Dragon Bound

--

Chapter Seven

--

Jason all but ran down to the stables the next morning. He tried to tell himself that all was well, but Damon was being strangely quiet over their link this morning. He hoped his two dragons hadn’t started to fight during the night. Moving them in together after such a short time had been a risk but it was one that Jason thought was the correct decision.

Jason was unsurprised to find the stall empty. The large timber doors had been opened, allowing the two dragons access to the outdoor section of their enclosure. Puffing, he jogged down the narrow steps and around the bend that took him outside. His breath caught in his throat.

For half a moment he thought they were fighting.

But… no.

Damon and Lune were playing.

Dust and grass flew up as the two dragons wrestled. Lune was bouncing about, jumping from the tall piles of rocks to the grassy flat below, nipping at Damon who was chuffing and swiping at him cattishly. Damon pounced and the two went tumbling, Lune squawking and Damon chortling.

Jason was dumbstruck. He gazed at them for a long time. He watched as Damon gently bopped Lune on the head. Lune retaliated by jumping on his back, wiggling, and trying to pin him which looked rather ridiculous given their massive weight and size difference. Damon sat up on his haunches like a dog and Lune was sent tumbling away again. Jason couldn’t hold in his amusement anymore and let out an explosive laugh.

‘Look at you two, warrior dragons of the Sun King playing like hatchlings.’ Jason snorted. Lune gave a little warble and cantered over to him. The white dragon stuck his snout through the bars and snuffed him.

‘Good morning, Lune.’ Jason murmured, amusement and affection in his voice. Both the dragons were in high spirits.

Despite the horrible week, Lune had been relieved to wake, warm and comfortable with Damon’s familiar scent beside him. He had very much enjoyed sleeping beside the larger male. It reminded him of the nest in his own clan and for the first time since his capture, he didn’t feel so anxious. A couple of nervous freckled faced stable hands had brought them a large buck to share for breakfast. Once they were finished, Lune was delighted to be let outside. It had been too long since he had felt soft earth under his claws and the warm wind in his feathers. There was the scent of summer growth, hot grass, pollen and turned earth on the wind.

He had started a game of ‘tug you last’ with Damon whilst exploring their little space of tall limestone boulders, yew trees and shrubs. At first the older dragon had grumbled, being more interested in stretching out in the sun on top of the rocks. That idea soon changed as he watched the little white dragon bounce, snowy rump waving in the air. Damon couldn’t remember the last time he had properly played. The last time he had bred with the ruby filly Jason owned, he had played a little with the four hatchlings, but they were more interested in each other than him. Besides, hatchlings were loud and particularly annoying during their teething months.

Damon tried to ignore Jason’s massive grin as Lune waddled back to him and started nibbling on his jaw, still wanting to play.

‘Alright you two, time to get some work done. My squire came to tell me this morning that your saddle is ready Lune,’ Jason announced brightly. Lune blew out a huff. He promptly turned around, showing Jason his backside.

Jason laughed. ‘Don’t worry, it won’t be so bad.’ He entered through the servant’s door and returned moments later with their tack over one shoulder. He bridled Damon and padded over to Lune. He reached out a hand and stroked Lune’s jaw. Lune was suddenly thrust back into the night before. He shivered as he remembered what it had felt like to have Jason suck and bite. Without thinking, Lune opened his mouth. Jason slipped in the bit and buckled the bridle straps.

‘Good boy,’ Jason praised. Lune was not impressed.

He led his two dragons to the arena. There were no matches planned for the next two weeks. On the days the matches didn’t take place the knights and their squires were able to use the massive space to train their dragons. Jason had long since decided that he could never train Lune the same way he had trained Damon. They were just too different in both physical body and temperament. He tethered Lune to one of the iron posts. It wasn’t as though he thought Lune was going to wander off, more that he needed his full attention on Damon and didn’t want the distraction of wondering what the snowy dragon was up to.

