Freeing Lilia

The Calm of his Dance.

Unedited.

Chapter Twelve: The Calm of his Dance.

The storm hit as a vicious wave. We had left the last camp once the wind had picked up and with the Lycan's eyesight, had managed to find an outcrop of rocks where we could shelter the horses and keep our selves dry for the night. My bed-roll was knotted around me as I sat as close as I could to the entrance, watching the fury of the skies unfold with wide, awed eyes.

It was beautiful; lightening streaked across the storm swollen skies as rain thundered down. The sound of it striking the earth was deafening, a great constant muffle to anything that might be happening outside. My chin rested on my knees, but I listened also to the murmur of the people behind me.

Again, they were talking of this Dragon Rider. The protectiveness simmering under my skin was severe, the knowledge that they would dare to touch Seren or use her in any way was enraging.

"How would we convince this dragon rider to accompany us back to the castle? To pledge themselves to the King?" Dara asked.

Fingers curled on my legs, a foreboding feeling pressing into my stomach. I would not pledge myself to the King. Why should I have to? I was no Lycan and I didn't need the guidance of their 'Alpha'. But this was dangerous thinking when sitting amongst the King's personal soldiers – people who would have seen the man up close.

"I am not sure." The Lycan admitted. "If we explained the situation to them, then I could hardly think of someone who would say no."

"I could think of a few." Ailbrich pointed out. "People's morals vanish once they think their life is in danger. If you threaten the dragon, then forget about ever getting their help."

"Threaten the dragon!" Luca scoffed. "It's a beast."

I nearly turned where I sat. The rage that flickered across my face was too telling, too suspicious even for me. I wired my jaw tight and watched the storm.

"Luca, you are a fool." Dara snapped. "Dragons are not beasts. They are far more intelligent and vicious than we could ever hope to be. We should not worry about threatening the dragon, but to threaten the person who has paired with them would be a grave mistake."

"Do you think they care about each other that much?" The Lycan queried.

"I think this pairing is not by mistake." She hesitated. "Why now? Why is there a Rider and dragon now after the dragons have been gone for so long?"

I frowned at that. Were Seren and I a vessel for something more? The day I found her, there had been darkness chasing me from all angles, but once I found her, the light seemed to filter through the trees once more.

They talked until the fire began to flicker and I tired of the rumbling storm. I retreated into the warmth of the bodies where my bed-roll had been laid out beside the Lycan's. He glanced at me as I curled beneath the blankets, rustling loudly to find the most comfortable position a person could when sleeping on the hard ground.

The night was broken by the rumble of thunder, like giants fighting behind the cover of thick and heavy clouds. I fell asleep to the sound it, and the Lycan's breathing. Before sleep claimed me, I felt a heavy arm sling over my waist, a hand pressing into my stomach softly. A gentle touch, a careful embrace.

I didn't shake it off.

∦

"Who do we have here?" A smooth voice cut in.

Knocked to the ground, I could only shiver as the cold air bit into my bruised skin. My torn clothes provided little protection against the winter rolling in, and my body had shrunk with the starvation haunting my body. I was not made for this life- I was too weak to protect Seren and I.