‘To the right are the storerooms and training rooms. The mess hall is here to our immediate right.’
‘Where do I sleep?’ With her gran’s cottage gone and since her melding she had spent every night in the sickroom.
‘I believe Princess Lee has a room for you in the manor house.’
‘Why not up here?’
‘I do not know, and it is not my place to ask either. However, Miss Tibi might know more.’
‘Okay,’ she said, puzzled as to why she was not to live up here in the Upper house with the rest of the featherlites.
‘Not okay,’ snapped Sergeant Sam. ‘It is, yes, Sergeant.’
‘Yes, Sergeant,’ she said, suddenly relieved that she would not have to put up with all the formality that went on in the Upper house day and night.
They continued in silence with Deelind on Sergeant Sam’s right side. Sergeant Sam moved Deelind to her left side, ‘You always walk on the left of a featherlite who has higher rank than yourself.’
They walked down the middle of the field as the sergeant continued. ‘We used to have Dragon Quest junior training here every Wednesday afternoon for the children who hoped one day to go on the Dragon Quest. Sadly, as there have been no new featherlite eggs laid for so many years the children no longer come.’
‘Why would young children want to start training for a quest you have to be eighteen and older to go on?’
‘The quest itself is physically tough and extremely dangerous. It starts with a candidate following a path from Brakenhill Valley, through the forest, over the mountain pass and into the Dragon Valley where the wild dragons live. From there they must make their way up the valley using the cliff paths until they find a featherlite egg bearer’s cave. The quest could take a person a month. The candidate must learn to live off the land, and unless they are fit and mentally prepared, they could die.
‘The earlier they start training, the better prepared they are. For every featherlite egg laid, three young adults were chosen by Dragonknights to go on the quest each year. When there were more eggs, it could end up being quite a large group of candidates sent out in the hope of a melding. With only your egg remaining unhatched, we continued to send out three candidates, but over the past sixteen years it became more difficult to find good candidates as people lost hope in the egg ever hatching.’
Deelind’s mind spun as she processed the sergeant’s words, recalling her discussions with Princess Lee and Mug. While she had known that she was the only melding in sixteen years, she hadn’t fully appreciated how dire the situation was. Walking toward the far end where the dragon statues stood, Deelind could see the field was well maintained. The grass was green and cut short. Now she could see the dragon statues better and the rainbow stream surrounding their base. The bottom of the dragons’ wings overlapped and the gap between them framed the valley below.
‘Who are the two dragon statues?’
‘They represent the grandparents of all featherlites. They have been here since the beginning when there used to be many of us. Now we are less than a hundred.’
‘Why has there been such a decline in the number of featherlite eggs being laid?’
‘Princess Lee and Captain Roeland think it is because the age of featherlites is nearing its end, just like the end of elves, goblins and trolls.’
Deelind smiled slightly at that. She was still trying to accept that these creatures existed outside of fairy tales.
‘This is not a joke. In that time, there has only been the one egg laid sixteen years ago and until last month, no one thought it would hatch. Now, let’s go get you a featherlite uniform.’ They walked back to the stores in silence.
As they walked through the store’s open door, they found a woman with long dark, curly hair and honey-brown skin digging through some boxes. Spotting them, she straightened her lean body and turned towards them, her face open and friendly as she said, ‘Good morning, Sergeant Sam. How can I help you today?’ Her hazel eyes settled on Deelind and Deelind caught the spark of curiosity in them.
‘Corporal Lucy, this is featherlite Private Deelind. Please give her a uniform and reading material suitable for a new featherlite,’ instructed Sergeant Sam.
‘Yes, Sergeant,’ said Corporal Lucy, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly as she took in Deelind’s bedraggled appearance. Leaving them to it, the sergeant left the room and the corporal winked at her. Deelind already liked the corporal. She was bright and happy. ‘Don’t let her bother you, she is always like that. What on earth happened to you? You’re sopping wet.’ Looking her over, the corporal said, ‘Hmm, you’re about the same height and size as me. Let me get you a uniform and you can change in the back there. How long before you can fly again?’
