Chương 37: Flameberry at Midnight

Roy could no longer see the words, but that did not stop him from reading them. He sat near the front of the wagon with Talia's note held close to his face, tracing the shape of each line through memory rather than moonlight. The parchment had crossed the distance through Shimmer and Spark earlier that afternoon. Roy had read it three times before sunset, twice while they ate, and once more after darkness swallowed the road. Kaelu delivered the schematics. Roy remembered the exact angle of Talia's letters.

They had improved since the first messages, but her writing still leaned whenever excitement overtook concentration. He and his wife may visit the settlement to inspect the land and Blackloam. The next sentence had been underlined. I did not promise them anything. Roy rubbed one thumb across the parchment.

"That will not make the ink visible," Orion said.

"You have been staring at it for ten minutes."

"I already know what it says."

"Then you are remembering." Roy lowered the letter.

"That is a form of review." Aurelia sat farther back in the wagon with Kindle nestled against her. The Hearth Drake slept beneath several blankets, his pale head resting in the crook of her arm. Nimbus floated beside the wagon, low enough that she occasionally brushed against the rear wheel before correcting herself with a sleepy chirp. Shimmer had curled around one of the side rails. Aegis walked beside them in human form; he showed no sign of fatigue.

The Storm Dragon had spent much of the journey ranging ahead, circling back, or glaring at distant tree lines that contained nothing more dangerous than deer. Earlier that day, Orion had finally ordered him to remain close enough for conversation. Aegis had called the order tactically restrictive; Orion had called him exhausting. Shale continued pulling the wagon through the final stretch of woodland.

His broad body moved steadily between the trees, and the wheels rolled over roots Roy remembered from a dozen earlier trips. They were nearly home. Aurelia leaned forward.

"Do you think she made a mistake?" Roy considered the question.

"She invited a foreign timberwright and his wife to investigate land we have not properly surveyed."

"That sounds like a yes," Orion said.

"It sounds like a concern."

"What is the difference?"

"A concern can be resolved." Orion walked beside Shale's harness, one hand resting near the Firebreaker Axe.

"They are strangers."

"So were Garrick and Talia," Aurelia said.

"That was different - they were children."

"Talia will be offended by that description."

"She is fifteen, and Garrick is sixteen."

"Exactly." Roy folded the parchment along its existing crease.

"Kaelu and Kiana are adults with an established life in Bellhaven. A stall. Clients. Responsibilities."

"And potentially expectations," Orion added. Aurelia looked down at Kindle.

"Expectations are not automatically bad."

"No," Roy said.

"But they become dangerous when everyone assumes something different." Kaelu might believe an invitation meant land. Talia might believe it meant a tour. Kiana might understand it as permission to establish a farm, while Orion understood it as an opportunity for observation. Every possible disagreement stacked itself inside Roy's mind. Aurelia watched him.

"You are doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Planning the argument before anyone has arrived." Aegis looked toward the wagon.

"The invitation is harmless." Roy glanced at him.

"That is an unusually relaxed position."

"They will enter territory under our control."

"Our control is debatable."

"It should not be." Orion looked over his shoulder.

"We are not restarting that discussion." Aegis continued as though he had not spoken.

"If they prove hostile, they can be removed." Roy imagined Kaelu hearing that explanation.

"That is not the diplomatic phrasing I would use." Aegis looked unconcerned. Aurelia smiled faintly.

"Talia did not promise them anything. She gave them a path to visit." Roy looked at the folded letter again. That was the practical truth, at least. Kaelu had not relocated, no agreement had been made, and no land had changed hands. Talia had seen an opportunity and opened a conversation. Roy could hardly criticize that after declaring a settlement in the middle of a hostage crisis.

"All right," he said.

"We allow the visit."

"We were going to allow it anyway," Orion noted.

"I am deciding not to object beforehand."

