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Authors: Jess E. Owen
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throat.
“I am Makya, of the Serpent River pack.” Dark eyes considered Kjorn’s face. “I, too, am a friend of Shard, though I forgot myself for a time.”
“I’m honored,” Kjorn managed, smelling old meat on the wolf’s teeth. “How did you know Shard?”
“I watched as he faced down a great wyrm and tried to avenge the death of my leader and pack mate, Nitara. Then fear overcame me and I forgot myself, and I ran. But now I remember,” the wolf said quietly, “and I remember Shard, and I hope he survived.”
Kjorn shuddered at the mention of a great wyrm, recalling a nightmarish vision he’d had earlier that winter, and tried to picture Shard standing against such a foe. Cautiously he said, “Then we are friends, you and I.”
“Yes,” Mayka agreed, baring his teeth wider. “Now, you must do exactly as I say.”
He bent his head in, jaws opening to reveal long, sharp fangs. Kjorn flinched—then perked his ears as Makya set his teeth to the seaweed binds.
~ 7 ~
The Nightward Coast
S HARD AND H IKARU HUDDLED under a sprawling pine, escaping the worst of the rain. It turned out that Hikaru couldn’t fly forever, though he’d done his best. It was Shard who had called a halt, when it was clear Hikaru might drop from the sky in exhaustion. Ash coated the air for leagues and leagues, though they’d flown for an entire quarter into the early afternoon. Shard caught a rabbit, and now they waited for Hikaru’s wings to stop aching, and the rain to slack.
“This is delicious,” the dragonet purred, again, crunching the last of the rabbit bones. Shard watched him, certain he needed five times the food. “Much better than dry fish, much better.” He sat back on his haunches, licking his front toes and claws clean.
Shard watched him in a weary, mesmerized daze. Everything about him was like watching water—liquid and graceful. Or fire. Shard remembered the sight of the dragon’s blood, steaming in the hot air, and how it had burned the murdering wyrm’s hide bright red.
Has he grown larger? It seemed impossible.
“Thank you, Shard.” Hikaru dipped his head to bump against Shard’s wing.
“Of course.” Shard blinked to alertness, realizing he’d almost dozed. “And don’t worry. We’ll find much more food.” He didn’t know quite where, for the forest so far had only boasted small game, but if they both hunted they’d do better.
Hikaru’s eyes seemed to glow at him through the dim light, and Shard felt keenly, once again, that he did not deserve the young dragon’s admiration. “I’m not worried.”
Shard fluffed his wings and chuckled. “I’m glad one of us isn’t. Why don’t you take a little rest? I’ll wake you before long, and if you feel like pressing on, we’ll fly more.”
“Or walk,” Hikaru said, even as he rolled himself into a neat coil around Shard. He had grown larger. “If we really must keep moving, then I am happy to walk, and learn everything about the ground that you know.” He laid down his head and shut his eyes.
Shard sat within his coils and peered out into the gray. Under the large pine the ground was dusty, dry, and cool. Gray mud, tainted by volcanic ash, slithered in rivulets around the rest of the forest floor. They did need to keep moving, to stay ahead of the wyrms if they eventually tried to follow. Shard could not lead them to the Dawn Spire again. The land starward seemed barren and inhospitable. He would follow his instinct nightward, hope it was Tyr and Tor who led him, and teach Hikaru as quickly as he could.
“Shard?” the dragon murmured. Shard looked down, but Hikaru’s eyes were still closed.
“Yes,” Shard said, at first thinking the dragon only wanted to be assured Shard still sat within his coils.
“I don’t understand something.”
“Ask anything,” Shard said quietly.
A great sigh heaved the black-scaled ribs, but Hikaru’s eyes remained closed. “When you spoke of meeting my mother, you said she told
“I am Makya, of the Serpent River pack.” Dark eyes considered Kjorn’s face. “I, too, am a friend of Shard, though I forgot myself for a time.”
“I’m honored,” Kjorn managed, smelling old meat on the wolf’s teeth. “How did you know Shard?”
“I watched as he faced down a great wyrm and tried to avenge the death of my leader and pack mate, Nitara. Then fear overcame me and I forgot myself, and I ran. But now I remember,” the wolf said quietly, “and I remember Shard, and I hope he survived.”
Kjorn shuddered at the mention of a great wyrm, recalling a nightmarish vision he’d had earlier that winter, and tried to picture Shard standing against such a foe. Cautiously he said, “Then we are friends, you and I.”
“Yes,” Mayka agreed, baring his teeth wider. “Now, you must do exactly as I say.”
He bent his head in, jaws opening to reveal long, sharp fangs. Kjorn flinched—then perked his ears as Makya set his teeth to the seaweed binds.
~ 7 ~
The Nightward Coast
S HARD AND H IKARU HUDDLED under a sprawling pine, escaping the worst of the rain. It turned out that Hikaru couldn’t fly forever, though he’d done his best. It was Shard who had called a halt, when it was clear Hikaru might drop from the sky in exhaustion. Ash coated the air for leagues and leagues, though they’d flown for an entire quarter into the early afternoon. Shard caught a rabbit, and now they waited for Hikaru’s wings to stop aching, and the rain to slack.
“This is delicious,” the dragonet purred, again, crunching the last of the rabbit bones. Shard watched him, certain he needed five times the food. “Much better than dry fish, much better.” He sat back on his haunches, licking his front toes and claws clean.
Shard watched him in a weary, mesmerized daze. Everything about him was like watching water—liquid and graceful. Or fire. Shard remembered the sight of the dragon’s blood, steaming in the hot air, and how it had burned the murdering wyrm’s hide bright red.
Has he grown larger? It seemed impossible.
“Thank you, Shard.” Hikaru dipped his head to bump against Shard’s wing.
“Of course.” Shard blinked to alertness, realizing he’d almost dozed. “And don’t worry. We’ll find much more food.” He didn’t know quite where, for the forest so far had only boasted small game, but if they both hunted they’d do better.
Hikaru’s eyes seemed to glow at him through the dim light, and Shard felt keenly, once again, that he did not deserve the young dragon’s admiration. “I’m not worried.”
Shard fluffed his wings and chuckled. “I’m glad one of us isn’t. Why don’t you take a little rest? I’ll wake you before long, and if you feel like pressing on, we’ll fly more.”
“Or walk,” Hikaru said, even as he rolled himself into a neat coil around Shard. He had grown larger. “If we really must keep moving, then I am happy to walk, and learn everything about the ground that you know.” He laid down his head and shut his eyes.
Shard sat within his coils and peered out into the gray. Under the large pine the ground was dusty, dry, and cool. Gray mud, tainted by volcanic ash, slithered in rivulets around the rest of the forest floor. They did need to keep moving, to stay ahead of the wyrms if they eventually tried to follow. Shard could not lead them to the Dawn Spire again. The land starward seemed barren and inhospitable. He would follow his instinct nightward, hope it was Tyr and Tor who led him, and teach Hikaru as quickly as he could.
“Shard?” the dragon murmured. Shard looked down, but Hikaru’s eyes were still closed.
“Yes,” Shard said, at first thinking the dragon only wanted to be assured Shard still sat within his coils.
“I don’t understand something.”
“Ask anything,” Shard said quietly.
A great sigh heaved the black-scaled ribs, but Hikaru’s eyes remained closed. “When you spoke of meeting my mother, you said she told
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