Page 30 of Galadon
Grabbing Onyx’s reins, she mounted his bare back and guided him home. He moved much faster on the return trip, insisting he could handle it. Once they neared the small lake, she had him stop now and then to check the snares she’d placed thatmorning. To Rayna’s relief, two of them had caught rabbits. She wouldn’t have to eat the tough beef jerky she’d acquired from the Taugud fortress village before departing a few days ago. Fresh was always better.
The lake and tower finally came into view. Rayna chose to head straight for the water so she and her horse could wash. Then she’d skin and gut her catches and begin cooking them before it got dark since an open fire would draw any nearby Kandoran’s attention.
She dismounted from Onyx and removed his halter, setting it aside. Then she began taking off her clothes as she stared at the still, empty lake. For some reason, the sight of her temporary homestead sent a wave of loneliness through her. She tried so hard to avoid those feelings, but they kept hitting her with even the smallest trigger—such as one of the last times she bathed here while being watched. Why couldn’t she return to her blasé attitude from before meeting a particular male dragon? It would make her life so much easier.
Chapter 13
Galadon
Nothing annoyed me more than being amongst a large crowd of dragons, many of which stared my way with a mixture of fear and awe in their gazes. I’d been forced to participate in the Dragomas games a few months ago and made it abundantly clear I could best the lot of them at any competition. The few who had their doubts didn’t any longer.
Now, we stood in a large open field that could accommodate the nearly two thousand members of the toriq who’d chosen to attend. Only the border guards and those with very young hatchlings stayed in their dens. Dragons from four years old to nearly a thousand gathered, with only an opening at the center reserved for the elders. About two-thirds were in beast form because they couldn’t shift, but the rest chose to stand as humans.
Only a dozen names would be called, and I’d already heard half of them. Most of those were members I didn’t find suitable, though no one asked me. Three were pure dragons that made excellent warriors, but they wouldn’t deal fairly with humans. The fourth couldn’t shift either, but he was too peaceable and didn’t have the necessary confidence of a leader.
I hated the fifth—a shifter—because he was cruel, underhanded, and among the few who’d insulted me behind my back. He was also good at keeping his brothers close to him, so I hadn’t had the chance to fight him one-on-one. The three of them together were a formidable team.
With the sixth, Felienne couldn’t take human form, and most members of the toriq liked her, but she lacked any battle skills and didn’t even participate in the war. All of them were chosen because they came from respected families. They just weren’t a good fit. While I didn’t come from one of the long-respected Faegud lineages, my fighting skills, powers, and having a healer for a mother made me a good candidate, whether I liked it or not.
“Lorcan!” the elder male called next.
Hildegard’s son nodded at him, acknowledging the nomination. He was the first they’d named that I felt deserved the job and would do well at it. Of course, his mother’s guidance and becoming a father had helped since he wasn’t always the responsible type.
The shifter looked at his list again. “Telarion!”
“For Zorya’s sake,” Lorcan cursed under his breath.
I ground my teeth. Of all the candidates, Telarion was the worst. He had a terrible attitude, behaved like a bully, and thought highly of himself. His confidence and fighting skills in human and beast form, along with a fierce father who died trying to protect the last pendragon, were his only merits. The toriq would be miserable under his leadership, though.
“You can defeat him,” I said without looking at him.
Lorcan sighed. “In a fair fight, it would be close, but he is devious and known for using underhanded tactics.”
I’d only seen the male in passing, and we’d fought near each other on the battlefield, so I agreed he would be fierce. It was one of the reasons Telarion hadn’t died in the war, even when the odds were against them near the end.
“Nayeli,” the elder called.
I searched the crowd until I spotted the shifter. She was among the few females in the Faegud who had extensive warrior training and fought valiantly in the war. I didn’t know her well, but I couldn’t think of any faults against her. As I recalled, Hildegard had groomed her to be strong and confident.
Lorcan leaned a fraction closer to me. “It shouldn’t be a problem for me to defeat her, but I wouldn’t be upset if she won. She’d be good for our toriq.”
At least that made two candidates worthy of the nomination.
“Galadon!” the elder shouted.
A hush fell over the crowd as everyone turned to look at me. I stiffened, but now was not the time to argue about it. That would only delay the naming ceremony. I dipped my head in acknowledgment, and the elder returned his gaze to the list.
Two more names were called. One was a pure dragon female who’d been a close friend of Hildegard’s and tough as any I’d met. The other was a shifter male who’d shown strong leadership skills during the war, holding his section of the line against overwhelming odds. It was going to be an interesting contest.
The shifter elder scanned the crowd and then cracked a smile. “That is all the candidates for the bitkal. They have two weeks to prepare themselves, and then we shall hold the contest to see who is strongest. Anyone who wishes to forfeit their nomination should let me know now, but otherwise, it’s time for the feast!”
I stood still, waiting for the worst of the crowd to disperse. Dragons and humans rambled past me on their way to the other end of the field, where servants roasted meat over open fires, and rows of tables were already laden with prepared foods. They’d be quickly distracted by a rare large meal. Through the winter, they’d had to ration meat at the jakhal because so many animals were slaughtered for the massive army that stayed and fought in their territory. The population would require a few years to renew its numbers, and they needed to give them that time. I’d volunteered some of my livestock for the cause as well, but I still had healthy numbers.
Lorcan remained beside me as Faegud split past us. “Are we going to eat?”
“I need to decline my nomination,” I said, gazing at the elder who remained on the field.
He gave me a sharp look. “Don’t. Not today.”
