The Caged Dragon (Cycle of Dragons Book 1) by Dan Michaelson (websites to read books for free txt) 📕

shook my head. “Elaine went after the dragon. ”Do we need to help her?” Alison asked.

Joran looked toward the trees, a deep frown on his face. “I don’t think that one needs our help at all.”

“We need to get moving along the path. If we follow this, we should be able to find our way back out , and then we can get back to the farm.” I watched Alison for a moment. She’d wanted to go back home, but it was time for both of us to return. “I would understand if you decide you really want to go to the capital to see why the Academy selected you.”

Alison’s expression darkened. She looked over to me, shaking her head. “I don’t even want to anymore. I… I don’t know if I ever did. After all of this, I thought that I wanted to get away. I felt as if I was trapped. It wasn’t until I was actually trapped that I felt differently. I realized that maybe we didn’t have it quite so badly.”

“There wasn’t anything bad about it,” I said softly, looking out past my sister.

She watched me, concern wrinkling her brow. “I know you’ve struggled as well, Ashan. You don’t like to talk about it, but it’s been hard on you. You have to take care of all of us. Mom, Thenis, me, Dad.”

“Well, not Dad anymore,” I said softly.

She nodded. “But that doesn’t change that you have been taking care of all of us. You don’t have to, you know.”

“What would happen if I didn’t?” I asked.

“We’d probably have to sell the farm, though that’s not the worst thing that could happen. I would go to the city. I’m sure there are things I could study there that would give me a chance to improve. I might become a weaver or…” She shook her head. “We could have better care for Thenis. He needs more time with the healers. Mom doesn’t always agree, but I have seen that he needs more than what we’ve been able to offer him.”

“You would sell the farm?”

“If it were up to me, I would ,” she said, shrugging. “I was offered an apprenticeship in Berestal at one point with Mrs. Tandrel. It would’ve been a good opportunity, but if I had accepted it, it meant that I would have to leave you and the others behind.” She smiled at me, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I couldn’t do it. Just like how you couldn’t leave me, either.”

It meant that she would have had the opportunity to be a weaver, to learn her trade. Already, Alison was incredibly skilled, and training with a master weaver would have been an incredible opportunity. It bothered me that she had been forced to abandon that. So much of our lives had been put on hold. At least, her life had been put on hold. Thenis’s life, as well. Maybe even our parents, though they had wanted the farm. Were I honest with myself, in those few moments when I allowed myself that honesty, I had never really wanted the farm. Not like they had.

“Let’s get back home, then we can discuss the rest.”

We followed the path, making our way along, no one speaking as we did. I was tired, and I suspected the others were too. After walking for a while, I paused, snorting to myself.

“What is it?” Joran asked.

“I just realized we left our horses along the path,” I said.

“Which means they’ll still be there,” he said.

“Hopefully,” I said. If the horses were still there, we could ride double and get away from the Vard more easily.

We jogged onward for a while longer. I had no idea how long it was, only that I was growing tired.

After a while, Alison looked back at me. “I need to take a break,” she said.

We slowed, stopping along the Djarn path, and I crouched down near one of the trees, resting my head back. Joran sat across from me, as he looked in either direction along the Djarn path, saying nothing.

“Did you hear anything from the Vard while you were captive?” I asked, thinking about what Joran had said about the dragon.

“Why?” Joran asked.

“Just something you said that’s been bothering me.”

“They didn’t talk much,” she said.

“I was just trying to figure out what they wanted with you,” I said. “Do you think it was just because you were with the Academy?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know, Ashan. They were forcing us to go with them, and I didn’t really have the chance to figure that out. I think it was mostly tied to destroying the Academy wagon, though not entirely.”

There came a shout again, this time not far from us.

I motioned to the others. They got to their feet and we started running.

No one moved very quickly, and we certainly didn’t move quietly. Everybody sort of lumbered along , racing through the trees as we did. The path was going to have to end soon. I knew that it would, but where? We had to hurry. We rounded a corner in the road, and when we did, a dark shape blocked our path.

We couldn’t go any further.

“Into the trees,” I whispered.

“Ashan?” Alison whispered.

“There’s no time,” I said.

I grabbed Alison and forced her into the trees, away from the path. I hoped Joran followed, but at this point, I had to be more concerned about my sister. Joran could take care of himself.

We stumbled forward, and I was all too aware of how loud it was, much louder than it needed to be. The Vard would know that we were here, and with as much noise as we were making they would have no difficulty catching us.

I hurried, holding on to Alison, as Joran stumbled behind me. We were all tired.

In the distance I caught sight of a faint glowing. Could that be the dragon again? I didn’t know. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that—

A dark figure appeared in front of me.