The Redwood Rebel (The Redwood War Book 1) (10 page)

It was a big decision, a life altering decision, and it was the first time she had even considered the possibility of marriage to Arun. Her duty was important to her, but there was still a chance she could do this for her country without hobbling herself to a man. A rude, arrogant man at that, and one who obviously had certain expectations about what she should be. If there was one constant in her life, it was her ability to defy expectation.

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’ll give it due consideration.’

The smugness was immediately wiped from his face. She could see he was struggling not to demand an immediate response and to behave graciously, but the fact that he was even trying was something. You could learn a lot about a person in these kinds of situations, and she was sure if not for the Bond nudging her awareness of his impatience, she would have no idea at all.

Naomi blew her hair out of her face and tried to offer distraction. 'So, are you going to tell me about the, uh... the dragon thing?'

He looked uncomfortable, so she turned her attention back to the stream. ‘I wondered if you would ask. It isn’t something widely known to those outside of Koren.’

‘A bit like your marital ideas,’ she said. ‘I wonder at all the secrecy.’

‘Is it truly that mysterious?’ he asked. ‘Just because the details are kept quiet by our people doesn’t make it deliberate. We clearly just have more modesty about certain things.’

‘Such as?’

‘Well,’ he sounded suddenly uncertain. ‘Well, you know. Such as, ah…’

‘We’re talking about sex, aren’t we?’ Naomi queried, faintly amused.

‘Well, if you want to be vulgar about it, then yes,’ he snapped. ‘In Koren no one would consider throwing away their virginity, no matter the reason.’

‘Oh!’ she exclaimed, cold mockery bubbling up inside her at his accusatory statement. ‘Oh, I see! So your people are morally superior to the woman you apparently mean to make their Queen, is that it?’

‘That isn’t what I meant.’

‘Really?’ she scoffed. ‘Are you quite sure? Because that’s precisely how it sounded.’

‘The Bond spell is not a secret, nor is my ability to change shape to that of a dragon,’ he returned to their original topic, apparently considering the other a lost cause. ‘It is simply a matter of privacy. Each Bond is different and personal to the couple. It would be the same as discussing bowel movements with a stranger.’

Naomi made a face at the idea of marriage and bowel movements being equated to one another, and was glad he couldn’t see her expression.

‘Or preferences in the bedroom,’ he corrected irritably, apparently realising his error. ‘The fact is, the information is freely available to anyone who wants it, just generally not through word of mouth.’

‘So the two are connected somehow?’ she asked.

‘The Bond triggers the ability to shape shift, but only in certain people. Certain men of the royal house.’

She suspected that when he said certain men of the royal household, he meant monarchs. The throne of Koren could only be ruled by a male heir, unlike Ffion where a female could when married, or Tsumetai, where the first born was always given the preference, no matter their gender.

‘Just men?’ she asked, unable to help her curiosity.

'When you were a child, were you told stories of dragons stealing young maidens away?' he asked, and she felt that he was watching her. She nodded curtly. 'Well, did you ever wonder why a dragon would only take a virgin sacrifice?'

'I can't say I ever did, honestly,' she shrugged. 'At that age, I doubt I even knew the difference.'

‘You do now, though.’

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move. Despite all attempts to block it out, she felt the magic that tied them together twang oddly and realised he hadn’t quite meant his words to come out like that.

‘There’s a story told by my people,’ he continued, clearing his throat as though he thought that might defuse the embarrassment his words had caused. ‘An old tale that supposedly explains the Bond. Would you like to hear it?’

Naomi didn't refuse and actually found herself a little bit curious. Her childhood had been a mixture of both Ffionite and Tsumetese heritage and culture, but she knew next to nothing about Koren.

'Long ago, before the birth of the first Dragon King of Koren, there was a beautiful young maiden. Her name was Sara, and as charming and lovely as she was, all who saw her instantly fell in love. She was offered marriage a great many times, but always turned them away, telling them, “I will only marry the one whose soul fits mine.”

