by C. Litka
02
We were led up through the dark pines to a large clearing at the foot of a cliff. Grazing in the clearing were a herd of Rider dragons which proved to be a strange cross between cattle, bats, and dragons. Feathered, like all the native animals, their long forelimbs, that they use as wings, were bent nearly in half, bat-like as they grazed on the tall, yellow grass like cattle. Standing as tall as a man at their shoulders, they had broad, vaguely cattle-like heads with a body that was over a meter broad across their shoulders, but tapered to their rear quarters. In flight, they used hind legs as a tail for steering. Their feathers were a mix of white, duns and browns. I was happy to see them grazing contently on the grass - though I suppose they could be omnivores. I didn't ask. The saddles were strapped across their shoulders - a leather roll or pillow, strapped on lengthwise, which allowed the rider to crouch or kneel on the shoulders of the dragon while in flight. The beasts were steered by reigns strapped around their heads.
Two Kandivarians were standing watch over the herd when we arrived. PisDore divided us up amongst his men and their mounts - the saddles being long enough to hold two riders.
I drew Krac as a pilot. He led me to his beast and stepping alongside of his dragon, gave it a friendly pat on its head and leaped up to the saddle. 'Behind me,' he said, offering a hand.
I edged cautiously nearer, watched by the big brown eye of the Rider Dragon and, with his help, managed to climb aboard and settle onto the saddle behind him.
'That strap goes across, over your legs,' he said, glancing back and pointing. 'You might want to make it tight, unless you can fly. The other one you wrap around your waist. Make sure you're tightly strapped to the saddle. Abbis here, doesn't take her riders into consideration when she's airborne.'
I tightened them as directed. 'You can hold on to those straps across the saddle and don't try to fight Abbis. Just go where she goes. The straps should keep you from falling off.'
With a thump, Hissi landed behind me, her jaws resting on my shoulder. Krac gave her a startled look, but decided it was better to say nothing more than, 'Your dragon better hold on tight.'
As Hissi wrapped her her forearms around my chest, I said, 'Careful with those claws,'.
She gave a low dismissive hiss next to my ear.
I looked up to see that some of the others riders had their dragons airborne and were circling overhead. Seeing that we were set, Kroc, pulling Abbis' head around to face the open meadow slapped her neck, and said, conversationally, 'To the sky, Abbis.'
She took two long bounds and then reared, extending her fore limbs with their attached feathered membranes, gave a single downward beat and we were airborne. And heading directly for the tall pines. Abbis banked so sharply that looking over my left shoulder, the ground was directly below. Hissi hissed and held on tighter, digging her claws in to my (thankfully) armored jacket, as we swung around the clearing, twice, just avoiding the pines while we gained enough altitude to clear them.
We joined the circling band of dragons and riders, waiting for the last of the riders to get their beasts aloft, and then started beating our way up, into the pale sky. The great Kanderee Chasm, which we had crossed a few hours before, came into view as a long, dark gash in the pine-clothed fissure hills. Kanderee Narrows, the collection of inns where Long Street crossed the chasm was visible amongst the pines. Its nearly half a kilometer long iron suspension bridge across the chasm was a black web of thick cables in all directions. Since the Kanderee Chasm was, here at least, open to the far side of the island - a hundred kilometers down - it often experienced powerful gales blowing up, down, and through the great chasm, and so the bridge had to be secured in every direction. And even so, it was crossable only in calm weather, hence the large collection of inns on either side.
The great chasm formed the border between the Kingdom of Taravin and the Dajara Empire. Long Street, however, was a minor road in these parts, as the main trade route crossed the chasm many leagues further "south."
To my surprise we continued to rise higher into the air. I had expected that we'd plunge into the chasm on our way to Kandivar. Instead, we circled up towards the sharp line of the tallest peaks to the north. It proved to be only a fifteen minute ride to a ledge before a collection of caves at the foot of the highest peak.
One by one the dragons carrying passengers briefly landed to let us off, and then sailed further down the steep slope to a large pasture above the tree line.
A trim young woman in leather hurried out to greet and hug "Uncle" Tey as he alighted.
'The Way is indeed marvelous! As soon as I learned that you were passing through the Narrows, I knew that the Way had led you here for me!' she exclaimed, stepping back while still holding his hands.
'It is good to see you in such fine spirits, my dear,' said Tey Pot. 'And though I rather doubt the Way actually lead me here for you, I am glad to be of service to you.'
'But of course the Way led you here. That is how you said it works. And I - I acted the moment I heard the news - wu wei - to bring you here. So, you see, it works just as you have so often told me it does!'
