Page 114 of Red Dragon
I didn’t always obey my parents.
You can imagine how surprised I am.
I’m sure you disobeyed your elders once or twice, Auntie Wrey.
“Auntie?” Vorik asked.
“Apparently, they’re related,” Syla said, “though more distantly than that term would imply.”
“Huh.”
With Igliana leading the way, the dragons angled toward one of the red-rock formations, a fat pillar with a wide, flat platter at the top. Beyond it, the ground sloped down into a deep box canyon, with nearly vertical rock walls on three sides. A carpet of flowering bush-shaped cactuses stretched across the floor, save for a few animal paths that meandered through them. Maybe the dragons were wrong, and there was an oasis somewhere back there. Something had to provide water to the animals they’d seen.
Agrevlari’s head lifted, and he turned enough to look back the way they’d come.
Vorik didn’t think much of it until he spoke a few minutes later.Numerous Sixteen Talons dragons and riders are passing through the mountains. I heard from Zandelek.
That was one of his wing mates who had a long telepathic range and could sense other dragons from farther off than typical, even for their powerful kind.
“Why are they passing through the mountains?” Vorik asked, then repeated the question telepathically, realizing Agrevlari was far enough away that he might not hear.
Syla stirred, looking curiously at Vorik. Had Agrevlari not sent the information to all of them?
I thought most of our warriors were heading to Harvest Island to help capture it,Vorik added silently to the dragon.
I believe many went across the sea to join Captain Lesva, but these are traveling to Scar Peak to rescue you.
“Oh.” Vorik slumped and rubbed his face. He hadn’t considered that Wise returning with Atilya’s message about a prisoner exchange would prompt his people to respond with force. He’d assumed that Agrevlari would relay to Wise’s dragon that Vorik hadlethimself be captured, but maybe he should have composed more of a message to send along. Not thatrelaying messages through dragons always worked well. They often only heard and remembered what mattered to them.
General Jhiton and Ozlemar are with them,Agrevlari said.Tonasketal is leading them to the previously unknown Freeborn Faction hideout.
The canyon on Scar Peak.
Yes.
Can you reach them telepathically from here?Vorik asked.And tell them that I’m all right and that they don’t need to… What are they planning to do?
Annihilate the faction for their betrayals but mostly for presuming to capture you.
“Storm-cursed hells,” Vorik couldn’t keep from saying allowed.
“What’s going on?” Syla asked. “Who’s passing through the mountains?”
Vorik debated whether to answer her or not. He shouldn’t have spoken aloud if he’d wanted this to be a secret.
After deciding she couldn’t do anything from here—it wasn’t as if Wreylith would turn around to help what she would consider inferior stormer-allied dragons—Vorik said, “My people got the message that I’m a prisoner and are flying to rescue me.”
“That’s… proper of them.” Her tone suggested she didn’t like the news. Probably because she hoped to turn the Freeborn Faction into allies.
“I guess I’m chuffed to know my brother cares,” Vorik said.
“He probably wants an excuse to destroy people who dared leave your tribes.”
“He hasn’t acted against them in the past, except to punish spies we caught.” It didn’t bother Vorik that Syla hated Jhiton—given that he’d spearheaded the attack on her people, how not?—but it was a sad reminder of how much stood between them.His fantasy that she leave her people and join his… was probably only that. A fantasy. Even if assassins drove her out of the Garden Kingdom, she wouldn’t go voluntarily into the stormers’ arms. And he didn’t want to wish assassins on her. He wanted toprotecther from anyone who would try to kill her.
“I hope the faction was smart enough to pack up their camp and leave when they realized you’d escaped,” Syla said. “Theyshouldhave been making plans to do that as soon as they sent your lieutenant away with his message. They had to have known he could direct your people back to them.”
“Yes.” Vorik didn’t know if Atilya would have expected such swift retaliation when his people were embroiled in their quest to take over the Kingdom islands, but agreeing with Syla’s logic might set her mind at ease. And it might well be correct. He would hate for her to believe her choices had had anything to do with the killing of faction people.
