Page 46 of The Dragon King
Talon seemed to know exactly what to do, knew how to handle the oar and when to change sides like the others.
We turned left and approached the cliff at the corner of the land, and as we neared, we saw the entry into the chasm. It looked like a shadow from a distance, but as we came closer, the texture changed and the depth was discernible.
We rowed inside, the ceiling rising hundreds of feet up above, revealing an enormous cove holding several galleons with their sails raised. Elves were visible on the ramparts and the docks, watching the queen slowly sail to where they stood.
No one would ever know about this place unless someone told them it was there.
The boats were secured to the edge, and we stepped onto the wooden dock. The galleon closest to us was constructed of warm wood that resembled the color of honey. At the bow, Queen Eldinar was carved into the wood, wearing a flower crown inher long hair. Mesmerized by the sight, I studied the ship and watched it slowly bob in the water.
When I realized Talon wasn’t beside me, I turned to find him.
He’d walked farther down the dock, examining the ship with an eye of admiration, like he appreciated the craftsmanship of the galleon. He stepped back and examined the sails, looked at the crow’s nest up above, stared at it with wide eyes like he’d seen one of these before…or had never seen one in his life.
“We’ll rest here tonight,” Queen Eldinar said. “We’ll set sail in the morning.”
“How long is the journey?”
“It depends on the speed and the direction of the wind,” she said. “But it could be a couple days or a week.” She turned away and went to General Ezra’s side to speak to him quietly.
He nodded at whatever she said, but his eyes glazed over like he wasn’t really listening, too infatuated with her appearance to focus. Then they walked away together, General Ezra always slightly behind her.
I turned back to Talon.
He continued to examine the ship.
I came to his side. “It’s pretty.”
“It is,” he said in agreement. “It’s very well made.”
“How can you tell?”
His arms crossed over his chest, and he continued to stare at the woodwork, his eyes lost in a daze. “Because I used to be a sailor.”
We were given accommodations in a private room with a bed and a real mattress. My back was stiff from sleeping on the ground for three nights, and I was relieved I would be spared that discomfort.
Talon helped himself to a shower then stepped into the room in just his boxers. His arms were cut with the lines of muscle, and his abs looked the same, so distinct and sharp. His hair was still damp, but he didn’t seem to care enough to dry it.
I sat up in bed, already clean from my shower, watching him carry himself with a straight spine and rounded shoulders. A fire burned in the hearth because he’d started the flames. It brought warmth to a room that seemed to have been vacant for a long time. “How long were you a sailor?”
He stilled at the question before he slowly turned to me.
He never answered my questions about his past. He told me as little as possible, as if sharing parts of his past was akin to giving away bits of his soul. “Almost twenty years.”
My eyebrows slowly rose up my face in surprise. “Wow. Where did you sail to?”
“Everywhere.”
“And what were you sailing for?”
He hesitated at the question, and that seemed like the end of our conversation. But to my surprise, he answered. “Sailor is too generous a word. I was a pirate, the kind that plunders and steals.”
I felt no judgment. Would never think less of him, no matter what he told me. “Did you enjoy it?”
He took a seat at the edge of the bed, directly in front of the fireplace, his eyes on the wall beside me. “I joined the crew as a prisoner, and I didn’t have an opinion about anything at the time.”
“Why were you taken as a prisoner?”
“I was living in a quiet village when Captain Blackstorm and his crew took over. They’d lost some of their crew on their last mission and needed hands on deck. They wanted to take a boy who had barely become a man, so I took his place.”