"That is different from approval." Aurelia laughed softly as Roy tucked the parchment into his coat. The trees began thinning, and moonlight reached the path in broken patches. The familiar slope beyond the forest appeared ahead, descending toward the clearing where the cottage stood. Shale picked up his pace, and before long the wagon emerged from the woodland. Home waited beneath the stars. The rebuilt cottage stood where Roy had left it, dark windows reflecting thin moonlight. The barn remained intact.

The smaller cabin occupied the far edge of the clearing, its roofline straight and the walls apparently undamaged. Roy felt relief before he began listing repairs. The cottage would need reinforcement before another severe winter. The cabin's foundations were adequate, but Kaelu's schematics had shown him three better ways to distribute the roof load. The barn required expansion if Shale continued growing. The irrigation channel needed— Orion stopped; Shale slowed with him.

Someone had erected a tent near the cottage. It stood beyond the main path, close enough to the cabin for shelter from the wind but far enough from the house to remain separate. A small fire burned outside it, its light mostly concealed by a ring of stones. No one spoke. Orion drew the Firebreaker Axe as Aegis stepped ahead of the wagon. His posture changed so subtly Roy might have missed it before Bellhaven. One moment he appeared human and relaxed. The next, every line of his body pointed toward the tent.

Then the wind shifted, and the scent reached them. Warm spice, sweet berries, and a faint smoky bite that settled at the back of the throat. Flameberry Tea. Aurelia inhaled sharply.

"No." The word came out like a prayer. Flameberry tea had accompanied nearly every one of Uncle's visits. He brewed it too strong, then softened Aurelia's cup with honey while insisting Orion and Roy were old enough to endure it properly. Orion lowered the axe. Aurelia nearly dropped Kindle trying to stand.

"Careful," Roy said. She ignored him. The tent flap opened, and an elderly man stepped into the firelight. Uncle looked almost exactly as Roy remembered him. Gray hair swept back from a lined face. A travel-worn brown cloak hung around his shoulders, and one hand held the wooden cup from which the familiar scent rose. His eyes found the wagon, and a smile spread across his face.

"There you are." Aurelia climbed down before the wagon fully stopped. Uncle barely managed to place the cup aside before she collided with him. The embrace drove him back half a step, but he laughed and wrapped both arms around her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Orion reached Uncle next, placing one hand against his shoulder before pulling him into a brief, fierce embrace. Roy followed. Uncle clearly expected him to say something clever.

A question about where Uncle had traveled or a complaint about arriving without warning. Instead, Roy hugged him. Uncle held the back of his head the way he had when Roy was a child. For several breaths, the clearing contained nothing except the fire, Shale's harness shifting, and Aurelia attempting to speak through tears.

"You came back."

"I said I would."

"That was months ago."

"Winter tends to last several months."

"You missed everything." Uncle released Roy and looked past them. His eyebrows rose.

"I see that." The cottage stood larger than the structure he had last visited. A separate cabin waited near the trees. Then there were the dragons. Shale had stopped beside the wagon and now watched Uncle with slow interest. Nimbus floated behind Aurelia. Shimmer remained wrapped around the rail, while Aegis stood slightly apart from the group. Uncle took in the clearing.

"You have made a few improvements."

"A few?" Aurelia demanded.

"I did not want pride to overwhelm you." Orion snorted. Uncle pointed toward the cabin.

"That was not there."

"No," Roy said.

"And unless winter altered my memory, you only had one egg and drake before." Uncle inclined his head toward Shale first. Shale accepted this by sniffing the ground near his boots. Uncle's attention moved across Nimbus and Shimmer. Roy watched him.

"You are taking this calmly." Uncle looked offended.

"The last time I visited, you presented me with a dragon that had hatched from an egg beside your hearth."

"Drake," Roy corrected automatically.

"I have been gone for several months. It would be unreasonable to return expecting normal circumstances." That sounded like Uncle; absurdly calm. Playfully dismissive of anything that should have raised twenty questions. Roy's suspicion barely had time to form before Aurelia seized the opening.

