Dragon Dreams

Chapter 34: The Return (2/2)

I watched him go, then took a few paces along the ridge and lay down myself. The lilac dragon came and sat next to me without a word—thinly-veiled torment swirling through her athka did nothing to ease my own suffering.

"Tenaya, I..." I swallowed. "I'm so sorry for everything. It's my fault what happened to Stolvir. You were just trying to help, and now he's in danger because of me."

She took a deep breath. "You probably know that my emotions can be...strong, to say the least. And I did feel a lot of anger when we first realized you were with the Vrost; I felt betrayed. But Stolvir was always the one to help me see past the anger. We talked about it so much, when it was just me and him after we left the clan."

A pause hung delicately in the air; Tenaya's pale blue eyes searched the skies above for the words to continue. "He was so calm, never angry like I was. I really don't know how, with everything he's been through. But I can try to be more like him. I guess what I'm saying is I'm glad you're sorry, but it's no use holding onto any anger about it."

A brush of her spirit brought tears welling in my eyes; she really did feel nothing ill towards me. Her empathy was tinged with sorrow, but she offered it to me as completely as she could. I extended my own athka to meet hers, strengthened by the link. "Thank you," I whispered.

"I imagine if he could talk to us he wouldn't want you blaming yourself, and he wouldn't want me to be mad at you. It's just not who he is." A soft scraping rose up as she moved closer, tail coming to rest against mine. She met my watery gaze for a moment before closing her eyes and leaning in to place her nose against my cheek. I had missed the soft caress of her breath so much.

"I'm not going to tell you it's not your fault," she murmured gently, "but it's also not helping anyone to keep feeling sorry for yourself. So, I'm not angry—I'll only be angry if you decide to give up now. It's not just your fight anymore, it never was. This is so much bigger, and we have to remember that. The only thing we can do now to help Stolvir is stop Ares."

My spirit felt the steel resolve that grew inside Tenaya as she spoke the words. I was happy to let it infect me, the grip of my own helplessness cracking against the tide of perseverance. The link reawakened all the powerful affection I felt for her, the way her inner fire burned, ready to take on the world.

"You saved me, you know?" I said. "That time, in the tree, what you said to help me accept who I truly am. And now you've done it again. You and Stolvir believed in me, even when nobody else did, not even me. I've had so many turn away from me. My friends. My family. But not you." Tears were threatening to force themselves out. "You saved me again," I whispered.

We spoke no words for a while and simply lay together with her tail entwined with mine, her muzzle tucked into the curve of my neck. Thick clouds lay overhead, yet their drifting movement revealed glimpses of stars through gaps that opened and closed in the obscuring blackness.

I felt for Ferenor's athka nearby, placid in his slumber. My body did not yearn for sleep, though. I only wanted to be back in the clan. But would anyone other than Rofar and Nyraz welcome me back? It was enough that I had betrayed the clan, now Stolvir was lost because of me. I tried to turn my thoughts away—the stars could only hold my stare for so long.

My interminable ruminations were finally swept aside when Tenaya stirred and rose to her feet, wings stretching. She had not slept either. "Time to move again, I think," she said.

Ferenor was still curled up when we walked back over to him. Tenaya put a paw gently on his side to wake him up. As she did, I saw a look of concentration cross her face, her mouth moved silently. A brush of her athka revealed a faint tingle of magic.