"Thank you, miss," the elderly man told Celni. He took the blanket from her hands and wrapped it around his crooked shoulders.
Celni smiled at him as he left, then turned to hand another blanket to the next person in line. The survivors from the battle were huddled one behind another, waiting patiently for food and a warm place to sleep inside the market.
Snow had begun to fall, gently resting on the street and what was left of the buildings. Celni shivered. The blankets she was holding in her arms looked so inviting, but she resisted the urge to wrap herself in one. They were for the homeless refugees, not her.
"They look so sad."
Celni glanced over at Rozanel who was next to her handing out bowls of soup. " I feel terrible for them." Especially because it's my fault, she added silently.
"What's going to happen to them?" Rozanel whispered, pausing to smile and hand a young boy and his mother a bowl of soup.
"The market is only temporary. Reinej is going to ask those who still have houses standing here and those in nearby cities to house them. Then they'll just wait until the city is rebuilt."
"Our house is available for a few more occupants." Dyfar said, walking up with his brother.
Hyden nodded, his ginger curls shaking on his head. "Yeah. We'd be happy to share our home."
"Thank you," Celni responded. She smiled at them gratefully. "I'll let my father know."
"I wish I could do the same, but my family lives clear over in Broka. I think that's too far. I had to room with my aunt to be able to get to training." Rozanel passed out another bowl of soup.
Hyden whistled. "Wow, that is far."
"I'm sure we'll be able to house everyone," Celni said. "I can't see anyone being cold hearted enough to refuse someone as helpless and in need as these people are."
"One would think," Dyfar said.
"Soldiers." Celni turned and saw Jahier walking up to them. "How much energy do you have left?"
"I could go all night, sir." Hyden replied, straightening.
Rozanel and Dyfar nodded. "Us too, sir." Rozanel said.
"Good." Jahier folded his arms. "The tunnel in the lake needs to be closed up, but that's not something we are able to do right now. So, until the breach is sealed I need guards stationed there. I would also like guards around the market. Not just for protection, but to also be there for anything the refugees need. Are you all up for night watch?"
"Right away, sir. I'll take the lake," Rozanel said. She handed out her last bag of soup and then picked up her sword and sheath from the floor. Strapping it around her waist, she headed out into the snow-filled street.
"I'll go with her," Dyfar said. He dipped his head at Jahier before following the young woman.
"I guess I should stay here, then," Hyden said.
Jahier eyed the room around them before glancing back at Hyden. "Find Srenya and tell her she's stationed here as well."
When Hyden left, Jahier turned to Celni. "Where do you want to be?"
Celni didn't have to think about it. Being here, around the long faces of those whose lives she had destroyed, was simply too hard. "I'll head to the lake, if you think that's alright."
"Sounds good. I'll have a few soldiers join you three, and then I'll schedule a rotation in the morning." Jahier paused, his expression growing soft as he rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"My back is killing me, but my other wounds aren't too bad—"
"That's not what I meant."
She found herself lost in his eyes. Concern swirled in their blue-green depths, almost like waves crashing into an ocean.
"Are you okay."
No, she wasn't. She wasn't at all.
But she couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him why she wasn't.
So, lips forming yet another lie, she said, "I am. I promise."
He gave her shoulder a squeeze before turning and walking away.
Celni exhaled. After a moment, she turned and left the opposite way out into the falling snow. Wrapping her arms around herself in protection against the cold, she shuffled down to the lake.
The last bits of the golden sunset sparkled on the water's surface, the only bit of beauty in the destruction around her. She saw Rozanel and Dyfar across on the other side of the lake, their tiny figures leaning against each other. Not wanting to disturb them, Celni moved to a broken slab of concrete and sat down. Cold seeped into her legs, sending shivers up her spine. She cast her gaze out onto the lake and watched as the snow drifted down. It hit the water and disappeared like it had never existed.
Everything inside her felt raw. She had tried so hard to please everyone and to do the right thing. She had tried to make peace, to show mercy and kindness. But it didn't work. The hate continued spreading. The Curse continued spreading. Was every effort she made pointless?
Maybe Jahier was right when he said that war didn't work the way she wanted it to. Maybe there was no other way but to fight until someone gave up. Maybe there wasn't any point to be kind if you didn't get kindness back. Maybe trust was worthless, and pointless. After all, she had trusted her dragon friends, and they betrayed her. Keltaril, Sephina, Kulliras, Zakten... they should have known better.
