AN: First of all, I'd like to sincerely apologize for the giant gap in between posting these chapters. A few months ago I found out that I had cancer, and have been fighting a long and hard battle against the damn thing ever since. I'm finally starting on the uphill slope though, and I'm able to do a bit more things with my free time than sit there and think about surviving =P

To those who have stuck with this, I salute you! To those yet to find this fic, I hope that I won't let you down.

Now, without further ado...


Chapter Six: Sparrow

She was running. No, climbing. Scrambling for a purchase on the face of whatever cliff she had fallen from. Where was Ninaru? Why didn't he catch her? The pressure of being so high up was crushing her, why had they gone so high in the first place? And why wasn't it colder? Keep reaching… A voice whispered in her mind; soft, persuasive. Tae listened and fought harder to find the surface she so ardently sought. Up, Tae. Up. The voice suggested; soothing, calm. Up? How could she go up? She was falling. She was- Her eyes sprang open and she realized why the warm air seemed to want to flatten her against itself. It wasn't air at all, rather the icy depths of the ocean. Funny… She couldn't feel the cold anymore, but in her fuddled state she couldn't remember if that was good or bad. Was she adjusting to the frigid temperatures or was her body simply shutting down from the shock?

Tae! Ninaru's voice was desperate in her mind; the Rider could almost feel the sharpness of his claws digging into her consciousness. Tae, swim! Swim now!

She was swimming. What did he think she was doing? Having a vacation? The indignant hurt soon gave way to honest fear, searing lead flowering in her limbs as her muscles screamed against the injustice of such overuse. Have to keep going….Have to! She thrashed about violently, her body betraying her when the need had become so dire. Failure… The word echoed through her thoughts, brutal and stinging like the judging stares of her peers back in her homeland. There had been no place for her there. There would be no place for her in Alagaësa. There was certainly no place for her at sea. The young woman thought she would cry at the thought until she remembered the salt ridden ocean that cradled her, continuously pulling her down, down, down to its arctic bosom. Perhaps the gods would welcome her in their summer vale and she could cry there. Her eyes closed, heavy lids slowly slipping downward over the unfocused orbs.

Naru…

Tae! Swim, please! So desperate… Pleading with her to swim, to live, but she was so, so tired…

Then you will die. The voice was deep, ominous, bordering on cruel without leaving the grey fields of neutrality. Something about it struck deep into the very chords of her soul, leaving the helpless Rider with a very strong, very primal fear. The We's had warned her, its jumping happiness so quickly turned to abject horror. Why had she not acted sooner?

Ninaru? Even her mental voice sounded meek as she tentatively poked at her own mind for his presence, but a dam had been built between them and she was cut off from her beloved dragon. Where are you? What are you? The Rider snarled with her mind, fear making her anger and the anger feeding her muscles with adrenaline. There were black dots dancing before her eyes, but she ignored them, whipping about in her watery grave as she hunted down this invisible speaker.

I am here… The dark voice replied, but all Tae could see was shadow as black as a plague. You are blind, little minnow. I am here… There was something dangerous about the way this thing addressed her, some sort of threat lying beneath the word. 'Minnow', she was no minnow. She was a Dragon Rider! She was not helpless! And yet you drown so easily. The being seemed to think for a moment before continuing. You are not a minnow. You are a bird. A sparrow with a broken wing. But what is a crippled sparrow doing so deep in my realm? Another pause, and then: Answer me Sparrow, I am hungry and curiosity will only hold me for so long.

Quickly. Quickly! Tae jerked her head left and right, up and down, frantic to find this speaking thing. Maybe she could barter with it, promise it gold or riches – whatever would strike its fancy – for it to help her out of this water.

The thing laughed portentously, mal intent clear in that rumbling mirth the sound of which was like a hull smashing against itself underwater. Keep your gold little sparrow. And then again as always, I am here…

The Rider twisted about once more in the water, but only darkness met her gaze. For a moment Tae wondered if the black dots had consumed her vision, but she looked up and caught the glaring glimmer of sunlight slicing through the many reflections of the water. Strange that it would catch so solidly against the dimness that encased her.

