DRAKN SAGA
By DragonWriter17
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer/Spoilers/Pairings: Not applicable. This is an all-original piece.
My Website: http://www.dragonwriter17.net/
Feedback: Yes, but only if it’s of the non-flamey variety: DragonWriter17@aol.com
Distribution: Only here. (If you are interested in posting this on your site, please contact me first for permission.)
Author’s Notes: This is a novel in progress and may change significantly over time.
Number of Chapters: Unknown at this time.
Complete: No
Summary:
Risking everything to fulfill a
promise to her dying father, Tegan leaves her mountain cabin deep in
Hyperion territory and travels to Sacrinsia, the isolated island that is
home to the Drakns, an all-female race that is on the brink of war once
again, with the Hyperions. Once on the island, Tegan narrowly escapes
execution as a spy and then faces a life-changing decision.
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CHAPTER 02
A good while after Tegan had been locked in her cell, she heard footsteps in the hallway. Tegan’s stomach lurched, and her heart began to pound. They’re coming for me, she thought. She heard the lock turn and then saw Ahnis open the door. Tegan blinked as her eyes adjusted to the incoming light. Ahnis came to Tegan, grabbed her by her vest, and pulled her to her feet. Ahnis guided Tegan toward the door then stopped. Tegan felt a cold blade on her hand, and she drew in a quick breath. But Ahnis just cut the ropes from Tegan’s wrists. She moved in front of Tegan, replaced her dagger, and said, “Leta wishes to see you again.” Then she stood by the door and said, “Come with me.” Tegan noticed that Ahnis held the door for her, tilting her head to indicate that Tegan should precede her. Tegan felt thoughts of escape run through her mind again, but she knew it would be useless to try. So she rubbed her wrists to get the feeling back in her hands and walked out.
When Ahnis and Tegan finally returned to the large room where they’d been before, Collyn was outside the door. She held it open, and Ahnis and Tegan went in, followed by Collyn. Neeka was no longer there. Delia stood behind Leta, who sat at the table with the book before her. Leta and Delia looked different somehow--Leta still looked intimidating but not quite so cold; Delia looked furious, but sad, as if she’d been cheated out of something she very much wanted. A chair sat before Leta’s table. Leta motioned for Tegan to be seated.
Mustering her courage and resolve, Tegan refused to sit and instead stood firmly beside the chair with her arms folded. “I brought you the book. I’ve kept my promise. Now I’d like to go.” I don’t know where I’ll go, now that Father’s gone. I just want to get out here–alive! “It is Drakn, right? So I’ve done you a favor. Now do me one, and let me go.”
“It’s not that simple,” Leta answered bluntly, again motioning for Tegan to sit. “Please, sit. We must talk.” Once Tegan had taken her place at the table, Leta gently asked, “Tegan, you’ve mentioned your father. What about your mother? Where is she?”
Tegan was puzzled. Why does she want to know about my mother? “My mother’s dead. She died when I was very young.”
Leta’s face clouded, and she glanced at Delia, who frowned slightly.
Tegan wondered at their reaction but continued, “I don’t remember her. Father said it was a difficult birth.” She looked at the floor, stung for a moment by that sense of loss and guilt that had followed her throughout her life.
“I see,” said Leta simply. “And your parents’ names, what were they?”
“My father’s name was Temund, and my mother’s was Ganyd. My name’s a combination of theirs. That was Mother’s idea, Father said.”
Leta closed her eyes for a moment. “And do you have any other family?”
“No, not that I know of.” After a long pause, Tegan asked, “Can I go now?”
Leta took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and placed her hands on the table. As she pushed herself up from her seat, she said, “I’m afraid not. I must take you to Mavn.”
“Mavn? Where’s that?”
“Mavn isn’t a place, Mavn is a person. She’s the Chief Advisor to our Queen. She must be the one to decide what will be done with you.”
At these words, Tegan sank back into her chair. “Just a delayed execution, then?”
