Celenore Wilderness

Tamara's feet ached something terrible. Her shoes weren't made for this. Each throbbing step was a reminder of the many leagues they had covered, but also of the many they had yet to go. Their journey would take them through Celenore to Scattered Island Bay, where King Talon had promised ships to take them the remaining distance around Galadhal's peninsula to Fort Kastali.

The vast, rolling plains of Celenore stretched before them like a lumpy blanket. On and on as far as the eye could see, the grass was dusted with hues of brown and light green. She shielded her gaze against the sun, squinting. Did it ever end? Perhaps not. Perhaps the plains would go on forever, on and on. Just like them.

"Do you think there will be unmated Drengr at Fort Kastali?" Sophie broke the silence between them. She kept pace by her side, always in good spirits.

"I would imagine so," she said, distracted.

"I hope there are." Sophie nudged her shoulder. "I would love another chance to try again."

"I would like that too." She smiled at Sophie, attempting to match her bubbly mood. At least one of them was enjoying this.

"And the capital!" Sophie clapped her hands together. "Can you picture it? I never thought I would see it with my own eyes." Shadows passed by overhead. They squinted against the sun to watch a returning group of Drengr with their Riders. "Will you and Byron go out flying this afternoon?"

"Gods, I hope so." Her heart leapt at the thought. "I need to get off these aching feet."

"Oh. Well, at least you can." Sophie's voice lost some of its eagerness. "The rest of us..."

"I..." Tamara's face burned. "That was a thoughtless thing to say. You're right. I'm sorry."

Sophie shrugged. "You were lucky enough to find a mate. I was not."

"Ladies?" A deep voice came from behind them. Byron fell into step beside her, his gaze assessing. He'd become more watchful of her after the attack, always looking for hidden hurts or wounds, afraid to take his eyes off her as if he might lose her as he did his parents. Or perhaps he expected her to fall apart at any moment. It was a wonder she hadn't. How many women her age were forced into this level of responsibility? And without a single complaint at that?

She wanted to complain. Gods! Sometimes she wanted to scream at the heavens. It was all so awful. So unfair! She should have been grateful to be alive, but instead, she was bitter.

"Lord Byron!" Sophie attempted a curtsy without slowing their pace and giggled.

"Good to see you, Sophie. You look well. And keeping Tamara company, no less. I am glad."

"Of course, Lord Byron." Sophie blushed and turned away.

"Tam?" Byron's gaze fell upon her. He'd taken to using the nickname shortly after the attack. She wasn't sure why, but it gave her a thrill. "Shall we fly?"

She squinted up at him, keeping her gaze shielded with her hand against the bright sun. "You're not too tired?"

"Tired? Of course not."

"You've had your wings out all morning."

"So? Scouting is easy work. What do you say?"

"Well, if that's the case." She glanced at Sophie. "You'll be okay?"

"Of course." Sophie bobbed her head. "I'll go walk with the folks from the cookery. They look as if they require some good company. And mine is the best, after all." Her grin was infectious.

Tamara reached for her friend's hand and squeezed. "Yours is the best, Soph. You've been a blessing to everyone here." Sophie's eyes glowed with the praise. "The folks from the cookery will appreciate you. Go."

"All right then," she said. "Enjoy your flight." She turned to wait for her new companions to catch up.

"Ready?" Byron held out his hand. His eyes danced. He led her away from the line of walkers stretching out behind them, where he transformed.

The moment she was on his back, their minds melded. A sigh slipped from her lips at the familiarity of it. It was much the same relief from him, too. He enjoyed being with her like this.

They wasted no time in vaulting into the sky. The people below shrank in size and disappeared. Some waved at them as they departed. Byron took them west for a bit, then turned south. The land sailed by. If only they could afford to leave behind the people of the fort and travel onward. They would have reached the capital by now.

"We cannot abandon them."

She jerked, not having realized how apparent her thoughts were. "Yes. Yes, I know. Nor do I want to. Just a wishful thought to lighten the burden. I..."

"You're tired of traveling. I understand. There is no fault in it. I'm tired too. So tired..."

Her chest ached. Byron wasn't fatigued in the traditional sense. He was mentally and emotionally exhausted. She saw the heaviness of his burden, day by day, leading the fort to a new—but temporary—home. The loss of his parents, the disappearance of his uncle, the many deaths that had wracked the fort. It was an impossible weight. She comforted him, laying her cheek against the scales of his neck, closing her eyes, smiling at the feel of the wind against her skin.

They flew for nearly an hour before Byron spotted a creek and thought to descend. In that time, they talked of simple things. She told him about some of the conversations she'd had that day, while he talked of things he'd spotted during his scouting trips. It was a blessing to have the Drengr on a journey like this. Each day they were able to fly the heaviest belongings ahead and make camp. When the rest of the fort arrived on foot, weary after a day of walking, they could simply rest.

