Alliance (5 page)

“I don’t suppose you want to talk about it?” she offered
eventually.

Nykin shook his head, managing a proper smile this time as she sighed in relief. “Thanks for the offer, though. I just need some space. I think I might see if Fimor’s up for a ride—the open sky sounds very appealing right about now.”

Selene returned his smile, turning to carry on up the steps, but she stopped and looked back at him. “I know it can’t be easy, Nykin, and I wish I could help. If there’s anything you need, just let me know, even if it’s just some company.”

“Thank you.”

She nodded once before quickly starting up the steps.

They made the rest of the journey in silence, parting ways at the entrance to the Eyrie. Selene headed off to find Eldin while Nykin went toward the storeroom to get Fimor’s harness. Halfway there he remembered he’d left it in the landing cave and changed course.

“Fimor? Are you there?”

“Good morning, Nykin. You seem… anxious.”

Nykin sighed as he walked along the tunnels, wondering how best to reply. In the end he decided to just tell Fimor the truth. If he couldn’t tell Fimor, then who could he tell?
“Ryneq and I had a fight.”

“I see. May I ask what about?”

“He wanted to go out with Nysad and see Seran’s army.”
He reached the landing cave and walked to where Fimor’s harness and saddle lay propped against the wall.
“But Seran has that witch with him, and you know as well as I do what would happen if he got his hands on Ryneq. I know they haven’t attacked yet, but I didn’t think it was worth taking even the smallest of risks. So I made an alternative suggestion.”

“Which was?”
Fimor asked.

“That we take him up for a look from above. That way he could get a better overall view while still keeping his distance, like Eldin’s patrols have been doing.”

“M-hmm. And I take it Ryneq wasn’t keen on this idea?”

“You could say that,”
Nykin scoffed. “
Oh, by the way, I’m already in the landing caves. I was going to ask if you were up for a ride today. I really need it.”

“Of course, Nykin. But I am out over the sea, so it may take me a few moments to get back. In the meantime tell me more about what your king said to make you so upset.”

The anger bubbled up inside Nykin again as he remembered their conversation.
“He called me a coward.”

“Are you absolutely sure? That doesn’t seem li
—
”

“Yes, Fimor, I’m sure.”
Nykin played with the edges of Fimor’s harness, and the metal buckles clanged against the stone. The sound echoed around the open space and made Nykin wince.
“His exact words were, and I quote, ‘I’m the king, Nykin. I should be out leading my army, showing them I’m not afraid.’ And he didn’t mean us.”

Nykin leaned against the wall waiting, trying not to dwell on his fight with Ryneq, but he kept hearing the words again and again.

“Calm down, Nykin. I’m almost there.”

Finally, the sound of heavy wings beating startled Nykin, and he looked up sharply as Fimor entered through the mouth of the cave and landed with a small skid in front of him. He kicked the loose stones in his path as he walked over toward his dragon. “I don’t know, Fimor. It doesn’t sound as bad when I’m telling you, but at the time….” Nykin threw his arms up in frustration. “Ugh… he just made me so angry.” He collapsed against Fimor’s side, then slumped down to the ground with his knees drawn up and his head in his hands. “I just can’t believe that’s what he really thinks. We’re part of his guard. I just… I don’t understand.”

“Nykin.”
Fimor curled his tail around Nykin’s legs, and Nykin relaxed into the comfort of Fimor’s scales. The warm hum of magic flowed out over their bond and wrapped around Nykin, wiping away his anger and soothing his anxiety.
“I am certain the king doesn’t think the dragon riders aren’t part of his army. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

Nykin lifted his head and let it rest against Fimor. “But then why did he say that?”

“I don’t know. Yesterday was a long day for everyone. You’re both probably still tired, and tempers get frayed. Did you ask him? Give him a chance to explain?”

“I….” Nykin shook his head. He began to get a little nagging feeling that maybe he’d overreacted. “No, not really. But what could he possibly say to make it all right?”

