Trusted: Dragons' Trust Book 1 Page 2

  "Lainey!"

  She turned her head to look at him. "What're you doing up there, Renick?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

  "The flyer crashed. We're on the forest floor. You need to wake up."

  With slow, unsteady movements, Lainey managed to get herself into a sitting position. She stared at him with glassy eyes. "Crashed?" She blinked a few times and looked around her. As she took in her surroundings, the fog cleared from her eyes and was replaced by something else. Renick thought it might be fear. "Where's everyone?" The words came out even and slow, but Lainey's hands were shaking.

  "I don't know. Let's go look for them."

  Lainey started to climb down from the overturned basket. Renick offered her his hand. She took it, gripping more firmly than necessary. When both her feet rested firmly on the ground, she turned to look at him.

  "It's dislocated," she said.

  "What?"

  "Your shoulder." She pointed to his injured arm. "It's dislocated. Lie down over here." Lainey pointed to a place near one of the larger trees. She helped Renick lower himself to the ground and sat next to him. She placed one foot against the tree and one in the pit of his injured arm. Renick winced. "Sorry, this is going to hurt pretty badly. But I promise it will be better in the long run." Grasping his wrist with both of her hands, Lainey leaned back and pulled gently on the injured arm. Renick clenched his jaw, squeezed his eyes shut, and concentrated on not screaming.

  Something popped in his shoulder. The brief flash of pain caught Renick off guard and a small shriek escaped. The pressure of Lainey's fingers evaporated from his wrist.

  "Renick, I need you to open your eyes and look at me," she said, her voice heavy with concern. He opened his eyes and found her face. Lainey studied him. "Good, I can see the blue in your eyes, which means you aren't in shock. Your shoulder will be sore for a while and may never be the same again," she explained as she helped Renick back to his feet. "I would fashion you a sling, but …" her eyes circled the wreckage, "it may be more of a hindrance right now."

  He rolled his shoulder and experimented with its movement. The muscles were stiff and sore, but he could manage well enough. "Thanks."

  Lainey's lips turned upward, but that something still haunted her eyes. "Healer's niece." She pointed to herself. "Handy to have in a situation like this."

  Renick managed a small laugh and Lainey gave him another half smile in return.

  The bushes to Renick's left rustled and a growl lifted from their depths. Lainey gasped and ducked behind Renick, burying her face between his shoulder blades. Renick froze. Neither his arms nor his legs would respond to any commands.

  A head covered in dark hair emerged from the bushes. Renick's breath came out in a rush. The highborn boy turned to glare at them. His face was covered in bruises and small scratches.

  "Oh!" Lainey exclaimed. The boy's eyes narrowed and he continued to struggle against the branches and leaves. Lainey started to giggle. The boy set his mouth in a grim line and focused on Renick.

  Renick moved to help, pulling at the branches. The other boy finally tumbled free of the vengeful plant and onto the ground. Renick picked at a fresh tear in his muslin shirt. It was the new one his mother had made for him to celebrate his apprenticeship. She would be horrified to see it in the state it was. At least his brown leather pants were faring better.

  The boy pushed himself off the ground and back to his feet. Fishing in the bushes, he pulled out his sword and fastened the belt into its proper place.

  "I'm Lainey." She stepped up to them and extended her hand to the newcomer. Her hand hung in the air, waiting. The boy did not look at her. Instead, he busied himself with brushing off his clothes. Renick shifted his feet—it was not appropriate for Lainey to address a nobleman that way.

  Renick cleared his throat. "I am Renick Banguebar, apprentice dragonhand." He bent himself in half in a respectful bow. "This is Lainey …"

  The smile that had been frozen on Lainey's face fell away. She turned and stormed off into the wreckage of the basket. The boy watched after her for a moment.

  Renick cleared his throat again.

  "Sir Thane Shaytorrin, son of Lord Shay of the Westfields," the boy introduced himself.

  Renick bowed again. "Milord."

  Thane's shoulders dropped. "Look," he said, "given the situation, I think we can dispense with the pleasantries." Thane blew a puff of air at the hair hanging in his face and held out his hand. "I'm Thane."

