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By the end of the first day, thanks to Lyra’s renewed strength to fly with all of them, the group was able to find a small village near the coast some miles south of where they’d landed. It wasn’t one of the few they’d passed through on their way to Birchwood thankfully, as almost all of those had been burned to the ground by the Circle. Thanks to Lord d'Ronja’s wife they were able to purchase themselves food and drink, supplies for the journey, and a comfortable night in town. Lyra was left to fend for herself, but since she could catch her own game and breathe fire, nobody really felt too bad about it.
In the morning they decided against purchasing any weapons beyond a quiver of arrows for Dusk. Between him and Lyra they knew they could keep the group well fed on their journey across the mountains and all of Ditania. No one knew how long it was going to take, but well rested and with a dragon on their side, they were feeling confident in their abilities.
That afternoon, after getting everything they needed and throwing some packed saddlebags across Lyra’s back, they all climbed on with some nervousness, most of them still remembering their previous crash.
“I don’t know how far I’ll be able to go, there are quite a few of you, but I’ll go as far as I can. Let me know if we need to stop,” Lyra said, stretching out her wings. She readied herself to fly, then stopped. “Where... where is Ronja?” she asked, turning back to the four on her back.
“Ronja is northeast of Windshear Pass,” Lex said. “If we follow the road it will lead us there without going out of the way too much. Do you know where that is?”
“Yes,” she replied. “That was once the home of another dragon.” She took a deep breath, her body expanding under their legs. “It’s been a long time since I was out in the world, but I’ll find the way. The sun and stars will guide us.”
With that, she broke into a gallop and lifted herself into the sky with a roar. Dusk looked back over his shoulder beyond the forest. In the distance he could make out a handful of people in the small village staring their direction, fingers in the air, a few of them sprinting across the town square. He hoped they didn’t panic too much, but seeing a dragon after a thousand years was probably going to be big news that would travel fast. All of Inahan would soon know that a dragon was on the loose and that something big was probably happening in the world.
The journey began slowly, Lyra needing time to adjust to the new weight. Eventually she found ways to ride the wind to make the work easier for herself and everyone else. By the end of the first day the Dorsum Mountains had already drawn near, their shapes clear on the horizon some miles away. The salty smell of the sea had died away and the full earthy scent of summer filled the air. Dusk wanted to stop and just enjoy the heat of the sun and the bright green of the world. He’d never seen a summer outside of the mines and it made him almost drunk with wonder. But night fell quickly, the surrounding woods filled with the sounds of crickets and the soft glow of fireflies flitting between the trees. Even though they were in a hurry to stop things that could mean the fate of the world, he took those small moments to himself to enjoy what nature had to offer. He wasn’t sure if he’d get the chance to see another summer.
The next morning they were up at dawn, fed themselves, and took flight again. Lyra had to climb especially high to get over the mountains, winding her way between them so as to not have to go over the still snow-capped peaks. They crossed much further north than Windshear Pass, but were flying at a southeastern angle, hoping to find the road eventually and follow it to Ronja. Several small towns slipped by underneath them and Dusk knew the word of a dragon was continuing to spread judging by the villager’s reactions. Lyra made no effort to avoid them or fly high enough to go unnoticed. It would have been wasted energy and she’d need every last drop she had to make it to Ronja.
On the third day they spotted the road and struck out due east, keeping it below them at all times. Dusk saw the still-charred remains of Kinallin pass under them. The brief glimpse he caught told him some of the buildings were being rebuilt and people were coming back to the town, but it would be a long time before it came back completely. He’d also noticed the farm where he and Lex had purchased Maribel under false pretenses. It didn’t look destroyed, but he remembered the farmer had planned to stay and fight the Inahandrian soldiers. Dusk couldn’t make out much detail, but hoped, for the sake of their daughter, they had decided to run.
The next day took them over Alamond, where they made a wide berth to the north. In the distance there was a large lonely mountain steeped in the blue haze of summer humidity. Lord d'Ronja pointed it out to Lyra, saying that was where they were headed. She flapped her wings harder, speeding off in that direction. They cut away from the road and over the endless forests that lay north of it. That night they found a large clearing amongst the trees filled with tall grass, and made camp for the night. Dusk was able to hunt down a few birds for their dinner and Tara made good work of them over the fire.
The four of them sat sore and exhausted, the days of travel by air taking much more energy from them than they anticipated. Even the fireflies were of little comfort to Dusk by then, their wonder having faded with his energy reserves.
