Chasing Wings - Hanna Dare Page 0,3

and Tris sighed. “Also, I needed to earn enough money to get home.”

“Tris! You could’ve written me—”

“I know, I know, but I didn’t want to have to…again. I made it back all right.”

Lily's expression suggested that describing his current state as “all right” was a stretch. Then her face changed as she glanced around the room. It was empty except for them and two barmaids wiping down tables on the other side of the large space.

Tris swallowed hastily, not liking the serious look she had. “What is it?”

“I don’t know if I should tell you this because it might upset you.”

“Well, now you have to tell me. C’mon.”

She lowered her voice and leaned toward him. “They were here. Philip and Ejoler.”

“What?” He realized he had almost shouted. “Here here?”

“Yes, in this very room.” Tris couldn’t stop himself from glancing around as though the two men might still be hidden in a corner. “It was around midwinter. I wasn’t here of course.” Lily hated the bleak winters in the valley and took off to her house in the capital at the first sign of snow. “But they came here, had supper, and left.”

She hesitated again.

“Lily.”

“Then they came to find me in the capital. It was such a surprise after all these years. They stayed with me for a week or two.”

This time he did shout. “They were at your house for two weeks and you didn’t tell me?”

The barmaids glanced at each other and hurried from the room, no doubt thinking their boss and her brother were about to fight.

“I didn’t know where you were, now did I?” Lily snapped back. “Ma and Papa only had a letter from you two months ago and that said you were coming back.” She folded her arms and glared.

“I know,” Tris sighed. “It’s just… I’ve been looking for so long, Lil.” He straightened up a little. “So how are they?”

She nodded sympathetically and then smiled. “They’re well. Better than I’d hoped. They have a little girl, Ejoler’s niece.”

Tris found his voice rising again. “You saw a baby dragon?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “I only saw her as a little girl. Meira. She’s sweet and very clever.”

“But where were they headed? Did they say how long they were planning to be in the kingdom?”

“They were going to see Philip’s relatives in Ens.“

Tris nodded. Ens was the country to the south that lay along the edge of the Southern Sea. He’d been once and found the food spicy and the people friendly — he wouldn’t mind traveling there again. He was already trying to figure out how long it would take him to get there—

Lily seemed to read his mind. “But Tris, after that they were planning to keep going, across the sea and to the west. Some land I’d never heard of. Philip said they probably wouldn’t be back for a few years.”

“Oh, of course.” It was foolish to think he could ever catch up with them anyway. After all, they could fly.

“I did tell Philip what you were doing — looking for dragons.”

Tris groaned. “Did he laugh?”

“No! I mean, well, Ejoler rolled his eyes, but Philip understood. He wrote you a letter.”

She reached into a pocket inside her apron and drew out a sealed piece of paper. Tris took it eagerly and then frowned. “This is your seal.”

“They were at my house, weren’t they?”

“And there’s no way you didn’t read it first and then re-seal it?”

“So what if I did? I have to look out for you. You’re my little brother.” She got up and ruffled his hair again. “I’ll get you some ale while you read.”

Tris wasn’t much of a reader, but he had no trouble making out Philip’s clear and steady handwriting.

Dear Tris,

I gather from Lily that meeting Ejoler had a profound effect on your life. I understand completely; meeting him changed my life in the best possible way. I wish that we had been able to see you on this visit. Ejoler would have been glad to answer any questions…

There was an inkblot on the page at that point like perhaps Philip’s arm had been jostled, but the letter continued:

Really, he would have been happy to talk to you, but our travel plans are taking us away from the kingdom for some time.

I would like to offer help in your quest, but you must know that my father sought dragons for years without success. Ejoler tells me that dragons have largely left this region because of the hunters and the anger that