'The head of their village had also fallen in love with Sara, but despite offering her great wealth and riches, she still turned him away. Enraged by her rejection, he declared that since she would not marry, she was useless to the people of the village, and would therefore be offered up as a virgin sacrifice to the mighty dragon, Grysthak, that terrorized their lands.

'Tied and left in front of the great dragon's cave, Sara calmly awaited her fate with honour, not begging for her life or crying as so many had done before her. Grysthak was impressed by this, and also beguiled by her beauty, allowed her to live on the condition that she would be his wife.'

Naomi's face twitched slightly at this, but she didn’t interrupt.

'A year the two lived together, and though they were happy, finding a great fondness and love in each other despite their different species, Sara began to wish for a child. She knew, of course, that it would be impossible for the two of them to mate as spouses normally would, and while determined to forget the notion, she eventually became ill with pining for a babe.

'Grysthak, afraid for the malady that had seized his beloved, asked her over and over what was the matter, but she always refused to tell him. She knew that despite his great heart and generous nature, there was nothing he could do to give her what she wanted. One night, however, she cried out in her sleep, and finally understanding why she would not share her burden with him, Grysthak returned her to the village to be with her own kind. His heart broke at her loss, and unable to live with the torment of it, he used his magic to stop his heart and died in peace.

'Sara, however, had never meant for him to return her to the people, and had always wanted his child. Not the child of any man, but only Grysthak's child. Despite her fragile state, she went back to his cave to tell him of her love and devotion to only him, but to find the great beast dead with sorrow. Crying her regret and anguish over his body, she prayed to the gods to return the other half of her soul to her, or she too would die in torment.

'The passing god, Ferven, hearing her prayers and feeling sympathy for the two ill-fated lovers, changed the great dragon into a man, and breathed life back into his heart and lungs. Grysthak awoke in the arms of his beloved, and Ferven said that as payment for this divine gift, the two of them would share a single soul for the rest of their lives.'

Understanding lit Naomi's eyes at this. ‘A Bond spell?'

'That's right’ he nodded. ‘Grysthak and Sara had a son, Navid, who became the first Dragon King of Koren, and when he met his own Bond mate, or, if you will, the other half of his soul, he found he could transform his flesh into that of a dragon at will.'

'Is it true?'

'Well, there isn't too much evidence to support the story,' Arun admitted. 'The first King of Koren was indeed called Navid, but there are no real records of his parentage. There's a large cave to the South of the great lake near Malchior that's covered in white flowers that never fade, and people say that's Grysthak's cave, but it's all just hearsay. I think it's more of a folk tale, really.'

'Ah,' she nodded. A childlike wonder in the story was disappointed to hear that, despite the cynical side of her that was glad. There was really no polite way to tell someone that you didn’t want to share a soul with them, really.

'But you know, it's still possible. After all, the Bond is real and otherwise unexplained, and I can change into a dragon at will. It’s draining, but it works. Also, we who are Bonded have the ability to speak with dragons in the same way we speak to our Bond partners, so it stands to reason that there is a connection. The Bond can only be forged when both parties are pure, much in the way that dragons mate.'       

‘Pure.’ she scoffed at the repeated use of the word. ‘Tell me, if you’re pure before sex, what are you now?’

‘Married.’ Arun ground out, sounding annoyed once again.

Naomi snorted quietly at the implications of that and chewed the story over in her mind for a moment, then sighed. ‘Just imagine how different your culture might be if a woman’s right to say no was valued.’

The silence that followed that statement was heavy. The darkness of the forest echoing sounds of wildlife bounced back at them, and she felt his anger before he even drew breath to speak.

‘You’re an incredibly judgemental woman, do you know that?’ he snapped at last. ‘You know nothing about my culture, you only know of your own experiences.’

She blinked in surprise. ‘My experience has been that my refusal means less than nothing to you, that you think it perfectly acceptable to drag me along with your wishes by force. Perhaps I am being judgemental, but you have only yourself and your own actions to blame.’

‘This is not my fault,’ he said. ‘None of this. I will take no blame for any of it, especially not from you.’