Leta moved around the table and stood before her. “No. We aren’t going to harm you, not now or in the future.” Tegan didn’t look up but softly touched her face where Neeka had cut her with the spear and where Delia had struck her. Leta put out her hand and lifted Tegan’s chin, smiling at her, “You’ve done a good thing bringing this book to us. We didn’t know that at first. I apologize for any mistreatment you’ve received.” Leta glanced over at Delia after her last statement, and Delia hung her head and looked away. Leta turned back to Tegan, “I promise you that you won’t be hurt, but you must come with me to see Mavn.”
“But why must I come?”
“It’s this book. She will want to question you herself concerning it.”
“But I told you, I don’t know anything about the book!”
“Nevertheless, you must see Mavn.” The issue apparently not open to debate, Leta turned to the other Drakns. “Ahnis, you and Collyn and Tegan and I will leave for Doma immediately. Go check on preparations. Delia, you will remain here and take watch over Caella Keep.”
While Ahnis returned to the courtyard and Leta made final instructions to Delia, Collyn led Tegan to the adjacent sitting room. “Come here, Tegan, sit down. Have you had anything to eat?”
“No, not since early this morning, and that wasn’t much.”
“Let me get you something. We’ll probably travel several hours before we stop for the night. But first let’s get something on that cheek. It’s already starting to swell a bit.” Collyn brought Tegan a cool wet cloth and held it in place. Tegan took over holding the cloth, while Collyn gathered some bread and cheese and a glass of water and brought them over.
“It’s not much, but it should tide you over till supper.”
“Thanks.”
They sat in silence while Tegan nibbled, one-handed, at her food. I feel stupid eating when she’s not, Tegan thought. “Do you want some?” Tegan offered.
“No, thanks, I’m not hungry,” Collyn said confidently while still eyeing Tegan’s food. “Well, maybe just a bite.” Collyn laughed and grabbed a couple of pieces of cheese and popped them in her mouth.
Tegan relaxed then and ate with a little more gusto, quickly finishing off the bread and cheese and draining the last of her water. “That was good, thank you.”
“Good. I’m glad you liked it. Now let me see to your wounds.” Collyn got up, refilled Tegan’s glass of water, and then pulled some items from a small pack. Tegan watched as Collyn gathered the items on a small tray and then mixed a light brown powder into the glass of water. Collyn’s hands were smooth and nicely proportioned, with long graceful fingers. On her left hand, she wore a silver ring made of small strands woven into an intricate knot in the center of which was a shiny black stone. When Collyn finished, she gave Tegan the glass.
“Here, drink this. It’ll help the pain. I’m sure you have quite a headache by now, among other things.”
“What’s in here?” Tegan asked, pulling away the cloth from her face so that she could smell the contents of the glass.
“We call it nullen. I’m not sure what the Hyperions call it.”
“What is it made from?”
“It’s made from the bark of the willow tree.”
“Good, that’s what I thought,” Tegan said, gulping down the potion.
“Are you a healer then?”
“Oh, no, not me. I have a very good friend who is, though, so I’ve learned a lot from her.”
“I’m going to deal with these cuts now, and I’m not a healer, at least not yet, so bear with me a moment.” As Collyn cleaned the cuts on Tegan’s cheek and neck, Tegan closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander. Less than an hour or so ago they were threatening to drag me to the execution block, and now they’re tending to me like a hurt child. I wish I knew what was going on! I don’t trust them!
When she felt Collyn apply the last of the healing ointment, Tegan opened her eyes. Collyn was looking at her, wearing the sweetest smile that Tegan had ever seen. As their eyes met, Tegan felt her heart stop. For a moment she was mesmerized; then she cleared her throat and looked away.
“Thank you...Collyn,” Tegan said, lifting her eyes again and trying out her captor’s name for the first time.
“I’m sorry for what we put you through, especially for Delia.”
“Why is she so hateful? I can understand her wanting to defend her homeland, but with Delia it seems more...personal.”
“It is personal. Delia lost someone she loved very much in an attempted invasion many years ago. She’s been that way ever since. Her fury makes her a good border guard, but too often her desire for revenge makes her extremely cruel. I understand the reason for our take-no-prisoners policy, and I serve faithfully at the defense of our borders, but I don’t condone torture.”
