the Wingfeathers from a Fang horde.”
Janner braced himself for more of Leeli’s tears, but she didn’t cry. She worked her way to her feet and rummaged around in her pack for her ancient whistleharp. “Mama, will you get my crutch? I want to see the ocean.”
Leeli limped to the precipice above the bank and sat. She took a deep breath and looked out over the Dark Sea of Darkness with a smile. The sky in the east blushed at the coming darkness. Leeli brought the whistleharp to her lips and played.
Janner and Tink joined her and stared out at the sea, her song conjuring images of Anniera, feelings of home, of fire in the hearth. Then the song changed. It took ona sad tone, the notes bending upward like the croon of a lonely bird, and Janner knew Leeli was playing for Nugget. She poured her heart into the song and filled it with everything she felt.
Suddenly, like a dream hovering at the front of his mind, Janner could
see
Nugget. The image swirled like a reflection in a pot of stirred water, gathering itself into clear, moving pictures of little Nugget running through the pasture, fetching a ball, wagging his tail as Leeli stooped to hand him a hogpig bone. The images hovered like smoke from a pipe, scene after beautiful scene of Nugget in all the stages of his life.
Janner shook his head and looked at his brother. Tink saw it too. He smiled with wonder, staring at the empty air before him, waving his hand before his eyes to see if the picture would scatter.
Janner closed his eyes and still saw the images sifting in the blackness, in and out of focus, but always there, changing with the melody Leeli played. Janner opened his eyes again and focused on the falls beyond the image. He could see through it if he wanted, but as soon as he paid attention to the song again, the image thickened.
Then something changed.
16
The Jewels and the Dragons
A deep sound shook the air, a sound Janner had heard before but couldn’t place. He looked left and right, expecting something to emerge from the trees, wondering for a moment whether he was hearing things that weren’t really there. But it wasn’t his imagination.
Oskar sat up and said, “Ah!” Nia smiled, hurried to the cliff, and looked down at the ocean. Podo, however, groaned and shook his head, then crossed to the far side of the clearing and into the forest. Janner had no time to wonder at this because by then he’d seen them.
The sea dragons.
Far below, the dragons danced on the surface of the ocean, tiny, glimmering worms on a gray floor. Their voices rang through the air, across the great distance and over the roar of Fingap Falls. The dragon song mingled with Leeli’s, and the music pulsed with joy and then sadness.
Janner blinked with wonder when he focused again on the images swirling before him. He no longer saw Nugget but a spray of giant waves, then something red and gold—the dragons. He had only ever seen the creatures from the heights of the cliff, but now he could see them as if he floated just above the surface of the sea, a stone’s throw away.
They were as beautiful as they were fearsome. Their bodies shimmered with metallic scales that swirled with color. The dragon closest to him glittered orange and gold, like the strikes of a thousand matchsticks, but its winglike fins cycled between shades of blue. Its head was sleek and graceful, perfect for slicing through the water, and its eyes—big and deep and serene—sent a chill down to Janner’s toes, because it was suddenly clear the dragon
knew
it was being watched. The eyes rolled back, and translucent lids slid over them as the dragon opened its mouth and sang. Teeth lined its mouth, but not in the crooked, yellow way of the Fangs or the toothy cows; these were straight and bright and sharp as needles.
Janner pushed his mind through the image and looked again at his brother andsister. Leeli’s eyes were closed, and though she smiled, tears wet her cheeks while she played. Wind stirred
Janner braced himself for more of Leeli’s tears, but she didn’t cry. She worked her way to her feet and rummaged around in her pack for her ancient whistleharp. “Mama, will you get my crutch? I want to see the ocean.”
Leeli limped to the precipice above the bank and sat. She took a deep breath and looked out over the Dark Sea of Darkness with a smile. The sky in the east blushed at the coming darkness. Leeli brought the whistleharp to her lips and played.
Janner and Tink joined her and stared out at the sea, her song conjuring images of Anniera, feelings of home, of fire in the hearth. Then the song changed. It took ona sad tone, the notes bending upward like the croon of a lonely bird, and Janner knew Leeli was playing for Nugget. She poured her heart into the song and filled it with everything she felt.
Suddenly, like a dream hovering at the front of his mind, Janner could
see
Nugget. The image swirled like a reflection in a pot of stirred water, gathering itself into clear, moving pictures of little Nugget running through the pasture, fetching a ball, wagging his tail as Leeli stooped to hand him a hogpig bone. The images hovered like smoke from a pipe, scene after beautiful scene of Nugget in all the stages of his life.
Janner shook his head and looked at his brother. Tink saw it too. He smiled with wonder, staring at the empty air before him, waving his hand before his eyes to see if the picture would scatter.
Janner closed his eyes and still saw the images sifting in the blackness, in and out of focus, but always there, changing with the melody Leeli played. Janner opened his eyes again and focused on the falls beyond the image. He could see through it if he wanted, but as soon as he paid attention to the song again, the image thickened.
Then something changed.
16
The Jewels and the Dragons
A deep sound shook the air, a sound Janner had heard before but couldn’t place. He looked left and right, expecting something to emerge from the trees, wondering for a moment whether he was hearing things that weren’t really there. But it wasn’t his imagination.
Oskar sat up and said, “Ah!” Nia smiled, hurried to the cliff, and looked down at the ocean. Podo, however, groaned and shook his head, then crossed to the far side of the clearing and into the forest. Janner had no time to wonder at this because by then he’d seen them.
The sea dragons.
Far below, the dragons danced on the surface of the ocean, tiny, glimmering worms on a gray floor. Their voices rang through the air, across the great distance and over the roar of Fingap Falls. The dragon song mingled with Leeli’s, and the music pulsed with joy and then sadness.
Janner blinked with wonder when he focused again on the images swirling before him. He no longer saw Nugget but a spray of giant waves, then something red and gold—the dragons. He had only ever seen the creatures from the heights of the cliff, but now he could see them as if he floated just above the surface of the sea, a stone’s throw away.
They were as beautiful as they were fearsome. Their bodies shimmered with metallic scales that swirled with color. The dragon closest to him glittered orange and gold, like the strikes of a thousand matchsticks, but its winglike fins cycled between shades of blue. Its head was sleek and graceful, perfect for slicing through the water, and its eyes—big and deep and serene—sent a chill down to Janner’s toes, because it was suddenly clear the dragon
knew
it was being watched. The eyes rolled back, and translucent lids slid over them as the dragon opened its mouth and sang. Teeth lined its mouth, but not in the crooked, yellow way of the Fangs or the toothy cows; these were straight and bright and sharp as needles.
Janner pushed his mind through the image and looked again at his brother andsister. Leeli’s eyes were closed, and though she smiled, tears wet her cheeks while she played. Wind stirred
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