“Talas and I will help you with your saddles, and then we’ll have our first lesson in flight.” She made it sound more like a chore than something she had any desire to do.
“Now?”
Kyrin darted a look at Jace again, not quite believing he’d been the one to speak. He fidgeted, as if he couldn’t believe it either.
Leetra’s gaze bored into him. “Yes, now. What did you expect?”
Jace hesitated. “Aren’t we going to get to know the dragons first?” The usual strength in his deep voice gave way to the slightest tremor only Kyrin would have noticed.
She stared at him. It was so unlike him to speak up, especially to someone like Leetra. That’s when it registered—the flicker in his eyes she had only seen on, perhaps, one other occasion. Fear. Now things started to piece together in her mind, and her heart squeezed.
“You’ll get to know them while flying,” Leetra responded flatly. She tilted her head. “Why? Are you afraid?”
Jace went rigid, and his throat worked as he swallowed. Indignation zinged through Kyrin, setting her protective instincts on fire. She stepped forward to eliminate a little of the distance between her and Leetra, bringing the crete’s eyes to her.
“I am,” she declared. Leetra gave her a suspicious look, and Kyrin raised her hands to her hips, mirroring the crete’s stance. This time she was the one who took full advantage of her height—a good seven inches on Leetra. “We haven’t grown up around dragons. Some of us hadn’t even seen one before yesterday. You can’t expect us to be comfortable enough to just climb onto one we don’t even know yet and entrust our lives to it.”
Leetra’s chin rose a fraction, but something slight changed in her expression. It wasn’t understanding, but perhaps a grudging surrender.
“Fine,” she huffed. “Just be ready to fly out after tomorrow.”
Kyrin gave a curt nod, and Leetra faced the rest of the group.
“So who will go up today?”
“I will,” Kaden volunteered.
Kyrin had to smile. No one would have been able to keep him from flying at his first possible chance.
In the end, everyone chose to brave the skies except for Rayad, who was with Kyrin and Jace on wanting to get to know his dragon first.
Kyrin joined Kaden as Talas showed him how to tighten Exsis’s saddle. At least she could learn that. Once properly secured, he crawled up and adjusted the cupped stirrups affixed to the side straps.
She gave him a pointed look. “Be careful.” While Talas made it out to be easy, she wasn’t about to lose her brother to some freak accident his first time out on a dragon.
“I will,” Kaden replied, already breathless at being only moments away from fulfilling his longtime dream.
Kyrin stepped away as the others mounted. From Storm’s back, Talas said, “Whenever you’re ready, just give the command.” He then commanded his dragon, “unai,” and took off. The other five riders followed, with Leetra and her dragon bringing up the rear. Kyrin had to turn her face away as the gusts of air stirred up dust and leaves. When she looked up again, the dragons were just disappearing over the trees heading north. Ivoris watched her brother go and then turned questioning eyes to Kyrin.
“Tomorrow,” Kyrin told her, not sure if she would understand.
But it seemed to be enough when Ivoris settled in to wait. Kyrin gave her the command to stay just to be sure, and then walked over to Jace, who still stood at Shalmar’s side.
He sent her a guilt-ridden glance, but didn’t meet her eyes. “You could’ve gone with Kaden.” Despite the power behind his voice, he always spoke softly. She’d only ever heard him raise it once, when he was in such distress the day after ryriks had attacked them.
She shook her head. “He’s the daring one, not me. I much prefer to get to know Ivoris with my feet on the ground.”
Jace stood silent, his brows bent and his jaw tense. Kyrin leaned in a little to see his face better and spoke gently. “Will you be all right?”
He winced and admitted, “I don’t like heights.” He turned his face away.
Kyrin touched his arm. “Many people don’t like heights. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“It is if it will prevent me from going on the mission.” His tortured eyes locked with hers.
She held them, losing her voice for a moment. He was truly scared. She squeezed his arm and tried to project understanding and encouragement into her words. “You’ll be all right. You have all afternoon to prepare. I’m sure, once you spend some time with Shalmar, you’ll feel more confident about it. And I’ll be here the whole time to help you in any way I can.”
