Return of the Crown (9 page)

Her scarlet scales glowed in the predawn
light. Stretching her burgundy wings, she arched her neck, turning
into the mouth of her cave. An unearthly wail shattered the
peaceful dawn. An egg was missing!

A scream woke Ravyn with a start; she rubbed
her arms trying to chase away the shivers. She rubbed her eyes,
thinking she’d dreamt it, and then the anguished cry ripped through
the air again. She grabbed her things rushing into the shadows.

A huge shape flashed in front of the trees,
casting shadow over the entire campsite. A monstrous scarlet dragon
crashed down in the camp, scattering bits of embers across the
sand. Its huge scaly head swiveled left and right, sniffing and
growling all the while. It pounced on the raft, snapping the mast
like a twig. Ravyn watched in wide-eyed horror as it ripped the
sail free of the mast, the ropes snapping like string. A quick
blast of fire from its smoking jaws turned everything into a raging
bonfire. The wood crackled and sparked, feeding the hungry
flames.

Ravyn shot out from her hiding place. “No!
Stop! Please!”

The ruby head snapped in her direction, wild
golden eyes locking on Ravyn. Acrid smoke plumed from flaring
nostrils. The dragon threw its head back snarling, before shooting
a huge gout of flame at Ravyn. Ravyn flung herself behind a huge
boulder, feeling a hot stream of air roar past. The smell of singed
hair greeted her.

Ravyn fought to suppress rising panic,
forcing herself to take a deep breath. ‘If only I could talk to
it,’ Ravyn wished. She felt pulsing warmth deep within her and
focused on that place. Instinctively she held her hands out in
front of her palms up. She now stood facing the angry scarlet
beast. “Please mighty dragon, listen to me. Hear my words. I have
dreamed of seeing a dragon since I was a little girl. You are far
more magnificent than I’d imagined possible. You are astonishing.”
She bowed her head in respect.

The dragon cocked its head, puzzled. It began
growling, but Ravyn heard, “Is that why you stole my egg?”

“Stole your egg? I’ve only been here since
yesterday. How could I have stolen your egg?”

“My egg was missing when I returned from
hunting last night. You admit you have been here a whole day. You
had time. Now you are wasting mine, where’s my egg?” She snorted a
large plume of smoke, stoking her internal fires.

Ravyn thought frantically, “Your egg must be
large. Could I carry it? You live in those caves I saw on the other
side of the island. Could I get all the way over there and return
here with your egg in such a short period of time?”

“Well of course it’s bigger than you are,”
snapped the dragon, “but…” The dragon looked puzzled; the hoods
over her golden eyes narrowed. “You used magic; I smell it on
you.”

“Oh, I only just did that. I wanted to talk
with you. I swear, I never even saw your egg.”

The dragon glanced about the small clearing,
“Maybe you had help, or you left the egg somewhere planning to
return for it later. I’ve seen the horrible things you dragon
hunter’s do for dragon blood. Using it in your magic potions, evil
witch!” She sucked in a deep breath, readying to flambé Ravyn.

What would convince the dragon she was
innocent? Who could have stolen the egg? “Oh,” Ravyn exclaimed,
piecing together the puzzle. She put her hands to her lips, staring
off in the direction of Aigerach.

Golden eyes stared deep into blue. “Oh? Have
you just remembered where you left my egg?” she snarled.

“Oh, great dragon, I think inadvertently it
is my fault your egg is missing. But, I swear to you on my father’s
throne I didn’t take it. I am Princess Ravyn of Aigerach. Years ago
my aunt bound my father, King Bryant and my mother, Queen Lareina
in the Darkness.”

“The King and Queen are dead. Zelera is the
Empress now. Even we dragons know the story.”

“My parents are very much alive, as am I. My
mother cast a spell of protection and invisibility over me when
Zelera attacked us. Now, that spell is unraveling, and I’m trying
to get back to Veris to rescue them.”

“A quest. To return the crown. Noble. But
what has this to do with my egg?”

“Since the invisibility spell is gone, my
aunt is able to locate me through magic, and she’s trying to
eliminate me. I think she stole your egg, hoping you’d kill me,
thinking I took your baby.” She held her breath waiting for the
dragon’s reaction.