Tegan stared at Collyn for a moment, trying to let it all sink in. The Drakns have no compunction about executing their prisoners, yet they worry about how those doomed prisoners are treated. Well, at least this Drakn does.
“What?” Collyn asked, when she noticed Tegan staring.
“I’m just trying...you’re a very complicated person, Collyn. I mean, people. You’re a very complicated people.”
Collyn had no response to Tegan’s statement, and for a moment, they simply sat in awkward silence. Luckily, Leta’s call interrupted their awkwardness and pulled them both to their feet. They returned to the other room and joined Ahnis and Leta. When Leta motioned for them to leave, Tegan stopped.
“Wait! My pack, where’s my pack?” Tegan asked.
“I’ve already taken it downstairs,” Ahnis replied. “Here’s your belt pouch, though.” Ahnis handed the pouch to Tegan, and then the four of them descended to the courtyard to set out for Doma.
Leta immediately mounted her horse, a pitch black stallion who looked like he was meant for racing. Ahnis checked the pack horse, then climbed upon her own mount. Collyn led Tegan to a dark brown horse then climbed aboard a similarly colored horse of her own. When Tegan just stood there staring at the huge beast before her, Collyn climbed down and came to her side.
“Is there a problem?”
“Ummm,” Tegan said shyly, “I’ve never ridden a horse before. Well, not counting the ride Delia gave me this morning.”
Collyn laughed and said, “No, I guess that wouldn’t count. Don’t worry--it’s not hard to ride a horse, especially not on Molly here. She’ll practically lead herself. Let me show you.”
Collyn instructed Tegan on how to get on the horse and how to use the reins. Tegan caught on quickly and was soon guiding Molly around the gate yard with confidence.
Ahnis interrupted Tegan’s excitement. “Can we go now?” she asked with amused annoyance.
Leta guided her horse to stand beside Molly so that Leta could address Tegan directly, face to face. “Tegan, I’m going to have to ask you to trust me. You’re not a prisoner exactly, but I can’t allow you to leave either. Will you promise not to try to run away? We have a long trip ahead of us, and I’d prefer not to spend half of it tracking you down and trying to keep you secure.”
“Yes, I promise I won’t run away,” Tegan said. “You’d probably send Delia or somebody worse after me.”
“Good. Let’s go,” Leta stated before turning to head out the inner gate. The others followed.
When the group exited the eastern gate of the Keep, they were on the road to Doma. As they walked their horses along the road, they passed through the field and settlements outside of Caella the City. Collyn rode beside Tegan behind Leta and Ahnis and pointed out things to Tegan as they went by. Once the group got to the open road beyond Caella, they urged their horses into a gallop. Tegan was a little clumsy initially, but she quickly learned how to ride with the rhythm of the horse. She enjoyed her ride at first; however, after a while, it began to wear on her since her body was not used to riding.
Soon they approached a crossroads. Leta held up her arm, and they all came to a stop. They were all sweating and breathing hard and took long drinks from their water skins. After they’d all drunk their fill and caught their breath, Leta spoke.
“Mother/Maker! What a ride! That felt great!” she exclaimed with a huge smile on her face. Then turning to Tegan, she asked, “You hanging in there, Tegan?”
“I guess,” Tegan said.
“Okay, let’s get back on the road,” Leta said, turning her horse down the road to the right.
“Are we taking the scenic route again?” Collyn groaned.
“You know we are,” Ahnis said, “Leta likes roughing it.”
“You probably encouraged her, Ahnis. Leta, it would be so much nicer if we stopped at Welshan, maybe stayed at the Zephyr, you know, just once...” Collyn said, looking at Leta with hope-filled eyes.
“Not a chance. I don’t get to rough it very often anymore, so I’m taking advantage of the opportunity,” Leta said.
“Well, we rough it all the time!” Collyn complained. “Every day for weeks at a time!”
“That’s what you get when you contract with the military,” Leta said, galloping off.
“I think I need to re-evaluate my career options,” Collyn said as the rest of them followed Leta.