Lune growled low at the sight of the arena. The sands were scented with old blood. He turned his head, smelling someone new. A young boy was walking nervously towards them, an odd saddle in his arms. The boy’s eyes were wide with awe as he stared over at Lune, nearly tripping over his own feet.

‘He won’t hurt you. Bring his saddle here,’ Jason called to the youth as he checked Damon’s gear. Lune looked at the boy curiously, tipping his head one way and then another like a bemused dog.

‘George is my squire. He, along with several of the other squires, will be taking on their first riding dragons this year,’ Jason said. George was still staring, eyes wide. Jason rolled his eyes and gave the boy a light cuff.

‘Well, say something boy.’

George’s face went red. ‘Urh, yes sir. Sorry sir. He’s… he’s incredible sir,’ George blurted. Lune gave a little warble.

Jason smirked a little. ‘Indeed, he is. Go put the saddle down and watch. I’m about to do a warmup flight with Damon.’ George rested the saddle over another post and sat down in the sand by Lune, still giving the white dragon several long looks.

After a short while Lune forgot about the squire. He was too busy watching Jason and Damon. The human had climbed skilfully into the saddle. In full gear and confident, the pair looked as terrifying as that first day when Lune had seen them flying towards him after the storm. Damon spread his massive wings and took to the air. He flew to the top of the dome and began to circle, dipping his left wing. They flew in and around in loose lazy patterns. When they landed Jason climbed down.

‘It’s a simple warm up exercise for the wing joints. It is this week’s goal for Lune. If we get in the air,’ Jason announced. Lune looked at him with a disgruntled expression. Even the squire looked a little uncertain. Lune might now be more tolerant of the rider, but that didn’t mean he was going to let Jason ride him.

‘Let’s see this new saddle.’ Jason ran a hand over the leather as he walked around.

‘Gabe gave it to me first thing this morning sir. He wants to know how it fits,’ George said hesitantly. Jason nodded.

‘He would. He doesn’t often design gear from scratch. Most of the breeds around here all have a similar build. He likes the challenge,’ Jason said, grinning. His squire blinked up at him.

‘Is it true that Gabe used to be the King’s right hand?’ the boy asked, his voice barely above a whisper. That comment made Lune look at him even as Jason put the new saddle over Lune’s shoulders. He remembered the grizzled man and his collection of hardened scars and burns.

‘He was.’ Jason murmured, his tone suddenly sombre.

‘How is he now the forge master?’ the young boy asked. Jason rested a hand on Lune’s neck, absently stroking the glittering scales.

‘It’s a long and not particularly pleasant story boy. The short end of it would be to say that Gabe never took on many dragons just as I haven’t. He had three in his career. A Ruby Huǒyàn was his first and main dragon. He was particularly attached to the filly and spent more than eighty years with her at his side in war and in times of peace. The last war was against an invasion from the west. Gabe was sent out in the front line and his filly was struck down. Most knights would take up their second dragon, but Gabe was done. She was the other part of his soul, and he could no longer fight without her. The king could have considered his refusal to fight as treason but instead he offered him the position of forge master. Gabe took it and has remained there ever since,’ Jason explained.

Lune could feel the wideness of his own eyes. From the little he had seen from within the stables, dragons were owned by their humans. From this story it seemed their bondage to their rider was less simplistic than he had originally believed.

‘But if his magic was so powerful, how could the king just let him walk away from his oaths as a knight?’ George muttered.

Jason turned swiftly, his eyes hard. ‘Don’t speak about things you don’t understand boy. You have no dragon yet and if that is your opinion of the matter then perhaps you never will.’ The snarl in Jason’s voice made the boy retreat several steps, cowering under the rage he saw there. Damon came towards his rider, growling softly. Jason took a slow breath and petted one of Damon’s large nose horns.

