A Storm in the Desert: Dragonlinked Chronicles Voume 3 (14 page)

“Oh.” Aeron turned to Isandath. “Well, that will make finding things out easier, I would guess. Still, how long do you think we should give you before we return?”

Isandath said, “Two weeks should do it. I’d also like to do a bit more checking into the Laminae, myself.”

“Polandra mentioned that manis patrols had been pulled closer to Bataan-Mok. How close? I’m concerned we might be seen flying on our dragons.”

“On the north, east, and south, patrols have been pulled to within five miles of the farthest village. To the west, however, the patrols still extend out to the edge of Ghost Flats. Though, four hands are missing.”

“Hands?” Aeron looked from him to Polandra. “What are those?”

Isandath held up his hand, fingers and thumb held apart. “A hand is a five-member fighting group of manisi, four fingers—” he wiggled them “—led by a thumb. A patrol is usually comprised of one hand.”

Polandra frowned. “They’re still gone?”

“Wait,” Aeron said, “there are only, ah, forty manisi?”

“The manisi have a few more members than that,” Polandra said, “with the sergeants and the captain, but of those who go on patrols, there were forty-two besides me, at least when I left. With no dragons to kill, manisi numbers have been allowed to dwindle. There are far fewer fighters than there used to be.”

“Indeed,” Isandath said. “And those that left have not returned. All I’ve been able to learn of them so far is the same rumor about them searching the flats for dragons due to all the deaths that way. I’ll ask the Laminae about them as well.”

“Are there still deaths happening in the flats?” Polandra’s brows were raised.

“Not as many bodies are being found, but yes, patrols are still finding evidence of so-called dragon attacks.”

“Ignorant,” Aeron said, shaking his head. “Dragons won’t go near people. At least those dragons who aren’t bonded, won’t.”

“We know that,” Polandra said, “but facts about dragons aren’t known by any besides us.”

She was right, he supposed. “Still, that’s another thing we should find out. If we can discover what is really killing those people, these idiotic rumors that dragons are doing it can be put to rest.”

+ + + + +

Cheddar watched Sharrah walk in the office door and smiled. She seemed happier lately. That she’d been troubled had bothered him. He’d tried to discover the cause, delicately, of course. Unfortunately, she’d not revealed a thing. He’d been on the verge of just bluntly asking her what was wrong, but it looked like she may have worked through whatever had weighed on her mind.

She sat next to him.

“Hey.” He clasped her hand.

She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Hey.”

He smiled. “How’s your day been?”

“Good, but I hope the meeting starts soon. I’ve got an enchanting shift in the morning, and it’s getting late.”

Cheddar nodded. Construction on the Guildhall was progressing well. It excited him. He’d never been to a guildhall before, and now, he’d be one of the first occupants of this brand new one. “I can’t wait until it’s done.”

His hand was briefly squeezed. “Already picked out a room, have you?”

“No,” he scoffed.

She raised a brow at him.

“And I haven’t decided on a color scheme, either.”

The other brow rose.

“And I most definitely have not started stockpiling furniture and other oddments in any of the dragonlinked stables.”

She chuckled.

“No, ma’am, not at all.” He smiled and gave her hand a quick squeeze back.

When Aeron and Polandra walked in—they’d taken some time after returning to settle their dragons and then change—Guildmaster Millinith motioned them to chairs at her side of the table. “So,” she said, “tell us what happened.”

Cheddar wasn’t surprised about the factions working within the Order. From reading history, he knew that within any organization as large as the Corpus Order there would be groups with their own interests. Problems arose when one or more group’s interests were in opposition to the organization’s own. And these Laminae people were definitely working against the old guard.

“It’s not much,” Polandra finally said. “I wish there was more.”

“Yeah,” Aeron agreed. “Hopefully he can find out about that other group.”

“Nonsense.” Master Canneth waved off their concern. “Everything we learn either increases our knowledge, or moves things from the Fancy column over to the Fact column.”

“Or,” the Guildmaster said, “confirms a thing as a fact.”

“And,” Master Doronal added, “your meeting with Isandath raises a few interesting questions as well.” Elbows on the table, hands pressed together, the master sorcerer drummed his fingers against each other. “Who are these Laminae? Can we ally with them? Is the Capu in their camp? Is it possible to change the direction of an organization that has been following the same path for over a century?”

