Etain sat on a ledge overlooking the cavern below. The sweet scent of lavender drifted upwards from the fields below. The younger dragons were playing games while the older ones relaxed, sharing stories of past glory. It was an idyllic scene, and one she returned to often while her father was gone. It was this she wanted to preserve when she became Dragon Lord. There would be times of trouble, she was young but not that naive. Every Dragon Lord had their share of problems, and other than the invasion, her father had relative calm. The griffon situation wasn’t terrible and would soon work itself out.

She watched the Lapis dragons playing in a pond nearby. They fascinated her to no end. They were the only dragons proficient in swimming, and they really did more gliding in the water than anything else. They were the clan that lived along the coasts of Rowyth and were concentrated mostly in the south, though a fairly large clan lived near Bayfrost in northwestern Tregaron. Their ability was the exact opposite of hers. Where she breathed fire, they breathed frost. Their cold ability could negate hers easily if they wanted to. Fortunately for her, they were all part of a larger family and cooperation superseded anything else.

A small Lapis dragon dove under the water, then burst from it like a fish, shooting high into the air where it spun on itself, creating a blue circle in the sky, then splashed back to the water where it stayed under for quite some time. When it surfaced, it exhaled it’s cold breath on the water, turning it to ice. Another Lapis dragon smashed through the ice from the air, and they were entangled in playful wrestling until both fell under the surface of the water.

It amazed her how easily they took to the water like that. She’d never be able to do such a thing, preferring dry land and clear skies to what lay beneath the surface of the water. At least then she’d see the dangers coming toward her.

Etain stretched her red wings, her bones cracking and her muscles stretching, then folded them behind her back. It was time to study, the distraction of the Lapis losing her interest. She left the ledge and headed back to the part of the cavern she shared with her father. On her way, a Jade dragon came racing toward her.

“Lord Etain,” he said breathlessly. It still shocked her to be called “Lord.”

“Yes?”

“You received a message. By snowdove. It was sealed with the flame of the Crimson Tower.” The Jade handed over a small scroll sealed with red wax and the flame of the Crimson Tower pressed into it.

“Thank you,” she said absently. She’d never received a message from the Order and she wasn’t sure what to do. It seemed so insignificant in her large hands. Carrying it carefully to her cavern, she set it on a table and shifted into her human form to better hold the scroll. The moment she did, she feared being caught since she wasn’t supposed to do so yet. Her heart fluttered and she looked around the room to make sure she was alone. When she was satisfied no one was there, she broke the seal and unrolled the scroll.

It was from Ildor.

As she read, she grew angry and concerned for her father. It seemed he was to appear before a tribunal in Kulketh lead by the Kull Naga himself on charges of killing an entire village. Ildor was certain the truth would prevail and her father would have a chance to share his concern about the mysterious village and what Ildor called a “gray-soul.” He stressed for her not to worry and not to share anything about the gray-souls until her father returned.

She read the scroll at least five times before setting it down on the table. She plopped into a chair meant for visiting Magus and tried to make sense of what she just read.

Her father was being accused of something horrific. He’d never do such a thing! And gray-souls? Was it anything like that man she and Jerdyn encountered at the beach? Nothing was making sense. Her father left, intent on only sharing his findings with Ildor, how did he end up in Kulketh? Why didn’t he just leave that city? They couldn’t keep him there. He was the Dragon Lord! The Drakku bowed to no one, not even their allies from the Order of Eschar.

Etain closed her eyes and tried to see the threads pulling every which way, to see where they connected and see what she was missing. Most of what she pictured were large holes with no meaning and no sense to them.

Before anyone came back to bring her more terrible news, she shifted to a dragon and stomped out of the cavern. Nearby guards tried to follow her, but she refused to allow it.

“I’m only going outside. I’m not leaving,” she growled. They backed off and she left, flying up to the top of the cavern to perch above and stare out at the wide expanse of forest around her.

“Problems?”

The voice startled her. She turned and behind her sat Grymryg, his sleek, muscular black body barely noticeable in the waning light.

“No. Yes. I don’t think so. Not that I care to share.”

“You know, I do think I’m the best dragon to ascend to Dragon Lord after your father, but if you end up with it, you’ll need my help. You’ll need all of us. Don’t ever take it for granted that the Drakku will blindly follow you. Trust is earned, and can easily be broken.”

“Grymryg, what do you want from me? Ever since I can remember, you’ve done nothing but put me down and claim how much better you are than me.”

“Have you ever considered that maybe…maybe I like you?”

She gasped. He’d never, ever said anything like this before. He was so mean to her all the time, she never imagined this.

“If you do, you have an odd way of showing it.”

“I’m…I know.” He slowly moved closer. For once, she didn’t loathe him. She felt a nervousness inside she’d never experienced before.

“What problems bring you out here then?” he asked again.

Before she could stop her mouth, she blurted out, “My father.”

“Oh? Is he well?”

“I cannot say. I’ve said too much. Forget it.”

She turned from him, unwilling to let him see the anger in her face.

“Very well then.” Grymryg grunted, then leapt into the air. “One day you’ll learn to trust me. One of us will lead the Drakku and we’ll need each other.”

She said nothing and he flew away into the darkening sky. Something had to be done. If her father was in trouble, she needed to be there. Who else could help him? Ildor’s message made it clear this was serious. She had to help. What kind of Dragon Lord would she be if she left one of her own like that? Knowing she was going against her fathers wishes to remain with the Drakku, she flew into the sky. Heading east. Heading for Tregaron.