To Love a Dragon - Tiffany Roberts Page 0,2

with what that meant. Leyloni forced her eyes back toward the color to find several orange sunfruits dangling from a low bough over the bank. Her breath hitched, and she staggered to a jarring stop. Just the sight of the fruit was enough to make her mouth water, even if sunfruit wasn’t quite in season yet.

When she’d been forced to flee her village, she’d had time only to grab her satchel, and it had not been packed for a long journey. What little food it had contained had gone to Serek.

This…this was a blessing from Mother Eurynome.

Leyloni glanced back, scanning the woods for any signs of pursuit, for any movement beyond that which was caused by the wind. Satisfied that there was nothing there, she hurried over to the sunfruit and set Serek down at her feet. She stood on her toes and stretched her arm as high as possible to catch hold of one of the hanging fruits. Carefully, she pulled down, bending the laden branch to which the fruit was attached. She held the branch in place and used her other hand to pluck several of the sunfruits, building a respectable little pile on the ground.

As soon as she released the branch, it sprang back up, shaking hard enough to shed a few leaves. Leyloni sank into a crouch and stuffed several of the fruits into her bag. Serek sat down beside her, picked up a sunfruit in both hands, and lifted it to his mouth. He gnawed at the tough rind, but he didn’t make much progress with only four little teeth—two on top and two below.

Leyloni chuckled and drew her knife. She sliced open one of the sunfruits, split it in two, and removed the pit. A few practiced cuts whittled the halves into shapes that would be easier for Serek to bite into.

With an impatient cry, Serek slammed down the fruit he’d been gumming, his face screwing up in frustration.

Leyloni offered him a slice of sunfruit. Milky juices dripped from its soft, spongy meat. “Here. Eat this one.”

Serek dropped the fruit he’d claimed and took her offering. As soon as he had his first taste, he stuck his whole face into the shell to eat.

A small, sad smile curled on Leyloni’s lips as she watched him. It was her own fault that he’d gone so hungry. She’d been too focused on getting away, on getting to safety. Serek was too young to understand what had happened to their tribe. He had no idea why they needed to keep traveling. He knew only that he was tired, or hungry, or in discomfort. He only knew that he’d not seen his mother’s face for three days.

Another peal of thunder rattled the trees, snapping Leyloni out of her thoughts. A cold gust of wind blew around her, making her skin break out in little bumps, and a few tiny raindrops fell on her bare forearms. She glanced skyward to see the sky even darker than before, dominated by angry gray clouds.

She looked down at Serek again and frowned. He’d already finished his sunfruit and was chewing on the thick rind, face and hands sticky with juice.

Was my mind wandering for that long?

Leyloni took the rind from him and prevented another fit by handing him the other slice. She cut into another sunfruit for herself as he ate, devouring her portion with haste. She allowed herself no time to enjoy the taste of the semi-sweet fruit and ignored the pang in her belly.

A few heavy raindrops hit the nearby vegetation in an irregular drumbeat, quickly gaining speed and number. Within moments, it had built to a downpour. The boughs overhead offered little shelter. Stinging raindrops pelted her skin, easily as cold as the stream—if not colder.

Thunder again boomed across the heavens, rumbling right down into Leyloni’s bones. Serek dropped his sunfruit and screamed. The storm swallowed most of the sound, but Leyloni felt the baby’s fear in her heart.

“Oh, Mother Eurynome,” Leyloni groaned, pushing her soaked curls away from her face and rubbing her tired eyes, “what else must we endure?”

The rain was fast becoming unbearable, and if it was already that cold and uncomfortable for Leyloni, it must’ve been tenfold more so for Serek. They needed shelter. Shelter and a fire would’ve been even better, but she’d not complain if all she could find was the former.

Leyloni wiped her knife on her short skirt, cleaning off the sticky sunfruit residue, before returning the weapon to its sheath. She