As Agrevlari soared closer, Vorik didn’t know what he expected to find, especially since they wouldn’t be able to see much detail from beyond the barrier, but he leaned to the side and looked intently down.
There are many warships already in the harbor,Agrevlari observed.More than there were the day of our invasion, and we destroyed a great number of the island’s craft then.
Meaning these are from elsewhere in the Kingdom. The Castle Island locals haven’t had time to rebuild a fleet.
I have little knowledge of shipbuilding but would assume not.
It takes a while.Vorik pointed at the vessels in the harbor, so many that there wasn’t room at the docks for them all.The islands are far enough apart, especially those in the southern half of the chain, that those ships had to start sailing a while ago to reach this port. Whatever this is about, it was set in motionbeforeSyla returned with word that we’d learned the location of the Bogberry shielder.
That seems likely.
They might have set sail before we even kidnapped her. Didshesummon them for some reason? Before she left? And she hasn’t been able to get a message out to change where she wanted them to go?That seemed possible since so many stormer dragons had been in the area these past days. His people might have intercepted messages.
Even as he started to believe that reasonable, his sharp eyes picked up on something below. Agrevlari was flying above the castle, and the royal blue flag that usually hung on the wall, thatwhich signified the Moonmark royal family was in control, had changed. He had no idea what gardener family or faction was represented by a yellow flag, but the meaning sank in right away.
Someone else has taken power while Syla has been away.Urgency filling him, Vorik flattened a hand to Agrevlari’s scales.Take me straight to Bogberry Island.
You will attempt to kidnap her immediately?
I… don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll bet she doesn’t know about this yet. She may be in danger from even more than our people. I have to warn her.
Your queen has many enemies.Agrevlari banked to fly toward Bogberry Island.
Enemies she doesn’t deserve. She needs…Me, Vorik thought but didn’t say, reminded that Agrevlari, despite their bond, was loyal to his wing and those he served with. And those dragons had long ago promised themselves to be allies to the stormers since they all had the same goal of gaining access to the Kingdom islands. If Vorik left his people to stand at Syla’s side, he might be walking away from Agrevlari, his friendship and his bond.
As he urged,Hurry, please, Vorik accepted that, but he also didn’t announce his intentions. First, he had to make sure he could find Syla and, if she needed it, save her. Then… then he could figure out the rest.
Syla rode on Wreylith’s back with Fel perched behind her. He’d been unwilling to be left behind. Since they were looking for a deadly enemy who could kill Syla with a swipe of her sword, she hadn’t rejected his offer of help.
Fel gazed indifferently down at the bogs and eventually Lake Talindar as they flew around the top of Prominence Hill.Hewasunaware of the plan that Syla had proposed and Lord Oyenar had expanded greatly upon, so he probably thought nothing of the wagons of troops winding up the road that led past the lake on their way to the mine buildings. She hoped someone warned the fishermen to bring their boats in so they wouldn’t be casualties if fighting broke out, but she could imagine Oyenar not wanting to clue the stormers in that anything was amiss by doing so.
Do you sense anyone with magical power?Syla asked Wreylith.
Not yet, but that is what I’m seeking. If we fly close enough, I should be able to detect through their inherent power the female rider captain and also your moon-marked relative.
You’d think Lesva would startlosingsome of her power since her dragon is gone.
It will linger for some time. It’s even possible for a dragon, knowing its end nears, to transfer more of its power into a bonded human before its death.
Oh, great. A more powerful Lesva. Exactly what I hoped for.Syla told herself she’d already faced Lesva in Oyenar’s suite, and it hadn’t been any worse than before. If anything, she’d done better than the first time they’d pitted their powers against each other.
“With the trees so dense between the bogs in this area,” Fel said, watching the ground below, “it’ll be difficult to see stormers sneaking up the hill. They won’t use the roads or the river. They’ll stay under cover.”
“Wreylith is attempting tosenseour enemies.”
True, she’d only spoken of Abrya and Lesva, but she would sense other riders if they skulked about below.
“Through magic, I assume,” Fel said.
“Yes, though I understand dragons also have keen eyes and ears and a strong sense of smell.”
“They’ve effectively seen and smelled enough elioks to nearly make them extinct on Harvest Island,” he grumbled.
“I didn’t know that species meant something to you,” Syla said, though she also lamented that so many dragons had enjoyed free rein to hunt on the island these past weeks. And, if she failed here, another island would be laid bare to them.
“I enjoyed the steak we had in the castle.”
“The steak from the haunch that Wreylith delivered to us? You can’t bemoan dragons hunting and also enjoy what they’ve caught and shared with you.”
