The sun was bright as Riona walked out of her house towards
the barn. Her mother had wanted her to get Fhust ready and then she would be
out.
‘I’m
going to grab some breakfast.’ Feoras thoughts flowed into Riona and she was
glad that despite having to be apart so much, at least they would share their
thoughts; she never truly felt alone anymore.
‘Just
don’t go too far.’ She shouldered the leather straps and walked towards Fhust
in his stall. The horse stood still as she tightened her saddle and placed the
bit in his mouth, she stood and just brushed him for several minutes. Finally
thinking her mother should be done getting ready she headed outside with Fhust
behind her.
Riona
stopped moving when she saw her mother, well, who she thought was her mother.
Instead of her mothers usual cloth clothes she was wearing all black leather complete
with over the knee boots and a sword buckled on her hip. The leather had green
undertones in the bright sunlight and her mother had plaited her usually free
flowing hair down her back.
She
smiled at Riona and strode over to her and Fhust. Her mothers usual gait had
been replaced by long distance swallowing strides and a carriage that told
Riona she knew how to use the sword on her hip. Her mothers blue eyes were
smiling at Riona when she reached her.
“Are
you going to shut your mouth and call your dragon? Or are you going to stand
around staring at me all day?” her mothers tone caught Riona off guard even as
her mind reached out towards Feoras. She felt his surprise and he swallowed the
deer he had caught whole as he flew towards them.
“What?....How…?”
Riona had lost the ability to communicate as she stared at her newly changed
mother.
“Oh
come now, don’t be silly. I knew something was going on. It just took me a
little while to figure it out. But I knew when you started asking about the
Ryders and never properly washing your left hand.” Her mother grabbed her arm
and scrubbed at her left hand, and there below the dirt was the same tear
shaped scar that had appeared the night Feoras had hatched. Her mother let go
of her hand and smiled at Riona. “I knew it. I-“
The
rest of her sentence was lost as Feoras appeared out of the sky in a torrent of
wind above them. A small tremor ran through the earth under their feet as he
set down on the ground. Riona was proud to notice that he had grown even more
in the past week, and knew from their connection that he was feeding regularly
and well.
Riona
watched as her mother twisted her hand from her brow to her heart and spoke in
the weird language that both the man in the tavern and the man in the cave had
spoken. She could sense approval and surprise from Feoras when her mother had
stood upright and dropped her hand again.
“And
what is your name?” Her voice was clear, and they knew that she was asking a
question, but it still was tinged with respect and something else that Riona
thought was sadness.
‘My
name is Feoras.’ He projected his thoughts to touch that of her mother, and in
her mind his voice sounded louder than normal, like he was trying to speak over
a few people.
“A very
fitting name.” She started walking around Feoras, but stopped. “May I?” She
gestured for her to keep walking.
‘You
may.’ He kept very still, especially when her mother walked back by his tail,
all the time her face was a mask, Riona could glean nothing from her
expression. Feoras was now the size of the barn and his head was roughly the
size of Fhust, who being used to the dragons presence stood calmly next to
Riona. Feoras fixed a curious eye on Riona, but said nothing and kept his
thoughts to himself.
Finally
her mother reached where she had started her inspection and came to stand next
to Riona. Staring at Feoras for a moment longer she nodded her head, and took the
reins from Riona.
“I will
meet you both at Virend Rock.” She mounted Fhust and when she noticed Riona still
staring promptly told her, “Well, what are waiting for? Ride your dragon! Fhust
is the fastest horse here and I still think you both will be beat me there.” She
smiled and with a flick of the reins and a cluck sent Fhust galloping towards the
mountain.
Riona turned
to Feoras as he crouched down for her to climb on. Her insides crawled up towards
her throat as she thought about flying.
‘Come on,
Little One. I’m not going to drop you.’ His one eye slid shut in what Riona assumed
was a wink as she walked towards him.