Ashes And Spirit (Book 3) (53 page)

“The tree, the one Father planted, it was dying. I couldn’t bear to see it happen—he loved that tree. So I made it better. I don’t know how, but I did.”

“Oh, Arrah.” Edadella released his arm and sagged in her chair.

“There is no shame in using magic, Arrah,” Maleena said gently. “But you have more than just magic going on. Don’t you?” He looked up from the table as she continued, “You hear a hum in your mind.”

Arrah nodded slowly. “Does that mean I’m going to go insane?”

“Has all the news that’s reached you over the past couple of years not taught you anything?” Maleena said. “Magic doesn’t drive the user insane. In fact, it was magic that once saved your life when you were younger.”

Edadella shook her head vigorously. “No, that wasn’t magic. Your grandmother healed him with herbs and care. It wasn’t magic.”

Maleena leaned forward, her eyes on Edadella. “Yes, it was. My grandmother could weave Healing magic. She wasn’t terribly strong, but strong enough to save your son.”

“Then,” Arrah licked his lips, his hands clenched tight together on the tabletop, “what is in my head?”

“Arrah, you are very strong in your magic. Strong enough that you have been chosen by a dragon.”

“I’ve what?” His eyes went wide. “What do you mean?”

“Dragons can’t hatch without a rider. They need us to anchor their souls to this plane. The draclet in its egg has searched for its rider for several months. It has chosen you—and now sings to you—in the hope you will accept the offered gift and help hatch it.” She prayed silently to the Fates that he would accept the gift.

“What happens if I do that?”

“Your soul and that of the draclet will blend together until you are one. You will remain separate beings with your own thoughts and feelings, but one all the same. It’s called a dragon bond. It will enhance your strength, stamina, sight, and smell. With the bond, comes great responsibility.”

“So I would be bonded to this dragon for life?”

“You would, and your life would be extended many times over.”

Arrah nodded, his eyes unfocused in thought. He licked his lips again and cleared his throat. “If I did this, if I had a dragon I was bonded to, would I be able to fight against those Shadow Riders the merchants have talked about?”

Edadella began to shake her head though she didn’t speak.

Maleena nodded. “When your dragon is old enough to fly and Slide, yes. However, do not go into this thinking of that. Calladar and Shadereen are no more. I was at Calladar. Trust me when I say there is no glory to be found in battle, only heartache and nightmares.”

“Is that what the shaking of the earth and the loud rumble was a week ago?” Arrah leaned forward.

“It was. The Shadow Riders awoke the volcano on the east side of the range. The devastation of that awakening was terrible to witness and the battle beforehand even more.” She shook her head. “Right now, you need to decide if you are willing to hatch the egg. Battles and Shadow Riders will come later.”

Arrah sat up straight in his chair. “I accept. What do I have to do?”

Maleena smiled faintly. “Ride with me to Galdrilene.”

“I get to ride? That big silver dragon out there, I’ll get to ride it?”

“
It
is a
her
, and her name is Nydara,” Maleena said firmly.

Looking chastised, he nodded. “I apologize. I will get to ride Nydara?”

“Yes, you will.” Maleena turned her attention to Edadella again. “I strongly encourage you to evacuate Lowden.”

Edadella leaned back, her eyes wide. “What? Why?”

“Lowden is now on the very doorstep of the Shadow Riders. It’s only a matter of time before they come here. The Guardians will do everything they can to protect Lowden, but we can only be in so many places at once.”

“What would I do? Where would I go?” The older woman gazed around the main room with a lost look on her face, and Maleena could sense her fear of the unknown. “This is my inn. It’s all I’ve ever done. From the moment I married Harrah it’s been my livelihood, my life.”

Maleena leaned forward and looked Edadella in the eye. “What kind of livelihood will it provide when the Shadow Riders burn it to the ground? When they kill your sons and take you to be a servant, if you’re lucky? There is nothing here of worth to them. No chance at power, no large population to control, no major resources. I’ve seen the results of what happens to villages like that. It’s beyond comprehension even when you see it for yourself.”

Edadella wrapped her arms around her middle and stared at the table. Arrah placed his hand on her arm. “Mother, please. I don’t want to be somewhere far away and hear of your death.”

“What about your brothers?” She looked at him with desperation and terror.

“We will ask them to come too. Only Nidah has a wife—he’s the only one I can think of that might hesitate because of her.”

Maleena interrupted them. “I will be speaking to the whole village soon. Through Nydara, I will be able to allow everyone to see what we’ve seen. They can decide then what they wish to do. Keep in mind though, I can’t force anyone to leave. If they wish to stay, my hands are tied.”

“Arrah though, he
has
to go, doesn’t he?” Edadella turned hopeful eyes on her.

“No.” Maleena shook her head. “He doesn’t have to come. The call of the Dragon Song doesn’t take away free will. His choice can’t be forced either way.”

“I’m going,” Arrah said in a determined tone.

Maleena smiled. “And so you shall.” She stood. “I must speak with the rest of the village.”

When she stepped onto the wide porch, every eye turned to stare. The entire village had gathered around the inn. Good, it would make this easier. Maleena reached out to Nydara,
“How is it going with the other villages?”

“Better than this one, though I think even some of those will refuse. This village will be set against it because of you, and it wouldn’t have mattered if another rider had come in your stead. They are already set against magic, and by extension, dragons. Most of them
,
anyway.”

“We will have to see.”

Maleena addressed the gathered people as a whole while keeping her gaze fixed on the men who made up the village council. No matter what the rest of the people thought individually, most of them would do whatever the council said, even if it got them killed. “I came here for two reasons. The first has been addressed, now for the second. The merchants have carried the news of Guardians and Shadow Riders; they’ve carried the news of what happened in Trilene. What they haven’t yet brought is the news of the border nations because it happened only a week past.”

