Amáne of Teravinea - The Chosen One (The Teravinea Series Book 1) (12 page)

She continued, “I’ve been watching for this since before you were born and I let my guard down. I shouldn’t have. A newly linked pair should never be alone, especially at the hatching. In all of history, I don’t recall any pair who linked when they were alone ... and survived.” Then recovering slightly, she took a deep breath, “I suspected when I came to visit you the other day and I should have asked you instead of assuming that I was mistaken. I thought
I caught a scent of dragon. I don’t know why I didn’t trust my instincts. But I didn’t think it would be something you would keep from me. I had no idea you would be so foolish as to try a longer flight ... to the outpost ... in a Valaira no less.”

I lowered my eyes in shame. She exhaled loudly. “Most linked pairs need at least a week of training and instruction before even trying their first short flight.” Then with another deep breath, she said, “I’m all right, please continue.”

I got to the part where we crash-landed at the outpost and wanted to spare her the anguish of finding out I had visited my mother again in the Shadows. But I couldn’t keep it from her, so I disclosed that as well. I kept my gaze on my hands as I continued my narration, afraid to look directly at her.

“What did your mother tell you this time?”

“That, again, it was my decision if I wanted to stay with her, but she thought I should go to my dragon as she was keening for me — I guess my heart had stopped — and Eshshah called me back again from the Shadows.” I heard her sharp intake of breath, but I wasn’t brave enough to watch her expression as she learned she almost lost us a second time.

I told her about the outpost and how beautiful it was. I was excited at sharing our discovery with her. She listened intently and at last started to relax — her color slowly came back. The Healer was genuinely interested in the outpost. I wondered if she had been there, but she made no mention of ever having seen it.

Our story came to an end and I breathed a sigh of relief as my confessions freed me from the pressure I’d been holding in. It was as if a great weight had been lifted from my chest. I felt badly about burdening the Healer with our secret. But she did say it was the purpose for which she was in Dorsal — that it was her mission. She needed to know.

Evening approached and Eshshah’s pending arrival created a spirit of excitement between The Healer, Gallen and me. Tonight’s meeting was monumental. In my limited understanding of the state of affairs of our kingdom, I began to understand what my mother had said when she implied the fate of Teravinea would rest upon Eshshah and me. We were the only dragon and rider in all of Teravinea.

We moved to the courtyard. For the first time I realized the amount of property the Healer owned. I’d only seen her apothecary shop, via street access, and a limited section of her home. As far back as I could remember, my mother and I would visit and spend the entire time in her kitchen. Other times, while the Healer and my mother talked, I would join Gallen as he worked in the shop. I had never been outside behind her home, except the one time when I rode with her on Thunder. I don’t remember much about that occasion. She had a large courtyard and a field that stretched out into the distance. It was bordered on the east by the city walls. Her large home sat on the west most side of her property, built back
toward the cliffs that formed the base of the impassable mountains. The mountains continued a distance to the west before the walls of the city picked up again.

The Healer asked me to summon Eshshah from the cove as she, Gallen and I waited in the courtyard for my dragon’s arrival. I was beside myself when I spotted her approach, even while she was still a long way off. Her beauty was shown fresh every time I saw her. Each hour she was more impressive than the last.

She landed gently, the wind from her back-stroke blew our hair and our clothing behind us. I forgot my manners as I ran up to her and threw my arms around her neck — she lowered her head toward my face. I didn’t like being absent from her presence for even a short period of time.

I turned to the Healer and Gallen and said, “I would like you to meet Eshshah.”

They both stood straight and saluted her. Eshshah responded with a nod. It was hard to read all of the emotion in their faces, but I did see the moisture in the Healer’s eyes.

“Healer and Gallen, we apologize we don’t know if there’s a protocol we should follow for this occasion. We’re very informal, please, feel free to approach her.”

I could tell straight away Eshshah was attracted to the Healer. She loved her as I did. The Healer was now all I had for family. She wasn’t related by blood, but her closeness to my mother made her family enough.

Eshshah made the initial gesture as neither the Healer nor Gallen had moved. Their eyes were riveted on her. She lowered her face to the level of the Healer and nudged her in a friendly show.

In an uncommon expression of emotion, the Healer wrapped her arms around Eshshah’s neck and held her. Tears streamed from
my eyes as Eshshah hummed her calming tune. It was like a reunion of friends who hadn’t seen each other in too long a time.

Then Eshshah turned to Gallen and put her nose on his chest. He reached up and scratched her between her eyes as she hummed her pleasure.

Recovering from her unaccustomed emotional demonstration, the Healer gathered herself and turned to me.

“May I have permission to speak with your dragon?” she asked.

“You don’t need to ask for permission, you can speak to her any time you like — Eshshah agrees. She already explained to me the age-old formalities of asking permission from a rider to speak with their dragon. Truthfully, I find it archaic, but you have our permission from now on.”

With eyebrows raised in reaction to my dismissive attitude on etiquette, the Healer turned to Eshshah, “Eshshah, your beauty far surpasses Amáne’s description. She was correct when she said she couldn’t begin to describe you. It is my pleasure to meet you. I’ve waited for this moment for a long time.”

Gallen expressed a similar greeting. Eshshah acknowledged them both with a nod, pleased at their salutations.