"This looks like a peaceful place." Byron landed.

He'd brought them to a tree-lined creek, meandering left and right, with gentle curves that took it out of sight. "It's lovely." She unstrapped from the harness and slid down to the ground. Their mental contact broke.

He wasted no time in transforming, falling into step beside her. "Baths are scarce these days. What do you say?"

She balked, glancing between him and the creek they approached. "I imagine it's rather cold, don't you think?" The air was cooling as winter approached, but the sun was still hot, and there were few clouds in the sky. She made her way to the water. It was deep enough to swim.

Byron tested it with his hand. "Not frigid. It will do." She studied him and the creek, watching the way his muscles bulged beneath his tunic as he moved.

A bath would be nice, she realized. Refreshing. Exactly what her tired muscles needed.

"I'll leave you for a bit. I know you prefer your privacy. Or..." He hesitated. "I'll join you, if you'd like?" There was a hint of teasing in his voice.

She opened and closed her mouth.

He must have noticed the change in her expression. "Tamara, I know...You have every right to be..." He rubbed the back of his neck, regarding her with a furrowed brow. "You can say it, if you like."

"Say what?" A frown pulled at her lips.

"'I told you so.'"

Her frown deepened. "Why would I—why would I say that?"

"Because you've been thinking it."

"I have not!" Her voice came out more defensive than intended.

He took several steps toward her and paused. "You have. I've read your thoughts. I try not to intrude, but some are hard to ignore when they saturate your mind."

Heat crept up her neck, flushing her cheeks. "Just because I think it, doesn't mean I'll say it."

"Yes, and for that reason alone, you are too good to me." He took one of her hands in his, folding his fingers around them. "I deserve it—what you've been thinking. Don't think I don't." He hesitated. "I should have listened to you. You told me you were ready. If I had listened, we could have been...my parents would have been...they..." He dropped her hands and turned away from her, walking several steps towards the creek.

Sunlight glinted off his golden hair, so like his father's. Her chest collapsed, seeing him unsettled like this. It was unlike him. In all the days since the attack, he had kept these thoughts buried deep in the confines of his mind. He hadn't spoken of what might have been. He avoided it under the pretense of being occupied with his new duties. But she knew what was there, lurking.

She went to him, wrapping her arms around his chest, pressing her body flush to his back. Sparks exploded along the places they touched. It felt good—too good. Him against her. Her curves melded with his. It felt...right. "I know what you're thinking," she whispered, barely able to reach his ear on her tiptoes. "But we cannot change the past. If you let it bother you like this, it will wreck you."

"What do I do, then?" His voice came out heavy with emotion—vulnerable.

"The only thing you can do. Your best."

"I'm trying. I really am." He turned in her arms and reached for her face, cradling her head. His gaze left her throat raw. "I worried that you weren't ready, Tam. That I would dishonor you, even despite the bond. You are young compared to the lifetime of a Drengr. I worried that there was still too much girl and not enough woman in you." He bent and kissed her forehead before reclaiming her gaze.

"I'm approaching sixteen, Byron. Most girls are younger when they are married off. I saw a girl of thirteen, once."

"I—I know." His throat bobbed. Things were done quite differently among the Drengr versus the human nobility. "I was wrong about you, Tam. I have seen you these past few weeks. Don't think I haven't." He shook his head. "I should have had you before we left. But...but I will have you now, if you will let me."

His words knocked the air from her chest. Everything in her fluttered and flipped. "Right...right now, as in, this very minute?"

"If it is what you wish."

"I..." Her racing heart sent a flood of heat through her body. Her eyes fell to his lips. She wanted to. Gods, after everything she talked about with Claire, she wanted to feel those things. To know exactly what it was like. To put her hands on him. To feel his hands on her.

She sighed, hating herself, hating her propriety. "We should have the ceremony," she said at last. "It would be good for our people, for our fort. It would give them something to be happy about."

He nodded. "I thought you might say that."

A wide smile spread across her face. "What if we announce it to them? We've still got a week before we reach the coast, but that doesn't mean we cannot celebrate. We can get the provisions we need when we pass through the next settlement, set up a party tent, spend a day celebrating. You could ask Fierran to perform the ceremony so that we can speak the words. We ought to do it right. Your parents would prefer it that way. So would I."

His expression split into a radiant smile, eyes beaming. He pulled her off her feet and kissed her, moving his lips over hers in a way that spoke of his approval. His tongue brushed hers and heat curled in her abdomen. She wrapped her arms around him, sighing, letting their kiss deepen. What was tentative at first became hungry. A gasp escaped her, but she didn't stop, didn't want to.