‘Get back to the stable and continue your studies. Don’t speak a word about what I told you,’ Jason said. Lune looked from the pale boy to the auburn-haired knight. He had never personally considered Jason to be particularly old himself but if magic slowly the aging of humans, than perhaps the rider was older then Lune had ever considered…

The squire bowed low and quickly dashed away, his cheek burning with embarrassment and fear.

Jason sighed. ‘Shouldn’t have lost my temper with him,’ he muttered. Damon butted him lightly.

‘Never mind. Let’s get on,’ the rider grunted. Lune was still as Jason approached. He let himself be led further out into the arena but danced sideways when Jason tried to put his foot in the stirrup. Jason calmly turned him back and tried again. Almost half an hour passed before it became very clear that even though Lune was not striking at him, he wasn’t willingly going to let the human on his back either. The sun was hot overhead and sweat beaded Jason’s forehead as he finally snapped his fingers and activated the collar to still Lune’s retreat. He only held Lune prisoner long enough to swing into the saddle. As soon as the magic fell away, Lune collected his weight, wrenched his head down and bucked with all his strength. Almost immediately, Jason weight was gone from his back. The saddle was painfully tight and rubbed hard on his shoulder blades. Lune looked up, panting slightly.

Jason had fallen but he had landed neatly, tucked, rolled and was up on two feet. He brushed a little sand from his shoulder and smiled. Lune stared.

‘Well. I never was under the illusion that this would be easy,’ Jason said cheerfully. Then, with a snap of his fingers, Lune was forced still once more. How or why the human found the energy to keep going, Lune couldn’t understand.

Again, and again, Lune threw Jason off and again and again, the rider just got straight back in the saddle. It wasn’t until Lune finally stopped moving, gasping for breath that Jason finally paused. The human was covered in dust and sweat, his auburn hair filthy and sticking up in all directions.

‘Are you alright?’ Jason asked. Lune gaped at him, his flanks heaving.

Was he alright!?

Lune couldn’t summon his dragon fire but at that very moment he truly wished he could. He took a step forward and wavered. The saddle which had been uncomfortable was now horribly painfully. Jason was by his side in a flash. The buckles came loose, and the saddle was pulled off. Jason was gently running his hands over Lune’s shoulders. The muscle spasmed in pain. Lune could only manage a growl, still exhausted and trembling.

‘How’d the saddle go?’ boomed a familiar voice. Jason looked up as Gabe strode into the arena.

‘It’s rubbing him raw,’ Jason said, his face pinched with concern.

The massive forge master came closer, inspecting the scales. Gabe cursed. ‘Well, we knew he was going to be a difficult one. I would ask how it went riding him but…’ Gabe gave Jason a half smirk at the sight of his dishevelled filthy clothes.

‘He’s got stamina and stubbornness for days,’ Jason said a little proudly.

Gabe snorted. ‘Should fit in well with you and your other hard-ass,’ he snarked, nodding at Damon who had been watching bemusedly from the side.

Jason grinned. ‘Naturally.’

‘Ah well, give it here. I’ll get it back to you as soon as I can,’ Gabe grunted, taking the saddle from Jason’s arms. Lune watched them both warily, his own muscles still twitching with fatigue.

‘Let’s get cleaned up,’ Jason said. It was late afternoon, and the air was uncomfortably hot and dry. Too exhausted to argue, Lune padded after Jason and Damon as they left the arena. It wasn’t until they were back in the stable and orange smoke started to fill his vision did Lune let out a shriek of protest. The transformation this time was less painful but still deeply uncomfortable.

The room still swayed sickeningly for several minutes but at least he wasn’t throwing up. His limbs twitched and spasmed. He was still shaking when Jason draped a large shirt around him.

‘Come on.’ Jason guided him gently to the baths. He almost had to carry the exhausted dragon down the steps, not that the rider seemed to mind. Lune was distantly aware that he had been expected some sought of confrontation. He had spent all day throwing Jason all over the arena. He had expected Jason to be annoyed at least but instead, the human just led the way, his arms warm around Lune’s shoulders.