She watched passively as he finally got up and left her alone. For a brief moment she felt guilty for her words, knowing she had been incredibly narrow-minded in her speculation and not wanting to place the blame for their predicament anywhere near him. Whatever she thought of the man, this really wasn’t his fault at all. She couldn’t blame him for being angry, but in treating her like a prisoner and refusing to even acknowledge that he was doing that, he made any concern for her own words since melt away.

Chapter Ten

Rolling her eyes, Naomi wondered what made Arun think she couldn’t hear him. The thirty paces idea was his, after all, and even though she sat outside the tent a fair distance away, she had no trouble hearing every word being said. He and Lord Rayan were discussing the idea that she be taken out with the hunting party, a prospect she desperately hoped for but knew wouldn’t come to pass. His cousin seemed as intent as her to get it to happen, but Arun had other ideas.

‘I understand your point, Rayan, but it’s just out of the question.’

‘She knows the terrain better than we do, and perhaps a little time apart would do you both good? You know I’ll keep an eye on her.’

‘It’s not you I have an issue trusting, you know that.’

‘Yes, but maybe it would help if you gave her a little leeway? She has no reason to cooperate with you right now.’

‘I have no reason to cooperate with her either and I fail to see why I should keep giving way to the obstinate little strumpet.’

Naomi noticed the way the guard outside the tent flinched a little at that, then glanced her way. She smiled humourlessly at him. Was it that Arun didn’t realise that fabric didn’t muffle sound very well, or did he just not care that he could be heard? Probably the latter, she decided silently.

‘That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?’

‘Is it?’ She heard Arun sigh heavily. ‘I don’t know what to make of her. She changes in the blink of an eye. Her magical defence is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered and her face gives nothing away, so I have no idea what she’s thinking.’

‘Maybe you should try talking to her?’

‘I did! I tried to reason with her, strike some kind of bargain so that we both got what we wanted, but she just brushed it off like it was nothing. She acts like being married to me is the worst thing she can think of. She practically said as much!’

Naomi frowned at that. That wasn’t exactly what she’d said, to be fair, but if that’s how he wanted to take it then more fool him. It was almost like he wanted her to hate him, like that somehow made his argument for treating her like a prisoner more valid. What he didn’t seem to realise was that she only hated him because he was confiscating her long-awaited freedom. The fact he was a narrow-minded, pompous, arrogant little git was just an irritation. A reason for dislike, but not hate.

‘Then perhaps a show of trust would help?’ Lord Rayan said reasonably. ‘She might be more willing to consider your offer, and a chance to stretch her legs might help improve her mood?’

She waited with baited breath for his answer, part of her hoping the sense of his cousin might somehow rub off on him. It wasn’t even about trying to escape, but the chance to move without restraint. She really was considering his earlier offer, and it would be foolish to make such an enemy when she could potentially turn him into an ally. She knew enough of Lord Rayan to realise escaping him would be almost as difficult as breaking the spell Arun was using against her, and with her natural energy reserves still weak from her years in prison, without the Bond to help her recovery she wouldn’t have the ability to outrun anyone. Not yet, at least.

‘No,’ came the decisive reply. ‘Not until I can be sure of her.’

Naomi puffed a small sigh of disappointment, then realised the guard was watching her sympathetically and schooled her expression back into bland disinterest. So far none of the soldiers had treated her badly, only speaking to her when they had to, but otherwise avoiding her with an uncertainty that she could understand. By their custom she was married to their King, but their King was treating her like a prisoner of war. They were likely confused by the situation as much as she was.

‘Lady Naomi?’ Rayan’s surprised voice shook her out of her musings and she looked up to see the older man standing just outside the entrance to Arun’s tent. ‘I wasn’t aware you were out here. Is everything alright?’

She felt a tremor of shock and embarrassment from Arun, but ignored it. ‘Fine, thank you Lord Rayan. Thirty paces isn’t as far as you might think, that’s all.’

