Sir Tiran Greyson

I awoke to Nire cradling me in her arms and the brisk morning air on my skin. It had been five days since the incident with my Father and Ereneya wished for us to set out this morning. Naravie still hadn’t come back to town but she was apparently up in the mountain.

I sat up and Nire’s eyes snapped open. She had been on constant alert since I had gone on my rampage and anytime I got up she was ready to go immediately. She claimed it was good practice for her when she was at sea, but I doubted it. I smiled down at her and she stretched when she saw I wasn’t waking her for nothing.

“Morning my Dashing Knight. Our last one together.” She said sadly.

“Then I think we should make it a memorable one. Anything I can do for you Lady Lasya?” I asked, squeezing her slightly as I took in her warmth on my skin.

“Mmmm I can’t think of anything I would love more than to just stay here all day. But I think Ereneya would drag us out in naught but our smallclothes.

I chuckled at the thought and I reluctantly pulled the blankets off of us. Nire sighed as the cold air hit us and I kicked my feet out to stand on the cold floor. Spring had reminded us it was still here, frost covered the window in the guest room I had been staying in for the past few days and I wasn’t looking forward to a long flight in cold weather.

I pulled on my clothes as fast as I could to avoid the chill in the air and I heard Nire do the same. Just as we were heading through the door to my room I heard the now familiar sound of Dragon’s Landing outside. Try as they might, they couldn’t disguise the sounds they made. Nire and I hurried down the hallway to find Ereneya and Naravie in the entry along with another woman.

She had long Black hair that was tied back into a tight braid, her garments looked handwoven but they fit her perfectly. She was bundled in a heavy coat that extended down past her knees and she was carrying a handful of others as well. Around her thin form the coat seemed a bit big but I didn’t worry overmuch, after all a large coat like that would be very useful on our trip. She was simply standing apart from Ereneya and Naravie, watching as they were discussing the bags that we had packed. Nire’s was small. Only a few days worth of clothes and supplies, enough for us to arrive at Port Talon and for her to set sail with her Father and Crew.

Irand and I had packed more but we had tried to be conscious of how much Ereneya would be carrying. We had both brought a second pair of boots for such a long trip and we had brought enough clothes to feel comfortable that we would have the chance to clean them before they were soiled on the trip. And all of my worries vanished as I watched Ereneya slide both of our trunks of supplies into a bag that looked far too small for them to have fit. The three of them looked up as we reached the bottom of the stairs and Naravie skipped over to us, the biggest smile I had seen since Father’s funeral plastered on her face.

“Tiran! Are you feeling better?” She asked, her smile fading a bit as she looked me over.

“I am. Still a bit tired but much better than I was. Who is your friend?”

She smiled again as her friend walked up and looked over Nire and I.

“This is Odessa, I think I mentioned her to you a few times. She is…” She trailed off as a blush spread across her face and Odessa chuckled a bit.

“I’m her girlfriend and the plan is that I’ll be traveling with you all.” She said as she placed a gentle hand on Naravie’s shoulder.

Ereneya had mentioned that in the past few days but she had not mentioned that they had been in a relationship. I looked between the two of them and despite Naravie’s shy face, she still looked happy. That was enough for me.

“Well, happy to meet Naravie’s Partner. She has mentioned you a few times. Though I was led to believe you were…” My turn to trail off as I tried to find a tactful way to say what was in my head.

“More Spider Like?” She offered.

“Yes. Sorry.”

“None taken. A bit of alchemical alteration. If I were in my usual form…” She glanced around at the Entryway. “Well I think it would be significantly more cramped in here.”

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing else as Ereneya approached and smiled down at Nire and I.

“Well, shall we be off?”

“Could we get something to eat first? We just woke up. And Irand hasn’t returned yet.” I said as my stomach growled.

Ereneya looked annoyed for a moment before she glanced around at the four of us and let out a sigh.

“I suppose we can eat first. And hope your Brother returns from his rendezvous quickly.”

She was playing it off as anger but I think she was hoping Irand wouldn’t be back before we left. So she could go steal him away from the castle.

“Well if its anything like last time he won’t be back for a few more hours.”

Naravie’s gaze flicked back and forth between us.

“What do you mean? Ireland isn’t staying her anymore?”

“Ah he… has another bed hes been staying in for the past few months.” I said with a laugh as I headed towards the kitchen.

Naravie bombarded us with questions while the cooks prepared a simple but hearty meal. She didn’t get many answers and by the time Irand stumbled into the room she still hadn’t figured out who he was sleeping with. Ereneya looked up at him with a stern glare.

“You are late.”

