The Boon of Alon

CHAPTER TWELVE

I don't have to hustle to get back up to the archive today, since it's a rest day, nor do I want to hurry up to face Suthi again. But I don't want to waste Yrite's time, either, especially because I do end up needing more oil. Fortunately, as I hoped, most of the riders and other dragons have cleared out—Iamon included—so I have a straight shot to jog back to the shed to get it. Erno is walking by the shed when I get there, and he watches me as he passes with a very carefully neutral expression.

"Erno." I hook my bucket onto the tap. "I'm sorry about yesterday. That was... you didn't deserve that."

That's all it takes; he stops and beams. "Apology accepted, Della. How's Yrite?"

"Good, I think. How old is he?"

Erno shrugs. "Ancient. Take a second to watch him fly when you're done, though—he's still got it."

"I will." I toss him a grin. "Oh—I should tell you—you probably figured this out, but Suthi is—was?—a rebel, so..."

"Yeah, I figured. I don't think she knows who I am, but I'll be careful." He gives me a thumbs up and heads back uphill. Good. I promised not to tell, but it's more important that Erno's aware of the threat, and... Suthi kind of said it herself anyway.

I hurry back with my oil to finish up. On my way up the stairs after, I pause like Erno said, and turn; I'm just in time to catch Yrite, slow as he was while I oiled him, erupt into movement. He bounds along the lake like the ground is a springboard and leaps into the sky, as light as a songbird. I watch him soar away into the mountains for a moment before I pick my way up the rest of the stairs.

I get back to the monastery in time to see Tack introducing Suthi to Erno out front. I hang back by the gate to watch; Tack leaves shortly, and Erno gives me a small nod before he gestures for Suthi to follow him—giving her the tour, I'd guess. That gives me some safely Suthi-free time. She glances towards me before she goes, but I don't meet her eyes; I probably should apologize, like Rev suggested, but I can't help but feel like she owes me one, too.

I want a nap, badly—the beginnings of a headache are pressing at my temples—but the tour is going to take Suthi through the dorm. She's already seen the archive, so that's a safer bet, and I wanted to do some reading anyway. If Alinora left any journals, I'll find them.

The archive is full of magelights that brighten whenever someone's near, but I'm seriously considering trying to dim them with a spell as I flip through the section catalog. The light is glaring and my head throbs as I set off for the sections reserved for rider accounts. I have a bit of a bleary wander through the area before I figure out that it's organized by time period as well as alphabetically, and from there I'm able to narrow it down to a section, a shelf, a handful of mismatched journals.

The good news is that Alinora left a journal—a couple, actually; the bad news is that the words seem to swim before my eyes when I open the first one. My head feels like it's being sat on by a dragon and the lights overhead feel like an attack. I blink and squint, trying to make out at least the date on the page in front of me; the first journal starts some forty years ago.

Okay. This is going to be miserable. I sit cross-legged on the floor and force myself through the first few pages, wherein Alinora arrived at the monastery, before she'd even met any dragons. She wasn't very wordy, but there's enough there that I can guess things weren't much different back then.

I read a single page three times before I give up for the moment and flop my head back against the journals behind me. The lights are less offensive if I close my eyes. It's not quite comfortable enough for me to fall asleep, but if I keep my eyes closed and breathe steadily I can get the headache under control.