AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That was a ‘What?’” Halaflora said.
The Copper smelled Nilrasha lurking somewhere. He suspected she was slipping around the side of the palace, next to the stairs.
“It is a great war,” the bronze said. “We win battles.”
“I’m happy for you, then. I’ll welcome any dragon who wishes to come in friendship, parley, and leave in peace. Leave your men at home, though. It’s bad manners to bring armed men into a free dragon’s home.”>“No, I’m truly glad. The Firemaidens said that if you were dead, they’d throw me off the bridge.”
“Ten lengths ago I would have told them to do it. I’m too tired now.”
“Didn’t you hear me shout? I wanted to take it off and make sure the leather strap was holding. It’s meant to be permanently fixed with steel pins.”
Rayg worked on his model for a few more days, and was extra diligent at the bridge as well. They went through a few more practice glides, and the Copper flew back and forth and did turns under the bridge—with the harness tied around his limbs and a long, long line leading back to the bridge, just in case.
But in the end, he flew. He knew he didn’t fly well; nor could he do any of the fancy maneuvers he’d seen some of the dragons flying over the Imperial Resort perform for the sheer joy of it, but the ability made him feel complete, perhaps for the first time in his life.
And it hurt to know that Halaflora wasn’t up to it.
After showing his mate, he demonstrated his wings to Nilrasha. Her wings had come in some months ago, but he’d purposely kept away so he wouldn’t have to watch her fly. It didn’t help that Halaflora described the occasion in excruciating detail, full of praise for how natural and well formed she looked in the air.
“Oh, it’s a miracle, your honor. The Spirits are rewarding you at last.”
“You don’t have to call me your honor, Rasha. Not when we’re alone.”
“I like formalities. It’s so easy to hide behind them. If you offered to take me up, I’d say yes. You know that.”
“Take you up?”
“You know. Mate.”
“Nilrasha, my mate is above in the palace.”
“Oh, we wouldn’t have to fly out together, silly. Go out separately, and meet where she couldn’t see.”
The Copper felt bar-struck. “I meant a dragon should just have his mate.”
“So we are never to…I thought you just mated with Halafora to make the line happy.”
“Yes, but it doesn’t make the mating anything less for that. She’s been kind to me.”
“And you to her. Too kind. Do you ever—”
“I don’t want to talk about that. You’ve got the wrong idea about me if you think I could—”
“Could? Do you have another injury I’m unaware of?”
He rattled his griff. “Would, then. No. Not while Halafora lives. I’ve pledged myself to her, and that’s an end to it.”
“But do you still love me, RuGaard?”
He couldn’t answer that. If he did, he’d never be able to look at Halafora across a feast again. He turned tail and left the Firemaid’s cold, chaste quarters.
Chapter 24
He told FeLissarath and his mate that as soon as the bridge was completed and he could turn his attentions to Anaea, they would be free to leave.
“The odd thing is, I don’t think we want to go,” FeLissarath said. “The hunting is good, and we have friends here among the humans and condors. Perhaps we’ll leave the palace to you and set up somewhere in the mountains. A little cave. Really rough it, like young, wild dragons of the north first mated.”
His mate looked at him and she loosed a prrum.
