The Colorless Land

Chapter 19: A Search Begins

They had planned to leave as soon as possible, but by the time all plans and preparations were made, clear frost had settled on the grass and leaves, glittering in the morning sun. For large parts of the past week Aithal, Saryana, Lisha and the elves had locked themselves in rooms and bent over piles of maps, discussing for hours about safest and fastest roads. Sometimes Evariel joined them; but most of the time he, too, was kept out, and he chose to spend time with Jolette and Edmian instead.

Jolette in particular listened closely to him, because while he was to elves what a nineteen-year-old was to humans, in reality he was almost three hundred years old and held much knowledge the people in Rivertown could never have taught her. Not that he knew anything about the dragons. But what he did know was a great deal about traveling the wild, and she took in everything about it that he had to teach.

"You do know," he remarked once when she and Edmian sat together in the garden, waiting for news of the journey, "that I'm doing this out of spite, right?"

She blinked; the thought had never crossed her mind, though it didn't seem too far out there now that he mentioned it. "Spite?"

"That's right," Evariel replied. "These strange folk—" he gestured vaguely in the direction of the terraces—"think that we're stupid and useless because we haven't come of age yet. So I'm teaching you what I know, so you can surprise them and prove them wrong."

Jolette gave a lopsided grin. She liked the thought; and besides, she added in her head, she was glad to become more useful. For too long she had been little more than the load on this journey. She had promised to be reliable; now it was time for her to learn to deliver.

"Anyway," Evariel continued, "want to learn how to scale a mountain?"

The days passed by. But with every new day Jolette grew more restless, and the thought of her parents, all the villagers grew heavier on her mind. They couldn't lose time here, she felt. Every day they lost now they would regret later.

Then, finally, after a week, in the evening the adults called the party together. "We decided on a route," Aithal declared with a quick glance at Saryana and Lisha, who nodded. "We're leaving at dawn tomorrow. Travel light, pack only what you need. We will not take any more than what we can carry ourselves."

"So leave most of the space in your packs for food and water," Saryana added. "But take warm clothes too. We might not need them in Jadiria, but winter might be over before we even get there."

Jolette's eyes grew round. "We're really going to Jadiria?"

Saryana smiled. "That's right," she said. "Our national archives are our best chance at finding any records of the dragons. Especially if they went overseas."

Lisha looked skeptical at that, but she said nothing. Aithal shifted, looking like he wanted to say something else but knew it was uncomfortable to bring up.

"But on the way there," he said, "I'd like to make a few stops in Firland."

Awkward, stunned silence. There was no need to say anything to know everyone was thinking of the royal reward for Edmian and the pendant.

"I told you," Saryana muttered, "that's a suicide mission—"

"I know it is dangerous," Aithal said, "but the people of Firland were still the last dragon-riders. They were the people who sent the dragons away." He sighed. "Dangerous or not, there must still be more records of the abandonment and past searches than there can be in Jadiria. Would you have us ignore all that?"

"I would if it means not giving up the mission," Saryana replied.

"We can sneak in under their nose. Only Edmian is wanted. If we disguise his hair and skin, they won't recognize us."