The Craftsmaster Aerethel glared at the bucket used for relieving themselves with disgust. There wasn’t even a privacy curtain for using the bucket. The makeshift toilet had been fine for the first day, but they were now on day 3, and it was overflowing, and the morning meeting with King Gethadar had been postponed until tomorrow. She turned her head away, the bucket was a serious problem, something more permanent needed to be arranged. “If the bucket is full, just dump it in the lagoon,” Tarkan shouted from across the cavern. The boys stood facing the wall on the other side of the cave, but that only helped a little. The bucket was still a humiliation, and disgusting. “You can’t do that,” replied Aerethel shaking her head and walking away from the bucket. “Why?” shouted Tarkan. “I’m not going to shout across the cave,” replied Aerethel. “You can come back to the fire, I’m done.” The boys took a tentative peek over their shoulders before turning around and returning to the campfire. “So, why can’t we empty the bucket in the lagoon?” Tarkan asked again. Aerethel picked her cloak up and threw it around her shoulders. “The lagoon is a delicate balance of water pressure pushing up and air pressure pushing down. It’s why the cave doesn’t flood, but that also means anything we throw in the lagoon is going to just float around in circles. We’d contaminate our only supply of drinking water.” “But, you said the water is already contaminated?” replied Tarkan. “It is, that blue glow is either some kind of unknown plant or bug too small to see, and could be dangerous to consume, but let’s not add to the problem by turning the lagoon into a toilet. Keep boiling the water for at least ten minutes before drinking.” Aerethel fastened the cloak around her neck, and waved a hand. “I’m taking a walk.” “Are you going to check on Jargal?” asked Deya. “I’m going to go find us better accommodations.” Arban looked up from the boot knife he was sharpening. “That will be an interesting trick, I had every dragon in this place chasing me for taking a walk.” “They aren’t stupid, cousin,” replied Aerethel. “They knew you were spying.” Arban held a finger up. “Alleged spying,” he countered with a grin. “Find me a room with a bath full of hot water,” added Deya as he lay down next to the fire for a nap. It had been a long night preparing for the meeting that was now postponed until tomorrow. “I’ll see what I can do.” Aerethel headed towards the guard dragon blocking the entrance. Since last night when Arban had taken his midnight walk and eluded capture by the dragons, the guard dragon now coiled itself in the entranceway to block the exit. The dragons wanted to ensure whomever it was last night that had somehow snuck past them, they wouldn’t do it again. Aerethel was fairly certain they knew it was Arban, but they had no proof. It wasn’t like Arban had introduced himself as the Spymaster. Arban sometimes used the title, Special Counsel to the Buzaj Deya, but more often as, ‘I’m Deya’s cousin. I help out around the castle’. The dragon’s eyes glowed as she approached, presumably to be intimidating. Dragon eyes only glowed when they were using their long-range and night vision. There was no reason for the dragon to put on a show just for her, other than the dragon had been embarrassed that Arban had snuck past him and was now angry. “I’m going for a walk,” declared Aerethel in the Wyra tongue. “My rider will escort you to the hospital to visit your companion.” “I’m not going to the hospital.” “You are not permitted to wander around the caverns.” Aerethel kept her expression neutral, it would do no good to lose her already on edge temper. “This chamber is more suited for cold-food storage than people, and sharing a toilet bucket with four boys is unacceptable. If you want to keep the fairytale alive that we are only guests, I demand appropriate accommodations.” The dragon unwound its coils until a space appeared to the tunnel beyond. The dragon’s rider sat on the ground against the opposite wall repairing a saddle. “It’s not a good idea to demand anything from a dragon,” said the big Wyra man. Aerethel slipped past the dragon and stared down at the man. He wore a leather jerkin and breeches, though his lower leg coverings were absent. She tried not to look at his exposed calves – he obviously spent a great deal of time running like Ka did in the mornings. He was a young man, with only the beginnings of a scraggly beard. Next to him on the ground was an open pouch and leather-working tools haphazardly dumped in a pile. In his hands he held two threaded needles, but from the position he held the needles, it was also obvious he had very little skill with working leather. “You’re doing that all wrong,” said Aerethel. “I’m Jonaseth.” The Wyra man held the needles up. “You’re welcome to take over, I’ve never been good at leather work.” Aerethel frowned and knelt next to the saddle. She hadn’t intended to make it sound like she was volunteering, but after implying she knew better, how could she not? She took the needles and spent a full two minutes untangling the horrifying knot he’d created, then pulled the thread completely out of the section he’d been working on – good work placed on top of bad work was still bad work. It was better to start over and do it right. She looped the thread over her fingers on both hands and began, both needles moving as quickly as if her hands had been a machine – left to right, right to left, in perfect synchronicity – her fingers pulling the thread into tight stitches. She reached the end of the damaged seam, then backstitched precisely twenty-four stitches before snipping the two thread ends