Chosen: Book 1 in the Dragon Queen series

The next day set a peaceful pattern. We travelled half the day, rumbled into the next village on the entertainers’ circuit, and set up ready for a performance. I grew restless. All I’d done was move a few boards and curtains around. It didn’t seem enough. “What should I do? I can’t just sit and watch. There must be something I can do to help.”

“Make some noise,” Col said. I frowned. He explained, “Audiences sometimes need a little encouragement to show their appreciation. You start clapping and yelling and they’ll soon catch on.” His smile widened. “And an audience that knows they’ve had a good time is more likely to put their hands in their pockets at the end of the show.” He nudged me towards a place in the front. “If you want to help us, that’s your job.” He winked. “If anyone asks, tell them you’ve followed the troupe from Besserton. They’ll be eager to watch an act someone crossed half a kingdom to see.”

Rea passed at that point. “Don’t set their expectations too high,” she grumbled. “You don’t want the act to be a disappointment because they expect flying bears and what they get is us.”

Col turned, throwing his arms wide. “No one could be disappointed by the most magnificent show in the kingdom!” he declared, making more than one passerby in the market square turn to look.

Rea rolled her eyes and continued on her way, vanishing behind the curtain that edged the back of the stage. I lowered to the ground and sat cross-legged.

When the show began I clapped and cheered and stamped my feet and whooped. I was putting on an act, but it soon became true. My excitement transmitted to the audience and they leaned forward to watch, clapping at Col’s feats, and gasping in disbelief at Mim’s impossible acrobatics and Rea’s nimble sleight of hand. Finally, they sighed and wiped their eyes at the emotion in Brunna’s song.

When the performers held out their hats at the end, it did seem more people were inclined to give tangible thanks for the entertainment, people even pushing and shoving to drop a few coins in appreciation.

“That was our best night for some time,” Col said when he’d finished counting the coins by the light of his lantern. We were back in the wagon. Rea was already sleeping while the rest of us were huddled in blankets, yawning. Brunna and Mim sat side-by-side, shrouded in the same blanket.

“That’s good,” Mim said when Col announced the final tally. She rested her head on Brunna’s shoulder. I felt a tug at my heart and told myself not to be jealous because my friend had another friend. “I knew the gods put you in our path for a reason.”

“That’s not because of me,” Brunna protested.

“The two of you both helped,” Col declared.

“It might be chance,” I pointed out. “Maybe they were just an enthusiastic audience.”

He acknowledged the possibility. “We’ll try it again next place we stop, see if there’s a difference there.”

And so we did.

On the way back to Besserton we stopped twice more. Each time, Brunna sang while I was a plant in the audience, drumming up enthusiasm.

Brunna grinned when Col told us the final takings. I was more subdued. Brunna had clearly found her vocation, while I was only taking time out. When we arrived back in Besserton, my days with the troupe would be over. Pa needed me. Besserton was my home, and it was time to return to normality.

I was prepared to say goodbye to my new friends in the troupe.

But I didn’t want to say goodbye to Brunna.

“I’m going to miss you,” I whispered. We were in the wagon, only the two of us awake. If Rea’s estimation was correct, we’d arrive home by midday the following day.

Brunna sighed. “There’s no need to miss me. I’m not going anywhere.”

I turned to face her, although it was too dark in the wagon to make out her expression. “What do you mean? Surely you’ll keep travelling with the troupe? You’re a natural.”

Another sigh. “This has been a dream. And dreams don’t last forever.”

I fumbled a hand out of my blanket, reaching for the pale fingers I could make out clutching her blanket to her neck. “But ... you’ve been so happy these past few days.” I wrapped my fingers over hers. “You can’t want to go back to your old life.”

“I can’t hide from Ma forever,” she said.

“You can if you choose.” I nudged her. “You ran away. You don’t have to go back home.”

“I miss Ma,” Brunna admitted.

My heart flipped over. Family might frustrate you, but they were still family. “Now she knows how strongly you feel about marriage, maybe she won’t try to force you.”

She pulled a face. “You don’t know my mother.”

I thought I did, but no doubt she was different when you were her daughter. “She’ll want you to be happy.”

Brunna sighed. “Happy, and safe – in a marriage of her choosing.”

“But surely, if you refuse...”

“I’m not sure I can,” she admitted. “I can’t keep defying her forever. I’m not strong, not like you.”

I snorted. “I’m not strong. I got us beaten up, drugged by a healer, beaten up again by mages, and then I took us on a wild chase up a mountain. Really, I shouldn’t be allowed out alone.”

She giggled. My lips curved.

“You’re the strong one,” I pointed out. “You dressed up as a boy and ran away to join the circus.”

Another giggle.

“You’re stronger than you think, Brunna. You’re strong enough to make your own decisions. You don’t want to spend your life regretting what you wished you’d done.”

“I don’t know...”

“See how you feel when we get home,” I recommended. “I think you’ll find you’ve grown too big for Besserton.”

“It’s still home though,” she pointed out. She freed her fingers from mine and tucked herself back inside her blanket. “And family’s family.”

She rolled over, her turned back ending the conversation. I stared up at the canvas stretching overhead. Family was family, and Pa was the only family I had. I understood how torn Brunna must be, although it was obvious she was much happier with the troupe than she’d ever been at home.

I was the one turning my back on dreams. Silly stories about dragons and queens that could never come true. I was glad to be returning to real life. I was.

~

The sun was nearing its zenith when the wagon rumbled into Besserton.

My guts tightened and twisted as we started down the familiar streets to the town square. The troupe would perform here tonight, and tomorrow they’d continue on their circuit around Muirland. Again, I wondered whether they’d be taking Brunna with them.

I slid out of the wagon as soon as we stopped, and said my goodbyes.

“You’ll see us tonight,” Mim protested.

“I’ll try. But I might be nursing my father.”

Col clapped my shoulder. “I hope all goes well.”

“I’ll help them set up before I head home,” Brunna said. “I have to speak to Ma.”

I wanted to ask more, but I held my tongue. My nagging wouldn’t help my friend make her decisions. And yet my heart twisted at the certainty that I was going to lose my best friend, either to marriage or to the troupe. Perhaps I wanted her to join them because at least that way I’d still see her now and then.

I trudged down the streets that led to Magpie’s Emporium, my boots scuffing the dust. The scale hidden in my stocking scratched my ankle. All my hopes were pinned on what the fae had said. It had to cure Pa. And then life could get back to normal.

The shop came into sight and my stomach clenched. It looked just the same as it always had, as though time had stood still while I’d been away. New anxieties crowded in on me. I hoped Ma Fowler had done a good job running the shop. I hoped Pa was... A lump grew in my throat. I hoped Pa was no worse for the time I’d taken. I couldn’t bear to return to bad news.

The doorway had been swept clean, the step scrubbed. On the surface, at least, Ma Fowler had done a good job. I pushed the door open, hearing the familiar jangle of the bell.

“Ma Fowler! I’m back. I got a cure. How’s Pa?”

And then I froze, motionless in the middle of the doorway.

Pa was standing behind the counter, as though he’d never been struck down, as though the past six months had never happened.

“I’m fighting fit,” he told me, arms crossing his chest. “And I’d like to know where you’ve been gallivanting to, girl.”