Page 41 of The Dragon King
“I’m sorry for hogging Talon. I know how much he means to you.”
He continued to rub me like I was a hatchling.Dragons are possessive of those they love as if they were treasure. Talon is also yours, and I need to share. If I found my mate, I know Talon would understand.He pulled away so he could look at me with one of his dark eyes.
“You’re so sweet, Khazmuda.” I pressed a kiss to one of his hard scales. “I know you must be excited to meet the dragons. Perhaps you’ll meet a female dragon with scales as beautiful as yours.”
Perhaps.
Queen Eldinar dismounted her horse and approached Khazmuda. “It’s lovely to see you again, my friend.” She gave a slight bow to him, wearing a new set of armor that was as pristine as the original.
I translated for Khazmuda so everyone could hear his words.You as well, Queen Eldinar.
“It’s several days’ ride to the north. You can meet us at the coastline if you wish.”
I wish to stay with Talon and Pretty. We’ve been separated for so long.
“Of course,” she said. “I thought you might say that.” She turned to her men, including General Ezra. “Then let’s ride.”
When I returned to my horse, Talon had already hopped down to the ground to help me back into the saddle.
“I can do it.”
He smirked. “You can do it better if I give you a push. Come on.”
I grabbed on to the pommel and slipped my foot into the stirrup. When I pulled myself up, he placed his hand on my ass, giving me a push that made it a lot easier to reach the top of the steed.
He moved into the saddle behind me and grabbed the reins, preferring to have me against his chest so I wouldn’t fall off. I’d ridden horses as a kid but hadn’t been on one since Scorpion Valley was taken…by the very man who held me.
Talon clicked his heels into the steed and took off with Queen Eldinar, handling the animal like he’d ridden horses and dragons all his life. When we’d traveled through the forest, we walked most of the way because of the dense trees, so this was the first time we took off at a full run.
Now, I was happy to be in the front.
When he felt my unease, he hooked his arm across my waist and held the reins with one hand.
I grabbed on to his arm because it felt more secure than the pommel at the front of the saddle. Being wedged between his chest and his arm made me feel so snug, there was no way I could bounce off.
“First time on a horse?” he asked.
“No. It’s just been a long time.” And my father would never allow me to run, only walk through the trails and enjoy the scenery. Riding atop a powerful steed that ran at full speed was far more terrifying than flying on the back of Inferno.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
My heart gave a flutter. “I know you do.”
We rode until sunset then made camp out in the open. Unlike the kingdom on the other side of the mountain, this place was mostly uninhabited. Lots of lush valleys and forests full of mighty pines. No sight of a human or elf anywhere.
The soldiers put together Queen Eldinar’s tent and took their station in a circle around it, guarding her from all sides. But it was probably unnecessary when we seemed to be alone in this land—and her husband was the general of the army.
Talon built the little tent we would share, along with a fire. His horse was on a loose rope so he could graze on the grass.
The sky was becoming fainter with every passing second, the colors changing as the sunset deepened to blood-orange. Khazmuda lay on the ground behind us, like a dog that was tired after a long day.
I walked over to Queen Eldinar, whose hair flapped in the breeze as she watched the sunset with visible appreciation. “Your Majesty, do others live in these lands?”
“Yes.”
“It seems so open…and empty.”
“We’re the only civilization that resides in these lands. But others do live here, like the Behemoths and goblins, both of which you’ve met. There are other beings as well. We refer to them as monsters.”