Page 18 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
She raised a finger. "Came. The last one lived over two hundred years ago. A lot could have changed since then."
Smiling, he shook his head, the usual lightness in every movement. "But not the bloodlines. The gift is at home in our people. At least one of your ancestors must have belonged to us, therefore so do you."
She waved it off. "I'm not big on blood ties. And now let's be quiet. I don't want to draw the mages' attention to us."
Or anyone else's...
The warning hit home, as Marcus said nothing in response, merely nodding slightly. He studied her before taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. He pressed a kiss on it before she could withdraw it.
"Whatever path you choose, Ava, I'll be by your side." With these words, he released her hand but held her gaze with his eyes.
She would have been lying if she said she didn't enjoy his attention, but she would never play with another person's heart. She'd rather forgo love altogether. So she inclined her head apologetically.
"I'm not available, Marcus."
A mischievous grin stole across his face. "We'll see about that."
She couldn't help but smile. She wanted to say something more but held it back as he looked into the forest and seemed to relax.
They sat together in silent companionship, keeping watch over Lilly, who lay in the cave snoring softly. In these early morning hours, a familiarity developed between them that Marcus certainly welcomed, but Ava didn't know where it would lead. She didn't want to break the woodsman's heart, but if he kept presenting it to her on a silver platter, that would happen sooner or later.
Before the sun rose, Lilly stirred and crawled out of the cave. She was disheveled, her ponytail hanging askew at the back of her head, and she yawned heartily. "Do we have time for breakfast?"
Marcus nodded towards the luggage. "Did you even leave anything?"
She shrugged. "Half a loaf of bread, some cheese, and pears. You can have the fruit." She pulled the backpack to her and took out the food.
Ava grabbed a pear. "Don't tell me you don't like them, Lilly?"
"Nope. Never have."
Marcus winked at Ava. "Then we know what to pack when the supplies need to last a few days." He also took a piece of fruit and broke off a chunk of bread, giving Ava the larger piece. Lilly devoured the rest. Nothing was left of the provisions, so over the course of the day they would have to think about what to eat in the evening. All water supplies were also depleted. But after breakfast, Marcus led them to a stream where they washed and quenched their thirst.
Ava splashed water on her face, Lilly rinsed her mouth, and Marcus filled the canteens. While Lilly then took the lead, Marcus disappeared now and then for a few minutes and returned with a handful of berries or tree fruits, which he slipped into a pouch before Lilly had a chance to notice the food.
After they had been on the move for what felt like hours, Ava asked, "How much longer?"
The girl turned around, an excited gleam in her eyes. "I'm glad you asked, Ava, because we're finally here!" With these words, she pushed aside a densely leafy branch. Behind it, a vast landscape came into view, bordered by a mountain range to the east. Untouched meadows and fields and individual hills and streams stretched to the horizon.
But that wasn't what Lilly was pointing at. They were standing at the edge of a cliff, and at the foot of the rocks sprawled a large competition arena.
Chapter 9
Stone buildings, which most people probably wouldn't have voluntarily moved into due to the risk of collapse, had been set up in a rectangle. Their sandy color blended in with the surroundings, distinguishable only from the scattered trees growing here and there on the grounds. A nostalgic atmosphere clung to the area, as if this place had once played a significant role in history and was now mourning that time.
In the center lay a vast expanse of sand, used as a competition or training ground. Ava almost felt paralyzed by the memory of the mages' arena, but the two enormous dragons enthroned in the middle clearly showed that no mages were to be expected in this place.
The dragons were brown, and their scales absorbed the sunlight. Although they were larger than all the buildings, the size difference compared to Kilian's fire dragon was apparent. Moreover, they were broader and more ponderous than the fire and air dragons Ava had seen so far. Nevertheless, they exuded an admirable majesty, which drew attention to them.
On each of their backs sat a fighter armed with daggers and swords. There were spectator stands that surely encompassed over fifty rows, but no one sat there, and on the wide areaoutside the arena, there wasn't a soul to be seen either, although hundreds of wagons and tents could have found space there.
"What kind of place is this?"
Marcus stood beside her, a disapproving snort on his lips. "The former training ground of the dragon fighters. No place where you belong!"
Ava raised her eyebrows. "Former? Then why are those two fighting there?"
Grinning, Lilly observed the awe-inspiring dragons. "Because this is where those who still have to earn their place train."