The dragon appeared to ponder her words. “Why
shouldn’t I kill you, then attack your aunt and take my egg back?
Dragons care nothing of humans or their petty wars and
struggles.”

“My aunt is very strong in the use of the
Dark Arts. If you attack her castle, you will be captured or killed
yourself.” She paused, her blue eyes beseeching. “I have to face my
aunt. I have to save my parents. I’ll find your egg and bring it
back to you, if you will spare me. I know I may not look like much,
but I’m the best chance you have of getting your egg back.”

Ena considered the young girl standing
proudly before her. She was brave; she would give her credit for
that. Ena had seen many grown men cower before her over the past
centuries. Moreover, what she said made sense. Things had changed
in Aigerach. The peasants struggled to survive. Fewer cattle grazed
the fields. She felt a tinge of guilt about the sheep she had eaten
the night before. But, only a tinge.

“How long will this journey take you?”

Ravyn noticed the smoke from the dragon’s
nostrils had decreased to a slim plume. “Well, I don’t really know.
I have to get to Aigerach first, and well, you have rather
destroyed my transportation. It’s going to take me a week at least
to put together a seaworthy raft to get me across that channel. A
half day of sailing, I’d guess. Then it’ll probably take a month or
so to cross over the land to get to Veris. How long till your egg
hatches?”

“Over a month, as long as it’s kept warm.
This aunt of yours stole it for blood, you think? Who knows if my
baby still lives.” Ena began to sob, hiccupping a puff of
smoke.

“I think she is planning on hatching your
baby. If she wanted to kill it, she would have left your egg
smashed in your cave. So, if you’ll let me, I’ll start working on
what’s left of this raft.” Ravyn sighed.

Ena lifted a taloned foot where the mast and
tangled sail lay smoldering. She crushed some embers out with her
tail. “I’m not saying I will, but suppose I fly you to Aigerach, to
the area of Desolation. You don’t appear to weigh much more than a
little lamb.”

Ravyn ran up to the dragon throwing her arms
around the powerful sinewy neck. “Oh, that would be so wonderful.
It would really speed things up. You know,” she cocked her head as
she looked up into the glowing golden eyes, “I don’t know your
name. Dragons do have names, don’t they?”

“It’s Ena; it means fiery. I’m named for my
temper. Now, gather your belongings. We must leave at once; I have
another egg to care for. I’ve been gone from it for far too
long.”

Ravyn quickly refilled her water gourds from
a little spring that burbled happily nearby. She gathered her pack,
cramming it as full as possible with fresh fruit. The coming
journey would be hard, and Desolation would not provide as this
island had. She walked up to Ena, placing a hand on the smooth
scales, “Where do I sit Ena?” she asked, admiring the powerful
back, wings flexing ready to take off into the air.

Ena smiled, razor sharp teeth glittering, “I
will carry you in my talons. You would likely slide right off my
back, and I don’t have time to keep diving down after you.”

Ravyn clamped down on a surge of fear,
allowing Ena to enclose her in her sharp talons. They rose up in
the air with a few swift strokes of Ena’s wings. Rocks and sand
dusted up as the powerful wings pumped. Out across the channel they
flew toward Aigerach, one-step closer to home. Ravyn delighted in
the wind rushing past her face. The ocean flew past in a blue blur.
She wiggled her arms free, stretching them out as if she herself
were flying. Her ears began popping as all too quickly Ena angled
down toward the shore. Ena growled at Ravyn, “Prepare for a little
drop.”

Rayvn felt her feet sink into the hot sand as
Ena released her talons, letting Ravyn drop to the sand. Ena
plopped down a short distance from Ravyn, kicking up sand. Ravyn
smiled at the beautiful mother dragon. “Ena, I will do everything
in my power to return your egg to you. You have my word as the
Princess of Aigerach. Thank you again, from the bottom of my
heart.”

Ena scratched at a patch of rough skin on her
hind leg, peeling off a large length of skin. The red skin
shimmered in the sun’s rays. “This may seem a strange gift, Ravyn,
but dragon skin has many benefits. Use this skin to shield yourself
from the sun. You’ll be surprised at what a help it will be. Now, I
must go. Blessings of the Light upon you.” The wings beat
powerfully, and Ena rose into the air. Ravyn watched the dragon
ascend, gracefully gliding on the thermals back to Draconis Island.
Soon just a scarlet speck dotted the clear blue sky.

