“Lavender and gova berries. Your favorite soap.”
“I’m not sure which is more impressive, that you could smell me or that you remember what kind of soap I use,” said Celine.
“Ha, ha, very funny.”
“So how does it feel to be a wanted man?” asked Celine.
Lyric rolled his eyes. “It is all I ever wanted, to be so special that the king would send a battalion of men to come find me so that I can be arrested and tortured.”
“Don’t be so melodramatic. It is only a squadron of the king’s men looking for you, not a battalion.”
“And that makes it better?” asked Lyric.
“Well, escaping from a squadron is significantly easier than a battalion. Besides, you have much more dangerous things to worry about.”
“Yes. Getting eaten by fire breathing dragons.”
“I doubt they would eat you, being dragonblood and all. However, I wasn’t talking about dragons. We are going deep into the mountains. There are creatures there that are just as dangerous as dragons,” said Celine.
“Are you trying to scare me? ‘Cause you are doing an excellent job.”
Celine laughed. “I’m sorry. I thought perhaps bonding with a dragon would give you more courage.”
Lyric shook his head. “Nope, I’m stronger, faster, and my senses are all heightened, but I’m still scared.”
“Good,” said Celine.
“Good? You think it is good that I am a big baby terrified of getting eaten by dragons, trolls, and corca cats.”
“Don’t forget bears and wolves,” said Celine with a chuckle. “And to be honest there are more wild beasts that we might run into that make them seem like cute cuddly critters. And yes, it is good that you are afraid. Fear can be a good thing. It can keep you aware and on guard. Where we are going to will need to be very aware. Between king’s men hunting us, and wild beasts that roam deep in the mountains there is plenty to be afraid of. A little fear is healthy.”
Lyric sighed. “Well, I suppose I should look at the bright side. I have the perfect guide.”
Celine turned from looking at the fire and raised an eyebrow. “The perfect guide?”
“Smart, beautiful, and someone I can run faster than if something big chases us.”
Celine punched him in the arm. “How chivalrous of you.”
Lyric smiled. He had been surprised when he first noticed that it was Celine making her way towards his fire. He hadn’t been sure who Valeria intended to send him as a guide, but now that she was here it made sense. Celine knew the land, she knew what plants to eat, which had medicinal properties and how to use them. “I am glad you are here, Celine.”
“Me too. Now let’s get some sleep. I had a long day and we have a lot of miles to cover tomorrow. I don’t want to risk the chance of the king’s soldiers picking up our trail.”
“Okay. But I didn’t set up the tent. I wanted to sleep under the stars.”
Celine looked up. “The sky is clear tonight, and they certainly are beautiful. I don’t mind sleeping under the stars, but all I want to do right now is close my eyes.” Celine stood up and went to her pack. She put her blankets a few feet away from his. “We’ll talk more tomorrow,
Lyric wasn’t ready for sleep just yet. He was thinking about Celine. Out of all the king’s interference, the one good thing to come of it was that Lyric was no longer married. He didn’t have to feel guilty about being alone in the woods with Celine. Sibylle was a great friend, but he’d only married her to protect her from men like Talon Horne. Now Sibylle could avoid such arranged marriages because her father no longer worried about appeasing the king. That the king was using trumped up charges to declare Lyric an outlaw made things simple.
Now Lyric and Celine could be together. That they were being hunted by king’s men and traveling dangerous lands filled with wild beasts and on their way to try find a dragon wasn’t exactly how he dreamed of his future together with Celine, but at least it was with Celine. He would face a hundred dragons if it meant a lifetime with her.
Celine moved closer. “It is too cold,” she declared. “Snuggle me.”
Lyric smiled and pulled her in close. He closed his eyes. The future was uncertain, but this felt right. He slowly started to fade into sleep, comforted by the closeness of Celine. It seemed so long ago that he last held her like this.
…
“Alright, sleepyhead, time to wake up,” said Celine.
Lyric groaned. “It can’t be time yet. The sun isn’t even up.”
