Chosen: Book 1 in the Dragon Queen series

We bought bread and cheese for our evening meal before we left Markham behind. By the time I’d taken ten steps I was prepared to risk any lift we could get, but no one wanted to travel from Markham to Midwood. A pair who looked like father and son passed us on horseback; no luck there. Mid-afternoon we stopped in the shade of a tree set back from the road and ate our food. Dragon tried the bread and cheese and spat both out. He turned tail, scooted off my lap and ran into the trees.

“Stop!” I reached for him, but grasped at nothing.

“He’ll come back.” Brunna was unworried.

“What if he doesn’t?” He was valuable and I’d let him wander off; not that I could do a great deal about constraining a creature who could fly. I wondered if I should fashion some kind of a collar for him, although I suspected he’d deal with that sort of restriction the same way he had the basket. I touched my hand to my neck, where the dragon’s scale pendant was warm against my skin. I couldn’t fault him for disliking being trapped.

Dragon reappeared and settled in my lap to eat the lizard he’d caught.

Three more hours of walking and finally the rattle of a wagon sounded behind us on the road.

As it rumbled closer, a female voice hailed us. “Hie there. Can we take you up? Going as far as Midwood today.”

Brunna caught my eye and raised her brows. I was so tired and my feet throbbed so painfully, I didn’t much care if the driver realised Brun was actually a girl. I wasn’t entirely sure I cared if they spotted Dragon. He grew heavier each step so that I couldn’t wait to offload him.

“That would be a kindness,” Brunna called in her gruff, boy’s voice.

“Our pleasure.”

Brunna and I stood to the side while the vehicle slowed. It was a covered wagon in the bright colours you would expect of a carnival – except there was just the one wagon, rather than an entire cavalcade.

Something twanged in my mind at the thought of carnival players. There was a strange inevitability when my gaze settled on the bear who’d spoken to us earlier sitting beside the driver.

He grinned. “I told you there’d be time to watch the show and still make it to Midwood!”

Brunna laughed. I tried to smile.

“Hop up the back,” the driver offered, jerking her thumb towards the canvas-covered rear of the vehicle.

For a moment the offer was too good to be true – a lift with added concealment to keep Dragon from prying eyes. Then we approached the back, the cover shifted and a dark-skinned Surranera girl’s head poked through the gap.

“Hey, there. Climb on board.” She looked as petite and delicate as a child, but her voice had the assurance of a woman. She was probably close in age to me and Brunna. “Some company will make the journey fly.”

I faltered, and Brunna caught up my elbow to keep me moving. “Sorry,” I muttered. I was being foolish. Dragon was invisible. And I might fall down and weep if I had to walk another step.

I clambered up, accepting the female’s outstretched hand for help and angling my body so the shoulder bearing Dragon was away from her.

Brunna heaved herself in after me and sat down beside the girl. “Thanks for the lift. I’m Brun, this is Alliss.” She took care of the introductions.

“I’m Mim. Are you from Markham?”

“Originally from Besserton. We’re heading to Muirland City.”

I knew I should keep up my part of the conversation. Brunna might let anything slip. But she was my friend; I trusted her. And I was exhausted. I leaned back against the side of the wagon, closing my eyes with the fancy that maybe I’d get some rest.

It was a nice idea, even if, ultimately, foolish.

The slap of reins sounded at the front of the wagon and the wheels started to turn - and Dragon decided the interior of the wagon reminded him too much of the basket.

A sudden lightness afflicted my shoulder as he launched from me. I reached forward to grab him before realising how the action would look.

“Are you all right?” Mim frowned at me as my extended arms fell to my lap.

I sat abruptly back, my eyes on the canvas cover as it pushed apart wide enough to fit Dragon’s body. “Sorry, yes. I wasn’t expecting the lurch.” My face heated but I forced myself to hold her gaze; the interior was so dim my blush was probably invisible.

Mim’s lips twitched, then she shifted her attention to the cover with a sigh. “I’ll close that.”

“No!”

