Kilian shook his head. "You're not going to Talus. Rob and Allan will take you to the border of the old forest. There's a cave there where fire dragons used to breed. The dragon hatchling will feel comfortable there and will likely hatch soon. Once that's done, the dragons can take care of the young one."
Just imagining parting with the egg caused Ava stomach pains. But she didn't want to think about that yet. "Why don't the dragons incubate the egg themselves?"
"Because only the dragon mother would do that. Or a dragon guardian."
"She's a guardian?" one of the men spoke up. "That can't be true. They haven't existed for two hundred years."
"The hatchling speaks to her, so there's no doubt."
While the looks on the fighters' faces had initially been distant, they now alternated between skepticism and disbelief. The one who had proclaimed to like Ava stepped forward and extended his hand to her. His bodywas broad and muscular, and he was armed with a sword and daggers.
"Hi, I'm Allan." He grinned, revealing a row of sparkling white teeth, and winked at her in a friendly manner. His uncomplicated and open nature felt good and gave her a sense of warmth amidst unapproachable strangers and dangerous weapons. Meanwhile, she blocked out the dragons that could open fire at any moment. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to utter a word.
She had never considered herself a coward, but then again, she wasn't used to dealing with these enormous creatures. To avoid letting the men sense her nervousness, she opted for a carefree tone. "Nice to meet you. Which way do we need to go?"
But Rob raised his hands defensively. "Kilian, I think it's unwise to keep the egg at the front. And then outside the bastion? What ifshefinds out about it?"
Ava perked up. "Who are you talking about?"
Kilian lowered his voice and spoke with determination that was crystal clear. "As long as you leave before the sun rises, none of the guards will have seen her face, so her spies won't find out. And if you don't fly, neither her scouts nor ours will know that someone is in the cave."
Rob shook his head emphatically and stared at Ava aggressively "I don't like this. I mean, what do we really know about her? She's a stranger, she could be a traitor, from the other side, a spy for the king. Maybe she's just claiming to talk to the dragon child. We can't verify it, after all. She?—"
Ava put a hand on her hip. "She is named Ava, and I didn't ask for this role!"
Kilian stood beside her pointedly. "She has a dragonegg in her care. If you need more confirmation, ask your dragon."
Surprised, Ava looked at him. He didn't know her, yet he trusted her?
But his argument seemed to hit home, because Rob fell silent for a moment, as if turning inward. Did that mean the dragons and their riders were able to communicate with each other through their thoughts?
Meanwhile, Allan gave Lilly a friendly pat on her narrow shoulders. "How did you get mixed up in all this?"
The girl shrugged casually. "I saved Ava and the egg from the soldiers."
He furrowed his brow in disbelief. "Is that true?"
Ava nodded. "Except for her, no one dared to come out when the soldiers were chasing me. Without her, I'd probably be in the dungeon by now and the dragon egg in the king's hands."
Kilian's gaze hardened. "Wrong, the dragon egg would be in the king's hands, and you'd be long dead."
Ava turned pale. So she was committing high treason after all. Her arms suddenly felt ice-cold, causing her to rub them. What had she gotten herself into, and how could she get out of this situation?
But when she thought about her extraordinary connection to the dragon hatchling, she realized she had no choice. It had chosen her, and she would have acted the same way again without a moment's hesitation. She couldn't help it—it was as if the egg were her child and she was the mama bear. As if there was a magical bond that constantly drew her to the egg and whispered to her that she must put its life above her own. Nevertheless, she would have been lying if she'd said that Kilian's response didn't give her pause. It madeher realize just how dangerous it was to be chased by the soldiers.
She gazed anxiously into the distance. The sky was already taking on a lighter hue, and the sun would be rising soon. They should start moving if they really wanted to reach this cave unseen. It felt strange to ally herself with these warriors. She didn't know them, and she also didn't know what was important and right in this world. But she relied on Lilly, who trusted Kilian, and on the voice of the dragon hatchling. Or rather, on its lack of veto, for it said nothing.
She pointed to the brightening horizon in the east. "We should get going."
Kilian looked with his eyebrows raised at Rob, who nodded after hesitating briefly. Apparently, he had finished his conversation with his dragon and decided to trust her somewhat. He said goodbye to Kilian with a handshake and marched ahead. Kilian made as if to grasp her by the upper arms, but he let his hands drop without touching her.
"Listen to the dragon in the egg. Be quiet and don't draw any attention. Above all, make sure Lilly doesn't cause any trouble." Once again, a muted glow appeared in his eyes, but it vanished before Ava could be sure she had seen it.
Was he worried not just about the egg, but about her too?
Nonsense! She had to be careful not to become one of his lovestruck admirers. Besides, she would be leaving soon, and a dragon fighter certainly wouldn't come visiting her at Aunt Helen's gift shop to eat gnocchi drizzled with the good olive oil at one of Giovanni's standing tables.
Although it wasn't easy, she broke eye contact andnodded. "Don't worry. See you... later." Unsure how to say goodbye, she looked at Lilly, who was beaming at him. The adventure alongside the dragon fighters seemed to be entirely to her liking.
