“What information do you have for me?” he asked them, getting down to business.
He felt unusually jittery. He had traveled here many times in the past and it had never felt so oppressive.
“Show us the silver first,” said Sam as he held out a grubby little hand.
Dayton’s lip quirked up in the hinting of a smile. It didn’t matter that he was 'the PRINCE,' they spoke to him with the same regard they did everyone, but with an added glint of respect in their eyes. He took a coin from the purse tied at his waist and flipped it into the air. Two sets of hungry eyes followed the movement. Before the coin could land back in his waiting palm it was snatched out of the air.
Tim squeezed the coin in his fist. “Things been bad 'ere. Lotta strange folks been traveling through, causing more fights than usual.”
“Did they cause all the damage I saw?” Dayton asked.
Sam looked him in the eye. “That was the king's men, collecting the tax's early and beating them that couldn't pay. But been some men asking about you and a dragon.”
He took out another silver coin and flipped it to Sam. “Thank you boys, you've been most helpful.” Before he had even finished speaking the brothers ran off. He rubbed his neck. He really wanted a rest, but life rarely went as planned.
#
Aveline's belly was full, but her eyes stung and were dry. She rubbed her palm's over them. It had been days since she had slept in any kind of proper bed. Everyone at the inn seemed subdued and unusually quiet. When a stranger passed through her own village they were often viewed with suspicion. But it was more than that. There were no boisterous laughs or even drunken arguments. Aveline was considering checking on Aeolius when the prince barged into the inn. The door swung back and forth behind him and all eyes turned in Prince Dayton's direction. He rushed over to Aveline and Herveus, sitting down on the bench.
“We have to leave straight away, men have been asking around about me and the dragon, it won't be long until word gets out we are here. My father's men have not long left either.”
Aveline, although glad to be leaving, was not happy about the lack of respite. As they left the inn she felt a shiver across the back of her neck. She knew at least one pair of eyes followed their progress.
Aeolius sat alert outside the inn, waiting for them. “I do not like it here, it has the stench of evil,” he said in her mind.
Even the sound of the dogs had vanished as they left the village. They walked with more urgency than they had before, and Aveline saw Herveus looking over his shoulder more than once.
“You're doing well keeping up, Aveline. How are you feeling?” Prince Dayton asked as he offered her the waterskin.
She took a sip of the water before she replied, “I'm doing okay, thank you.”
When they got to a safe place to rest for the night Aveline was limping heavily. She collapsed on the ground under the shadow of a large oak tree, absently rubbing her feet.
“Good night,” she whispered before she moved closer to Aeolius. Laying down, she fell asleep within moments.
CHAPTER 7
Herveus knew someone had followed them. He didn't know who they might be, but without a doubt they wished to know where his little group was headed so they could report it to the king, or to even intercede themselves.
He would not let that happen. It was his job to keep the prince safe from known threats and to dig out the threats that were hidden in the shadows. If it weren't for the fact that the king was crazy and unpredictable, he might have been able to prevent the prince from being captured and thrown into the dungeon. He waited until the prince and Aveline were fast asleep, then backtracked the way they had travelled. He needed to eliminate this threat. He didn't enjoy taking lives, but he also didn't feel guilt. The prince would never know the many stains on his soul Herveus had taken on his behalf.
It was his job, and he performed with great skill.
This is for what I am made, he told himself as he stalked his prey. Barely any illumination was available from the waning moon, which appeared low in a coal-black sky. With his dark clothes and pitch black hair, he moved like a shadow in the night. It did not take long for him to find their trail—they had not even tried to hide it.
They must have no clue their presence has been detected.
The two of them sat before a blazing fire, passing back and forth a silver flask that reflected the red glow from the flickering flames.
He lay in a slight dip of the almost flat landscape, a short distance away. As he waited, he thought about the girl with her sad, bright blue eyes. He could not fathom how she had come to be in the company of a dragon, when he, the Spy Master, whose life revolved around secrets, had never heard a whisper of a dragon reappearing.
One of the men stood up, moving away from the gleaming fire. That was just what he had been waiting for. He reached down into the leather scabbard attached at his waist and pulled out his favorite black blade. He moved without a sound and, with a swiftness that was almost unnatural, he approached from behind the large man. As he closed in he recognized him from the inn in the village they had just left. He had been sitting in a dark corner, alone, but Herveus could take in a whole room at a glance, and he never forgot a face.
A skill which has kept me alive more than once in the past.
The man had greying, light brown hair and weathered, tanned skin. His clothes were made from a poor quality brown, coarse cloth. He was, more than likely, a mercenary who had heard of the prince's escape and was hoping to make some easy coin. He will discover that task is quite far from easy, and in fact, impossible.
Herveus moved with such guile, it looked graceful. He crept up behind the man and covered his mouth. Reaching around with his other hand, he slit the man's throat with a firm, swift movement of his well-honed blade. Blood squirted as the man's lungs attempted to gasp for breath through the gurgling hole in his neck. Herveus wrapped his arm around the man's torso, keeping him steady as the life drained from him. It was not a quick way to die. He lowered the man to the hard-packed ground with ease. He searched for a clue as to the man's identity, but came up empty-handed except for a few cheaply crafted daggers he had tucked away in various places. On silent feet he moved away, leaving the man's body for the scavengers to pick apart.
The second man was standing, blade already in his right hand, unaware of his fate. Herveus settled into a fighting stance, balancing firmly on the soles of his feet.
He watched his opponent’s eyes, waiting. A look to the right gave away the young man's intentions as he attacked. Herveus twisted out of the way, landing a blow to the man's raised arm. He felt the heat from the fire as he moved away from the dancing flames. Not waiting for his opponent to recover, he moved in closer. He swiped his knife low, aiming for the man's lower torso. His aim was true, as blood covered the knife.
The man staggered back, eyes wide. Herveus stepped forward following his injured prey, with an upward, twisting motion through the man's heart; he ended his life. Pale blue eyes stared vacantly at Herveus as the blood flowed upon the barren soil. He undertook another fruitless search before wiping his blade clean on the corpse's green tunic.
He returned to their camp, where the prince and the girl slept, completely unaware. He felt eyes upon him and turned to see the dragon staring at him. Unfazed, he did as he had been trained to do from his youth. Lying down, he forced himself into a light sleep, to rest. He was aware of his surroundings and any dangers if they were to approach.
#
Aveline woke up slowly, her whole body aching and cramped. The sound of a fire crackled nearby as the delectable scent of meat cooking finally opened her eyes. She stood up, stretching her legs. As her mind became clearer, she took in her surroundings. Prince Dayton sat, turning a small animal's carcass on a spit above the flames of the fire. Her stomach chose that moment to growl audibly as the prince chuckled and turned to look.
“Good morning Aveline,” he said, smiling kindly.
It w
as then she realized that Aeolius was nowhere to be seen. She looked around frantically as she replied, “Good morning, Prince Dayton.”
“He went hunting for his own breakfast, I think. He dropped a dead rabbit at my feet and left again.”
Aveline’s tense shoulder’s relaxed at his words. She didn’t fully understand her unnatural attachment to Aeolius, but he made her feel less alone. Herveus barely spoke to her and, when he did, he was not civil. And though the prince was a lot more open and chivalrous, he had been subdued since they left the last village. Though, that morning he seemed in better spirits—maybe because we are farther from his father.
She sat down on the ground near the fire, trying to warm her chilled hands. She caught a glimpse of something glinting in the sky, rapidly growing in size until she could make out a pair of large, flapping, silver wings, and the muscular body of Aeolius. Slowing down, he gently landed next to her.
Aveline hopped to her feet. “You can fly, I can’t believe it. Well, I know you should be able to fly, you have wings, but I didn't know you actually learned how to.”
“I have been practising, my Aveline.”
“We have to leave. So if you want to eat before we do, you'd better stop with all that jumping around. He's a dragon, he can fly. Get over it,” said Herveus.
She flinched, then squaring her shoulders, she grabbed the piece of cooked rabbit Prince Dayton held over the fire for her. “Sorry, I'm afraid he hasn't learned any manners in all the years I’ve known him.”
CHAPTER 8
The sun gradually sank into the horizon, as Aveline's feet throbbed in time with her heartbeat. Her throat was sore and she found it hard to swallow. Their waterskins had run dry, but Herveus assured them a stream was not far ahead.
Although Aveline could barely stand, she kept on putting one foot in front of the other until she wobbled unsteady on her tired limbs. She decided she was going to sit down on the grassy ground at her feet and refuse to go any further, when the soft glow of the moon reflected off a rippling surface not far ahead.
Feet planted in the slippery mud, Prince Dayton grasped a protruding root one-handed while he leaned towards the water.
Herveus stood like a sentinel, his fists clenched by his sides, knuckles turning white. “You should have let me do that. If you fall in I will only have to jump in to save you.”
“I don't know when you got it in your head, Herveus, that because I'm a prince I should be molly-coddled.” Prince Dayton reached out just a little further.
Herveus crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head toward the tall trees, whose shadows seemed to swallow up the stream as it curved into the forest. “Landow is just a short walk away. It's far enough from the city that we should be safe for the night.”
Grasping hold of a handful of grass, Prince Dayton pulled himself up the bank. “What happened to the rebel boy who used to play with a prince?”
Aveline felt like she was intruding, but took the waterskin offered to her and took a gulp, the cold liquid soothing her sore throat.
Herveus started walking. Afraid to lose him in the darkness, Aveline trudged after him.
Candlelight flickered through the windows of houses that appeared on the path they followed. “The dragon should spend the night hidden among the trees,” stated Herveus.
Though she wished otherwise, she knew Herveus was right.
“I shall stand guard, Aveline,” Aeolius said, as Aveline reached out with her hand and touched a single rigid scale.
There was an inn conveniently situated on the edge of the village, Aveline leaned up against the building's brick wall beside Prince Dayton, while Herveus ventured inside to see if he could get them rooms for the night.
“We will soon be at the mountains, Aveline. I promise you and the dragon will be safe there.” Prince Dayton’s voice sounded just loud enough to be heard over the din coming from inside the inn.
