by Jada Fisher
“Okay, then. I’d like that.”
6
The Southern Lip
Ukrah hadn’t been prepared for the trees to change so much.
Sure, she knew the long, towering palms and stately cactuses of her home were different from the trees she’d run into in Rothaiche M’or, but she never thought that there would be differences leading down to the southern part of the civilized lands.
But there absolutely were.
Often shorter, their stalks were long and a deep tan, with strange branches at the top that were more like palm fronds than actual leaves. There were also viney ones, and short, squat ones whose tops were eruptions of green spikes.
It was beautiful, and so what if Crispin teased her for how obsessed she was with the things? She still thought trees were amazing and completely bizarre, and he wasn’t going to make her feel bad about that.
But then she saw the ocean.
It was so. Much. Water!
She had thought that she’d been dazzled flying over lakes in her time with Eist, but that was nothing compared to all the blue stretching out to their side.
It was truly massive, indefinable. No wonder the world cut off there, hidden by so much water it was practically an impossibility that her desert home even existed. It glistened beautifully, sparkling at her like liquefied gems. She wanted to dive into it, to let it swallow her up until she was cutting through it the same as she had that stream when she’d first escaped.
Voirdr, however, seemed unimpressed.
“Do you see that?” she asked, pointing excitedly from Ethella’s back. “That’s the ocean! We’ve read all about that, haven’t we?”
He looked back at her, his expression flat. His eyes flicked once to the water before his shoulders wiggled dismissively and then he was looking forward again, as if pretending he could fly.
Oh well, Ukrah could be excited enough for the them both.
“We’re only a bit away from the city Ain had marked. They’re liable to have moved on since then, but probably not far if he ended up in a sect base.”
“What if… What if there are more than one sect base?”
“If they’re staging multiple performances all around, there probably are.” Eist sighed. “You know, as being the Three’s chosen soul to save this world, it’s some sort of irony that now most of my life is spent worrying about their followers killing me and oh, right, destroying the entire world that I just saved.”
“It’s s-something, alright,” Athar agreed, leaning forward. “Here, on the map, there’s a smaller city to the west. We should try there first.”
“Why?”
“If they had a big fight with Ain, they’re probably going to want to put s-s-some distance between th-themselves and that location before more dragon riders come to investigate. Or at least th-that is what I would do if I was a criminal.”
“Thank the ancestors you’re not one,” Eist said wryly. “Our love story was tragic enough without any of that added in.”
Athar let out a sharp bark of laughter and that subject quickly settled. They flew along for a bit—away from the shore, much to Ukrah’s dismay. Crispin wrapped his arms around her waist and tucked his chin into her shoulder. Ugh, when did his head get to be so heavy?
“Don’t worry, once we have this vessel all safe and collected, we’ll make sure to get you down to the ocean so you can have a good swim.”
She fidgeted, not sure if she appreciated his gentle hold or not. On one hand, the contact was nice, securing, but on the other hand, she knew that pale-faces viewed touch quite differently and was a bit self-conscious about him being so casual in front of the others.
Of course, no one said anything. Not that they would of. Ukrah could have been mistaken, but she was pretty sure that she might have heard about Eist and her friends regularly sharing personal space and even beds. Not in a salacious way, but like members of a tribe or their own little community. If anyone would understand the necessary touch of friendship, it would be them.
“You’re just saying that because you want to see her dripping head to toe in water,” Cassinda remarked casually behind them, as if remarking on the weather.
Crispin, remarkably, stayed quiet, his arms just tightening a little around Ukrah’s solid waist. She didn’t say anything either, and the little remark slid right on by.
It only took about another hour for them to end up outside of the city, tucked into what Eist described as a little lagoon between the rocky clefts of a hill.
That was beautiful too, and most importantly, hid them from view. While Athar might be able to get around the city with his red dragon without drawing too much attention, Eist was completely out. There were only three brindled dragon riders in existence, and two of them had disappeared several years back. Ukrah should probably ask Eist about that and if it was more time shenanigans. If there was anything that a couple of years with the god-woman had taught her, it was that both she and Dille hadn’t experienced time in a linear fashion—which was nearly impossible for her to wrap her head around, but she did the best she could.
“Hey, how about that swim?” Crispin asked as he slid to the ground, Voirdr bounding after him. As if he understood, the black dragon went right for the blue-green water and dove in.
Ukrah let out a shout of concern—did he even know how to swim?—but it was cut off as his head came back above the water, an undeniably happy grin on his face.
“Don’t get used to that,” Eist chided him as Fior dove in right beside him. “You’re going to get to be too big to do that soon enough.”
“I didn’t know dragons could swim…” the desert girl remarked. She should probably know if that was a thing, right? Because she was a dragon rider and that certainly seemed like pertinent information.
“Most can’t,” Athar said, still unloading much of their supplies from Ethella. “Especially not ones as large as m-my g-girl here. But purple dragons, and most of the s-smaller dragons can. Some of the medium-sized ones can paddle in shallower water. Oh, and I t-think the white dragon can.”
