Jildarin sighed. “I am certain I do. They must have found a scribe to pen the scroll since dragons do not typically learn to read and write in the tongues of the two-legs.”
That, Rylana decided, was a more flattering term thanlowly life-forms. “Dragons sent this? How would they have found out that you lost your spices?”
“I told my brother of the incident. He is the only one whowould have had the means to reach others of our kind, but…” Jildarin tilted his head in puzzlement. “As I informed you previously, it is more than a full day’s flight back to our homeland where the spices might be acquired. And then, of course, another day to return.Longerthan that, as you are usually flying against the prevailing winds on the way back. I don’t think enough time has passed for the trip, elseIcould have made it.”
“Are the sisters the same ones who, uhm, you mentioned your brother setting you up when he invited you out to hunt. Is one of them the female who was waiting for you?”
“That was another female, a friend of my mother’s.” Jildarin looked pensively at the scroll.
Rylana handed it to him. “It’s probably close to midnight now. I don’t know where that specific rock is, but it’s twenty miles to the foothills of the mountains. They should have sent their message earlier if they wanted you to meet them.”
“It doesn’t take a dragon long to fly that far.”
“Yeah, but there are golems lurking around Tranquility all the time.”
“If I leave the city swiftly, and change into my native form as soon as I am beyond its borders, I could reach the sisters tonight. I do not trust them, but if theydohave the spices…”
“You can win the contest without them,” Rylana said.
“Perhaps, but they wouldhelp a great deal. Dragon spices were always a part of my plan.” Jildarin nodded to himself and headed for the door. “I will go see them and find out what they want totrade.”
“Do you want me to come along to help in case they’re up to something shifty?” Rylana didn’t know how muchhelpshe could be against powerful female dragons, but if she left the city, she could remove the tranquility ribbons from her weapons and use them.
Jildarin paused in the doorway to look her up and down in consideration.
Rylana stood straight and tried to look competent and useful, not like someone in rumpled sleep clothes with her hair sticking out in all directions.
“Will you shoot them if they attack me?” he asked curiously.
Rylana hesitated. “If I say, yes, I’d love to perforate dragons with arrows, I’m afraid it will remind you of our past.” She glanced at his temple. “If I say no, then you’ll think there’s no point in taking me.”
“I alreadyknowthat you enjoy perforating dragons. Get your sword and your bow. You will come with me.”
24
When Rylana had volunteeredto grab her weapons and go along with Jildarin, she hadn’t expected to end up riding through the dark night on hisback. But as soon as they’d passed the last of the pillars at the city’s edge, he’d changed into his dragon form and instructed her to get on. Once she’d figured outhow, which had involved him deigning to lower his belly to the ground and a feat of athleticism on her part, she’d been grinning ever since.
Taking off had been exhilarating, if a touch alarming since there was nothing tohold on toon a dragon. She’d nearly slipped off and landed on his wing before flattening to her belly and draping her arms over the curve of his back.
Her bow and quiver were on her own back, the tranquility ribbon threaded through her arrows to hold them in place the only thing keeping them from flying out. Her sword was similarly secured in the scabbard on her belt, and she was glad she hadn’t removed the ribbons as soon as they’d left the city.
“I see why elves became your allies during the war,” Rylana said as the stars spread out above, a half-moon shining down upon what soon turned from farmlands around the city to forestsstretching out from the foothills of the mountains. Some areas near roads had been cut to supply lumber for Tranquility, but they soon flew over virgin forests, the great evergreens creating a canopy that appeared like a carpet from above. When she looked back, the view was even more striking, for the warm glowing lights of the city were visible along the shore of Lumi Lake, which, thanks to its magical life within, also glowed, soft blues and greens making the water visible even from high above and miles away. “This isamazing.”
Elves have been allies of dragons for many, many centuries,Jildarin said telepathically, his powerful wings flapping as he gained in altitude. The snow-covered peaks of the Icefangs dominated the night sky ahead, but he turned to parallel the mountains instead of continuing toward them.They are more akin to dragons than to other two-legs. They do not seek to deplete the world of its natural resources.
“And they don’t try to shoot dragons in the eye?”
They are not so unwise as to attempt that.
“I figured.” The implication that humans were inferior in the opinions of dragons couldn’t squelch Rylana’s enthusiasm for riding on Jildarin's back and experiencing the world from high above. As beautiful as the moonlit night was, she hoped she might one day get the opportunity to ride on his back when the sun was up. How beautiful the landscape would be in even more detail.
As Jildarin continued south, the lake and city disappeared from view behind them. Here and there, campfires burned, or a light or two from a woodland homestead broke up the forest, but overall, Rylana felt like they had vast privacy as they flew. She reveled in the cool spring breeze riffling through her hair and the fresh scents of the pines, spruces, and cedars filling her nostrils.
“Is this where you harvested your spruce tips?” she asked, amused, though he’d probably purchased them at a market.
I was told that a goblin forager selected those, plucking them from the healthiest of trees with the most choice of branches.
“Or maybe just the branches he could reach.”
