The Dragon's Chosen

Chapter 1 - The Gathering

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Not that Sami believed it, not even when grandpa Olin said it and he was the most trustworthy adult she knew. Everyone knew that without the dragons, the valley would have been destroyed long ago by the wars, or plagues, or bandits, or—some other horrible thing out of one of the stories told by the adults late at night when the kids were supposed to be in bed.

If the dragons really came to the valley long after the Darians had been called out of the earth by the Great Song Maker, then how did they survive all the dangers outside of it? If the dragons were really that important to the Darians' existence then they had to have always been here. To her mind it was simple, but everyone she tried that argument on, patted her on the head and said she sounded just like her uncle.

She hated being compared to her uncle.

Though, she knew better than to say it out loud. Not when her father’s brother, Taran, lived in one of the Dragon Spires at the center of the valley. Not when the whole village thought he was some sort of hero for being chosen at the last Gathering.

“Some hero.” she said to the weeds in the garden. “Can’t even come home to visit when his brother died. So what if he sent us money. Like that saved Ma from having to beg her family to let us live with them.”

“Who are you talking to, Sami?”

She scowled up, and up, into the face of Bevin, one of the numerous kinsfolk that lived and worked on the clan lands, under the leadership of her Grandfather. She made a face at Bevin and turned back to her weeds. He was one of the most annoying of the cousins, despite the fact he was at least twenty years her senior.

“No one.”

“Huh, sure did seem like someone.”

Bevin gave her the smile he thought looked charming. It didn’t. Ma’s sister, Jesamin, said Bevin couldn’t even charm a blind man with his smile. She clamped her lips together and looked down. Bevin never reacted well when you laughed at him.

“No one here but rocks and weeds.”

“Better not be, we all sure do love your ma’s garden. The best plants grow out of it.” Bevin rocked back on his heels and eyed her with an unfamiliar glint in his eyes. She didn’t like it.

“Sami…” Bevin blew out a breath, then sighed. “Your ma’s a good woman, you know.”

“Ma’s the best.” Her fingers itched and she buried them in the dirt to stop herself from doing something stupid. His tone felt off. The twist in the back of her mind, that she’d learned long ago warned her of danger, flared a warning.

“Your sister is a fine young woman.” His brow furrowed as he watched her on the ground.

Their kin thought Cala acted like she was better than she ought to, but they all knew she’d bring in the biggest dowry when the time came, so they mostly left her alone. No one wanted her to run off and ask Taran, the Dragon Chosen, to be her benefactor. That’d take the dowry out of their Clan and into Taran’s.

Sami scowled back at the dirt, a hollow ache in her chest. It always came back to money in this family.

“The Dragon Westborn has called for a Gathering.” Bevin said as if he hadn’t dropped a shocking declaration in the middle of Ma’s garden. She sat back in the dirt, eyes wide as she stared up at him.

“That’s not—“ She shook her head, not fully believing him. “Grandpa Olin said the Gathering only happens once every hundred years.”

“Just because Olin says a thing doesn’t make it true.”

“Grandpa Olin is the head of the Clan.” At least here she was right and Bevin knew it. “You can’t talk about him like that. It’s not respectful.”

“What do you know about being respectful?” Bevin asked, something almost like amusement now in his voice. She took a deep breath and released it. The anger buzzed under her skin but she knew she couldn’t let it out.

“Even if there is a gathering. What’s that got to do with me? I’m a girl.”

“Not likely to forget that.” If he stepped two inches closer she could punch him in that spot boys always squealed about. “The dragon’s don’t care if you’re a girl or not. Haven’t you paid attention in your classes? The one before your uncle was a girl.”

“Why are you talking to me about it?” Her heart pounded and she curled her fingers up together. A tingle slid down her spine. She’d learned to listen to that feeling, it’d saved her a few times.

“Well now, it’s rather exciting news, isn’t it? And, you turned fourteen last week, you’re old enough to be chosen.”

“Like they’d ever choose someone from our Clan. They go for the big Clans, the ones with money and power.”

It wasn’t exactly true and they both knew it. Taran, from the family Rendar, hadn’t come from money or power. Her father had been the last of the Rendar family once Taran had left. The histories indicated in the past, before Taran, the members chosen had been all higher born though, maybe Taran was a fluke.

“They chose your uncle.” Bevin’s face fell flat. “You never know if these things run in families.”

