expectant countenance, a dozen common names flew through his mind — Madeline, Elaine, and others. Then the girls from the Northlands entered his thoughts. Their lovely names matched their personalities—Deference and Resolute. Why not give this girl a name that matched her gifts?
“How about Solace?” he said, using his thumb to brush a tear from her cheek. “It means comfort.”
She dipped her head and repeated his words slowly. “Solace. It means comfort.” Then, looking at him again, she smiled and nodded. “I like it.”
“Then Solace it is.” His hands trembling, Jason unbuttoned his outer tunic, stripped it off, and helped her put it on. “It’s so big it will be like a dress, but it’s better than nothing.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said as she rolled up a sleeve. “I have never worn anything so lovely. The slave trader let me borrow a nice tunic for a while, but this is much softer.”
Once she had fastened the buttons, Jason laid a hand on her shoulder. “Can you be brave for me?”
“I think so.”
“I want you to hide next to one of the tree trunks and bury yourself in that tunic as much as you can. I will be back soon. I promise.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to the grinding stone.”
“Why?” Solace asked, her voice quavering again. “Your father is dead.”
“I didn’t hear any other screams. Maybe I can help those two boys.”
“The dragons said the fall into the stone sometimes is enough to kill a human, so we wouldn’t have heard them scream. They might already be dead.”
Jason shook his head. The dragons probably told the victims that story to settle them down, make them believe they wouldn’t suffer. “I have to check. It’s the least I can do. And I’m not going to let them use my father’s remains as bait for wild beasts.”
Solace pressed her lips together as if firming her resolve. “I’ll be brave, but I hope you’ll hurry. If you don’t come back, I won’t have anywhere to go.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Jason said, slipping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle hug. “No matter what happens to me, I’m sure Fellina will return for you.”
“The dragon?” Solace pulled away and touched her shoulder. “I hope not.”
“She didn’t mean to hurt you,” Jason said reaching toward the wound. “She was just —”
Solace swiveled away from his touch. “Dragons always mean to hurt. They do nothing but hurt. They are cruel and heartless.”
Jason drew back his hand. What could he say? Solace had experienced nothing but cruelty, and even Fellina considered her an expendable beast. Not only that, dragons had killed his own father. Truly they were murderers — evil, villainous cowards who drained every drop of sweat and blood from their captives before disposing of them in the most horrific way imaginable.
“You’re right, but I don’t have any choice.” Jason rose and squared his shoulders. “I will be back. If Fellina comes first, that’s fine. Just tell her where I went. We’ll get together again somehow.”
“I’ll trust you, then.” Solace got up and sat next to the nearest tree. She pulled the tunic’s shoulders over her head and sank into the roomy material. Then she drew her legs in, making them disappear as well. “Hurry back,” she called, her voice muffled.
Jason let a smile emerge. “I will.” But the smile quickly wilted. The pain was too heavy, too deep. The wound in his heart wouldn’t allow more than a split second of relief.
Blinking away new tears, he took a deep breath and marched ahead. As he drew near the edge of the trees, the basin came into view. His father’s scream echoed in his mind—loud, pain-streaked, abrupt. His final living moment was one of torture, a crushing of body and bones that squeezed out a desperate cry and then silenced him forever.
He stopped at the tree line and looked out over the arid terrain. In the distance, the Zodiac’s spires rose above the rocks
“How about Solace?” he said, using his thumb to brush a tear from her cheek. “It means comfort.”
She dipped her head and repeated his words slowly. “Solace. It means comfort.” Then, looking at him again, she smiled and nodded. “I like it.”
“Then Solace it is.” His hands trembling, Jason unbuttoned his outer tunic, stripped it off, and helped her put it on. “It’s so big it will be like a dress, but it’s better than nothing.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said as she rolled up a sleeve. “I have never worn anything so lovely. The slave trader let me borrow a nice tunic for a while, but this is much softer.”
Once she had fastened the buttons, Jason laid a hand on her shoulder. “Can you be brave for me?”
“I think so.”
“I want you to hide next to one of the tree trunks and bury yourself in that tunic as much as you can. I will be back soon. I promise.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to the grinding stone.”
“Why?” Solace asked, her voice quavering again. “Your father is dead.”
“I didn’t hear any other screams. Maybe I can help those two boys.”
“The dragons said the fall into the stone sometimes is enough to kill a human, so we wouldn’t have heard them scream. They might already be dead.”
Jason shook his head. The dragons probably told the victims that story to settle them down, make them believe they wouldn’t suffer. “I have to check. It’s the least I can do. And I’m not going to let them use my father’s remains as bait for wild beasts.”
Solace pressed her lips together as if firming her resolve. “I’ll be brave, but I hope you’ll hurry. If you don’t come back, I won’t have anywhere to go.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Jason said, slipping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle hug. “No matter what happens to me, I’m sure Fellina will return for you.”
“The dragon?” Solace pulled away and touched her shoulder. “I hope not.”
“She didn’t mean to hurt you,” Jason said reaching toward the wound. “She was just —”
Solace swiveled away from his touch. “Dragons always mean to hurt. They do nothing but hurt. They are cruel and heartless.”
Jason drew back his hand. What could he say? Solace had experienced nothing but cruelty, and even Fellina considered her an expendable beast. Not only that, dragons had killed his own father. Truly they were murderers — evil, villainous cowards who drained every drop of sweat and blood from their captives before disposing of them in the most horrific way imaginable.
“You’re right, but I don’t have any choice.” Jason rose and squared his shoulders. “I will be back. If Fellina comes first, that’s fine. Just tell her where I went. We’ll get together again somehow.”
“I’ll trust you, then.” Solace got up and sat next to the nearest tree. She pulled the tunic’s shoulders over her head and sank into the roomy material. Then she drew her legs in, making them disappear as well. “Hurry back,” she called, her voice muffled.
Jason let a smile emerge. “I will.” But the smile quickly wilted. The pain was too heavy, too deep. The wound in his heart wouldn’t allow more than a split second of relief.
Blinking away new tears, he took a deep breath and marched ahead. As he drew near the edge of the trees, the basin came into view. His father’s scream echoed in his mind—loud, pain-streaked, abrupt. His final living moment was one of torture, a crushing of body and bones that squeezed out a desperate cry and then silenced him forever.
He stopped at the tree line and looked out over the arid terrain. In the distance, the Zodiac’s spires rose above the rocks
Similar Books
