The rumble of a tremor through the earth sounded from behind before seeming to wash over them, making loose rocks and pebbles tumble from the cliff’s edge.
Leyra raised her head and called again, the sound so loud at this proximity that Kalai had to cover his ears. Three short calls, and Leyra jumped from the cliffs, falling toward the water before spreading her wings wide. All around Kalai, the wild dragons followed suit. Kalai urged Arrow over the edge.
CHAPTER 46
It felt strange to be back in Kykaros.
The wind was fresh and cooler than in Sharoani, although the sun kept it warm enough for a light jacket. Despite the winter season, the rolling hills were still green. Frost never truly got hold of Kykaros, at least not until you moved farther east. Kalai remembered a certain level of disappointment when he’d first arrived. He’d never seen snow, and he’d read Cadell was covered in it for seven months a year. He thought he might keep traveling after spending some time in the big city.
Now, even thoughts of Cadell’s snowy landscape couldn’t distract Kalai from the nerves filling him with apprehension. The hills offered few places to hide. North-east of them rose Valreus, with its backdrop of the plateau. And behind that, half-faded from this distance, was the Valrean volcano.
It was quiet. At least for now.
But the threat of the volcano wasn’t the only thing tying a knot in Kalai’s chest. “Tauran, what are you doing?” It was nearly two days since they’d left Kel Visal, four days since Tauran had set off from the clearing. Had Tauran missed them on his way back? No. Missing a flock of fifty dragons would be impossible.
Sharp roars from two young dragons play-wrestling in the air above made Kalai wince.
“Can you calm them?” he called to Jinhai sitting astride Obu at the base of the hill.
Jinhai bit his bottom lip. “I don’t know how.”
“That’s all right.” Kalai didn’t know what he’d expected. Being this close to Valreus with so many wild dragons made him antsy. His control of them was slipping. A small group strayed toward a copse of trees where they might have sensed a small herd of silverhorn. There were too many dragons in the air for his liking.
Kalai looked to Leyra. She lay curled up in the long grass at the base of the hill, both wings outstretched, the right one covering her head. Arrow lay beside her, quietly watching her. He raised his head a little when Kalai came down the hill, rumbling softly as if warning Kalai not to wake her. They’d stopped once underway to sleep, but Kalai hadn’t dared rest more than four hours.
Kalai kneeled beside Leyra. The flight had been hard on her. The last few hours before landing, the constant tremble in her wings had been visible even from a dragon’s width away. Guilt still churned in Kalai’s stomach at the sight of her so exhausted. She hadn’t complained or acted up. When they made land, she’d tumbled onto the grass and fallen almost immediately asleep. Without her help, keeping the wild dragons under control was all the harder, but Kalai would never blame her for it. Already, she was displaying a strength reserved for dragons thrice her age.
The sound of wings announced the arrival of an aging statera, countless smaller scars criss-crossing its amber nose, its claws ground blunt. In its mouth was a young silverhorn. For a moment, Kalai was afraid the introduction of food would announce a feeding frenzy, but the old statera simply placed the silverhorn beside Leyra. When the statera retreated and Leyra didn’t wake, none of the others came to snatch it, but left it for when she woke.
Kalai met Jinhai’s eyes, his own wonder reflected in them. Jinhai smiled.
“I’m going to head in with Arrow. Have a look around,” Kalai said, leaving Leyra to sleep. “Think you can keep the rest of them under control while I’m away?”
Jinhai bit his lip, absently scratching Obu’s chest. Then he nodded, determined. “I’ll do my best.”
Kalai knew it was a lot to ask. “I’ll be quick. If you see dragons approaching from the city, wake Leyra and lead the dragons south. We don’t want conflicts if we can avoid them.”
Jinhai nodded. “You can count on me.”
Kalai squeezed Jinhai’s shoulder. It was an awful lot of responsibility. “I know I can. Arrow!”
Arrow trotted over. He stopped beside Obu, right wing already raised so Kalai could tighten the saddle straps. Kalai slipped two