After a few hours of hard riding through rolling hills and sparse woods, the road narrowed and became more of a wide trail. Eventually they came to a small lake nestled in the wooded valley of three large hills. When they reached a shady spot near the edge of the water, Tegan could see that travelers often stopped here. There was a fire pit that was ringed by large stones and surrounded by logs for sitting. The earth around the fire pit had been flattened and cleared of small stones and pebbles. A collection of firewood was stacked nearby under a serviceable lean-to.
Leta announced, “We’ll stop here for the night.”
“Good,” Ahnis said, “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving, Ahnis,” Collyn teased as she dismounted.
Tegan had noticed that they had all been speaking in Hyperion for her benefit, and she appreciated it. Collyn came to help Tegan down off her horse.
Tegan grimaced in pain as she gingerly got off Molly. “Owww. I didn’t know riding a horse would make me so sore.”
“You think it’s bad now?” Ahnis said, unpacking the food bags from the pack horse. “Wait till you get up tomorrow. You’ll wish you’d never seen a horse.”
“Great,” Tegan responded without enthusiasm.
“Ahnis, don’t tease her!” Collyn chided. “Here, Tegan, just sit down and rest,” she said, motioning Tegan to a log near the fire ring.
Tegan winced as she sat on the ground and leaned her back against the log. She watched as the three Drakns did their chores. Leta took all of their individual water skins bags and a large water bag down to the lake for refilling. Collyn tied the horses to some bushes near a vine-laden tree, then started taking them down to the lake to drink, one or two at a time. Ahnis dragged the food bags to the circle of logs and began assembling a meal of bread, cheese, and jerky. Tegan noticed that the three of them had gone right into their chores, as if they’d done this many times. No commands from Leta were needed. Tegan felt that she ought to be doing something too, so she spoke to Ahnis.
“Can I help?” she asked.
“Sure,” Ahnis replied, handing Tegan the knife she had been using. “Why don’t you cut this bread and cheese into slices. I think I saw an everberry bush as we came in.”
While Tegan sliced the food, Ahnis found her bush and gathered a whole bowl of everberries. By the time Collyn was through with the horses, all the food was ready. The Drakns joined Tegan by the logs. Leta sat across from Tegan, while Collyn and Ahnis sat next to each other on Tegan’s left. The four of them ate heartily, their hard ride having made them all very hungry. When they had eaten, the group sat back and relaxed, chatting comfortably.
“So, Tegan, where are you from exactly?” Leta asked.
“I’m from Faber. Well, not Faber exactly. I should say near Faber. My father and I lived in a cabin in the mountains above Lake Lucent.” Tegan replied.
“That’s quite a ways.” Leta commented. “How long did it take you to get to Sacrinsia?”
“About two months--that’s walking, of course.”
“You came all that way by yourself?” Ahnis said, impressed.
“Yeah, pretty much. Myra was with me, but I guess she doesn’t count; she’s my donkey.”
“How did you know where to come?” Ahnis inquired.
“My father had an old map from the days of Old Corgen, so I knew sort of where I was going. I knew that if I just traveled due east, I’d eventually get to the ocean, and then I could find Avon.”
“That’s a long way for someone to travel alone. And dangerous too, especially for a young woman like yourself,” Ahnis said.
“That’s why I cut my hair and disguised myself as a man. I figured it would be safer.” Tegan ran her hand through her short crop.
“Weren’t you scared?” Collyn asked, placing her hand affectionately on Ahnis’s knee.
“Yes, I was scared--all the time.”
“Well, she can obviously defend herself, as Neeka found out,” Leta said. “Your father teach you how to fight?”
“Yeah. He fought in the Lokien rebellion against Old Corgen, until he was injured. When the Hyperions took over, he settled near Faber.”
“Is that sword in your pack his?” Leta continued.
“Yes.”
“It’s a fine blade. That star-studded handle is particularly well crafted. You know how to use this sword?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever drawn blood with it, killed with it?”
“Yes,” Tegan said quietly, lowering her head, but not elaborating. No one spoke for several moments.
Leta broke the silence. “Well, you sure made Neeka mad as a hornet. It was her first tour on border duty, and she got showed up.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t listen. I had to defend myself.”
“Yes, you did. I don’t know what Neeka thought she was doing anyway. Kill first, ask questions later, I guess. You taught her a good lesson, one she needed to learn. It’s one she won’t forget either--or forgive. Believe me, I know.”