I am… Here

Tae screamed. A short burst of panicked shock strangled into silence by her hands slamming over her mouth so that what little air was left in her deflating lungs would not escape so quickly. Even more dots were born against her vision and she immediately regretted the lapse of judgment, but it would have taken quite a foolish man to look upon the monstrosity that she had and not feel terror alight upon their heart. For she had found her speaker, and just as quickly she wished for the ignorance that had shielded her. Its head was long and angular, jutting sharply out into the water to carve through the heavy weight of the ocean as it swam. In the 'V' underneath its jaw near where the bone came together to form its ridged chin, in the soft palette above which its tongue molded against the bottom of its mouth were two long tendrils, longer than her and even Darrow. They had to be at least seven feet long and were as dark as the night is long. More of the same tendrils sprouted from above its eyes where a unicorn's horn would have been, but these strands were different in that they stood one in front of the other and led to the top of the goliath's head where they paused. At the base of its skull – and what a massive skull it was, a horse and rider could have passed through its opened maw unscathed – a delicate membrane formed a filigree that followed the path of the beast's spine down to the very tip of its tail. From its breast grew two giant oars which slowly shaped the water beneath it with leisured precision, keeping weight, buoyancy, and direction constant at all times. It was like nothing she had seen before. A grotesque recreation of the beautiful dragons that claimed land and sky as their domain. For it might have been Ninaru's darker, misshapen compliment, and later Tae would wonder if there was some ancient ties between this beast and her bonded. But not then, then there was only time for fear as she stared into the giant sphere of a single glowing red eye, blood in its gaze in more than one way.

You are not so blind as I thought little sparrow, but it seems that you are twice as dumb. Answer me now or forever lose your chance. Why are you here? It thundered profoundly, time quickly running out.

Wondering if she would die from lack of oxygen or from being eaten by this monster, Tae replied – the only thing she could do in that moment. I'm crossing to Alagaësa. She tried to keep her voice terse, unbothered, but even she couldn't lie to herself. The exertion of her labor was taking its toll and there was a despairing note to her words as bit by bit she relinquished any hope of seeing the fabled world and meeting the newly hatched dragon.

It looks like you are drowning to me little sparrow. Tell me, where are your wings?

I have no wings.

Pity. If you could fly you might have made your crossing, but now you will die and I will eat you. A small meal, but the fish don't swim as deep as they once did and a hungry belly does not complain over a small morsel.

Why won't you help me? Unfair, it was all so unfair…

Why would I? The beast seemed perplexed, as if it had never been asked for help.

Because I am a Rider, and I could make it worth the effort.

Your land-riches mean nothing to me. Gold is shiny and would flash in the light, the fish would see and I would be a hungry one indeed.

I will give you fish.

You cannot swim. You drown before me, yet you promise fish? You are a funny little sparrow, but I am not so foolish to think you could bring me fish. Now hurry and die, I am hungry.

Hurry and die. Was that all she could do? How unfair…

The goliath's head jerked upward then and the light fractured again and again as the surface roiled and tossed as something split the icy waters anew. Annoyance blossomed in the bloody rubies of the beast's eye and it looked back to Tae with feral hunger. Time is up little sparrow. A shame you lost your wings. Its long, sinuous neck coiled back, each muscle tensing as it prepared to strike. It never got the chance.

Ninaru was there, a glowing diamond that fell upon this shadowy mass with the burning anger of a thousand suns. He did not roar, but his fury was plain to see if you knew how to look. His nostrils were clamped shut against the water, a translucent film covering his eye so that he could see in the murky depths. Unlike his bonded, the leviathan needed no time to find his opponent, spearing straight toward the darker creature's head with talons extended. But the dragon was not of the ocean and in the water he was bulky and uncoordinated, the water-snake dodged the attack easily and the whip of current off of its oar like fins buffeted the Rider through the blue nothingness with enough force to make her head spin. Tae flipped end over end as she spun away from the battle, and at the blow consciousness began to seep out of her like milk from a rotted bucket. Warmth caressed her body, the icy cold of the water's clutching talons losing its grip on her. Again her lids began to slide down until a voice, so soft and tender, could beg her into wakefulness. Stay awake, sweet one, you must stay awake… Such a chore, she just wanted to sleep, to close her eyes and let the ocean carry her down into the rocking cradle of its arms. But her eyes forced themselves apart and she looked about to find her dragon still fighting the sea beast.

Ninaru was attacking from above, a strategy that might have worked had he been making a swift pass in the sky, but underwater it left his underbelly exposed and made it difficult to reach his opponent. The grotesque leviathan saw its advantage and refused to retreat because of it, lingering to test if it could win a bigger meal. Even though the mental link between them had shattered, Tae could still remember the empty gnawing hole that had been its hunger. Her vision had been reduced to little more than a narrow tunnel amongst a sea of black, oxygen deprivation stealing what bit of time she had left with deft quickness. Naru… She called, but her dragon was still lost to her and kept at his fight with single minded ferocity.

