Page 138 of Silver Claws, Crimson Tears
Phoebe’s hand trembles as she retrieves her fallen pencil. “The implications are staggering. If Heratrix truly awakens after a thousand years...”
“That’s why we need you,” Vaylen says, his eyes sweeping across each face. “We’ve decided to form a team we can trust. People who won’t panic or betray us. People who can help us discover what’s really happening. So… are you with us?”
Dakar breaks the silence with a laugh that echoes off the armory walls. “Sounds like fun to me! Been killin’ the same ugly harpies for years now. Gets boring, ya know?” He slaps his thigh. “Finding the Goddess under a mountain? Now that’s somethin’ worth talkin’ about in the tavern. If we were allowed to talk about it, which we ain’t.” He winks at me.
I exhale lightly. One down.
Phoebe’s eyes gleam with that scholarly fire I’ve come to recognize. “Anything involving Heratrix?” She clutches her notebook to her chest like it’s precious treasure. “I’ve been researching her disappearance since I was a child. If there’s even a chance she’s there and those eggs exist...” Her voice quivers with excitement. “I’m absolutely in.”
Nate’s massive shoulders shift as he steps closer to Phoebe. “Where she goes, I go.” His simple declaration lands with the weight of his impressive frame. “Besides, anything’s better than watching more riders fall to those ugly bitches.”
Everyone turns to Cliffbecker. The older Skydune’s face remains impassive, his features revealing nothing. My hands sweat. If he refuses, could we trust him to keep silent?
“Well?” Vaylen snaps. “Are you with us or not, Cliffbecker? Because if you’re planning to run to Voltguard the minute you leave this room, I’d rather know now.”
The tension crackles between us like lightning seeking ground.
Cliffbecker’s features tightens. “Hold on. You two haven’t exactly told us what we’re actually doing here.Discover what’s really happeningis vague as wyrm-shit. I need details before I commit to anything.”
The old Skydune has a point. We’ve been dancing around the specifics.
Vaylen and I exchange glances. I raise my eyebrows, trying to convey the message that this was his idea.
He makes a decision on the spot. “We’re going back to Hearthdale,” Vaylen announces, his voice resonating with authority. “To find Heratrix.”
Cliffbecker’s eyebrows nearly reach his hairline. “That’s crazy”
“Count me in.” Dakar grins like a madman. “When do we leave?”
“Why not tell the Commanders?” Cliffbecker demands.
Dakar rolls his eyes. “Right, because Commander Voltguard’s just gonna say,Sure, take my best riders on a wild dragon chase while Screechclaws tear apart our borders!She’d sooner shave her head and dance naked at the King’s court.”
I snort. The image of our stern Commander prancing around Castle Stonefall without her obsidian uniform is both horrifying and hilarious.
“And what if it’s a trap?” Cliffbecker asks next. “What would the Screechclaws know about Heratrix? Why would they warn us that she’s… awakening?”
I glance at Vaylen with a frown, cocking my head slightly.Why did he invite this stubborn old rock if he knew he’d push back against everything?
Vaylen catches my look and the corner of his mouth twitches upward. “That’s why I asked you to join us,” he says to Cliffbecker. “I can always count on you to ask all the right questions. The uncomfortable ones we need to consider before rushing headlong into danger.”
Once more, I feel rash. Vaylen guided this conversation perfectly, while I wanted to burst everything out. And now Cliffbecker is injecting caution, something that’s probably allowed him to survive all these years as a Skydune. It seems I have very much to learn from those more experienced than me.
“There has to be a connection,” Phoebe says, her green eyes bright with excitement. “Don’t you see? The war with the Screechclaws began shortly after Heratrix disappeared. A thousand years of conflict that nobody questions anymore. We just accept it as our reality.” Her gaze sweeps over the room. “What if it’s all connected? The Goddess vanishes, the Screechclaws attack, and now they’re talking about her awakening? What if harpies have been fighting us for a millennium because of something to do with Heratrix?”
This seems to trouble everyone, making the floor very interesting as we reflect.
“How do we make our way to Hearthdale without the Commander’s approval?” Cliffbecker breaks the silence.
“I’ll think of something,” Vaylen says.
“A lie, you mean?” Cliffbecker asks.
Vaylen shrugs.
Cliffbecker sighs. “Fine. If there’s even a chance, it could mean this war will be over.”
Relief floods through me. They’re all in. We have allies.