  Renick felt a little uncomfortable shaking Thane's hand, but he did not want to offend.

  "So, any signs of the others?" Thane asked as he looked around the small clearing.

  "No, but then again, we haven't really searched."

  Thane looked up at the sky. "It will be dark soon. We will make the best camp we can here. At first light, we will begin the search."

  "Aunt Melatheen," Lainey called into the forest around them.

  Thane shushed her. "Didn't you hear what I just said? We'll search in the morning!"

  "Who said you were in charge?" Lainey said, poking her head around the back of the passenger basket. Lainey and Thane exchanged glares. Lainey won by sticking out her tongue, which made Thane's mouth twitch.

  Lainey took a deep breath. "Aunt Melatheen!" This time she was even louder.

  A low grumble echoed through the trees. Lainey jumped a little and back–stepped closer to where Renick and Thane were standing.

  Folding his arms, Thane looked at her. "Do you want to attract every meat–eating monster in the forest?"

  "We have to look for them." Lainey's voice was almost pleading. "Renick, what do you think?"

  He cast a nervous glance over at Thane before responding. "Uh, it's not my place …"

  "What do you think?" Lainey said, marching to stand next to him. She put her small, pointed nose right up to his rounder one; she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach.

  "Well, since we're lost and separated from the others, the best thing would be to stay put. So," he looked up at Thane again, who stood with his arms crossed and his lips pursed, "we should make camp."

  Lainey's stern expression broke out into a smile. "What an excellent idea." She spun on her heels and started hunting around, humming to herself as she went. "I'll get some firewood."

  Renick watched her for a moment before turning to face Thane. Thane's brow was furrowed, his fists on his hips as he watched Lainey's movements.

  "All right then," Renick said to himself.

  "We should scavenge in the wreckage—there could be any number of useful things," Thane said. He waved his hand about. Renick nodded his head and started walking around the area where the trees were a little thinner than the rest of the forest. Thane searched too, but Renick noticed he stayed clear of Lainey. Renick wondered why—Lainey was not that bad.

  By the time the sunlight was fading, Thane and Renick had recovered two emergency rucksacks that contained waterskins and dried food as well as a large piece of sail they could use for shelter. Lainey had found her traveling pack, her healer's pouch, and three travelling cloaks. Renick filled the waterskins in a stream he found nearby.

  Using flint and steel Thane found in one of the packs, he soon had a modest fire going. The three of them sat around the flames, chewing on bits of dried meat and fruit.

  Lainey sighed. "What happened?"

  Renick shrugged.

  "I think we were shot down," Thane speculated. "I didn't get a good look at … whatever it was, but it had to be a weapon of some kind. What else could injure a dragon and split the sails?"

  Renick cocked his head to one side. "Who would want to shoot us down?"

  "Could it have been bandits?" Lainey asked. Her eyes grew big and she turned her head to look at the trees behind her.

  Thane shook his head. "I don't know. But for now I think it best we keep an eye out. We'll need to set a watch. I'll go first."

  Chapter 3: Up a Tree

  Renick woke to the sound of Lainey's scream piercing
the night. In the dying light of the fire, he saw Thane's silhouette standing with sword drawn, facing the darkness. Six pairs of glowing eyes stared back at them.

  A series of low rumbles rolled out from the space beyond the circle of firelight. Jaws filled with gleaming fangs snapped together.

  "Wolves," Renick whispered.

  Lainey whimpered and pulled her knees up to her chest. She started rocking back and forth, mumbling something under her breath.

  "Renick," Thane said in an even tone, "do you have a weapon?"

  "No."

  "Find one."

  Renick moved slowly around inside the wrecked basket, his hands feeling in the dark for anything. His fingers found a beam of wood that had been broken off from a bench. He took hold of it and stood. "Got it."

  A wolf lunged at Thane. Lainey screamed. Thane swung his blade, reflections of yellow light dancing along the metal. A yelp rang through the clearing. The wolf withdrew. When Thane brought his sword back to the ready position, Renick noticed a dark stain running down it. Somewhere out in the darkness, the sounds of the wolf's death throes reverberated through the night.

