by G L Roberts
Gement joined the women. “We will have to find another way to protect her. Perhaps her dragon could be persuaded to take a more active role in guarding the Jewel. Or the Epidii, as a captain of an army, he must see that his leader should not be at the battlefront.”
“He is one of her strongest defenders,” Lady Anethar replied. “And being so, he already sees the need to protect her. I have seen him position himself at her right arm many times. He has already taken an oath to protect her.”
“Has anyone spoken to Lady Athebryn about Meydra?” Lady Anestar asked. “Surely their bond carries a deeper responsibility to the dragon.”
Arlendyl turned to her. “What about Meydra?”
“About the fact that now she is joined to the dragon, Athebryn’s lifespan will be centuries and not decades,” Anestar answered. “Does she know this?”
Arlendyl looked at each of the sisters. She glanced out at the hill and wrapped her arms around herself, hugging tightly. “Meydra will tell her when the time is right. Until then, if it is this body’s wish that she not lead in battle, we must speak with Arryn. He will be at Skiel. Otherwise, it would be best for us to remain silent.”
“We will speak with him at Skiel,” Lady Adhar said. “It is in the clann’s best interest to keep the Jewel safe.”
Arlendyl continued to watch the sky above the hill. She had seen the change that had taken place in her daughter and was still unable to fully grasp all that had happened to her little girl. The jewel and crown fused to Bryn’s skin—the confidence she showed when she commanded the dragons with her thoughts—all served to reinforce the legend. There were other things mentioned in the ancient texts, but she had yet to witness those firsthand. Her greatest concern was they were intentionally keeping the fact that Bryn would outlive her family and her friends from her daughter. Her life was now in the hands of Meydra. So long as Meydra lived, so too would Bryn. She would outlive her parents, and she would outlive Thalynder. Arlendyl wiped the tears from her face before turning back to her sisters.
Chapter Five
Bryn had not been truly alone for nearly two months. Sitting on the back of her dragon, and though flanked on either side, she felt isolated. She reflected on her friends. She desired their continued company. Planning the liberation of a country, she hoped her friends would remain her allies and their kingdoms her armies. Had she asked too much of them too quickly? Her arm ached, as did her head.
“You are worried,” Meydra called above the wind.
“I am concerned.” Bryn absentmindedly rubbed at her left arm.
“You have their allegiance.”
“My small company is my country’s hope. But will they be able to convince their own clanns and subjects? I am concerned that the masses may not see the need to fight this enemy as I do.”
“Is not the death of one clann member enough to stir all?”
“Once, it was more than enough,” Bryn replied. “Times change and so do minds.”
“You will have time to change them back.”
“Will I?” Bryn asked. “Will I have enough time to persuade my countrymen before the country is overrun with these Norsemen? I saw something in the Jarl’s eyes when I stood there face-to-face with him. They mean to occupy this island. He was not here with a raiding party. He was scouting for his king.”
“They have yet to return. Perhaps the Jarl was not expected back so soon in his homeland.”
“No, he was expected. That much I am certain. He was unhurried, but he was on his way back to his homeland.” Bryn leaned down, rubbed behind Meydra’s ears and kissed the top of her head. “It is good to be with you again, mo anam.”
“You have always been with me, Athebryn. An Yun is adapting to Thalynder.”
“Yes, but is Thalynder adapting to An Yun?” Bryn asked. “I did not realize that the other companions do not speak with their dragons the way you and I do. I have had more than just the basic dragon lore. You have provided me with more than anyone could possibly imagine. Even now, as we speak, I know we are using a language no other human uses. I know when you are speaking to my heart or when you need to speak to my mind. I know and understand the differences.”
“The other dragons know the speech of humankind.” Meydra sighed—altogether a very human trait—and gave her head a small shake. “You know from the conversations you have heard, that most dragons find human speech difficult. Some try very hard to learn the few words needed to guide or be guided by a companion. Others simply do not try. If your companions stopped to listen to you speak aloud to a dragon, they would themselves be surprised that you even try to form the words a dragon understands.”
“I had a good teacher. Had you not schooled me when I was very young, I too may find it difficult to execute the language.”
Meydra chuckled. “My Lady, you needed very little schooling. The skill of languages comes to you naturally. Who taught you the language of the elves?”
Bryn thought for a moment. “I do not know.”
