WREN Book Three Prince of Dragons

A turning tide

Once we were high enough, we regrouped. Baram went ahead with Flynn, Trace and Zelzada to scout for a place we could land. We had a few things we needed to figure out. For me, the first was the angry energy I was sensing from the dragon beside me. Bran was still injured. Wics rode behind him helping to keep him upon his Nuare's cloud like form. As I watched the injured twin, he seemed to sleep most of the way.

However, his Nuare was actively blocking me. I didn't press the issue. We were all still grieving our recent loss. Attroxia had been especially close to the flower dragon. I recalled how Lily would often make flower crowns for us. If any one else did, Attroxia took it off. He only wore Lily's. I sighed. Maybe I had been harsh on the dragon. He was my paranuare, which meant a lot to me. But his own Nuare was injured! How could he have chosen to stay at my side instead of going with his chosen bond mate?

'You see only the bond, not the feelings each hold.' Gently Tanwen invaded my morning musings.

'Please explain?' I asked. She chuckled under me.

'Attroxia has fought many a battle with Bran. Do you not think he doesn't care for the rider?' she asked.

'No, that wasn't what I thought!' she knew this. Her mental laugh wrapped around me.

'He knows Bran's limits. He knows when his Nuare needs him. We all do.' She pointed out. She didn't go on to enlighten me further. I frowned. Just what did that mean?

She left me to ponder this out on my own. I was still at a loss. Of course I still hadn't eaten this day, so my empty stomach was a distraction. I felt myself dozing as we flew over rocky terrain. It was as the sun was reaching it pinnacle in the sky, that Baram sent word back of a possible place we could set up camp. Tanwen's light touch in my mind brought me to full alert.

We found the scouting party near a lake that looked to be cut out of a deep crater. The trees were pushed far enough back that there was plenty of room for the dragons to land. I held Tanwen back. I could tell she was growing slightly tired from the longer flight, but she remained in the sky.

We watched over the group as they landed. My eyes taking in everything around them. I didn't see anything wrong with them, but something felt off about this place. I couldn't put my finger on it. It felt like we shouldn't be here. Tanwen shivered as she caught the feeling from me. Her own eyes scanned the land.

Yuri swung up beside me. We glanced at each other. Her grey eyes swung towards me. I saw the shimmering glow, even in the day light, she was connected to the queen under her, they were sharing each other's sight. Yuri shook her head. Although she felt the wrongness of this place, she couldn't detect a reason why it was wrong.

Together we stayed in the air until all the others landed. I tightened my knees as Tanwen started her decline. She swooped over the land, circling as she came in. Still we couldn't see a thing out of place. Her talons touched the ground. Before I could dismount, I lifted my head up toward the sky we had just left.

It was a cloudless blue sea above us. Nothing ominous hung there. Yet, this feeling... I shook myself as I lifted my tired body up from the spot between her shoulder blades. My foot slipped slightly as I shifted to climb down her side. I don't know if it was due to my hunger, the pain of loss or just sheer luck, but I fell.

I tumbled over myself as I rolled down my Nuare's side. Landing mostly on my back, I was peering up at the sky once more. It was blocked out by a heavy head. His dark scraggly bearded face smirked as he looked me over.

"That was the way not to get off of your mount." Caryan noted.

"When did you shave last?" I demanded. It was rude, I know, but my pride was hurt.