Sharrah elbowed Cheddar and whispered, “We’re going to scour the library for anything to do with the Order. The more we can learn of them, the better.”

“What happens if they send another manis here?” Willem’s question brought silence to the room.

Everyone looked at him.

“What if the missing manisi were also sent here?” Willem stared at Aeron.

That would be horrible. Cheddar thought about the chaos and bloodshed that would ensue should twenty people attack the dragons at once.

“I’ve already spoken with the dragon stable guards,” Guildmaster Millinith said. “They are not to leave their posts, save to protect a dragon or dragonlinked, unless we give them direct orders to do so.” She glanced at Master Doronal. “We will meet with the captain of the guard and devise a specific plan for dealing with a number of people attacking the guild. As for you all,” she looked at each of them, “speak with your dragons. Have them be on alert for anyone with thoughts of harming them or us. It would be best to incapacitate anyone attacking us so that we may ask questions of them, but make no mistake, if you are attacked, use every ability at your disposal to protect yourselves and your dragons. Understood?”

They all looked at each other and nodded.

Cheddar was excited, nervous, and scared. Dreaming of something, you think of everything that is good and amazing about it. When you get it, actually achieve it, things aren’t always exactly as you’d imagined. The guild existed. The chance at a dragon was there. But, incredibly, there were people who wanted to kill dragons. Looking around at everyone, seeing the resolve in their faces, Cheddar knew that he wasn’t the only one who would work hard to keep their various dreams from crumbling.

Liara gripped the wooden staff and swung it around as she spun her body. At the end of her rotation, she brought the bo down quickly. There was a loud, piercing crack and she felt the strike in her palms.

Polandra, who’d blocked the attack with her own staff, smiled.

Liara saw the twitch in Polandra’s chest muscles and jumped back, spinning the bo in a defensive move. She heard and felt two blocked attacks. Upon landing—bo gripped in both hands, one end of it over her right shoulder—she was ready to strike. With peripheral vision, she took note of Polandra’s stance, where the panting girl’s legs were.

A three count, she thought. I’ll make my move sometime during.

One.

Her own breathing was heavy, she noticed.

Tw—

She lunged and spun without thinking. If she could strike the back of Polandra’s leg just behind the knee, it might cause the other girl to momentarily lose balance.

Another loud crack announced her failure. Polandra had spun away and driven her bo to the ground, blocking Liara’s.

Liara tapped the other bo with hers. “I’m getting faster, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you are.” Polandra smiled and leaned on her staff, taking deep breaths. She looked at the others gathered near them on this end of the den in the second stable. “You all are.” Little beads of sweat had started to form on her nose and lip.

“Which is good,” Renata said. “If any more manisi come, we’ll all have another way of protecting ourselves should sorcery not work.”

Liara wiped her own lip. It was sweaty, too. She smiled. “This training is probably my favorite. I like being able to do something, finally, other than memorization.”

“I know how you feel.” Gregor stood to the side with the others. “Until Kisa and Mia get big enough, we’re stuck only doing normal things.”

Jessip chuckled. “Normal.”

“What?” Liara looked at him.

Jessip nodded at Gregor. “Who’d have thought that the training we do in all the different crafts, all at the same time, along with bonding dragons would ever be called ‘normal.’”

“Ha.” Fillion grinned. “Yes, well, once you’ve got a dragon, everything else loses a little of its appeal.” He glanced at Coatl, who was curled up on the other end of the den with Kisa.

“Well,” Willem said, turning to Aeron, “not everything. Right?” He elbowed the brown-haired boy.

“Hmm?” Aeron looked up. He looked worried, distracted. “What?”

Willem frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Aeron said. “I’m . . . yeah. I’m fine.” He gripped his bo and slowly tapped the ground with it.

“Alright,” Polandra said. “Pair up and practice those moves.” She pointed the wooden staff at them. “Different pairs than the last practice session, yes? I don’t want any of you getting comfortable with a sparring partner. Comfort breeds laxity. You should be on your toes when fighting or defending. Always expect the unexpected.”

Liara chose Sharrah. She smiled at the taller girl. “Ready to smack sticks?”

Chuckling, Sharrah said, “Smack sticks, huh? Sure, let’s do this.”

With a spin of their bos, they faced off.

She was good, Liara had to admit. Not as good as her, perhaps, but no slouch either.