off. She handed the needles back to the man. “Are you a Leathermaster? That was brilliant work.” “I’m a Craftsmaster,” replied Aerethel. “I don’t know what that means,” said Jonaseth. “You have to have a Masters rating in three trade crafts, and be trade merchant qualified in five additional labor crafts to be a Craftsmaster.” Jonaseth shook his head. “You seem young to have so many Master ratings.” Aerethel rose from the ground in one fluid motion while brushing the dust from her knees. “I’m half-Wyra, I couldn’t go to normal school, or parties and dances like other Anse girls. I worked in my mother’s Crafts Hall every day for up to sixteen hours a day since I could walk.” Jonaseth began gathering his leather tools and shoving them back into the storage pouch. He tied the bag carefully before returning it to one of the saddle bags. “I would think the boys at least would be knocking down the door to get a glimpse of the exceptionally beautiful and mysterious Wyra girl.” Aerethel narrowed her eyes slightly. Was he flirting with her? She studied his face carefully. No, there was nothing there. Half Anse or not, she was still the daughter of a gold rider, and a green rider wouldn’t be so bold. “The Anse boys think I’m ugly,” replied Aerethel. Jonaseth lifted the saddle and threw it over the dragon’s back. “Then the Anse boys are daft in the head to not see such a beautiful desert flower. Nobody can argue that Anse girls aren’t beautiful, but also far too fragile to be much use. Mix the beauty of the Anse girl with the strength of a Wyra, and you have something very special. Though, you are the most petite Wyra girl I’ve ever seen. But, surely there must be one boy somewhere that has his eye on you.” Aerethel grinned. “Nobody has ever accused me of being petite, I’m bigger than an full-grown Anse man.” “Well, they aren’t much use either, we never imagined some cold water would harm your companion so badly. A dip in an icy river is nothing more than a Saturday morning bath for us.” Jonaseth shook his head. “So, no boys, huh?” Aerethel’s eyes flicked to the cavern where the boys were sitting around the fire. “There is one… but…” Jonaseth followed her gaze and smiled. “Ah, I see. Kanath has a taste for fine clothes, fine food, and of late, was beginning to notice girls before he decided to wander off into the desert. There always seemed to be a group of girls following him around. If anyone would spot a perfect diamond, it would be Kanath.” “He’s too young,” said Aerethel. “He’s too young, today,” replied Jonaseth. “But in a few years, he will be a man, and you will be a strong mature Wyra woman, and that is exactly what a Wyra man looks for. My wife is four years older than me.” “You’re married?” asked Aerethel somewhat startled and feeling foolish that she had thought he was flirting with her. “Yes, and there’s a little one on the way. We already have a dragon picked out for him. The little snipper follows her everywhere, and even sleeps with his head against her so he can hear his future rider.” “I thought riders were all orphans?” “No, not exactly orphans. Half are given to us by the Wyra tribes, and half are born in the city. It keeps the bloodlines strong. Kanath is a wild Wyrling, which explains his fierce independence and ability to survive and thrive on his own. City born Wyrlings are a bit more dependent and prefer to stay close to the clan.” Aerethel liked Jonaseth. He was tall, like her father, but much younger, of course. He had that feel of a big brother now that she understood him. She fidgeted a little as she made a decision about something. “I’ll tell you a secret… well, it’s not really a secret, but… my uncle, the Maharah, wants to send a proposal to King Gethadar to arrange a marriage between me and Ka.” “Oh? Replied Jonaseth. “Those are fairly rare these days, but you are a member of the Royal Adar Clan, so it wouldn’t be unheard of. How do you feel about it? Aerethel shrugged. “It isn’t like I have a lot of options, and I like Ka, but I have responsibilities here, so I can’t go live in the Dragon City. Ka would have to stay here, but honestly, after the death of Balanath, I don’t think he wants to go home.” The dragon’s head whipped around and a glance between the dragon and Jonaseth immediately concerned Aerethel. “What did you say?” asked the dragon abruptly. Aerethel glanced between the dragon and rider. “Didn’t you know about Balanath?” The dragon’s coils lifted again to block the door, only this time his head was on this side. Aerethel felt a moment of panic being cut off from the boys. “We know something happened, but we don’t know what,” replied Jonaseth. “Maybe you should talk with Ka.” Jonaseth gave her a calming smile. “We will need to hear everyone’s side of the story, this is very serious.” Aerethel shook her head. “I wasn’t at the front of the caravan when they found Ka.” “Tell us what you do know,” prompted the dragon. “Start at the beginning.” Aerethel shifted uncomfortably on her feet, it would be better if they just asked Ka, or maybe even Deya about what happened that day. Jonaseth placed a hand on her shoulder. “We understand you weren’t a first-hand witness, but when we put all the statements together, it will paint the whole picture.” Aerethel sighed. “We got an early start that morning and were just entering a canyon when the alarm was sounded. I saw the Rock Dragons up on the ridge, a lot of them – we had accidently wandered into their lair. Then a runner was sent back to get me. He said they’d found a Sand Rider and needed an interpreter. I ran to the front of the caravan, and that’s when I saw Ka for the first time. He was on his knees clutching his claw-bar