Jason picked a shallow cooler pool. The hot muggy atmosphere was oppressive enough without getting into scalding water. Lune was at least, far less afraid of the water and only hesitated a little at the water’s edge before shucking the shirt and wading in. Jason smiled and laid his head back in the water relaxing. Lune sat on one of the stone shelves.

‘I won’t let you ride me,’ Lune said after several minutes.

Jason cracked one eye open. ‘Not yet,’ he said.

‘Not ever,’ Lune sniped. Jason didn’t say anything to this, but Lune could swear he heard Damon snort. They bathed the dust and sand from their bodies, Damon washing Lune’s shoulders and back. Jason seemed to be dozing and Lune had the rare chance to watch the man, completely relaxed and almost vulnerable.

He was good looking.

For a human.

Jason had his own collection of scars. Lune wanted to ask about them, but he didn’t. He just traced the long line of muscles with his eyes. His cheeks heated when Jason opened his eyes and fixed them on Lune again.

‘If you are finished washing, I believe I promised you some fish for your main meal.’

Lune’s eyes went wide. ‘You got me fish?’ he asked excitedly.

Jason’s grin was boyish. ‘Well, not me personally, it’s been a while since I have had the time to go fishing but I asked the cooks to fix up some trout. I promise it will be good.’ Jason felt a small flush of warmth at Lune’s first genuine smile. He wanted to touch the little dragon, but he also didn’t want to spook Lune away. He almost laughed when Lune enthusiastically got out of the water, nearly slipping over on the wet rock. Damon chuckled.

‘If you knew fish made him this happy, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble,’ Damon sniggered. Lune gave him the stink eye as he pulled on the oversized shirt.

The scent of white buttery fish, roasted pumpkin and a strong fruity red wine greeted their senses as they entered Jason’s massive chambers. Damon helped himself to the wine, pouring a large cup for his master as well. Lune was looking at the dishes with hunger and curiosity.

‘Take whatever you like. Then come sit by the fire. I need to start teaching you about riding formations,’ Jason said.

Lune pulled a face. ‘More dragon riding stuff?’ Lune growled.

Jason smirked. ‘Afraid so love. Even if you don’t think I will ever ride you, you still need to know the different formations and what they are for,’ Jason said, adding a large portion of the baked fish to his own plate.

‘Don’t see why,’ Lune grumbled but he came to sit beside the fire regardless.

‘We fly in formation for several reasons. Surely you have seen geese and such fly in a V formation?’ Jason asked, coming to sit with a large sheaf of parchment and a quill. Lune popped a piece of fish into his mouth and groaned a little.

It was good. Really good. Then he blinked.

‘Well yes. Mother said that it makes flying easier but wild dragons don’t fly that way because it leaves us too vulnerable,’ Lune said.

Jason paused in his scrawling, rather interested. ‘Did she? Why is that?’

Lune shrugged. ‘She said we stuck out too much. We weren’t like the other dragons,’ Lune murmured, his eyes a little saddened. Jason risked a touch, gently brushing his knuckles over the back of Lune’s hand. The boy didn’t draw away.

‘Your mother sounds wise,’ Jason said softly. Lune nodded.

‘She is,’ Lune murmured.

Jason tapped the parchment, pushing on. ‘Flying in a V formation does make travel easier. The ones behind are not as pulled by the wind, the… drag, if you will. Travelling long distances, this reduction in drag becomes important. Injured or smaller dragons are better protected.’ Jason scrawled a loose diagram of five dragons.

‘There are several uses for this particular formation…’ Jason proceeded to rattle off several iterations of the formation, uses and how long the knights of the Sun King had used them. He droned on and on until Lune had lost all interest. He poked at his second plate of fish and grains. The food was at least delicious but less and less of what Jason said made any sense.

‘Sir,’ Damon interrupted. Jason paused. Lune had an almost glazed expression. Jason sighed. He had hoped that Lune would be easier to teach than Damon but truthfully both dragons seemed utterly disinterested.