“Neeka is Leta’s granddaughter, Tegan,” Collyn explained.
“Oh!” Tegan exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed. “Sorry. I didn’t know. I hope she’s okay.”
“She’s fine. Nothing’s really hurt, except her pride.”
From there the conversation turned to Young Corgen and the invasion attempt that was to come some time in the future. Tegan tried to keep her eyes open and pay attention, but exhaustion finally took its toll, and she fell asleep right where she was sitting.
When Tegan woke up the next morning, she found herself on a bed roll under the covers and she didn’t know how she’d gotten there. She sat up startled for a moment; then she saw Ahnis over by the fire.
“What happened? How did I...”
“You fell asleep, so we just put you to bed.”
“How long have you all been up?”
“Mmm...maybe an hour or so.”
“You should have gotten me up.”
“We figured you needed the sleep. Come and get some breakfast.” Ahnis stood up and came to Tegan’s bed roll. She extended her left hand to Tegan.
On Ahnis’s hand was a silver ring identical to Collyn’s. Tegan wondered what it meant. Tegan took Ahnis’s hand and pulled herself up; then she groaned. “Ohhh. I’m really sore.”
Ahnis just laughed and said with glee, “Wait till tonight and tomorrow morning!”
“It gets worse?” Tegan said gloomily.
“Ohhhh yeaahh,” Ahnis said.
Tegan joined the three Drakns at breakfast. They had warm porridge sweetened with honey and toasted bread and more everberries. They also had a hot drink similar to coffee but stronger. The Drakns had chuckled at Tegan when her first sip had caused a coughing spell. Tegan took the laughter in stride but made sure that she finished her drink. While Ahnis cleaned up after breakfast, Collyn checked Tegan’s cheek and gave her some nullen, mostly for the saddle soreness. When they had gotten packed up, the group set off again for Doma.
The terrain became increasingly hilly and rugged. The large trail became more of a path, and they had to slow their pace to a walk. Leta and Tegan rode beside one another, but did not speak for long stretches. Collyn and Ahnis, though, rode a ways ahead and chatted amiably in Drakn.
After a while, Tegan finally spoke. “Would you tell me more about Sacrinsia?” she asked Leta.
“Sacrinsia is a very large island,” Leta said in her best lecture voice. “It is surrounded by treacherous reefs around all but its western tip. The reefs are our natural protection against unwanted invasion; what is unprotected by reefs has been fortified by an extensive system of walls along the beaches. We have a strong naval force, and we diligently police the waters around Sacrinsia. The system isn’t perfect; you’re an example of that. Despite our best efforts, you managed to slip through.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t get very far, did I? Your border patrols did what they were supposed to.”
“True. Unfortunately, we’ve had a number of cases like yours recently, one-man jobs, probably spying for Corgen, trying to find out as much as he can about our defenses on the western tip. Anyway, back to the lecture. The entire eastern rim of the island and portions of the south are mostly mountainous with some wooded areas; the central and northern districts are farm lands; the western half is a combination of sandy beaches, swamps, and hilly forests. Fresh water lakes, rivers, and streams are plentiful. Gaia has blessed Sacrinsia with an abundance of natural resources, for which we are eternally grateful and for which we continually endeavor to be good stewards.”
“Who’s ‘Gaia’?”
“She is our primary Goddess. She is the Great Mother, the Creator, the Maker of the Universe.”
“Ah, the Great Mother. Any religion involving the Great Mother is strictly forbidden in Hyperia. The Hyperions say that Leonidas, their Lion God, created the Universe.”
“The Hyperions are idiots.”
“Definitely. When you mentioned Gaia, you said she was your ‘primary’ goddess. Do you have other gods and goddesses?”
“No ‘gods’–only ‘goddesses.’ Our secondary goddess is the Dragon Goddess who founded our race. She has many names, but the one used most commonly is Moidryn.”
“You mean a real dragon?”
“Yep.”
“No way. Dragons aren’t real; they’re just myths.”
“No, they aren’t. They’re real. Or at least they used to be. It was the last living dragon, Moidryn, who founded the Drakn race, more than a thousand years ago.”