“You haven’t left yet.” He said as he sat down and picked at a plate we had left out for him.

“Okay so where were you?” Naravie asked.

“Places.”

“Like where?”

“Can’t say.”

“Why not?”

“Because you can’t keep a secret.”

“Yes I can!”

“No you can’t.” We all replied in unison, even Odessa.

Naravie pouted as she realized she wasn’t going to get an answer. Ereneya and I glanced over at Irand to see the marks on his neck, the disheveled look to his clothes. He had literally ran here from the castle. I knew he wanted to join us on the trip but I still hadn’t figured out why. Questions for later as he shoveled food into his mouth and emptied the plate.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“So sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness.” He said with a fake bow to Ereneya.

She let out a snort and smiled.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t be calling you that, Child?”

He grinned back and I just thought they were both being childish. Ereneya’s smile vanished as she put the bag from earlier over her shoulders. Naravie finished her plate and jogged after her with Odessa following close behind. Irand and I stopped in the Kitchen doorway.

“Whos the girl?”

“Odessa. Naravie’s partner.” I said as I walked after them and now it was Irand’s turn to be stunned.

We reached the front door just as Ereneya and Naravie shifted into their full Draconic forms. I never got tired of that. Ereneya with her black scales and the glowing orange that pulsed at their edges and Naravie’s smaller frame that was as bright blue as the midday sky against the burning tips of her scales. Beautiful. And I kept getting reminded that that was the goal for me. Doubt clawed at my mind. What if it didn’t work? What if he rejected me? Dragons were not exactly commonplace. And Apparently males were even rarer.

The doubts were pushed back as Ereneya knelt down and gestured for us to climb onto her back. Nire, Irand and I did so while Odessa climbed onto Naravie. Odessa tossed the coats she had been carrying to us and gestured for us to put them on. I did so as I felt Ereneya brace herself for a leap. The world rocked beneath me and we were up in the air. Each beat of her wings sent freezing air rushing around us as I pulled the coat in on myself and Nire leaned up against me. Irand huddled against one of the spikes protruding from her back and I saw his eyes shut as he fell asleep. I swore he could sleep literally anywhere and so far I had been proven right.

We crept higher and higher into the sky as Ereneya pointed us to the south with Naravie staying close behind her. We breached the clouds and then it was just a sea of white fluff. The coats helped with the chill in the air but it was still bitterly cold, the only saving grace was the heat coming off of Ereneya herself that kept us from freezing.

It was beautiful though. The daylight reflecting off of the clouds, the rolling hills of white that seemed so close one could reach out and touch them. It was relaxing once Ereneya leveled out and simply soared, rarely flapping her wings as she coasted along above the clouds.

Naravie was less easy going. She dove into the clouds on occasion and twirled her way through the air as Odessa clung to her, laughing the entire time. I kept an eye on Irand to make sure he stayed put during his nap and by midday the heat from the Sun had warmed Ereneya’s scales enough that I pried the coat open. It was warm once the Sun had heated her scales, almost pleasantly so but the occasional gust of wind kept me wary. Nire fell asleep at some point, a hand wrapped around my waist to keep her in place as she enjoyed the afternoon sunlight.

By the time dusk began to settle in I had wrapped myself back in my coat and Irand had produced a book from somewhere and had tucked himself into his coat to be able to read it. I was almost certain he had something from Ereneya to enable him to see in the Darkness but I didn’t much care. I had spent the day letting my mind wander and now I was starting to grow weary. It was an hour after the light of the Sun had vanished from the sky when Ereneya’s voice rang through my head.

“We are setting down for the night.”

I didn’t argue. I was dying to stretch my legs and having the ground beneath my feet was about the only way I was going to get some sleep. She angled herself downward and a few moments later we were back beneath the clouds, descending through a wall of snow. It was bitterly cold here and Nire clung to me as we descended. I had sure that we braced well for landing, being sure not to be sitting when she did so. I had learned the first time she had carried us back to the Capital that that was a bad way to land.

She landed as gently as she could and we scrambled down to the ground. We were in a wooded area, close to a road it looked like, and it seems she had found a clearing. Naravie landed a distance away but not nearly as easily. She crumpled as she landed, I saw her wings shaking as she struggled to remain standing and I could hear her heavy ragged breathing. She slammed one claw into the ground and the snow around us vanished as it melted and sank into the ground. I saw her give us a smile as she collapsed and Ereneya ran over to her, already in her human form.

“Child! If you were that tired you should have told me!” Ereneya growled as she held Naravie’s head in her hands.

My sister said nothing but I believed she was responding mentally as Ereneya scoffed and shook her head.

