“I can live with that; those naming bonds might even save our necks in the end. However, after we share our names, let’s continue to use our masked names in public until we are safely away from this place.” Fox hesitates, searching the eyes of the guards once more before adding, “My true name is Sly.”
“As sly as a fox,” Goldeneye muses with a dark chuckle. “Grouse?”
“Why don’t you go next?” Grouse whines, fidgeting in her seat. When Bittern says nothing, she huffs and replies, “Fine! I’m Olive.”
“Aspen,” Bittern mutters under her breath, cringing as she says the name aloud. The word conjures up an unwelcome memory of the beautiful white trees that used to cover the land outside her house. She recalls every detail of their graceful shapes, each one’s bark scarred by dark lines and eyes. And the glorious yellow halo they’d leave on the ground every autumn. Bittern gulps, fighting back the reminders of her past. The memory of those trees carries the more painful remembrances of all she’s lost. Cutting her eyes to the only other member of their party who hasn’t spoken, she asks, “Well, Goldeneye?”
Goldeneye sighs, leaning his head against a wooden fence post. “Okay, but you all have to keep quiet. I was kinda hoping that one of you had been as foolish as me, but your names aren’t bad.”
Grouse grins, a mischievous light dancing in her eyes. “And just what did you choose for your name, Goldeneye?”
“Remember how young we were when the naming rituals took place? Well, I was a stupid child, and I didn’t take it seriously. I didn’t fully understand that I’d be stuck with whatever I chose. And since I knew that I’d have a mask name too, I didn’t think it really mattered. My real name is….” Goldeneye stutters over the word, a hand covering his eyes. “Swampy.”
Grouse hoots with laughter, unable to contain herself as Goldeneye turns an indignant glare on her. “Oh, that’s horrible! What the hell made you pick that?”
“I lived in a swamp, I played in a swamp, and I thought, why not name myself after the cursed place?” Goldeneye snarls, finding no humor in the situation. “Just forget I ever said anything.”
“Oh no, this little tidbit of information is the best thing I’ve heard in a long, long time.” Grouse wipes tears from her eyes as she whispers, “I’m a little sad that I can’t call you that on a daily basis, Swampy.”
“Shut it!” Fox murmurs as Coyote looms up and leans over the fence, his sword lashing out to silence them. If you can hear me, shut up! Get behind me so that guard’s weapon can’t reach you. Move now, he commands through their newly formed mental bonds to test them. The three waste no time to follow his wishes. “Sorry for the disruption. Won’t happen again,” Fox announces, waving a hand at the guard. “You have my word.”
As Coyote skulks away, all four of them breathe a sigh of relief. Good, now we wait until our moment comes, Fox declares through their shared mental connection.
Escape or die trying, Bittern agrees, and as one the group falls silent.
Chapter 14
“We came as quickly as we could,” Drake announces as he rolls off Ekard’s back and saunters up to my side. “What can we do?”
“You made good time,” I remark, not as happy to see the rest of the Ddraigs as I should be. The nameless unchosen and I made it to the House of Piranhas yesterday. A couple of the braver men decided to sneak into the guards’ camp before we attacked, just to get an idea of what to expect. I’d been waiting for their return ever since. Dread eats at my peace of mind. What if Cyrus is dead? What if he hates me? What’s keeping those nameless spies? Were they caught? Are they still alive?
“I wouldn’t let the Ddraigs rest,” Lerual explains, lowering her eyes as a sheepish smile crosses her scaly lips. “I knew this was important to you, Iris.”
“Thank you,” I mumble dryly, wishing I could color my words with gratitude. “I know you all must be exhausted, but I think we should go ahead and fly into the House of Piranhas’ camp this evening. I can’t keep waiting for information. If all goes well and our task is easily accomplished, you will be able to rest a while there.” Turning to the nearest nameless unchosen that I can find, a short squatty little woman with piercing dark eyes, I announce, “Tell your people we are flying ahead. Follow behind us and stay in the fringes of the trees. I’m going to try and end this peaceably. I will call for you if I need you to fight.”
The woman bows to me slightly, hurrying off to follow my wishes.
“Lead on,” Drake agrees, calling out to the other nomads in their strange, clicking tongue. Without complaint, all of the Cadogans find their ways back onto their Ddraig’s backs, waiting for the order to fly. The way they spring to follow Drake’s commands irritates me all the more. Is everyone a better leader than me? Ekard sneers at me as if he’s thinking the exact same thing.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get moving! Siri exclaims, fluttering her wings in exasperation.
We take to the skies in a flurry of colorful scales and thunderous roars. Within minutes, the smell of sea brine stings my nose as we near the ocean’s unending waves. Worry gnaws at my stomach even as I try to rationalize my greatest fears. Surely the Cane that I remember didn’t become so ruthless! Maybe all of this is just a huge mistake….
“You still seek to deny what you saw in the
