A Storm in the Desert: Dragonlinked Chronicles Voume 3 (62 page)

“Your father, Lord Baronel, helps people. Every Lord and Lady, every head of a Caer does so.”

Lady Korrie made an irritated sound. “If I were to become the head of a Caer, I honestly think I would go mad from boredom. That is not the life for me. I want to be a dragonlinked.”

Guildmaster Millinith nodded. “I understand wanting, no, needing to follow your own path, believe me. But as I said, you’re high-born. You have responsibilities.”

“My cousin is a dragonlinked—Gregor has Kisa. Why can’t I be a dragonlinked?”

Jessip’s heart went out to her. Everyone had their own dreams, it seemed, even high-born.

Guildmaster Millinith tilted her head. “I never said you couldn’t. Gregor worked out an arrangement, in a manner of speaking, with his parents.”

“Yeah, he ran away. Sort of.”

“From what I understand, he spoke with his father a number of times before it came to that.” Guildmaster Millinith leaned back in her chair. “That’s all I ask of you. Speak with your parents.”

Lady Korrie sighed.

“Besides,” Guildmaster Millinith said, “both your parents are good people. They deserve the courtesy, don’t you think?”

The girl’s face wasn’t visible from this angle, but her head and shoulders slumped. “Yeah.”

“If you  still can’t work something out,” Guildmaster Millinith clasped her hands on the desk, “at least I will have done my duty to the guild’s Lord Sponsor, and, as you said, you are fifteen, so I will have no choice but to accept your completely valid application.”

Lady Korrie’s head snapped up. “Really?” There was a great deal of hope in that one word.

“Oh, you’ll still need to have an official interview and make it through the process the same as any other applicant, but, yes.”

The girl stood and did a quick bow of her head. “Thank you, Guildmaster. I will speak with my parents tonight!”

Jessip pulled back into the den and watched her leave. Her enormous, happy smile lit her up.

After the door closed, Guildmaster Millinith’s voice came from the office. “Well? Your face gave away your like of her, but what does Zolin think?”

Jessip chuckled and walked in. “You never miss anything, do you? I do like her. She’s bold, knows what she wants to do, and is passionate. What’s not to like?” He turned to the door of the den. “Zolin? What do you think of her? And is she a candidate?”

The black dragon poked his head in the room.
It is as you said. I like her, too. As far as being a candidate, I will need to spend more time near her. She is . . . difficult to read.

“Alright,” Guildmaster Millinith said. “Still, she’s to be treated the same as all of the other applicants, hear? Every one of them is to be judged on their own merits.”

“Of course.” Jessip wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Now, I think it’s time we both got some lunch. I don’t know about you, but I am starving.”

Jessip chuckled. “Oh, you’re not alone in that.”

At the Dining Hall, he found Aeron, Willem, and Sharrah still at the tables.

“So,” Aeron said, “how was your monitoring session?”

Jessip shrugged and sat down. He removed his lunch from the tray. “It was fine, if a little boring. Renny dropped by to apply. Someone surprising did, as well.”

“Oh?” Willem said.

“Yeah.” Jessip looked around and lowered his voice. “Don’t tell anyone, but Lady Korrie applied.”

“What?” Sharrah’s eyes were wide.

Jessip chuckled. “That was my reaction, too. Guildmaster Millinith seems fine with her application, though she is making the girl talk to her parents about it. Once she does, and whether or not Lord Baronel and Lady Rora agree with it, the Guildmaster said she would accept the application.”

“Oh really.” Aeron looked impressed.

Jessip shrugged. “Lady Korrie is fifteen, after all.”

Willem nodded slowly. “Ah, yes.”

“It’s kind of nice.”

Jessip looked at Sharrah.

She smiled. “We have people from all walks of life in the guild.”

“That’s true,” Jessip said. “High-born down to low-born.”

“Lords and ladies,” Willem said, “fighters, sorcerers, healers, zoologists, farmers . . .” He smiled. “We do have an assortment, don’t we?”

Aeron gasped. “That’s it!”

Willem glanced at him. “What’s it?”

“I’ve been trying to remember something all day long.”

Sharrah paused in piling her dishes back on her tray. “What did you remember?”

“I made a promise, of sorts, just over a year ago.” Aeron frowned. “I hope I can keep it.” He stacked his dishes on his tray and stood. “Willem, can you take me back to the clutching room? Anaya and I have an errand to run before lessons.”

As he watched them leave, Jessip wondered what promise Aeron had made. And to whom.

+ + + + +

Sitting with her eggs oftentimes brought her mother to mind. Anaya wondered what had happened to her. Would Malina have been happy to see her daughter’s children?

Anaya lifted her head and looked at them. These precious eggs were the most amazing things she had ever done. She could feel the life in each, two little ones, her children, growing stronger every day. Soon, as they developed, their life-pulse would not be all she would be able to sense. The anticipation of learning more about her children triggered a tiny flutter of excitement in her belly. Had Malina felt the same way about her own eggs?

From her memories, Anaya knew that Malina’s intention with having children had been to rise in House standing. To improve her family’s lot, as well as her own. Not so much from the having of the babes as from who the father was: Naum. His family stood just below the First Family. Several of Naum’s ancestors had even come from the First Family. That is why his family stood so high in House Yaot.

I am related to Queen Ixtab.

Anaya blinked all her eyelids at the realization. Had Queen Ixtab known this? Was that part of why she had exiled Anaya and Aeron? There hadn’t been time to think more about her lineage on that rushed day at House Yaot. There hadn’t been time to think of anything but of convincing the Queen to help them, and when that failed, of getting away. Now she wondered: Had the High Mother felt threatened by Anaya?