“You really believe all that stuff, don’t you? My Father taught me not to believe in gods. ‘Bunch of useless bullshit, best believe in yourself and in what you can see and touch,’ that’s what he’d always say.”
“Not everything that’s real can be seen and touched,” Leta said. Then she placed her hand over her heart. “Some things just have to be felt, here, in the heart...” Leta moved her hand to her forehead. “...and some things just have to be known, here, in the mind. Do you understand?”
“No, not really.”
“You will, some day.”
“If you say so. Hey, is it really true that there are no male Drakns?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“I thought that was just another myth, another crazy tale.”
“Well, it’s not; it’s true.”
“How is that possible? I mean, I’m not stupid. I know that you must have both a man and a woman in order to have a child.”
“Drakns are different. Males are not a part of our race, and they are not required for conception.”
“So, you never have male children--only female? There are no males on the island at all?”
“That’s right.”
Tegan shook her head. She just couldn’t comprehend it. Her head ached with the struggle for understanding. Tegan remained silent for a while.
They traveled for several hours before stopping for lunch. After they had eaten, they sat back and rested, enjoying the sights and sounds of the forest. Tegan glanced over at Leta and noticed again the tattoos on her upper arms. She couldn’t quite make out what they were.
“Leta, what’s that on your arm?” Tegan asked.
Leta jumped, brushing frantically at her arms. “What? What’s on me? Get it off!”
“No, no, there’s nothing on you!” Tegan exclaimed.
Collyn and Ahnis giggled, while Leta looked annoyed.
“Sorry, I should have been more specific,” Tegan explained. “I meant the designs on your arms.”
“Oh. Those.” Leta said, rolling up the sleeve on her right arm. “Tattoos. See?” she said, holding her arm closer to Tegan so that she could examine it. It was a ring of thorny brambles that intertwined and completely encircled her upper arm across her bicep.
“It’s permanent?” Tegan asked. Leta nodded in affirmation. “Neeka had one, too, on her face,” Tegan stated.
“Yes. She got it when she started border patrol at Caella.”
“Most Drakns do have at least one, Tegan. Tattoos are a kind of rite of passage,” Collyn said. “Young Drakns often get them when they first mature or when they reach contract age. Other Drakns get them when they hit significant milestones in their lives. Some Drakns simply consider their bodies to be canvases of skin and cover them with tattoos.”
“Want to see mine?” Ahnis asked. When Tegan nodded, Ahnis lifted both of her sleeves and placed her forearms next to each other, underside up. On both forearms was an identical fancy dagger, drawn in stunning detail in black and highlighted with reds and blues. She pulled her arms back and tapped the daggers on her hips. “Just like my real ones. Show her yours, Collyn.”
Collyn pulled the front of her tunic down so that Tegan could see the tattoo on her chest. It was small, about the size of a bird egg, and it was placed above her heart. It was a geometrical design of three swirling flame-like arcs in various colors. Tegan stared at the design until her gaze dropped from the tattoo to the swell of breast rising from the edge of Collyn’s tunic. Tegan resisted the urge to reach out and touch. Instead, she asked, “Does it hurt? To get a tattoo?”
“Like hell,” Collyn said, pushing her tunic back to its proper place. “They have to use needles to push the ink way under the skin.”
“Yikes,” Tegan said.
When lunch was over, the four travelers headed out once again. This time, Leta and Ahnis rode ahead, and Collyn rode next to Tegan. The two women engaged in simple small talk, until Tegan gathered her courage to ask a favor of Collyn.
“Collyn, can you teach me some Drakn?” Tegan asked shyly.
Collyn smiled and said, “Sure. If you want.”
Collyn spent the next few hours pointing out things and naming them: rock, tree, stream, bird, and so on. She also went over personal pronouns and how to ask basic questions such as “How are you?” and how to answer them. After drilling Tegan, Collyn was amazed at Tegan’s ability to remember everything she had gone over.
“By the Goddess, Tegan! You didn’t miss a single one. How did you do that?”
“I have perfect memory. Once I see or hear something once, I don’t forget it. I may not know what to do with all that information in my head, but it’s there.”
