Chapter 52 #2
Her feet were up and on my bed as her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at me expectantly, but I focussed on finding a clean uniform.
None in my bags. Gods, everything needed a good wash, so what was I…
? I opened the wardrobe and found several uniforms hanging there.
I pulled one out thankfully, getting dressed in record time and not just because I had an audience.
Sparrow was far too concerned with chattering away, imagining more and more outrageous scenarios.
“Are you going to dine with them?” she asked, jumping to the next point before I could answer. “Gods, I think the silver riders would duel anyone who tried to escort you into the mess. Lance too! If you walk in there on those fellows’ arms, you’ll have the eye of every person in the keep.”
That was enough to have me pausing.
“I…” Looking down, I focussed on doing up the fastenings of my tunic.
My hair was brushed smooth and I pinned it up even though it was still damp.
“Honestly, that is not my aim here. We found some information at the tomb, but there’s still more to discover.
” Straightening up, I made sure my tunic was sitting right before bending over to put on my boots. “That has to be my focus for now.”
“It’s not theirs.” Sparrow’s enthusiasm refused to be dampened. “A man doesn’t bring flowers to a woman because he’s ‘seeking information.’ He does it because he wants an answer to a whole other question.”
“And that’s not something I can give them.” I met her gaze head on, a strange calm settling over me. “I feel like an idiot for saying this, especially after the way my suitors treated me at home. They made clear that I should be grateful for the attention of any man.”
“Fern–”
Sparrow’s smile faded, but I forged on.
“At least with them.” I glanced at the door.
“There’s a real chance at affection. Not Dain, but…
” My finger found a stray tendril of hair.
Twisting it around and around, I stared at the wooden door.
“I was raised to become someone’s wife, to care for my husband, bear him children and manage his household. ”
My chest started to heave as my breath came faster and faster.
“It was all I wanted, was allowed to want, but then I met Auren…” Looking across at Sparrow, I saw she was hanging on my every word.
“It was like I was the dragon, not her, newly hatched from my shell. The future I expected to embrace shattered and I’m still trying to work out what will replace it, but one day…
” Staring past her, I saw the side of the mountain.
The wildflowers bobbed in the breeze. The fluffy white clouds in the sky beyond were what held my attention.
“One day I’ll learn how to fly and I can’t make promises to anyone until I’ve learned how. ”
Whatever I was feeling, it was bigger than words. Just some nebulous thing that refused to allow me to settle. It was then I felt my dragon’s mind meld with mine.
Because we are queens, not whatever a wife is. After we find Drathnor’s nest, we will ride the winds, seeing where they take us. As she spoke I could see it all perfectly in my mind. Perhaps there are other ruins, other tombs that will tell us more of the way dragon queens lived.
Gods, I can’t think of anything I’d like better, I replied. We could find more Tanis eggs and record the history of Nevermere. Or ancient libraries mouldering in the bowels of some ruin. Books–
Treasure, she replied, her tone becoming breathless.
Knowledge, I added.
We will discover exactly what happened in the past, she assured me. When we understand that, then we can decide what to do in the future.
And that was what I told Sparrow.
“Gods, that does sound grand.” She shook her head. “I almost want you to take me with you, but…” When her eyes slid to the door, mine followed. “What are you going to do about that lot?”
I straightened up and marched over to the door, opening it far more decisively. Each man rose to his feet when I appeared, even Dain. He scowled at that, going back to lounging against the wall seconds later, but I saw it. With a tiny smile, I faced down the others.
“Let’s go to the mess hall–”
“Knew you couldn’t resist us.” Lorien stuck out an arm, waiting for me to take it. “You’ll walk in that door–”
“Ready to plan what we do next,” I said. His smile faded and Kael’s eyes hardened, though the set of his jaw made me think that he was not about to admit defeat. “We returned to Wyrmpeak to try to find Drathnor’s nest. I need to start thinking about how we’ll achieve that.”
“More books?”
Lorien looked positively mournful as Lance stepped forward.
“Viridian said that the answer is in the earth,” he said.
“Stands to reason it’s beneath one of the ruins around the city.
” He glanced at the others. “We need to procure a map. Mark each ruin we find on it and then move onto the next. If there’s something to be found out there, my dragon will locate it. ”
“And exactly how many ruins are there?” Kael didn’t wait for an answer.
“Seems like looking for a needle in a haystack, but if that’s what you want, lass, Slate and I are in.
” He looked over at Lance. “Will the general allow us to go flying across the country unescorted?” Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Between classes and uniforms.” He tugged at his collar.
“And all these offers from riders to escort Fern to dinner and more.”
The lieutenant’s smile spread slowly.
“Leave the general to me.”