Page 81 of Of Steel and Scale

With a quick flick of her wings, she did so, and the ground receded, the bird becoming little more than a golden glimmer in the gloom of the day. It was unlikely the riders would be able to see us, but we had no idea if the bird who’d spotted us was one of those with a band, and whether or not it allowed the bird to communicate with its rider in the same manner as Kaia and I were.

The glimmers remained on the ground. I hoped that meant we were right, and theycouldn’t fly during the day.

I broke our deeper connection, and we swung around, flying back toward the larger arm of the Helvede Range. There was no evidence the gilded riders had set up camp in the forests hugging the feet of the range, and no winged sentries further up. Which didn’t mean they weren’t there. If they were capable of magic strong enough to destroy a port, then they were certainly capable of creating earth shelters that looked no different to the mountainside around them.

We followed the long arm, rising higher as the mountainside did, discovering peaks still littered with snow. No wonder it was utterly freezing. I ramped up the inner fires a bit more and made a mental note to include gloves next time—ifthere was a next time. We soared over the final ragged mountaintop and then swept down the other side. My grin appeared again, even if the speed at which we were dropping was scary. I directed her to the ledge Mom had pointed out, and while the wind had certainly swept away most of the snow, thick drifts survived in the shadows.

Kaia banked, landing with surprising grace. I unclipped from the spine rope, grabbed the three packs, and then slithered down her thoughtfully extended leg.

Where entrance?she said.

I waved a hand toward the peak. “About an hour up that way.”

You no reach by dark.

“No. And probably won’t return until after sunrise tomorrow.”

I hunt over water, then roost night.

I raised my eyebrows. “You eat fish?”

What fish?

I sent her an image.

Water beasts sweet but not big.

Then you’re not hunting the right ones. Long fins can be as big as a male drakkon.

I look.She lowered her head for a ridge scratch and rumbled happily when I complied.I go. Call when need.

I stepped back, out of the way. She hunkered down, then launched into the air, her wings pumping, sending whirlwinds of air scurrying around me. Once she was gone, I squatted against a rock to shield from the actual wind, then tugged the scribe pen from my pack and sent my parents a report.

Half cleared partial access from portcame the response.Will send clippers tomorrow to west side of island.

Clippers were the only ships we had capable of getting here within the limit of daylight.No evidence of sentries on this side, I sent back.Seas clear of foreign ships between here and Eastmead.

Good. Stay wary. Report when able.

Will do. Out.

I tucked the scribe pen and tablet away, took a long drink of water and a quick pee, then tugged out a slab of journey bread, munching on it as I scanned the area. It struck me as odd that there were no seabirds here. This part of the island was as harsh and as barren as the Black Glass Mountains, but birdlife thrived across its jagged sea cliffs. There was no reason that shouldn’t be happening here.

Unless, of course, the gilded birds had frightened them all away.

By the time I’d finished the bread, the faint blush of dusk was staining the undersides of the clouds. I needed to hurry before night hit and using any sort of light became impossible thanks to the risk of it attracting the attention of the riders. I brushed the crumbs from my fingers, then shoved my arms through the smaller pack’s arm loops and strapped it on my front. If nothing else, it would provide a little extra coverage if I slipped and fell on my face. Once I’d clipped the other two packs onto the harness—one each side—I threw a fire sphere into the air.

With its warm light chasing away the worst of the evening gloom already descending on the mountaintop, I began the long, tedious climb upward. The rain had made an already treacherous path more so, and I slipped, landing heavily on my knees, more than once. I was well used to “clambering all over mountainsides,” as Mom had put it, but this was a whole new level of dangerousness.

Doing so in utter darkness for the last third only increased the danger and the terror.

By the time I reached the southern entrance into the deeper caverns, I was dripping with sweat and more than a little achy. I was also as tired as hell, but some of that was definitely my own fault. I should have slept last night rather than playing around with my husband.

I did not, in any way, regret playing around with my husband.

I rested my head against one side of the key-like entrance and briefly closed my eyes, half wondering what he was doing. Probably preparing for our eventual trip home, though a few of the things he’d said last night had me thinking he was no more looking forward to it than me. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was due to his acerbic relationship with his father or something else.

There was just so much I didn’t know about the man and his family.

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