“Or the language of the Jarl?”
Again, Bryn hesitated. “I do not remember.”
“My Lady, you have gifts that no one can explain. You have realized very few of them. More will follow.”
“Meydra, can you see the future?” Bryn asked.
“I can see far.” Meydra chuckled. “Seeing into the future is not one of my gifts. Perhaps if you were to give it some thought, you may find the future better revealed to you.”
“I do not believe I want to know what lies in the future.” Bryn leaned down to rest her forehead on the back of Meydra’s head. “It is enough to know that the Jarl’s king will send many men to avenge the death of his son. It is enough to know that many lives of many clanns will die in this war. It is enough to know that I may have to leave my Lynder behind while I send others to their deaths.”
“You intend to leave the Princess in the Realm That Touches Two Seas?” Meydra asked.
“It will not be my decision, nor will the decision be made by Thalynder. I fear King Thamen will not allow his only daughter, and his only heir, to follow me into battle. As much as I want her near me always, I do know the dangers will be great. The royals and the clann leaders will be targets of not only arrows and swords, but they could well be taken prisoner and ransomed.”
“That is a real possibility.”
“There is much to consider.” Bryn sat back up to survey the land beneath her. She glanced over at Thalynder and saw the smile on her face.
It had been a while since any of them had been on the back of a dragon, and the little girl in her soared as the wind pulled at her hair. Bryn hoped, if only for a brief moment, the princess allowed the wind to wash away the concerns of the past few weeks. It certainly showed in her posture and in her smile.
Bryn returned her gaze to the horizon and scanned the east for any sign of Heardred’s men.
The fog thickened, and the longship slowed its pace. There was nothing before them for several more miles, and the fog did not cause overmuch concern for the helmsman. He ordered the men to reduce the oar speed and to silence every other oar. He would alternate the rowers until the fog lifted. The longships did not often set out during the seasons where the fog was heaviest. Nevertheless, the king wanted information about his son, and the summer oceans, fog or not, would be sailed. The men trusted the helmsman as he was just as wary of the fog as any other man. He walked the boat and stopped at the bow where a captain of the king’s army sat and watched the men.
“We are slowing,” the captain said as the helmsman approached him.
“The fog has thickened.”
“How long now before we see land?” the captain asked.
“At this speed, ten days. Two days after the new moon. If the fog lifts, the earliest we would arrive would be the night of the last sliver.”
“Have you seen the people of this island?”
“I have seen them,” the helmsman said. “They are as docile as sheep, these Druids.”
&
nbsp; “Druids? The island has Druids?”
“Yes, and they are very passive. Your job will be an easy one.”
“We’ll see.” The captain stared a long moment at the western horizon. “There is magic in the Druid ways. Let us hope they are as docile as you seem to think. I am not so certain.”
The small village of Picts had been no match for the twenty Norsemen. The men pillaged the village, killing the men and expecting to take the women and children as slaves. All told, the village lost seven men, and only one half grown man was taken as a slave. There were no women and no children. Although the Jarl thought that odd, he decided that the village was a fishing village and that the women and children lived farther inland. It was that decision that led the Jarl and four of his men to remain in Alban and not return to the boats with the others.
When the Jarl met up with Bryn and her company, fifteen of his men had already started their return to Götaland. One man had remained behind with the second boat. He was in the rocks, fishing off the shore when the first dragon arrived and set the boat to blaze. Having believed that dragons existed only in legend and myth, he was at first fascinated by IronHeart’s magnificence.
As the dragon blew a breath of fire and death, the man cowered and moved deeper into the rocks. When he heard the beat of more giant wings, he chanced a peek at what he thought might be a second dragon. It was then that Caraid and Meydra flew in carrying the bodies of his countrymen. The fierce creatures dropped the bodies of the men from their talons. He watched, wide-eyed, as Caraid and Meydra tore at the bodies of four of the men. The Jarl was spared from the initial disfigurement, or so the man thought.
As the Jarl’s body was placed near the flaming boat, Meydra rolled him over with her talon and carefully tore at his leather tunic until his chest was left bare. There, with the delicacy of a fine blade, she used her talon to carve a symbol into the Jarl’s chest. The man watched and waited until the dragons were gone. As his boat burned, he realized he had no way to return to his homeland. He waited until deep into the night before approaching the men and did so very carefully.