Finally first blood was drawn when one of Ninaru's diamond claws raked across the serpent's narrow face, four individual furrows created where his talons had torn open the black flesh. A dark liquid spread into the water around the monster's head and it shrieked in pain, a brutal sound that seemed to be the offspring of a violin squeal and the sound of waves breaking against a cliff face. With the gods' blessed mercy it was enough to send the thing writhing away and in its absence the Rider's mind was once again flooded with her dragon's presence.

Tae! Relief colored his voice as he said her name, massive wings propelling him toward her. Ninaru slipped underneath his bonded, his movements a bit awkward in the water, and immediately swam for the surface once she was secure upon his back. Hold fast little one… He pleaded, snaking through the water, using his wings to go faster.

Oh sweet air. Oxygen made her dizzy and her lungs burned as a very waterlogged Rider broke the surface. A few yards away sounded the heavy hiss as Ninaru released his breath and sucked in a fresh one. Tae gulped in the fresh air with relish, reveling in her new lease on life even while the oceans creeping tendrils fled from her in the form of streaming rivulets down her soaked body. Safe at last.

"Tae!"

The young woman jerked at the sound of her name spoke so frantically in Darrow's voice. Funny, he had never seemed the type to be 'frantic' about anything much less her. No matter, Tae pushed herself into a sitting position having belatedly realized she was slumped against her bonded's neck, and turned to face the captain and the broke remains of Argetbrun. Pale rose buds fell into the surprised shape of an 'O' as the Rider took in the ruin of the once great ship, every dreadful certainty filling her that the elves would not be pleased to hear what had become of their masterpiece. Just another reason for them to dislike me I suppose… Tae thought with some amount of bitterness, though when she tried to decipher whether it was for herself or the elves she found the task impossible.

Tae, Darrow. Ninaru reminded, and the drenched woman upon his back snapped her thoughts back to the present.

It was Jameson who responded to her inquiry of their personal health, thankfully they had all made it through the attack alright. At least all the humans had, but there was one being she had yet to see since she surfaced. "Where is Erevu?" She tried to hide the terror she felt at his loss, but she doubted any of them would pick up on the subtle changes of her voice anyhow. A few of them she believed doubted her ability to speak at all much less could decipher the emotion within her words. Erevu? Erevu to me. The Rider commanded, searching the sea, the sky, the wreckage for any sign of an animal approaching them. Thankfully she didn't have to wait long for her soulmate to streak from the sky in the bleach-bellied form of an osprey. Erevu… Tae cooed with relief as the bird settled on her arm.

You gave everyone quite a scare. Look, Ninaru even destroyed the ship and what a pretty thing it had been too.

Ninaru sunk the Argetbrun?! The dragon's whining groan was all the confirmation she needed, his head lowering abashedly to rest meekly on the water's surface.

Well I suppose it would have happened one way or another. If not Ninaru then that shadow beast and if not the shadow beast then your arrogant captain would have dashed it against some reef or cliff and stranded you all. And I would have to fly away and-

Erevu.

Oh fine. There is land to the east but many leagues off still. It shall be well past nightfall by the time we reach it. I suggest you get flying and quickly, it simply wouldn't do to get caught in this deep water when the sun falls.

There was something trembling in her soulmate's voice, something Tae decided she did not like at all. Still, she couldn't simply leave Darrow and his crew, not after they had risked so much by agreeing to make the crossing. Many of the men looked as if they were ready to quit the sea that moment if there had been a way. I can't just leave them all here alone. They won't make it to land on their own.

Suit yourself then, but I refuse to die in the name of these vagabonds.

Tae had smile in spite of herself. As ever, Erevu was arrogant and full of himself like a peacock looking to breed.

Keep smiling. Ninaru cautioned lowly. They see you and follow the example. Keep smiling.

The Rider followed his council and feigned a good mood as she continued her conversation with the sailors. She hoped they couldn't hear the falseness of her cheer.


It wasn't until after they were well underway that Tae allowed herself some respite in her masks, leaning heavily against the spike before her as the toll of the day's events echoed in the ache of her muscles. Ninaru's bare sides resonated heat without a saddle to separate them, but there was a chill that had settled deep in the Rider's bones despite the drying of her clothes and the fires churning within the dragon's great belly. As the sun sank faster and faster, dipping its nether into the water, the chill only grew and as it grew it birthed a wracking shake.

Is it a fever? The pearly dragon asked worriedly as he towed the boats through the water, his form slipping easily through the waves.

I don't feel sick at all, just cold.

Perhaps from the water, you were under longer than anyone else.

