Page 80 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
"An air dragon. Do you need help getting on?"
So he was the one who had bonded with the only air dragon.
"I can manage." It was easier than the last time to sit on the dragon, especially since she was no longer afraid of the dragons. Still, she would have given anything to experience her first flight again.
As soon as she had taken her seat, her body felt leaden. She needed a break. Something to eat and drink. But she would still keep her eyes open during the ride. Because even though Rob seemed consistently honest, she hadn't forgotten how distrustful he had been towards her at first.
Chapter 31
The flight was ice-cold, despite it being daytime. Inevitably, she compared it to the ride on Kilian's fire dragon when he had taken her, Lilly, and the dragon egg to Talus. Both the egg and Kilian had emitted a constant warmth, which she didn't experience during this flight. She carefully avoided leaning against Rob, even though he gave her no reason to remain suspicious.
They didn't speak to each other, meaning he didn't verbally attack her or push her off his air dragon's back, which she counted as progress in their relationship.
The ride lasted less than an hour, yet her hands had turned into blocks of ice by the time they approached a cave on the slope of a mountain range. For a while now, she had felt a warm pulsing in her heart. They had arrived.
Four brown dragons perched on the peaks. The cave was situated very high up, which was probably why the others had flown as well. At any rate, she couldn't quickly spot any path leading up the mountain.
Marcus was the first one she saw. He was standing atthe edge of the cave entrance, seemingly unconcerned that one step further would mean falling hundreds of meters. Worry lines had etched themselves into his forehead as he watched them approach. He didn't take his eyes off them until Rob guided the dragon to the entrance and she was about to climb down from its back.
"Ava. Finally. Let me help you!"
Her limbs were stiff and her body exhausted, which was why she gratefully accepted Marcus's help dismounting. As soon as she was standing on the cave floor, he pulled her into an embrace and held her tightly. It felt good. Not just because the warmth of his body was a blessing. When she'd been at her low point in the arena, she hadn't expected to ever see him again.
"Are you alright?" He quickly checked her for injuries and focused on her scraped hands and dirty pants. His gaze lingered on her face. For a moment, Ava thought he could see that she and Kilian had kissed. Suddenly, his expression darkened. "I'll kill that sorceress with my own hands! What did she do to you?"
"I'm fine."
Rob jumped off his dragon and put a friendly arm around her. "Let Ava catch her breath first. She's been through a lot, but she survived. She'll feel better when she sees the young dragon."
Ava looked at him in surprise, but when he nodded to her, she realized he had meant what he'd said. They needed to learn to trust each other to work together. She nodded gratefully to him before turning to Marcus.
"I'll tell you what happened later. First, I really want to see the little one. Is he okay?"
Marcus shook his head from side to side. "If you ignore how outraged he is because he was barelyrestrained from participating in the rescue mission, then yes."
She laughed, and Marcus led her deeper into the cave. Lanterns were hanging on the stone walls, casting a warm glow inside. There was simple furniture like chairs, tables, and dressers. They were probably in a refuge for dragon fighters.
From a side cave, she heard a soft familiar voice that she recognized immediately. Suddenly, her fatigue and pain vanished as she rushed inside.
On thick blankets and pillows sat Lilly and the small dragon. The little one had noticed her immediately and stumbled towards her. It just took Lilly two seconds longer. They rushed towards each other, and Ava took the dragon in her arms. Lilly was already hugging her around the waist.
"Ava, you're okay. I'm so relieved." Tears sprang to the girl's eyes and rolled down her cheeks, causing Ava to shed one as well. Overjoyed, she hugged them both.
"Don't worry, everything's fine."
"I told the dragon fighter where you were. I could sense you. But he wouldn't take me with him. Ava, we must never be separated again."
"Everything's alright, you two, everything's alright." Her heart swelled as she cradled them both. It felt like home. Eventually, two more arms wrapped around her. Marcus had approached and was hugging her from behind. They stood like that for a while, and Ava was simply grateful. Grateful to be alive. Grateful to be part of this community. Grateful to have found a place that felt right.
She had expectedto collapse with exhaustion and sleep for several days, but she didn't. Instead, she sat down at a large table with Lilly, the dragon, Marcus, and Rob to eat and tell the others what had happened. Maybe because she was waiting for Kilian. Maybe because she knew that saying goodbye to the dragon was imminent, which the little one didn't know yet. Either way, her heart found no rest.
Eventually, she felt that she understood why. She sat up abruptly.
"I have to go back."
Marcus's eyes widened in horror. "To Elora?"
She shook her head. "To Aunt Helen."
