Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends 3)

"Enough," Ashyn said. "Please." She took Ronan's hand again. This time he didn't flinch, but let her lead him to the side of the cavern, while turning so he kept his eye on Edwyn.

"I don't know if it's magical or real," she said, her voice lowered to a whisper. "But I'd not be swayed by gold and jewels. You know that. They mean nothing to me. If he truly sought to tempt me, he'd have a vast library down here, with every book I've dreamed of reading."

Ronan's gaze shifted to Edwyn. "It's not you he tempts, Ash. He knows what I am. He said as much. He mocks me with this, and he thinks to entice me into proving I cannot be trusted. He hopes I'll slide jewels into my pockets. That I'll be unable to resist. And then he can say I'm no warrior and place his own man at your side."

She lowered her voice further. "You think that's what he wants? That he has some motive and seeks to replace you?"

"He seeks to replace me because he finds me unworthy of his granddaughter. Unworthy as a guard. As a friend. Certainly unworthy as--" He swallowed and straightened. "I won't fail you, Ash. Even if this was real. Even if it could buy . . ." His gaze slid to the piles and he recoiled, as if the very sight of the riches was poison.

"Don't," she whispered. She clutched both his hands and leaned toward him. "I know what this would mean to you, and you do not need to pretend otherwise. I don't care if you sneak jewels into your pockets, Ronan. If they're real, I'll do it for you."

"No. Never--"

"But I would, and I would defend you if you did, and I could not see it as any betrayal of your loyalty. So stop thinking that."

"I want to leave," he blurted. "Now. I don't like this, Ash, and we've no time for it. Moria is out there. Tyrus is out there. My brother and sister--"

"Then we'll arrange for you to go."

"No." His eyes widened. "That's not what I mean. I won't leave you. I'd never--"

"Ronan? Shhh. It's all right." She leaned as close to him as she could, raised on tiptoe, and he went still, breath catching as if she was about to kiss him. But she only whispered, "If you wish to leave, we'll leave. When we can. I've said that and I mean it. For now . . ."

Ronan swallowed. "Hear him out."

"Please. If you'd rather go back outside and wait--"

"No." His chin lifted, the old Ronan sliding back. "Let's get this over with."

TWENTY-THREE

Ronan seemed to be correct about one thing--that Edwyn had apparently been hoping to tempt him into revealing his true self. He continued to insist Ronan test the veracity of the gold and jewels, and while Ronan claimed lack of skill and feigned lack of interest, it was obvious neither was true. When Edwyn held up pieces, Ronan's practiced eye reflexively assessed, and she could tell by his expression they were real.

"Do you know what this is, Ashyn?" Edwyn asked as he held out a handful.

"Gold coins from past ages, and a ruby, two emeralds, and a diamond."

He chuckled. "You are observant and quick, child. But I mean this." He waved at the cavern. "Do you know what this is?"

"It would appear . . ." She cleared her throat and chose her words with care. "In a bard's tale, piles of treasure in a cavern means dragons. A dragon hoard."

Edwyn took her hand and led her deeper into the cavern, past piles of gold and jewels, until they reached the farthest corner. Then he lifted the torch and murmured, "And among the treasures, the greatest of them all."

At first, all she saw was more gold and silver and rich jewels glistening and dancing in the torchlight. Then she realized she was not looking on golden coins or diamonds or rubies. She was looking at iridescent scales, like the ones in the mountain cave.

Ashyn touched one. Tova growled, but softly, uncertain. The scale was as cold as the rocks surrounding them. She looked up and saw scales reaching over her head. Then she began to walk around the thing. When she tripped, Ronan grabbed her arm, and she looked down to see what she'd stumbled over. It was a toe as big as her forearm, ending in a sharp claw.

She started moving again. Ronan kept hold of her arm, but she peeled off his fingers and continued around. When she craned her neck up, she could see wings folded on the creature's back, too high for her to reach. Then another fearsome clawed leg. Only when she reached the front quarters did she see the beast's head, tucked around its body, its chin resting on the dirt floor.

The head of a dragon. A head with eyes almost closed, the barest sliver of yellow irises peeking out. One lip was curled over a fang. A curved and pointed fang, not dulled by age as the skeleton's fangs had been. This was a young dragon. Perhaps two-thirds the size of the monstrous one in the cave. A female. Ashyn knew that when she saw why the dragon was curled the way she was--what she protected. The dragon's greatest treasure.

"Are those . . . ?" Ronan asked, squinting against the dim light.

She nodded and walked to crouch beside the two smaller dragons. They were the size of Daigo--whelps rather than hatchlings. She bent over the dragon on the left--ran her hand over its nubs of horns and down its snout. When she reached its nostrils, warm air tickled her hand, and she pulled back with a sharp "Oh!" that had Ronan brandishing his sword. She took his hand and put his fingers in front of the tiny dragon's nose.

"It's . . . breathing," Ronan said.

"I should hope so," Edwyn said as he finally came around to join them. "Or we've brought Ashyn here for nothing." He waved at the three dragons. "This is your task, child. This is what I've brought you here to do. To awaken our dragons."