“What news?” Delin raised his voice to ask.

“The border nations are gone. Calladar, Shadereen, and the newly settled New Sharren are no more. They have been destroyed and taken by the Shadow Riders. You will be next in line. I strongly encourage you to evacuate to a safer location.”

“This is ridiculous. Why should we go anywhere? How do we know any of this is true? It’s very convenient it only just happened so the merchants can’t confirm your story.” Delin glared at her.

“That rumbling you heard and the shaking of the earth you felt was Calladar being destroyed. We evacuated as many as we could from Taragen; however, Yarnns Bend and Gateway were buried with no survivors. I can only image what has become of the border towns.” Maleena folded her hands in front of her and regarded Delin. He was never going to listen to her; she could sense that yet still she had to try. “Nydara, my dragon, will offer you a glimpse of what happened. It won’t be comfortable, but it is necessary.”

“I will do my best to exclude the children, although I’m not certain it will work,”
Nydara sent.

Maleena watched as the villagers grabbed at their heads, many dropping to their knees. Nydara kept it short but effective.

When it was over, Delin was the first to gain his feet again. “This is nonsense! Nothing but horrible scare tactics drummed up by you.” He pointed at Maleena. “You are just trying to come in here and take over. Well, I won’t have it! We will stay right here where we’ve always been, and you can leave. We have no need of your kind here.” He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture at her before turning to look at the shocked crowd. “Go back to your homes. There’s no need to fall for the tricks of a magic user.”

For a moment, no one moved. Then, one by one, they turned away and walked out of the clearing around the inn. Maleena watched them go in frustration. Were they all going to ignore what she’d told them? What Nydara had shown them?

The continued exodus was her answer. Soon, only Edadella, her sons and the one son’s wife remained. Edadella turned and faced them. “Arrah can use magic.”

Her older sons gaped at her then edged away from Arrah. Edadella continued, “Not only that, but apparently he’s been called to be a Dragon Rider. He leaves soon and I…” She drew herself up. “…I will be leaving when he does. I would like to think you boys thought enough of my judgment to know I don’t do this lightly.”

“Mother,” the oldest started, but Edadella stopped him with a shake of her head.

“Harim, I have no doubts about what Maleena’s dragon showed us. Arrah wouldn’t even be alive to be called if it weren’t for Maleena’s grandmother. Despite the magic use, I trust Maleena to keep us safe the same way her grandmother saved Arrah. This inn, this village, it’s all I’ve ever known, but I will leave it. I ask you to please come with me.”

Arrah looked anxiously at his brothers. “Please. Don’t stay here.”

Harim looked at his young wife, clinging to his arm. “I…”

His wife shook her head and breathed, “No. I don’t want to go.”

He turned his eyes on his mother, then to Arrah, and finally to Maleena. “Is this the truth or are you trying to trick us?”

“It is the truth, Harim. I’ve seen what happens to servants of the Shadow Riders. Unless you want to end up dead while your pretty wife ends up in their hands, you will leave. This village hasn’t been kind to me. Believe me, if there were no danger, I would have come quietly, spoken with Arrah, and left having said not a word to anyone else. This isn’t easy for me. I don’t ask you to give up all you have known for trivial reasons like tricks.”

Harim weighed her words before giving a slow nod. “Then I will accompany my mother.”

“Harim, no—”

“Hush, Redenya. I have said we will go and that is it,” Harim said, shooting his wife a stern look.

Quiet tears rolled down Redenya’s face, but she remained silent. One at a time, the other three brothers also made the decision to leave.

Maleena looked at them all in turn. “You have saved your own lives. It is a shame no others are willing to listen to reason.”

“If you give us a small amount of time, maybe an hour, perhaps my brothers and I can convince a few more,” Harim said.

“I give you an hour. I have yet to have a mid-day meal, and if Edadella chooses to serve it, I will eat here at the inn.”

“Of course.” Edadella hurried inside.

Maleena turned to follow her then paused and looked back. “You need to hurry. Another rider will be arriving soon to transport you to safety. Haraban has opened its arms to you.”

Harim nodded. “Redenya will remain here with you.”

Redenya gaped at him as he abandoned her and left with his brothers. Without looking at Maleena, she turned and stomped into the inn where she flopped into a chair and crossed her arms.

Shaking her head, Maleena followed and returned to the chair she had occupied during her talk with Edadella. She didn’t try to engage Redenya in conversation. The same age as her, the other woman had never made her disdain for Maleena a secret. The daughter of a village council member, she’d let everyone know that Maleena was strange and unwelcome during their younger years. It appeared that time had left Redenya unchanged.

The merchant and his guards walked quietly in and settled at the other table.

Edadella served the mid-day meal, which Maleena was happy to consume, then went to pack. The merchant group also ate their meal though their murmured conversation seemed to have most of their attention.

Redenya refused to eat or talk. It was more than obvious she didn’t want to leave, but Maleena knew she would go. Her husband said they were leaving, and in Lowden that meant the end of the discussion. Under Dragon Law, Redenya could tell Harim to go fly a Shadow Dragon, but the young woman didn’t know that, and Maleena had no intention of telling her. Not yet, anyway. Leaving was in her best interest and even though her dislike continued to roll off her in waves, Maleena would see that her best interests were served for the sake of Edadella.

If Redenya suddenly decided to stay, Harim would stay as well. Edadella may not have liked Maleena much, but she had warned Maleena long ago of the village council’s decision to turn her over to the Members of Peace. She owed Edadella even if the debt was but a small token.

By the time the mid-day meal was finished, Edadella’s sons had returned with a small group of nervous people carrying bags. Redenya ran to a woman her age in the group that carried two bags and hugged her. “I’m so relieved to see you, Atlena.”