“Are you a wizard?” she whispered, loudly enough for everyone in the silent infirmary to hear.
He hesitated. The flaming jaws of a dragon … Flames, what should he say? He’d be thrown out in an instant if the Council of the Twelve Dragon Masters heard about him.
Hang on, he was proud of being a mage. He’d just passed his last trials. He’d been killing tharuks on dragonback with a rider. Who cared what a bunch of prejudiced dragon riders thought? “Yes, I am.” Fenni held his hand out. Letting sparks flit from his fingers, he turned them into tiny green blossoms that disappeared in a volley of pops.
Eyes wide, she clapped and laughed. “I’m Leah, you’re so lucky to be a wi—” She clamped her mouth shut.
The tension in the chamber spiked.
Fenni winked at her. “Yes, I am.” He forced himself to chuckle. “And you’re lucky to live at Dragons’ Hold. It’s beautiful here, even in winter. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on my best friend.”
“Kierion’s your best friend? He’s fun.”
He could be—if he ever woke up again.
Marlies was looking concerned. “Leah,” she said, gesturing at the girl. “Get me some blankets. He’s freezing.”
Shards, how silly of him. “I can help,” said Fenni.
His friend was pale and his lips were tinged blue. The veins in his hands were a mottled purple. He’d been so concerned about getting him home, he hadn’t thought about keeping him warm. If Kierion died, he’d be partly to blame …
Fenni held Kierion’s feet. Jael had explained that if you warmed the peripheries first—the limbs, hands and feet—then it wasn’t such a shock to the body when its temperature rose. Fenni focused on his friend. He channeled sathir through his hands, warming Fenni’s extremities, then limbs and torso.
Slowly, his friend’s hands lost their mottled purple appearance, and grew pink again. The pallor on his face faded and his cheeks took on a healthy hue.
“That’s enough, Fenni,” Marlies said. “Overheating can be as dangerous as under-cooling.”
Fenni’s breath gushed out of him. He rolled his shoulders. How long had he been working on Kierion? Moments or hours? In the underground warren it was hard to tell how much time had passed. How did these people live year round without daylight? He gazed around. There were regular holes in the outside wall, each stoppered with a large rock. They must be windows of sorts in summer. He shrugged. Who needed windows when you could jump on a dragon at a moment’s notice? That was fresh air enough.
Marlies frowned, keeping her voice low. “I’m a little concerned. It’s a bad gash. He’s not showing signs of getting worse, but none of getting better.” She took a slim vial of green juice from a pouch at her waist. “So, we’ll try piaua juice.”
Kierion twitched as she applied it to the gash in his head, but there was no other change.
“We’ll need to sit with him.”
Fenni shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Leah brought more blankets and a bowl of steaming stew for Fenni. “You must be famished,” she said, handing him some crunchy bread rolls. The food was good, better than Giddi’s infamous wizard’s porridge, day in, day out.
Marlies handed Fenni a set of riders’ garb. “You might want to change into these while you’re here. There’s no point in stirring up antagonism.” She shook her head, lips compressed in a thin line. “If only the fools would see reason.”
“Fools?” Fenni wasn’t sure how honest he should be. “You mean the Wizard Council? Or the Council of the Twelve Dragon Masters?”
“Both. And I’m a member of one of them.”
Of course she was, as master healer. He ducked into an alcove crammed with shelves of healing supplies. Among them, he recognized some of Jael’s jars and pouches. His new garb was much warmer than his wizard gear. He bundled his clothes in his cloak and knotted the ends.
Kierion’s breathing was soft and easy, like a lamb. It was uncanny. Kierion was a restless sleeper, thrashing and even laughing in his sleep.
Fenni’s own eyes grew heavy and soon his lids shut.
Hours later, Fenni woke to Kierion’s chuckle. It was strained, but his friend was awake. The torches had burned low. Judging by the number of patients sleeping, it must be late at night. “Thank the Egg, you’re all right,” Fenni whispered. “You gave me a right fright.”
“Not as much of a fright as that rock gave me,” Kierion replied.
“Or as much of a fright as that tharuk got when Riona and I got it,” Fenni said.
“Good,” said Kierion, trying to sit up.
Marlies appeared at his bedside. “Leah, fetch a bedpan,” she called, and the blonde girl dashed off.
“No way,” Kierion muttered when Leah returned. “Give a man some dignity. Fenni, will you help me to the latrines?”
“Sure,” Fenni said. He needed to go too, but he hadn’t been keen to go on his own, here, in the midst of enemies.
Fenni helped Kierion out of bed. He leaned on him as they negotiated a maze of torch-lit tunnels. Around the first corner, they ran into a slim woman about their age, with long blond hair and jade eyes. Quite pretty.
“Kierion, are you all right?” she said, taking in Fenni supporting him.
“I’m fine. A small bump on the head. That’s all. This is my best friend from Montanara, Fenni.”
“Welcome to Dragons’ Hold. I’m Ezaara.”
“The Queen’s Rider,” Kierion said, nudging Fenni.
“Oh?” Fenni held out his hand. He’d never expected the head of Dragons’ Hold to be their age, but then again, he’d never expected Jael to be a master either. “Nice to meet you, um, your royal rider.”
She laughed. “Ezaara will do. I’m new at this game. Welcome to Dragons’ Hold. It’s not often we have mages here.”
But