She stood, wanting this conversation done. A lot of the kin, not in a direct relation to Ma, tended to sneer at her and her sister, Cala. They thought Grandpa Olin shouldn’t have taken them back in after Pa died. Bevin however, she could never tell where she stood with Bevin. He was mean to everyone in the Clan but every once in a while he’d been nice to her. Quickly followed by some other nasty comment. But—she scowled at him—she hated feeling so off kilter.

He blocked her path towards the house, hand resting on her shoulder. She froze, not knowing what this meant, or how to react.

“When the Gathering happens, Sami, you need to stay away.”

“Why?”

“I—it doesn’t matter. All you need to do is listen to me. No matter what anyone tells you, you can’t go to the Gathering. Understand?”

“You can’t tell me what to do.” She pulled away from him. “You’re just some cousin, long down the line of people who are important enough to tell me what to do.”

“It’s not like you to hide behind your grandfather’s protection. Olin might be head of the Clan but it doesn’t mean no one else helps in decisions.” He grabbed her arm. “Promise me you won’t go. Understood?”

“Let go of me!” She wrenched away and he released her with a grimace. She stumbled at the lack of tension and bolted across the gardens towards the house.

She found Cala in the kitchens, working on the evening stew. As usual, she stopped and admired the pretty picture Cala made. The evening sun shone through the window, lighting up Cala’s copper skin with a golden hue. Her hair glowed dark bronze, tightly woven in the traditional braids bundled up on her head.

Her thoughts still jumbled from the interaction with Bevin, she went over to lean against Cala’s side until she found her words again. Cala waited, not even a glare or annoyance aimed at her for the interruption. Her sister was the best of all her kin.

“Bevin said there’s gonna be another Gathering, even though it’s only been twenty years.” She said it all in a rush, needing to tell someone, but unable to add the last part.

“That doesn’t seem likely.” Cala’s hand paused mid-stir, her slim brows pulling together as she processed. “Why would Bevin tell you that?”

“Dunno.”

Cala turned from her pot, brow still furrowed but Aunt Josie, Ma’s oldest sister, bustled inside, hands laden with loaves from the bakers ovens in the next room over.

“Cala, be a dear and fetch the baskets. Oh, Sami, perfect timing. You can stir while your sister cuts these for the meal.”

“Yes, Aunt Josie.”

Sami took the ladle as Cala moved to gather up the baskets for bread. Bevin’s words still itched under her skin and she eyed Aunt Josie to determine the mood of the day. You couldn’t ask Aunt Josie questions while cooking unless she was in the right mood for it. Even then, you risked being smacked by a ladle.

“Bevin told Sami there’s to be another Gathering.” Cala didn’t pause in her bread slicing. “Why-ever do you think he’d say something like that?”

Sami loved her sister so much right then. She’d make sure to save Cala the best strawberries when they went picking later in the month.

“Well, for once Bevin tells the truth.” Aunt Josie snorted and whisked over to peer at the pot of stew. “Though, why he’s telling Sami, I have no idea. Pa’s going to announce it after supper, but half the family knows already. It’s all over town.”

“But—“ Sami snapped her mouth shut at Aunt Josie’s glare.

“No one knows why. Once a hundred years should be good enough for them, especially when their magic makes the chosen live longer.”

Sami and Cala traded a look before they focused back on their tasks. Living longer was one of the reasons most people wanted to be chosen. Besides, of how much of an honor it was. Never mind who you left behind or never saw again. She supposed some people just didn’t care about those things.

They finished preparations in silence, not wanting to risk annoying Aunt Josie. Any more news would have to come at supper.

It became obvious that most of the family knew as supper commenced. Quiet whispers and looks filtered up and down the table as everyone tried to discover whether or not the person next to them knew or not. Sami stared at her dish, took bread when it passed her, and tried desperately not to look around. The look in Bevin’s eyes wouldn’t leave her mind. Why would he care what she did? She’d never noticed him paying her special attention.

Grandpa Olin cleared his throat and the little noise died down in an instant. He raised his bushy eyebrows, his dark skin peppered with white from his whiskers and beard. She’d loved his beard as a child, and had long hours in his lap, practicing her braids on it.

“Well, I’d hoped to be the one to break the news but it seems like most of you know. Though, seeing I received a personal message from the Dragon Westborn this very afternoon, I doubt you know all of it.”

Sami couldn’t help it, her gaze shot up, finding Ma down the table. Why would the head of the Dragon Clans message Grandpa early? And be calling a Gathering? She gripped the edge of the table. It felt like rocks had settled in her stomach.