"You mentioned Kindle." Uncle's smile softened as Aurelia hurried back to the wagon. She lifted Kindle carefully from his blankets and carried him toward the fire. The Hearth Drake woke as she moved. His eyes opened, unfocused at first, then sharpened when he saw Uncle. A tired chirp escaped him as Uncle crouched. For one moment, his face changed. The expression was small enough that Aurelia did not react. Orion was checking the wagon.

Roy stood slightly behind Uncle, where the firelight caught the side of his face. Pain moved across it. Not surprise, but recognition. Grief deep enough to tighten the lines around his mouth before he hid it behind concern. Uncle reached toward Kindle, and the Hearth Drake leaned into his palm.

"He has lost his flame," Uncle said. Aurelia sat beside him on the ground.

"That is why we went to Bellhaven." Orion returned from the wagon.

"We nearly started a war over him." Uncle looked up.

"Nearly?"

"It was restrained." Roy stared at his brother.

"No portion of it was restrained."

"We avoided the war."

"After Aegis threatened the town." Uncle's gaze shifted briefly toward the Storm Dragon. Aegis watched him, but did not speak. Aurelia remained focused on Kindle.

"Mira gave me books," she said.

"Some are about remnants. Others are about restoring life force or rebuilding damaged draconic cores." Uncle stroked the pale ridge above Kindle's eye.

"The little one should be honored. His family crossed half the region, argued with a council, and almost fought a town to care for him." Kindle grumbled weakly, his tail moving against Aurelia's arm. Aurelia smiled through fresh tears.

"He knows."

"I expect he does."

"Can you help him?" The question changed the clearing. Aurelia asked it quietly without demand or expectation. Only hope placed into the hands of the person she had trusted longest. Uncle kept his palm against Kindle's head.

"I can look." Aurelia's face fell slightly. Roy recognized the careful wording. Uncle did not promise; he rarely promised anything he could not guarantee.

"We should speak in the morning," Uncle continued.

"All of you need rest."

"There is too much to explain," Aurelia said.

"Kindle. Bellhaven. Garrick and Talia. The eggs. The settlement."

"The settlement?" Roy closed his eyes. Aurelia looked at him.

"You were going to hide it?"

"I was going to introduce it gradually." Uncle's brows rose.

"You founded a settlement?"

"Declared one," Orion said.

"Under pressure," Roy added.

"With an embassy," Aurelia said.

"And trade," Orion said. Roy looked between them.

"Perhaps I should explain." Uncle laughed.

"I suspect that will take some time."

"We can start now."

"Aurelia," Uncle stood with a quiet groan and rested one hand on her shoulder.

"I am not leaving tonight." Aurelia looked up.

"Or tomorrow?"

"I can remain for several days." Some of the urgency left her posture.

"Enough time to speak with each of you," Uncle continued.

"And to understand how three children became founders while I was away."

"We are not children," Orion said. Uncle looked at him.

"Of course." Roy knew that tone; Orion did too. Neither argued. Roy gestured toward the tent.

"You should not sleep there."

"I have slept in worse places."

"The cabin is empty."

"Was it built for guests?"

"Talia and Garrick stayed there before remaining in Bellhaven." Uncle glanced toward the structure. Roy crossed the clearing and placed one hand against the outer wall; the timber felt dry and solid. He pressed near the lowest joint, then the window frame. Nothing shifted, which made sense since he had built it only weeks earlier. It was safe - Kaelu's schematics had simply taught Roy how much better it could have been.

"The cabin is sound," he said. Orion glanced toward him.

"You are touching it like you expect it to confess."

"I am checking." Uncle collected his cup.

"If you are offering, I accept. The tent would likely become unpleasant before morning." Aegis stepped closer; every other face turned toward him. Roy had nearly forgotten that the Storm Dragon also lacked a permanent sleeping arrangement. Aegis looked toward the cottage.