She frowned, instantly realizing how stupid that thought was.
They didn't know who she truly was. They thought she was a dragon from the eastern lands, coming to learn fight moves so she could teach the dragons back at her home. They thought she was for their cause. They probably didn't even know what pain they had caused her by attacking her city.
This is what lies and deception caused. No one knowing the real her, no one knowing the pain she had.
A thought struck her like lightning.
Lunar. Lunar knew the real her. He was the one dragon that knew her true identity.
Her thoughts played back the memory of last night. He had been avoiding her, snapping at her when she asked questions.
Suddenly, her brain put together the pieces.
He had known!
And he hadn't warned her.
Her stomach curled with anger. She glanced up, looking across the lake at Rozanel and Dyfar, then around her to make sure no one else wasn't watching. Shifting on the concrete, she dipped her feet into the lake and slid silently into the water.
The freezing cold water washed over her, penetrating the threads of her clothes. Celni spread her arms out into the darkness, pushing herself downward. Gradually, she felt her body changing. The water rippled around her to make room as she grew. Her vision flickered, growing brighter until she could see the rocks at the base of the lake. Water bubbled into her neck to let air into her lungs. Turning her head and scanning the rocks, she easily found a dark gaping hole in the ground. She reached out with her paws and swam into it. The tunnel was large enough for several dragons with tightly packed walls surrounding it.
It felt like she was swimming for ages. Celni knew the tunnel led to the dragon territory, but she had no idea where she would pop out.
Eventually, the tunnel began to slope upwards. She hissed as her front paws banged into sharp rocks. Standing up, she waded out of the tunnel into the fresh air. Water streamed off of her scales onto the grass below. Celni looked around. She had exited one of the cave tunnels in the wall of the dragon camp.
She blinked. There were dragons everywhere, more than she had ever seen before. They were laughing and telling stories, hugging and curling tails, and catching up on lost time.
She had left a city desolate and full of grief and despair, only to emerge into a camp full of laughter, joy, and energy. Never before had the two sides of the land felt so split.
Celni almost got swept up with their emotions. But then she pictured Lynea lying lifelessly on the street. Her eyes narrowed and her lips bared in a growl. She stalked across the camp, not bothering to weave through the crowd but forcing those in her path to move. She ducked into Lunar's cave, tail lashing. She spotted the Elemental bending over a patient.
"You knew!" Celni snarled.
Lunar whipped around. His eyes widened. "Sotira—"
Celni leapt at him, forcing him onto the ground. "You knew, and you didn't tell me!"
"Sotira, there's dragons here!" he hissed frantically.
She looked around for a brief second. Sure enough, the cave was full of wounded dragons. They stared at her with surprised expressions.
Celni snapped her gaze back to Lunar. "You think I care?" she shouted.
"Enough!" He wrestled out of her grasp. "Come here!" He shoved her back through to the entrance of the cave.
"Get off me!" Celni shoved his wing off of her and stepped back, glaring at him.
He sighed and shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry, okay!"
"Save it! Do you even realize what you cost me?"
"I didn't thi—"
"Do you even know what it's like back there? You know what, let me take you back through that special tunnel of yours and maybe you can hear the cries and wails yourself. Or, let's take a walk down the street and see the bodies and rubble lining the sidewalk. How does that sound, huh?" She pushed her face closed to his, her tone sharp and biting.
Lunar's eyes filled with hurt and shame. He ducked his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't... I didn't want any of that to happen."
"Then what did you want?" Celni dug her claws into the ground, trying to resist digging them into his scales. "Because it sure seems like you wanted to stab me in the back!"
Fire struck in his eyes. He stood up tall and stuck his face right up next to hers. "You know what I wanted? I wanted this." He stuck his wing out of the shadow of the cave, the moonlight striking the silver markings on his scales.
Celni's gaze followed his wing, landing on a rush of movement to the left. A forest dragon was running toward a female dragon and two dragonets. They cried out happily as he came up to them and nuzzled them with his head. The female wrapped her wing around him. Celni noticed that the male didn't have wings of his own—just two sawed off stubs.
Scenes like this were happening all over the camp. Fathers and mothers greeted their children with roars of happiness, mates embraced each other with affectionate licks and nuzzles, friends tackled each other joyfully—all marked by those with sawed off wings and scarred faces.
"I wanted my people free," Lunar said.