“Taran Rendar broke his oath as a Chosen and left the spire three days back.”

Shock rippled down the table as a physical thing. Smalls gasps, cups dropped, and swear words that’d normally get the person’s ears boxed. The rocks in Sami’s stomach churned. Ma stared straight ahead, not looking at anyone.

“As you can imagine this puts our entire treaty in peril. The dragons protect our valley but need a member of the Old Clans to live in the Spire to grant them that permission.” He settled in his lecture mode and began to go over the history of the valley. Sami fought back a groan. Everyone knew all of this. It was basic history. She wanted to know about what would happen now, not what had happened, back thousands of years ago.

But no, Grandpa Olin was on a roll now and couldn’t be stopped. Normally she’d listen with intent to catch discrepancies in the various versions of the tale, but tonight she couldn’t focus.

Yes, she knew how in the ancient days, before the Dragons, how the Old Clans had fought back the foes at their doorstep with blood and magic. How their family magics bound together the land itself and kept the valley safe. Then, the Dragons came, at first seeking shelter but saw how the use of the magic had caused the land to wither up and die. They offered to protect the valley, but soon discovered the Clan magic had been dug in so deep it needed an anchor to hold it.

So started the Gathering. Once, every hundred years, the Dragons would leave their spires and come to select a member of one of the Old Clans to be the anchor. This person would carry the tie of all the family magics and allow the Dragons to use their magic to protect the borders. It meant no humans in the valley had magic, but because of the Dragon’s care and protection, they didn’t need it. Their lands bloomed and grew, their people stayed healthy and safe.

Why did they need one person, every hundred years, Sami had no idea. She’d asked many people, and at many times. No one ever gave an answer that made sense.

Grandpa Olin started to wind the story down and Sami shifted in her seat. Maybe if she was good and careful she’d be able to read the letter later. She didn’t trust that he’d tell them its entire contents.

“What does this mean for the family?” Aunt Josie’s husband, Seth, asked after Grandpa finished.

The entire table held their breath. Sami scowled back at her empty bowl. Her skin rippled in the way she knew meant people were looking at her. Like it was their fault, her, Ma, Cala, that Uncle Taran ran off.

“Dragon Westborn indicated that no repercussions would be dealt to us.” Sighs of relief rippled down the table and Sami’s knuckles turned white against the edges of her chair. “He said he only wrote to me personally because he didn’t want there to be any reason our family might miss the Gathering.”

“Like hell, we’ll go.” Aunt Josie muttered from the end of the table. “Not when the whole valley will be up in arms over Taran’s betrayal.”

“Taran Rendar isn’t part of this family!” Another relative protested.

“No, but his kin are!” Someone else said as they sneered towards Sami and Cala. “People might blame us regardless. Not everyone has as good sense as the dragons do.”

“Enough!” Grandpa slapped the table as he stood. “Jerica, Cala, and Sami are my daughter and granddaughters and they will be safe in my house and clan. They are not at fault and I have faith Dragon Westborn will make sure the Valley knows that.”

“Regardless, perhaps it's wiser they not go.” Bevin’s voice, loud and clear, rang over the whole room. “There’s no reason to remind people of betrayal when we don’t have to. Simon Rendar, after all, was well known in the villages, even outside of his brother being Chosen. Many people will remember his wife and two daughters.”

“If you’ll excuse us then.” Ma stood, a tremble in her hands and mouth. “We will abide by the wisdom of the clan leader and the family’s decision. However, this news has brought me back to a much more painful memory. Please, Cala, Sami, to our rooms.”

Sami stood up, reluctant to leave while the discussion still went on. She wanted to know what they decided and hear all of it. Especially what Bevin had to say. He’d never liked Ma, or her, or Cala, why would he care about them now? He never seemed to care much for the family either. None of it made sense.

Ma huffed and Sami hurried to the door, a few steps behind Cala. She’d just have to bully Jimmy into spilling it all to her in the morning.

The next morning started earlier than normal because Cala hadn’t been able to get to her braids the night before. She’d washed her hair the last morning, with the intent for Cala to braid it the same day. Now, it tangled more and Cala applied more oil as she soothed through the knots.

Sami tried hard to be patient but her skin buzzed and she didn’t want to stay in one place. Especially since once she’d hit fourteen, the braids that were expected had become more complicated. Usually she liked the feel of Cala’s hands as they put in place the traditional braids for a girl her age. But today, it served to increase her twitchiness.