"I will remain in human form."

"Why?" Orion asked.

"My true body draws attention."

"There is no one here."

"Travelers exist."

"At this hour?" Aegis ignored him.

"I assume the cabin contains more than one sleeping space."

"It has two beds," Roy said. Uncle smiled.

"Then we can share." Aegis looked at him; the pause lasted less than a second.

"Acceptable." No one introduced them; Roy realized that only later. At the time, Aurelia was trying to determine where Kindle should sleep, Orion was unharnessing Shale, and Nimbus had begun circling the campfire because the warmth interested her. Uncle and Aegis simply accepted one another's presence, as though names were unnecessary. Roy directed the remaining work. Orion removed Shale's harness and led him toward the barn.

The Burrowback Drake stopped twice to inspect trees, but fatigue defeated hunger before he could bite through either trunk. Nimbus followed Aurelia into the cottage. Shimmer remained on the wagon until Roy carried the first crate inside, then transported herself in a flash of white light and startled him badly enough that he nearly dropped it.

"Do not do that." She chirped. Roy unlocked the cottage and checked each room. Dust had gathered, but nothing else had changed. The table remained where they left it. Stored firewood occupied the wall near the hearth. The marks from their first winter still scarred one support beam. Home. Aurelia settled Kindle near the hearth and began arranging her books beside him. She opened one, checked a marked page, then closed it when Uncle entered carrying two travel bags.

"You promised morning," he reminded her.

"I am organizing."

"You are preparing to ask questions until sunrise."

"That is different." Orion carried in the food supplies.

"We should send Talia confirmation."

"Not tonight," Roy said.

"Spark may be asleep, and Talia may not be nearby."

"Morning, then," Aurelia said. Roy placed a blank parchment on the table. Arrived safely. Transport area clear. That would be the first message; the rest could follow after breakfast. Aegis entered last. He stood in the center of the cottage and examined everything. The old walls, the repaired roof, and the hearth where Kindle had hatched. Then to the narrow bedrooms that had once barely contained three siblings and now represented only part of a much larger family.

"This is the settlement?" he asked. Roy looked at him.

"This is where it begins." Aegis's attention moved toward the door, as though imagining walls, roads, and structures beyond it.

"It requires defenses." Orion set down the crate.

"It requires sleep."

"Those are not mutually exclusive."

"They are tonight." Aegis looked ready to argue, but Uncle stepped past him.

"Your brother is correct." Aegis went still. Roy noticed, but Aurelia spoke before he could examine it.

"Aegis and Uncle should settle into the cabin." Uncle looked toward her.

"Being dismissed already?"

"You said morning."

"I did."

"And I know you. If you stay inside, you will drink another cup of tea and let us keep talking."

"That sounds hospitable."

"It is a trap." Uncle laughed and picked up his bags again. Aegis followed him toward the door. Orion was already arranging his bedroll near the hearth so someone could remain close to Kindle. Aurelia carried water to Nimbus's basin. Shimmer curled beside the transport platform. The household settled around Roy as completely as it could. Talia and Garrick remained in Bellhaven, and Spark and Clover remained with them. But paths now connected the distance. Letters. Light. Brotherly Bond. Flight…

The home had expanded beyond what its walls could hold. Roy stepped outside after Uncle and Aegis. The campfire still burned low near the abandoned tent. Uncle paused beside it to retrieve the teapot, while Aegis waited near the cabin door. For a moment, neither moved. They looked at one another; not like strangers, and not like men deciding how to share a room. Something passed between them that Roy could not read. Then Uncle smiled with the same warm ease he had shown the siblings.

"After you." Aegis opened the cabin door, but he did not smile back. Roy remained beside the cottage while both men entered and the door closed behind them. He stood there for several seconds, listening to the clearing return to quiet. Then Aurelia called his name from inside, and Roy turned back toward home.