“We are making camp for the night. Tiran, Nire. You two can help me with the tents. Irand and Odessa, you two are on cooking duty.” She said as Naravie’s form shrunk down into her humanoid body.

None of us argued as she helped Naravie over to an overturned log and made her sit. She was pale and shivering in the cold. Nire and I aided Ereneya in getting the tents into position and it took Irand and Odessa only a few moments to get a small cooking fire going and I could smell cooking meat by the time the tents were fully set up.

Naravie had a blanket draped over her and she was shivering by the time the food was ready. Odessa and mother sat with her while the rest of us sat across the fire from them on the ground. Ereneya had managed to fit just about everything we might need in her bag and plates and utensils were among them.

I saw /naravie laughing weakly as she was encouraged to eat before she and Odessa crawled into their tent. Naravie wasn’t moving quickly but her paleness had faded as she ate. Once they were gone we all looked to Mother and she let out a sigh.

“She pushed herself too hard. I’ll have to slow our pace but we should still reach Port with plenty of time to spare for your ship to set sail Nire.” Mother said as she glanced towards Naravie’s tent.

“Father’s wouldn’t leave without me. But the sooner we can arrive the better. But will she be okay to make it all the way to Port?” Nire asked.

“I believe so. I think once we make it there we can give her a few days to fully recover. Being close to the Sea would be good for her as well I think. Regardless, it means we will be waking a bit later tomorrow. She needs her rest. And I’ll be stopping a few hours before sunset as well. She needs less hours in the air if she is going to keep a good pace.”

The three of us nodded and the conversation turned to the mundane before we all climbed into our tents. Nire and I shared one while Irand and Ereneya had their own. Inside each was a bedroll and a heavy wool blanket. The wool was appreciated as the chill crept in. Nire and I huddled together and I fell asleep with her warmth.

The Morning came quickly and it was past dawn when I heard someone roaming about our camp. I slid out from under the blanket to see Ereneya with a handful of eggs and a glint in her eye. I gave her a skeptical look and she frowned.

“It's not as if I stole them. I traded a Beast I had caught to the farmers. They were willing to trade for it.”

“Well as long as you weren't stealing, that would be terrible.” I said rolling my eyes as she blew a stream of fire at the small fire pit we had made the previous night.

A breakfast was had of cooked eggs and some hard tack she had packed before we were all standing about camp with the tents neatly packed back into Ereneya’s bag. Naravie looked better but there was a tiredness there, one I hadn't seen on her before. As we took to the skies she lagged behind Ereneya but once she was in the air she kept close.

The next few days were much of the same, we started after dawn and set down before sunset. We encountered no travelers and saw little wildlife. It wasn’t until the seventh day of travel that the blue expanse of the sea came into view and the Port we were headed for as well. Sails could be seen even at a distance and when we were within a day’s travel of the city we set down and began to walk.

It was nice to use our legs and have the chance to stretch but we slowed our pace for Naravie to keep up and by the time we reached the city’s edge it was nearly sunset. Ireland secured us some rooms at an inn and the rest of us headed to the port where we found Nire’s Father and a few rough looking men moving sealed crates onto a massive Galleon Ship.

Her Father was a Squat man with thick muscles, years of lifting cargo and living on the seas would do that I supposed. He was clean shaven and his hair was kept short.

When we arrived he rushed over to us and embraced Nire. They chatted back and forth while the four of us stood behind her, awkwardly in the Dragon’s case. Eventually Lord Lasya turned to us and bowed.

“Thank you Miss Greyson for delivering my Daughter here, And as much as I would love to stay and chat, our tide is here and we must be off.” He said with a smile.

Mother smiled and nodded and pushed me closer to Nire. I looked over at her awkwardly and smiled.

“Well I guess this is it.”

“I guess so.”

“Good luck, travel safe.”

“And you as well. Watch out for your Family, Brave Sir Tiran.” She said with a laugh.

“Oh you know I will.”

She leaned in and pressed her lips to mine and I returned the kiss. I didn’t want her to leave but where I was going she couldn't follow and this was her path to walk. I squeezed her in a hug just before we separated and one last smile before one of the men from the ship called out that they had to leave now. She ran after them and barely made in on board before the sails fell and the ship began its slow path out to sea.

I watched them go until the sunlight faded and we were left in the Harbor lamps. Ereneya put a hand on my shoulder and I gave her a bittersweet smile.

“We have our own paths to walk…. But I wish she could walk it with me.”

“I know dear. Come on. A warm bed and a hot meal await.”

I followed but a part of me wished I had gotten on board that ship with Nire. Maybe it would have been better.