Chosen: Book 1 in the Dragon Queen series

Muirland City was even more impressive up close. The stark, high walls of the city loomed ahead of us as poor Oak toiled up the hill. We parted ways with the troupe before we reached the top.

“It’ll cost too much to stable her inside the walls,” Rea explained as we rumbled into the courtyard of an inn halfway up the hillside.

“Thank you for bringing us this far,” I said.

“I hope you find lots of work with generous patrons,” Brunna told them as we clambered down from the back of the wagon. She favoured her damaged arm, but still turned to offer me a hand, her boy pretence as strong as ever.

“I hope you find a cure for your Pa,” Mim returned, leaning out of the back of the wagon to wave us off.

“So do I,” I mumbled, too low for them to hear. We’d come all this way and now we had no dragon to bargain with. For a moment I wondered if we should go after the fae. But that would be hopeless. Even if we could find them, the fae wouldn’t help a Muirlander. And how could we steal away Dragon, with all the powerful magic the fae could call upon? No, we’d do the best we could to salvage the situation.

Mim tumbled a somersault out of the wagon and vanished into the inn with Col, to negotiate their beds for the night. Rea worked steadily, finding water and lifting the harness from Oak’s shoulders. She nodded as Brunna passed, but put a hand on my arm when I would have followed.

“Take care,” she warned me, eyes clouded with concern.

I wasn’t sure what to say. Was that just a warning about the big, bad city? “We will,” I assured her. “You, too.”

She shook her head and set the harness on her hip, seeming to come to a decision. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “They execute women with magic. Hurl them from the cliffs to the river below.”

Cold slid through me. The knowledge that magic was forbidden to women and carried the death penalty had been a distant, vague thing. Now, it was far too real. “I know that. I’ll take care,” I promised.

Rea swallowed. “I’ve seen a woman killed that way.”

Her words drew a cold finger down my spine. “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I’m pretty sure my...” I cleared my throat, “My dream was just a one-off.” I couldn’t tell Rea the truth, but without Dragon I was just a Muirland girl; nothing special at all. I had nothing to fear from the mages.

She pulled a scarf into being, like one of her tricks, offering it to me. “Cover up that necklace. It’ll draw attention.”

“Right.” I fumbled my collar up and fastened the strip of linen around it, tying a loose knot at my throat to keep it in place. “Thank you.”

“No need for thanks,” she replied gruffly. “I hope you find a cure for your father.”

I joined Brunna where she was waiting at the edge of the street. “What did Rea want?”

No need to terrify my friend. “She just wanted to wish us well.” I touched the scarf and explained, “A token for luck.”

Brunna nodded, and my heart panged at deceiving her.

She took my arm, tucking it into hers as we reached the path into the city. There was a small tide of humanity flowing with us, people who lived outside but worked or did business within the walls. I squeezed close to Brunna so we wouldn’t be separated.

Everyone slowed when we reached the gates and the path narrowed. I glanced at the guards but they didn’t pay any attention to a small-town boy and girl. I hitched my collar and let the crowd lead Brunna and me onwards until we reached the magnificent central square of the city.

“That’s the mages’ tower.” We’d once had a painting of the building in the shop. I recognised the square tower, although there wasn’t much to see behind the high walls. My heart quailed at the idea of disturbing the important, powerful men behind those walls, but Pa was relying on me.

Before I could think better of it, I strode up to the gates and banged my fist three times on the wood.

A hatch in the gate opened and a frowning face appeared. “What’s your business?”

“I need to see one of the mages. I need help—”

“Petitions are heard at six each morning,” he interrupted. “Come back tomorrow.” The hatch slammed shut.

Brunna peered up at the clock face on the side of the tower. “I guess we should have got here earlier.”

We hadn’t known we ought to rush. “We’d best find an inn and get a bed for the night.” I hitched at my pack. “We might be able to find somewhere that would let us work for a bed.”

Brunna didn’t protest, aware of the need to conserve our funds. But her movements were reluctant as we turned our backs on the tower.

“That’s the palace,” Brunna pointed out, nodding to the other side of the square. I slowed. This was the first time I’d ever visited Muirland City; it might well be the last. Like Brunna, I wanted to take in all the sights, especially if I was going to spend the afternoon washing pots in some murky inn scullery.

