“The Jinn Road,” Zallra said, transformed to her human shape as she came up beside Lilly. “It winds all around the lands. Its entirety is known only to my people, though in places it is actually part of the larger road systems of many lands. Still, in the wild places like this, we are probably the only ones who use it regularly.”
“I had no idea,” Lilly said, turning to regard the dragon-woman. “I have never had any dealings with the Jinn.”
Zallra smiled at her. “You are young yet. But we know of your father. He is known to be a good man and friend to the Jinn.”
“My father?” Lilly was surprised.
“The Armsmaster of Tivol Bay is well respected among our warriors. Indeed, he has trained some of them.”
“You’re kidding,” Lilly replied, shocked by the idea that Jinn warriors had been in her father’s school without her realizing it. “You know I taught in my father’s hall,” she said, wondering if she’d known any Jinn warriors without realizing it.
Zallra’s smile widened. “Did you know a youngster called Levi? And his sister, Jayne?”
Lilly remembered the teenage siblings who had come to her father’s hall to learn the fighting arts. They had lived in the hall, working with the staff who kept the hall running smoothly to pay for their training. Lilly’s father took in a few youngsters like that each season. Some stayed for just the season, and some stayed for years. Levi and Jayne had both been very promising warriors, even at their young ages, and had still been living in the hall when Lilly left for her new position with King Alric.
“I knew them both. Last I heard, they were still at the hall with Father,” Lilly replied.
“They are there still, to my knowledge. A sad case.” Zallra shook her head slightly as her eyes sought the distance. “Their parents were killed, and their grandfather, Toliver, is too old to look after them properly, but he was a friend of your father in years past. I believe they fought together in the old King’s army. Toliver asked your father to take on the training of his grandchildren, and your father agreed, which was a blessing to Toliver and his Clan, which is small and far-flung. If your father had not taken them on, one of the other Clans would have taken them in, but that would have meant traveling far from their home and grandfather. This solution means they are well cared for and able to see their grandfather any time they wish.”
“Old Guard Captain Toliver?” Lilly looked at Zallra in surprise. “I know him. I used to visit him with my father when I was little. I had no idea he was Jinn.”
Zallra was nodding. “One of our number who has chosen to live in one place and serve one King. Some do. But the ties to the Clans are strong. We do not forget our brethren. Nor do they forget us. Toliver has long been a source of information from your land to the Clans. And, through your father, he was also able to pass information from the Clans to the old King.”
Lilly was surprised by the flow of information she’d had no idea existed. A thought occurred to her. “Does Alric have anyone like that now?”
Zallra shook her head. “That is why I must meet with your liege,” she admitted. “Normally, we try to establish covert communications. Sometimes, it takes years to build that kind of relationship, but right now, we don’t have the time to spare. King Alric has posed an especially difficult case because of his isolation. None of the Clans have been able to get close enough to him to talk with him in private. There always seems to be someone watching him.”
Lilly felt a pang of compassion for her liege lord. “Because he cannot watch over himself, milady,” she said softly. “Being blind has limited Alric in more ways than you can imagine. We, who are in charge of his safety, can never let down our guard. To lose Alric would be devastating for his kingdom. He is a good and just ruler, with a sharp mind and quick wits, but his affliction means he is in constant danger from things he cannot see.”
Zallra’s lips formed a tight line. “I have great sympathy for your King, but it has made matters difficult for the Jinn to not be able to approach him indirectly. Of course,” Zallra sighed and shook her head, “the time for Jinn secrecy is coming to an end. Now that we have our Queen and many of our folk are settling down in Draconia, we are becoming less mysterious. It’s a hard adjustment for some of us who are so used to living in the shadows.”
“Like you, you mean?” Lilly challenged the other woman. “I suspect the secret about black dragons is well and truly out now, is it not?”
Zallra nodded, giving Lilly a small grin. “For centuries, the black dragons have lived in secret among the Jinn and the ruling family of Draconia. Only the other dragons knew of our existence. But now, things are changing, and we have to be ready to meet the threat to the stability of our world. Those who seek to breach the Citadel must be stopped and no effort spared to prevent them from reaching their goal.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Luc said, coming up beside them. Lilly looked around and realized he’d removed Shilayla’s harness and had begun setting up camp while the women had been talking.
Lilly heard a tremendous crack and realized Shilayla had what looked like the trunk of a dead tree between her talons and was crunching it up like so much stale bread. She was careful to make foot-long lengths and stacked them neatly against the rock wall.
“Thank you Shilayla,” Zallra said, waving at the white dragon. “The Jinn who come here next will be glad of your assistance in chopping up that firewood. Those of us who travel the Jinn road always try to leave a campsite in better shape than we found it.”
“Is that where the log came from in the first place?” Lilly asked, intrigued as they walked toward the packs and Luc began setting newly made firewood in the pit.
Zallra nodded. “I have no doubt that some previous Jinn traveler either found it on the trail or purposely brought that log with them to leave here. It was probably green when it was left and has had time to season enough for burning. Others may have used it as a bench while it was still too green.” She shrugged. “Once it was good for burning, though, it would be fair game for anyone willing to chop it up. Lady Shilayla has saved us the hard labor of that exercise.” Zallra bowed her head in the dragon’s direction briefly as she smiled. “I will fly out later and see if there’s anything useful I can scavenge off the slopes that we can leave behind when we go.”
“I would help if I could. Perhaps, I could forage on foot?” Lilly offered.
Zallra shook her head. “Anything useful within walking distance is probably already here, but it is kind of you to offer. Water is back here, by the way,” she said, walking toward a small cleft in the rock face. “See how it trickles from above? And feel how cold it is?” She put her hand in the little rivulet of water sliding down the smooth rock face. “It comes from the snow higher up on the mountain and is safe to drink. Generations of Jinn have been using this. If we bring our pot over now, we can collect enough to make tea, or soup, or perhaps both, later.”
Lilly went over to the packs to retrieve the cookpot they had brought with them, then spent the rest of the later afternoon helping to set up the camp they would use for the night. Luc and Shilayla worked on the fire while Zallra taught Lilly the Jinn way of doing things. Lilly had thought she’d been a fairly decent outdoorsman, but the Jinn seemed to have tricks she’d never heard of for placing a campsite just so.