When he pulled away, she almost groaned with frustration.

He stared down at her. "I would still like a bath, if you'll allow me to join you?"

"Oh. Uhm..." All she could think about were more kisses with him. "It's no use flying off into the sky and leaving me here alone and unclothed. What if robbers stumble across me while you're away? My virtue is at stake here."

"My dear Tam, was that a joke you just made?" A wicked smile came to her lips, especially at the thought of her mother's reaction to all this. "Well, we can't risk your virtue, can we? I must protect you from all bandits that might happen across these parts." He kissed her again, making her toes curl in her slippers, before setting her back on her feet.

They shed their clothes, laughing. Byron helped her with the ties on her gown. Her skin burned with eagerness for every moment that his fingers were occupied, anxious with anticipation. When the dress and chemise slid off her body and fell into a heap at her feet, his hands and lips found her bare shoulders. He kissed her, laying gentle pecks all the way to her neck. She shivered in delight.

He paused to pull his own tunic over his head and remove his pants. When she turned, she found him naked. Everything swept from her mind at the sight of him. She forgot about her own nudity, completely transfixed as she took him in, tracing the lines of his muscles along his chest, down his stomach and along the muscle there, all the way to....

A gasp slipped from her lips at what she saw. At his arousal and size. Her face burned. She forced her eyes to his. He stared at her face, locking gazes with her, and she knew it must have taken a great deal of effort for him to keep his eyes from wandering over her. A great deal of self control. Which, obviously, she lacked.

"Like what you see?" She opened her mouth to respond and he chuckled. "Come, let's swim," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the creek. They found a ledge and entered the water. She squealed as the cold bit into her skin. But it was a refreshing welcome to chase away the heat burning through her.

"A bit more frigid than I thought," he said through clenched teeth. "No matter. You have me for warmth." His voice was a pleased growl. He took her into his arms and pulled her naked body against his.

She came alive. Everything sizzled and sparked, sending tingles down to the tips of her toes. She wanted to wrap herself around him, arms and legs, to clutch onto him. But she knew exactly what might happen if she did that. So instead, she simply let him hold her.

"Gods, it really is freezing," she said through chattering teeth. "No matter how warm you are."

He tried to kiss her but it was no use. Her teeth were chattering too much, her skin pebbled with gooseflesh. She would have been shaking were it not for the heat of his body.

He laughed. "All right then, better get moving and get clean before we freeze in here." With that, he released her and splashed away, dunking under the water.

She had no intention of getting her hair wet, so she went down enough to cover her shoulders and rinse her body. "I thought the Drengr couldn't get cold," she called when his head popped up.

"We get cold," he assured her. "We're at our warmest in our dragon form."

The frigid water cut their bath short. While it felt good to be clean, she had no intention of staying in the water longer than necessary, so she quickly climbed out and Byron followed after. Out of the water, she was highly aware of his eyes on her. So much for self control!

"You are so very beautiful," he said, picking up her chemise and helping her to pull it over her head. "I can hardly keep my eyes off you. Though, for what it's worth, I tried." He pulled her against him, holding her close to warm her against his body. Through the gauzy fabric, she felt every touch as his hands moved across her back. Felt the hardness of him against her. It left her stomach curling. She tangled her fingers in his wet hair, bringing his face to hers, kissing him, enjoying him.

It was over all too soon. They returned to the traveling group not long after. Byron was eager to share the good news with everyone, to announce their decision to bond. She was thrilled too, but that wasn't what her mind dwelled on. Instead, she couldn't stop seeing his naked body each time she closed her eyes. The curves of his muscles, dripping with water droplets. The blonde chest hair that scattered across his skin. Damn Lady Claire for what she'd revealed during those short conversations about lovemaking. She could feel her anticipation rising with each moment. And her nerves.

When they made camp, Byron summoned the entire fort. He took her hand and pulled her atop a stack of crates that had been piled up for the occasion. "Tamara and I have an announcement." Everyone fell silent. "We have decided that we will not wait any longer to seal our bond. Too much sadness follows us. Too much hurt." He hesitated. "All of us could use some cheer. We've decided that we will hold our bonding ceremony in two days. All of us could do with a rest. What say you?" He lifted his voice higher. "Will you celebrate with us?"

Roars exploded all around them. "We're with you!" some shouted. "Seal the bond already!" others called, laughing and relishing in their happiness. Their enthusiasm was infectious. She found herself blushing and smiling at some four hundred people staring back at her. Many of Byron's wing leaders and seconds were fist pumping near the front of the crowd.

He turned to her, grinning. Before she could protest, he took her up in his arms and kissed her in front of everyone. It was long and deep, pulling the very breath from her lungs. 

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