She froze, mid-movement. “It lets in a draught.” Her tone was different now, as though she were addressing a simpleton.

I gulped. “I like the fresh air.” I wriggled forward and stuck my head through the gap, pleased when my chin scraped Dragon’s scaly back. If he’d flown right out of the wagon we’d have been in trouble, but he seemed happy enough gripping the back board with his claws and watching the world pass by.

Behind me, Brunna explained to Mim, “She doesn’t travel well.”

As though I were an invalid – or a delicate cargo of soft fruit. I rolled my eyes. Now Mim wouldn’t be in any doubt about my feebleness!

I reached a hand forward, stroking Dragon’s chest out of sight of my companions. The ache in my feet lessened now my weight was off them. My annoyance ebbed and I started to hum as the road rolled past.

~

The moon was rising when we rumbled into the courtyard of an inn that appeared to form the heart of tiny Midwood.

“I’ll ask if they have a room,” I told Brunna, scrambling out of the wagon first. Dragon squirmed out of my arms and his warm weight settled on my shoulder. I paused and cast a glance at our hosts. “Shall I ask for you, too?”

The bear – Col, Mim had said his name was – shook his head. “You go show them your coin. A good mood will soften them up for us.”

Inside the door I was greeted by warmth, light and the scent of small beer and fresh sawdust. A few patrons were inside, villagers relaxing after the day’s work, nursing tankards and playing cards. A server turned from clearing a table to face me, alerted by the bell over the door.

“Good day. Can I serve you a drink?”

Dragon fidgeted on my shoulder. I thought I heard a rumble from his small stomach. “A drink, a meal and a bed for the night, if you have them all.” Brunna appeared in the doorway. “For two of us.”

Her smile widened. “We can provide that gladly.”

Ten minutes later, packs stored in our upstairs room, we returned to the taproom to find that our carnival hosts were singing for their supper, setting up for a performance in the cleared centre of the room.

“We’ll see it after all,” Brunna told me.

Col spotted us. “Show’s about to begin. Get a good seat.”

We got better than that – stew, fresh bread, and ale at a table in the darkest corner the inn had to offer. Dragon jumped into my lap, claws kneading impatiently. I could take a hint.

I scooped a piece of meat from my bowl. Under cover of the table Dragon snatched it and gulped it down.

Brunna dropped into the seat beside me a moment later, pressing close so she could also feed Dragon.

The door opened and more locals piled in. News of the entertainment had spread around the village. It seemed as though everyone who lived here must be crammed into the inn. I wondered how much exertion it had taken Col to persuade the inn’s owner to let them perform.

There was a crash of cymbals and a fanfare on a flute as the performance began. Tiny Mim began with a contortion routine, twisting her body into impossible shapes while Col’s flute echoed the surprise and wonder of the audience. A rope had been fastened to a roof beam and she swarmed up that until she almost disappeared into the dark roof. Mim flicked a leg to wind the rope around her ankle twice. Col trilled a note. Muttering began. Abruptly, Mim let go with her arms and swung backwards. Someone screamed. A breath was drawn across the room. Just when it seemed she would crash to the floor the rope pulled taut. Instead, she swung, her ponytail grazing the floorboards while the crowd gasped. Grinning, Mim swarmed back down the rope to take her bow.

Driver Rea’s turn was next, with a show of juggling and sleight of hand that moved handkerchiefs and watches out of pockets and into her nimble fingers.

Brunna nudged me. “They’re going on to Muirland City. They’ll take us up if we want to stick with them.” That explained what she’d been up to while I’d organised our meal and food. “What do you say?”

They’d already met us. They’d taken Brun at face-value and they didn’t suspect I was carrying an illicit dragon. I nodded. “We’ll travel with them.”

Brunna smiled, and sat back to enjoy the rest of the show.

Dragon slumbered in my lap, a source of warmth as night closed in. The taproom was humid and airless, filled with too many people. Abruptly, Dragon stood, pawing impatiently at my skirts. I put a reassuring hand on his head, only to be shaken off. My throat warmed. I put a hand to the necklace. My head ached. The heat made it hard to breathe. I had to get out, away from the hot room. Scooping Dragon into my arms I stood up, blinking back sudden dizziness.

