A Skin of a Dragon (The Guild of Gatekeepers Book 1)

by Frances Jones

  I turned over to face the window and forced myself to think of something else. Outside, the waxing moon was rising, its silvery light glowing through the heavy drapes. With the sound of the wind on the moor in my ears, I sank into an uneasy sleep.

  A dark, gloomy day had already emerged when I woke the next morning. I had slept later than usual after a restless night. The feeling of dread had only grown stronger throughout the night, invading my dreams and depriving me of rest.

  I yawned and climbed out of bed. In the courtyard below, I could hear Rupert and Edward talking. I dressed quickly and went to find Eliza in the library.

  'Good morning,' said Eliza. 'Edward is showing Rupert the route we are to take tonight to avoid the roads.'

  'How long do they think it will take us to get to the Isle of Wight?' I asked.

  'Rupert said ten days,' replied Eliza. 'Edward is going to speak with us in the library when they return.'

  'I will be glad to leave,' I said gloomily.

  'I thought you were dreading the journey?' said Eliza.

  'Yes, but I know what must be done, so now I just want to get on with it,' I replied.

  'Are you afraid?' asked Eliza quietly.

  'Yes, I suppose I am,' I replied, 'but not of being caught by Cromwell's men or the Venatorian. I'm afraid of what will happen afterwards- if we get the dragonskin to the King.'

  'Why?' asked Eliza

  I hesitated, afraid to speak of the real fear that haunted me. 'What will we do and where will we go?' I said at last. 'To tell the truth, I am more afraid of what is to come if we succeed than the danger we face in doing it.'

  'I hadn't really thought on it,' said Eliza. 'I have only thought of seeing Father and George safe, as though by getting the dragonskin to the King that will happen directly. I suppose when I found out that Father was imprisoned, I realised that I couldn't turn aside. I simply had to keep going and see to it that the dragonskin reaches the hands of the King. That is all I have thought of, but I suppose we are both in the same position, so let that be some comfort.'

  Eliza inclined her head towards me and rested it on my shoulder. I smiled weakly and lay my hand in hers.

  'I want you to make me a promise,' she whispered.

  'About what?' I asked.

  'Promise me no matter what happens to us, we will always be friends.'

  'Of course,' I replied. 'Always.'

  Chapter 50

  It was noon before Edward and Rupert returned. They had taken two of Edward's horses to spare Ralph and Pluto the exertion before they must leave that evening.

  The horses sweated and steamed in the frosty air as they stood in the courtyard. Edward and Rupert dismounted and made their way to the library where Eliza and I were waiting.

  'Well, anyone unfamiliar with this land will be hard put to follow us along the route we are to take,' Rupert declared. 'Edward has kindly offered to lend us one of his horses so you two may ride separately and spare poor Ralph the burden of two riders.'

  'I also have supplies for you,' said Edward, heaving three large packs onto the table. 'There is food and ale to last a fortnight. You will find plenty of streams on the moor for water. Mrs. Treadway has kindly furnished each of you with a fur-lined cloak, and there are extra blankets and firewood as well, though I advise you to be cautious and only light a fire if absolutely necessary. Now, allow me to show you what I have prepared.'

  He reached into the inner pocket of his doublet and pulled out a small wooden box from which he drew six small metal shards which he set upon the table before us. 'Beware how you handle these; they are the vesana flagrant which I spoke of. If you are attacked or cornered, they will be extremely useful to you, but they must be thrown from a distance, or you too will experience the vapour's ill effects. Mind that! I advise you to set a watch when you are at rest, so you are not taken unaware.'

  'How long do the effects last for?' I asked.

  'Half an hour at most before the confusion and nausea begin to noticeably subside. That should afford you plenty of time to flee.'

  Next, Edward opened a leather pouch that hung around his neck and pulled out a small vial of clear liquid.

  'This is the transmogrification draught,' he said. 'Has it been decided which of you will transform?'

  Eliza, Rupert and I were silent for a few moments.

  'I will do it,' I replied at last.