Liara ducked under a swipe, spun, and used her momentum to bring her bo around for a side-attack. Sharrah was not going to be able to avoid or block it. But, she used her bo to deflect some of the force of the strike and redirect the weapon away from her body. Continuing the same motion, Sharrah brought the other end of the bo around and nearly connected with Liara’s leg.

Liara jumped back into a ready stance. “Nice!”

With a grin, Sharrah lifted her bo and held it at an angle. “Thanks.”

They moved in for attacks, and then out after they succeeded or were defended against. In and out, attack followed by a breather, over and over. Liara wasn’t sure how long they’d been at it, but now she was the one panting and her undershirt was soaked. Sharrah, too, was breathing hard and some of her wavy brown hair hung low with sweat.

“Time!” Polandra held up her hand. “That was good, everyone. Let’s hit the Bath Hall before dinner.” She turned to Fillion. “You and I will need to do some practicing. Some of your moves are sloppy.”

He frowned. “I just can’t seem to get into the right rhythm.”

“And that is what our practice will focus on.”

He nodded. “Okay. Anything that will let me get as good as you and Renata.”

Polandra grinned. “Well, I’m not one of the gods, but we’ll see what we can do.”

“Aw, I’m not that bad, am I?”

She laughed. “No, not at all. I was just ribbing you.” She glanced around. “You’re all actually doing really well. Now, let’s get out of here. I want a nice long soak in a tub.”

Fillion headed off to his stable, the third one, to grab a change of clothes. Jessip and Renata headed to their stable across the yard, while Aeron and Willem walked over to theirs. Polandra, Sharrah, and Cheddar started walking out, off to the dormitories and the Bath Hall.

Liara watched the southern girl. After a glance at Ikan—he lay with other dragons in the courtyard—Liara ran after the three heading to the dorms.

“Where are we going to house new dragons and their bond-mates?” she said, side-stepping a pile of dirty slush. “Mia, Kisa, Gregor, and me? And those that follow?”

Cheddar looked thoughtful. “Good question. All the stables are filled.”

“For all his occasional bluster,” Sharrah said, “Fillion is like a puppy around Gregor.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Liara said. “At least it seems so from the way Gregor looks at him.”

Sharrah laughed. “Exactly, so you know Gregor will eventually move in with Fillion.”

“No doubt,” Cheddar said, grinning.

“Hmm.” Now Sharrah was the one with the thoughtful look. “Anyone else notice? So far, most of the dragonlinked have ended up dating another dragonlinked.”

The considering look Sharrah gave Liara and the southern girl made Liara’s heart start pounding. Being overly forward hadn’t helped Liara before. She wanted to try a more relaxed approach, but if Sharrah said something . . .

“I wonder if the dragons somehow know in advance.” Sharrah turned her gaze forward, to the cobbled road, seemingly lost in thought.

“Someone mentioned tents,” Cheddar said. “Didn’t they?”

“Yes,” Liara replied, quickly. “They did. But I’m sorry, I don’t like that idea at all. I will not have Mia living in a tent. And anyone who tries to make her will deal with my bo.”

“That is no idle threat, I’ll warrant.” Polandra’s lips curved in a smile. “You’re very good, Liara. And dedicated with your practice, I’ve noticed.”

Liara’s brows rose and she felt—lighter? “I practice a lot, yes.” Good grief, was she blushing? Her cheeks felt warm. “I have to protect Mia. After what happened with Anaya . . . well, it keeps me focused.”

“That served to strengthen my resolve as well.” Polandra’s eyes shone. “The training helps to keep me on my toes, keep me ready for surprises. Actually,” she glanced at Liara, “I’ve had to do my own practicing just to stay ahead of you guys.”

“I wonder how close to complete the living quarters are at the Guildhall,” Cheddar mused. “Are any of you pulling shifts in that section?”

Liara shook her head, as did the others. “No.”

That would be ideal, though. A nice suite of rooms with Mia, like in the stables, would just be the best. According to the plans, some suites would have access to an open-sky courtyard, shared with three other suites. The courtyards would have plenty of room for taking off or landing. In fact, they were large enough that four dragons could lay in them basking in the sun. There were other kinds of suites, too, rooms with access to roomy ledges open to the sky. Though both kinds of rooms were amazing, Liara wasn’t sure which she preferred.