“Sit still.” Cala tugged her skull back into place. “This will take longer if you squirm. I thought you’d grown out of the wriggly stage years back.”

“I just want to go find out what else happened after we left.”

“They’ll tell us what we need to know.”

“Ugh, that doesn’t mean they’ll tell us everything.”

“Sometimes not knowing everything is a good thing.” Cala sighed, twisting off the end of one braid and picking up another section. Sami made a face but forced her body to be still. She did like the braids, smaller now, and criss crossed into a pattern on the top of her skull, then brought all together in the back.

“Why does Bevin hate us?” She asked to try and distract her thoughts.

Cala’s hands went still. “Bevin doesn’t—“

“Don’t lie, Cal, you’re not good at it.” Sami scrunched up her nose. “He always has but last night it burned like a fire filled with rocks, all spitting and ready to launch bits of stone at us.”

“You need to be careful.”

“Why?” She tried to turn but Cala pushed her face to look straight out. “Bevin’s not a threat…is he..?”

“It’s not about Bevin—but no, he’s not a threat. And he doesn’t hate us. He’s helped us, you don’t remember, but when some of the other kin tried to get us in trouble when we were kids he’d defend us.”

“Then why does he act so mean all the time?” Frustration bubbled up in her chest and she twisted her fingers in her skirt. “Cala, please, I know you know something you’re not telling me.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Okay, fine, then when did Bevin help us?”

Cala didn’t answer for a moment and when she did, Sami almost felt sorry she’d asked.

“Do you remember when you were five and Jimmy had said something mean about Ma? You did something then, something that a few kin saw. Bevin distracted them, calmed you down, and got you to Grandpa Olin. No one ever spoke about it again and Ma kept you in the house for a month.”

She shivered, it sounded familiar and vague images flashed in her mind.

“I stayed in the room, after Ma had rushed you off.”

Sami went cold. She remembered that day now. It hadn’t—still didn’t—make any sense. She’d been playing with her cousins and all of a sudden Bevin was there. He’d felt like a bear, loud and furious. He’d picked her up and raced inside. The rest was a blur, she could remember Ma snatching her away and Grandpa Olin’s loud voice.

“Bevin said you’d called a wind to throw Jimmy away.”

“No—but that’d be magic. Humans can't use magic any more.”

“I know—I can’t explain it and no one would talk about it later. It was almost like everyone forgot. But…not Bevin.” Cala gripped her hands tight. “But please, Sami, be careful. They were more afraid than angry. Even Bevin, for all his bluster, seemed afraid. I think that’s why they don’t want us to go to the Gathering.”

Questions danced on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed them down. She turned back around and let Cala finish the braids. Her stomach churned. She thought once she’d figured out Bevin she’d have her answers. But all she had were more questions.

Once Cala finished the braids and she wandered away, a buzz built up underneath her skin. It pushed and prodded until she went where it wanted her to go. Outside the house and to the edge of the fields. All the way to the ancient tree that guarded the border between their clan land and the next one.

Bevin sat under the large branches, eyes staring out across the plains. You could see the spires from here, the ones at the valley’s very center. Where the dragons lived. Where Taran had lived.

The silence ached to be filled and the building need for answers propelled her towards him.

“Do you hate me? Or are you afraid of me?”

“Did you know your uncle called you his little wren bird?” Bevin didn’t turn towards her, didn’t even twitch at her presence. “Wren’s are the most boring of birds. I told him it was rather cruel to call such a beautiful little thing such a boring name.”

“You knew my uncle?”

He didn’t even seem to hear her. Too lost in whatever moment he could see in the distance of time.

“He said you were like him. He could tell when you were born.” He finally moved, his dark eyes shifting back towards her. “He loved you, more than anything, but couldn’t keep you. The Gathering came and he left to protect you, he didn’t want you to wind up in their spire.”

“I was a baby.” Sami wiped her sweaty palms against her dress. This wasn’t how she’d thought this conversation would go.

“The dragons don’t care.” His face twisted and for once she saw through the mask of rage. Grief, she realized, sorrow and fear. “The magic isn’t gone, just trapped away from us. Parts of it get out, manifest in us in subtle ways, in some stronger than others.”

“And the dragons…they don’t want this?” Part of her wanted to flee, but she’d come this far. She had to see this out to the end.

