Wild Rider (Dragon Castaway Book 1) [Complete] {2018 Wattys Longlist}

Chapter 26

Wyena yawned as she surveyed the cliffs and canyons splayed out before her. They had reached the Crescent Moon Cliffs two days ago and their target was still nowhere in sight. Initially, she had worried that they had missed him until Jadiak had pointed out that it would have been impossible to take this route that fast even if he'd flown nonstop. Despite that there had been so sign of him, yet.

"And I don't have much time left" she thought gritting her teeth in frustration. They had sent Aristos' body back to the capital by cart, his dragon had gone feral and there was no telling where it had gone. The body wouldn't arrive for a few days, but they hadn't included a report as to how he died and she knew his family, if not the academy, would be demanding an explanation very soon.

She didn't want to admit that not only had one of her squad been killed, but that they had also failed to capture or kill his murderer. Shaking her head she walked over to Ramor to take the next watch.

"See anything?" she asked.

Ramor shook his head in response. "Nothing out there to report so far."

"Something wrong?" she said carefully. She had noticed it as they had left Vuhirvo's Gate. Much of Ramor's usual swagger had disappeared, in fact he now seemed very reluctant to pursue this man. Caution, even despondency, was something she normally wouldn't have expected from him even after getting knocked from his dragon.

"Don't tell me a little fall rattled your legendary confidence." She quipped trying to cheer him up.

Ramor shook his head again and turned to look at her. "I don't believe in what we're doing. I think that we're chasing a good man."

Wyena looked at him incredulously. "You do realize that he killed a squad of Balistrean soldiers, including a Vestarii, not to mention an entire village, then to top it all off he nearly killed you!"

"You didn't see everything" Ramor replied solemnly. "He had me dead to rights, all he had to do was thrust his spear and I would've been dead. But he didn't, why?"

"Jadiak made similar sentiments" she muttered looking back to the canyon. "What about the soldiers and the village then?"

Ramor shrugged. "I don't know, but something was strange about that village, the only people who seemed to have been killed by dragons were the soldiers themselves."

"Maybe we can ask him when we catch him" Wyena replied with a confidence that she didn't feel.

Ramor barked out a short laugh that wasn't particularly humorous. "I'm sure Jadiak has beaten you over the head with this subject so I won't press it. But I severely doubt we're going to catch him here."

"Not with that attitude we won't" she replied steeling her determination "Even if we need to call for help, we'll get him in the end!"

Ramor shrugged. "I'll follow you to the end, you know that I will. But this whole thing just feels wrong somehow"

Wyena let out another sigh. "We are going to be going to war at some point" she reminded him. "I'm sure that plenty is going to feel wrong about it, but we go and do our duty anyway."

"You're right as always Ceago, you can't tap out just because someone knocked you down" Ramor replied, some of his old spark returning. "I'm sure we'll just get used to it as time goes on."

"Hopefully not too used to it" Wyena said suppressing an urge to giggle. "After all, we are talking about life and death situations here"

"So were the taverns I wound up destroying on a good night back home" Ramor quipped. "The entire reason I got sent to the academy was because my father figured I'd destroy fewer places by going into the army"

"Alright smartass, go on and get back to the fire for now, I got the watch" she said cuffing him on the shoulder.

As Ramor headed back to their camp Wyena turned back and cast her gaze out over the canyon. It hadn't been a bad choice for an ambush spot. The alcove they had sheltered in should keep them out of sight until he came by. They still outnumbered their prey and hopefully the element of surprise could tip the scales in their favor for a change.

"At least I hope it will" she grumbled cursing her pride for what seemed like the millionth time. She had tried to put on a brave face for the crew, but she was apprehensive. She didn't need Jadiak's incessant nagging to know just how dangerous this man was.

Her apprehension wasn't just from the current chase either. She was weary of what was going on back at the family estate. From what she could tell the letters, bribes and occasional visits home had been enough to keep things under wraps so far. But she still had no plan for keeping things from her family in the long term.

"Maybe they'll think I just disappeared" she thought sourly, after all, her father seemed to be too wrapped up in his own political scheming to keep close tabs on her. At least her cousin was well, in his last letter to her he'd apparently fallen in love with the sea and had purchased a ship.

She wasn't sure how things would go in the future but she was in too deep to stop now. The thought made her shudder. Still, after having to deal with Elgenon she knew that she would rather be disowned than marry him.

Pushing her fears of her father and the future aside she focused on the task at hand. As far as her plans went, it was about as straightforward as an ambush could be. Her and Ramor would come out and move on one dragon, while Jadiak and Elgenon would come out from a different part of the canyon and move on the other.

Her hope was that they would overwhelm him before he even knew what was going on.

"Maybe then we can get some answers the Vestarii haven't stolen yet" she thought her face darkening.

She had recounted the events that had led up to their first encounter and too many things made too little sense and she wanted to know what she was missing. Her ears perked up as she heard the roar of a dragon approaching.

"Ramor!" she said running back to the mounts. "Douse that fire, I think he's coming!"

Nodding Ramor piled dirt on the blaze and the two of them mounted up. Peeking out of the alcove she held her breath in anticipation as their quarry came into view.