Page 39 of Crown of Ashes and Awe

I pulled the glow stone from my pocket and moved to the edge of the opening. After listening for a long moment and hearing nothing, I entered, wondering if this might be a better shelter for Minkin.

The cave seemed shallow at first, but when I picked my way through to the back wall, I found a second opening to my right, just as large as the other. The smell of woodsmoke registered just before I noted the light of a small fire.

Fire! Heat!

If this stranger was kind, we could tend to Minkin's wounds all the faster!

I concealed my weapon in the folds of my cloak, cleared my throat to announce myself, and continued through. Absolute silence waited for me...along with a woman with dark hair that came to points on her collarbones. She held a dagger longer than mine. And behind her, a tall angry man with wings.

* * *

Tearloch worried.Everyone had returned with a contribution for the fire except for Asper. She’d smirked when he’d insisted she take his dagger with her, but now he wished he’d trailed after her. A book couldn’t teach a woman how to face off with predators, especially the two-legged sort.

A flash of purple skirts hurried closer and he exhaled in silent relief.

Her arms were empty, she struggled to catch her breath. “You know those people…who sighted a blue dragon?”

Tearloch jumped to his feet and pulled his sword. “What about them?”

“Well…they didn’t see a moon stalker.”

He wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, but he prepared for trouble. Equally confused, but no fool, Morrow freed his sword as well.

Asper laid a hand on the guard’s arm and shook her head. “I promised them they won’t be harmed. Also, there’s no need to start a fire. They already have one burning.” She turned away again. “But bring the wood.”

“Asper,” Tearloch snapped. “We need to know what we’re facing!”

She smiled, curse her. “A woman, her mate, and…her blue dragon. Oh, and don’t let his wings startle you.”

“Why would a dragon’s wings startle us?”

“Because I wasn’t talking about the dragon.”

* * *

The cavern was soimpressive in size that Tearloch wondered if the entire range of Queevnar Mountains were little more than a row of shells. It was difficult to believe that only one out of fifty had been hollowed out by the same elements of time and erosion.

The back wall of sapphire blue and flashes of green shifted. A dragon huddled there. The look on its face was more perturbed than nervous. The beast was uncomfortable, but not the least concerned by our sudden appearance.

Stumbling across the blue dragon was quite a fluke. But then again, Asper was a fluke, and every time he turned around, she surprised him. If it were someone else, he would call it luck. But he didn't consider this turn of events to be lucky for anyone but Minkin.

Under Sweetie's close supervision, Asper and the new woman, Lennon, tended to the little woman’s injuries. The moans and complaints of their patient were largely ignored by the rest of their party whose attention was entirely consumed by the dragon preening at the rear of the cave.

It might have been the most beautiful creature Tearloch had ever seen. It was blue, yes, but there were highlights of green on the underbelly, limbs, and tail. There was also a green luster that came and went with each movement. Its talons were gold.

Griffon, the winged man, introduced the pretty beast as Kivi.

"I am Tearloch. This is Sweetie, Dower, Bain, and Nogel." He then introduced Morrow, who named his men as Lears and Poole.

"We are escorting Princess Asper to Ristat,” Morrow said. “I suppose that is the last place you wish to go."

Griffon finally let down his guard, and when he did so, his wings disappeared, and he pulled a garment over his bare shoulders. "What is Ristat?"

"The capital city," Morrow said.

"We were there last night…delivering our passenger."

"Passenger?"

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