‘If I may try something?’ Damon purred.

Jason raised an eyebrow. ‘If you must.’ There was the slightest hint of sulkiness in his tone. Damon chuckled. Lune watched, his breath catching as Damon leant forward and kissed Jason. The rider relaxed a little and Damon pulled away looking smug. The dark-haired dragon rose and refilled their cups with wine.

‘Take a mouthful or two. That’s it though. Don’t want you getting drunk.’ Damon smirked, passing Lune his cup. Lune looked at the cup, perplexed. Both Damon and the rider had been drinking the red liquid like water. He sniffed. The wine was fruity, strong, and slightly earthy. He took a small sip.

Damon grinned as the boy licked his lips before taking a larger drink.

‘And that’s enough,’ Damon sniggered, snatching the cup back. Lune pouted but not for long as the larger dragon flopped ungracefully down beside him.

’There is a far better way to teach you this boring combat crap,’ Damon declared.

‘And that is?’ Jason probed.

‘By giving it context of course! By telling him when we used them. Stories! Not this diagram bullshit,’ Damon boomed, shoving the parchment that was now covered in little squiggles away. He took a long drink of his wine and gave a toothy grin.

‘Now! Let me tell you about the very first mission we flew in where the V formation was broken.’ Damon announced. Lune looked up at him, suddenly far more interested.

What proceeded was a long and detailed story of Damon and Jason’s first missions which ended hilariously with a collision with migrating ducks, a small tornado and Sir Dane getting buried in a haystack. The black dragon was a very good storyteller and amidst gales of laughter and another cup of wine, Lune found that he was learning far more about the formation then he had from the flat little scribbles. Too soon it had become dark outside the large windows and Damon finished his tale.

‘I think that enough for tonight. Lune, would you like to go back to the stables with Damon?’ Jason asked. Shyly, Lune nodded. The rider smiled and gently touched Lune’s cheek. All of the rider’s movement towards him had been careful and Lune was grateful. He wasn’t sure he wanted a repeat of the night before.

Damon and Lune were able to shift back once in their shared stable and they both curled up, full, warm, and content on the bamboo mats. Lune was tired enough to be asleep in minutes.

The week crept on, and every day was much the same.

Jason would collect them both, groom them, demonstrate a simple movement on Damon and then spent the rest of the evening hours trying to ride Lune with much the same results as the first day. Jason and the forge master had gone through four different saddles, each one not quite right. Lune was begrudgingly starting to like the old, grizzled forge master. After learning a little about him, Lune couldn’t help but respect the human and greeted him with gentle bumps of his muzzle.

Little did Jason know, Gabe also always brought Lune cubes of sugar whenever he visited, much to Lune’s delight. After an exhausting and unproductive day of riding, Jason had them shift, took them to the pools and fed them in his chambers.

Afterwards, they would sit by the fire and both Damon and his rider would tell Lune stories about their adventures. These stories were filled with excitement, danger and always held detailed descriptions of narrow escapes and fantastic aerial manoeuvres. Lune learnt more about the flight patterns and drills this way then he ever had from just listening to Jason’s long-winded explanations. Since that first night in Jason’s chambers, the rider had not attempted anything more than a kiss. Lune wasn’t disappointed by this and was more... confused.

Lune was confused by many things in his new world. He couldn’t understand why Jason continued trying to ride him. No matter how often Lune bucked him off, no matter how foul tempered Lune was or how often he sent Jason flying, the rider was never angry. In his human form, Jason never took out the frustration on him though he surely must have been feeling it. In an odd sought of way, this made it so much more difficult for Lune to stick to his conviction. He didn’t want to injure the human. He was truly starting to enjoy their company.

He loved sleeping by Damon’s massive form and being brushed and petted every morning. In his dreams, he still flew his sorely missed snow-capped mountains but now, in those dreams, Damon and Jason were with him. He wished that they would come away with him but even he knew that this was a dead end. They were bound to the Sun King and this human world and Lune was not.

