Dragons, Blayre mused, must be extinct for a reason, if this is the outcome of trying to take an egg to raise it as a war-monster. Which she had no doubt, Conal and Bartley intended to do... And what of the mountainers? What did they intend to do with that egg? She needed to talk to Caval.
Either way, if she got her hands on that gods-damned thing, she was going to destroy it. Assuming it could be destroyed. No one deserved the power that having possession of a dragon could imply. It was a terrifying thought, when she considered the books she'd read on dragon-lore, and the stories that had been told to her. Maybe they hadn't all been 100% accurate, but didn't all legends tend to have a grain of truth to them?
"We need to hurry!" She called to Fletcher and Ainslee.
She urged Dove to go faster, faster. She felt bad for the mare, who was already giving Blayre her all, but it was so important that they make it on time. Before the mountainers attempted to use their nature magic, which would be as good as enacting an act of war on Emares and end the years of peace that King Barton had strove so hard to maintain. And before Bartley could get away and bring that egg to Conal, which would also be akin to declaring war. The only outcome that had any benefit, in Blayre's mind, was one in which she got to Bartley first, and destroyed that egg before it could be something more.
But Dove obliged, stretching to her limits as they galloped down the road, along the river, until Blayre finally felt Caval's magic tugging at her over the nature magic that was currently assaulting her senses. She let out a cry of relief, "Just a little further," She urged the gray mare, squeezing gently with her knees. Dove's sides were warm and steamy with sweat as they expanded and contracted.
The humid wind cut into Blayre's face, and her braid, damp with sweat, stung at her back as it whipped behind her. Dove's hooves pounded against the dirt of the road. Blayre didn't turn, didn't bother to shout to her companions. As the roiling feeling of storm magic continued to grow like dark gray clouds, the familiar feel of her friend's magic cut through it like a beacon of light.
Blayre could have sobbed, when she saw the figures up ahead. One of them was Caval. Three others were the Mountainers, and one was Bartley. His magic building with Caval's own. When she got closer, her heart sank. Caval was standing beside Bartley, not against him.
There has to be a good reason, she reassured herself.
She knew with absolute certainty that she despised Bartley from the scant time they had been acquainted. But was he the enemy? Perhaps he was an enemy, but in this moment, not her primary adversary. She wasn't even entirely sure if the Mountainers were enemies right now, anyone who wanted that egg - nay, the contents of that egg, and the power that it would bring - was the enemy.
The air was suffused with static. Fletcher glanced at the sky, "Rain's coming." he grimaced.
"It's been coming for a while," Blayre said softly, her gaze falling on the Mountainers who had turned to her. They were about fifty feet away now. Blayre dismounted, handing Dove's reins to Fletcher.
"You're mad if you think that I'm going to allow you to approach them on your own." He hissed.
She wanted to tell him to stay back. To let her take the brunt of the magic. But the truth was, that if she failed, she didn't think that any of them would make it out of this alive. When she turned to give the mare's reins to Ainslee, her friend had the same determined look on her face.
"The horses can take care of themselves," Ainslee said, dismounting. She landed nimbly in the grass and patted the rump of her horse.
Lightning cracked overhead, and they all looked up, abruptly. Thunder followed in a crashing rumble that shook the earth, and shook Blayre's heart within the confines of her ribcage.
She steeled herself, glancing toward the sky and then toward the group up ahead. "If you are coming with me, I need you to trust me and not question my decisions." She told Fletcher and Ainslee.
The two of them nodded, the severity of the situation as heavy as one of the saturated rainclouds overhead.
"Let's go,"
Lightning cracked again, and thunder rumbled. Blayre could hear one of the horses snort. She hoped they would bolt rather than follow.
Makaya, the Mountain woman was staring her down as she approached. Blayre could feel the twines of magic between the three clans people writhing and weaving together.
They were indeed, the source of the storm.
"Peace," Said Blayre, holding up a hand.
Makaya's face remained neutral, but the men had thunderous expressions, like rivers threatening to flow over with anger.
