“Oh, yeah.” The first boy slumped.
“Whatyouhave to say matters nothing to us,” Shi said, ignoring the children. “Vorik, under my authority as chief, I?—”
“I challenge you,” he blurted to interrupt her, to keep her from formally declaring his exile.
The words startled everyone to silence, even Shi. Against the cave wall, Jhiton stirred, though he didn’t say anything. Once, he might have wanted this, but would he still?
“Chieftess Shi, I challenge you,” Vorik repeated in a more measured tone, “for your position as leader of the Wingborn Tribe.”
Fury flashed in her eyes, but Shi didn’t continue to declare his exile. If she did it now, it would look like she feared to fight him and wanted to get rid of him for that reason rather than because of the choices he’d made.
Did she care? Vorik didn’t know, but the way she looked around the cave made him think she wanted to save face, to make sure nobody had a reason to doubt her ability and right to lead the tribe.
Vorik sensed someone in the forest outside of the cave, a rider with the power of a dragon bond. Recognizing her, Vorik barely kept from groaning. He should have known Captain Lesva would be around for the meeting of the tribes.
Maybe Shi sensed her at the same time because some confidence returned to her face, and she stepped forward, her hands near her weapons.
“I accept your challenge, Vorik.”
13
TheFanged Whalewas sailing into the cove when Wreylith reached it, the canvas-wrapped shielder still gripped in her talons, but her wingbeats were growing weary. Twice on the way to the inlet, she’d dropped low enough that the sphere had scraped against the rocks. With a growl, she’d beat her wings harder, gaining altitude again.
Five ships had sailed from Bogberry to Castle Island with Syla, but only three entered the cove. She hoped the others had headed off in another direction to distract or lead pursuers away, and that they’d not been attacked and sunk.
Distant booms reached her ears. Cannons. They came from the direction of Lyvor, which was far closer to the cove than Syla would have wished, but, for the sake of her straining dragon, she was glad it was a short journey.
Wreylith plummeted, seeming almost out of control, toward the deck of theFanged Whale, the weapons platform still strapped down on it. Syla leaned forward, hands plastered to the dragon’s back, worried they would crash. Even for a large magical creature, the shielder was a heavy load to carry. The crew must have been worried too because they scattered.
A few feet above the deck, Wreylith dropped the sphere. Syla winced. Since it had been made by her aunt and not yet tested, she worried the shielder wouldn’t have as great a durability as those that had been crafted by the gods.
The bigger problem was that, as soon as it struck down, it bounced androlled.
“Stop that from hitting the railing!” Syla shouted as Wreylith’s momentum carried them past the ship. She envisioned the sphere crashingthroughthe railing and falling into the sea.
Fortunately, it bumped into the weapons platform. Strapped down, the marble structure didn’t budge. The sphere, however, started rolling in the other direction.
Major Hixun was on deck and must have heard her, because he rushed toward it, yelling for crewmen to help him stop it.
Meanwhile, Wreylith banked, the tension leaving her body now that she’d dropped the heavy load. Almost sedately, she flapped her wings to fly back to the ship and land on the wheelhouse.
“Are there more people coming, Your Majesty?” Hixun looked toward the shoreline and the trail leading inland from the beach. “There are fleet ships all over out there, and some saw us and will head this way.”
“I think they’ll come, too, yes. Send a few dinghies to the beach, please.” Reminded of the predicament in which she’d left Tibby, Fel, and the others, Syla touched Wreylith’s back.I’m sorry I’m going to ask you to burden yourself again, but will you fly back so we can help the others?
Are there any more loathsome giant balls to carry?
No, and shielders are wondrous, not loathsome.
It was a far greater burden than a rider. Than eventworiders.Wreylith growled, lifted a talon, and flexed it.
Did you break a nail? I have a salve for that.
Dragons do not have nails like feeble primates.The look Wreylith slanted back at Syla was baleful.I broke severalclaws.
You’ll like my salve then. It has magic in it to improve its potency. I’ve been working on learning to use my power to imbue medical substances to amplify their efficacy so they can help people to a greater extent even if I’m not around.
Is it slimy?