  'I think that is best,' replied Edward. 'Rupert would be recognised instantly in the event of the spell wearing off unexpectedly, but you at least may pass for one of the castle's household. Now, upon consumption, you will be transformed into the physical likeness of Oliver Cromwell. As you know, the spell can be extremely unstable, and reversion of its effects can occur at any time, but generally they should last an hour. That is not very much time, so I advise you to be sure of what you are doing before you consume it. Be certain that you will be able to see the King alone. Once the hour has elapsed, the spell will wear off by itself and your ordinary appearance will return.'

  'Will it hurt- the transformation? I asked.

  'No,' replied Edward. 'I have never transformed myself, but I hear it is a painless experience. The draught has a bitter smell but is not unpleasant. Mind you drink it all, though.'

  Edward leaned across the table and handed me the tiny glass vial. It contained little more than a few drops of liquid, as clear as water. I marvelled that such a tiny quantity could have such dramatic effects.

  'We shall leave as soon as it is dark. I fear our presence here has put you in enough danger already,' said Rupert.

  Edward laughed grimly. 'I am not yet so old that I could not see off any unwelcome visitors- be they magician or Roundhead -that come looking for you here,' he replied.

  Chapter 51

  Rupert, Eliza and I looked anxiously out at the moor for any indication that the castle was being watched, but we saw no sign of any creature all day. As dusk fell, the setting sun made a brief appearance, breaking through the low clouds in streaks of red, before dipping below the horizon. We collected our packs and said our goodbyes to Edward and Mrs. Treadway at the gates.

  'Goodbye and good luck,' said Edward. 'Remember to avoid the roads as far as possible. I hope one day we may all meet again in merrier times.'

  'Indeed,' said Rupert. 'I owe you a great debt, my friend, and I won't forget it.'

  Eliza and I thanked Edward many times then mounted our horses ready to depart. Beside Ralph and Pluto, we now had a sturdy palfrey, Ruby, for Eliza. I turned and looked back at the castle just as the light was gradually swallowed up by the darkness. Nothing but the wild moor now stood between us and the night, and it was getting colder. We sat rigidly in our saddles and swathed our cloaks about us, but nothing seemed to mitigate the icy blasts that swept across the moor.

  'At least if we're riding, we're moving,' I whispered to Eliza. 'It has to be better than keeping still and getting cold.'

  'That may be, but I shall still be glad to sit beside a warm fire when this is over,' Eliza whispered back. 'I miss Treadway Castle already.'

  We rode for much of the night, only resting as the moon set and our path became impossible to follow without a light. Then we settled in a sheltered hollow, and Rupert set himself as the first watch while Eliza and I slept. So we passed the next two days in this way, always maintaining a watch whenever we rested.

  We saw no signs of other life as we went on our way, either wanderers on the road below or creatures of the moor. All life seemed to have departed with the coming winter. Even those animals that ordinarily braved the cold seemed to have abandoned their usual resolve.

  Dawn passed and a grey, sunless day emerged on the third day since leaving Treadway Castle. Flurries of snow fell intermittently, breaking up the monotony of our trek though the changeless landscape. Rupert told us tales and sung songs as we rode to keep our spirits up, and when the pale sun peeped out from beneath the clouds, the journey seemed almost enjoyable. I even began to wonder if we had eluded pursuit altog
ether.

  'We are making good progress,' commented Rupert as the land became tamer and the trees we had missed on the moor returned. 'We have left Bodmin Moor behind and are crossing into Devonshire, it would appear.'

  Eliza's face visibly brightened at the news. 'How many more counties lie between here and the Isle of Wight?' she asked.

  'Three,' replied Rupert. 'We will continue east through Devonshire, into Dorset and finally Hampshire. The Isle of Wight lies to the south of the county of Hampshire.'

  'And how many more days will we be travelling for?' asked Eliza, dispirited by the news that there was still a considerable stretch of land to cross.

  'A week or so if we make good speed,' replied Rupert. 'We will have to rejoin the road at some point, and then we must ride hard. It will be too dangerous to linger. Come, let's go a little further before finding somewhere to make a camp for the night.'

  We rode on in silence for a few more miles through a narrow strip of woodland. The path winked through the boughs some way off, but we kept our distance from it despite having not seen another soul in the past three days.

