At times, the flight had seemed to be never-ending. At one point, the men broke the monotony by playing catch with the food Zeon had sent with them.
Mekos was better at catching what was thrown toward him, but Tam was better at chasing what he didn’t catch.
The first time he sent the eagle straight down toward the water, Aradella gasped. “She’ll fall off!”
But Bree held on to the saddle—not to Tam—and stayed on. When a seagull decided to see if they were something to eat, Tam encircled its neck with his hand before it hit them with its beak. The bird tried to attack his face, but Mekos called out to it and the bird settled. When Tam released it, the bird stood on the eagle’s head and squawked at Tam.
“You are being told off,” Mekos called to him. “He says he’s just trying to feed his family.”
“But not with my nose!” However, Tam put his hand on his heart and apologized, then tossed him a large chunk of bread. With its chin up, the bird flew away.
All four of them laughed, but when the two women looked at each other, they abruptly stopped.
By the time the animals landed, their riders were glad to be on the ground, and they looked around at where they were. It was a wide, deep ledge made of volcanic rock. Based on the overgrown plant life, it didn’t seem to have been used recently.
At the end was what they knew was a volcanic bubble. Centuries before, the erupting volcano had formed a bubble of gas, then surrounded it with molten rock. It had left a deep, round circle that would be good protection from the elements. But the entrance was blocked by three huge boulders.
“We’ll get Perus to move those rocks,” Mekos said, but as soon as the saddles were removed, the big animals took off into the sky.
“No!” Aradella cried out in panic. “Don’t leave us here alone. We need you!” But they were already out of sight.
The four people looked at each other, wondering what to do next.
Mekos said, “I’ll get the firewood,” then opened Ian’s case and he flew out.
Aradella said, “I’ll go with you and see what plants I can find.”
Tam picked up the old tapestry bag. “I’ll see what Papá has sent us for dinner.”
Bree said nothing.
Mekos and Aradella found a path that led up the steep hill.
“Sheep’s wool,” she said as she plucked a fuzzy bit from a bush. “Ian will like this. Oh! That’s pellan. And there’s oonic. This may be a botanist’s dream garden.”
After their tasks were completed, they started down the path back to the ledge and felt raindrops.
“I hope there’s a cover in that bag,” Mekos said. “The fox part of me will melt.”
Aradella blinked against the drops. “We’ll have a complaining princess on our hands. She’s too used to luxury.”
He turned to look at her. “Youare a princess too.”
“Yes, but I’ve been indoctrinated by fox—and wolf.”
Mekos gave a one-sided grin. “So now your lust has shifted from my father to a wolf?”
She walked past him. “I’m woman enough for all of them.”
“Are you?” He shifted the load of firewood to a free arm and his feet left the ground. As he soared past her, he swooped her up with him.
They sailed down onto the ledge like two birds, then halted at the sight before them. At the end of the ledge was the round, cave-like enclosure, the bubble. The boulders had been rolled away. Inside was a cheerful fire, with food and wine laid out. Tam sat on one side, Bree on the other.
“Come in out of the rain,” Tam called, motioning with his arm.
At a crack of thunder, Mekos and Aradella ran into the dry space. He dropped the wood he’d collected, and Aradella spread out the many plant sprigs she’d gathered. She looked at Tam. “How did you move those rocks?”
He glanced at Bree, then mumbled, “Oh, you know, muscle.”