“If we get up early and fly until after dark, we should make it to Ronja tomorrow,” Lord d'Ronja said after he’d finished eating. “The chateau is on the far western side of the city, tucked up against the mountain with the forest butting up against the back garden. If we can find a clearing near the base of the mountain, Lyra can stay within the forest to remain hidden while we go inside. Then we can figure out what to do from there.”
“Five days,” Dusk mused, laying back on the soft grass. “I was on the road for over six months to travel that distance. It doesn’t seem possible.”
“We took a lot of detours,” Lex smiled. “I think we actually went the longest way possible and got in trouble at every single point along the way.”
“I can take the blame for some of that, “Tara replied. “If I’d listened to Dusk back in Louring we could have avoided a lot of trouble later on.”
“I think we all had our moments of making things difficult.” Lex looked around with greasy hands from eating, unsure what to do with them, then shrugged and wiped them on his pants. “Though... I don’t think I’d trade it away for comfort. It’s been kind of fun don't you think?”
“It sure as fuck wasn’t boring.”
“And it’s not over yet,” Dusk added. “There’s still so much more to do.”
A silence fell among them for a few minutes, filled in by crickets and other insects Dusk couldn’t identify. He could feel the hesitation and anxiety in the group with what lay ahead of them. There were so many questions, the biggest being what was going to happen next. None of them knew what lay ahead, only that it was going to be unquestionably dangerous and probably life threatening.
“What can we expect when we get to the chateau?” Tara finally said, turning the attention away from the end of the world. “Are we going to have to fight our way in?”
“I should hope not,” Lord d'Ronja scoffed. “I own the place. I don’t see why I should be denied entry into my own house.”
“That crazy fucker Tiernan had you under his control for almost a decade. You don’t know what’s changed.”
“He’ll be able to get in,” Lex piped up. “I was still living at home just a little over six months ago. Nothing ever really changed except for the feeling among the staff and the servants. When I was young the house always seemed like a safe place full of laughter and smiling faces.” He looked at his father. “But after Tiernan took you over a shadow fell over the estate. Everyone fell into place, keeping their heads down and doing exactly what they were told. I expect you’ll have to do a lot of work to win their trust back. And mother has been scared of you for years... I don’t know how she’ll take this news.”
Lord d'Ronja’s face sagged. “To think, the woman I love more than anything in the world has learned to fear me. That alone is a terrible price, and something she never deserved.” He turned his gaze to the fire, pulling his knees up to his chest. “My own family, the one thing I held dear in all this world, driven away by my mere presence. I don’t know how I’ll ever forgive myself.”
“You can start by remembering it wasn’t you that did it,” Dusk replied sternly. “And then, since you won’t be spending all your energy blaming yourself, you can do something about it.”
He glanced up at Dusk, a bit of hurt in his eyes. “I will... do my best.”
Dusk took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Something about Lord d'Ronja, one of the most powerful men in all of Ditania, acting helpless, put him on edge. He had the power to do anything he wanted, all he had to do was try. But Dusk understood too well what it felt like to be convinced you were helpless. He tried to be a little softer.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out in time. Start with your wife. If she’s half the woman you claim she is, she’ll make quick work of the rest of it.” Dusk glanced up at Lord d'Ronja, locking eyes with him. “Don’t forget who you are and the good you can do for this world. You can make a lot of people’s lives better with just a handful of words.”
Lord d'Ronja stared at him for a long moment and finally nodded in acknowledgement. Dusk hoped he would follow through with it once they reached the city.
The next day was an especially long one. After days of sitting atop Lyra’s back, the wind blasting in their ears until they felt deaf, and the rough scales rubbing through the thin leathers of their pants and chaffing their skin, each of them wanted nothing more than to be on the ground for good. Dusk loved flying, but wanted a few weeks to recover from the recent trip. Each night he felt like he’d never walk the same again and every morning his body was sore from head to toe from the day previous. He’d walked, ridden horses, taken ships, carts, and now had flown on a dragon. All of them, he decided, were great in their own way, but mostly he found he just wanted to sit still for a while instead of feeling like he was always on the run.
The sun set like it always did and darkness came, the light of Gartha the only thing that guided them through the sky. The lone mountain had grown close, and far below them Dusk could see the lights of a great city in the distance. The last time he’d seen a city from above was when they crested the hill near the Crystal Gate, overlooking Emerald Deep. It had been almost overwhelming, but Ronja was easily ten times the size of what he’d seen there. The bright yellow lights were so densely packed it almost looked as if all the stars in the sky had merged there, lighting the surrounding landscape. He stared in wonder, not understanding how a city so large could exist. His memories of Eblesal were permanently fractured and broken so that he’d never really gotten a feel for the size of that city while he wandered the streets. To him, Ronja was now the biggest city in the world. He just wished he was visiting under better circumstances.
