Clash of Captains

Chapter 20

Devyn paced in front of the stronghold, her boots clicking on the cobblestone just outside the structure. She flexed her hands open and closed, feeling the familiar pain of her nails pinching the inside of her palm. What's taking them so long? She should be here by now. She lifted a hand to her mouth, considering biting at her nails for the first time in a while, before forcing herself to drop it. She had just gotten out of that habit; she wasn't going to allow herself to dive back into it just because of a little stress.

She finally heard footsteps making their way around the building, and she glanced up to find Aneira approaching with a guard holding her upper arm on either side. The blonde offered her a sheepish smile, as if to apologize, as the group made their way over. Devyn pulled her shoulders back and kept her arms at her sides.

"Good, you've finally made it," she growled, eyeing the guards. They shrugged and chuckled to themselves as they shoved Aneira in Devyn's direction and walked off. The momentum of the shove sent the blonde stumbling into Devyn, and she reluctantly caught her before she ended up falling on her face.

"Thanks," Aneira told her brightly. How in the shadow god's name is she so perky? She's a prisoner, and the sun has literally just risen, and yet she's all full of energy. It's weird. Devyn rolled her eyes and gave her a light shove away.

"We've already lost a lot of time, thanks to whatever dallying you were up to all morning," Devyn muttered, beginning to walk in the direction of the dragon keep. "So you better keep your ass at my side and quit being all..." She trailed off and simply waved a hand in Aneira's direction, as if to say 'well, just look at you!' She thought she heard the girl laugh as she fell into step just behind Devyn.

They soon reached the dragon hold — not that there was an actual building that deserved that name. Large holes had been carved by hand down the side of a tall stone cliff near the stronghold, and all of the riders' dragons had claimed a rook of their own, which they had filled with bedding material themselves. Devyn scanned the cliff face for a moment before her gaze dropped to the two dragons already waiting for them. A few soldiers kept guard at their sides, swords at the ready. Devyn didn't know who they were there to protect: the dragons or the human passerby.

Devyn walked immediately up to Twyl, who rumbled a pleasant greeting as he stepped up to her. She ran a hand across his broad mahogany jaw, scratching him just beneath his wide chin, and glanced in Aneira's direction. She was hesitantly approaching the other dragon, who had scales of forest green, which Devyn recognized from when the two captains had fought while on dragon back.

I guess that must be her dragon, Devyn thought to herself as she studied the green dragon. We'll have to take extra precautions to ensure they don't just fly off on their own and escape.

"Are you sure it's smart to have her ride her own dragon?" She asked the soldiers standing guard. They shared a look before one of them shrugged and offered a wry smile.

"Ah, that dragon won't be able to do nothin', don't you worry. There's a device fixed to 'er wing, there is. Serves as a trackin' device o' sorts. With that on 'er, she won't go nowhere you don't want 'er goin'." The soldier pointed to the green dragon, and Devyn noticed a small metal object that had been tied — somewhat haphazardly — to the end of one of her wings. Devyn didn't know how the device worked, but she nodded her agreement to the soldier and murmured a thank you to him for telling her. He simply grinned and returned to his friend's side.

Devyn hoisted herself up onto Twyl's back, letting the dragon roll out his shoulders and shake out his neck. She wasn't sure how far they would be able to fly before they would have to dismount and go on foot; the mountain was too dangerous to risk flying straight up to the peak, and the altitude of the sky above it would likely prove hazardous.