The Sword and The Mountain (Kathardra book 1)

An internal groan hid behind Lessa’s teeth. This exhausted Lessa stood no chance against Zar, who stood fresh on the sidelines.

Her eyes found him, and he grinned wide.

More men echoed the sentiment, calling out his name. Until the name turned to a chant.

Finally, he stepped forward and held up his hands. The hoard silenced.

“What?” His smirk was, pleased and easy, he was feeding on the crowd's energy. “You want to see us fight?” He gestured between himself and Lessa while the masses roared with demands and laughter.

“How could I deny you?” He threw his hands up, a wide grin spread on his face as he backed in a circle.

Wearily she observed the glint in his eyes. This was clearly his plan from the beginning. They both knew she had never beaten him before, and she was tired.

He launched at her right away. She lightly stepped backward, dodging and blocking as she went. Doing her best to just stay away from his flashing silver sword.

He relented and Lessa launched forward with her own series of attacks. She twirled around Zar, striking toward his back. Zar blocked and twisted around to meet her.

Lessa lost herself in the series of blows, blocks, and dodges. She became a distilled warrior. Left behind was the pain in her lungs, her aching muscles. The world had boiled down to nothing but the battle, it had consumed her very being. She was the sword. Her sharp edge sought its target relentlessly. Until she found it.

The “oof” that was extracted from Zar’s lungs when Lessa’s sword made contact with his ribs startled Lessa back to herself.

She blinked several times realizing what she had just done. That would qualify as a mortal blow. She had won.

Zar grabbed his ribs where her dulled blade had just made contact. And a grin spread on his face.

Sweat was dripping down Lessa’s temples, she swiped her forearm across her face and it seemed to break the silent spell cast upon the mob around them.

The roaring was deafening.

A frown spread on Lessa's face as she replayed the last moments of the battle. Zar had gotten sloppy. Zar was never sloppy.

He let me win. She growled to Storm.

Where lies the problem?

I… She fumed as Zar walked toward her, grinning wide, his arms spread open.

She was about to confront him, to tell him there was no victory in a false defeat. Until his arms wrapped firmly around her, he hugged her tightly in front of all to see. Lessa was pretty sure her cheeks would have been burning bright red had they not already been red from exertion.

And then the crowd folded in on them. Lessa’s back was patted by many hands; man after man grabbed her forearm in the Kathardrean handshake while telling her how amazing her sword skills were. That she moved like a blur, and must’ve been as strong as a man.

Lessa shrugged it all off, smiling to cover her discomfort. They didn’t know that Zar had just handed her victory, this hadn’t been a real fight.

Zar must’ve seen Lessa’s embarrassment, and the claustrophobia written on her face.

He raised his voice and yelled, “All right, back to work! You all have somewhere to be.” It was good hearted but they listened and dispersed quickly.

Exhausted, Lessa stalked unenthusiastically behind Zar's back to his home tent. “You let me win!” She jabbed her finger into his chest the moment he turned to face her.

“How could you possibly know that?” He gently pulled her hand away from his chest.

“I-” She huffed. “I’ve never beaten you before!”

“Today was the day.” His unflustered smirk was annoyingly calm.

“No,” Lessa insisted, “You let me, that overhand swing was at the wrong angle. You-”

“Lessa, these people needed some hope. To see you succeed against me would give that hope.”

She realized he was still holding her hand. Goosebumps rose from her wrist to her shoulder.

“Hmmhmmm” Rina’s voice filled the room.

Both hands jerked away from each other. Lessa rubbed her arm to flatten the goosebumps and looked away.

“So it went well?” Rina's back was ramrod straight, her lips were pursed into a thin line. “I suppose that means you will be leaving soon?”

“Leaving?” Lessa's eyes whipped back to Zar.

Zar sat himself at the table and gave his mother an annoyed side-eye glare.

He waited for a beat before he started carefully. “I don’t have much left to teach you when it comes to swordplay.” His palms spread out imploringly. “But you need to learn magic.”

Lessa suppressed an eye roll. She couldn’t use magic. She had seen enough magic through her months here but there was no chance she could ever use it. Despite what Zar said.

“I know. I know. But we need to find you a teacher.”

“Who?” With great effort, she suppressed an eye roll but decided to humor him. "Who?"

“Why don’t you find someone in Haven?” Lessa was surprised at the use of honey in Rina's voice. She was used to hearing more vinegar.

“Mother, name me a Mage in Haven and I’ll have Lessa apprentice with them.” His eyes tilted toward Rina slowly, the long-suffering on his face.

“From what I can tell there used to be a magic academy here.” His finger found a spot on the Kathardrean map before him, which meant little to Lessa. She couldn’t read anything on it.

“Used to be?” Lessa’s voice dripped with skepticism.

“Lazaron look,” Rina started, using his full name to express her seriousness, the sweet tone dropped.

“No, mother.” Zar cut her off. “This is the best chance we have to find a Mage to train Lessa.”

Her expression could have cut glass. Lessa was only glad it wasn’t directed at her. But then her expression cleared and she sat, taking Zar’s hand.

