The whole table was staring at me like I’d lost my mind. I dragged in a deep breath and let it all out. “And anyone can ride a dragon if the dragon is willing, so the riders don’t have to be trained. But here’s the thing. I’ve learned a lot while I was away. And I can’t say I liked much of it. I believe I was attacked because of what I’ve learned. Because of what I’m about to tell you.”
I looked at my friends, and I could see the clouds gathering over their features. The concerns. Once they knew, there would be no going back.
I sat there and told them. I told them everything I knew and suspected. The suspicions Sky Commander Llwydadain had revealed to me. And the potential consequences if those suspicions proved true.
“No,” Fenwick reacted when I finished. “Look I can accept that the newssheets are full of propaganda instead of actual news. But to think the Seafarers are all military personnel, run by someone from our own military leadership?” He shook his head. “No. Tiernan would flay such a person alive.”
“Unless it is Tiernan,” Jimny suggested.
“I don’t believe it can be,” I said. “Llwydadain has worked closely with Tiernan for years. He’d know.” I reconsidered, just in case. “No, he’d know. I don’t know who it is, but it can’t be Tiernan.”
“I don’t want any of that to be true,” Boutros.
“Me either,” Gahunia said. “So why do I believe it so completely.”
“Because it’s so plausible,” Jimny said.
Fenwick signed, slumping down in his chair. “I don’t want it to be true, but I suspect it is. It makes sense of so many of the things we haven’t otherwise been able to make sense of.”
“Except why we all got stationed here,” Gahunia said.
“I think—” I said, “-Well, I know for me and Fin, it was because we saw something we weren’t supposed to see and we spoke about it, the same is true for you, Boutros.”
“What did you see?” Jimny asked looking between the two of us.
I glanced at Boutros. He gave a short nod. “A silver dragon.”
Gahunia, Jimny and Fenwick all sat back in their seats, staring loose jawed at me.
“Dragon shit.”
“But they don’t…”
“Wow.”
Three whispered overlapping responses.
“There’s one more thing you need to know. While I was in Ashland, I think someone tried to poison me.”
“What?” Ang sat straighter.
I explained what had happened.
“Why would Zemich poison you?”
“I don’t know for sure it was Zemich. Could have been someone in the kitchens, or someone serving. As for why, well, if Llwydadain has suspicions, it’s likely someone has suspicions against Llwydadain. If they thought I was part of his faction…” I shrugged. I didn’t know. I looked at Ang. “Have you heard from Flight Sergeant Robb since I left?”
He shook his head. “No. Should I have?”
My guts sank. “I don’t know, but that you haven’t is worrying. I didn’t see her in Ashland Harbour and most of that delivery to Llwydadain was in fact from her, not Zemich. So I’m going to want to check that she’s all right.”
“One of us will do that,” Gahunia assured me.
Boutros was nodding. “Then, to summarise, are we saying that there is a mass campaign of propaganda about seafarer activity designed to keep the masses quiet?”
“I think so,” I said.
“And further that there is a possibility of a connection between seafarers and Tidewardens?” he asked.