It's not a fever. Her verdict was absolute. It could not be a fever because she could not afford to be sick. She had already destroyed their beautiful ship and their trip would be delayed because of it. Tae could only imagine what sort of lectures her Ebrithil was concocting at that very moment.

Perhaps you should send a message ahead? Erevu could fly one. Ninaru offered, his voice innocent and helpful.

Better yet, how about you fly on ahead lizard and I'll play show pony for a while. Erevu snapped, his voice sharp and poignant, using Tae's mind as a median for the two would make no mental bond of their own.

"Both of you be silent… My head aches suddenly…" The Rider moaned aloud, slumping further against the spike in front of her. Concern shook the words from her soulmate and dragon, each of them quiet at her order. And thank the gods for that. Tae hurt everywhere. Her chest ached and her lungs refused to stretch for any sort of large breath and so her oxygen came in short pants that made Ninaru worry even more. Her eyes stung from the salt water and her skin itched and felt tight and leathery as she dried out, a dusting of salt lingering after that felt sticky and grainy on her body. The cold was damnably persistent, ever creeping through her limbs and reaching relentlessly toward her core. It wasn't long after the sun completely sank below the surface of the far off horizon that she began to shiver and tremble in spite of her best efforts to keep control of herself.

Tae, you are sick. Ninaru said softly in her head, anxiety plastered over his voice. She knew what he wanted, and she wasn't going to leave these men here alone so far from shore simply so she could rush ahead to Master Rolendis.

I'm fine. Her reply was sharp and finite, hoping that he wouldn't argue.

You are shaking out of your skin. You need rest and a fire.

I'm sitting on a Dragon, how much closer could I get to a fire.

Ninaru snorted and smoke danced from his nostrils in slender tendrils, twisting and jerking before dissipating into the salty air. But for a moment he remained silent, and the Rider was thankful for the respite. With every thought through her head there came an accompanying jab of pain, a lancing twinge that speared through her skull one end to the next. So intent was she on documenting her own hurts and aches, Tae didn't realize when her dragon had slowed to a stop. At least not until he gave a small slant to one side before rocking back up again and buoying in the water. What's going on? She asked him, gingerly lifting her head and looking around.

Darrow was approaching her slowly, carefully picking his way across the dragon's back with the utmost of care as if afraid to fall and impale himself on one of the spikes along Ninaru's spine. Getting you help. The dragon answered brusquely, more smoke drifting upward from his diamond nose. Tae might have snapped back, discomfort in her sickness making her temper short, but Darrow was upon her then and she lacked the heart to argue with the dragon anyhow.

"Tae?" The captain began softly, sitting down behind the young woman and wrapping his cloak around her shoulders. "You're burning up." He was quiet for a while as if searching for something more to say. The Rider refused to look back at him though, refused to give him or Ninaru that victory over her. Instead she simply remained slumped against the spike in front of her and tried very subtly to pull the cloak tighter around her shoulders. "How close are we to land?" His question was tentative as were his hands when they moved to help close the covering around her front. Strange that they should be so gentle when they seemed strong enough to crush a man's skull.

"We should hit the shore before too long. Erevu said the closest point is a few miles south of our meeting place with Master Rolendis, but any land trek seems easy compared to this." She was rambling, but her mind was muddled and too late she realized her blunder. For days the woman had been on that ship with him and his crew, but Tae was certain that was the longest sentence she had spoken at one time. It was certainly enough to leave him momentarily speechless, unfortunately Ninaru was less impressed, and though silent in the Rider's mind Tae could sense his displeasure at her stubbornness.

"When we arrive I'll send a few of my boys out to see if they might reach Treagan and tell him what's happened. At any rate, I don't think you should be making any trips once we land. At least not until you have your legs back." Darrow sounded worried, honestly so, and for the first time Ta wondered if too many judged him too soon as a vagrant and a pirate. He was much too thoughtful, much too caring, to be thought of as anything less than a gentleman.

"Don't be stupid, I'm a Rider and I can manage a few measly miles." Tae argued halfheartedly.

The truth was, she didn't want to do any more traveling; not by land, and certainly not by ocean. More than anything, she wanted to go home, back to her islands and her familiar places. Back to being shunned because of her blood, back to a family that hardly remembered her, back to her gods and goddesses. She wanted to return to the familiarity of a life spelled out for her, and the worst part of that burning need was the devastating truth that even if she were to go back she would never forget her time away. This was, and always would be, her biggest adventure, and even though she wanted so badly to throw it all away, there was a fire that smoldered deep within her gut and Tae knew to abandon this quest now would mean disappointing herself forever. She couldn't relent.

Not yet.