“That I’m sorry. That it came out wrong, and that the very last thing I think is that you’re not a vital part of my army, Nykin.”

At the sound of Ryneq’s voice, Nykin’s gaze shot toward the entrance to the tunnels. His heart rate picked up when he saw Ryneq leaning against the wall, dressed in light armor and leathers. His hair was a mess, and he looked wary, as though unsure of his welcome.

“Fimor,” Nykin hissed.
“Did you know he was on his way up here?”

“Just hear what he has to say. I can feel how sorry he is, and the last thing Torsere needs right now is its king distracted like this.”

Guilt swept through Nykin. Fimor was right—Torsere needed Ryneq to be focused on the problem at hand—but Nykin just couldn’t let this go easily. He met Ryneq’s gaze, his chin tilting up in challenge. “Explain to me how I misunderstood, then. Tell me what else you could possibly have meant.”

Ryneq remained where he was, sensing that Nykin really didn’t want him to come any closer right now. “I know how important the dragon riders are to my army, Nykin. I also know how brave they are, especially after our journey back from Alel. And the only reason Eldin’s patrols keep so far back from the witch is because it would be foolish to do otherwise. I have ordered him to remain out of sight. But….”

Nykin stared at him, waiting for the explanation that Ryneq thought could make this all right. “But?”

“I am the king, Nykin.” He waved a hand over his uniform as though Nykin might have forgotten. “I’ve been away for over a week, and another king has camped along our borders. My men need to see me out there, to reassure them that I’m strong enough to lead them into battle. And I can only do that if I’m physically on the ground with them.”

Nykin started to protest, but Ryneq held up his hand.

“I’m not finished. When you made your suggestion, I admit my gut reaction was it felt like I was taking the easy option, that I was prepared to send my men out on ground patrol, but not go out myself. And that goes against everything I believe in, Nykin. But I never meant to imply that my dragon riders were any less important than the rest of my guard, and for that I’m truly sorry.” He sighed and pushed off from the wall but didn’t make a move to come closer.

“And now? Are you still going out on patrol with your men?”

“I have to, you know that.” He finally started to walk forward. “But I took your advice and spoke to Cerylea and Nysad.” Nykin sat up a little straighter at this. “And they both agreed with you.” Ryneq smiled then, and Nykin’s lips twitched in response. “So we came up with a compromise. I’ll wait for the ships to arrive, and then Nysad and I will go out on horseback with the elves. I need to do this, Nykin, but I’m willing to make it as safe as possible. It would do Torsere no good at all to lose both its leaders.”

He was almost in front of Nykin and Fimor now, and when he took the final few steps, he crouched down and let his hands rest on Nykin’s knees. “But if the offer still stands, I’d very much like to see it all from the sky first.”

Nykin remained silent, running Ryneq’s words over in his head. Had he overreacted? He hadn’t thought so at the time, but now that he’d calmed down and Ryneq had apologized, the anger just wasn’t there anymore. But he still felt the nagging doubt deep inside that Ryneq’s words had caused.

“Nykin, I think
—
”

“I know what you think, but I need to handle this my way.”
Nykin ignored Fimor’s indignant huff and gently pushed Ryneq’s hands off him so he could stand. He walked over to the wall and picked up Fimor’s discarded harness. “You might not have meant the words you said, but you still said them. And no matter how much you apologize for them, they still hurt. I forgive you, but it will take a while for me to forget.”

Ryneq’s face fell, but he just nodded, standing aside as Nykin lifted the saddle onto Fimor’s back. He felt Ryneq’s eyes on him as he attached the harness. He pulled it tight around Fimor, and willed his hands not to shake as he fastened the clasps and buckles. When everything was set, he climbed up into the saddle and held his hand out for Ryneq to take. “Coming?”

