Roughing It #2
Using only his powerful wings, he took off.
It was even more impressive in the sun’s rays than it had been by moonlight.
The sunlight glittered off his scales, creating a look of deadly beauty as we soared through the skies.
Vasin took his time, languidly gliding along the air currents, reveling in the freedom of flight.
Feeling more relaxed, I gazed wide-eyed at the amazing sights below.
Shimmering rivers journeyed through vast green forests, only to tumble off the high mountain peaks.
Vasin followed one such river, weaving our way through the mountains’ narrow canyons until we reached a large reservoir.
It was filled by the outside river as well as a few smaller streams trickling from the melting snow.
The water was clear enough to see fish darting in all directions beneath the surface.
I had the feeling that living in the mountains wouldn’t be as bad as I’d originally thought.
Vasin and I explored a few other places before we headed to search the foothills for the others.
I had no idea what to expect once we found them.
We hadn’t been prepared for an all-out battle, and I was hoping we hadn’t lost anyone because of it.
I would forever feel the guilt if someone died because I could not protect myself.
“They won’t see it that way, Cass. It’s their job to keep you safe so you can have a chance to save them.”
“I know you’re probably right, but the only reason they were there was because I couldn’t do anything without their help,” I said, resting my head against his neck. “I couldn’t even escape my own house without Cole forcing me.”
“Then the only way to repay them is to become someone they can rely on to protect them.”
I nodded, taking his wisdom to heart. I had a lot of work ahead of me to even begin becoming that person.
I cringed at the thought of what Cole would think of my plan.
He would probably laugh his head off. To him, ruling a group of mercenaries with love and determination would sound so na?ve, but I had seen firsthand it could be done.
No matter. I was going to prove to him and his smug face that I could be just as skilled as him.
“I found them,” Vasin announced as he began his descent onto a rock-covered clearing.
I couldn’t see anything when I looked down, but I’d learned from experience those men could hide very well in plain sight.
Vasin landed as smoothly as he could with the unsteady ground he descended upon.
I gripped tightly to his neck as the ground shifted slightly, sending us pitching forward down the slope before he could counter it with a strong backstroke of his wings.
“Are you all right? I didn’t realize how slippery these rocks would be,” Vasin apologized.
“I’m fine. And how would you know? It’s your first time out of the roost.”
“All dragons have the ability to access all the knowledge of past dragons to learn from their experiences.”
I was surprised at this news, wondering what it would be like to have the ability to access all of my ancestors’ wisdom. I wondered if having someone who could show me the right path would make life easier.
“Lady Cassarah, are you all right?” I heard Ballard’s voice call out, bringing me back to the matters at hand.
I looked over at him and gasped, seeing a bandage covering his left eye. “I should be asking if you’re all right.”
“It's nothing… looks worse than it is. I’ll be fine in a few days,” he responded, shaking off my comment.
I looked over at Cole, who was standing next to him. He looked unharmed, but he had a grim expression in response to what his grandfather said. Seeing that look, I had a feeling his wound was worse than he was letting on.
I frowned as I slid off Vasin’s back and stumbled as the rocks shifted under my feet.
Catching my balance, I noticed Cole had taken a step forward as if he was going to catch me.
This action seemed to have caught him by surprise too, if his deepening frown was any indication.
He glanced at me, and then when he saw I was fine, stepped back beside his grandfather, not looking at me.
“How are the others?” I asked, ending the awkward silence.
“All are accounted for. Some are wounded but nothing life-threatening. All in all, it was a victory for us, but that’s all thanks to your dragon. If he hadn’t dropped the mastermind into the moat, then we would’ve had a hell of a time,” Ballard informed me, smiling at Vasin.
“Tell him that I am glad to have been of help,” Vasin said, lowering his head to my level.
“Vasin said he was more than happy to help,” I shared, smiling over at Vasin.
“I hate to cut this meeting short, but we should get deeper into the foothills before it gets dark,” Cole interjected.
“Quite right. No one followed us, but best we get out of the open just to make sure,” Ballard said. “I think it would be safest for you to fly when you can. It’s harder to harm someone in the air.”
“I will follow your lead without question,” I assured him.
Cole started coughing loudly as he walked away, trying to muffle his words. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”
I scowled at this retreating back, not understanding why he didn’t like me. He didn’t even know enough about me not to like me.
“There is a large reservoir deep in the foothills. That’s where we’re going to spend the night. Do you think you can find it?” Ballard asked Vasin.
Vasin answered with an acknowledging croon and bobbed his head slightly.
“Good. Then we’ll meet you there.” With that, he turned and walked back behind a large boulder, disappearing from sight.
It didn't take long for all the men to mount up and head off into the foothills. It turned out the reservoir they were talking about was the one we’d seen earlier. We beat the others getting there, but I was happy about it as I made my way to the water’s edge.
“Finally, I can attempt to wash up. I feel like I have a week’s worth of grime all over my body,” I grumbled.
It was icy but refreshing as I splashed it over my face, scrubbing with sand to clean the stubborn spots on my hands.
I freed my hair from its braids and combed it out with my fingers before trapping it once again in a long, single braid.
Feeling more presentable, I looked down at my dress, knowing I could do little to help it after sleeping on the ground.
Never had I worn the same dress for two days straight.
The men had arrived at this point and were setting up camp, calling it an early night.
Other than the setting sun, the only light was a small fire for cooking.
The scent of smoke filled the air as one of the men pulled something out of his pack and speared it on a few sticks.
The men milled around the small fire, whittling at twigs with their knives or re-bandaging their friends’ wounds.
Like Ballard said, most of the wounds were minor and non-life-threatening, making me once again feel relieved to see that everyone was all right and still alive.
“Cass, I am going hunting. I will be back once I have eaten,” Vasin informed me as he lumbered into the woods.
“Please be careful,” I said, reaching out with my thoughts.
“Everything will be fine. Have no fear, Cass.”
Feeling calmer about him leaving, I perched on a fallen tree that overlooked the water and watched the fish darting about. I was so engrossed in what I was watching, I nearly fell into the water when someone thrust a meat-covered stick in front of my face.
“You are far too easy to sneak up on.” Cole grinned at me as I tried to calm my racing heart.
“Do you take joy in stealing a year off of a person’s life with a stunt like that?” I asked, irritated.
“No… just you. Besides, I was being nice by saving you some dinner. If you’re going to be nasty about it, I’ll just eat it myself.” He huffed as he turned away from me and started to walk back to the fire.
“Wait,” I called, hopping off the branch to run after him, snatching the stick out of his hand.
“What is it?” I asked, sniffing the meat, unsure if I really wanted to know the answer.
“It’s food,” he snapped. “You can eat it or not, but it’s all we have for a mouse like you.”