Zelera’s eyes burned with anger. Damn, damn,
damn! She pounded her fist on the table. How had Ravyn communicated
with the ignorant beast? That little wench is too damn lucky.

A smile crept over Zelera’s haggard face. She
still had the egg. When it would hatch was anyone’s guess. She’d
tucked the egg in a dungeon cell with a forge going twenty-four
hours a day, keeping it warm.

Zelera grasped for the spot where the
Darkness filled her soul. She reached for it, savoring it. It
continued growing in strength; soon she would conquer everyone and
everything. She created turmoil throughout the country to feed the
Darkness, and it in turn continued feeding her strength. She turned
back to the task at hand.

Concentrating on the scrying bowl, she
retraced her steps to the far edges of Aigerach. How delightful.
Ravyn was at the edge of Desolation. Nothing but forty miles of
brutal sun, sand, and scrub. She would be at a loss without
shelter. If a windstorm should just happen to blow up, all the
better. Zelera rubbed her skeletal hands together, gloating. Ravyn
would never know what hit her!

Ravyn searched her pack for food and then
swigged some water, sloshing it down her chin. The sheet of dragon
skin shimmered in the sand at her feet. It looked like a swath of
costly scarlet silk, and she leaned forward picking it up. Light
and pliant, it slipped across her skin. The sun’s rays were taking
their toll; sweat ran in rivulets down her brow, stinging her eyes.
Tossing the light skin around her shoulders, Ravyn felt like she’d
just stepped into the shade. She tugged the skin higher, covering
her head as well, making an impromptu tent.

Ravyn laid the scrying bowl down on the sand
reverently, filling it with a bit of her precious water. She
settled her mind and followed her aural thread, searching for the
golden-green thread she knew to be Connor.

Over the dry barren land she stretched, out
across lush green grasslands and farms. She soared over the
colossal mountains and back to the thick forests near Veris. She
scanned everywhere for Connor’s green and gold thread. She dropped
down below the trees, finding his little cabin a smoldering
ruin.

Tension knotted her shoulders. Had Zelera
captured him? She sensed a shadowy tendril slithering along the
aural field. She pulled back, repulsed. A vile aftertaste sat dead
in her mouth. She slipped back to the beach, careful to avoid the
reaching black thread.

It was now the hottest time of the day. Ravyn
scooted down the sand to dip her feet in the waves that gently
lapped at the shore. Hiding beneath her dragon skin tent, she
reached down to splash water on her neck. She sipped the water from
the scrying bowl, not wasting a drop. She would travel without
landmarks, but she knew the stars. Lying down in the sand, she
curled up in a ball, drawing the skin over her. Laying her head on
her pack, the waves shushed her worries away, and soon she
dozed.

Time slipped steadily past her. After the sun
slipped below the horizon, she peeked out from under her silky
shelter. She stretched, ironing out the kinks. She slipped the skin
into her pack and hoisted the bag onto her shoulder. The stars
smiled down at her, and the North Star pointed her in the right
direction. The evening air felt cool at first, but trudging through
mounds of sand fired up her muscles.

The moon rose, its full face illuminating the
bleak landscape. It created the illusion of a sea of sand, and like
the sea, never ending. Cool whispers of wind chilled the sweat
beading her skin. Goose bumps popped out along her arms, sending
shivers racing down her spine.

She rubbed her arms, plodding onward. She
realized she was counting each step, and when she got to a hundred,
she’d start again. She didn’t even know how many times she’d
reached a hundred. She stopped counting and began reliving memories
of childhood. When that got tiresome, she sang every song she could
think of. Her voice became hoarse in the dry air, so she started
humming instead. Her calves cramped, screaming with every step. A
new pain took up residence in her ribs, twinging with each breath.
She pushed onward, covering as much ground as possible in the
cooler climate. Time ticked slowly by.

The sky lightened with the arrival of dawn,
doing nothing to improve the view. She paused, looking around for
shelter. She leaned against a boulder, eyeing some scraggly brush.
She massaged her aching calf, wincing as the muscles protested any
kind of ministration. The horizon stared back at her, offering
nothing.

“Well, this is the best I’m going to do,” she
found herself saying aloud. She sighed, slipping the pack off her
shoulders.