  Two wolves emerged from the darkness. Thane brought his blade down on the first one. Renick ran into the fray, swinging the beam at the second wolf. The animal caught the wood in its powerful jaws and thrashed its head back and forth. Renick tightened his grip and kicked at the beast. From the far corner of the basket, Renick could hear Lainey crying. The wolf pulled Renick's piece of wood to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Renick drove his foot down on the beast's head. The opposing hold on the wood vanished as the wolf retreated.

  Renick chanced a quick look at Thane. They had both moved forward about two paces and were now further apart with their backs exposed. Blood coated Thane's sword. With his opponent no longer in sight, Thane took the time to clean his sword on the grass.

  "Up a tree," Thane said. "We need to get up a tree."

  The wolves started to close in again. Renick looked back to see that Lainey had not moved. "Thane," Renick called, "Lainey needs help."

  "I need a diversion," Thane said as he swung his blade in a wide arch. The wolves paused, but continued to move forward.

  Renick's eyes darted around the shrinking area between where they stood and the enemy. His attention was caught by the slight flickering of the fire. "All right, on the count of three, you go help Lainey." Out of the corner of his eye, Renick saw Thane nod. "One, two, three."

  Jumping forward, Renick swept his stick across the remains of the fire, scattering it. Half a dozen large embers spread through the air directly at the wolves. One of the embers, its flame brought to life by the increase in air, landed on the back of one of the animals. The wolf whined in fear, running in circles in an attempt to flee the growing flame. It disappeared into the thick trees of the forest. The other embers lit the dry grass, creating an uneven line of fire that held the wolves at bay. Renick started to back up, keeping his eyes trained on the four remaining attackers. Soon he was standing next to Thane and Lainey near the edge of the passenger basket. Thane had coaxed Lainey to stand up and follow him. She cowered behind him as he held his blade out in the direction of the wolf pack. Thane tilted his head toward one of the trees that the basket was wedged between.

  Renick threw his makeshift weapon at one of the wolves, who skirted away from it. Turning, he bounded up the tree as quickly as his sore shoulder would allow. When he reached the first sturdy branch, he stopped and reached down with his good arm. Thane sheathed his sword and lifted Lainey until she could reach Renick's outstretched fingers. Renick provided an anchor and leverage to Lainey as she climbed up the tree. Thane followed closely behind her.

  Down on the forest floor, the wolves howled and snapped their jaws at the waning flames. Slowly the light from the shattered fire dissipated and the wolves closed in. They scratched at the bark of the tree and tried to jump up it. Eventually, one of the wolves abandoned the tree and managed to get on top of the passenger basket. One good leap and the wolf would be upon them.

  Thane, who was the closest to the wolf, reached down to his boot and drew out a knife. He held it ready as he watched the wolf's movements. The gray animal growled, its sharp teeth bared and menacing.

  A thundering roar rolled through the air, echoing across the entire forest. Renick clapped his hands over his ears to stave off some of the volume. He turned to look at the wolf. It had stopped advancing toward them. Its ears were laid back and its tail hung down between its legs. The other three wolves on the ground were behaving in the same manner. They milled around the wolf Thane had killed with his sword. Another roar sent the small pack scurrying into the depths of the forest.

  "What was that?" Lainey said, her voice shaking.

  "Sounds like a dragon," Renick answered.

  "No dragon I've ever heard," Thane said.

  "Probably a wild one. I've heard—" Renick was interrupted by a loud crash and the sound of many branches breaking at once.

  All was silent.

  After a long while, Lainey chanced a whispered question. "Is it coming after us?"

  Thane shook his head. "I think if it was, we would have seen or heard it by now."

  "That did not sound like a graceful landing," Renick commented. "I think it may have been injured."

  "Like our dragon?" Lainey asked.

  Renick just shrugged, an awkward movement when balancing on a tree branch.

  "Two dragons being shot down in one day?" Thane said. "That can't be a coincidence."

  "What's out there?" Lainey asked.

