Blood of Azura

Part XXXVIII

'Be calm, my love, be calm,' he bid Fara softly as they raced full speed toward the drop. He could scent her fear and it was as sweet and honeyed to his nose as it has always been.

To her, his words would sound like a blessing to his Varveh. Though perhaps then, at that moment, it no longer mattered. It no longer mattered what she suspected or knew regarding his heart. Whether he had indeed fallen for some trick of hers to capture it mattered not — for she had captured it. He had surrendered it. It was hers, enslaved.

All he would do now would demonstrate it. Rebellion against his Visier and his realm would see him condemned and yet it mattered not. All that mattered was the promises he had made to her.

Nux leapt over the verge and pulled them upward, and Fara cried out softly against his chest, small white-tipped fingers clinging tight to the saddle grip. The wind battered against them as he turned Nux northwards toward the Novus forest and great mountain peaks of Rohnal beyond. The thick cloud of Novus rain which hung above the forest was visible even from this distance.

They rode on toward it, on the push and pull of the wind which lifted and dropped them and lifted them again. Finally, Fara found the courage in her to pull her head out from the crook of his arm, turning to sit straight on the saddle observe what spread out before her.

Due east he could see the stone figure of Leoth kneeling defeated before the court of the moon. He saw Fara catch sight of it too, her head turned toward it long after it moved behind them.

'The trees ahead,' he said against the hood of her cloak close to her ear. 'That is The Novus forest.'

She turned her head towards his. 'This is where you are taking me?'

'No, but we shall ride through it in a moment. Its rain is like no other. Sweet like wine and hot as Teredia's Glissian pool.'

The rain hit them some moments later, not seen but felt, hot and sweetly scented on his lips. He tasted it with his tongue. Just then, Fara turned her face upward, blinking as she opened her mouth to taste it too. It caused her to smile and he felt the warm bloom of contentment rise up into his chest.

The white forest passed beneath them before Theodan rose to stand, pulling on Nux's rein to force her higher and guide them over the highest of the trees. Someway north of the highest peak was the Balck Rock - where Elyon and the Twins of Aphelion would be at this moment. Cresting the mountain, the meadow soon came in to view, ringed in Zenobia flower of every colour, tall grass leached white.

He whispered the command for Nux to land, pulling twice on the rein to affirm the order. Her great wings turned out and she tilted them against the wind, slowing them before she began her eager descent onto the meadow.

They'd had softer landings. Fara was thrown back against him so hard that he worried he'd injured her.

'You are not hurt?' He asked, casting his eye over her.