Book of One 04: A Child of Fire (11 page)

From the darkness behind the ledges on the inside of the hollow mountain, dragon shapes appeared and Borrican had to strain to see the creatures as they emerged from their individual caves. He half expected to hear them return Vale's greeting, but there was only silence in the cavern, broken only by the sound of slow, deep breaths, and Borrican realized that the dragons were communicating with their thoughts and he was not included in the discussion. He resigned himself to wait silently and did his best to think as little as possible.

"Vale," said one of the dragons, who was perched on one of the lower ledges. "Who is this creature you have brought here?"

"He is Akandar and calls himself Borrican, from the land of Kandara," she said, sending her thoughts to the assembled elders. "He is a strange dragon."

"Akandar?" roared another dragon, from another ledge, higher up. "Why has the son of Akandar left his lands?" The dragon shuffled forward to the edge and looked down at the two dragons standing in the center of the circle below.

"I have heard of the Akandar," Vale said. "I do not know the story of this house."

"Youngling," said the first dragon, and Borrican glanced over at Vale in curious amusement as the dragond continued. "The Akandra are an old house among our kind. They remained in the mountain lands to the south to honor an oath made by the great Talon Akandar, an oath made to the younger creatures, the humans who now call themselves Kandarans."

"An oath to the humans?" Vale was surprised to hear of such a thing. "Why would a dragon commit to those creatures?"

The first dragon on the lower ledge glanced up at the others then back at Vale and Borrican.

"It was an agreement between Talon and a dragonfriend, an oath of honor between kindred spirits. It is an old story, one you will learn when you receive the wisdom of your line. It is enough to say that the dragons of the Akandra line have honorably protected the people of the mountains for many generations."

"And why would a son of Akandar appear in the flows?" Vale asked. "I thought to take him as a vassal, though when we fought, he offered little challenge. These Akandra must be a weak house."

"The Akandra are far from weak," said the other dragon. "Though it is faint, I can even smell the true fire already burning within him."

"This dragon possesses such power?" Vale looked at Borrican for a moment, her curiosity sparked though she remained skeptical. "He can barely speak."

"The Akandra live among the humans and they are raised as human until they come of age," the first dragon explained. "After a time, they are sent here to learn our ways. It is surprising that this one comes to us with so little knowledge. I remember his father, Eric and would not think he would be so neglectful of his duties to teach his young. It appears we have much work to do with this one."

"Then he is here for instruction?" Vale was a little disappointed. She had hoped to gain a vassal, and if the young Akandar dragon was of a powerful line it would be to her advantage, but his lack of knowledge and weakness as a fighter was far from promising. And, if he was oathbound, it did not seem likely that she could keep him either way.

"Akandar," said the first dragon, turning his eyes to look directly at the young dragon and opening his thoughts to him. "You have come to learn our ways?"

"Yes," Borrican said, glad he was no longer being left out of the conversation.

"You come to us with little knowledge," the dragon roared. "Why has your father not instructed you?"

"He has been killed," said another dragon. "Your thoughts tell of this, young Akandar."

Borrican realized that he was thinking again and he did his best to clear his mind and keep his thoughts very specific, for there were some things he was not sure he wanted them to know.

"Killed!" roared the higher dragon. "Who would kill the Akandra?"

"A king from the land to the south who claims to be a god," Borrican answered, using his thoughts, though his words came out as a series of nearly unintelligible growls. "He is very powerful and dangerous."

"Who protects the lands of Kandara?"

"Kandara has fallen to the god-king," Borrican told them, keeping his thoughts focused on his memories of the battle and how his uncle and father were killed, hoping they would not hear or see his other thoughts about how his brother, Elric betrayed the kingdom.

The dragons on the other ledges shuffled around in the darkness and Borrican sensed they were again discussing something and not including him in their thoughts. A dragon from one of the highest ledges very far up the cavern walls looked down at him.

"This power of a god, we have felt such things on the wind," an old, dry voice said in Borrican's mind, followed by rasping words from the dragon. "You will be instructed in our ways, young Akandra. This young queen will see to this task, and you will serve her with honor and obedience though you shall not be bonded."

Vale looked up at the old dragon on the high ledge and was both pleased and frustrated at what she had said, for the dragon was one of the oldest and most powerful queens in the realm, one who counted many of the dragons in the cavern of elders as her vassals. Since she was only a youngling herself, with no males to command, and low stature, she had never heard the ancient queen speak and, even though it was a great honor to hear the thoughts of one so revered, Vale did not see why she should not be allowed to bond a vassal she had fairly claimed.

"Why may he not be bonded?" she asked as respectfully as possible.

"The oath of the Akandra," rasped the great queen. "The line of Akandar is oathbound. They may not be claimed, unless you wish to become oathbound to the humans yourself."

"Oathbound to humans?" Vale was mortified at the idea of being beholden to such creatures. She was also irritated that the elders wanted her to keep the Akandra dragon as a vassal even though he could not be bonded since there was little benefit to her. Still, for a young dragon such as herself, who had yet to win any vassals, having even one was better than having none. She sensed the elder dragons becoming impatient with her impertinence and knew she had little choice in the matter. "I will do as the elders have commanded."

"Good," said the first dragon, on the lower ledge. "We will discuss these matters further." He turned his attention to Borrican. "Akandar. You are welcome here among us, but you will obey Vale and treat her as your queen."

"Do I have a choice?" Borrican asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.

"Not if you wish to remain here," the dragon answered. "Is that your desire?"