“Zar. The magic academy has been defunct for years. Maybe decades. There is not a single reason you need to trek across Kathardra-”

Zar turned back to Lessa. "We leave in two days."

Rina’s eyes flashed between Zar and Lessa, and back to Zar, the ice-cold expression was back. “Warren will accompany you.”

His eyes snapped to her. They glared at each other for an extended moment. Eyes locked in a silent battle.

Lessa’s eyes fell to her lap and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. This was embarrassing. They were locked in a silent, motionless battle. Lessa was starting to think she could sneak away and neither would flinch when Zar broke.

"Fine."

Rina twisted fluidly from her chair in a swirl of skirts.

Zar turned back to Lessa, face clear as if he didn't just have a battle of wills with his mother.

“Who is Warren?”

“A friend of mine.”

The next morning Lessa set out to Garret’s workshop. She knew the saddle was close to being complete but now there was a deadline. They left the morning after next.

“Quite the performance yesterday.” A man said in passing as she walked in the opposite direction as him.

“Oh, thanks.” She said awkwardly. That man had never spoken to her before.

Wondering why he had chosen now Lessa shrugged it away and continued her normal route toward Garret’s shop.

“Lady Lessa!” Another man hailed her attention. She looked up in confusion.

Now she had a title? Did this man even know her name before yesterday?

“You have the fastest sword I’ve ever seen!”

“Thank you?” She said, not quite able to drop the question from her response.

She put her head down after receiving a nod from the man and hurried on her way.

She couldn’t help but notice the majority of the men she passed nodded after meeting her eyes. Was it possible that she was finally being accepted into part of Haven society?

I am no longer a pariah. Just in time to leave. Her thoughts projected bitterly to Storm.

Storm responded with a wave of empathy. I like you.

I like you too, Storm. Lessa silently said pushing appreciation and love back to Storm.

Lessa slowed down as she approached Garret's shop. He sat out on the front porch in a rocking chair, the air of pride coming off of him could be felt down the street.

On the other side of the porch on a saddle rack sat the saddle. No longer in pieces.

With reverence Lessa approached, nearly afraid to touch the work of genius in front of her.

“It's done?” Her voice was low and her hands hovered over the leather, afraid to touch the work of art.

“It's done,” Garrett confirmed with a hardly concealed smirk.

Lessa gently put her fingertips on the soft leather.

“What are you waiting for? Get that overgrown lizard.”

At that moment Storm slammed into the street behind them, dust and air whooshed away from her, into, on, and around buildings for an entire block.

Her nose pushed Lessa out of the way and she eyed the saddle with curiosity. The dragon’s maw parted slightly and a low happy bugle rolled up from her belly and out of her scaled lips.

Put it on! Storm demanded.

At once Lessa grabbed the Saddle from the rack and rushed toward Storm.

The first hurdle was glaring. Storm was very tall.

Storm got on her belly, as low as she could go. Despite the serious increase in strength Lessa had gained through sword training there was no way she could hold the saddle directly above her head and push it onto Storm's back.

Come here. Storm said intending for Lessa to stand very close.

Lessa stood directly against Storm’s side, and Storm used her nose to push Lessa all the way to her back.

With a heave Lessa was able to get the saddle all the way in place, right where Storm’s shoulders met the base of her neck.

After that Lessa dropped all of the straps where they would eventually sit.

To the tune of Garrett’s unnecessary instructions, Lessa slid off of Storm, moved around her body, and buckled each strap into place. There was one around her neck, one sat behind her arms encircling the smallest part of Storm’s chest, and the last set anchored around Storm's tail.

The entire thing was impressive. Lessa had never seen anything so beautiful.

“It’s amazing!” Lessa squealed, immediately embarrassed by her girlish display. She threw her arms around Garrett and squeezed him tightly.

“Ugh, get off of me.” His small smile betrayed him. “Get on! Try it out!” He shoved her away toward Storm.

At once Lessa climbed the tiny rope ladder leading up to the saddle.

“This is so much easier!” She exclaimed as she hauled herself up.

She settled into the saddle and studied the buckles down each side.

There were two sets of stirrups. One was lower, in the same position as horse stirrups. There was another, higher up and further back, where she put her toes now. In conjunction with these stirrups, there were buckles for Lessa’s thighs and her calves.

She Strapped them in.

“How do we look?” Lessa asked, leaning forward and finding the handles along the neck strap.

“Like you won’t fall off,” Garrett responded with a satisfied huff.

“Garrett,” Lessa said swallowing emotions that were threatening to pour from her eyes. “I cannot thank you enough.”

“Agh.” He waved his hands and turned to leave, but Storm stopped him short. The dragon locked her gaze on Garrett. He froze as she slowly pushed her nose toward him.

Very gently Storm put her nose against Garrett’s forehead. She rested it there with a small amount of pressure for a long moment.

“I can’t say I’ve ever been kissed by a dragon before.” He said once Storm withdrew contact.

Storm huffed out breath, a rolling rumbling laugh rubbed against Lessa’s legs as Storm joyfully laughed.

“Go!” Garrett said waving a hand skyward. "Put it through some stress. Break it in.