  ‘This seems as good a place as any,' said Rupert, stopping before an enormous gnarled oak tree with a hollowed-out bole.

  We tethered the horses to another tree nearby and spread our blankets on the ground. In spite of the recent snow, the tree cover and leaf fall had sheltered the ground there from the worst effects of the weather.

  'We shall be lucky if we get much sleep and even luckier if we wake up in these temperatures,' grumbled Eliza.

  'Here,' said Rupert, taking off the cloak that Edward had given him and handing it to Eliza. 'I still have my old cloak; it will be enough for me. Get some sleep while I take the first watch. Tom, I shall wake you in a few hours.'

  I nodded and rolled myself in my blanket with my feet to the fire. The last thing I saw before dropping off to sleep was the hunched figure of Rupert sitting with his musket ready in his hands.

  When I awoke, it felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes. In fact, the moon, now at is full, had climbed higher in the sky and peeped through the empty branches above. Rupert had woken me to take my watch.

  'Nothing to report,' said Rupert, handing me the musket, 'but keep that close by just in case.'

  I wrapped my cloak and blankets around myself tighter and settled into an angle of the tree roots with the musket resting across my knees. Now and then I would catch the distant call of an owl far away, or the rustle of fallen leaves where a fox or badger, not yet bedded down for winter, wandered through the woods in search of food.

  My head snapped up suddenly, and I shivered as I realised I had nodded off for a few moments. There wasn't a sound to be heard in the wood, and the silence was pervasive. The darkness seemed to press closer; too close, I thought. A feeling of dread, such as I had not felt since the night before we left Treadway Castle, crept over me. I clutched the musket and positioned my finger on the trigger. In the blackness, it was difficult to see, but I felt sure I had caught something moving just a little way ahead.

  I reached for the pack of dry firewood and tossed a few pieces into the fire, which had burned quite low and offered little light. At once, the flames leapt up, and in the shadows of the trees all around, I could just make out the vague figures of a pack of large, grey hunting dogs.

  I gasped and seized a faggot of wood from the fire and held it aloft. Sure enough, there were a dozen hounds at least, and they had the tree surrounded.

  'Rupert, Eliza!' I hissed, nudging them.

  'What? What is it?' said Rupert, awake within a moment.

  'They have us surrounded,' I whispered as Rupert's eyes settled upon the dogs just yards from the camp.

  Chapter 52

  Rupert took up his musket and trained it upon one particularly large hound that stood a little forward from the rest, then fired. A howl went up among the pack, and for a few seconds I could see nothing amid the smoke. As it cleared, we watched with horror as the hound took a bold step forward and snarled. At such close range, the bullet had most certainly hit it, but it apparently had little effect.

  'These are bewitched hounds, or I am a Frenchman,' said Rupert setting aside his musket. Before him, the pack leader bristled with anger. 'Get the vesana flagrant.'

  'We can't! They're too close! The vapour will overcome us like Edward warned,' I hissed.

  'Do it, Tom,' cried Eliza. 'They are the Venatorian's hounds; we cannot fight our way past them. He won't be far behind. Do it now!'

  Before the words had even left her mouth, the pack leader lunged forward and grabbed Rupert by the leg. Eliza screamed, and I grabbed the pack of vesana flagrant, tossing one towards the hound. A blazing flash of white light lit up the trees for a moment, and the hounds yelped and ran about, gripped by madness as the vapour engulfed them. I crawled towards the horses with the corner of my cloak pressed to my mouth. The vapour stung my eyes and left my pulse racing. There was nothing to be seen but a thick disorienting white fog all around. The horses whinnied, but the tethers still held them fast. Pulling myself up with the stirrups, I dragged myself into Ruby's saddle and grasped Ralph and Pluto's reins tight.

  'Eliza! Rupert!' I called breathlessly.

  'Tom! Rupert! I heard Eliza shout from some way off. All around, the baying and yelping of the hounds filled the air. 'Tom!' she cried, her voice getting closer.

  The horses pulled at the reins and reared up, but I held them fast.