Following Lord d'Ronja’s shouted instructions, Lyra banked to the west side of the city, flying lower to find her way and keeping a little further south so as to not be spotted. The chateau, which Dusk assumed was a fancy name for a big house, turned out to be a sprawling estate full of gardens, orchards, courtyards, and farmland all surrounded by a tall stone fence with its own guard patrol. At the back of the estate was a massive house, easily over four stories high with conical peaked roofs and decorative stonework on anything that could hold the weight. Even in the dead of night it was well lit and looking astoundingly impressive. It would easily have held twenty families or more just within the main house. After staring at it for only ten seconds Dusk found himself wondering how Lex could ever give up such a beautiful place. But he knew that all the beauty in the world wouldn't have made him stay at the mines and in some ways, the house represented a similar existence to Lex.
Lyra flew herself to the far western edge and over the wall, her tail skimming the tops of trees as they went. Suddenly the forest opened up into a large clearing dotted with jagged rocks that looked like they’d tumbled from the mountain long ago. It wasn’t unlike the valley on the island they’d just left. Swooping around in wide circles, Lyra brought herself lower and lower until she finally touched down in the tall grass, trotting until she came to a halt. Everyone hopped off, stretching and groaning as they finally stood up for the first time in several hours.
“Can you wait here Lyra?” Dusk asked, walking over to her as she flopped down on her side to rest.
“Gladly,” she cooed, making herself comfortable.
It had been the first real break she’d gotten in days.
“We’ll find a way to contact you tomorrow after we’ve all gotten some rest. I’ll come out to see you.”
“There’s no need for that.” She lifted her head, touching her snout to Dusk’s forehead once more.
Unlike the jolting sensation with the magical flare she’d given him, this felt more like a warm egg being cracked over his head. He felt something slimy seep over his hair and skin. When he reached up to wipe away, revolted by the sensation, he found his hands came back dry.
“That felt disgusting,” he said, shivering in place as the feeling died away.
“We’re linked now,” she explained. “Whenever you need to speak to me, just reach out with your thoughts. They’ll find me. But don’t go too far, it won’t reach into the city, just to the house and the grounds most likely.”
“I’ll keep you up to date and I’ll check in tomorrow.”
“Good. Now go. I want to sleep.”
“Sleep well.”
Smiling to himself, Dusk let her be and gathered up the other three. He put Lord d'Ronja in front and started marching their way through the forest towards the noble’s estate. It took them less than ten minutes to reach the house and Dusk was thankful to see a small iron portcullis leading through the wall to the back garden. They wouldn’t have to walk all the way around. The house towered up in front of them, somehow imposing from any angle.
“Halt!” a voice shouted from the top of the fence.
All of them looked up to see three guards with their crossbows trained in their direction.
“Who goes there?” a second called out to them.
Lord d'Ronja stepped forward. “The lord returns to his house,” he called back. “I lost my steed in the woods and these fine folk helped me find my way back.”
A brief silence met his words as the soldiers glanced at one another.
“Come forward slowly,” the man to the left said, lowering his bow slightly.
Lord d'Ronja walked within a few feet of the wall, his hands out to his sides showing he was unarmed. The soldier looked down at him with keen eyes for a long moment, studying his features. Dusk held his breath until he finally saw the man relax and the bow drop to his side.
“Open the gate!” he called out.
The portcullis was raised and Lord d'Ronja beckoned them all forward. The soldiers saluted him as he walked through, holding himself a little higher and prouder than he had amongst the group. It seemed coming home brought back some of his noble facade that insofar had proved less than useful in the real world. The gate was dropped again and a single soldier led them to the house and into the foyer, alerting the other guards that Lord d'Ronja was now home. More than one of them streaked off down corridors for some unknown reason to Dusk. In less than five minutes the entire house was in an uproar with servants and guards going in every direction. Lex shifted nervously at Dusk’s side. Reaching out, Dusk took his hand and gave it a squeeze, letting him know he wasn’t going anywhere.
A moment later a large set of double doors were flung open at the top of the stairs in front of them and a woman stepped out on the landing. She was tall, thin, and wearing a floor length dress in the most striking red Dusk had ever seen. Her skin was pale, like Lex’s, and her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun. She commanded a presence unlike anyone Dusk had ever met. He noticed Tara staring at her with her mouth slightly open.
“I see you’re back,” she said stiffly to Lord d'Ronja. Her eyes scanned over the group of dirty, weather worn people behind him. “And who are they? More of Tiernan’s ruffians I suppose?”
Lex took a step forward, still holding Dusk’s hand. “Hi mom.”