Tey Pot, caught in his own web, could only shrug and grin. 'Then I am glad you follow it. Allow me to introduce my good friends? Ah, so here's young Trey.'
A tall, young man - who reminded me of a young Admiral DarQue or the Clan-chief DeKan - followed her out. He greeted us with a non-sarcastic bow. 'Welcome. I am glad you agreed to help us,' he said.
'TreyMor, the Chief of the Kandivar,' said Tey Pot, with a wave of his hand. 'And this wee minnow of a girl is MossRose, the daughter of DrisDae, the Governor of Zandival Province.' And then turning back to TreyMor, added, 'So you've now grown old enough and bold enough to kidnap the daughter of the Province Governor?'
'I claim only to be bold enough to make the acquaintance of the most beautiful girl in all of Windvera,' he said with an easy smile. 'It was truly love at first sight, Teacher. I had no idea who she was - I took her to be a daughter of some wealthy merchant who was out for a ride in the valley. I had brought Mother to visit Grandmother and Grandfather when I saw her ride by. I could not forget the sight of her, so I slipped out to see if I could find her again?'
'To kidnap her.'
'To make her acquaintance.'
'He was a gentleman,' laughed MossRose. 'He only carried me off a dozen rounds later, and I was only following my heart when I went with him.'
Tey Pot nodded. 'I believe you, my dear. You are not a girl to be the victim.'
'Had I known who she was, I would certainly have hesitated? A second more,' he added with a laugh and a loving look at his bright-eyed bride-to-be. 'I am eager to make her presence here proper. She assures me that you alone can make it so.'
'And every second is painful to us,' added MossRose, who had run to Trey to give him a quick kiss. 'You must convince father to release my dowry. Only you can do it, which is why the Way has led you here, don't you see?'
'I've been unable to convince you father of anything in the last 50,000 rounds. Even in our youth, it was a rare occurrence. Having grown old, we see life through very different eyes.'
'But you will rise to the occasion, since my happiness is at stake. He will listen to no one but you. We've sent messages time and again to beg, and then demand, the release of my dowry. He sent word back that he will not pay a bandit a copper coin of ransom, even for his daughter, and now ignores our demands. Oh, I know full well he loves a single gold coin more than me. But, you see, it is my coins he holds. My dowry!' she added fiercely. 'It is my honor at stake. They go to the husband I choose. He cannot deny me my dowry.'
'But he does.'
'But he does. Shame on him. So you must make him see that it is his honor as well as mine at stake.'
'I fear that he won't listen to me either,' said Tey Pot, shaking his head.
'He will. You are his oldest and dearest friend. His only friend!'
'Once, in our distant youth. But our ways have long since parted
.'
MossRose would have none of that. 'I know that he values you and your friendship, even if he rarely shows it. If anyone else went to him on this matter, he'd have them thrown into the bowels of the fortress, and never give another thought to them. But he will listen to you, and I'm sure, with your great store of wisdom, you'll find a way to convince him to release my dowry.'
'Is the gold so important, my dear?'
'I am not like my father! I want the gold because it is my husband's by right and custom. And with it, I shall be rightfully and lawfully married. I shall not cheat him of his gold, nor me of my honor.'
'I don't want or need it,' said TreyMore. 'You are gold enough, my dear.'
She shook her head and turned to Tey Pot with more than a bit of steel in her eyes. 'On this we disagree. I shall have my dowry. I am my father's daughter in some ways. I am stubborn and vain. But I have not his love for coins. And if he cares for the gold more than me, he will suffer for it by its loss.'
And turning to us, she added, 'I am sorry to have to bring you here and delay your journey, but I do it for Tey Pot's sake. Father may not throw him into the bowels of the fortress and forget him, but I fear he might confine him and use him as a hostage to bring me home.
'But father has a weakness. A chink in his armor. You see, he sees the money he extorts from the merchants, and the taxes he collects as one in the same, which is to say, his personal fortune. His accounting is very creative, but as long as he sends the Emperor his share of the taxes and keeps his province peaceful and prosperous, the Court of Dajara pays him no heed. But if there is trouble? And you can make trouble for him by carrying word of any ill treatment of Tey Pot to the Laezan Community of Dragonfly Lake in Zandival. They value Tey Pot and would certainly appeal to the Court of Dajara which would bring court officials here to Zandival, which is the last thing my father wants. It would be his ruin. So you see, I need to have you here as a threat to keep Tey Pot safe. I do not wish to ruin my father - I shall do all I can to avoid that. But if I must?' And there was another glint of steel in her eyes.