"Your sorcerer has taken up arms against us and with that, scum." Makaya spit at her. "He claims he doesn't have the egg. He also claims that he knows not where the egg is."
"But he's lying," Said Khon, the truth teller. His dark eyes flashed at her.
"I don't doubt it." Said Blayre smartly. "He's a blight on society. Just looking at him makes me want to retch." But she did look at him then. She stared him down with an unflinching gaze that was amber turned to molten drops of sun.
His magic was still building, but Caval's it seemed, had faltered. She turned to Caval then, "And what are you doing with him?" She spat, forcing all of her anger and disgust at Bartley into the words she said to Caval.
"Blayre," He began to speak.
"Where is the egg?" Blayre interrupted.
"It's safe," Caval said.
Bartley just snorted. "You won't find it."
"Won't I?" Blayre asked, pinning him with her gaze. Bartley flinched. It seemed he had forgotten her little secret talent. She tilted her head up, breathing in deeply. To the others, it probably looked as though she was sniffing the air, but really she was trying to focus. The nature magic from the three Mountainers was so overpowering with static storm energy. She could feel a roiling mass projecting from the river. But as she sorted through the different magics that were assaulting her senses, she found it. Small, quiet, nearly imperceptible, but it was there.
"And you," She turned to the Mountainers. Now that she had found the dragon egg again, she could address them. "If you think you can just force me to your side, you're mistaken."
Makaya eyed her coldly, "How much do you value your life, half breed?" She snapped.
Blayre laughed, stalking closer to her, each step appearing more sure than she felt, for she was a quaking pup on the inside. On the outside she was a prowling wolf. A huntress of the mountains and forests.
"How much do you value my life?" she threw back. She felt Fletcher shift his stance behind her. When had he gotten so close? She was grateful for it though. His familiar presence steadied her.
Makaya looked at her blankly for a moment until it registered. Blayre scoffed. Apparently these people took her for a fool if they thought she wouldn't realize that they needed her alive to find that egg.
And she wasn't about to lead them to it. But she would find it. Once this little meeting was adjourned.
"We could torture you," the mountain woman sneered. "I know of a few methods..."
Blayre held up a hand, "Save it. I still have to lead you there and that won't happen if I'm crippled by pain."
Caval's brows were furrowed. His magic had steadied, which Blayre was grateful to have noticed. Since that was an integral part of her plan. Makaya turned from Blayre and Blayre took that moment to find Ainslee, and whisper "Go find my father." She doubted that Ainslee would find Lord Darach in time, but getting her away from this scene meant one less person who Makaya and her crew could use against Blayre.
Ainslee disappeared, as good as a wraith, into the landscape behind them.
The world was turning more shadowed and gray by the moment, with the clouds accumulating directly overhead like an angry gray crowd pushing and shoving to exist in the same space.
"Really at this point," Blayre went on, drawing Makaya's attention back to her, "It's not about what you want. It's about what I want. And what I want, is to know what you intend to do with that egg."
"I can't disclose that," Said Makaya with a shrug.
"Then i can't disclose its location." Blayre returned.
"Then it's a good thing you're not the only one who can tell me its whereabouts."
A pulse of magic erupted, and thunder cracked up above - no not just above, but around them. As though they were within the storm.
"Shit." Blayre said.
"Twelve hells." Fletcher cursed, pressing up against her.
She heard Caval call out her name in desperation, but the dark heaviness of clouds had surrounded them. She felt his magic building alongside Bartley's and took the moment to run.
Blayre grabbed Fletcher by the shirtsleeve and sprinted away from the eye of the growing magical storm as quickly as her feet would take her.
She felt Bartley's magic erupt into a burst of pressure followed by Caval's and smiled as all hells broke loose.
She was going to get to that dragon egg first.
A/N: I confess that I published this without first giving it a read-through. My eyes are too tired tonight! Just finished a graduate paper, and moved right on to this! If you notice any issues, grammatical or otherwise, be sure to let me know!