The palace had been impressive viewed from the distance of the surrounding heath. Up close, it was a marvel. The stone wasn’t ordinary slabs, the way it had seemed at first glance. They were all carved, with trees and leaves and birds and animals running up the walls and curving over the doorways. In the centre of the curtain wall that kept the palace separate from the rest of the city, ornate gates had been wrought from metal. Twice my height, and flanked by guards either side, they were also highly decorated, allowing the eye to pass through to the building beyond only if you were determined to look past the curving shapes that formed the barrier.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathed.

“Not very cosy. I can’t imagine living there.” Brunna was less impressed, her nose wrinkling as she scanned up and up, her gaze jumping from the carved stone to the glass windows that winked in the sunlight.

I could; how nice it would be to be a fine lady in grand clothes, with servants to do my bidding. I sighed. I’d grow bored with nothing to do. Although I wouldn’t mind swapping for a few days. Princess Jurelle was close in age to myself, but I didn’t suppose she’d want to leave her grand life behind and change places with me for so much as a minute.

“I’m thirsty,” Brunna declared. She started forward, plucking me by the sleeve as we dodged between people walking purposefully across our path. I had been so fixated on the palace I’d overlooked the feature in the middle of the square: a huge fountain with water bubbling high overhead before tumbling into the massive bowl below. As soon as I spotted it thirst burned my throat. The sun was hotter here than it seemed back home at Besserton – or maybe that was because I spent the day at home inside the shop instead of out in the sunshine.

We didn’t need to ask whether it was acceptable to drink from the fountain – several people were doing exactly that. Some had a drink and then left about their business. Others settled in for a longer time, bottoms perched on the dry edge of the fountain’s bowl while they chatted with friends, with baskets – and in some cases small children – held on their laps.

Brunna dropped my arm and bent to swoop her cupped hands through the water, raising it to her mouth and drinking deep. She swept up another handful and splashed it across her face, rubbing it into her short hair. A child on a woman’s hip saw her and giggled. Brunna pulled a face and the babe giggled harder.

I crouched down to drink. The water was so chill it numbed my teeth, and it was the most refreshing thing I’d ever tasted. Three handfuls of water and I felt ready to face anything.

“This fountain is the oldest part of Muirland City,” Brunna told me. “It’s made from gorstone, the same that the original palace was made of before it was remade in carved sandstone by King Bargo the Magnificent. And it marks the spot where the Murval river originally met the sea, where Muirland City was founded so that the wealth of the Firethorn Kingdoms could flow through it and make its people rich.”

I frowned, setting my hands on my hips. “How do you know all this?” I’d never marked Brunna as a scholar – and there hadn’t been time to research our destination.

She grinned. “There’s a plaque.” She pointed. A flat board had been erected at one corner of the fountain, with information for visitors painted on in a fine hand.

“Clever.” I was grateful for the reminder that we weren’t there to be tourists. We might not be able to speak to the mages until the morning, but that didn’t mean we had nothing to do all day. I looked around the square, but there were no signs to indicate where we’d find an inn or similar. “I don’t suppose that board said where we could find lodgings, did it?”

“You’re looking for a place to stay?” The mother of the child who had giggled at Brunna turned in our direction, smiling while the baby wriggled and tried to kick at the sparkling water. “My brother runs an inn. The Three Tuns. It’s clean and cheap.”

Words that were music to my ears.

“Would you like directions?”

I smiled. “Yes, please.”

~

I hurried through the labyrinth of streets, Brunna trailing behind, fingers linked so we wouldn’t lose each other. I chanted the woman’s directions over and over in my head so I wouldn’t forget them. We had turned left and right so many times I had little confidence we’d be able to find our way back to the square. But that was a problem for tomorrow.

“That’s a bakery.” Brunna spoke behind me. “Didn’t she mention a bakery?”

“Yes.” I ducked into what I hoped would be the final alleyway. “Right at the Sunburst Bakery, left after the house with the green door, and the sign for the Three Tuns should be right there.”

I was so busy reminding myself of the directions we had to take I didn’t notice footsteps echoing behind us. It never occurred to me to think that we were being followed until a broad man stepped into our path, blocking the way. Brunna stepped forward, taking on the role of protective male.

But that did little good when the blow that felled me came from behind.