Jaax sighed, singing the leaves of the closest tree with his hot breath. “We’ll continue along this ridge, then descend a little just above Glordienn and wait through the night.”
“It shouldn’t take us too long to get to Glordienn, maybe half a day,” Jahrra noted, lifting a hand to her forehead as she scanned the wide valley below. “What will we do the rest of the afternoon?”
Jaax grinned. “We’ll think of something.”
As Jahrra had predicted, they crossed the ridge by noon and descended closer towards the city an hour after that. Jahrra suggested they move nearer but Jaax didn’t want to risk being seen. To pass the time, Jaax told her stories of his time spent searching for her. When she asked how many years he had spent looking for the human Ethoes had promised, he merely shrugged and looked away.
“Too many to count or remember accurately,” was his reply.
There was something sad about his tone and Jahrra would have pressed further, only she knew that both of them were doing their best to stay away from morose memories for the time being.
Nighttime came swiftly and after eating a quickly prepared meal, Jaax suggested that Jahrra get some sleep. He watched her shiver for several moments then cleared his throat and said, “You know, there is no point in you freezing every night.”
He lifted the wing closest to her and gestured towards the spot on the ground just beside him.
Jahrra cast him an incredulous look.
Trying his best not to sigh in frustration, Jaax continued, “One of the benefits in having a continual fire burning inside of you is that your skin is usually very warm. Besides, I’ll feel better with you as close to me as possible. No sneak attacks in the middle of the night.”
When Jahrra ascertained that he was being completely serious, she reluctantly moved her sleeping mat and blanket to the spot he had indicated. Jaax had been right. It was like lying next to a low burning fire. Just as she was getting comfortable, he let his wing drop casually to the ground. Jahrra squawked at the sudden darkness of being trapped under a dragon’s wing.
“Jaax!” she hissed. “You’ll suffocate me!”
“I most certainly will not. And who will try and get close to you now?”
Jahrra didn’t like being held captive like some helpless sacrifice under Jaax’s wing, but he had a point. If anyone could even guess that a young girl was sleeping by his side, they would think twice about inciting his wrath. Grumbling to herself and inching as far away from his side as she could, Jahrra fell into a more peaceful sleep.
Jaax woke her an hour before dawn. She changed quickly and saddled Phrym before they began the short trek down the hillside and onto the edge of Glordienn. Jahrra felt immensely better that morning and she realized it was a result of sleeping so close to her new guardian. Peace of mind, she told herself.
The sprawling mountain city of Glordienn was more of a large trading post than a city and all of its buildings were constructed of rough hewn stones and wood; timber gathered from the plentiful trees blanketing the foothills of the Elornn Mountains. The great settlement was partially surrounded by a tall wood pole fence and Jahrra had no trouble finding an entrance as her eyes scanned their jagged points. The gates were open and no one was on guard, something Jahrra found odd but decided was a result of very little traffic coming through at such an early hour. As she and Phrym passed through the welcoming entrance, she noticed that the streets were muddy from the recent rainy weather and the houses and storefronts were dark.
Towards the east side of town and only a few blocks from the gate that would be their exit, Jahrra found the general store. It was the largest building in the area and hosted several wooden signs that listed the variety of goods they sold and traded. Jahrra felt her heart sink, however, when she noticed that the glass adorning the front of the store was dark as well. A sign posted out front stated that the store didn’t open for another two hours. Biting her lip in frustration, Jahrra turned Phrym to begin walking back up the street. She didn’t think Jaax would want her waiting around for that long.
“Excuse me, sir? May I help you with something?”
Jahrra started and nearly frightened Phrym into bolting. There hadn’t been a soul around two minutes ago. She turned, thanking Ethoes for having the presence of mind to keep her hood low. She lifted her hood just enough to see who was speaking, a Nesnan man in the clean suit of a grocer’s assistant.
Clearing her throat and donning what she hoped was a more masculine voice, she said, “Ah, yes, I was hopin’ to make some purchases, but seeing as you’re not open yet . . .”
The young man tilted his head and glanced up and down the street. “If you know what it is that you want, I might be able to make an exception.”
Jahrra felt her heart race. “Yes, I have here a list.”
She pulled the list out of her saddlebag, grateful she had thought to write everything down, and handed it down to the young man.
He reached up, eyeing Phrym with interest. “That’s a fine looking semequin you’ve got there. Where are you from exactly?”
“Um,” Jahrra stalled.
Now what was she to do? If she acted gruff and secretive this grocer’s assistant was sure to remember her. But if she were only to give him a name of a place. Not Aldehren or Lensterans though. She needed a city where someone might own a semequin like Phrym.
“Kiniahn Kroi,” she blurted, almost forgetting to speak in a lower tone of voice.
The grocer’s assistant, who had been scanning the paper and nodding, glanced up with surprise.
“Kiniahn Kroi? What a small world this is. I once lived in Kiniahn Kroi. Worked as a servant in one of the nice houses up the north canyon. A wealthy landowner with a pair of twins. Perhaps you know them?”
Jahrra felt her face go slack with shock. Eydeth and Ellysian? Doing her best not to reveal her face, she squinted down into a suddenly familiar face: brown hair and laughing brown eyes. Her memory fought for only a moment but when it found the name, she blurted it without even remembering she was trying to pretend to be a boy.
“Lahnehn?!” she hissed.
Lahnehn jumped back in surprise, allowing the grocery list to fall into a puddle at his feet. “How do you know my name?”
He looked truly shaken, so Jahrra pulled back her hood just enough to reveal her face.
“It’s me, Jahrra! Though you probably don’t remember. I came to one of Eydeth’s and Ellysian’s parties and you helped me when I got caught up in a tree.”
The young man eyed her warily for a few moments, then his face lit with recognition.
“I remember you! Eydeth enticed you to climb up that canyon wall. You nearly broke your neck!”
He laughed lightly, shaking his head in disbelief. “What on Ethoes brings you to Glordienn?”
Jahrra sobered immediately and pulled her hood back over her head.
“A very long story,” she said gravely.
“Well, if you don’t mind regaling it while we seek out these supplies.”
He grinned and bent down to scoop up the muddy list.
Lahnehn let Jahrra into the back of the store, lighting lanterns and candles as he went. He explained that he was the manager and often came in early to restock the shelves or take inventory. As they scoured the aisles for the items on her list, Jahrra gave him a shortened version of what had happened to her since she left the twins’ house those many years ago. Her voice cracked a little when she told him about Hroombra.
“I’m so sorry, Jahrra,” Lahnehn paused in his search for ground pepper and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know how much he meant to you. Even during those few hours we spent together in the kitchen of the twins’ mansion, I could tell that he had quite an influence.”