“I wish nobody needed to use it.”
“That would be ideal. We of the Freeborn Faction do seek peace rather than hostility. Also an opportunity to earn food yielded from your bountiful islands.Wehave not taken any, though it has not always been possible to keep our dragons from coming here to hunt. They’ve minds of their own.”
“Yes, the minds of predators. I’ve noticed.” Syla smiled toward the northern coast of the island, sensing through her link with Wreylith that she was hunting near the cliffs by Lavaperch Temple.
“Of course. You’re linked with a dragon now.” Atilya looked at her hand. “I’d forgotten. I could sense power from you even before the wild red dragon marked you.”
“From my moon-mark, I assume.”
“I suppose it must be.” Atilya considered her hand, as if she wasn’t sure, but didn’t suggest anything else. “Have you developed new abilities from your bond yet?”
“Not that I’ve noticed.”
“Sometimes, it takes a while, but you may notice soon that you’re faster and stronger in battle.”
“I go into battle less often than you might think. My cousin, Teyla, may have been a better bet to link with a dragon. She takes sword-fighting lessons, at least.”
“Dragons choose those they’ve an affinity for. You must have proven yourself to Wreylith.”
“Oh, yes.”
“I believe,” Atilya said, “that Igliana may have already warned you that your Bogberry Island defenses have beenbreached. Someone, presumably General Jhiton’s riders, set fire to several buildings in the main city.”
“Yes. I’m thankful that she brought the news. We’re going to head that way soon.”
“We could fly along to assist you or stay here and attempt to stave off stormer dragons. In case Jhiton splits his forces and sends some to reclaim this area. I would expect him to.”
“It’s my concern that he will, yes. But even if his forces are split…” Syla held her palm toward the sky.
“They would outnumber us? That is likely, yes.”
“As I said, I appreciate any help you can offer, and we’ll surely invite you to a feast in your honor as soon as we’re able to drive the stormers out of the Kingdom. We’ll send you home with many pounds of fruit, vegetables, and grains, but I don’t expect you to lose people on our behalf.”
“We’ll assess the situation when their dragons are in the sky.”
“All right. Thank you.”
Even at fifty-something years of age, Atilya was strong enough and agile enough to leap upon her dragon’s back when she departed. When Syla had time, she would have to explore whether she had developed any special abilities from her bond.
Tibby cleared her throat, but, before Syla could join her at the weapons platform, someone called from the railing. The dinghy carrying Lord Ravoran had arrived.
He climbed aboard before any of his escort and strode straight toward Syla. “You!”
“It’s Your Majesty,” Syla said, bracing herself. Normally, she wouldn’t care about pomp, as Fel had once called it, but more than a dozen witnesses were close enough to observe them, and it would demean her authority if the island lord treated her like a wayward child instead of his monarch. Never mind that he was thirty years her senior and probablythoughtof her like a child.
“You stole our shielder!” he said without correction. Red-faced with jowls that waggled when he yelled, he pointed a stout finger at her face. “You’ve caused this carnage. All of this.” He flung his arm toward the charred and missing buildings in the city hugging the harbor. “Hundreds have been killed, the crops that are to see our people through the winter have been stolen, and those flying vultures haveeatenour livestock and wild animals.”
“I’m aware, Lord Ravoran.” Syla made herself politely and respectfully usehisappropriate title, though she kept her back straight and her chin up as she faced him. “As I wrote to you in my letter, we suffered the same fate on Castle Island.”
“For a couple ofdays.Until you stole our shielder.Weeksago.”
“I told you the reason why, and I promise we’re actively researching how to repair your shielder or build a new one.” She nodded toward Tibby, hoping the book in her aunt’s hands made her look like someone on the verge of a solution. If only Syla hadn’t thus far failed to get those shielder components.
“As if you can hammer one into existence like a horseshoe!”
“We know a new one can be made, and doing so is my priority.”
At that moment, the major called to his crew to ready the ship to sail to Bogberry Island.