“It will be soon, and we need to be further into the western mountains before the king’s men figure out you are gone and they send real trackers looking for us.”
“Real trackers?” asked Lyric. Were the king’s men not real scouts?
“Yes, real trackers. They won’t be able to find our trail, so eventually they will bring dogs in, and trackers who know these mountains. The Hornes lands are to the west of here. I’m sure they will gladly lend their best trackers and hunters to the cause of finding you.”
Lyric jumped up. “Well, let’s not stand around talking all day, we should get moving.”
Even in the pre-dawn dark, Lyric could tell Celine was smiling.
“What?” asked Lyric.
“I was just remembering when I first met you.”
“When you spied on me?”
“When I went to the pond, and was assaulted by the sight of your naked body. The glare off the sun almost killed me.”
Lyric laughed. “You know I am not as pasty and white as you native Drollers. I’ve seen how white their skin gets when it doesn’t see the sun.”
Celine shrugged. “You got me there. But what I was remembering was what a skinny, shy, little runt you were. Barely more than a scarecrow. You would’ve blown over in a heavy wind, and now look at you. The tournament champion, dragonblood warrior, and now dangerous outlaw. Your name will be known in the far reaches of the isle, and beyond. From skinny runt who got his butt kicked by an old witch to one of the most famous warriors in all Droll in such a short time. How things have changed.”
“It is amazing what a little dragonblood magic does,” said Lyric.
Celine shook her head. “It isn’t just that. You worked hard. Dragonblood has enhanced you, but even without it you have changed so much since you first arrived. Heck, everything has changed so much since you arrived.”
“It was the best thing to ever happen to me, coming to Middale. Otherwise I wouldn’t have met you,” said Lyric.
Celine stepped closer and gave Lyric a quick kiss. “That was sweet. But no more kisses for you until we get far away from here. And you do eat a mint leaf or two. You have morning breath.”
The sound of more kisses appealed to Lyric, as did the idea of getting away from the king’s men.
16
“To the return of dragons,” said the man at the bar. His friends raised their mugs to his cheer.
Talon scowled. Did these fools actually want dragons? He walked up to the group of men. “Are you as stupid as you are ugly?”
The man turned to Talon. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I asked if you were as stupid as you were ugly. Only a daft fool would cheer the return of dragons. But looking at you, I was thinking you may have been dropped on your head several times as a child. It would explain your ugly face and why your brain’s rattled.”
“Is that right?” asked the man. His eyes narrowed as he studied Talon.
“Careful, Salvador, that is Talon Horne,” said one of the man’s companions softly.
“Talon Horne? Aren’t you the one who almost got beat by a girl then lost to a skinny little boy?” taunted the man.
Talon smiled. “I am Talon Horne. And I’ve never lost a fair fight. The boy used dragon magic to beat me. I would wipe the floor with an ugly sod like yourself.”
The man stood up straighter and stared at Talon as he raised his mug in the air and spoke loud enough for the entire bar to hear. “To the
return of dragons and the dragonbloods. The true rulers of Droll.”
Talon went red. The insolent fool dared to declare dragonbloods as the true rulers of Droll, and here in the capital? It was a challenge to the current system and to men like Talon who would be king. “To speak of dragonbloods such is heresy and a personal insult to the king. On his behalf, I challenge you to a duel.”
The man nodded. “You came in here looking for a fight. You think because your name is Horne that I will cower and beg your mercy? I accept your invitation.” The man pulled out his sword and moved towards Talon.
Talon smiled. The fool had accepted the challenge. He drew his sword and waited as the bar crowd all separated to give them room to fight. If the man had any position in the kingdom they would’ve waited and fought in a courtyard free from prying eyes, but this Salvador seemed to have no desire to wait, and neither did he. Talon wanted to make an example of this man. Dragons were not welcome in Droll, nor were men who cheered them.