Jace’s uncertain gaze rose to the dragon.
“Just spend time with her and see how you feel,” Kyrin urged him.
He gave a slow nod. With a bright smile, Kyrin turned back to Ivoris, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jace’s gaze switch from Shalmar to Gem.
Coward. Jace clenched his fists with the agony of the emotions warring inside him. How could he let something as trivial as a fear of heights prevent him from joining the others? He’d faced fear all his life, and had moved forward in spite of it. But this was different—something gut-gripping and paralyzing that had lurked inside him ever since he was a child whenever he faced the danger of falling more than a few feet.
He had to overcome it. Somehow. He would never live it down if he remained behind out of fear. And what if he did stay behind and something happened to Kyrin that he could have prevented? How much more frightening was that prospect than flying?
The chill this brought to his bones jumpstarted his courage and, most of all, his determination. He stepped closer to Shalmar, though he didn’t actually believe getting to know the dragon would make an ounce of difference when it came time to fly. He’d only needed to buy more time to get a hold of himself.
He laid his hand on the dragon’s neck and let his fingers trail over her warm scales. He couldn’t deny the pull the creature had on him, stirring the deep, innate love he had for animals. If only it involved nothing more than riding her like a horse, or having her as a pet like Tyra. He glanced over at his wolf. She maintained her distance with a watchful eye and stared at him as if asking what he would do.
Jace dropped his hand to his side with a heavy sigh and had no answer. Shalmar turned her regal head to watch him. It didn’t seem right to form a bond with her when he held such uncertainties. Would he ever truly ride her? He just couldn’t see himself flying.
His shoulders sagging, he turned away from her, and his eyes landed on Gem. Her sad state triggered the same compelling urge to help her as when he’d first found Tyra as a wounded pup. It drew him toward her. The dragon’s blue eyes followed his movements. A couple of feet away, he paused. “Ámi.”
The dragon blinked, but otherwise didn’t respond. Jace walked closer to stand at her shoulder. He reached out to touch her, and a tremor passed through her scales. Slowly, he ran his hand down her shoulder, considering what he could do for her. What did he know about dragons? Judging by the way she laid there, wings drooping into the dirt, she was probably starting to weaken from lack of food.
He glanced at Shalmar again, torn. If he pursued this, it would use up any time he had to get to know the other dragon. But, in the end, it just wouldn’t make one bit of difference to his fear. He motioned to Tyra and walked away from Gem. On the way to their shelter, they passed Kyrin and Ivoris.
“I’ll be back in a little while,” he told her.
“Where are you going?”
“Hunting,” Jace said over his shoulder. He wasn’t sure how to explain his decision, nor did he feel up to trying. He simply had to do it.
At the shelter, he collected his bow and quiver, and strode out of camp. On the edge, he looked down at Tyra.
“Deer,” he commanded, pointing deeper into the trees, and the wolf trotted off in search of a scent.
Two hours passed—longer than he had hoped—but Jace returned to camp
with a small doe slung across his shoulders. A few sets of eyes regarded him curiously, but he set his mind on his task.
None of the riders had returned yet. Ivoris, Shalmar, and Rayad’s dragon rested together to enjoy the warm rays of afternoon sun, while Kyrin and Rayad must have gone to the cabins. Gem hadn’t moved at all since he left. He walked up to her and let the still-warm deer slide down. Although he knew better than to expect anything, disappointment still stung when she didn’t react to the meal. Did the cretes have a command for ‘eat’?
“Come on, girl,” he murmured, but she didn’t even look at him. He sighed, drawing his brows together, but he wouldn’t give up just yet.
Walking the length of her neck, he sat down near her foreleg. He’d had to coax Tyra to eat at first too. He looked at his wolf, but she still wouldn’t come within ten feet of the dragons.
“It’s all right.” He motioned to her. “Come here.”
She took a hesitant step and then stopped, refusing to take another. Jace moved to meet her halfway. “Come on.”