“Alliss?”

I waved Brunna away when she tried to stand. “Just tired. You stay.” I fixed my mind on the staircase that blurred out of focus at the back of the room and forced my legs to move. I was surprised as much as relieved when the wooden banister rose into my reaching hand, Dragon tucked under my other arm. A steadying breath, and I started the climb.

First on the left, first on the left. My ears rang while my vision narrowed to a blurred tunnel surrounded by black. I found my door. My thumb depressed the latch. I pushed inside and felt the lightness as Dragon flew up from my cradling arm. Then the floor rose up to meet me and oblivion snatched me away.

~

I was walking through woods that I knew would lead to Muirland City. I wasn’t sure why I was walking when Brunna had arranged a lift with the entertainers. I glanced around. Brunna wasn’t with me. Anxiety stole my breath. There was also no sign of Dragon. I hurried, pushing through trees that grew closer together than they’d been only a moment before. “Brunna!” My voice echoed through the forest, bouncing back to me. But no reply followed. “Brunna!” I wanted to call for Dragon, too, but I had enough sense to know that I mustn’t allow anyone to discover his existence.

The trees pressed closer still, branches scraping at my arms as I forced a way through. I tripped and fell. My arms jolted painfully as I landed. Biting back a sob, I scrambled to my knees. Then I froze, seeing what had caused me to fall.

Brunna lay prone at the bottom of the trees. I bit back a sob at the awful sight of her eyes, wide and staring unseeing at the sky.

I cupped my hands over my mouth to hold back a cry of horror. The trees receded, leaving wide gaps where there had been none before. The gaps were filled, though. I could see a still body in each: Col, Rea, Mim. I stumbled to my feet, leaning against the nearest trunk before pushing off towards the furthest, tiny form lying motionless on the ground: Dragon. As my arms closed around the cold body, a cry of agony broke from me.

~

I came to myself, panting. The necklace was cool and Dragon was licking my fingers as though he knew I needed consolation. The door rattled and banged against my boots. I’d blocked the doorway with my fall. I curled my knees to my chest so the way was clear and Brunna swung the door wide. “Alliss?” She dropped to my side, eyes wide. “What’s the matter?”

“A dream.” But it felt like more than that. I shivered. Dragon crawled into my lap. A premonition? That was impossible. Ordinary people like me didn’t get premonitions. We were back in mage territory. But then again, ordinary people like me didn’t travel around the country wearing cursed necklaces and carrying illegal dragons. It wasn’t impossible Dragon’s presence was propelling me into mage territory.

Women were forbidden from using magic; the mages said it was too dangerous for us to attempt to control. I wasn’t surprised by that rule if this was the sort of result women got when they meddled with dragons.

I stroked my fingers against Dragon’s sandy scales and looked up at Brunna. Dream or premonition, it had been terrifying. “We shouldn’t go on to Muirland City tomorrow. Something bad will happen.” I shivered, the sight of this whole and healthy Brunna overlaid for a terrifying moment with the still, staring-eyed figure from my dream.

She dropped to sit cross-legged beside me. “You had a vision?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what it was, I just know that we shouldn’t go.” Brunna deserved better than that. She’d abandoned everything to come to Muirland City with me. I took a deep breath and forced out the words. “I saw that we died on the road, attacked and slain. I saw us dead in the forest.” Her eyes widened, white showing around her irises, but she didn’t say anything. “We’ll stay here another day. The inn will be glad of our coin.” I bit my lip. Was I being stupid? We could afford a delay of one day, but could Pa? Another shiver chased the first. I couldn’t do Pa any good if I was dead on the roadside.

Brunna nodded. “I’ll tell Col and the others.”

“Tell them – tell them I’m ill.”

She left. While I meditated on the absurdity of caring whether people I’d never see again thought I was mad or not.