‘I had a run-in with Rainbow travel, and I hope to fly soon,’ she said, not knowing how long Princess Lee was going to be healing in Oakman and annoyingly, she was the only one who could remove the choker.
‘I am sure this will fit,’ said Corporal Lucy as she handed Deelind a featherlite uniform. It was a long-sleeved, blue shirt with two pockets, a blue skirt which went just past her knees, combined with blue socks, black shoes and a beret. Corporal Lucy was correct, it fitted perfectly. The high shirt collar enabled her to hide the choker and her rainbow crystal necklace. It was exciting to think that soon she could fly herself whenever she felt like it. Corporal Lucy gave her a bag and textbooks. Deelind tucked her wet school uniform into the bag. On top of the textbooks the corporal placed a handful of Upper house badges that Deelind had seen sewn on the Dragonknights’ uniforms.
‘That’s much better and I’d bet the dry clothes are a lot more comfortable. When you have some spare time, you can sew the badges onto the upper right sleeve. You can sew them onto your school dresses if you wish. It is our insignia, indicating you are part of the Upper house. Come. Let’s go find you a locker.’
‘Yes, corporal,’ said Deelind and followed her.
Glancing back at her, the corporal said, ‘Oh, only worry about formality when others are around, otherwise just call me Lucy. There’s only so much formality a person can take when we also live where we work.’
‘Why is the bottom section of my badge empty?’
They walked across the field and into the barracks. ‘It is where your rank goes and your designation. Look mine has two corporal stripes in the bottom section. This is my rank and the golden wings surrounding the stripes is my designation as a Dragonknight. If you were a swordsman you would have your rank and a sword, archers have a bow and arrow and guards have a portcullis,’ said Corporal Lucy as they walked into empty-looking barracks. ‘I know you are not sleeping up here with us, but you will need somewhere to put your equipment. This is the Echo barracks which is not used anymore but has lockers and showers that you can use. You can come in here to learn and read if you want. No one will disturb you.’
‘Thank you.’ She found a locker. It was blue like her uniform and filled with coat hangers for her school uniform and shelves for her books.
Corporal Lucy looked at her watch. ‘It’s time!’ she said with a wide smile. ‘Let’s go watch the Alpha squadron come in to land and Bravo squadron take off for their patrol.’ They walked out of the barracks and went up some stairs to the walkway. Deelind loved the view from the walkway. Corporal Lucy wasn’t wrong. It was amazing watching the majestic Alpha squadron coming in to land and the Bravo squadron walking out of their barracks. Already in dragon form, an array of colours reflected off their scales in the afternoon sun.
Catching Deelind’s eye and seeing the awe on her face, Corporal Lucy nodded knowingly. ‘It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it? I never tire of watching it. We fly twenty-four-hour shifts now, rotated around the three squadrons. The squadrons are Alpha, Bravo and Tango. Then there is the scout’s squadron called Whisky, their barracks are under the two dragon statues.’
‘How many are there in each squadron?’
‘There are between fifteen and twenty Dragonknights in e
ach squadron, including a squadron leader who, these days, is normally a corporal. It used to be a flight lieutenant but there are too few Dragonknights left nowadays.’
‘Are you a squadron leader, then?’
‘Me? No,’ said Lucy, tucking a wayward lock of dark hair behind her ear. ‘I look after the stores, training and guard duty. I cannot fly patrols anymore. My wing was badly damaged in a deathburner attack and never healed properly.’
‘I am sorry,’ said Deelind, horrified that she might have upset the corporal. ‘It must be hard for you not to be able to fly.’
‘Oh, no, I am fortunate. I can still fly and I provide backup when needed,’ said Lucy reassuringly. ‘I just can’t stay out as long and I am unable to make the quick, sharp turns required. I couldn’t become a scout either because they are required to fly for days at a time. That reminds me. Until your arm is out of the plaster cast, you will be on light guard duty like guarding the entrance to the Upper house.’ Deelind groaned to herself. Guard duty sounded boring.