"Yes," he replied. "I will stay for now. You have my thanks, elders." Borrican nodded his head at the dragons and almost all at once they roared, their fierce growling dragon calls filling the cavern.

Borrican was worried that he had offended the elders but Vale's thoughts told him that they should leave the mountain. They made their way from the circle toward the cavern entrance and saw the platform outside teeming with other dragons, who appeared interested in the newcomer. Vale turned to him as they neared the opening.

"You will ignore all the dragons here and follow me," she told him. "I will fly fast, and you must keep up."

"As you say," Borrican replied as he followed her out into the smoky grey daylight.

Flying was about the only thing he figured he was getting good at in his dragon form, and the journey from Kandara through the shearing winds of the high northern mountains had provided him with more than a few lessons.

"And think no thoughts," Vale reminded him as she leapt from the rock and took to the air.

Borrican pushed himself into the air and followed her as she climbed hard and fast. As he struggled to keep up with her he sensed something below him and saw that many of the other dragons had also leapt into the air and were chasing after them. Borrican was not sure why they would want to follow them, but he caught a thought from Vale that it would be better if they left in a hurry. He worked his wings as hard as he could as they ascended higher and higher, flying above the drifts of smoke and even the dampness of the clouds above. It was not long before they breached the pale grey mists and emerged to blue skies and bright sunlight, which was a sharp contrast to the dullness below. Borrican noticed the air was becoming thinner and the muscles along his wings were growing tired. He was glad when Vale turned her head and looked at him with what looked like a grin.

"Try to keep up," she said, then she angled her wings back and pulled them tighter to her body and began to dive, heading back toward the layer of clouds just as the other dragons began to emerge from the grey.

Borrican followed her lead and angled his wings the same way. He was amazed at how quickly he began to pick up speed but was still able to control his flight. The two of them shot through the clouds and, in seemingly no time, they were back into the smoky air and could see the land below. Vale angled herself across the open valley toward a gap in the crags that surrounded it. As the two of them sped across the sky, Borrican glanced back and saw that the other dragons had followed them back down and were giving chase. He wondered why they would follow him then he heard a thought from Vale.

"Stop thinking and fly!"

Borrican realized that the gap in the mountains she was heading toward was barely large enough for them to fly through and the smoke that hung over the range appeared to be very thick. They cut through the smoke and flew into a tight canyon between the mountains. At the speed they were flying, Borrican was barely able to avoid smashing into the craggy cliffs on either side of him. As the smoke grew thicker, he did his best to stay close to the dragon as she disappeared around corners ahead of him and through the black clouds of soot and ash, reappearing again then disappearing. Borrican figured that Vale probably knew where she was going, so he focused on keeping her tail in sight and cleared his mind of every other thought except flying.

Even though he did not dare look back, Borrican could sense the presence of other dragons following them as they twisted and turned through the rocky canyon. The smoke became thicker still and his wingtips scraped along the rough walls, throwing him off balance, sending him on a dangerous angle toward a rock face ahead. He tightened his wings against the buffeting wind and lifted his shoulder just enough to curve his path around the face of the cliff then he saw the ground drop away and the smoke in the air cleared as he emerged from the canyon into a wide green, mist covered valley with a river running through it. He followed Vale as she spread her wings and began to slow her flight, curving around and hovering in the air with a steady beat of her wings. As Borrican joined her, he saw several dragons emerge from the canyon and immediately veer off, shooting skyward and over the rocky peaks.

"Why do they not follow us?" he asked.

"It is forbidden," she said. "We do not battle one another in the sanctuaries."

"That's what this place is?"

"It is my home," she told him. "Come, I must introduce you to my mother."

Borrican followed Vale to the far end of the valley, where a tall, thin waterfall dropped down from high cliffs next to a cavern that was cut into the steep rock wall. She roared at the cavern opening and a few moments later a large, green dragon emerged. Borrican was amazed at the sight of the creature. She was much larger than Vale and her scales glimmered like emeralds in the pale daylight, and her long, sharp horns were encrusted almost to their tips with what looked like actual green gemstones.

"Vale," the dragon growled with a toothy smile. "It appears you have won a vassal."

"No, mother," Vale said. "I have won nothing. This youngling is Borrican of the Akandra. The elders say if I bond him, then I will become oathbound, to humans."

"Akandra," the green dragon said with a note of recognition. "Eric would be your father."

"Yes," Borrican replied, trying to keep his thoughts simple. "He was my father. He no longer lives."

"I am very saddened to hear of this." Vale's mother frowned. "I knew him, when he would visit our lands."

"He never spoke of this place," Borrican told her. "To be honest, he never spoke of much about dragons."

"Borrican knows nothing," Vale said.

"Stop saying that," Borrican growled. "I don't know all that much about being a dragon, but I know a lot about being the Prince of Kandara, of battle tactics, of history and lots of other things."

"Borrican knows very little of import," Vale said. "He is my vassal, but the elders say I cannot bond him, so I do not see the point in keeping him."

"Borrican," Vale's mother said. "I am Vana, of the Aledra and you are welcome here."

"You have my thanks, Lady Vana," Borrican said.

She cocked her head and stared at him with her golden eyes. "Your thoughts do not match your words, young Borrican, and though I sense intelligence in you, your thoughts lack control."

"I thought he might be a wildling at first," Vale said.

"An Akandar wildling?" Her mother laughed. "The Akandra are the least wild of our kind, though something about him does not seem right." Vana looked at him more closely and Borrican thought he felt something tugging at his mind. "Oh dear," she said, looking concerned. "Borrican, what has become of your mother?"