“Purple dragon? I thought those were an ancient myth.”
Something in Athar’s expression changed, but Ukrah couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “No, there’s been one within this last generation. Just the one, th-though.”
“Really? I’ve never seen or heard of one. Did—”
“They’re gone.”
And then he was walking around the other side of his dragon to set up their tents. Ukrah knew a dismissal when she saw one, but she wondered what she had said.
Once more, she felt like there were gaps in her knowledge, gaps that she should be ashamed for having. It wasn’t a good feeling, so she decided to just push it all from her mind and go to the edge of the water where Fior, Voirdr, and the other brindled were all playing. She wondered if Ethella was jealous, but a quick look to the massive red dragon saw her collapse onto her belly and sink into a relaxing-looking nap.
No, definitely not jealous.
Ukrah rolled up the legs of her breeches, ready to wade in a little, when suddenly Eist was vaulting past her, down to only her linen under-tunic and breeches. When had she even taken off her riding boots?
Ukrah didn’t know, and she certainly didn’t get any answers as the woman splashed into the water, disappearing under the surface for only a second before bouncing back up. The water could only be six, seven heads high at most, and that gave the desert girl some courage.
Although she’d practiced floating plenty in the heated spring baths of the manor, and in that stream Crispin had first found her in, she wasn’t exactly a strong swimmer. Or a swimmer in general. But she could probably handle water that was only a hand or so taller than her. …probably?
“Should we really be doing this right before a mission?” Cassinda asked, looking to the water uncertainly. For a moment, Ukrah was reminded of how properly the girl used to hold herself, all bound up in beautiful dresses and protocol. She supposed it had been
a way for the girl to control her strange, vicious powers.
Hopefully it was a good thing that she didn’t need that measure of control anymore.
“Why not? We all have to split up and get into disguise anyways. Washing up a bit will only help.”
“Well, I don’t need any more convincing than that,” Crispin said, also peeling off his jerkin, boots and socks to rush in.
Ukrah tried to avert her eyes and act like everything was normal, but she wasn’t prepared for the broad display of pale flesh as he streaked toward the shallow water. When had he filled out so much? When had he gone from starving to almost muscled? She knew in the back of her head that it had happened, and yet she was still stunned by his practically luminescent display.
Goodness, he was…pretty? No, that wasn’t the right word. He was…something. He was Crispin. And everything that entailed. He was concern and pushiness, sly wit and charm. He was tall and supportive and often annoying. He was—
She should really stop staring.
Clearing her throat, she managed to avert her gaze before he turned back to her, gesturing her to get in. “Come on, you never know when we’re going to get another chance, so we might as well do it now.”
Alright, maybe he had a point.
Carefully, she went about removing her outer layers, leaving her in a loose, linen shirt that went to her hips and her riding breeches. It would be uncomfortable to walk in them if they were thoroughly soaked, but she already knew her city disguise involved a dress.
It probably took her longer than it should have to reach the edge of the water, but no one commented on it. Instead, they busied themselves with playing with the dragons until her feet finally submerged themselves.
Oh, goodness. It was much warmer than she had expected, although not as heated and harsh as a bath. There was a refreshing quality to it as her feet sank slightly into the smooth sand, only occasionally interrupted by a polished stone. She took another step, and then another, but by the time she was up to the middle of her shins, Crispin apparently decided that he’d been patient enough.
Because that was right when a giant splash of water smacked right into her face. She sputtered for a moment, her vision obscured, but when she wiped the water away, she saw the young man laughing, readying for another splash.
Only to have Eist kick at the water, causing an impressive wave to crash into his side.
And that was how Ukrah got involved in her first water fight.
There was so much laughter, and frantic movement, she forgot all about her worry over the water being too deep. She forgot about the other things that weighed on her. And for a moment, she was just a girl, playing with her family.
After all, what had Ain called Eist? Her mother? Maybe that wasn’t exactly the case, but Ukrah saw her as so much more than just her sponsor. And she was pretty sure that Eist felt the same way. Otherwise, those nameday celebrations didn’t make any sense at all.
They didn’t stay in the water long, and soon they were all laid out on the bank. If Cassinda and Athar felt a bit miffed that they had been setting things out while the others played, they made no mention of it, and soon their whole group was sitting around a fire to discuss their next steps. They had already decided on the plan before they left the manor, but it never hurt to make sure everyone was still on the same page.
And so, sun drunk and a bit soaked, Ukrah committed every last part of their plan to her memory. As much fun as she had just had, finding the next vessel was their top priority.
After all, the world depended on it.
7
The Show Must Go On
Ukrah tucked her head covering a little more tightly behind her ears, the loose hairs falling out from under it tickling the back of her neck.
