*Book 1 in the DragonKin series*
Vada and her siblings spend their days carving out a living in the Rystwith Mountain village of Riska. Together they live as outcasts in a small two-story hut just outside the lowland village centre, cast out due to...
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After her business with Oshi was complete, Vada led the way out of Riska and down the valley to the small cabin she and her siblings called home. The rickety old building sat on the very edge of Riska's land and kept the siblings well out of the way of other villagers.
As Vada and Vin walked down the dirt road towards the small homestead, they could see a fire pit in the front garden had already been lit, guiding them through the night.
'I told them to wait for me,' Vada mumbled with a low groan.
Smoke rose steadily into the heavens, from within the house two figures emerged. They moved about busily, carrying things back and forth and occasionally stopping to stoke the fire.
'They hardly remember him you know,' Vada all but whispered in the darkness.
Vin struggled to maintain his composure upon hearing the layers of pain and exhaustion in her voice. Only just seventeen, the world was heavy upon her shoulders. He looked down at Vada as they walked, then allowed his gaze to drift down the road once again. He had always been amazed by how much they'd accomplished, they were children after all.
'I had to fight to be here tonight, but I couldn't miss the tenth anniversary of his death.' Vin confided. He felt as though his heart swelled in his chest as memories of his best friend flooded his mind.
One of the figures began setting up chairs by the fireside while the other was laying flowers and food out on a table. They were much easier to make out now as Vada and Vin were within shouting distance.
'He was the man that cursed the dragons, I'm not surprised they didn't want you here.' Vada replied bitterly, her face contorting with anger.
'I've never believed that, and many of the other guards feel the same.' Vin replied with a long heavy sigh and a deeply ingrained frown.
'Have the priests come up with any more crazy idea's to wake the Dragons lately?' Vada responded.
'I'm not privy to their schemes but the latest High Priest is very odd, so was his appointment,' Vin muttered, feeling suddenly paranoid and wary of being overheard despite the nearest cluster of huts being a fifteen-minute, uphill walk away.
In front of the Pyrite hut, Cas began waving his arms in the air frantically 'Vada, is that you?' he called out squinting into the darkness beyond the fire.
Dani stopped preparing her table and turned to follow his gaze.
'Better hurry up,' Vada mumbled, stomping on ahead of Vin.
Vin, however, took a moment to pause and reflect. He watched as Cas raced up the hill with amazing speed to meet his big sister, he said something and they both laughed. Vada had looked much older only moments ago, when she was wrapped up with thoughts of her father and his ill fate. It was a relief to Vin that she hadn't let their circumstances poison her heart of all its happiness.
