"So I heard your father was the Bloodhorn," Xantha said, settling down next to Aytin.

Her tone was bright and cheery. Possibly even a bit smug. Probably because rather than turning to the northwest, Reed had ordered Faelon to fly east on their way out of Lazon's Rest.

There had been grumbles among the crew. They were traders, not explorers. Nothing good existed beyond the kingdom's borders.

If they hadn't trusted their leader's judgment, there might have been trouble. But they did, and word that they were making the detour to avoid a storm did a lot to improve the mood. No one wanted to be stuck out in a storm.

For his part, Aytin brightened at the mention of his father. "Yeah, that's right. You've heard of him?"

She nodded. "I even saw him once. That was, oh, at least thirty years ago. Or something like it. It couldn't have been more than a year or two before he disappeared from the capital."

"That wasn't long before he met my mother and moved into the keep. I don't think he ever really left after they married."

"You know, there was a lot of speculation about what happened to him after he disappeared. A lot of disappointed women, too- Hey, I never said I was one of them!" she quickly added at his sharp look.

"Anyway," Xantha went on after Aytin relaxed. "I was wondering if you ever thought about following in his slipstream? The royal guard is picky about their recruits, but for the son of someone like Bloodhorn..."

She trailed off encouragingly, but Aytin just shook his head. "My brother Stonar, sure. He's even talked about going to the capital someday to try and enlist. But it's not for me."

"What do you mean, it's not for you? You were plenty good with the bow. You've obviously had some training."

"Sure, but aside from that I was never much good. And I got a lucky shot. That bow was a lot heavier than I'm used to."

"How can you know you're no good?" the older dragonette pressed.

"Because my brother spent two whole seasons trying to train me up a couple years ago. It was fun at first, but I just never seemed to get any better after the first few weeks." He lifted a wing in a half shrug.

"I can stand guard with a spear as well as the next dragonette and if the draw is light enough I'm better than most with a bow. But okay isn't really good enough when everyone keeps comparing you to your brother. And your dad."

"Well, don't sell yourself short, Tin," Xantha said, before snorting at the pun.

"Very funny. I've never heard that one before."

"Yeah, well, you're not too old for a late growth spurt. And your magic hasn't come in, either."

He shrugged once more, not wanting to argue. Following in his father's wingbeats was a hatchling's dream. That had been clear for years now.

Xantha got the message, but instead of letting the conversation get lost to the winds, she changed the subject.

"So, when you finally get to the capital, what are you going to do?"

He thought about the question for a few seconds, considering his options. The capital was the center of the kingdom, a city with a population of over a hundred thousand. It would be easier to list the things he couldn't do there than the other way around.

"You know, I think I'm going to need some new clothes."

That got a barking laugh from Xantha. But when he didn't join in she gave him a look. "Damn, you're serious."

"Well, yeah. I'm not going to be wearing this to meet with a guild representative." He motioned to his blue-dyed linen shirt and fur-lined coat. Both were serviceable on the wing, but travel worn and lacked any pretensions.

"I have some nicer stuff packed away, but anything we get out on the frontier is way out of date. I want to have at least one fashionable outfit."

"You might be surprised about the sort of things dragonettes wear to those sorts of meetings," Xantha remarked. "But I get your point. You just threw me for a loop was all. I was expecting you to talk about seeing a Tonselra match or something."

He winced at the mention of the aerial acrobatics competition. "Oh, damn, I've never seen one of those. Can I change my answer?"

"Nope," Xantha said with a grin. "You're going to be stuck clothes shopping while the rest of us go watch the best fliers in the kingdom. And we're gonna have front row seats with cider and fried meat sticks and-"

"Okay, okay! You don't have to rub it in."

"But how else are you going to learn?"

"I'll manage," he said, drily, much to the older dragonette's amusement. "Now, if I absolutely have to go to the tailor's while you're having fun, I want to at least make it a good one. Do you know of any of those?"

Xantha hesitated. "It's been a long-" She stopped abruptly before continuing. "I mean, I don't think the shops I've been to are the sort you'll be looking for. But..." She trailed off, thinking.

"Citadel Needleworks." She finally said. "About eight blocks behind the palace spire. Or they were the last time I was there. But they'll take good care of you."

Stolen novel; please report.

"At least your advice is good when it comes to tailors," Reed said as he joined the pair. "Citadel is a fine store."

An awkward silence followed, broken only by the rushing of the airstream as Faelon continued carrying them onwards. A glance ahead showed why. The horizon was a solid band of dark clouds, and the only path was through.

Xantha stayed silent, only staring out towards the oncoming wall of clouds.

After no response came, Reed shrugged. "Well then, it looks like we're going to get wet after all. I'm about to have Faelon turn us back north. Hopefully we can make up some of the time we lost today."

To Aytin's surprise, Xantha nodded agreeably. "I think you're right. I was actually about to suggest the same thing."

Reed gave her a look, head cocked to one side and her subordinate gave a shrug. "I was wrong. I admit it. What else is there to do?"

"Get wet, apparently," Reed muttered, although her words were almost lost in the wind. Then she huffed a breath and headed forward to speak with Faelon.

The crew was even more unhappy as they turned north to face the storm.