She wasn’t entirely certain of the strange clothes she was wearing, but Cassinda had insisted that they were what was in style for the late spring of Margaid. A head covering for protection from the sun while traveling, a soft and breathable top that ended just above her belly button, and loose, flowing skirts with long slits in the side and linen breeches underneath that were also similarly loose. It was an outfit designed for keeping both cool and protected from the sun, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why they needed it. Although southern Margaid was much warmer than Rothaiche M’or, it wasn’t anywhere near the heat of the desert. Ukrah could go around in probably anything except for her heavy winter coat and still be comfortable.
The others, however, didn’t seem to share her sentiment. Especially Cassinda. Even in their lightweight Margaidian disguises, they were all covered with a thin sheen of sweat.
“It’s almost sundown, how is it so hot?” Cassinda grumbled, trying to cool herself with a dainty fan. Her getup was even stranger to Ukrah than her own. Apparently, she and Crispin were too pale to pass themselves off as southern Margaidians, so their clothing echoed the elaborate fashions of those all the way north toward the capital city.
Which meant Cassinda was wearing a complicated veil rather than a headscarf and that she had a fake piercing and chain that led from her nostril to her ear. She had several necklaces of different lengths, and she wore a dress that covered her from head to toe. But it was comprised of what looked like three layers of sheer, flowing cloth meant to shed sunlight and heat, with only the bottommost layer being solid. Sandals adorned her feet, with rings along her fingers and toes.
Crispin, however, wore the longest, lightest tunic that she had ever seen, going practically down to his knees with long slits to his side. His breeches were similar to hers, but looser and longer, ending in a tighter ring right at his ankles instead of mid-shin.
They certainly made an odd-looking trio, in her opinion, but as they entered the city, she began to realize that they blended right in.
Well, as much as three young adults traveling on their own in relatively nice clothing could be normal.
Part of her wanted to look around and see if she could spot Athar, but she knew that was a bad idea for multiple reasons. First of all, if she spotted him, it would risk his cover. They were all trying to be covert and staring at the muscled man—who already stuck out plenty on his own—wasn’t a good way to do that. Secondly, they were supposed to arrive in lapsed intervals, meaning her search would most likely be a waste of energy.
The only one who wasn’t going to be in the city was Eist, who was just too recognizable with Fior, and it wouldn’t really be prudent for them to be separated at the moment. No, instead she was running patrols through the areas outside of the city, making sure that there weren’t any massive reinforcements or other nasty surprises to sweep in once night fell.
They had a couple of hours before night was supposed to fall and the criers would begin to try to rouse up attention for the show. It was enough to walk around, pretend to shop, and get a layout of the land. Which they definitely needed. Although they had the general maps that Ain had given them and had studied them extensively in the three days since they had decided to go after the vessel and gotten all of their supplies together, they didn’t have much information on each of the small cities and villages that they would be visiting.
Naturally, that required a lot of on-foot reconnaissance. Not that Ukrah minded. She was actually pretty excited to learn more about the southern culture of the civilized lands. So far, her experience had been pretty great.
They strolled around the local market, which was fairly empty for it being so late in the day, but still plenty populated for such a small city. It had nothing on Rothaiche M’or, but it wasn’t even a quarter of the size.
She saw plenty of beautiful things, as well as some delicious-looking fruits that she didn’t recognize. She bought one, chewing it happily as they continued around the market. Cassinda seemed especially interested in the fabrics, but Ukrah was all caught up in the sharp, bright taste of her fruit.
She tried to keep her attention on the streets around them as well, remembering where certain allies were and how things c
onnected. She was sure she didn’t have a perfect map in her head, but between the three of them, surely that would be enough.
Or at least she hoped enough. And she tried to listen as best she could to any sort of street talk that might have useful tidbits, but she didn’t speak enough Margaidian for that to be of much use.
“Oh, Ukrah, let’s go into this shop!”
She looked up at the sign and didn’t recognize the writing, but the symbol was of a hammer, anvil, and what looked like a very sparkly gem. “Why would we go in there? We don’t need any armor.”
“They have a jeweler here too. Come on!” Crispin grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, his mouth right by her ear. “I think their kiln room leads right out into a really good back alley that’s connected to several important junctions. I just want to check if that’s the case.” And then his lips brushed against her cheek like he had just been pulling her in for a playful kiss the entire time.
Ukrah nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral, but her heart was racing so quickly she thought it might burst. She knew he was just holding their cover, being convincing as three young folk exploring a city away from their families. But by the spirits, if that hadn’t made her feel somewhere between nauseous and some sort of elated.
How bizarre.
But then she was being pulled inside of the store before she could center herself. Sure enough, there was indeed jewelry inside, with one half dedicated to what she expected to see from a blacksmith and the other half being full of gems, silver, and other filigreed finery.
“There! Come look at this!”
Ukrah followed, feeling like her mind and body were still stuck several minutes earlier with what happened by the doorway. But then they reached the display he was pointing to and she saw a pretty circlet there.