Ryneq grasped it tightly and let Nykin pull him up behind him. He wrapped the thick leather strap around them both, just like before, and secured himself to the saddle with the smaller straps across each thigh.

Ryneq slid his arms around Nykin’s waist, holding on tightly. “I’m sorry.” He whispered the words into the skin on the back of Nykin’s neck, sending a shiver down Nykin’s spine.

“I know.” Nykin relaxed into Ryneq’s embrace, and for just a moment, he let his head drop back onto Ryneq’s shoulder.
Gods
, he hated fighting, especially over something that would probably never have happened if they weren’t both so tired.

“Are you ready to go, Nykin?”

“Whenever you are.”

Nykin held the harness fast and readied himself as Fimor turned to face the cave mouth. “Don’t let go,” he shouted over his shoulder, smiling a little as Ryneq tightened his grip around him.

“Never.”

Fimor spread his wings wide and launched out into the air.

R
YNEQ
HELD
tight to Nykin’s waist as they climbed high above the mountains. After what had happened in their room earlier, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Nykin had refused to ride with him.

The words had just slipped out, a knee-jerk reaction to Nykin’s innocent suggestion, because he was tired and not thinking straight. By the time he’d realized how it sounded, it was too late to take them back. He’d paced the room, cursing loudly before grabbing Cerylea’s link stone, then had a very quick, but awkward conversation with her via Morkryn. She’d made him see sense, just as she always did, and so he’d asked Nysad to make arrangements for when the elves arrived. Nysad had also pointed out that Ryneq would be able to get a much better vantage point from above and that Nykin’s suggestion was an excellent one. Ryneq had been forced to agree, and it had only made him feel guiltier about his earlier reaction. He’d then hurried after Nykin, hoping he’d gone where Ryneq thought he had.

He shifted to try to get more comfortable; sharing a saddle meant for one didn’t make for the most forgiving of seats.

“Okay?” Nykin shouted, the wind almost snatching his words away. He pointed in front of them, and Ryneq squinted against the early-morning sun, trying to see what Nykin was showing him. “Fimor says we can only get a little closer than this, but you should be able to get an idea of the size of Seran’s army.”

Fimor climbed a little higher, dipping his wing to turn to the left, and Ryneq’s fists automatically clenched, tightening his grip. The clouds were low in the sky today, hampering his view, and Fimor weaved in and out, trying to give them the best vantage point. Finally the wind caused a break in the cloud cover, and Ryneq almost wished it hadn’t. His breath caught at the scene below him. He’d expected the army to be bigger than the one Seran had before, but nothing like this.

“May the Gods help us all,” he whispered. Even with the witch’s fog covering part of it, the army sprawled out beyond the Athisi border. Seran must be bringing every soldier in both the Rodethian and Athisian armies. It would hopefully buy them the time they needed, but something cold settled in Ryneq’s stomach as he realized how greatly outnumbered they would be when Seran’s full army arrived. He took a great risk leaving both lands unprotected like that, but Ryneq had long since thought Seran slightly unhinged. Movement on their side of the border caught his eye. “What’s that?”

“What?”

Ryneq didn’t want to let go of Nykin to point out what he meant, so he nudged Nykin’s left shoulder. “Down there, look, on our side of the border.”

Nykin paused before answering. “Fimor says it’s people.”

Ryneq swallowed thickly. The pockets of black dots formed a haphazard line that stretched all the way from the border villages and, as far as he could tell, all the way back to the palace walls. They looked like ants. Eldin and Nysad had briefly mentioned an influx of villagers seeking refuge, but Ryneq hadn’t realized how many were fleeing their homes. Not that he could blame them. They must know by now that something was wrong; even if Seran’s army was staying on Athisi land for now, it would be foolish to think they would stay there for long.

Ryneq stared at the ground again as Fimor turned in circles above them. He didn’t want to leave any of his people vulnerable, and he cursed himself for not doing something as soon as he and Nykin had arrived back last night.