“May I?” He motioned at my face.
I nodded, though I didn't know what he was asking permission for.
The Dragon King brushed a tear from my cheek, surprising me with its very presence. “When you share your nextstory with me, I will record it for you. I will show you how to tie the knot if you wish.”
“I would like that very much.”
The knights, done with their meal, began to drum again. I waited, but the King didn't sing. He looked hopefully at me a few times, but I didn't dare sing after his performance. In fact, it saddened me a bit. The Dragon King outshone me in every way.
Stealing a glance at him, I wondered what it would be like to be his mate. Would his savagery be anything like Bara's? Even if it was, I thought it would be worth it to have him as my own. To be loved by a man like him forever was something I would endure much for. But I doubted it would be me. As much as my father swore I was blessed by our Goddess, I believed it was the opposite. Staring down at the knot in my lap, I saw my birth not as a miracle but as a bargain. My father had sacrificed a feather, but the Goddess wanted more. She gave me life and saved my mother, but I paid for it. I paid dearly.
Sitting there, within the sacred stones of King Raventar's people, I knew I hadn't finished paying the Goddess's price. And this payment would hurt far more than anything Bara had ever done to me.
Chapter Eleven
The tents were small, one-person affairs. I'd expected the King to have something more lavish, but he rolled out a pallet just like everyone else, and lay down in his small, A-frame tent that barely fit him. My tent was next to his. With only fabric separating us, it was like sleeping in his bed. Except that I couldn't sleep.
My story-knot comforted me, and I found myself rubbing it as I listened to the soft sounds of men sleeping. The banked fire popped on occasion, and the calls of night creatures created a lullaby that should have helped me drift off. I felt more at home than I had in years, out there in the wilderness where I belonged. All I needed was a round bed.
Ah, that was it. The tent was too cramped for me and my wings. I tried turning onto my belly, and that helped, but my mind still raced. The Dragon King filled it with his larger-than-life presence. It had been so long since I wanted something other than freedom. I treasured the longing even as it built into an ache. If I had been whole, my mind untarnished, I would have gone to King Raventar, woken him, and led him into the dark embrace of the woods where I would embrace him.
Raven. He had asked me to call him Raven. What a perfect name for him. Ravens were cunning—the smartest avian in the world, more intelligent than most animals, I'd wager. They were capable of complex problem solving, including using tools, planning ahead, and understanding cause and effect. They also had strong social skills like recognizing individuals, complex speech that included mimicry, and even showed empathy. Baby ravens often stayed with their mothers long into adolescence. They were also adaptive and could survive in an assortment of habitats. They hunted in groups and even used deception when needed.
Yes, the Dragon King's name suited him.
I wanted to know more about him. If there hadn't been an audience, I would have offered him all of my stories, no matter how personal or embarrassing, just so I could hear his. But I didn't want to share myself with his guards and the carriage drivers. Only him. And that alone was a miracle.
Sighing, I crawled out of my tent and stood to stretch my wings. I needed to honor this sacred place in my own way. Carefully crossing the campsite, I went to the edge of the cliff, far enough away from the sleeping men so I wouldn't wake them. My musical offering had been spinning through my mind as I tried to sleep, so it came instantly to my lips. It was a song that we Lelurra sang when landing in a place that was strong in our memories. Respect given, nothing asked for. It was an offering that could be accepted or rejected, but either way, it was made with an honest heart.
Gaze on the stars, I smiled, but then I turned to face the standing stones. This wasn't a song for the sky, but for the land. Still, it held the air within it—a gentle breeze. It was what I was—a child of the sky. But I also walked the earth. My voiceslipped softly from me, whispering through the night. Quiet, but powerful.
“I know not your names,
ancient fire, elder stone.
But I feel your truth.
It calls me down to you.
I make no mark, no claim,
There is no hunger in my hands.
Only this breath, the magic in me.
I lay it at your feet, to keep or discard.
My breath, my song, is yours.”
This was what I had wanted to give Raventar, not only this place. I hoped he might hear my song in his sleep and be comforted by it. If only I were brave enough to sing to him while he was awake, those piercing eyes focused on me. But this was good for now. It made me feel as if I were a part of his traditions. With the story-knot clutched in my hand, I accepted the Dragon King's welcome in the best way I knew how. He wouldn't know, but his kingdom would. His ancestors would. And I hoped they approved of my gift.
My song ended, and I felt acceptance. The land had taken my offering, following its king's example. Were it not for King Raventar, my breath would have been let go, not absorbed into the stones. I knew it. He had opened the way for me.
An echoing crack brought my head around to face the cliff. It was distant but too sharp to have been an animal.Animals tread more softly. They knew their environments. So, what had made that sound? I peered across the dark forest and saw it. A glow of firelight. There was another camp out there.
Suddenly chilled, I drew my wings around me. My instinct was to fly away, but I couldn't. Trapped on the ground, all I could do was run. But I wouldn't do that. Not without him.
I turned to look back at the King and found him standing behind me. With a yip, I stumbled back, my heel meeting open air. Another cry left me, this one full of terror. But the Dragon King had me. His strong hands gripped my waist and yanked me back onto firm ground. My palms went to his broad, bare chest, and my startled gaze went to his eyes. They were as wide as mine.