"We're going into that?" Aytin asked, eyeing the oncoming cloud bank.

"Faelon can handle it," Xantha assured him. "And if he can't, well, at least we're over land." She motioned downwards.

Below them, the forested expanse of an island passed beneath them. They had been hugging the southern edge, but their turn was taking them deeper inland.

"Why not just land? Maybe get under some cover?" Aytin thought he caught a glimpse of a smudge on a distant mesa. Maybe a keep? Some relic of an old attempt to expand the kingdom's borders?

It would sure be nice to weather the storm under a roof. Or even in a tent on the ground.

But Xantha shook her head.

"After all the time we wasted getting out here, I don't think Reed is willing to spend the rest of the day on some unexplored island." At the younger dragonette's doubtful look, she just laughed. "We'll punch right through the storm and it'll be smooth flying in no time. Trust me."

"Xantha! Get your tail over here and help with this tarp!"

She grimaced, but gave Aytin a pat on the back. "Sit tight. This won't take long."

The rest of the crew were all busy, but they didn't seem to need his help. Aytin took the opportunity to make sure his coat was buttoned up, and then looked down towards the island below.

Unlike his home, this island seemed more forest than grassland. Trees had been becoming more common on their journey, but it was vaguely unsettling to see so many in one place.

The distant smudge from before had grown slightly. A small keep, although the lack of any nearby fields or outbuildings made it clear that the place was long abandoned.

Trees surrounded the mesa, but one group stood out. It took a moment for the scale to register, but when it did, Aytin blinked in surprise.

'Heaven oaks! They must be!'

None grew in the grasslands and deserts near Luffin Keep, but he knew of the sacred forest giants. Every dragonette had. And while he had already seen a number of groves on this journey, they were still a sight to behold.

Yet, even if he knew that the heaven oaks were blessed by the gods, the idea of living among so many trees made Aytin vaguely uncomfortable. Forests were dark, shadowy places. An entire army of darklings could be camping out just below, and they would never know it until it was too late.

As it turned out, the real danger was in the other direction.

High above, unnoticed by anyone aboard Faelon, a patch of darker blue detached itself from the rest of the sky. It skimmed the edge of a cloud, staying out of sight of the dragonettes and red dragon below. They were all focused forward on the storm and never noticed the blue dragon begin its dive.

A shout of surprise was the only warning Aytin had before the world exploded.

The flash of lightning left him blinking away afterimages and all he could hear was a roar. But as he got his bearings, he realized that the roar was coming from Faelon, and it was a draconic scream of pain.

At first it seemed like a terrible accident. That lightning from the oncoming storm had struck them. But then a streak of blue passed by, followed by yet another flash and boom. This time it was muted by the red dragon's body, and Faelon lurched in midair.

Nearly every dragonette stumbled from the sudden jerk. Only Reed and Xantha maintained their balance, both flaring their wings and digging talons into the webbing to remain standing.

A dragonette Aytin had never seen before alighted on Faelon's back. He was dressed in steel and leather armor, and held a short spear. He drove it into Voxin's back as she tried to rise, and the tip dripped blue as he ripped it out again.

More dragonettes landed, dressed in mismatched gear and with weapons drawn. They laid into the shocked crew without mercy.

A few managed to fight back. Reed drew a small blade and rushed one of the better armed brigands. She caught his contemptuous slash on her left forearm and screamed as it sliced her to the bone, but then she was inside her foe's guard.

Reed drove her knife hilt deep into the brigand's neck and was rewarded with a choking gurgle. Mortally wounded, the dragonette stumbled backwards and fell towards the island below.

Against all odds, Bush had managed to draw Voxin's sword. He was obviously unfamiliar with the weapon and still laying flat on his stomach where he had fallen, but he lashed out and was rewarded with a high pitched shriek.

It wasn't enough.

The attackers had surprise on their side and the crew was completely unprepared. Their fate was a foregone conclusion.

A taloned foot pinned Bush's sword arm down. He thrashed against his attacker, but his struggles cut off when another drew a knife across his neck.

Reed twisted towards the sound of the choked off scream, only for an arrow to slam into her breast. She stood there for a moment, wobbling, before another shaft buried itself in her stomach.

It was too much. The merchant leader fell to her knees, before a sword came down on the back of her neck.

Aytin was trying to rise, scrambling to draw his knife and knowing it would be futile when he was hit from the side. He had a fleeting glimpse of Xantha tackling him before he was tumbling through the air.

Above, he could see Faelon struggling and failing to stay airborne. Something had torn a ragged hole in the dragon's right wing, and that rent was widening by the second. Another patch of blackened scales marred his flank and a spray of blood trailed him like sapphire rain.

Unable to go on, the great red dragon seemed to fold in on himself. Gravity took over and his dive turned into a fall as he disappeared into the billowing clouds below.

Brigands leapt from the stricken dragon and took wing. Several spotted the pair of survivors, and they climbed towards them.

In the clouds, he and Xantha might have a chance to evade their pursuers. From there, they could reach the forest below. The same trees that had seemed capable of concealing a darkling hoard might now be their salvation. If they could escape and make it to that keep he had spotted, they might-

Aytin felt something prick his side. And then the world went black.