Scales and Talons

Chapter 9

A cold breeze, filled with the smell of blood and battle, reached his nostrils. It had been reaching him for days, coming from different directions. It told the old soul that war had broken out in his country. A guilty knot tightened in his stomach. It was his fault. If he had succeeded in his mission, there would have been no fighting around him. The bloodshed would not have happened because they would have been prepared.

Naxton lay motionless against the clay wall of what he now called his home. It was a small cave on the edge of a water source, just big enough to cover most of Naxton's shiny scales and hide him from the sky.

His fall from the sky had left his body broken and bleeding. It had taken him over three days to get up from where he had landed and drag himself to safety. Across the frozen land he had left a trail of blood to a small lake of meltwater from the mountains. His wings were now useless, and without magical assistance he knew he would never be able to use them fully again.

His injuries had slowed him down considerably, and it took several days for Naxton to reach safety. Just in time for the battles to erupt around him. Too weak to open his eyes now, only the scents the wind brought him still gave him information about the outside world. And it not only left him outwardly broken, it made his heart bleed. It made him give up.

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Roan could say that he had got the hang of his body. At least the running and hunting part. His blue friend, who he now called Sarah, seemed to be adapting a little as well. It had been two days since they had met, but Roan could already feel a natural bond between himself and the quirky female. 

She had piqued his interest. It was clear that she was from another land, but here her temper and misplaced pride made her all the more amusing to Roan. He could say they had warmed to each other after their first unsuccessful hunting session. In fact, the snarky comments they threw at each other made him remember his friends. It was strange to remember his friends when he was in such a different situation from his castle life.

Roan was brought out of his thoughts as the woman behind him began to speak. "So tell me, you said we are looking for a person who is probably alive and willing to help us. But do you really know where you are leading us? Because I am sure we have taken a right turn 4 times now." There was a hint of criticism in her voice, showing Roan how comfortable they had become with each other. Criticism for a prince, if she only knew.

"Out of this forest." He noted as he leapt down a log. Roan had to admit he had no idea where he was, but his tutor had always told him: "If you get lost, my prince, trust the flow of the water. It will always take you to the nearest village." So Roan senselessly followed the river to lead them out of the forest (and hopefully not to a village first).

"OK, smart stuff, but I mean, do you know where this 'friend' of yours is?" Sarah was clearly not satisfied with his answer. Again, Roan couldn't miss the judgement in her voice. It annoyed him as much as it amused him. "Well, I am looking for him, am I not? He must be somewhere between here and Fort Lian. He can't be too hard to find..."

The last part came in a whisper. Roan knew how difficult it was to find Naxton. After all, he had failed in his first attempt. For all he knew he was not even in this area. What if he was caught and taken away? Roan shook his head at the thought. He could not fall down the rabbit hole of what ifs. Naxton had to be out there, he had to be alive and helping them. If not, Roan would lose his family, his home and his identity forever.

"Between here and Fort Lian," Sarah mused. "Sorry, but as you know, I am not from here. So where exactly is Fort Lian?"

Roan did not know. The nearest high mountains to Fort Lian were the Northen Mountains. He thought he had been taken there, but that would mean... at least between 150 to 400 miles separated them from Lian, depending on what area they were in. "It's somewhere to the south of here, but these trees block out all the sun so I can't really see where the south is. So we have to get out of the forest first."