“Dragons have an affinity for fire. So do orcs. It’s why you’re able to bond with them without their magic consuming you.”
“It’s a good guess,” he said with a nod. “But this is not any of the four elemental sands that most folk are aware of. In fact, scholars have fought hard to keep this one’s existence a secret.”
I sat up a little straighter. “You’re saying there’s a fifth sand?”
“I’m saying there are several sands that aren’t common knowledge. There’s probably even more that scholars have yet to discover.” He pointed at the little bag. “This one is called Hugur sand. It gives power over the mind. As I’m sure you can imagine, it would be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands.”
My gut churned as the implication of his words sank in. “You’re saying there’s a sand that can control people’s thoughts?”
“That is one use for it, yes.”
“You have an entire bag of it,” I whispered.
“Trust me, Frida. I have never used this sand against anyone. I gathered it years ago and have kept it safe ever since,” he said.
My heart pounded as I looked at the burlap sack. “Surely you don’t intend for me to use it against a dragon. To control his thoughts so he’ll help me?”
“Absolutely not,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “And if I thought you’d commit that kind of atrocity, I’d never have shown this to you. It’s to communicate with him and understand his wishes. That’s all.”
“Oh.” I sat back in the chair, and it rocked beneath me. “So I could use it to read his thoughts?”
“Hmm, not exactly. You’d speak to him, and he’d speak back to you in your mind. It would help you learn if there was something you could offer him in exchange for his help.”
I nodded. It made sense. “This is an incredible bit of magic you’ve discovered, Rune. The ability to communicate with animals…well, that could be life-changing. You could do so much for this island if you used it more.”
He shook his head, sighing. “I’m hesitant to use it, especially knowing Erik is still looking for me after all these years. I’d never want him to get his hands on it.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare at him, the crackle of the hearth the only sound. And then I cleared my throat, unsure if I should speak my thoughts aloud and risk him changing his mind about sharing this magic with me.
“I don’t understand why you’re telling me this. I’m part of the guild. Aren’t I exactly the kind of person you want to hide this magic from?”
Rune folded his arms, leaned back in his chair, and gave me a long-considering look. “I see you, Frida, whether or not you see yourself yet.”
I flushed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He looked at me, and I looked at him, and an inscrutable expression crossed his face. Sighing, he ran a hand along the strong curves of his jaw.
“Maybe one day you’ll understand.” Rune rose, pushing up from his chair. “For now, take that sand. You can visit Eldi as often as you like, just so long as you make good progress on the fence every day.”
“Wait, you’re not going with me next time?”
He shook his head. “There’s too much work to do on Helga’s house for me to hike to the cave and back every day. The Elding has moved on now, so it’s safe. Just make sure you tell me when you go so I can come for you if need be.”
“But Rune—”
“Good night, Frida.” He knelt and gathered his cat into his arms, then vanished through his bedroom door. Swallowing, I stared after him, my heartbeat thundering through me. He was right to be so dismissive. Already, he’d done so much. Still, it stung.
He wanted to keep his distance from me, that much was clear. And it was probably for the best. Because after I tamed this dragon, I’d leave the Floating Forest and never look back. Saying goodbye would be hard enough as it was. Deepening our strained alliance into friendship would only make it harder.
19
FRIDA
The next few days passed in a blur. As soon as the rising sun washed the world in pale orange light, I was out the door with a new bundle of wood in my arms. The morning hours passed quickly as I worked on Arvid’s fence, and despite the callouses roughening up my palms, the work had a steadying effect on me.
After lunch, I always spent an hour with Arvid’s daughter. Even at eight years of age, Eydis was a bright, determined girl who handled the bow like someone who’d already spent hours attempting to learn the tricks of the trade herself. As eager as she was, it didn’t take long to teach her the basics. Another week or two wasn’t long enough to turn her into an expert, of course, but I could leave her with enough skills that she could eventually sharpen her base knowledge into something fierce.
The afternoon was my favorite part of the day—and my least. Every day, I made the long trek to the cave, where I attempted to converse with the dragon. The first afternoon, all I got was another round of huffing in my face before Eldi turned his backon me and stalked into the darkness again. Even with the new Hugur sand, his mind was a blank wall of nothingness to me.