“Jeez, I would have killed for that ability when I was growing up. I never did have a head for facts and figures. I always did terrible in history; I never could remember who was who and what was when.”
“It can be a handy skill to have, but it can also be a curse.”
“A curse?”
“Sometimes you don’t want to remember—you know?” Tegan said solemnly. Tegan frowned and looked away. She and Collyn didn’t speak for a while.
Tegan broke the silence when she asked, “Will we get to Doma tonight?”
“No, we’ll have to stay on the road two more nights.” Collyn answered.
“Where will we stay tonight?”
“A pretty nice place. It’s a large cave that has been outfitted to serve as a camp site. It has a very nice stream nearby. As roughing it goes, it’s the best.”
“You don’t like roughing it, do you?”
“No, not really. If I had my way, I’d be in the city, or at least a large town, where I can visit the baths daily, go shopping, and then come home to a clean, dry, bug-free, weather-proof house.”
“So why do you do it?”
“I’m under contract. All Drakns are required to do contract work several months out of the year; it’s how we earn our salaries. We also have to serve in military duty several weeks out of the year. Contract work can be anything: working on a farm, doing construction, even serving at the infirmary—that’s what I did in Doma before I contracted to do border patrol at Caella. I was apprenticed to a healer.”
“That sounds like a good job. Why did you choose to come to Caella?”
“Ohhh, that’s a long story, a long unpleasant story, one I really don’t feel like telling.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be nosy.”
“It’s okay. I just don’t like thinking about it. Let’s just say that circumstances beyond my control made staying in Doma impossible. I wanted to get as far away from there as I could.”
“Are you nervous about going to Doma now?”
“No, I’ve been back many times since those unpleasant events from several years ago. I was born in Doma, and my family still lives there. Luckily, Leta often taps me for escort or message-delivery duties to Doma. Unlike Leta, though, I take the civilized route; it’s about a half-day longer, but it’s much more comfortable.”
By the time the sun was dipping below the top of the trees, the group arrived at the camping site. Tegan was impressed. It was a large cave surrounded by tall trees. The ground directly in front of the cave was cleared of brush and debris. Like the site by the lake, there was a fire pit along with logs for sitting. There was also a smaller path that led to another cleared area, which seemed to be designed for holding horses. Beyond that was the stream, which Tegan could hear gurgling and bubbling in the background.
When Tegan got off her horse, she could barely stand. Her legs were weak, and they wobbled under her; her arms weren’t much better, shaking as she clung to the saddle to remain upright. Collyn came to Tegan’s side and helped her sit down.
“I don’t understand why my legs are so weak; I mean, I’m in good shape, or so I thought,” Tegan complained.
“It’s a whole different set of muscles being used when you ride, or rather a whole different way of using the ones that you have,” said Collyn. “The whole time you were riding, you were stretching and contracting muscles you didn’t even know that you had.”
“Well, I know I have them now because they’re screaming!”
Collyn laughed and returned to her duties. As she had done at the lunch beside the lake, Tegan watched as the three women went about the chores of making camp. All three Drakns helped unload and unsaddle the horses. Then Leta went down to the nearby stream to fetch water, while Collyn began leading the horses to the area down the path. Ahnis made a fire and got out a large pot. Tegan helped her prepare the food, and before long, Ahnis had a hearty stew cooking.
Tegan sat back and watched the Drakn women. She admired how efficiently they worked together. They were a team, a family of sorts, and Tegan felt out of place and alone. She longed for the camaraderie and companionship that they shared. Although they had been kind to her and had made her feel welcome since they’d discovered the book, Tegan knew that she was their prisoner, that she didn’t belong, that she wasn’t one of them.
When the food was ready, they all sat around the fire. Once again, Leta sat across from Tegan while Collyn and Ahnis sat close together to Tegan’s right. They all ate well that night, especially Ahnis. Collyn patted Ahnis’s back and complimented her and Tegan on supper. Tegan smiled but insisted that she hadn’t done anything but hand stuff to Ahnis. Tegan noticed that Collyn kept her hand on Ahnis’s back as the group lounged comfortably and talked of the day’s events. Tegan was so tired after supper she could hardly keep her eyes open while the others chatted. She had slept surprisingly well the night before, but she was still exhausted. It was just too much crammed into too short a time. When the chatting was done, they all helped clean up and then moved into the cave. As they rolled out their blankets for sleep, Tegan noticed that Collyn and Ahnis laid their blankets side by side.