She beckoned us to follow her to the back of the long courtyard. This part of her home was built right up to the mountainside — where the building ended, the solid rock of the mountain began. We stopped and the Healer revealed a large dragon-sized door in the wall of her house-proper, before it joined the rock. It was hidden from any that didn’t know where to look. She opened it outwards with ease and we found ourselves in a great hallway, the left leading to the Healer’s living quarters and the familiar kitchen. The right at first appeared to be a solid wall,
but she unlatched another large hidden door that led straight into the mountain. We found ourselves in a sizable cavern that was hewn in a similar way to the outpost, only much less lavish. No intricately inlaid floor, no tapestries, only clean smooth rock underfoot and on the walls. Various rugs covered the floor. Bright torches on the walls in decorative iron sconces threw their dancing light on our surroundings.

The chamber contained simple, yet beautiful, wood furniture. Chairs, a couch with plush cushions, a table and stools made up the sparse decor. There was a large indentation in the floor in the corner for Eshshah. Next to it, a feather mattress on a carved wooden platform. Above it, heavy cloth draperies hung from a frame that suspended from the ceiling of the cave. A hearth took up the corner of the room.

“I’ve had this prepared for a very long time, anticipating this moment. I would like to offer this part of my home to you both.”

I swallowed, unable to speak. The Healer had prepared a home for dragon and rider, knowing she would see her patience rewarded. I wiped the new tears from my eyes.

Clearing my throat, “We appreciate your hospitality, Healer. Thank you.”

“Tomorrow we begin your training, Amáne and Eshshah. I will be your trainer.” This took me by surprise, but she disregarded my reaction and continued, “We have lost already more than a week from your linking and I need to make sure you two proceed in the proper direction. I’m sorry, but there will be no more time for leisure. I’ll find you a clean night dress and some clothing until you can go back to your cottage and gather more of your things. This is now your home. You can choose to sleep in here, Amáne, or I have a room I can make up for you at the main house if you prefer.”

“Thank you, Healer. I’ll stay here with Eshshah.” Since our linking, I’d never spent a night at any distance from her and had no desire to now.

The Healer nodded her approval as if her question were a test I had passed.

I went to bed that night contemplating the incredible direction in which my life had turned. In no time, my exhaustion overcame me — what a long day this had been. I fell asleep before I could finish reviewing my day.

The sun had not yet risen when I decided I could no longer lay in bed, feigning sleep. It was the first day of our training. I was tangled in my bed covers from my fitful night, but it was from excitement. My sleep was absent the usual nightmares. I kicked myself free, ready to prepare for my day.

After giving Eshshah a morning hug, I dressed in the tights and tunic the Healer left out for me. They fit me surprisingly well. I attached my new dagger to my belt and headed down the long hall toward the kitchen to find the Healer. She wasn’t there. The kitchen was empty but still warm, and the aroma of freshly baked bread filled the room. I helped myself to a piece, along with a mug of tea. As I rushed to eat, Gallen came in and informed me the Healer was waiting for me at the barn.

I crossed the courtyard where Eshshah had landed last night, and made my way across the field. There I found the Healer in the barn inspecting several unsharpened training swords of different sizes and styles. She was dressed in a tunic and tights. This was the first time I had seen her in anything other than her loose gown
and surcoat. Her hair hung in a long braid down her back instead of tucked in her usual cap. I had never noticed how striking she was. She must have been a beauty in her younger days.

“Good morning, Amáne. Today starts your training, and let me warn you it will be intense. You’ve crossed into a new life as dragon rider. There’s much for you to learn and little time. You two have been thrown into a conflict you cannot understand yet, but for which you must be prepared. For now you must think of me not as your friend, but as your trainer — it’ll make it easier for you.” She didn’t explain what she meant, but continued to examine the swords and finally chose three and set them aside.

Behind her were suits of armor in various sizes. “You’ll need your own armor made for you at a later time, but it’s not necessary just yet. This will do for your practice.”

She chose a helmet, handed it to me and asked me to try it on. I didn’t realize how heavy a helmet actually was. I suppose it would have to be, to withstand the force of someone swinging at you with a deadly weapon. My experience with swordplay was such that I never fully grasped the reality. I grew up sparring with my acquaintance, Kail, because I enjoyed the power, the choreography and the thrill of it. When Kail and I practiced, I didn’t process the fact that a sword was, in fact, a deadly weapon. That its use would quite likely result in killing or maiming an opponent was a sudden, harsh realization.

Next, she handed me a quilted tunic for padding under the armor, and then chose a suit of armor that was closest to my size. She named all the parts as she handed them to me and helped me put them on. Greaves, to protect my shins; poleyn for my knees; cuisses for my thighs; a breastplate to protect my torso; the pauldrons for my shoulders; rarebrace for the upper arm; couter for
my elbows; the vambrace covered the lower arm; and then gauntlets for my hands. All of this metal felt very restrictive and heavy, not to mention hot as the morning warmed up. Lastly, she handed me a shield. I wasn’t accustomed to the extra weight, but she told me it was good to practice in full armor to build my strength.

Eshshah came out to observe and support me. Finding a suitable spot in the sun, she curled up, put her head on her front legs, and followed me with her golden eyes. I looked at her with pride and admiration. The way the sun hit her scales made her look like she was on fire. I had a hard time taking my eyes off of her. She hummed with satisfaction.