Page 120 of Upon Buried Embers
She’s silent for a moment, then her haunted eyes come back to me. “Barbaric.” I swallow roughly and nod. “That’s what they call us Dragorie, but we’re nothing like what The Games put us through. What thekingputs us through.”
“Are The Games needed?”
“If the king would leave us all alone, no, it wouldn’t be.” She pulls me forward in front of the straw man. “But then where would his entertainment come from?”
Tofa stays with me until my arms ache, helping me strike the dummy.
“I’ll collect the horses that are out, will you get their feed ready?” she asks, and I nod, wiping sweat from my brow.
Making my way into the stables, Beau’s laughter hits me, and I smile. I haven’t seen him all day.
He seems busy lately, and he said he’s helping prepare for everyone to go to The Glade.
I’ll see if he needs any extra help.
“Beau—”
“We should wash it right?” Beau asks, and I slow my pace, coming to a stop when I hear another voice.
“Yes!” Darcia replies, and my stomach turns. What is she doing here? “The Dragonbond will love that. You know every year he takes them off to wash and re-braid them. We can easily do it and then give it to him.”
“And we can clean Drogonah’s reins for him too.”
“He will be so thankful we took that task off his hands. He’s so busy.”
“He is,” Beau replies. “I have to do more chores for today though, shall we do it tomorrow?”
“Can we meet in the morning?” Darcia asks, and I hear them getting closer, so I duck into a stall, shushing a horse when he comes over, wondering what I’m doing.
“And then we can make some food after…” Their voices disappear, and I pop my head out of the stable, checking if they’re gone.
“What were they talking about?” I say to myself.
Entering the saddle room, I look around but I don’t see anything until my eyes catch on Drogonah’s reins, and the hair braided at the ends.
That’s what they’re washing tomorrow morning?
I bite my lip and look behind me, thinking about what they said. How it would help Rohan.
I have no other chores left to do, and it may help him not be angry at me anymore…
Glancing around me one last time, I make a decision and head over to Drogonah’s reins.
I make my way back to the cabin with the storm worsening. It’s late afternoon now after spending all my time working on how to stop Rohan from being mad at me, and every time my fingers move, pain rattles through them, but it’ll be worth it.
I was careful to wash it, and even went to the spring he showed me near the training circle and gently washed the hair with soap, making sure it was all nice and clean. I then re-braided it the best I could, and it was my best one yet. Then I tied it off with black ribbon just like Rohan wears on his forearms, I’ve left it on the table for him to see when he comes in.
He’s usually back before I am, so nerves settle through me once more.
Has he seen it already? Does he like it? Is he not angry at me anymore?
Reaching the cabin, I pick up some more roses at the side. They’re all pretty much thawed now, and to see them crawling up the cabin in such a way reminds me that nature is ever preserving, no matter the conditions it goes through.
I take a few with me this time. Rohan has been taking the ones I’ve been leaving out every day for him, but I didn’t leave any this morning so I will get extras to make up for it.
I’m certain it’ll make him happy and whatever he’s angry at me for will dissipate.
Now holding a bunch of roses, I count them and decide I need one more. I reach down quickly and take another, then flinch.