The Alpha squadron came in to land in a perfect V-formation just as the Bravo squadron left in the same formation. The Alpha squadron went directly to their barracks.
‘They will change and then head straight for the mess hall,’ said Corporal Lucy.
‘Why are we always so hungry?’
‘We use a lot of energy changing back and forth and if we do not eat we can get stuck in one form or the other.’
‘When will I be able to join a squadron?’
‘You will have to wait until you are eighteen and then you have to pass the written and practical tests. You will need over a thousand hours of flying with an instructor. It is hard to get into a squadron. Only the best get in.’
She groaned. At only sixteen she would have to wait two more years and then she might not even make the grade.
‘On the bright side, you will be flying with me every day,’ said Corporal Lucy with mischief dancing in her eyes. ‘I will make sure you are ready. I need to go and change the patrols over for this evening. Why don’t you get started with some reading? Start with the basics like the Introduction to Becoming a Featherlite.’
‘Okay,’ said Deelind. ‘If it is fine with you, I would like to spend a bit more time up here.’
‘Not a problem. See you tomorrow,’ said Corporal Lucy, who was already heading down the stairs.
* * *
Deelind spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the Upper house while making sure she stayed out of everyone’s way. At around five p.m. her stomach started rumbling, so after collecting her school uniform and the Introduction to Becoming a Featherlite book she made her way down to the Middle house to find Miss Tibi. The guard at the door to the stairs did not say anything as she left and went down for the first time on her own.
‘There you are. I was just getting worried about you,’ said Miss Tibi as Deelind walked into the kitchen, which now seemed so small. So much had changed in her life in such a short time. Geoff turned and gave her a quick smile and nod in greeting before turning back to cooking. The huge quantity of food being prepared made so much sense now.
‘You look good in your featherlite uniform,’ said Miss Tibi, who had taken her bag from her and was busy emptying its contents. ‘What on earth happened to your school uniform? It is all dirty, wet and even torn in some places.’
Deelind was not about to reveal what happened because otherwise Miss Tibi would start taking her to school.
‘What’s that delicious smell? I’m ravenous!’
‘Oh, yes, of course, dear. You need to eat lots and often now and you will be eating in the manor house dining room with us. Let’s go put your things down in your room first. Leave your dress here. I will clean and mend it tonight and sew on these badges for you,’ said Miss Tibi whose eyes danced with merriment at the look of relief on Deelind’s face that she would not have to sew the badges on herself.
‘Thank you so much. Corporal Lucy said the badges could be sewn onto my school dresses, too.’
Miss Tibi nodded. ‘There are two other dresses already hanging up in your wardrobe in your room, along with some jeans and T-shirts. It is such a shame Princess Lee is recovering in Oakman, as she was going to spend the evenings teaching you,’ she said as she walked Deelind to her new room.
While Deelind would have loved more answers to the endless questions floating in her head, she was rather relieved to have her evenings to herself for the time being. She had a feeling that she was going to be playing catch-up to get on top of the demands of her new life.
‘Here, this is Princess Tia’s old bedroom. Princess Tia was Princess Lee’s daughter,’ said Miss Tibi, opening a door on the second floor. ‘Geoff and I are next door so if you need anything just call or knock. I will leave you to put your things away and come down to the dining room for dinner.’ Deelind nodded and Miss Tibi left.
It was a large room with a wooden wardrobe, a double bed and a dressing table next to the window. She put her bag on the bed then walked over to the window. Her bedroom was on the side of the house that looked out over an open field, some trees, the moat and the large, stone boundary wall.
Turning to the dressing table she opened its drawer. There at the back of the drawer lay a single, silk-woven, russet glove, a beautiful shade of copper. It was soft to the touch as she picked it up. Turning it over in her hand, she saw the name Princess Tia embroidered on the inside of the cuff. Not able to resist, she slipped the glove onto her hand. It was a perfect fit. After looking for its partner she took it off and put it back in the drawer.
