Page 31 of Of Blood and Fire
“Eight gives us a chance, Bryn, where there was none before.”
“Don’t be expecting miracles, Garran. I’m thinking Túxn is almost out of them where Esan is concerned.”
He caught my hand and squeezed it lightly. “Hey, we both survived, and that surely means she’s not finished with us yet. Now, get your bony ass down that hill and look after my people.”
I snorted and lightly clipped him over the top of his head—a move he successfully ducked—then grabbed the medical kit and left. His laughter chased me down the hill. I spent the next hour treating the worst of the wounded, though I ran outof pain potions and numbing salve within the first ten minutes and bandages within thirty. After that, I wiggled out of my silk undergarment without actually stripping off and used that to provide slings and bind broken limbs. The remaining cuts and bruises we washed down, though many cuts were festering and mere water was never going to do much more than clean out the surface infection.
By the time we’d done what we could, the drakkons had returned. They kept high, more to keep an eye out for possible trouble than any care they might have about scaring our newly freed prisoners—they were men, after all—but a murmur of unease nevertheless ran through the gathering.
Need go, Kaia said.Sun set soon.
And we needed to be in Esan by the time it did.We’ll load everyone up now. Out loud, I said, “We need everyone to move back into the cages so we can fly out of here.”
“Can’t we walk? I’d rather not be stuck in that stinking cage again, thank you very much.”
I couldn’t see who was speaking because he was at the back somewhere, but whoever he was, he was surprisingly polite. “We’ve no choice, I’m afraid. The Mareritt are camped outside Esan and the riders patrol the area at night.”
“You’ve got drakkons.”
“And the riders have hundreds of those gilded birds. So, please, get back into the cages so we get you all safely home before darkness falls.”
Another murmur went through the gathered men, but they all turned and shuffled up the hill with as much speed as they could muster. Kele and I followed. Once we reached the top, I glanced at her and said, “When everyone is back inside, can you fuse the chains back around the doors, so there’s no risk of anyone falling out midflight? I’ll contact Esan and let them know we’re coming in with refugees.”
She nodded and followed the men. I moved across to my packs and my cousin. “You need to get back inside too, I’m afraid.”
He raised an eyebrow, amusement lurking across his grimy, bruised features. “Esan’s heir isn’t being given a rare chance to ride a drakkon?”
“Sadly, the drakkons would rather eat you than let you ride them. Nothing personal, they just don’t like men in general.”
Truthcame Kaia’s comment.Hassle him. Need fly.
He pushed to his feet and wavered a little. I clenched my fist against the urge to reach out and steady him. He wouldn’t appreciate it, not in front of his men. “That’s going to make growing our drakkon army a mite difficult, is it not?”
“It is indeed.” Although perhaps it wouldn’t always be that way. The Prioresses had already warned us that one of the possible consequences of our binding might be that the next generation wouldnotneed to be magically bound—that it might simply be a matter of the drakkon choosing a likeable candidate. I supposed if there weren’t enough female stregas in said next generation, that would certainly cause problems—unless, of course, another consequence of the binding spell also meant the next generation of either race would be bornwithoutfire capabilities. I motioned to his cage. “Hurry along. I need to contact Esan and let them know we’re coming in.”
He didn’t hurry. In fact, he didn’t even move. “I’m not hiding, Bryn. Not even for twenty-four hours. I’m heir, and I intend to act like it.”
“But Aric?—”
“Will only be emboldened to act if I show any sign of weakness. You have to trust my judgement, Bryn.”
“I do. I just don’t trust Aric.”
“I will deal with him.”
I swore in soft frustration. “Fine. But I’m not going to announce your presence via the scribe. That’ll only give Aric time to plot.”
“With that, I agree.” He paused and grimaced slightly. “However, do have your drakkon deposit my cage in the upper courtyard, because I really don’t think I’ve the strength to make the journey through the levels, even on courser.”
“Agreed, but please note that I am not happy with any of this.”
“Your objections are duly noted. Oh, when you’re scribing Esan, ask—” He paused, frowning. “Who are our day and night generals now?”
“I made Jarin Maese my direct second-in-command. Neera Browning is the new night general, and we haven’t as yet assigned a day general, as Jarin is generally present.”
“Maese is a good choice. When you message home, ask him and Browning to be waiting in the courtyard.”
“They’ll immediately suspect something is wrong.”