He glanced at the tent, knowing Arun must be able to hear them, then walked across to where she was sitting on a nearby tree stump. Respect for him caused her to stand up, sheer force of will keeping her from standing to attention. He seemed to notice the brief internal struggle and smiled, which made her wonder just how much he knew, or suspected about her.

‘I’m surprised my wife hasn’t stolen you away. She’s already very fond of you, and it’s nice for her to have someone to fuss over.’

‘Lady Esta is helping in the mess tent,’ she returned genially. ‘My predicament won’t allow me to go that far, so I decided to sit out here and mull over a few things.’

There was that look of sympathy again and she briefly wondered just how pathetic she must seem to these people. ‘I’m sorry to have disturbed you, in that case. I know you must have a great deal on your mind, and personally I find that very careful consideration is the best way to make any rational decision. Can I be of any service to you?’

‘Thank you, no, but perhaps I can be of some help to you? I understand you’re taking out a hunting party.’

He suddenly looked uncomfortable, and glanced back to the tent behind them again. ‘I’m very sorry, Lady Naomi, but there’s no question of you accompanying us.’

‘So I understand,’ she laughed quietly. ‘No, I just meant that perhaps you would like some advice as to what’s safe to hunt and what isn’t? I’ve already given Lady Esta a list of plant life that’s freely available in this area of the forest and safe for consumption, but the wildlife is full of trickery and disguises. It’s too easy to kill something you shouldn’t if you’re not familiar with the land.’

There was that familiar tingling on the back of her neck as she spoke and she realised Arun must have come out of the tent. The fact that Rayan kept looking behind her made her certain of the fact they were being openly watched, and it seemed like he was waiting for some kind of sign from his cousin before accepting her offer.

‘Thank you, that would be greatly appreciated.’ He bowed.

‘Stick to rabbits, deer and boar, but only brown ones. If it’s a different colour, white, green, gold and such, it probably is a nymph, and trust me when I say you don’t want to accidentally kill one of them,’ she warned, knowing it was the best and most basic advice she could offer without being there herself. Rayan and Esta had been kind to her. She didn’t want them to be hurt. ‘Try not to use your magic, as well. Especially not for fire, it makes the dryads antsy. It would probably scare off any griffin or clabbert in the area, but it will also attract the attention of the dragons and maybe even The Watcher.’

‘The Watcher?’

‘The guardian of the forest,’ she told him, then felt a stab of irritation at the snort of disbelief from behind her. She turned, and sure enough, there was Arun, arms crossed and brows raised.

‘The Watcher is real,’ she turned her back on him again, directing her words to Lord Rayan. ‘He’s also very dangerous, especially if you damage things you shouldn’t. If you aren’t sure it’s a normal animal, then don’t touch it. If you’re able to observe it for a while first and make sure its behaviour is natural, then I’d recommend it.’

He nodded once, and she was glad to see that he seemed to take her warning seriously. She supposed that to most people, even those from Ffion, The Watcher must seem like little more than a myth to keep small children from wandering into the woods alone, but she knew better. She just had to hope Lord Rayan was as sensible as she believed and would heed her experience.

‘Thank you. We’ll be careful, I promise.’

She nodded once and bit back replying sharply that it was no skin off her nose if they weren’t. The warnings were for their own benefit, after all. Lord Rayan then raised his hand in salute to Arun, and smiling very briefly to her, turned away and headed to where the group of soldiers were gathering. Naomi very deliberately didn’t turn back to Arun and watched as Lady Esta came out of the mess tent, skipping excitedly to her husband. There was a short exchange of words, and Esta’s face fell slightly. She turned to where Naomi was standing, and apparently seeing Arun behind her, hesitated a moment, before cupping her hands around her mouth and calling over.

‘We’ll be back soon, Naomi!’

A little surprised and more touched than she’d like to admit by this obvious show of support, Naomi waved silently to the other woman.

‘I’ll try to find some good feathers!’ she called again. ‘Don’t forget you promised to show me how to fletch an arrow!’

