“Ready!” Shilayla said eagerly. She still seemed in awe of the dragon-woman.
“We will head east and a little north from here to fly over the Dragon’s Teeth. From there, we follow landmarks known to the Jinn. The journey will take several days, but we will get there. I have foreseen it.” Zallra had a certain look in her dark green eyes that Luc associated with the best of the seers he knew. He had no doubt that Zallra believed in the truth of her visions.
He only hoped she was right. So far, this quest had not quite turned out as he had expected.
“Nevertheless,” Zallra continued, “I have given Lilly a map of the route I had planned, in case something unexpected happens and we get separated for any reason.”
That relieved Luc’s fears somewhat. Seer’s visions were often accurate, but outside forces could sometimes act to thwart something a seer had thought was a near-certainty. Mages, in particular, could change the outcome of future events and bend fate to their will, at times. It was always important to remember that not all visions were absolute destiny. Not when hostile forces wished to change the outcome and had the magic to do so.
Luc found it somewhat awkward, still, between himself and Lilly, as she joined him by Shilayla’s side. They said their formal goodbyes to Hal and Jures then mounted Shilayla’s back in preparation for leaving. Luc watched Zallra shift from woman to dragon then shrug into the loop of a large carryall held open for her by two knights. It went straight around her neck, and she bent and twisted until the bulk of it rode across her shoulders. He wasn’t sure what the dragon-woman might need to carry with her, since her clothing and weapons seemed to go along with her—to be stored somewhere—when she transformed and returned when she retook her human shape. He knew enough about mages not to ask for particulars.
Zallra launched herself off the ledge as soon as she was comfortable, and Shilayla followed close behind. It seemed like most of the Lair’s dragons followed them into the air, trumpeting farewells. A small Honor Guard flew with them for a distance, then dropped away when they hit the river that marked the border between Draconia and the Northlands.
Lilly wasn’t happy with the tension between herself and Luc this morning. She had enjoyed their night together, but she understood, even more now, how easily such an entanglement could break her heart. She’d tried to be cautious, but she knew a tiny piece of her soul would always belong to Luc after this quest was over.
He had proven to be more sensitive than she had expected. She held the knowledge that he had been as deeply affected as she close to her heart. At least she hadn’t been just another notch on his bedpost, though that was cold consolation.
She tried to shrug it off, but things were definitely awkward between them. It was better once they were aloft. Less chance to talk and wonders to see of a strange land she had only heard of in tales prior to this. She had never seen this side of the mountains and had only rarely traveled to where she could see them at all.
They set out with an Honor Guard of dragons who melted away when they crossed the great River Arundelle. Lily was making note of all she saw to report back to Alric. His maps were good, but now that she’d been to this part of Draconia and the Northlands, she could fill in more detail. With any luck, Alric would find good allies in the dragons and knights, but that sort of thing would be decided by the exchange of diplomats, not a warrior like her. She was glad, though, that she could at least point them in the right direction. Maybe being blown off course would prove to be a boon, after all.
If they could arrive back in her homeland in time to prevent catastrophe.
Zallra was leading them and pushed on into the foothills of the Dragon’s Teeth before finally beginning to descend. It was past time for the midday meal, and although Lilly had eaten one of the muffins, she was hungry for a more substantial meal on the ground. Luc seemed to feel the same way, dismounting quickly and unpacking some of their provisions. They would not pause long enough to build a fire, but the thick bread and sliced cooked meat went a long way toward filling her grumbling stomach.
They didn’t speak much, and Zallra stayed in dragon form. She led Shilayla to a nearby stream where both dragons drank their fill as they rested their wings for a few minutes. Luc and Lilly ate quietly, then he repacked the bag, lighter now but still full enough for the days to come. When Shilayla was ready, he stowed the bag on her new harness, and they remounted.
Luc turned to offer Lilly a hand up, but she had already clambered up behind him. She held to the specially-tailored ropes on either side of the new harness that was built to hold two riders. It meant she didn’t have to push up against Luc as she had before. She didn’t have to hold onto his waist or press herself against his strong back.
She missed the closeness, but she knew, after last night, that the temptation of his touch was too much to risk. She could so easily fall all the way in love with him, and then, where would she be? Broken-hearted at the end of her quest, with only memories of a love that could never be.
They flew higher and higher as the day wore on. The air grew much colder and thinner. Lilly was glad of the additional furs the fair folk had given to her before they’d left the Veil. She snuggled deeper into them, allowing the brim of her cap to shield her eyes from the worst of the wind as she saw the mountaintops they were beginning to cross close-up for the first time.
The view was spectacular. Rugged stone mountains with insurmountable crags and deep ravines. Only the occasional mountain goat lived in these places, and the brave predators that could hunt this high up on such lethal terrain. As they moved northward, the peaks began to show the white of snow.
“See the pass?” Zallra said into all of their minds. Lilly could just make out a break between two of the larger mountains that had a flat area and what looked like a very crude road snaking between. “We make for the Jinn road that straddles the Dragon’s Teeth. There, we will find places to camp that are relatively safe.”
That was news to Lilly. She’d had no idea that anyone traversed the mountains in this area. She’d thought if anyone traveled through them, it would be farther south, where the climate was a bit warmer. Of course, the Jinn were said to be amazing outdoorsmen—precise trackers and experts at survival, among other things. If anyone could find a way through these craggy mountains, it would be the mysterious Jinn.
Zallra started angling toward the pass between the two high mountain peaks. She was smaller than Shilayla and could fly lower inside the V formed by the mountains. Shilayla kept the high ground, following lower on the other side of the pass when they saw Zallra flying even lower, going in for a landing on a wide spot just on the other side of the pass. Technically, the wide ledge was still in the shelter of the pass itself, Lilly realized as Shilayla flew through then circled back to catch up with Zallra. She landed with some difficulty, navigating the strong air currents funneled through the break in the mountains with skill, to bring them down safely in the wide spot carved out of the mountain on the southern side of the pass.
The winds decreased here, the natural shelter of the wide crag in the mountain face providing some shelter from the worst of the winds. There were signs that this area was used habitually as a camping place. A firepit was located off to one side, closer to the rock face, and now that she was on the ground, Lilly could see the marks of a roadway, of sorts, that would support wagons.