Bonds of Fire by Sophie Duncan

  ~

  The cave was small, it was going to be a cramped night, but it had a concealed entrance and with a half a dozen wet and tired children and two shivering carers, Drekken decided it would have to do. They could only have been a mile away from the river, it was risky stopping so close to the village, but the near miss at the river had knocked the stuffing out of Yakov and Drekken led them all into the protected space. There were loose rocks all over the floor and he kicked a few into a pile in the centre. He knelt down then, positioning them more carefully into a balanced heap and held out his arm. His energies were low and it took him a moment to call forward his dragon fire, but when he finally felt it rising to the surface, it brought with it a comforting relief. His flames licked over the soft scales on his wrist and the back of his hand and out into the rocks and quickly the temperature around him increased. He watched as the living magic took hold of the stone, creating a glow that lit the cave and he pushed as much energy as he could manage into the rock. Yet, it had been a tough day, and he had to break off knowing that the heat would not last the whole night.

  The civilians shuffled round him, sinking quickly to the floor and becoming a pile of humans and dragons near the new heat source. Drekken gave them a quick appraisal: they were all drained and anxious, but Malachi and Yakov gathered the little ones to them, leaning on each other and offering what comfort they could. Drekken didn't want to deliver more bad news, but it had to be done, so he told them, "We are too close to the village to risk hunting for supper tonight."

  Malachi's face fell and Yakov looked guilty. The dragons made varying noises of dissatisfaction. Drekken reached for his belt and unclipped four packs there and held them out to Yakov.

  "But, share these out," he offered what solace he could in the form of his field rations. "They won't fill any bellies, but they'll keep your energy up."

  Yakov nodded his thanks and then Drekken turned, stood up and moved to the entrance of the cave. The way the rocks had formed, he could lean on the wall and see out to the hillside, but he, and more importantly, the fact that there was a deeper cave was hidden from those who might be looking for refugees. Six hatchlings would be a prize for any Feras division, who bought and sold dragons like animals, and the thought made Drekken's blood run cold. Self-consciously, he hooked his arm under the baby resting against his chest and held her a little more closely as he surveyed the world outside for any hostiles. He felt her snuggle into his body through the sling and his flight suit and her sleepy presence in the back of his mind settled him a little. However, it also reminded him he was missing another presence: Miri was alive, his instincts told him that, but he still needed to know what had happened to her.

  "You are worried," Yakov surprised Drekken out of his thoughts and he turned sharply to find the youth standing at his shoulder, holding out one of the small protein discs from the rations.

  Drekken took the disc without replying, but the enquiry in Yakov's wide blue eyes stopped him from ignoring the youth entirely. There was anxiety in the look he was being given and he reassured grudgingly, "Not about us, we'll be safe here for the night."

  Tired and aching from his fall and damp from the river, Drekken was in no mood to talk, but annoyingly, Yakov did not retreat with the attempted dismissal, in fact, the youth's face went from anxious to thoughtful for a moment. Then Yakov observed, "You are thinking about your dragon."

  It wasn't a question and the forwardness of it raised Drekken's hackles. He had never been good at hiding his feelings and with an empath it wasn't even worth trying. Yakov took a step backwards when Drekken fixed him with a look to go with his gut response, but did not back down entirely. Instead, Drekken was given a vaguely frustrated stare and it was obvious that Yakov was on the verge of saying something more. Drekken would have given the youth a more direct dismissal then, but Malachi reacted first, calling, "Yakov, Keril wants you."

  The little Hawkhead chattered and, to Drekken's relief, Yakov turned away. Before there was any chance Yakov could reengage with him, Drekken went back to scanning the view out of the doorway.