stay here, tran
sfixed by a dragon. If I got stuck out in the storm, my sister and mother would worry about me. Chances were that one of them would come looking for me. I didn’t want somebody to risk themselves because I went looking for some wolf and hadn’t been smart enough to let them know where I was going.
I tore my gaze away and began to jog along the road.
Out of nowhere, the rain started in earnest. It poured down, quickly saturating me. It managed to get beneath my jacket and all the way through my breaches. Somehow, rain even got into my boots, soaking my feet, and every step felt as if I were slogging through a puddle.
Everything started to slow.
Then came a burst of thunder, and a crackling of lightning that followed. I glanced up, and for a moment I thought I saw the dragon circling again. I tore my gaze away from the clouds and started running along the road.
At least the road itself wasn’t too saturated. But then rain intensified, almost as if knowing my thoughts.
I swore softly under my breath, trying to shake away those thoughts, to move as quickly as I could, but I began to doubt whether I could outrun this storm.
It was a bad one too. What I wouldn’t do for the heat of a dragon now.
A section of the road in front of me had washed away.
I stopped in front of it. That was unusual. The King’s Road was solid and sturdy. We had enough storms that the road had to be built up with rocks over the years so that it could survive torrential downpours.
The rain ran through a shallow valley, turning it into a rapid river. Without much of a choice I veered off the King’s Road and headed north. I needed to find a place to cross and make my way back to the house.
I started to keep an eye out for a place that I could take shelter. There was a small thicket of trees that might be helpful. But that wasn’t going to be enough with this storm. The wind started to pick up, slamming me back. The rain hammering upon me.
The Caged Dragon (Cycle of Dragons Book 1) Page 5