Kai Drakon's Arc

Chapter 10 of 30

Kai came down from the ridge with the stones warm against his ribs. By the time he reached the cavern, the sun sat low and Azure was out in the pasture with a basket on her hip. He did not show her the bundle. He kissed her forehead, ate the bread she pushed at him, and told her he had work to do at the table after supper. Kael came by that night with a small file and a shaped punch he had borrowed from the smith. He set them beside Kai's hammer without a word and sat across the table. "You've done this before?" Kai asked. "Once. A pin for Ire. It was ugly. Don't make yours ugly." Kai laid out the two stones and two thin bands of soft silver he had traded for that afternoon. He heated the first band over the lamp and tapped it round on the punch. His hands were steady on the hammer and clumsy on the fine work. Kael reached over and held the band flat with one claw-tip while Kai set the stone. "Hold it there," Kael said. "Now press. Don't crush it." Kai pressed. The blue stone sat into the silver and stayed. He turned the ring against the lamp. The color at the center matched Azure's horns exactly. "That's the one," Kael said. "Do yours." The second ring came faster. The orange-blue stone caught the flame and threw a small warm light on the wood. Kai filed the inside smooth so it would not scratch her. He filed his own the same way. Kael sat back. "They're good, Kai. Better than good." "You helped." "I held things. You made them." Kael stood and pulled his hood up. "Give them to her. I'm going home." "Tell Ire hello." Kael paused at the door. "I will." His voice went quiet on the name, the way it always did. Then he was gone. Kai wrapped the rings in the same scrap of cloth and waited until Azure came in from checking the goats. She saw his face and set the basket down. "What," she said. He took her hands and led her to the bedroom in the cavern. The lamps glowed low and he pulled her back onto his chest. “You ready?” She cut her warm gaze up at him, “For what honey?” He chuckled and whispered, “Close your eyes.”