She moved slowly until she came within his reach. He put his arm around her and drew her closer. “It’s all right.”
He looked back at the dragon. “Gem, ámi.”
For the first time, she offered a true response to him. Very slowly, she dragged her chin across the dead leaves to peer at the wolf. Tyra squirmed in Jace’s grasp, but he held her still.
“Ámi,” he repeated.
The dragon’s nostrils twitched as she took in Tyra’s scent. Then, just as slowly, she slid her head back to its original resting place and let out a long breath. Jace scooted backward to sit at her side, drawing Tyra with him. The wolf stood rigidly under his arm for several minutes. She’d bolt if he released her, but he stroked her fur and spoke to her softly. Finally, she relaxed and lay down beside him. Jace leaned against Gem, and soon the warmth from the dragon’s scales radiated comfortably into his back. It soothed the tension in his muscles.
A few minutes later, leaves crunched, and Kyrin walked into view.
“There you are.” She glanced at the deer. “Any luck?”
Jace shook his head. “She doesn’t have any interest in it. Maybe, if she trusts me, I can eventually get her to eat it.” It was a long shot, but what else could he do besides just let her die?
Kyrin glanced over at the other dragons, her eyes lingering on Shalmar. If she questioned his decision, she didn’t voice it. Instead, she smiled. “I hope you can get her to eat. It would be a shame for her to die.”
“I wish I knew more about dragons, if there is anything else I could do for her.”
She gave the dragon a sad look, but encouraged him, “I think you’re doing everything you can.”
For the next couple of hours, Jace stayed near Gem—talking to her, rubbing her neck, anything to gain her trust. His eyes strayed to Shalmar several times. Deep inside he knew he was stalling and avoiding his biggest challenge, but he wasn’t ready to face it yet.
Near sundown, he lifted his eyes to the sound of the other dragons returning. He rose as they appeared and landed nearby, admittedly relieved to see that everyone had returned safely. Anything could have gone wrong. The men dismounted in an exchange of laughter and back and forth chatter, their voices raised with the thrill of adrenaline. A pang of longing for such camaraderie stabbed Jace’s chest. These men were his friends, yet the ease between them still did not come naturally to him, especially tonight when his fear had kept him from joining in their moment.
He hung back so as not to interrupt it. Maybe they wouldn’t even notice him, but Leetra and Talas shifted their attention in his direction. The crete girl’s bright eyes landed on the deer, and then jumped to him. “That won’t work. We’ve already tried.”
Heat prickled up Jace’s neck and along his scalp, while a little flame of indignation kindled in his heart. He was only trying to help.
Talas stepped in, relieving a small particle of his discomfort. “It’s kind of you to try. You never know. She might have eaten it. At this point, any attempt is welcome. We’ve exhausted all our efforts.”
Jace gave a stiff nod, avoiding eye contact with the crete’s cousin. Had he known the true measure of turmoil this mission would bring, he might have talked to Kyrin about the two of them staying behind. But it was too late for such gutless action now.
By this time, the others had gathered. Kyrin hurried to meet her brother, whose face was red and windblown, but lit up with a huge grin.
“That was incredible!” he told her in a rush. “Just wait ‘til you try it. You’ll love it. You’ll never want to come back down.”
Kyrin laughed. “I look forward to it.”
A painful loneliness rose inside Jace, seeing her enthusiasm. If only he could share it, but just listening to them elevated the rhythm of his heart. No matter how he tried, he just couldn’t imagine himself in the air—on a dragon or otherwise. He didn’t want to spoil her excitement, but without her standing with him, he felt even more the outsider.
Talk of the flight dominated their supper conversation. Everyone wanted to hear about it, and the new dragon riders were eager to share. Jace took a seat off to the side next to Rayad and tried to shut out all the voices while he ate his supper in silence. So much talk of flying turned his fear into a clawing panic in his stomach. He had to get a grip but, so far, he was losing the battle. Distracted, he nearly missed Rayad’s quieter voice in the commotion. His attention snapped to him.
“Are you doing all right?” Rayad looked on him with the compassion and understanding Jace had grown so used to in the last couple of years. Besides Kyrin, no one knew him better.
