The Dragon's Rogue

Chapter 1

A note to those who might not have read the book's description. This is the second of the Amber Aerie Dragons series. I recommend reading The Dragon's Slave before this one.

This book is  in rough draft and written in first person, but stars a new heroine 'Lis' and a new Dragon Lord. I fully intend to change the books to third person in their second drafts but I wanted to continue with the same tone as I established in Dragon's Slave.

Finally I want to thank every one of you who read through The Dragon's Slave and encouraged me to write farther in this world. I do hope that you enjoy Lis's story as much as you did Gayriel's!

I walked with purpose along the rutted dirt trail. All around it lay smooth stretches of flattened grass and the remains of a few trees cut for the good of the pack. Temporary canvas structures popped up around me, a veritable city that could never replace the security of an aerie. It hadn't taken long for this 'temporary' camp to leave itself a permanent impression on the forest; my feet sank at least half an inch lower than the surrounding ground.

And measurements and bemoaning natures defoliation was not going to help me with my task. Someone called a greeting, but I kept going. Ignoring the words, as I usually would, in the hope that they would assume I simply had not heard.

It was getting late, the sun long ago shed its last rays to the leaves and now the trail of after-light dwindled as well. I propped the jug I carried on one hip and paused outside of the tent that was my goal. The clay was cold from the moisture within, even through the simple layer of brown cloth that hugged my waist.

My lip twisted downward. Why mother always bemoaned the color I didn't know. It was readily available, hardly showed any stains from the grease or lantern oil I worked with, and it was much easier to camouflage in. And given my pack's tenuous position that was a good thing.

Only four months had passed since my people were chased from the Onyx Aerie, the home of the Dragon Lords, and nothing good had come from the arrangement. For either race. Plus I had left all my equipment as we fled, and I missed it.

Blasted arrogant dragons. Always and only thinking of themselves. My people had been reduced to a much lower state than they deserved long before the disaster at the Aerie. And now I needed one.

The thoughts were pressing forward emotions that I would rather leave tamped down. Especially dealing with the enemy.

The canvas door moved easily between beneath the pressure of my hand. A shock of white against the deep brown of the material. So much for camouflage. I stood out in the forest like the moon against the black sky. One couldn't get much paler. But who was I to bemoan what nature had given me?

"Hey, Lis, no one is allowed in the captive's tent," Thornic protested when I stepped inside.

Despite the falling dusk in the camp the tent's interior was well lit, and I noted, with pride, several of my specially designed lanterns hanging along the tent's supports, burning brightly. The mixture of distilled Ephac sap and oil from the fleshy Yester vines was one of my greatest discoveries. Fuel that not only lasted longer, but burned brighter than the other oils commonly in use. And the ingredients were readily available in the forest, though distilling was difficult without my equipment.

I frowned at the second memory of the past that had invaded in such a short time.

"I am sorry Lis, Alpha's rules," Thornic explained, obviously thinking that my frown was for him. No matter, it was time to act anyway. And if no one else would, then the responsibility fell to me. I am coming for you Adda.