No, Marek has launched with Loska thousands of times over the past twelve years. Sometimes he feels like he spends more time in the sky than on the ground. But he has a novice aboard today, so what Marek braces himself for is the screaming.
Better than Marek expected. There’s barely an instant of ear-piercing terror before Sei’s scream cuts off in a strangled whimper.
The young man doesn’t relax like Marek advised, but that’s normal for a first-timer. Sei falls back against Marek, only Marek’s body and the harness keeping him in place. The impact doesn’t affect Marek. Sei is exactly as light as he looks.
Quiet, too. There’s another rough adjustment as Loska reaches the height he wants and snaps his wings out to catch the air. Sei’s only reaction is another choked gasp, and tensing beneath Marek’s body.
Better than most fresh recruits. Marek actually got pissed on once while taking a new rider up on a practice ride. Hilarious, but the recruit was so mortified about pissing on the wing-marshal that Marek stopped training the first-month recruits after that.
Sei’s quiet restraint will either be perfect for Vana or absolutely disastrous. Marek can just imagine Vana and Sei sitting at breakfast together, every word polite and every gesture precise.
Perfect. Just as soon as theyfindVana.
Marek’s frustration with Vana burns all the hotter because this is partly Marek’s own damn fault too. He helped Vana disappear in the first place. Marek had known Vana was up to something illicit. He’d just naively expected Vana to come back afterwards.
Vana had never asked Marek for a favor before. As a brother, however fraught their adoptive relationship, how could Marek refuse?
But apparently helping Vana was an even worse decision than Marek expected. Marek had returned to a palace in shambles. A dead count, a dead servant, and a panicking ambassador. King Imrik was the angriest Marek had ever seen his father.
This new, royally approved errand is a relief. Marek would much rather be returning north to his usual post, but fetching Vana’s claim-to-be is better than sticking around the chaos of Ostomar right now. Plus, given the circumstances and his passenger’s identity, Marek wouldn’t trust anyone else with the task.
Send a helpless grail across Draskora with a lightly guarded caravan? A breathtaking strategic failure.
Hopefully by the time they return to Ostomar, Vana will be located, and everything will calm down. Marek will deliver Sei to be betrothed, then fuck off north again with Loska. Electrocuting a few wraiths will improve Marek’s mood.
At least Marek can enjoy the flight for now. It would be better without a passenger, but this is still where Marek belongs: in the open sky, his dragon beneath him, at one with the elements.
“How are you?” Marek asks over the rushing air.
Sei answers too quietly.
“Can’t hear you.”
“Sorry, Your Highness. I just said I’m fine.” Sei sounds more miserable than fine. “Please let me know if I’m doing anything wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
Sei turns, his leather helm sliding against Marek’s chest. “I don’t want to move wrong and interfere with Loska or anything.”
“You’re fine,” Marek answers. “Don’t worry about Loska.”
The dragon’s reply rumbles through Marek’s head. By the mental feel of his voice, the words are for Marek alone.Really? Don’t worry about Loska.
Marek rolls his eyes.Which big blue dragon was just bragging about how many, many people he can carry?
Loska is silent for a moment.I can’t recall.
Dragonbond abilities vary slightly from rider to rider. Marek can mentally convey complete sentences, though he usually prefers to speak out loud and let Loska pick up the thoughts beneath. Telepathy is difficult.
Sei weighs less than the luggage,Marek tells his dragon.But let me know if he’s too big a burden for your delicate bones.
A few wingbeats later, Loska retorts loftily,Even so. Tell him not to wiggle so much.
Marek tells Sei no such thing. Because Sei hasn’t wiggled at all, remaining tense and still beneath Marek in the harness.
Passengers are easier to ignore when they ride behind, but putting smaller novices in front is safer. Marek had taken one look at Sei, windswept in the Port Avar courtyard, and decided to put him in the front seat of the two-man harness. Too strong a wind might blow the grail away.
The first few hours of their flight are quiet. Sei seems disinclined to talk, so Marek chats silently with Loska as usual. It’s almost a normal flight, except for Sei’s tense body pressed beneath him.