Naomi couldn’t stop herself from smiling at her insistence. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

Esta seemed satisfied by this and waved again, before heading over to the rest of the hunting party. She found herself watching wistfully as they made ready to depart, Rayan relaying her warnings to the others as they checked their weapons, and wished she could have gone as well. Hearing Arun move up to stand beside her, she looked skywards and silently prayed for patience.

‘You know I couldn’t let you go,’ he said, his voice hard as iron.

‘I know,’ she shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t trust me either, even though we both know that without your magic sustaining me I wouldn’t last an hour without passing out.’

Glancing up at him, she saw his expression of surprise and realised that this hadn’t occurred to him. When he saw her looking up at him, possibly mockingly, he glowered at her. ‘How am I supposed to trust anyone that sneaks around listening in to conversations they have no business hearing?’

He turned to leave, but the guard who had been outside his tent cleared his throat and stood to attention. ‘My King, I feel it my duty to inform you that the Lady was sitting out here long before the Commander entered your tent. She was originally seated on my other side, closer to the structure, and would have been harder to spot and in a better position to listen, but once you began to speak she stood and moved away, where she was easier to see and would have found it harder to hear.’

Both Naomi and Arun looked at the young man, taken aback by his statement. Arun was the first to react, snapping, ‘And just what does that have to do with anything?’

‘I mean no disrespect, My King,’ the hapless man looked nervous, but resolute in making his point. ‘Only that you accused the Lady of deliberately listening, and I’m sure that given this information you would have to agree it unlikely to be purposeful on her part.’

‘How are you doing this?’ Arun rounded on her, face twitching irritably. ‘What have you said to inspire this kind of loyalty from my own people?’

‘Nothing!’ she held up her hands defensively, then looked in honest bewilderment to the guard. ‘I don’t think we’ve ever spoken, have we?’

‘No, My Lady,’ the guard hesitated. ‘My name is Rostam.’

She watched the guard curiously for a moment, and Arun tutted loudly and walked back into his tent. Naomi smiled a little at the guard.

‘That was very kind of you,’ she shook her head. ‘Potentially foolish, but very kind, none the less.’

‘The King is a good man, My Lady. He’s just in a difficult situation at the moment, as you are.’ Rostam glanced into the tent, then lowered his voice. ‘I have a sister about your age who was married last year. She struggled too, but things are much better for her now she knows her husband more.’

‘I don’t understand,’ she said, also keeping her voice low so Arun might not hear her. ‘Even with the Bond, your people still arrange marriages?’

The young guard smiled slightly. ‘I know that it must be hard for you, but it just works out for us that way. It’s better to go into the Bond with no preconceptions about who the other person is, you see? It’s quite possible to think you know someone when you actually don’t.’

She could relate to that, at least. She had been betrayed by those she believed in and knew it was all too easy to be misled.

‘Please, My Lady, just give him a chance,’ Rostam asked. ‘If you have questions, and I’m sure you do, please don’t hesitate to ask. The more you know, the easier it will become.’

Naomi wondered if Arun realised the loyalty of his men was actually meant for him, and felt a stirring of appreciation for the Korenian guards. It was good to meet people of fealty again. She didn’t like the Bond Spell at all, but she supposed it was just a different way of doing things. She held out her hand to Rostam, and after a little moment of surprise, he took it.

‘Thank you,’ she smiled, shaking once, then letting go. ‘I’m sure your King would be grateful to know you only mean to help.’

He nodded, opening his mouth to respond, when a piercing shriek rent the air. There were cries of terror from the middle of the camp, and Naomi immediately began to run in the direction of the disturbance. She heard Arun shout, but too late to remember the spell and slammed into the invisible wall of magic. Cursing loudly, she fell to the ground and knew he must have been coming towards her. The shouts were getting louder, and as another screech tore through the camp, she saw the soldiers falling back, weapons drawn, as the monstrous thing advanced.

It was a harpy, jagged maw already dripping blood down its feathered front. The Korenians were attacking with swords and spears, making it all too easy for the creature to lash out with its powerful claws, barbing their flesh like fish on a hook.