Salvador attacked. His sword sliced through the air, aimed for Talon’s head. Talon blocked the attack, and countered with an attack of his own. That Salvador was a competent fighter was easy to see. His attacks and counters were crisp and well-timed. But Talon was no ordinary fighter, and this wasn’t a tournament fight where rules had to be followed. Talon intended to remove the stain of his loss to that damn dragonblood with this fight.
Salvador came in with a lunge, Talon avoided the attack and struck a blow to Salvador’s arm, slicing it open. To his credit, Salvador ignored the injury and kept pressing forward. Talon blocked his opponent’s strikes, and with cool precision kept the battle moving at a constant pace. He didn’t give Salvador any time to gather his breath or deal with his wound.
Talon then grabbed a nearby chair with his off-hand and sent it hurtling towards Salvador’s feet. The man saw the attack and tried to jump but his back foot was struck by the chair and Salvador awkwardly stepped forward with a hop step to try to regain his balance. As Salvador’s eyes went to the ground he missed Talon’s sword coming in.
Talon plunged the sword deep into Salvador’s chest. There would be no mercy in this fight, no opportunity for the man to gracefully admit defeat. Talon wanted blood. Pushing on the man’s chest, as he pulled his blade free, Talon pushed him down to the ground. Talon leaned down and wiped his blade clean on the man’s shirt before returning it to its sheath. “Wilmborne is no place for dragons or dragon lovers. Long live King Gramalt.”
“Long live King Gramalt,” replied the crowd in mumbled tones.
Talon reached into his coin purse and threw a copper on the bar. “Have the trash taken out.” Talon could feel the eyes of the man’s companions staring him down as he exited the pub. Good, thought Talon. Let them hate him, but they’d better fear him too. One day he would be king and he’d rather be known as a dangerous killer than as the man who lost to the dragonblood.
…
“I understand your son was in a bar room duel the other day,” said King Gramalt.
“Yes, Milord,” said Tyree Horne.
“Killed a man,” said the king.
“My son does not tolerate fools who spout treasonous cheers. The man was cheering the return of dragons and dragonbloods.”
“Well, in that case I think Talon did what is necessary. This dragon talk needs to be nipped in the butt.”
“My thoughts exactly,” said Tyree Horne. Things were going perfectly. The king was so obsessed with Lyric and dragons that he was ignoring almost all other issues in the kingdom. Other lords were becoming more and more frustrated and if they played their cards right the Hornes would be right in the middle of things, manipulating their way into power.
“Damn it. Why have the gods cursed me so?” said the king. “My men still haven’t found the boy and every day that he lives is a pain in my ass. Already lords are questioning my orders. They claim my taxes are too high and they don’t have any men to send for my army. You can see it in their traitorous eyes. They are waiting for this dragonblood to lead a revolt.”
“Where was the boy last seen?” asked Tyree.
“He was spotted in Middale heading west. Then the scouts lost his trail in the mountains. Damn idiots lost him. I’m starting to wonder if they even care to find him. They may be too worried about finding a dragon.”
“What you need is someone who feels the same way about dragons to lead them men. Someone not afraid of dragons and dragonbloods. Someone who knows those mountains and could find him.”
The king frowned. “Aren’t your lands near those mountains?”
“Yes, just south of them, in fact,” said Tyree. “Our hunters spend much time in those mountains. Excellent goat and bear hunting I’m told. I have to admit it has been a few years since I’ve been on a hunt, my old bones don’t take to the mountains like they once did, otherwise I would lead your men myself.”
“What about Talon?”
Tyree frowned and rubbed his jaw as if deep in thought. “He does share your feeling about dragons, and you know he doesn’t like that dragonblood boy. He believes that a foreigner and a dragonblood is someone who can’t be trusted and killing him is the best solution. And he certainly knows those mountains. However, if it were me it would be one thing. I have a title of lord. The soldiers and commanders would bend to my ear and follow my lead. I fear my son wouldn’t be treated the same. To send him on a hunt without giving him command would allow those who fear dragons to ignore his suggestions.”
