“Funny. That’s exactly how I feel,” she murmured.
“Then, are we back on good terms? I thoroughly dislike it when you are angry with me. It’s like having thorns shoved up under my scales.”
Jahrra gave her guardian a sour look, but he only continued to smile at her. After a few moments, Jaax heaved a great sigh and turned his gaze to the darkening sky.
“I’ve got to check the wall now, but I’ll be back later tonight. If you’re up to it, I’d like to talk some more. We’re going to have to make some changes to our plans. Until then, would you like me to tell Ellyesce and Dervit they can come back?”
“Please,” Jahrra said.
Nodding once, Jaax stood and nudged the door shut with one scaly hand before turning back to the street. He crossed the wide lane and told Dervit and Ellyesce their company was desired, then headed to the end of the road where a large field spotted with small piles of snow awaited.
Before he spread his wings to take to the skies, Jaax glanced over his shoulder at the small cabin one last time. Another string of words played through his head, words he could not speak aloud to his ward.
I still worry about Keiron’s keen interest in you, he said only to himself. I fear he means to betray us still, yet his actions at the Round suggest otherwise. He has proven his valor, and although I hate to admit it, there are so many other reasons for the regent’s son to take notice of you.
Jaax paused in his thought process and filled his lungs with crisp mountain air.
“And that’s what frightens me the most,” he whispered to the night, then rose to mingle with the stars above.
-Chapter Fifteen-
Dervit’s Discovery
By the time Jaax was done checking Cahrdyarein and its surrounding peaks, full darkness had settled in. He had circled the city three times, scanning the wall for suspicious behavior, but his dragon’s eyes only picked out the loyal soldiers of Pendric’s guard, doing their due diligence and performing the same duty as himself. Ever since the attack on Jahrra at the Round, the captain of the guard had tripled the numbers keeping watch over the city. Now that it was known the regent’s son had been kidnapped and had not orchestrated the ambush or run off to watch the results of his prank unfold, a frantic pulse of energy coursed through the men and women trained to keep Cahrdyarein and its citizens safe.
Besides those keeping their eyes fixed on the outside world, their crossbows ready to fire at the slightest twitch of movement on the road and within the trees beyond, Pendric had ordered several groups to comb the city, prying into every nook and cranny in case the threat had come from within. The regent had blustered and huffed his unhappiness, still not convinced his son was actually missing, but Jaax hadn’t cared. Fortunately, Pendric had enough sense to pay attention to a dragon’s instincts.
“It is when you let your pride convince you that loyalty can never be broken,” the captain of the guard had told him, “that there is at least one person who will never betray you, that you are bound to one day get caught off guard. As the leader of the soldiers of Cahrdyarein, I cannot afford to think this way.”
Jaax had merely lifted an eyebrow at him, one side of his mouth quirking in a small grin. “And yet, as captain of the guard, you must rely on the loyalty of all your men and women.”
Pendric, despite the dark circumstances which had brought about this conversation, barked out a laugh. “A dilemma I must live with, I’m afraid.”
He had smiled up at the dragon, and Jaax couldn’t help but feel a small bit of admiration for the Resai elf. During their stay in Cahrdyarein, he’d been permitted a few opportunities to observe the captain, and although he was hard on his soldiers, he was fair as well, earning their loyalty and allegiance. In fact, Jaax was almost certain that, should the captain of the guard ever decide to act against Morivan, those same soldiers would follow him despite their oath to the regent. That sort of loyalty was rare and hard to break. He could imagine how Pendric felt, questioning everyone’s motives when his heart told him none of them would ever betray their city.
Sighing, Jaax returned his thoughts to the past few hours. Convinced the city was not about to be overrun by the Tyrant’s men, he had tilted his wings, making a wide arc and straightening out once he was pointed in a southwesterly direction. The sky was a dark, inky sea above him, the final glow of the sun setting beyond the western peaks like a line of faint flame. Despite the darkness, he could see well enough, and when he glided silently over the area where the landslide had occurred, he counted over three dozen sparks of red stretching out in a long line down the road just on the other side of the massive mountain of rubble. If he narrowed his eyes enough, he could make out indistinct patches of darkness, the Tyrant’s soldiers in their black uniforms, gathered around the campfires for the night. Their numbers looked the same as they had earlier that day and the days before. As far as Jaax could tell, there had been no change in their quantity. He wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but he knew better.
Doesn’t mean the Tyrant hasn’t found another way to breach the city. Doesn’t mean there isn’t another contingent approaching from a different side of the mountain.
Ellyesce’s vision at the Round had suggested an army of immense size, attacking within a week. Jaax didn’t know, however, how the landslide factored in. Had it merely delayed the army, or had it lessened their number? Either way, it gave them time, if only a little. The Tanaan dragon shook himself and made a long, smooth turn back toward Cahrdyarein. He should call it a night and return to the cabin, but he checked the perimeter of the city one last time to make sure he missed nothing. With Jahrra being completely incapacitated, he had to be more thorough than usual.
Ethoes willing, her leg will heal up enough to travel before they remove the rockslide blocking their path.
But that wasn’t even the most immediate threat. Until they found Keiron and the men who captured him, Jaax would not rest easy.
Jaax landed in the field not far from the guest huts, then tucked his wings close to his body before turning to head down the street. As the small cabin drew closer, he noticed a dark cloaked figure leaning against the wall. Immediately, the dragon tensed and felt the fire building in his chest. Fortunately, the figure noticed his approach and held up an arm.
“Peace, Jaax, it’s just me.”
The Tanaan dragon released a deep, smoky breath as the fire within him died down.
“Ellyesce, you know better than to remain still and hidden in the shadows after what has happened with Jahrra,” he growled.
Ellyesce stepped into the light spilling from a neighbor’s cabin window and pulled back his hood. He gazed up at his friend with pale green eyes. Jaax thought his features appeared gaunt and drawn, very similar to the way they had appeared when he’d shown up in Lidien, nothing more than skin and bones wrapped in rags.
“Any news?” the elf asked, crossing his arms and leaning against a road post.
Jaax shook his head. “I detected no difference in the number of soldiers beyond the rockslide, and Cahrdyarein is quiet and still.” Jaax clenched his jaw, his silvery green eyes sparking with suspicion. “I do not like it.”
Ellyesce nodded, his movements stiff. “I can feel it, too, but I cannot put my finger on it.”
“And that is what bothers me the most,” Jaax hissed, switching to Kruelt. “An enemy I cannot see threatens Jahrra. How am I to protect her? I couldn’t even keep her safe during the daylight hours, Ellyesce! How am I to dispatch a threat that slinks around in the shadows and lashes out at her when I least expect it?”