He shrugged. He’d told Rayad many things since the man had rescued him from a cruel life of slavery, but his fear of heights had remained secretly locked inside him.
“You know,” Rayad said, leaning closer to keep the conversation between them. “I’m not real keen on this either. Riding dragons isn’t the sort of thing you try for the first time at my age.” He offered Jace a smile. “But we’ll get the hang of it.”
Jace swallowed, though it stuck in his throat, and he managed a brief nod. Only time would tell if that were true and, right now, time slipped away faster than he wanted it to.
The nighttime temperature dropped and warned of frost by morning. Jace buttoned his coat and moved in closer to the fire with the others. Thankfully, their talk of flight had subsided and, without hearing about it every other minute, he was able to relax a little for the time being. Most of camp had gone off to bed, but those selected for the cretes’ mission remained outside with their guests, where Talas delighted them with a selection of beautiful melodies from a small wooden flute. Some of the tunes were slow and haunting, while others were much more lively and cheerful. Jace had never heard anything quite like it.
When Talas finished some time later and tucked the flute back into his jerkin pocket, they all gave him a round of quiet applause. He accepted it with a grin of appreciation.
Across the fire, Trask stretched and said, “It’s getting late. Talas, if you’re tired, we have a place for you in our cabin, and Kyrin and Lenae have made a place for Leetra in theirs.”
“Actually, it’s not so late for us. We only sleep a couple of hours before dawn. We also never sleep on the ground if there’s a choice,” Talas replied. “We always come prepared with sleeping hammocks to hang in the trees. But thank you for your hospitality.”
Trask looked a little surprised. “Will you be warm enough out here?”
Talas nodded, showing no sign of chill in his sleeveless jerkin. “We’re used to harsh weather. Only in the dead of winter do we really begin to notice it.” He smiled at their curious expressions.
Jace could tolerate most harsh weather, but certainly not to the extent the cretes could. Even tonight he wouldn’t have been comfortable without a coat.
Leetra rose from her place beside Talas. “I’m going to go put my hammock up.” She walked off without a glance at the oth
ers.
Jace relaxed a little. The girl seemed especially short on patience this evening, particularly when Talas had decided to play for them. Her presence didn’t help the nerves he battled.
When she was well out of earshot, a wry little smile came to Talas’s lips. “You’ll have to excuse her. I’m sure much of her behavior would be what you consider rude.”
Jace breathed a short breath and caught Kyrin’s eye. She raised both her brows, telling him how she felt.
“The thing is, we cretes are very blunt,” Talas explained. “We state things exactly as they are. This is normal between cretes, but I’m afraid it doesn’t come across well with others. It also takes a long time to earn a crete’s trust and respect, so we hold ourselves at a distance. My generation isn’t used to dealing with other races, outside of the giants. I apologize for any discomfort this causes.”
Though Jace would rather avoid Leetra’s company, Trask gave an understanding nod.
“We’re all learning how to interact with each other. It’ll come.”
Talas agreed.
“So what makes you so different?” Kyrin asked. “You don’t seem to have any difficulty interacting with us.”
Talas chuckled, linking his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the log behind him. “I’m an odd crete. Just ask my family. I get it from my grandfather, apparently. They say the two of us and my youngest sister are entirely too friendly and charming for cretes.” The grin he flashed proved this. He shrugged. “It’s why Captain Darq invited me along, I guess. To smooth any ruffled feathers. It’s either a gift or a weakness, depending on who you ask.”
Laughter rippled around the fire.
Across camp, something scraped against the bark of a tree. Jace looked over his shoulder just as Leetra hoisted herself up on a branch and then climbed higher into the tree with the ease and quickness of a squirrel, all the while with a bundle on her back. His eyes widened.
A good twenty feet off the ground, she stopped and tested a branch above her head. Then, perched on the one below and without even hanging on, she pulled off the bundle and unrolled her hammock to hang from the branch. Once it was secure, she crawled in, nestling into the material as it swayed in the air.