That idea of our past childish freedom brought to the forefront of my mind how things had changed. Emma and Anna were now only a portion of our new responsibilities that we’d inherited if that was the right word.
The new responsibilities could be handled. However, there were more considerations. While Anna and I could mind-speak, I knew Emma was more like Kendra, Like a dragon-tamer. She was probably far more powerful than either Anna or me and possibly even Kendra. I suspected Emma was mage-strong but too young to know how to use her powers, or even what they were. Of course, after she had knocked me out with a blast from her mind for an afternoon after I’d attempted entering her head unbidden, what else was there to think? I’d never heard of such power.
Tears still seeped from the corners of Kendra’s eyes now and then, but she hadn’t moved or spoken in so long it started to worry me. Flier had taken the girls into the shallows of the river where they splashed and played and otherwise allowed the two of us uninterrupted time.
Finally, Kendra opened her eyes and looked at me. Now the tears ran like small torrents, but she refused to sob. “It’s done.”
With those two words, she confirmed that the ships with the mages who held the Gallant back had been sunk. There may have been another solution to allow Princess Elizabeth to travel to Vin and then on to Dagger, but if so, I couldn’t see it.
I said, trying to deflect the conversation I knew was coming, “We need to go on our way. No food, dirty river water to drink and the day will grow hotter.”
“And our legs are sore and stiff from walking yesterday,” she said as she slowly stood and stretched. “Why in the names of any three gods would anyone wish to live in such a disagreeable place?”
That was a good question. It was also possibly part of our problem I realized. What sane person, if given a choice, would choose to live in the intense heat and burning sand of Kondor instead of the pleasant wooded hills and mountains of Dire? No ready answer came. I said, “My legs don’t hurt so much as the skin on my neck, and even my ears are sunburned.”
She scowled at me and smirked as she said. “Didn’t you make fun of Flier and his reed hats?”
“Of course, I did. They look silly, and if we encounter anybody out here, mine is coming off my head.”
“If we don’t meet anybody?”
“I’ll fight to wear mine. When are you going to tell me about the ships?”
She pursed her lips as she thought about it, then seemed to relent. “I can’t see through the dragon’s eyes or anything. I just directed it to the two little blips that told me where the mages were and suggested the dragon doesn’t like them.”
“The blips are the four mages, two on each ship?”
“Not anymore. Two winked out of existence, then a short while later, two more. I also think the dragon was in a terrible fight with Wyverns. Several of them.”
“The dragon cannot talk to you?”
“Of course, not. That would be silly because dragons can’t talk and anyway, they are not very smart. It sends me emotions more than anything else, and I interpret them to fit the circumstance. Happiness, fear, anger, and the like. It likes you, you know, although I can’t understand why.”
“Me?”
“It has an attachment for me, but when it sees you, it always floods my mind with affection, and maybe even love.”
“I don’t get that,” I said. “We’ve never talked, and I’ve never even touched the nasty thing. Even if I could get past the stink, I wouldn’t.”
“Who can explain love?” The evil and snarky sisterly smirk appeared on Kendra’s face as we walked to join the others at the edge of the river. She said, “I don’t know why it likes you either. I’ve tried to correct it, but the beast has a mind of her own.”
“Seriously?” I said. “That’s your best answer?”
“Seriously, I think it is because she understands you try to protect her and me. That gives me two protectors.”
Flier stumbled in the shallows in our direction. From the soaking of his clothing, it appeared the girls had won the water fight. A big smile, the widest I’d seen on Flier since we’d offered to return him home, was plastered on his face. He said, “We need to go. We should have left while the day was cool, but you seemed occupied.”
I accepted the rebuke better than Kendra. For a moment I thought she was going into the river and starting another water fight, or worse. I glanced at Anna. She flicked her eyes in Emma’s direction. I turned to Emma.
“I’m sorry,” she said just loud enough to be heard over the whisper of the river.
That made no difference. If I’d ever heard a sincere apology before, hers bested it. I didn’t know what she was apologizing for. Before we could clear that up, Kendra grabbed her pointed reed hat from the sand and shook it to remove the sand. Once on her head, it rose to a point in the center and spread outward, a lopsided cone. A chinstrap kept it in place.
In another time and place, I would have laughed. She looked goofy and awkward, but before making fun of Kendra, I took note of the shade the hat provided on her neck, face, and shoulders. My exposed skin felt hotter. It was my imagination but no less real. I reached for my hat, the most carelessly made. Anna pointed to it and laughed as it went on. I ignored her. She was a child, and I knew that I looked good in the oblong hat. Sort of.
We followed the river east. The bank on our side was high, the ground was firm, and brown water was there to drink whenever we were thirsty enough to take a drink. Complaining about the dirt or taste wasn’t in my vocabulary, not after our experience the day before.
Flier said, “All of you, keep watch on the desert, the trees, and especially any ridges or hills.”
“What are we looking for?” Anna asked.
“People. Any people. We want to see them long before they see us.” Flier didn’t explain further, nor did he have to. Most strangers would be enemies. That is the way of any wilderness, and especially Kondor in times of political strife.
We remained near the river because the banks contained good footing, free of the hardness and sharp rocks of the desert floor. It held shade from the sun provided by the tops of trees, and partial protection from any who were watching. Flier explained to me as we walked, “It isn’t a case of if anyone is watching, it is who. A person traveling this land will be near the river for the same reasons as us, so that is where they watch.”
“Who?”
“Thieves, criminals who’ve escaped custody, refugees from Trager, slavers from Kaon, rogues or hermits, and soldiers who’ve deserted their armies, to name a few. Out here, all are enemies until we’re sure they’re our friends.”
He had echoed my thoughts as if he could read my mind. I looked at Kendra and found she was listening to his every word. I said, “When will your dragon return?”
“Quit calling it my dragon. She will be here around first-dark.”
“I wish you’d give it a name, so we didn’t have to keep calling it your dragon. A good choice might be if you consider calling her Smelly.” My attempt at humor didn’t fall on deaf ears.
Kendra ignored the giggles from the girls. “I was thinking of telling her that you would make a good evening snack.”