I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked at the knife in my hand. It was gorgeous. The handle was white. It took me a second to realise what it was. A dragon scale. Since the only white dragon here was Shi’s own, Lord Aurexian, he could be the only source. The steel blade was damascus, a rippled patternof silver and black steels forged together in a squared blade. Both edges were sharpened to perfection, and the triangular tip looked ready to slip through skin like a scalpel. The handle fit perfectly in my hand. The weight was well-balanced, with a through tang topped with a ball of granite.
Staring at the piece didn’t make it make any more sense. Nothing in this blade was easily crafted. Given the unreliability of supplies, the island was, as much as it could be, self-sufficient, so we all spent time doing lots of different things, including making weapons when necessary. Shi was a master of the craft. Every part of this blade proved it. Damascus creation took time and effort. Dragon scales were notorious for breaking when made into a handle, even with the agreement of the dragon. Try using a dragon scale when the dragon didn’t agree and it would break to uselessness. And shaping granite was never easy. Yet, Ang Shi had done it. For me.
Why?
He was the fortress commander. I saw him every day. He was always around. He had a critical eye, and I often realised I was less than perfect just from the way he looked at me. It made me do better. I thought about earlier; speaking of Sasha hadn’t upset me this time, she was just a warm memory. Also warm was the hand under the table that offered me that unseen, silent support. I considered the way my own gaze tended to linger on Shi.
Oh no.
* * *
Of course I thanked Flight Captain Ang Shi for the dagger. And Lord Aurexian Valemont the Third. Unusually, Lord Aurexian was more open to the thanks than Ang Shi. Though perhaps I was a little less awkward with the dragon than with the man. I tried to tell myself my fears were just my fears, not reality. Therewas no actual threat. It took me way too long to get over that one stupid thought, and that was all it was. Shi being thoughtful.
It was odd over that year to watch Fin. He started to really grow, and his voice broke. It would go from high-pitched to low and back again, sometimes in the course of a single sentence. No one commented or made him self-conscious about it. But it was just the first sign of the man he was growing into. A son I was very proud of already.
He continued to work with Ang Shi and Fenwick. He studied, learned practical skills, cleaning, ironing, woodwork, metalwork, leatherwork. His needlework was rough but serviceable, which was good enough for a Rider. At least he could sew a button on, which was more than some of the men could.
Staff rotations came and went, though a core of us stayed. I appreciated what Fin and I had found, but there was still a part of me that wanted to be reposted elsewhere, to actually feel the sun again, to dry my feet out. To not feel punished for telling the truth.
One of our newer staff members, Rider Cadawg Dean, came in and got sick. I think he brought whatever the illness was with him, as none of the others got sick. I did what I could, but this was so far beyond anything I knew, I really wasn’t that effective. Almost all I could do was keep him hydrated and comfortable until the healer came in.
The healer cured him. Allegedly. Three days after the healer left, Dean passed out on the back of his dragon, Tiago, during a patrol and fell into the Kimi Sea. His body was never recovered so we never really knew what had happened.
Tiago came home to grieve. Fin worked hard with him to help with the recovery process. Dragons lived many lifetimes longer than humans, so it was common for a dragon to lose a rider and go through the grieving process.
I also knew Dora and Aurexian clucked over Tiago like watchful parents. Or maybe Dora was more concerned with Fin, it was hard to tell, but I was assured that all three were helping.
As Tiago was the only unbonded dragon who had ever been in the nests, I think, despite entreaties to the contrary, Fin got his hopes up for bonding young. It was an extremely rare occurrence for anyone under the age of eighteen to bond, but it had been known.
Then Sky Commander Zemich turned up on one of his regular inspection visits. Generally he’d sneer the entire time.
“What is this beast doing here?” he demanded, pointing to Tiago.
I was in the nests at that point, taking care of Dora after a fight out where strong winds had played havoc with our plans and she had pulled a shoulder muscle.
“Grieving,” Fenwick said. “Tiago was bonded with—”
“Get it out of here,” Zemich commanded.
We all reacted, and I had to pull Fin back from responding.
“We have few enough resources, we cannot squander them on dragons that are not useful.”
“Maybe he will be,” Fin shouted before I could stop him. “Once he’s had a little time.”
Zemich turned slowly to face us, and the air turned a degree or two colder. Whether that was Tiago or just dread, I don’t know. Zemich looked us both up and down. His lip curled. “The blasphemer and son.” He turned back to Fenwick. “Have the boy whipped for his insolence and kick the useless white out.”
No one was happy about that. Tiago stayed another day. We tried to persuade him to remain longer, but he said he didn’t want to be anywhere near the maggot (his word not mine) Zemich a moment longer, and perhaps staying where he hadlost Dean wasn’t best for him anyway. Fenwick told Zemich that Fin had been whipped, and Fin kept out of his way so Zemich wouldn’t know that he hadn’t been.
A couple of weeks later, Rider Alexander Evanov arrived with his son Lloyd. Of Mrs Evanov we heard nothing, but I was hopeful that Fin and Lloyd would be friends. It would be good for Fin to know another boy his own age.
Chapter Ten
3950, New Translaw Calendar
“Because you’re fourteen,” I heard Shi’s voice as I approached the arena for training.
There were now two people he could be talking to, Fin and Lloyd. They were the only two minors at the fortress now. Not obvious friends, but they had a lack of choice in the matter here. I stepped in to see my son circling on the mats against Lloyd while Flight Captain Shi watched from the edge. They were all stripped down to trousers only, as I was. Fin was easily as tall as me now, the scars on his back were more visible than I would like, but his efforts in working out and working with the dragons were showing in just how muscular he was.