‘Alright Lune, saddle number five. Let’s see how we go,’ Jason said cheerfully. Lune rolled his lilac eyes and grumbled. He allowed Jason the throw the new, oddly narrow saddle of his shoulders. Damon licked his nose as Jason buckled the chest straps in place.

Lune sighed.

Jason swung a leg over and slide like water into the new saddle. The white dragon shifted uncomfortably as he always did under the added weight. Jason was a well-trained rider and there was no sudden shove and thud of movement but for Lune, it was still unnatural. Jason nudged him gently with his heels. Lune didn’t move. Jason gave him a few minutes and squeezed again. Lune stared at Damon, annoyed.

Damon chuffed.

The collar glowed blue around Lune’s throat and with much reluctance, Lune was walked out into the centre of the combat arena. As soon as Lune started to move, he fought the magic that restrained him. The straps rubbed over his neck and chest, making him shudder in horror. The saddle was such an invasive object. Unable to contain his own anxiety to be rid of it and the extra weight, Lune began to thrash.

Jason sat quiet in the saddle. Lune bucked and pivoted, his wings snapping out and retracting. Jason didn’t try to hold him. Dust flew up around his feet. He spread his wings and took off, Jason leaning forward over his neck. Lune twisted sharply one way and then the other. Still the human clung on. Lune dove for the ground, pulling up with barely a moment to spare and reared. One of the rubber strips of the saddle caught on a long feather and Lune let out a shriek of pain as it was wrench from his spine. He twisted violently to one side, away from the fiery pain and Jason unbalanced from his back. The rider was falling to one side.

Feeling angry, feeling frustrated and feeling sore and sulky, Lune spun and planted the midsection of his tail hard into Jason’s chest, catching and throwing the human back several metres where he landed heavily on the ground.

He charged forward, intending to bite. Damon landed in front of him, defending his rider and roaring a warning. Lune roared right back at him, angry and hurt.

‘I’m alright Damon,’ Jason gasped. His voice was hoarse though and the breaths he was trying to pull in sounded distinctly wet.

A nasty thread of guilt slithered through Lune. Then he shook himself.

No. This was Jason’s fault, not his!

The human needed to give up!

Damon growled. Lune turned away from them both, his tail quills rattling with his agitation. He set to the leather straps he could reach with his teeth, desperate to get the infernal contraption off his body.

The session did not get much better from there. Jason removed the mangled remains of the new saddle an hour later just as Gabe came into the arena.

‘No good either?’ the older man grunted. Jason just shook his head, face streaked with sweat and sand. They both looked over at Lune who was huddled on the far side of the arena, still bristling indignantly. Damon had tried once to go over to him, but the white dragon had lashed out savagely with his claws and Damon had retreated.

‘You know what the other knights would suggest,’ Gabe muttered quietly.

Jason spat on the ground. ‘I don’t give two shits what they would suggest,’ he growled. He was well aware that several knights had been by in the last week to see his failed progress. They couldn’t understand why Jason allowed Lune to behave as he did. Nasty words were hissed down every corridor. Gabe studied him for a moment and then nodded.

‘Good. In that case I’ll get to work on a new design,’ he said.

Jason sighed. ‘I’m failing this Gabe,’ he said softly. A calloused hand came down on his shoulder.

‘Hardly. You’ve had the beast for barely a month. I have no doubt if anyone else had him, they would be no better off.’ The forge master turned and left him to his thoughts.

Lune was still fuming when Jason had him change into human form. The older man didn’t say anything as they went to the bathing pools. Even Damon seemed unwilling to break the silence. Jason chose a pool further away from the entrance, where they were less likely to be disturbed. Lune stripped off the large shirt and stepped in the warm water. When he turned around, he felt the bottom of his stomach vanish.