  'Steady! Steady!' I whispered into Ruby's ear, directing her towards where Eliza's voice could still be heard calling out for me.

  'Eliza, is that you?' I gasped at a dark figure stumbling blindly through the fog.

  'Yes! cried Eliza. 'Where's Rupert? I cannot see a thing.'

  'Jump on,' I gasped, handing her Ralph's reins. 'We need to get out of this fog.'

  Holding my breath, I guided the horses towards where the fog reached its limit. In the distance, the frantic barks of the hunting pack could still be heard followed by a loud bang.

  At the sound of the gunshot, Pluto reared up and bolted to find his master.

  'Pluto! Wait!' cried Eliza as the reins slipped from her hands.

  'That was Rupert's musket!' I cried. 'He's in trouble!'

  'This way,' said Eliza. 'We can't go back through that fog.'

  Skirting the edge of the fog, we made our way through the trees towards the sound of Rupert's musket. I stopped suddenly at the sound of hoofs galloping close by and the baying of the hounds following behind.

  'The Venatorian!' I hissed. 'Quick, over there!'

  Guiding the horses into the hollow of a large holly bush, there was little we could do but wait and hope the Venatorian and his hounds passed by without noticing us. In the darkness, it was impossible to be sure, but the horse appeared to carry two riders as it flashed past. The second rider's hands looked to have been bound behind his back. The hounds sniffed the ground as they followed the horse, but not one turned to follow our scent to where we were hiding. The rider urged his horse onwards as it galloped furiously into the night before disappearing into the darkness.

  'That was the Venatorian, to be sure. And he has Rupert. What do we do?' whispered Eliza despairingly when the last of the hounds had passed us by and we breathed easily again.

  'We must get out of this wood and ride fast; we cannot help him alone,' I replied.

  'We cannot just leave him!' cried Eliza.

  'We have to get the dragonskin to the King!' I said. 'What help can we offer Rupert but to keep him company in the custody of Devere when the Venatorian gets us all to London? Come, we have to carry on.'

  Eliza dithered a little, unwilling to abandon Rupert altogether, as I led the horses through the trees, keeping as far from the path as possible without becoming hopelessly lost. The vapour had all but dissipated and the quiet of the night had returned. I listened as we picked our way through the wood, straining to hear the slightest sound of pursuit, but there was nothing to be heard but the wi
nd sighing through the bare branches above. It seemed too much to hope that the Venatorian had gone, satisfied with the capture of Rupert alone.

  Chapter 53

  As we reached the edge of the wood, we stopped. A gently sloping valley opened before us.

  'Should we stay or carry on?' asked Eliza miserably. 'Either way, I cannot see we have any hope of reaching the Isle of Wight without Rupert to guide us.'

  I squinted into the darkness ahead. In spite of my fondness for Rupert, I wasn't so easily cowed at the thought of continuing without him. I knew what it was we must do, with or without hope.

  'We shall stay until dawn,' I replied at last. 'I doubt the Venatorian will come back now, and we have no map or compass to guide us in the dark. There would be little point in carrying on blindly through the rest of the night only to find ourselves miles out of our way. Dawn cannot be more than a few hours off. We'll get a better look at the lay of the land then. At least here we have cover.'

  We dismounted and tethered the horses to one of the trees nearby and then made ourselves as comfortable as we could among the leaf piles. Sleep was far from our eyes, and so we spoke in whispers and watched the sky until dawn.

  'Poor Rupert,' said Eliza. 'And poor Pluto. I hope he has the sense to find his way back to Treadway Castle.'

  'I imagine Pluto has had a lucky escape,' I replied.

  'But not Rupert,' said Eliza. 'I shudder to think what Devere will do with him once the Venatorian hands him over. Or what if he is handed over to Cromwell? He has already been banished once; I don't think they will be merciful again.'

  'Don't despair yet,' I replied. 'Many miles still lie between here and London. Rupert is resourceful; I don't think he will succumb without a fight, somehow. Though I do find it odd that the Venatorian left with Rupert only, and the hounds didn't track us to the holly bush. The Venatorian must have known we would be close by, so why didn't he take the time to find us too?'