Page 1 of Crown and Dragon
Chapter 1
Tahlia
On Ragewing’s back, Tahlia kept one arm looped around Marius’s fabulously trim waist. She turned to see how close the others were following. The wind was cool and held the scents of hay and last night’s storm system.
It was nearing autumn; soon the order would head north to watch the coastline for pirates. But for now, Marius, Ragewing, and Tahlia were on their way to King Lysanael and Queen Revna’s vineyard. There, they would be briefed on the mission to retrieve the artifact the king’s note had mentioned. It would take place during a human city’s tomato festival. Tahlia couldn’t wait.
The rest of the Order of Mist Knights flew behind Ragewing in three sets of arrow formations, a stone’s throw from Ragewing’s tail.
Titus pretended to vomit from the back of his Spikeback dragon and then grinned at Tahlia. She smiled back.
Last night while packing for the journey, they had both taken three too many shots of Maiwenn’s greenblood—a batch of highly potent alcohol that was common in the Gwerhune where Maiwenn was born. Definitely a poor choice of drink the night before a dawn flight. Fara had been there, too, warning them to no avail.
“Maiwenn had best watch her back,” Fara had said last night. “If you end up too hungover to begin your secret and surely terrible mission tomorrow, I’m going to rip her arms off. You just started and you can’t afford to slack on your duties and she should know better than to tempt you…”
Tahlia snickered thinking about her friend. Fara hadn’t tried to come along this time because she was up to her continually raised fists in Healer training. The irony would never get old. The most fighty gal Tahlia had ever met was working her way to being one of the best Healers in the Realm of Lights. Fara had sent Tahlia off with a stack of notes labeledThe only way you will survive this adventure.
Despite today’s headache, last night’s imbibing had resulted in a slew of fantastic jokes about Albus, who joined in with his usual self-deprecating comments. And they’d been delightfully entertained by Maiwenn’s classic impersonation of Atticus lecturing the staff at the tavern about overcooking venison.
Maiwenn waved casually to Tahlia and Tahlia lifted her hand in response. Maiwenn’s dragon, Donan, let out a short roar in Tahlia’s direction, a sound she was familiar with now. He was very worried about Lija, his fellow Seabreak, and her injured wing. He’d even barged into the Healer’s fifth meeting on the subject when they’d gathered in Lija’s stall.Let’s just say a worried dragon is not super fun to deal with.
Tahlia focused on her bond with Lija and spoke through her mind—a power that they had awoken with Fara’s suggestion of eating a certain magical plant. The distance their communication could travel was roughly a day’s travel, but the range varied. Lija and Tahlia’s Energy levels, the weather, and the activity of the crystals in the mountain altered the maximum separation they could have and still talk.
Lija, how were the exercises this morning?
Lady Fara is quickly becoming my enemy.
Tahlia laughed.You don’t mean that.
Lija’s growl reverberated through Tahlia’s mind.I just might.
Nah, she’s the sweetest evil genius in the world and you know it.
Hmm.
You sound like Marius.
A reluctant chuckle echoed from their bond.Fine, rider. I will go along with your squire’s exercise plan. But know this: I’ll be well and flying before she can pass her Healer evaluations, and we will put this horror in our past.
I know you will, Lija. We will get through this.
I will miss the beat of your heart while you’re gone, rider.
And I will miss yours. Terribly.
Tahlia’s eyes burned and she blinked back tears.
Marius leaned left and glanced over his shoulder. “I’m about to call out a kite formation.”
“Got it.” Tahlia clamped both arms around him and braced her thighs against Ragewing’s saddle.
She relaxed and let the power of the belt that the goddess had given her rise into her heart and mind. It was like stepping into a hot spring, warmth seeping into her and reminding her that all was well. They would get Lija healed. It would be all right. She hoped that was true anyway. The threads couldn’t show her the future exactly, though they did point to the outcome of her immediate actions in the physical space she occupied.
The threads of fate, action, and what she liked to think of as willpower connected Marius to Ragewing, Tahlia to each of them and to the dragon riders behind them. Certain spots on the ground or places in the air showed possible movements of dragons and riders. Somehow, the magic the goddess had bestowed on her permitted Tahlia to understand what each woolen-looking thread meant. When she wasn’t suppressing her power—which she did so as not to become lazy—she used it todecide what to do at any given moment. She didn’t want any of her fellow Mist Knights to believe she was taking the easy way out. Though they had all shown her respect and dedication since the adventure with the monster, Katk, she didn’t think she’d ever stop trying to impress them. They were such heroes. She wanted to be like them still. Fearless. Skilled. Undaunted by challenge.
“Kite!” Marius called out in his Mistgold voice.
The sound bounced off the clouds and through her body, warming her blood for the coming fight.