She had no idea how someone could design such places so well, either. As they’d looked over the plans with the designers, she’d seen and heard mention of drainage for rain and melting snow, structural support for the rock and soil that formed the roof of the rooms and all the connecting passages, and something about plumbing and air vents, too. That was about all she understood of the discussions with the architects. So much had gone over her head.

“Hopefully some of the living quarters will be complete, soon,” she said. “At least enough for all of us to be together there.”

“I’ll kind of miss the dragon stables, though.” Cheddar glanced behind. “I wonder what they’ll be used for, once everyone moves out of them?”

+ + + + +

Aeron threw a change of clothes on the bed and closed the wardrobe. The doors banged with the force he used. He started shoving the clothing into his carryall.

Stupid. He’d been so stupid. Regardless of what Anaya and Polandra had said to him that night, he should have known. Thinking on it these past few days only made it more plain.

“Alright,” Willem said, packing his own bag, “give over. What’s on your mind?”

Aeron looked up. “I’m . . . angry, and embarrassed, and . . . angry.” He stuck the last of his clean clothing in and slung the satchel over his shoulder.

“I understand the anger,” Willem said. He hefted up his carryall. “But, what’s to be embarrassed about?”

Aeron sighed. “No sooner had we taken a breath after forming the guild, when all that . . . shit happened.”

“The attack.”

Aeron nodded and headed out to the courtyard.

“But, again,” Willem said as he closed the door behind them, “what’s to be embarrassed about?”

“I thought—” Aeron clenched his jaws, ashamed. He glanced sideways at Willem. “I thought we had time to relax. I
was
relaxing. And it nearly got Anaya killed.”

“Hey.” Willem moved in front of him, faced him, and jabbed a finger in his chest. “That’s not your fault.”

“It’s not?”

“We’re
all
to blame.” Willem looked from one of his eyes to the other. “Renata told us about the Order. We knew there was a group out there who hunted dragons. Don’t take this all on yourself.”

“She’s
my
dragon,
my
bond-mate.
I
let her down.”

Willem is right. You did not let me down.
Anaya lay in the sun, eyes on him.

He looked at her. “Well, I feel like I did.”

Willem placed a hand on Aeron’s shoulder. “Take some of the blame, sure, we all should, but don’t for a second think all of this is entirely your fault.” His expression softened. “Anyone who attacks
any
of us, attacks us
all
. Jessip said it, and he’s absolutely right. Trust me, you aren’t the only one who feels bad about what happened. You’re not the only one who’s angry.”

Willem started for the Bath Hall. “I know you probably don’t believe me right now, but at least think about what I’m saying. Think about what
she
said.”

Aeron sighed and followed him.

You chose well. Listen to him.

I’ll . . . I’ll think on his words. And yours.

Her mental hug almost made him smile.

He caught up to Willem. “Setting aside the issue of whose fault it is, we need to stop the Order. They’re likely to keep sending manisi after dragons.”

Willem nodded. “On that, I agree completely.”

“I was hoping that we’d get more dragons, more dragonlinked, so the patrols could be divided among more people and we’d all have more time. Time to be with our dragons, time to learn our lessons, and time to relax. But now we have to deal with them.”

Willem snorted. “You think we’re going to have
more
time for ourselves?”

“Sure, with more of us. Why wouldn’t we?”

“We’ve been doing our patrols for a few months now. Word must have spread about it.”

Aeron nodded. “Yeah, so?”

“So, I bet we’ll soon be contacted by other communities wanting their own dragonlinked or to at least be included in patrols so that they’re safe, too.”

Aeron grunted. That was a good point.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if High Lady Hasana herself didn’t contact the guild about it.”

“Ha!” Aeron bumped his shoulder into Willem’s “Now you’re getting carried away.”

Willem smiled. “I’m serious! You don’t give yourself, give us, enough credit. All of us, the riders, the dragons, we’re all good people, and we can do incredible things. Polandra and Renata are teaching us these great skills in self-defense and fighting. Xochi taught all our dragons how to fly dreams. And that’s on top of everything we already knew how to do. Who knows what else we’ll learn in the future?”

Aeron nodded. “You’re right. Everything we can do is pretty amazing. I guess it’s become the new ‘normal,’ and I forget.” He frowned. “Still, we’ve got to do something about the Order, then I can feel like we’re safe.”