in his hand. He was covered in blood, and on the ground around him were four dead Rock Dragons. I couldn’t imagine fighting even one of those beasts, but he had fought an entire pack of them.” “Wait,” Jonaseth held up a hand. “You said you had just entered a canyon. Was Ka inside, or outside the canyon?” “He was inside the canyon. Why?” Jonaseth turned to his dragon. “There’s the missing clue, there were two battle sites, Kanath’s battle inside the canyon, and Balanath’s battle outside on the trail. The Anse’s caravan trampled over Kanaths’s battle site and destroyed the evidence we needed.” Aerethel shook her head in confusion. “What’s going on?” “We can’t tell you everything, yet, because we left Dragon City six months ago to search for Kanath before… before matters were completely settled,” replied Jonaseth. “But, I can tell you that when we departed, there was a growing demand in Dragon City to charge Kanath with cowardice and abandoning his dragon during a fight, because there was no sign he had ever been at the site where Balanath fought the Rock Dragons. The Seth Clan was one of the few clans that believed him innocent. So, we found him, and we’ve been observing him and looking for evidence to prove his innocence.” “Ka? A coward? He’s the bravest person I know. He has no fear. And, what he did is the most heroic thing I’ve ever heard of.” The dragon lowered his head to look into Aerethel’s eyes. “Tell us, what did he do?” “Ka didn’t speak Anse yet, and my Wyra was a little rusty, and he was so deep in grief that it took me a week to get the story out of him. The whole thing started the day before we found him.” Aerethel paused to wipe at the tears forming in her eyes. “Go on,” urged Jonaseth. “Ka and Balanath rode into the canyon to try and get the cattle back the Rock Dragons had stolen, but they didn’t know it was their lair. They found themselves badly outnumbered, so they ran, but there were so many Rock Dragons coming out from behind every rock and cave that Ka knew they couldn’t make it, not with all the extra weight Balanath was carrying. So, Ka dismounted, dropped his saddle and all the gear they were carrying, then told Balanath to run and get help. Don’t you see? Ka sacrificed himself so Balanath could get away.” “How did Kanath survive a whole day by himself before you arrived?” asked Jonaseth. Aerethel paused and her eyes narrowed, as if concentrating to ensure she got the story correct. “He climbed up onto a ledge and sat there without food or water on the hottest day of the summer. Balanath should have been back in eight hours, but night came and still there was no return of his dragon. Night fell and the temperature dropped to freezing. We were camped only a few miles west of the canyon. We couldn’t sleep because it was so cold. That’s why we got an early start the next morning, everyone just wanted to start walking so we could warm up. I will never forget that night. I thought it was a trick of the wind, but all night I kept hearing the sound of wailing, as if someone’s soul was being ripped from their body. I know now that it was Ka screaming at the sky in grief as Balanath’s death star rose into the night to join his ancestors. Ka pleaded all night for Balanath to wait for him, to not leave him behind.” Aerethel’s face was wet with tears as she spoke. “I have nightmares now, thinking that I’m hearing that sound again. The next morning, Ka climbed down from the ledge, and charged into the entire pack of Rock Dragons. His plan was to follow Balanath into death, but first he wanted revenge.” Jonaseth held his arms out to Aerethel, but she brushed them away. “I’m not a child to be comforted, and if anyone ever calls Ka a coward to my face,” Aerethel’s hand dropped to the forge-hammer that hung from her waist, “I’ll smash their face.” “A worthy oath of a true Wyra woman,” replied a familiar deep voice from behind her. Aerethel spun around, she hadn’t heard the dragons gathering in the tunnel to hear her story. But it wasn’t the smaller green dragons that captured her attention. Standing in the tunnel watching her with eyes that sparkled like gems were two Gold Dragons. The first Gold Dragon was the largest dragon she’d ever seen. How he’d fit into the tunnels was a mystery, and standing next to him at perhaps half his size was another Gold Dragon she knew well, and standing next to that dragon was a man with a speckled beard just turning to grey. Aerethel’s face lit up with a smile. “Father!” “Well met, daughter,” he replied, then jerked his head towards the big Gold Dragon. Her eyes went back to the big dragon, she’d never met him before, but she’d know him anywhere. She dropped down to one knee and bowed her head. “King Gethadar.” “Your love for our favored son of the Wyra shines like a star in the night through the power of your words,” said King Gethadar. “Let it be known that We have passed Our judgement, and find that Kanath is innocent of wrong doing.” Aerethel blushed and looked up into the face of the Great Dragon Gethadar. The big dragon stepped to one side, as much as he could in the confined space. A much smaller dragon appeared between the two gold dragons and walked towards her. As the smaller dragon entered the light being cast from the torches, she could see he was a Silver Dragon, and he walked with a limp. Aerethel’s hands flew to her mouth in horror as the Silver Dragon’s body came into full view – he was limping because his right rearmost leg was missing. The Silver Dragon stopped in front of her. “They tell me you’ve been taking care of my boy, I should like to see him now.” Aerethel’s eyes widened and her knees threatened to buckle. “Balanath?”