The Dragon Prince - Book 1: Cold War

Necrotic Denizens

Claudia and Soren

Claudia woke up after sleeping the day away. The pathfinder hideout was tucked deep in the shallows of a damp marsh, surrounded by still waters. Another day of hard rations and tepid water. Another day of hiding from elven patrols.

    As they moved further north, they found an increasing number of tarry circles buzzing with fat, drunken insects that got caught-up in their hair and mouths. Whatever their father was up to, he didn't seem to care that he left behind a blighted trail of disease throughout Xadia.

    Soren had already filled her canteen and was munching away at a dried fig bar. He tried to smile at his sister but could only manage a miserable grimace. He stretched and rubbed his back.

    "Heya, Sor-Sor," she said, "how's your back this morning?"

    "It's fine. Nothing to worry about," he lied, "you were talking in your sleep last night."

    "Oh?" She asked, removing wax-paper from a package of dried beef, "what did I say?"

    "Something like, 'Caaa-llum, I'm over here! Don't leeeeave me, Callum'."

    Claudia's cheeks turned red as a boiled tomato. Occasionally her thoughts went to her childhood friend. She occasionally wondered where he was what kind of life he was living. Last she heard was that he had run off to live with that elf girl.

    What was her name? Riley? Layra? Ugh, who cares.

    Claudia's life has been so hectic she hadn't given much thought to things other than her father and Soren. Was her subconscious trying to tell her something?

    "Still got a thing for the step-prince, huh?" Soren said.

    "Pshh, no," she scoffed, as she tried biting through a tough piece of dried beef. "Who cares? But...um, did I say anything else?"

    "Nope. Just sad mumble moaning, mostly."

    She sighed, shoving away the distraction as she rolled up her ground sheet. She packed the rest of her equipment and checked the blade of her dagger. Now more than ever it brought her familiar comfort. 

    The sun was practically behind the horizon now, washing the sky with a hazy pink glow. The sound of crickets began to chirp, a sound Claudia associated with the start of her new day.

    Soren exhaled deeply, tossing his backpack over his shoulders with a noticeable grunt, a grunt their Dad used to make. She worried the Dark Magic spell that kept his spinal nerves intact was beginning to lose its efficacy. She shook it off, something to deal with another day.

    The former knight broke the trail a few paces ahead of his sister, that way if they were ambushed, Claudia would surprise any elf with her dagger or if need be, a Dark Magic spell. Since Claudia already opened that pandora's box using Dark Magic to save the pathfinder team, they decided that it came down to life or death, Dark Magic was back on the table.

    Within the hour, a breeze carried the sickly sweet stink of decay, the telltale sign of their father. Claudia kept to a low crouch behind her brother, pushing aside exotic looking bulrushes with jagged leaves that tugged at her pant legs and scratched at her face. 

    When they had at last left the marshland, they found themselves in a wide open clearing that stretched in every direction. Soren halted, his mouth twisted into a look of concern. He pulled out Einar's map, and studied it.

    When Claudia couldn't stand the silence any further, she asked, "what's up?"

    Soren pointed up at the sky. "It's almost a full moon behind those clouds and there's no cover in this field. If the moon comes out and we're caught out there, anyone can see us."