“I did hate you, but I also loved you.” He wouldn’t look at her now, face bowed and shoulders drawn up. “You were my last piece of him. I had to protect you. Keep you far from them and safe.”

“That is why you don’t want me to go.” She took a step back, shaken by his words and the confirmation of what Cala had told her. “But why not tell me? Why act like you hate me and everyone else?”

“I do hate them.” His laugh was high and bitter. “They kept Taran and I apart. Your mother saw us together once and told Olin. I was forbidden from seeing him. I didn’t see him again for years until right before…right before I lost him forever.”

“Then why would he run away?” Bevin’s words both made things clearer and more confusing. “If he wanted to protect me then why would he leave? I thought the chosen could leave the spires, visit their families, that’s what’s taught in school.”

“I don’t know and that should frighten you as much as it frightens me.” His eyes shuttered and he closed them for a moment. “His last message told me he was close to finding an answer to why all of this happened like it did. He never believed the history of the dragons. Just like you. I’ve wondered for years if it’s your magic, pushing you not to accept a lie.”

She took a step back, shaking her head. None of this made sense. “I don’t understand. I can’t have magic. No human can have magic.”

“You know things before they happen. Little things, not the big picture future, but you know the pot will fall off the shelf or the rain is coming tomorrow.” She felt trapped by his gaze as he put to words some of the deepest secrets she’d been keeping. “You know what people are feeling and use it to guide you around them and avoid trouble. Little winds pick up only around you, when there’s no breeze.”

“That’s not—no—”

“You’ve been hiding from yourself. You haven’t wanted to face the truth.”

She turned away. Magic was still so impossible. Only the dragons had magic. Everyone knew that. She opened up her mouth to argue but a long shadow spread over them. She looked up, confused, there hadn’t been a single cloud to be seen a few minutes ago. Bevin sprang to his feet, eyes wild.

“No, no, why would they come here?”

She scrambled out from under the tree and craned her neck to look up at the sky.

A dragon soared above them. Headed to the house. She froze, mesmerized by the glint of the sun off bright green scales. She took a step back to the house but Bevin’s hand grabbed her arm.

“No, stay here. Stay hidden. Don’t let his sacrifice be for nothing.”

“They aren’t here for me.” She argued, pulling away. “Why would they even know about me?”

“Why would they come here at all?” He hissed, snatching up her wrist this time. “The Gathering happens at the village and they told Olin they didn’t blame the family. No, something’s wrong, you need to hide.”

All her pent up frustration and anger boiled over. She kicked him in the shin, startling him into losing his hold. She didn’t wait for him to recover and took off, bare-feet flying over the backed dirt trail. No more lies and half-truths. Even now, she could tell he wasn’t telling her everything.

She skidded around the main house and stumbled to a halt. The dragon filled half the courtyard, wings raised, and head tilted down as it spoke to Grandpa Olin. The family fanned out around the edges, some peeking out through windows, and others open in their gawking. She found Ma and Cala, right next to Grandpa Olin and her mouth went dry.

A hand landed on her shoulder but she shook it off. Bevin reached for her again, but she danced away, and strode towards her family. If what Bevin said was true then they might take Cala. She couldn’t let that happen. If she was the reason they were pulled here, then she would be the one chosen.

Green-gold eyes snapped up and met her own. It was like looking into a depthless pool of water, swirled with the golden sun. She couldn’t move her feet, or breathe, all of her caught in the spell of those eyes.

“This is her.” The dragon’s wings raised higher, its voice booming out. Her skull thrummed at the words, both spoken inside and outside her mind.

“No.” Ma’s voice broke her out of the spell and she could look away. She stepped towards Ma but a taloned foot crashed down in front of her.

“Our seer had dreams of a girl of Taran’s bloodline.” The voice reminded her of a cat’s purr, mixed with a wolf’s growl. “We had to act quickly, otherwise the stability of our defenses will break down. I apologize, Clan Elder, we prefer not to act in such a way as this.”

“No apologies necessary.” Grandpa Olin bowed, face unreadable. “We are honored by your choice.”

No, not like this. She found Ma and Cala, their eyes wide and terrified. She reached out, at least she had to say goodbye.

The dragon’s wings spread. The wind roared in her ears. The ground gave way beneath her feet. Away, the dragon swooped, catching her up in one taloned hand. Her vision swam, and the last thing she saw before the clouds swallowed them up was a lone figure, outside the gates, watching them fly away.