Page 67 of Dragonbound

‘By the Gods,’ he growled, moving as fast as he could. Dragging his painful leg behind him, he took the long way around to reach Sereh.

He bent, fought for balance and reached for Sereh’s icy hand, while Skaldi lowered his huge head to examine Sereh. Arrow was at Sereh’s side, lying there, protective as ever. Erann thought what a strange sight they must make. A wolf-dog, a dragon, a man and a woman. No one would ever believe him. But the only person he needed to believe him was Sereh.

‘Sereh,’ he called, the name catching on his tongue. ‘Sereh,’ he repeated, reaching out to feel for her heartbeat. It took a long time, but he eventually felt her chest rising and falling.

She was alive – that was all he needed to know.

46

SEREH

Sereh wasn’t sure of anything any more. The cold had faded to an irritating niggle. However, she was sure she’d felt movement. She heard Erann speak her name. She smiled. It hurt. Her face was so cold it was frozen in place. She’d been a fool, but at least in death, she’d see Erann again. The thought filled her with peace.

After some time, the movement stopped and she wondered why. Some time later she felt furs being piled around her. Then the pain came. Every part of her body cried out. This was torture. She’d rather stay numb than endure this agony.

She became aware of someone whispering her name. Erann. His presence soothed her. But there was another presence too. It seemed to exist only in her mind. She wished it would go away. She pushed at it, trying to rid herself of it. It kept getting near to things – memories of her parents, her self-disgust that she’d exposed Rankil’s unwanted children, her feelings for Erann – things she wanted to keep to herself. She boxed off that part of her mind. She’d not let it in. She forced it away, the effort nearly enough to distract her from the almost unendurable agony lancing through her body. She focused on Erann’s voice. Erann’s voice would keep her safe. She wanted to be with the voice.

47

ERANN

Erann felt utterly useless. Is this how Sereh had felt when she looked after him following the avalanche?

She was frozen and cried out in pain every time he touched her. He covered her with furs, but no matter how many he found, she remained cold. He heaved a rounded, heated stone from the fire and positioned it close to her feet. She cried out again and seemed to cringe away from it. He endeavoured to dribble warm water into her mouth, and she twisted and turned rather than swallowed.

Eventually he sat next to her and sipped some of Emma’s healing tea. He wished he could see into her mind, to see what was wrong, why everything he tried seemed to make it worse.

‘Skaldi,’ he said.

Erann, came the calm response.

‘Thank you for helping me. For rescuing Sereh.’ He paused for a moment, unsure how to ask. ‘Can you see her thoughts? Do you know what’s wrong with her, aside from being exposed for so long? I don’t want to hurt her any more.’

Erann watched Sereh. Her face twisted. Her hands shot out from under the furs, and he carefully pulled the furs back over her, then tucked them under her. Her fingers were still like ice. He waited. A reply was slow in coming.

She is hot but cold. She is awake but asleep. She is… Skaldi paused, and Erann sensed the dragon was trying to make sense of something he didn’t understand. She is fighting me. I am trying to calm her. I am trying to make her sleep. She doesn’t want my help. She sees… I don’t understand what she sees. It is not what is happening to her now.

‘She’s dreaming,’ Erann offered. He wondered if Sereh dreamed of him. He hobbled back to the supplies left by Emma. Sereh needed to sleep, he knew that. He’d covered her in warm furs. Next, he would offer her one of Emma’s healing teas. He felt better when he did something, rather than watch her, waiting for her to wake.

Her face was too pale. Her lips were too blue. Her skin was too cold. But the furs rose and fell with her breaths. It was a matter of time. He needed to be patient.

Only when Arrow returned, scampering into the cave, and lay at Sereh’s side, panting heavily, but with her gaze riveted on Sereh, did Sereh grow still. Her right hand entangled in Arrow’s fur.

Now, as she slept more comfortably, still breathing, Erann reassured himself that, every so often, she would whisper his name.

From outside the cave, Skaldi blew his warm breath inside.

‘Thank you,’ Erann called, his voice ringing loudly in the quiet of the cave, now Arrow’s panted breaths had calmed down.

His leg hurt more than he thought possible while being able to limp on it. Sereh might have rejected it, but Erann willingly accepted Skaldi’s support. He drank more of Emma’s tea. He willed himself to heal.

He took more tea to Sereh, and this time she swallowed. ‘Erann,’ she whispered, her voice louder now.

Erann gripped her hand which was finally warm from Arrow’s fur.

‘You’re safe,’ he reassured. ‘You’re safe, and you’ll mend. Sereh, I’m so sorry. I love you, can you forgive me?’

‘Yes, Erann,’ came her soft reply, although her eyes didn’t open. ‘I forgive you.’