Chapter 30
Anya Delemond
The cave rumbled and shook as the wall of stone before them slowly sank into the ground, giving way to a sliver of light that grew by the second.
Chirping birds and riveting insects filled her ears, carried on a temperate breeze that smelled of flowers and dewy grass.
She had to close her eyes and squint to adjust to the blinding light at the end of the passage.
“You did it!” Roderick scrubbed the sides of Anya’s flank like one would a dog, but she didn’t even care. Aquillas was sprawling out before them, ripe for exploration.
Let’s go! Anya barked. She tore down the passage.
“Wait! Don’t you want your dress?”
Wind whipped through her fur as her paws pounded on stone, then ice, then grass, finally bringing her into the warm sunshine of Aquillas.
Snow-capped mountains towered on either side of them, scarfed by thick forests of trees.
Rolling fields of wildflowers spread as far as she could see, painted with white patches of melting snow and blue glaciers that seemed to burst straight out of the ground.
A little creek meandered through the field, then disappeared behind a hill.
She swore she’d never breathed before. Not compared to this. This was freedom in her lungs, life beneath her feet! What laid behind those mountains? Or at the bottom of the hill? Or deep in the chirping, calling woods to the west?
She bounded to the creek and dunked her muzzle in. The water was ice cold, the most refreshing drink she’d ever had, better than the finest wine or the sweetest mead. She lapped and lapped until she was finally sated, then laid in the grass, panting contentedly.
Roderick finally caught up and knelt beside the creek. He cupped water in his hands to drink, then splashed his face and slicked back his fiery hair.
“Ah. Divine, that feels incredible.” He blinked the water from his eyes and looked over at her. “You look happy.”
She snapped her panting jaws shut. Manners were not second nature in this body, and panting as a wolf was the equivalent of…well, panting. Most unladylike.
“I didn’t mean that as an insult. Truly, I enjoy seeing you smile.” He chuckled, then added, “In one form or another.”
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to run like this, Anya said, staring down at her paws. These paws still don’t feel like my own. More like a dream.
“I do have your dress, in case you feel like running on two legs again.”
Oh. Right. Yes, please hand it to m—
He tossed the dress onto her face.
Anya growled and bucked her head back, shifting the dress to her shoulders. Of all the places you could throw it…
“Apologies, my furry little Princess. Consider it payback for the seaweed.” Roderick leaned back on his hands and smirked.
Anya trotted over to the tree line, tail flicking with annoyance.
She quickly shifted and threw on her dress.
Every second she spent unclothed made her more and more conscious of Roderick’s presence just a few paces away.
She forced the tied bodice over her chest. She wasn’t about to ask him to tie it.
If she did, she may have him do the exact opposite.
When she returned, Roderick was laying back in the grass, looking as comfortable as a gryphon on a warm roof. She stood over him, tapping a foot impatiently. He wrapped a hand around her bare ankle and flashed that fanged smile of his.
“Lay down for a moment.”
“What? Why?”
“Far be it from me to order you around, Princess, but I do believe you have earned a moment to revel in your hard work. Look around. You got us to Aquillas.”
He was right. She wanted nothing more than to stare up at the sky for just a minute. This moment was months in the making. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt.