Dragonbards

by Murphy, Shirley Rousseau

  But Teb and Camery were standing beside an outcropping of boulders, arguing in harsh whispers, and Teb’s fury frightened Kiri anew.

  Chapter 20

  What horrors will Quazelzeg bring into Tirror? His power grows with each country he conquers, with each person he enslaves. And as it grows, it moves closer to my king and my children.

  *

  Teb faced Camery angrily. “We could destroy Sivich now! His troops are waiting below the cliff like sheep for slaughter. If we fire-dive the camp, stampede the horses, we can kill every man. What are you waiting for?”

  “If we attack here,” Camery said, “Sivich and his captains will escape into the caves. We don’t know those caves and tunnels; this mountain is honeycombed with them.” She shook her head. “We’d kill only their soldiers, not the leaders. We’d kill all their soldiers, even those who could be saved.” She studied Teb, puzzled by his anger. “Once they’re out in the valley, we can surround them. We can begin the battle with dragon song—with visions that will free so many—to fight for us.”

  Teb only looked at her coldly.

  “We must free those soldiers who can be freed. We must give them a chance to turn on their masters.” She touched his cheek, seeking for warmth in his face, and saw only rage. When he turned away, she stared after him, perplexed and afraid. What was wrong with him? She saw Kiri in the shadows and went to her.

  “What’s wrong? What happened in Aquervell?”

  “Let me show you.”

  The visions were powerful. When Kiri was finished, Camery was filled with Teb’s sickness. She watched his dark silhouette pacing the cliff and touched his thoughts—and recoiled.

  “What shall I do?” she said sadly.

  “Do just as you planned,” Kiri said. “Attack Sivich. Surely in battle Teb will come right. There . . . there’s nothing else we can do.”

  Camery nodded, and pushed back her pale hair. “Come on. Colewolf and Marshy are doctoring Iceflower. I’ll feel better when I’m doing something—I can think better.” She took Kiri’s hand, and they went up over the moonlit rocks. Perhaps they both needed Colewolf s steady comforting.

  He was brewing herbs to press against Iceflower’s wounds. Beside him, Marshy folded blankets for poultices. Iceflower lay quietly while Elmmira licked her torn flesh, cleaning it before the packs were laid on. The great cat reared against the young dragon and climbed over her with heavy, gentle paws. When Kiri and Camery began to soak the blankets and fold them over her wounds, Iceflower looked around at them with pleasure. “Warm,” she said. “So warm.” But then her eyes flashed with suspicion. “These wounds are only of the surface. You are not going to keep me from the battle? I am quite well enough to battle the dark armies. I am strong enough to kill a thousand dark soldiers.”

  Camery laughed and rubbed Iceflower’s nose. “I expect you are. But you will be high above the clouds with your brothers and sister.”

  “Why? What use would we be up there?”

  “That is the way it will be,” Camery said. “You are our second line. You are to come down only if you are badly needed.”

  “But Rockdrumlin has already gone to battle,” Iceflower argued.

  “Rockdrumlin carries Charkky and Mikk against Auric Palace. I want the rest of you just where I said. You are very important—you will be there if we need you.”

  Iceflower looked at Camery steadily. Camery stared back. At last Iceflower subsided, calmed herself, and gave over to the warmth of the poultices. She had laid her head down, her eyes half closed, when a little cough made them turn.

  A white fox stood in the moonlight, a broad grin on his narrow white face, a look of rollicking high spirits. Kiri stifled a shout and grabbed him up in a hug, though she knew it destroyed his dignity.

  “Oh, Hexet! It’s so good to see you!”

  “Hexet the Thief,” Elmmira said, purring, stroking the fox with a big paw.

  Hexet leaped down from Kiri’s arms and began to groom himself, embarrassed at having been held. “The foxes of Nison-Serth are with me,” he said. “They are trying to cheer Tebriel—or at least get him to be civil.”

  Kiri said, “He hasn’t had an easy time.”

  “Seastrider told us. Pixen is trying to talk to him.”

  But when they looked, Teb had walked away from Pixen and all the foxes, was striding away alone, along the ledge. The foxes stood staring after him, dejected, their tails low.

  *

  Teb paced the cliff, angry and hurting and ashamed. He had never been rude to foxes. The foxes had saved him from capture in the caves of Nison-Serth, he had hidden in their dens and learned their secret ways, and he loved them well. Yet just now he had snapped at them and turned away. A deep hopelessness filled him, as if he could do nothing right—a driving hunger for defeat that made him feel even guiltier.

  He stood staring morosely down the mountain, torn with anger and defeat, filled with pain at the little foxes’ hurt.

  He knew he had to change the way he was thinking.

  He had to gather himself to fight. Despite his twisted thoughts, he burned to kill Sivich. Yet even his rage against Sivich, and his desire to win back Auric, seemed somehow useless.

  The waiting for Sivich to move made him even more irritable. The man had to move out soon if he meant to attack Nightpool under darkness. Doubts and dark voices pulled at Teb. He paced the cliff, shunning the others, until well past midnight.

  The rushing sound of an owl messenger winging to them stirred him. A big barn owl dropped down out of the wind, straight for Camery.

  “He’s saddling up,” the masked owl whispered, “saddling up—moving out. . . .”

  Word sped among the troops. Below the cliff they could hear the hushing of hooves as Sivich’s mounted troops headed their horses toward the open plain. The rebel troops followed, working their way down the dark cliff.

  When Seastrider nudged him, Teb swung to her back, slipped, then righted himself and swung up. He felt Kiri and Camery watching him. He sat on Seastrider scowling as the dragons rose on silent wings into the moonlit sky. They made straight up, to lift above the blowing clouds, out of sight.

  Sivich had moved well away from the mountain, and the rebel troops were still hidden within the mountain’s shadow, when the dragons dropped low and began to sing.

  Dragon song shattered the night. Its images moved across the plain, filling the minds of Sivich’s troops as water will fill empty bowls. A phantom sun spun to life, to brighten the valley. And the valley was peopled with riders from long-past generations. Sivich’s soldiers stopped their horses, stared around them, and cried out as daylight flamed across the plain and the images of men and women and children traveled past them, laughing and calling to one another. They watched as the phantom travelers made camp.

  They saw herders ringing bells that brought their sheep and goats galloping to cluster around them. They saw children harvesting wild grains with magical knives that cut the wheat by themselves. They saw a trading market, and so real was the vision that Sivich’s soldiers dismounted and wandered among stalls of bright wares. They examined silk gowns that held the enchantments of love, tunics that would turn away any weapon, clay jugs of wine that would never grow empty. They stared into laughing, happy faces filled with a well-being that they had never felt.

  Sivich’s soldiers watched water wizards make springs bubble up from dry ground; they saw a woman who wanted music hold up her hand so that the birds came flocking and singing.

  Sivich’s dark captains shouted and pulled the staring men to the ground and beat them, but the men paid little attention. They rose again, to move within the dragon vision. They saw, for the first time in their lives, folk with Tirror’s magic still on them, folk who were free and were their own masters. In the bright visions spun by dragons and bards, Sivich’s dull soldiers saw a life they had never dreamed possible.

  They had been cheated: The dark had taken their pasts and their freedom. They stared up at the dragon
s circling above them and understood what dragon song did—it gave them back themselves.

  They knew, for the first time, that they need not follow the slave masters.

  Not all the soldiers woke from their enslavement. Some were too far gone in the dark power. Those who did wake drew their swords and spurred their mounts and rode down their dark masters. Camery’s troops, and the dragons, came storming to fight beside them. The awakened rebels slaughtered dark soldiers. Owls dove into the faces of terrified horses to stampede them. Great cats and wolves leaped for screaming riders. On the outskirts of battle, otters and foxes waited for those who escaped on foot. But in the confusion, five dark leaders spun their horses and sped away south, Sivich among them. Only Camery saw. . . .

  Sivich, she shouted. Sivich escapes. She swung her sword wide as Nightraider came down over two escaping captains. She cut one from the saddle as Colewolf slew the other. Ahead of them, Sivich fled.

  He’s mine! Teb shouted. Seastrider dove for Sivich’s broad, humped shoulders. All confusion left Teb, his mind was clear and intent. With one hard thrust, his sword ran Sivich through. He pulled Sivich across his lap and stared down with triumph.

  “I am Tebriel of Auric! Do you remember me?”

  Sivich stared, his eyes bulging.

  “You murdered my father. You kept me as slave. Do you remember me now? You murdered the King of Auric. Now I am King of Auric! Do . . . you . . . remember . . . me?”

  Sivich gasped for breath, his lips white.

  Get on with it. Seastrider said. Finish him.

  Why should I hurry? I’m enjoying this.

  That is just the point, Tebriel. Too much pleasure in the killing.

  He killed my father. He took cold pleasure in that. Mind your own business.

  This is my business. You don’t need to enjoy killing so much.

  Teb ignored her and watched with cold satisfaction as Sivich struggled. “Look on my face, killer of my father. His death was painful, and so will yours be. Perhaps you enjoy the kiss of the shark—for it is the sharks of the sea that will have you.”

  Seastrider swept out past the surf, and Teb dumped Sivich into the sea far from shore. They saw the big sharks gather. “All right,” Teb said. “They’ll finish him—get moving.”

  But Seastrider didn’t race for the fighting; she slowed, slipping on the wind, turning to look back at him. “What is it, Tebriel? Something terrible pulls at you.”

  His thoughts stumbled in shadow.

  “What’s the matter with you, Tebriel?”

  “Nothing’s the matter.” Why had they come here to threaten Sivich’s troops? He shook his head, dizzy and angry, and blocked his thoughts from her. In the black spaces of his mind, something compelling spoke. Seastrider stared back at him, shocked, pressing her mind stubbornly into his.

  “Stop it, Seastrider! You have no right.”

  “I have every right!” She glared at him, then suddenly she slapped her wings into the wind and joined the battle, slashing and belching flame. He could only cling, furious, refusing to touch his sword. She swept over Ebis’s troops fighting Sivich’s soldiers herself, though Teb refused to fight. He heard Ebis’s shouting and he wanted . . . wanted . . .

  He woke out of blackness, to pull himself back from shocking thoughts that cut searing across his soul, sickening him.

  He felt Seastrider’s relief.

  Dawn was coming. He saw Windcaller dive, banking close to him. Kiri raised her sword in salute. “You killed him! You killed Sivich!”

  He nodded and raised his sword to her, and laughed. But his mind dropped again into confusion, and, unable to help himself, he reached out to the distant thoughts that spoke so softly—when he saw high in cloud a lone dragonling, he was infuriated that Rockdrumlin’s triumphant voice cut across his own searching thoughts.

  The palace is secure, Rockdrumlin shouted. The rebels have taken it! Charkky and Mikk are in the tower, directing everything.

  Teb scowled with annoyance at Rockdrumlin’s jauntiness and returned to the urgent voice that pressed so close. He ignored Seastrider’s anger. When he looked into the northern sky, he knew the presence was near. He knew—he must call it, bring it now. . . .

  No, Tebriel! No!

  His mind reached out to the living black cloud that appeared over the mountains. He smiled as he watched it lift, shifting and swelling until it swept over the last ridges toward him.

  Chapter 21

  Sometimes I dream that I can speak between worlds, that I can create a vision that would touch Tirror even after I’ve gone through the doors. But surely that is only a dream, a wish to be close to those I love.

  *

  The black cloud dove at the battlefield, filling the wind with its stink, and a thousand black wings beat at the faces of dragons and bards, blinding them. Five hundred wrinkled bat faces searched, red mouths screaming; claws and teeth tore at living flesh as little red eyes sought for tender throats.

  Your throat—cover your throat, a bard shouted. They want blood. Whose voice? Colewolf s? A voice that tore Teb from confusion and slapped him back into truth—to the horror that was swamping them, the horror of his own treachery.

  I did this, I led them here. . . .

  No!

  He swung his blade at the stinking black creatures, mad with shame and fury.

  Across the battlefield, the creatures blinded Windcaller and forced her down, nearly smothering Kiri. Camery held her leather tunic tight around her throat as sharp claws tore at it. Beyond her, Colewolf fought the clinging bats with his knife. Small teeth found his throat. He stabbed the creature and jerked it away. A thousand wings battered, five hundred mouths tried to suck.

  Blood ran down Camery’s neck as Nightraider floundered on the wind—then Teb’s thought exploded in her mind, pulling her back. The lyre! Use the lyre! By the Graven Light, use it now. . . . The vamvipers downed their victims, then left them for others. Human throats were quickly wrapped in leather, but the animals had no protection. The lyre, Camery! Use the lyre!

  Camery clutched at the harness, dizzy, as Nightraider plunged on the wind. The blackness of his thrashing wings and of hovering vamvipers smeared into one blackness. She pulled the sucking bats from Nightraider’s wings, and from her own face, but there were so many. She felt so dizzy, terrified for her dragon, and terrified for herself.

  “The lyre! Use the lyre!” Teb’s voice cried, so far away. She pawed at the lyre, but its chain pulled across her, and the little lyre dangled dangerously on the wind. She jerked it back, cold with panic.

  Suddenly Seastrider was above her.

  The white dragon hovered beside Nightraider in a tangle of wings. Teb reached out for the lyre. Camery tried to swing it free and nearly fell. A cloud of vamvipers hit them. Nightraider twisted under their pummeling force and dropped, crashing through trees.

  High above, the dragonlings bellowed with fury at the black cloud of vamvipers that broke apart in dizzying sweeps below them. They heard Teb shout, “The lyre! Use the lyre!” and they wondered where Camery was. The vamvipers wheeled and dove below them, in killing waves.

  “Dive on them!” Bluepiper roared. “Dive!”

  “Burn them!” Firemont screamed. “Dive!”

  “Wait,” Marshy shouted. Something yellow was flapping and darting above the black cloud, screaming with a commanding voice that cut and stabbed. . . .

  “A queen!” he yelled. “They have a queen!”

  “Kill her!” screamed Iceflower.

  The dragonlings dove, but the queen slipped between them and was gone. They separated and dove again. She dodged and fled. Below them the battlefield was a melee of falling horses and riders. The darting vamviper queen shivered as the dragonlings came at her again. When they had the queen trapped between them, she sped straight for Aven’s throat. Bluepiper twisted and bit at her, but the yellow vamviper darted beneath him, out of sight.

  Suddenly Aven dove into space.

  He grabbed the queen,
dropping through wind. He clutched the squirming, leathery bat queen, amazed that he had actually caught her. When he squeezed her throat, she twisted and fought. Falling on the wind, he choked the vamviper queen until her bloody mouth gaped and she went limp. He was falling, falling. . . .

  Bluepiper rose beneath him, a mountain of dragon. Aven sprawled onto Bluepiper’s back, Bluepiper’s sheltering wings blocking out the terror of empty space. Aven was still squeezing the vamviper queen. Below them, five hundred vamvipers faltered and wheeled, screaming at the death of their queen.

  *

  By the time Teb reached Nightraider, Camery lay unconscious across the black dragon’s neck, her face and hands a mass of blood, the lyre beneath her shoulder. Teb pulled the lyre free. When he sounded the first silver note, the vamvipers exploded away from him. He brought out the lyre’s voice with all the power he knew—and all across the battlefield the vamvipers swept up away, hissing. The remaining dark soldiers turned their shivering horses and fled. High up, the black cloud of vamvipers waited, faltering and shifting, confused by the loss of their queen. But as they swung in a black wave across the wind, a vision touched them and spoke to them.

  On the battlefield, a Door had appeared, opening into darkness.

  A woman stood within, beside a white dragon, a woman who seemed covered with light, her gown and tawny hair shining and the golden sphere at her throat burning like fire.

  She was beckoning. Teb tried to cry out to her but could only swallow. She was beckoning to the black cloud above him. It trembled and shifted as the leaderless, panicked vamvipers darted and flew at one another.

  Come through, she cried.

  In Teb’s hands, the lyre’s song formed into words: Go through. Go through the Door. . . .

  The vamvipers swept back and forth, stirring a stinking wind.

  Go through, the lyre cried. Go back to your own world. Go through the Door. Go back. . . .

  But the shifting cloud fled away toward the mountain and hovered above it like restless black smoke.