She never got the chance to ask him more before Herveus opened the door, keys jingling in his right hand. “Come on, a bed is calling me,” he said before turning around again.
Aveline followed him up a set of narrow steps. They turned down a corridor and he stopped at the first door and unlocked it. “This is yours.”
“Thank you,” she replied, stepping past him into the room.
There was a large bed with dark green coverings—it looked so welcoming and unlike her tiny straw mattress. She crawled up into the bed and fell asleep before she registered Herveus shutting the door.
#
Aveline blinked her eyes. Morning light shone through a gap between ill-fitted curtains. They hung limply over a small, dirty window above the bed. A green blanket covered her and she could see many dark stains and threads hanging loose. She climbed out of bed, looking down at the sticky floor as she lifted her foot free. She could smell urine coming from a full chamber pot in the far corner, covering her nose with her tunic sleeve as she left the room.
Loud male voices and the tinkling of female laughter carried to her ears from below. She descended down the narrow staircase, and taking a deep breath, she stepped into the tavern. Men of all ages sat around drinking and eating, with women trickled among them. She scanned the room and spotted Herveus standing by the exit. He was looking outside with a smirk on his face. She walked up to him and looked out to see what held his attention. Aeolius was laying on the ground with several children climbing and hanging off him. Aveline laughed as a little boy of around five summers old attempted to climb up onto the dragon's back. Taking pity on Aeolius, she decided to intervene.
She approached and the dragon turned and snorted a small puff of smoke out of his nostrils. “These little people have no fear of me, wait until my fire comes.”
“I'm sure you’re far too nice a dragon, to roast children.” Reaching up, she removed a rather adventurous boy who had climbed higher than the others.
An older boy stood further back, leaning against the side of a small house. He was wearing a yellow dappled cowl with the hood pulled up over a deep red tunic. He intently watched Aeolius until he looked up and saw Aveline staring back at him. He walked forward and stopped in front of her. “Good day, my names Bramwell, if you're the ones ere with the dragon, my grandfather would like to meet you."
“What business does your grandfather have with Aveline?” said Herveus as he stepped beside her.
“My grandfather would like to share some stories from the time dragons flew in the skies with their Bound.”
Prince Dayton joined them, his blond hair wet with a freshly cleaned face. “Lead the way young man. I for one would very much like to hear them.” He turned an amused look the dragon's way.
“The Bound?” Herveus asked.
Bramwell shrugged his shoulders. “That's what my grandfather said.”
Gently chasing away the playing children, they followed the young man through the village until they reached a cottage with a thatched roof. A blue front door squeaked open to reveal an old man bent over with age. He had short grey hair, which in places shone silver. Deep-set wrinkles painted the man's face with the story of his age, and he looked at her with eyes that were milky white with blindness. He held the door open with heavily scarred hands, giving Aveline a sense of his quiet strength.
CHAPTER 9
William heard the heavy tread of a dragon's approach—it was a sound he had not heard in far too many years. He slowly rose from his favourite wooden chair, which gave a little creak of protest. Straightening as much as his worn-out body would allow, he walked the remembered path to the front door of his home. He took hold of the cold, iron handle in his aching, stiff fingers, and opened the door, feeling the warmth from the autumn sun shining on his old, weathered face.
William felt a drum of energy in the air that came from being in the presence of a dragon. A young dragon. The energy was more like a gentle breeze on his face than that of a raging storm, an older dragon would create. It had been fifty years since William had been in the presence o
f one of the mighty of heart. They were such fierce, but pure creatures. He still remembered vividly, the awe he had felt as a young boy whenever he was in the presence of one.
“Good day and welcome to my home, my name is William,” he said.
“Hello William, Bramwell told us you have a few stories to share with us. My name is Aveline and my companions are Dayton, Herveus, and the dragon's name is Aeolius,” came a gentle voice, which held so much sadness but also a tiny thread of hope.
William became blind when he was gravely injured during a small battle when he was a young man. Since then all his other senses had greatly improved. It had been overwhelming at first, all the loud noises and smells he was unused to. As he adjusted he had learned to be very grateful for the new insights he picked up. He was less blind to the things around him now than he had been when he still had his sight. He stepped towards where he could feel Aeolius's presence. Holding out one of his scarred hands, he asked in the most modest and polite voice a man of his advanced age could, “May I?”
He felt the rush of a breeze on his skin as the dragon moved his head into his reach. Careful as to not cut himself, he felt along the rough, hard scales of the dragon, which he knew would protect Aeolius more than any leather armor could for a warrior who wore it. William's hand was moving along the dragon's muscular jaw when he felt a warm puff of air on his cheek. He stepped back laughing, feeling a lightness he had not felt in far too many years.
If the rumours William had heard about the unrest in the kingdom were true, this young dragon would have a very hard journey ahead of him, and he was a lucky man just to be a small stepping stone in it—my aged body isn't made for fighting battles any longer.
“Where shall I begin? Yes, at the beginning I suppose. A long time ago a great evil had started spreading through the lands. It started to affect everything it touched. The land that man walked upon, the plants and animals they would eat, and even the men and women themselves.
The Bound - Novella: Hers To Save Part One Page 3