Curious, I step forward and lower my voice. “Why do you want this dragon so badly?”
She snorts, folding her arms over her chest. “Because the blasted thing killed my parents ten years ago.”
Her admission floors me, her words ringing in my ears. Jyn killed Feng’s parents? Then this was never just about money or renown, butrevenge. It’s no wonder she’s so persistent.
“How did it happen?” I ask.
Feng’s jaw tenses. “They went off huntin’. I was sick, so they left me in my grandmother’s care. Couldn’t have been older than six and ten. They were gone fer days, and when my father came back… it was with my mother in his arms. Chewed t’ bits. They stumbled upon a dragon, he said. As green as emeralds. It tore ’im up good, too. He died from his injuries a week later.”
“So you went after it,” I say.
“And wound up bein’ banished by my own village fer it,” she replies with a huff. “They kept spoutin’ nonsense about lettin’ it go. How it wasn’t worth it. How I’d displease the Gods.”
I imagine Jyn in her mighty dragon form and how she must have curled in on herself to hide in the thickest parts of the jungle. She wouldn’t have attacked without good reason. In the brief time I’ve gotten to know her, Jyn hasn’t been the one to seek trouble. It comes searching forher.
“It could have been an accident,” I say. “They might have spooked the poor creature.”
Feng hits me with a hard glare. “It’s too dangerous to be left alive. As long as it breathes, others could get hurt. Nearly ten years I’ve been on the lookout fer this thing. I’m gonna be the one t’ make sure it doesn’t get the chance t’ harm anyone else.”
I want to argue further, but the huntress grumbles something under her breath as she stomps away. Her resolve is ironclad, her willingness to listen going only so far as information that will serve her cause. I doubt I’ll be able to talk sense into her, for I, too, understand the lengths one is willing to go to for a most beloved parent. I’ve already crossed two kingdoms and a Godsforsaken wasteland just to get back to my mother in one piece with aid for her illness, so Feng’s obsession is the furthest thing from laughable to me.
I close my eyes and take a deep, refreshing lungful of the sea breeze. At long last, peace and quiet. At least I’m finally rid of the huntress—for now.
My first instinct is to check on Jyn, but just as I wish to avoid Feng, I can tell that Jyn wishes to avoidme. Her guard is up and will only be strengthened should I continue to press her. We are both weary from our journey, in desperate need of water, food, and sleep. I’ll be sure to press for answers later, but for now, I yearnfor nothing except a long nap and the sound of the ocean waves crashing upon the distant shore.
My first and only thought is to jump directly onto the nearest pile of cushions in my designated tent. Seconds later, I fall fast asleep.
25
Iawake sometime after sunset. Theinside of the tent is comfortably warm thanks to the two iron censers placed on either side of me, lumps of charcoal burning slowly within. Blinking away the sleep from my eyes, I allow myself the time to take in my surroundings.
Resting beside me on a low writing table is a set of fresh clothes and a hefty winter overcoat. I have been mostly stripped of my garments, or what little remains of them, having been torn to shreds by the crow attack. I move slowly, stretching my arms and flexing my toes. My muscles are sore, but I’m otherwise rejuvenated. Jyn is nowhere to be found, though I suspect the trace of dried blood I taste at the corner of my lip has something to do with my quick recovery. She must have snuck into my tent while I slept to tend to me.
I eventually rise and get dressed. When I step outside, I’m greeted by the distant horizon awash with crimson and gold. The village is alive with activity, the sound of distant chatter and the crackle of a large fire reaching my ears. The scents of roasting meats and lavish spices waft in on the wind’s breath, and my stomach grumbles loudly for a taste of whatever meal is being shared.
Everyone’s gathered around a great bonfire, the roaring flamescasting dancing shadows against the canvas of nearby tents. Several large fallen logs have been set around the fire, offering plenty of space for people to gather, sit, and eat. Large bowls of sweet fruits, garlic-roasted vegetables, and steaming heaps of rice are passed around, along with gourds full of delicious rice wine and pots of fragrant tea. There’s a hearty sense of community here. They are few in number, but a mighty and most generous people.
“Ah, our other guest of honor!” the village elder exclaims with a deep laugh, his arms open wide in greeting. He claps me on the shoulder, gesturing to the joyous gathering on display.
“Where’s Jyn?” I ask, the first and only thought on my mind.
“She has a spot beside me. Come, dear friend. You must be famished.”
That, I can’t deny.
I find Jyn surrounded by a group of young girls, all of them giggling as they weave flowers into her long hair. They’ve brought along with them small grass-woven baskets full of delicate winter flowers, likely picked from the area surrounding the camp, boasting vibrant red, elegant white, and cheerful yellow petals. I can sense Jyn’s discomfort, and yet she makes no move to shoo them away. She gives me an almost pleading look as I approach.
“Make them stop,” she whispers.
I pluck a small white flower from one of the girls’ baskets as I sit down and tuck it behind her ear. “Now, why would I do that?”
She gives me a withering look, and yet there is no denying the warm glint hiding just behind her eyes or the light dusting of pink that spreads across her cheeks. If only I could bask in her loveliness forever, that might give my soul some semblance of satisfaction.
And yet the more I spend time admiring her, the more I understand that her beauty is a haunted one. Every time I look upon her face, I see a double-edged sword of love and loss. I peer at her through a thousand different eyes, unable to explain how I knowthere’s a faded freckle at the corner of her chin and a small, barely noticeable scar above her left temple. Minute details, hidden from most—but not from me.
Because Iknowher, this soul keeping me at arm’s length. I can see the shape of her, the outline of our intertwined fates, just out of reach. I just wish Jyn would help me fill in the blanks.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Feng. She’s seated on the other side of the bonfire, glowering at me as she stuffs her mouth with spiced meat. Feng’s far too sharp, too inquisitive.
