Bonded Spirit

Chapter 14

  Sweat beads formed across my brow as I concentrated on summoning mână. Taking in my palm, the glow tingled my awareness as my hand trembled with the standard spell. As the gathering mânã became a combined orb. Small as a stone, the warm surge passed and finally it was here. I exhaled deeply, taking in the fire orb on my left palm as it hovered, but did not burn. It was pitifully small.

  La’Kera hummed seeing the flame twist into itself. It is great power and still yours to will.

  Yeah. It’s so hard sometimes.

  It is becoming easier with each draw. You are gaining strength on it.

  I exhaled slowly as I willed the orb to the pile of dry leaves. Igniting the camp fire, I relaxed with a flex of my fingers.

  “Your fire element is weaker to call forth?” Karson asked, sitting opposite the camp fire.

  “I kinda don’t use it often.”

  “You should practice them all. It will strengthen your will, your focus. Even if it’s not a strong power or your sign power, you need to work with them.”

  “I know. I did make the fire right. Lesson complete.”

  “Some lessons are never complete, but yes, you did as required.” He inclined his head, adding larger branches to the camp-fire, disturbing embers to the night air. With a reach of the rabbit, he had hunted, cleaned, and prepared for another night in the wild. He skewed the meat and settled back to wait for the meat to tenderise, turning it slowly, and adding spices from a container in his pack.

  Resting my arm across my knee, I released a sigh. A smile twitched at my lips as I watched Karson. His handsome face was deep in thought, relaxed, and welcoming to stare at for hours if possible. The profound brow was half hidden by the thick dark locks of his hair. Taking in his masculine body, well defined in all the right areas. The glow of the fire illuminated and enhanced his features; shadowing his square jaw line that held a hue of stubble, adding emphasis to his physique, darkening his golden tan and all things … Karson. From the black of his hair, the green of his eyes, shadowed at this time of evening. I was still seeing him, for what it was. Tempting.

  He’s your mentor … you need me to roar at you?

  He’s just a Ryder. And yes, I know. He’s my mentor. A hundred years old. Pity. I half tilted my head to blink in my actions. He looked the standard twenty-five years. Maybe twenty six if you focused hard enough. But still, he was older in appearance. I’m attracted to him, that’s all.

  Attracted by looks only … you can not follow through with such ideas. He is our trainer. I wish you would not think of him as anything but that. Her eyes flickered and I was seeing Karson’s aura. Orange, violet, and peach shimmered around him by mere inches at most. His colours. He sees you as a student and not a romantic person. Karson’s colours shimmered and changed hues the longer I stared. Dark brown, blue hues and green.

  “You won’t get answers unless you ask.” His tone was light, though I didn’t doubt he was reading my mood, emotions. Damn.

  “It’s fine. I was thinking is all?”

  “About?”

  “Nothing.” I plucked the string on my shirt, avoiding his eyes and the frown. He knew I was hiding my thoughts. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Clothes. I was thinking … about clothes. How different they are here …”

  He nodded, least in some part of his mind that I was thinking about clothes. And not ripping them off his body.

  “That they are. The Royals are different.”

  “Why do we call them Royals if they are Ryders? Would they not be like you and me?”

  “They are. And they are not. The Royals are the line of true bloods. Born a Ryder, from Ryders of the First Chosen. Few born from one Ryder parent become wizards or witches.”

  “So … you think my blood parents are Ryders?”

  “Possibly. But not always. Your parents may have been simple folk. You said you were found floating in a river. It is possible that a family in the north were travelling and gave up on their task. Sending you forth for reasons only they know.”

  “Maybe. But why are the clothes different. In Plumridge, I would’ve been given a knuckle whipping for wearing this … tunic and leather skirt.” I touched at my clothes.

  “Your village is one of three like that across The Red Lands of Roo’Bineyes, another four in the south follow such rules. Few and few are following the old code. The Old Gods, as they are referred to. While you know of Drae’Gon, your people have spoken of him from time to time, and many are changing their way, the old ways are hard to abandon. Since the right of Ryders. Ryders take charge on many acts throughout the lands, while we don’t force it upon the people, we simple give them choice. The people are starting to see the ways of Drae’Gon far more approachable.”

  With the meal on our minds, we were soon filling our stomachs on the aroma of fresh cooked rabbit, better than last nights. From the side came a rabbit. I frowned, because rabbits, especially animals, don’t come to the fire; no matter how frequent people visit the area. The rabbit bobbed its head, glanced around, and then froze in its actions when it saw me.

  “Something wrong with your meal?”

  “No. It’s fine.” I turned to my meal of cooked rabbit. I chewed my lower lip in thought, glancing to the rabbit. It was a good twenty feet away, unblinking. La’Kera focused on the creature. There was no colour, just light.

  “It’s … a ghost,” I whispered.

  “Where?” Karson looked up.

  “There. The rabbit …” I held my half finished meal up.

  He narrowed his eyes briefly and shrugged. “There is little we can do about that. I won’t kill any more if this is what will happen.”