Movement at the doorway drew her attention. Two people had walked in and were talking as they studied the area near the door. Architects, Aeron had called them. There had been talk of putting places on that side of the room for friends and family of the candidates, so that they might watch the choosing and the bonding. She liked the idea. Perhaps those two were working on the plans.

A sudden blooming of warm rhythms, three familiar life-pulses, made her heart beat faster. Balam was back, with Willem and Aeron. It was easy to sense them here. There weren’t that many people near her, flooding her with thoughts, feelings, and sounds. Not like there had been in Bataan-Mok that evening in the courtyard. There had been so much noise. She’d been very happy when Aeron had arrived. And, when the man had started talking, everyone else had gotten quiet to listen. That had been good, too, even though his words had been silly.

The footfalls of a dragon accompanied footsteps coming from the large passage. They were almost here. A low level of excitement and worry had come through the link for the past few minutes. It hadn’t seemed dire, so she’d said nothing about it. Now that he was returning, however . . .

What is on your mind?

Do you remember when we spent a few weeks flying everywhere nearby for the gateway sketches?

I do.

I made a promise to someone while we were out there, and I think we should make good on it.

She thought back on those weeks. It had been very fun flying everywhere with Aeron. There was only one instance that she could recall that was anything like a promise.
Is it because, what did he say, I have had babies?

Surprise, pride, and humor came through the link.
You are so clever, dear-heart. That’s exactly right.

She rumbled happily just as they walked in the room.

Balam padded over and touched noses with her.
Willem and I will watch over our little ones while you and Aeron are gone.

She chirped at him and stood.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Aeron said.

“Don’t take too long,” Willem said. “We’ve got hand-to-hand lessons in an hour. It’s another bare hand fighting evaluation day.”

“It shouldn’t take too long, at least this part. And we practiced the moves for today’s assessment. I feel confident about it.”

Willem grinned. “Alright, though you did seem a little slow.”

Aeron chuckled and shook his head.
Come on dear-heart. Let’s get over there. I’m not sure how to find him, yet.

She walked beside him toward the passage.
That should not be difficult. He will find us.

Ah, I think I see what you mean. Good idea!

Once he strapped in, she crouched and jumped. Wings beating, she lifted them higher and higher, to the portal.

As he closed the portal, she said,
How many passes do you think?

Three should be enough, I would imagine.

Anaya rumbled and glided down toward Shiver Bend. The village had grown a little since the last time they’d overflown it. There was now a cross-street to go with the main street. A few heads turned, looked up at them each time they flew over the small town. After the third pass, she made her way to the small hill and landed.

That should do it.

Indeed it should, at least if he’s still interested.
Aeron unstrapped and hopped down.
Now we wait.

Anaya lay down on her belly and Aeron sat next to her, leaning back against her. She felt a little twinge of loss remembering being able to crawl onto his lap and fall asleep. That she could now fly with him made up for it, though. Mostly. She leaned her head over and touched his cheek with her nose.

He reached up and gave her neck a one-armed hug.
These past few days have been good. Relaxing, even.

They have. When do you think we will go back?

Aeron leaned his head back against her, eyes closed. He took a breath and let it out.
I don’t know. But I do know that we will not go back with our tails between our legs, with our wings trembling. We will go back heads held high and we will show them that they are wrong.

His words stirred something inside her. She barked.
I like that.

In even less time than she had expected, she felt them.
People approach. And he is in the lead.

Good.
Aeron stood and walked along the thin trail in the winter-dried grass.

Terry came running up the hill. “Gods be good,” he gasped. He was out of breath. “You did remember!”

Humor came through the link, though Aeron did not laugh.

A few others trailed after the boy. They stopped much farther back, though, and stared at her and Aeron.

“Of course I remembered,” Aeron said. “I always remember those brave enough to ask about being a dragonlinked.”

She looked at him.
You only just remembered after Willem reminded you.

He didn’t turn to her.
Hush, you. I’m recruiting.

Recruiting?

Yes. It means I am looking for people to join us. I sort of had the idea the last time I was here, actually. Kind of.

Anaya looked at the boy.
He seems a little young. Is there not a minimum age?

Aeron glanced at her that time.
Damn. Good point. I forgot about that.
He turned back to the boy. “Terry, how old are you?”

“Oh, I’m old enough. Fourteen last month.”

Aeron twisted his lips in a partial frown. The look on his face must have upset the boy because she felt indignation from him.

“I am, too, fourteen. I just look young for my age. Here.” He thrust out a paper.

Aeron took it and read it over. “So it seems. Both your parents give their permission for you to apply for dragon craft upon your fourteenth birthing day, Primory 22
nd
, 1875.” He looked up at the boy. “Why would they put the date of your birthing day? When did you get this signed?”

Terry giggled. “Two days after you left.”

Aeron’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve had this for over a year?”

The boy nodded. “Mmm hmm. I have seven brothers and sisters, see. I’m the youngest of the boys. My parents are more than willing to send a few of us off for guild training.” He giggled again. “And I begged them constantly for those two days. They were more than happy to give permission to get me to shut up.”

Aeron, a smile on his face, turned to her.
I
like
him. Our craft guild didn’t even exist a year ago!

She laughed.
He is determined. And, as I said before, he is a good candidate.

Aeron turned back to Terry. “There is one other thing you should know, though. Being a dragonlinked is more than being bonded to a dragon, of flying through the sky with your best friend. We put our lives in danger to protect people. Whether it is fighting nahual, flying during a raging thunderstorm to deliver vaccine, or helping track criminals for days, we do whatever it takes to help where we can. Are you willing to accept that risk?” Aeron raised his hand. “Don’t answer right off.” He leaned forward, met him at eye level. “I’m serious. You could die. Your dragon could die. Think on that.”