Her stomach let out a loud rumble, reminding her how hungry she was. She headed down to the dining room and on entering she saw Miss Tibi, Geoff and Grimbell all sitting waiting for her. There was a huge pile of food on the table, far too much for four people, but she knew she could eat half of it on her own.
‘Come sit next to me,’ said Miss Tibi, pointing to a chair to the right of Princess Lee’s chair at the head of the table. They all helped themselves. Whilst Geoff and Miss Tibi ate a normal adult portion, it was Deelind who ate the most, followed closely by Grimbell. Was Grimbell a Dragonknight? He had not joined the Dragonknights at Gran’s funeral. In fact, she did not recall seeing him at the funeral. She remembered him asking her to think what she wanted to say when she had burnt and broken her arm. Surely he’d live with the other featherlites in the Upper house if he was. Maybe telepathy wasn’t restricted to just featherlites? Either way, she wasn’t going to ask him. He had gone back to his old ways of not saying a word and probably wouldn’t welcome or answer any questions. The meal was largely eaten in silence except for the odd request to please pass food. In the companionable silence, the enormity of the changes she had been through swelled up inside her and, to her horror, she burst into tears.
‘Why was all this kept from me?’ she said as tears tracked down her cheeks.
Grimbell and Geoff hurriedly excused themselves and fled from the dining room. Miss Tibi scooted her chair closer over to Deelind and put an arm around her.
‘Oh, sweetheart! Princess Lee has been trying to protect you. She was going to sit you down at eighteen, explain and introduce you to everything. Humans like yourself and some of the other kitchen helpers never know what really happens here. Your gran got me a job here and at first, I did not know the truth. I found out by accident when I fell through the small waterfall at the back of the terrace area. They had no choice then to tell me and as it was with me, it looks like that decision was taken out of her hands for you, too. Your gran got you a job here because as a small child you would sneak away from the cottage and make your way up here to the main gates. Nothing your gran did could stop you finding your way back to the gates. In time, it will all make sense. I only know a few small bits and pieces myself. Princess Lee only lets us know the few things she deems safe.’
‘What happened the day I came here for the picnic?’
‘Twelve years ago, I was away on holiday at the time, you and your gr
an came here with the town children just after your mother died. Each year Princess Lee invited the local children for a picnic to celebrate the start of spring. Your gran left you playing with the other children under the care of Princess Tia, who was Princess Lee’s daughter, while she and Princess Lee went for a walk around the manor gardens. Little did they know Blackthorn was going to attack. Apparently, he had hoped to kill the entire royal family in one hit with his new deathburners. The royal family were sitting at the picnic table and they took a direct hit from the first deathburner. Many more rained down on the hill where everyone was playing, killing several children and all the adults. You were one of the few children to have lived. All the children who survived were evacuated by molers sinking you into the tunnels below the picnic area. It was lucky they were working nearby at the time.’
Deelind paid close attention to Miss Tibi’s words. ‘What do you mean sinking us?’ While the events didn’t match, this sounded a lot like how things had played out in both her dream and when she had broken her arm.
‘Molers can turn the soil above a burrow into quicksand. The sand itself does not fall into the burrow but anything heavy on top of the soil falls through it. The heavier the object is, the quicker it sinks.’
‘Where were the Dragonknights? Surely they would have noticed an attack on Brakenhill?
‘Everyone had been caught off guard. Blackthorn had never attacked us directly before. Only Grimbell was on patrol at the time and all he was able to do was save you, in the process losing his dragon. The attack happened so fast. By the time the rest of the Dragonknights took to the sky the attack was over and Princess Lee had lost her whole family. You will not see any copper ones walking around here other than Princess Lee.
‘Copper ones?’
‘It’s the royal family’s nickname, as only they have copper hair. Blackthorn won a big victory that day. Although Princess Lee survived, he did kill all the heirs to the throne, opening the doors for him to inherit or, more like, take the throne. It was a sad time for all of us and not a subject anyone finds easy to talk about to this day.’
Deelind and The Icefire Page 14