Ahnis announced, “We’re going to check the horses before we turn in.”
“Okay,” Leta replied, sorting through her pack while sitting on her mat. Ahnis and Collyn slipped out of the cave.
After a moment, Tegan said with a yawn, “I need to stretch my legs a little before I go to bed. Is that okay? I won’t go far.”
Leta hesitated, reluctant to let Tegan out of her sight, but then she said, “Sure. Go ahead.”
Tegan struggled to her feet, left the cave, and wandered into the trees. She walked freely but kept her eye on the fire in front of the cave. Although the night was bright with stars, Tegan didn’t want to risk getting lost. Before she realized it, she had ended up at the area where the horses were kept. There, she saw Collyn and Ahnis standing close together beside a large tree. Tegan watched as the two women embraced, Collyn with her back to the tree and Ahnis facing her, covering her. Collyn placed her arms around Ahnis’s waist, as Ahnis pressed one hand against the tree and used the other to softly stroke Collyn’s face. Collyn moved her hands to the back of Ahnis’s neck and pulled Ahnis’s face to her own. Their lips met again and again. Embarrassment finally caused Tegan to turn away.
When Tegan came back in the cave, she was blushing furiously, and she paced about nervously. “You okay?” Leta finally asked.
“Yes. Fine.” Tegan replied just a little too abruptly to be convincing. “I’m going to bed now.”
Leta chose not to press Tegan. “Okay. Good night.”
Tegan could not fall asleep. Her mind raced with what she had seen. Oh...wow...that was... she thought to herself, unable to form lucid sentences. Then she chided herself, Why are you so shocked? You know that Drakns have love relationships, Leta practically told you herself. And you saw the way they acted with each other, always teasing and touching. And the rings, that should have been a big clue! Tegan groaned and draped her arm across her eyes.
When Collyn and Ahnis came back in, Tegan rolled over and feigned sleep. She heard the other three talk for a while. Eventually, Tegan became sleepy. The last thing Tegan heard before she fell asleep was Leta discussing something about Corgen’s build-up south of Avon.
When Tegan was deep in exhausted sleep, she began to dream. She was standing beside the tree where the horses were. She looked up through the top of the tree. The soft star light shone through the branches; a light breeze rustled the leaves. When Tegan looked down, Ahnis was standing in front of her, staring deeply into her eyes. Tegan was startled, but she didn’t move or speak–she simply couldn’t. Ahnis stepped closer, so close that her body lightly brushed Tegan’s. Tegan felt a hot shiver pass through her. She tried to step back, but she was blocked by the tree. Ahnis moved even closer. Tegan flattened herself against the tree. She gripped the bark as Ahnis put her palms against the tree and then slowly pressed her body against Tegan’s, never releasing Tegan from her stare. Tegan’s heart was pounding, and her breathing was rapid, but she made no move to escape. She was too terrified, too tantalized. Then Ahnis leaned her face in to Tegan’s and brought their lips together. Tegan closed her eyes and received the kiss. It seemed to last forever, and when it ended, Tegan was panting as if she had stopped breathing completely during the entire kiss. When she finally caught her breath, she opened her eyes. But it wasn’t Ahnis who stood before her; it was Collyn. Collyn smiled sweetly but mysteriously at Tegan, then pushed away from the tree and began backing away. Confused and afraid yet longing for Collyn to come back, Tegan started to say something–only to suddenly wake inside the cave.
It took Tegan a moment to get her bearings, to realize that what she’d experienced was only a dream. She sat up and looked about the cave. To her left, Leta lay on her back, sound asleep and snoring. To her right, Collyn and Ahnis were curled up together on their sides, like a pair of spoons in a drawer, Ahnis holding Collyn gently from behind. Tegan turned quickly away and ducked back under the blanket, eyes wide open in the shadows of the fire-lit cave.