Damon had to help Jason out of his shirt. A dark sickly looking black and purple bruise was spreading across the man’s torso. Ugly and covering everything from his right pectoral down to his hip, the bruise had clearly been from Lune’s tail.

Faced with the evidence of his own rage, Lune couldn’t escape the wave of guilt that slammed into him. Jason hissed as he slowly eased down onto one of the stone shelves in the water. The rider gave him a small smile. Hot tears bit at the corners of Lune’s eyes.

‘Why!?’ he exploded.

Jason tipped his head to one side. ‘Why what, love?’ Jason asked softly.

Lune threw his hands up in exasperation. ‘Why won’t you just give up!? I won’t let you ride me, I can’t! Why can’t you just stop?!’ Lune voice was high and strangely, pleading. Jason’s smile turned a little sad. He held out his hand and Lune meekly went to him.

‘I am a dragon rider, and you are my dragon. I can’t let you go Lune’ Jason murmured, pulling Lune down to him. Lune sat next to him. His shoulders slumped in misery.

‘I...’ Lune whispered. ‘I don’t want to go. I like being with you. With Damon. But I can’t!’ Lune admitted.

Lune looked down at the rider. Jason’s whole torso was peppered with bruises, cuts, and scrapes. Every day he had always gotten back up, Lune had almost begun to think of the human as some sought of oddly immortal being. He didn’t like that he had hurt Jason like this.

‘I’m sorry,’ Lune rasped.

‘Don’t cry love,’ Jason said, his thumb gently tracing Lune’s cheek. The white-haired dragon crumpled against him. The three sank into the warm water. They stayed there for a long while, just absorbing the heat and each other’s company. They washed each other, Jason gently combing out Lune’s long snow-white hair.

‘You could come with me. We could leave,’ Lune dared to say. Jason hummed, his chin resting on the top of Lune’s head. That was an impossibility, Jason knew. There was nowhere in this land that the Sun King’s knights would not hunt them. Jason also owed the Sun King his life. He smiled ruefully.

‘You know, with everything that has happened, the Sun King may want to run away with us,’ he said jokingly.

Lune frowned at the water. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked.

Damon shifted beside him. Jason sighed. ‘The king organised a patrol to check on some farmland that was suspected to have been targeted by a stray wild dragon. Five riders, three of them squires. Two of the squires never came back,’ Jason admitted softly. Lune pulled back so he could look at Jason properly.

‘What happened to them?’ Lune said. Damon shrugged his massive shoulders.

’That’s the problem. No one knows. It was supposed to be a mundane reconnaissance mission in safe territory. The two squires branched off from their group for a second lap of the area and apparently never came back,’ Damon grumbled.

‘Is that... normal?’ Lune asked, brows raised.

Jason shook his head, wet auburn hair sticking up. ‘No. It isn’t. The squires both had perfect records too, so it isn’t likely they just abandoned their posts,’ Jason added.

‘How long ago was that?’

Jason tightened his hold on Lune’s waist. ‘A little over a week. He has not said much but I know the king is worried,’ Jason murmured. Lune studied his face carefully.

‘You... you care for him,’ he said.

Jason nodded. ‘I do.’

‘But...’ Jason hushed him.

‘I don’t expect you to understand. One day you may. Come. Let’s get something to eat.’ Jason kissed him. It was gentle and chaste. He knew it was just a distraction, but Lune allowed himself to be led from the steamy waters. They pulled on fresh clothing and retreated to Jason’s chambers. The scent of one of Lune’s favourite dishes, baked fish, made him temporarily forget about their conversation but the odd sadness that he felt remained. He paused at the table, a great sense of unease in his chest.

‘Jason…’ Lune whispered. The rider wrapped his arms around Lune’s shoulders. He and Damon shared a tense look.

I will speak to the king, Jason thought.

Damon winced. You expect it to go well?

No.

Jason looked down at Lune’s features.

But I will try in any case.

--

END

--