“What if I made him leader of the armies. I don’t care what rank he has as long as he kills that blasted dragonblood.”
Tyree coughed. He had hoped the king would take the bait and give his son special administrative powers and a higher position in the kingdom, but leader of the armies? That was beyond what he’d hoped for. It was the perfect position. “I’m sure that if you made him commander of the armies that he would not fail you. He would not stop until the dragonblood was dead.”
“Hmmm,” said the king. “Perhaps that is not the proper position. I don’t want Talon having to worry about running the armies. I want his attention focused on Lyric Finch. Instead, I will make Talon my special advisor, and give him a command of a squadron of my elite soldiers. No, a platoon of elites.”
Damn, thought Tyree. So close. Commander of all the armies would’ve been a perfect position to have, but this was good, really good. “An excellent idea. I will inform Talon of your decision.”
“Good. That takes care of one problem but what am I going to do about dragons?”
“If it pleases Milord I could speak to the monks of the cloud order. They are easily found in North Port.”
“The monks of the cloud order? Why would we speak to them? Everyone knows they are a front for the Sacred Blood. Oh, I see where you are going with this.”
Tyree nodded. “The Sacred Blood might be fanatics, but they are dragon hating fanatics and they build weapons that can kill the beasts.”
“We can’t officially have dealing with the Sacred Blood. The Sacred Blood killed a lot of people here in Droll during the great war. Even the monks of the cloud order are frowned upon here, and they pretend to be a non-violent sect.”
“I agree, you couldn’t officially have dealings with them. But if an advisor met with them in secret….”
The king nodded. “Such an advisor could secure weapons to hunt the dragons with. An excellent idea Lord Horne. I will make sure you have whatever funds you need for weapons, even if I must double the taxes. My kingdom will not fall into the hands of dragons.”
Lord Tyree gave the king a small bow. No, you won’t lose it to dragons, thought Tyree. You will lose it to Hornes. “I will make the arrangements.”
…
“Gather your things. You are going home,” said Tyree Horne.
Talon frowned. “The king is angry?”
“No. The king is making you a special advisor and putting a platoon of his elite soldiers under your command. You are to track down and bring th
e dragonblood to justice.”
Talon smiled. “And by bring to justice you mean—”
“Bring back his head.”
“Gladly,” said Talon.
“This is it, my son. This is our chance. If you kill the dragonblood you will be the king’s right hand man. He’ll look to you to help him destroy the dragons.”
“And how are we going to fight dragons?”
“I’m leaving for North Port. I am going to negotiate for weapons with the Sacred Blood. The king is willing to empty the coffers. All he cares about is making sure dragons and the dragonblood don’t take his kingdom.”
“There will be revolt if he tries raising taxes again,” said Talon.
“Exactly,” said Tyree. “You will be in a position to defend the king against that revolt until the time is right then take his throne before any other usurpers can. We’ll strike a deal with the right leaders of the armies to make sure they will follow us. Some will be loyal to their own lords, but enough can be bought. And I will have the king’s coffers at my disposal.”
“What if Lyric gets to his dragon before I can find him?”
“Then even more reason for the king to spend money on weapons. It is a win-win situation. The king is a fool and revolt is coming, we just need to be in the right position for when it happens. Make no mistake son, Droll is on the verge of war, the return of dragons is only the catalyst.”
“What of the Lamars?”
“I doubt we can forge an alliance with them. I’m afraid the daughter’s dislike for you may rival their dislike for the king. We will have to destroy the Lamar if we are going to control all of Droll. Their lands are too valuable and of too great a strategic value to be ignored.”
“I want the daughter,” said Talon.
“As a wife?” asked Tyree.
“No. As a pet. I will punish her and teach her what is her proper place in this world.”
Tyree chuckled. “That is fine. Once you are king it won’t matter. Now go kill Lyric Finch. That boy has been a thorn in our side for long enough.”
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Dragon Magic: Lyric's Curse 2 (Dragonblood Sagas Book 4) Page 9