  “It’s fine.” I glanced to the rabbit. “It’s dead. Not like I could save it. And besides, I am hungry. But why is it here. What can I do for it?”

  “I don’t know. What does La’Kera say?”

  “She’s not sure. She thinks it’s strange that I have to see two things, real and dead. And I agree, why bother with such things. Though, she is disturbed that the rabbit in question is witnessing us eating it.”

  “That is a cause for concern.” He pressed his forefinger to his chin, cradling his thumb under it. He nodded in the direction of the ghost-rabbit. “There are few witches, even wizards who claim to see the dead, though some claim to see more.” His brow creased. “One witch tells that the sight of spirits is a border on messages. There is little one can do for the spirits; they are as they will be.”

  “So, I’m just to accept them.”

  “It is likely. Though, I will refrain from killing them.”

  “Hmmm.” I placed my half eaten meal to the side, standing. “I’m off to clean up.” I rose and deliberately walked towards the rabbit. Like last night, the rabbit took notice of me. I paused and it eyed me wider, the pits darkened. With a start; it turned and ran off, bounding through the tree trunk itself. “Guess I can’t touch em. So that’s something.” I noted.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, right. Um … it ran away. Through the tree.”

  “So, objects are not its aim.”

  “Well, the one last night didn’t even pay any attention to you … but both showed interest in me. Maybe they can see me.”

  “You will let me know if you see any more, the girl especially. Perhaps we can talk with her. Can you talk to her?”

  “Maybe. Doubt it. She was in pain and angry when I tried to help her.” I pressed my lips together, and excused myself. Freshening up at the gully, I breathed deep. Least it wasn’t awkward like last night. Today had freed me somehow. Talking about Walter, about the ghost, about me … and able to learn was a big accomplishment. The sting of mozzies biting had me wince and hiss. How much longer must I endure this?

  He wished to stay here for two months. La’Kera sounded disappointed. But I wish to see you before the end of the week … if possible tomorrow.

  I’ll see what he says … and I hope it’s not for two months La’Kera. I would hate to
be with no shower, no decent food, and no bed. It’s hard enough going without walls. I’m just pleased it’s not storming. Seeking her mind, since she drew me inwards. A suction inside of me and I couldn’t stop it. Her eagerness had me blinking and seeing through her eyes. The distant clouds were forming and lightning danced on the cliff face.

  The storm is leagues away, the winds may change. She tasted the air from her position; scenting the dragons, the air was still. It may arrive before the morning light awakens you both.

  I returned to camp. “Karson. There’s a storm on its way here. We … should look for a better location.”

  “This is fine enough. The storm will pass us.” He was relaxed by my announcement. “Blade’Dur is keeping an eye on it. If it does turn south there is a rock shelter to our left.” He nodded in the direction. “We will have plenty of time. It’s not this storm, but the one in the south that is cause for concern.”

  “South?” I puzzled. “But … there …” La’Kera was in the south dens. She couldn’t see south. That was annoying.

  “It’s not here yet. Maybe tomorrow evening.”

  “You can detect a storm, days away?”

  “At times, yes. Blade’Dur can. The storms are always moving around us, winds, weather, all things of Dangora’s might. Water will fall and wash away to be a sunny day in seconds.”

  “You’re telling me. Least in Plumridge it was just … cold.”

  “The town was and has always been deemed too close to the Terrill’s. Most wished to move it, but the forefathers sixty five years ago refused for the tenth generation that is. We can do little but assist. The people that live there would move out frequently if they could. But as you know, leaving your home is hard.”

  “Yeah.” I settled into my sleeping bag, hoping for a dream filled night, one where I wasn’t so unsure about everything. “Will I be allowed to visit my town when I leave Draeos?”

  “During your field training you will see all the towns, the mapping of the lands for La’Kera will become her first test of Dangora. Once that is complete you will be stationed, and if possible, in the area that you can visit them.”

  “So that was a no.”

  “In time. You will be able to visit your home in time.”

  Watching the embers spark and dance their way to the canopy and the star lit night above, held like a whisper of hope inside me. To see my village, that would be nice, but not until field training. That was so unfair. So not right. How many years would that be if I failed my first six months? Most dragons did not leave Stone Heart or any area of their hatching for at least four years maybe three, so her instinct told her. She wasn’t ready, and so it would be years before I saw Plumridge. Would it still be there? Would they remember me? Was Evelyn thinking about me, as I was her? I had not written to them, I feared what they thought of me. When I was nine, a boy had been chosen a wizard and was taken to the south. Everyone talked about him as though he were deemed unhealthy, unwanted and not special or powerful. They spoke as if he wasn’t needed. Walter had looked at me that day, hard. He didn’t say anything, but a look of concern lingered in his features. Did he know that one day; I’d be taken away, that I would be here. That I’d be a Ryder? To see his face, to know if he hated what I became, it made my insides squirm. He was gone. He wasn’t coming back. And maybe … just maybe, I wasn’t to bother with my town either.