  Renick did not have a good answer for her. There was a reason no one ever traveled by foot through the Helath Forest—wolves, bears, wild dragons, and every kind of frightening beast roamed between the trees. From end to end at its narrowest point, the forest would take a month to cross on foot. Renick closed his eyes and tried to remember where they had been when the flyer went down. Once he had the picture of those last moments in his mind, he studied it carefully. They had not been that far from the edge of the forest. He remembered seeing the open plains on the horizon.

  "That's it, then," Renick said aloud.

  "What?" Thane asked.

  Renick's cheeks started to feel warm as they colored with embarrassment. He cleared his throat and tried to make it seem as if he had not been talking to himself. "We can't stay here."

  Lainey and Thane stared at him open–mouthed. "You can't seriously be suggesting that we venture deeper into the forest," Thane said.

  "What about the others?" Lainey asked.

  "It's too dangerous to search for them. Besides, they might be …" Renick trailed off and glanced in Lainey's direction when she caught her breath.

  "We're lost, Renick," Thane said, his voice deep and cold. "If we stay put, we have the best chance of being found."

  "If we're found," Renick said.

  Lainey let out a short sob.

  "We will be found. We stay here," Thane commanded.

  Renick shifted his position on the branch. Thane was older and higher in station, and it was not Renick's place to question his judgment. But he could not help it; he knew it was not safe. "But—"

  "We stay."

  The force in Thane's words ended the debate. Renick started picking at a piece of loose bark on the branch in front of him. He stared at it long after the light from the fire faded and left them in darkness.

  Staying was not safe. The dead wolf would attract other predators and scavengers. Not to mention, the wolves would most likely return to mark their territory. He let his hand fall away from the tree branch. He quickly counted in his mind. Five. It would take a rescue party from Trevinni at least five days to reach them.

  A painful emptiness rolled through Renick's stomach. "And what about food?"

  "What was that?" Thane's voice sliced through the darkness.

  "Nothing." Renick hung his head and felt in the dark for his loose piece of bark. He wanted to push for leaving. Could he strike out on his own
? No, staying together presented their best chance for survival.

  "I'm hungry too." Lainey's voice sounded harsh and spent.

  "We will eat in the morning," Thane told her.

  The world grew a little lighter as the sun started to rise. A vengeful howl broke through the stillness. The sound of animals moving through the trees approached them. Their scampering feet circled the tree twice and then disappeared into the forest.

  "I think it would be unsafe to remain here," Thane said, as if he had just thought of it. "I think we should strike out and try to find our way to Trevinni." He cleared his throat and looked off into the distance.

  In the growing light of morning, Renick turned to look at Lainey. She caught his gaze and rolled her eyes in an exaggerated movement. Another howl, more distant this time, sent a chill up Renick's spine. He turned to watch the sun rise, grateful it was morning.

  Chapter 4: Broken Wing

  Renick slid down the tree and landed with a slight thud next to Thane. The small area around the passenger basket was now filled with light. As Lainey descended from the tree, she lost her balance and fell to the ground. With a sigh, Thane reached down and offered Lainey his hand. She ignored it, but when Renick reached to help her stand, she accepted.

  "Thanks, Renick," she said, flashing him a smile.

  "We ready?" Thane asked. When Renick turned to look at him, Thane had his arms crossed over his chest and one of the packs on his back.

  "What about breakfast?" Lainey asked.

  "We can eat while we walk," Thane told her. He held out a chunk of dried bread to both of them.

  Renick took his portion of food and picked up the second pack from where it sat on the ground next to Thane's feet. Lainey slung her healer's pouch over her shoulder before taking her piece of bread from Thane's outstretched hand.

  "Right. Stay close." Without waiting for a response, Thane marched into the forest. Lainey looked at Renick and rolled her eyes. He could only shrug in response and then follow after Thane.

  The forest was cool and quiet in the late morning. The ground was a mottled combination of light and shadow that shifted back and forth in the breeze. Renick was struck by how loud their passage was in the silence. Not even birds could be heard flitting between the trees. The stillness was almost eerie. A small, thin cry caught Renick's attention. He recognized the sound from many nights spent in the brooder during hatching season. A baby dragon. He stopped and cocked his head.