His felt gutted at the sight of the men, although he himself had maimed and mutilated bodies of the local peasants often enough. He would have to gather the pieces to properly send the men off to Valhalla. He would need to act quickly before the beasts of the land devoured the remains. The boat, now reduced to glowing embers, would have to serve as the pyre for the bodies. He dragged the bits and pieces to the boat and tossed them into what remained of the timbers. He then went to the Jarl’s body with the intention of moving it to the boat as well.
The man approached the Jarl with his head bowed as befitted the Jarl’s class. He looked at the dead man’s torso. Carved into his chest was a symbol all the fighting men recognized. His country also had Druids from time to time, and their runes were familiar to most of Norsemen. Some were quite simple and represented familiar things such as earth, air, water, and wind. And some, with their circles and unending lines, represented the warriors of the ancient tribes. One particular symbol was outlawed by the Kings of Götaland as it challenged their rule. As the man stared at the symbol, he realized many things had changed since their last raid two winters ago. For here, on the chest of the Jarl, the dragon had carved that outlawed symbol—the Triskele. Beneath the symbol were three runes. The man could not read the runes, but believed them to be a warning. He decided that the Jarl could not yet be given over to the gods. Not until the runes were read by a sage.
The man wrapped the Jarl tightly in his own cloak and moved his body to where the beasts would not disturb it. He did not know how much longer he would have to wait for another longship to show. Nevertheless, knowing that the Jarl would be missed and the other boat already returned home, he did not believe it would be a long wait.
Bryn slid off Meydra’s neck and gave her cheek a rub. “Thank you for the splendid ride.” Meydra’s tail brushed against Bryn’s back in her own show of thanks. Bryn left Meydra and walked over to where the others were gathering for a meal. She noticed that Thalynder was sporting a large playful smile.
Thalynder sprinted over to Bryn. “That was wonderful. Don’t you agree Arryn?”
Arryn grinned. “I think FireSong spared me this time around. This ride was easier than the first.”
Malcolm chuckled. “You will make a fine rider.” Malcolm looked at Bryn. “You are quiet, Bryn.”
“I have been thinking about the Jarl. We may want to consider that there were others with him and that they may have already returned to their homeland.”
“If that is so, we have need for haste,” Arryn replied. “Was there just the one boat?”
“As far as we know, yes. IronHeart set only one boat to blaze. If there was a second boat, it had already set sail for Götaland. When after a time the Jarl was overdue, the king would certainly send someone to search for him.”
Malcolm frowned. “Our time may be shorter than we first thought. Perhaps we should rethink our current plan. My Lady, you may wish to return to Skiel and await the others you have called to the council. Arryn and Princess Thalynder could return to the realm of King Thamen while Kenna joins her clann. We would save valuable time if we split up now and did not bother to stop for meals.”
Bryn did not want to leave the company. Something nagged at her, and the company was a comfort. She kept returning to the scene at the loch and the Jarl being in Alban so late into the year. What was he looking for and had his father known he was going to remain here well past the winter? Weighing all the options for his presence in Alban, she was still unsettled. “You are right, Prince Malcolm. The sooner we get the clanns united and prepared for war, the better we will rest. Yet, I am in need of this company for a little while longer. We will ride and not take rest again until we reach the Peak Stone. I wish to spend the evening in counsel with all of you before we separate. If you will grant me one more night as a company, I will not keep you any longer.”
“I do not wish to separate,” Arryn said. “We are a formidable company, strongest when together.”
Kenna patted Arryn’s arm. “That is true, brother warrior. But for the company to go from kingdom to clann and then back to Skiel would take more days than I fear we have remaining.”
Thalynder cleared her throat. “I too feel we are running out of time. And Arryn is correct. We are a formidable company. I did not expect to return to my father alone. Do you intend to return to Skiel and not continue to our realm?”
“I think it best we discuss this in length tonight. We may all have reasons for staying together, just as we may have concerns about delaying what we all believe is about to happen.”
“You are speaking about the Norsemen returning to look for the Jarl,” Kenna said. “You believe that they are already on their way here.”
“It is also my concern.” Arryn glanced at the shadows on the ground. “Come, time is passing. Let us eat quickly and make haste for the Peak Stone.”
Bryn took Thalynder’s hand and led her a short distance from the others. “Do not be over worried my love. Nothing can keep us apart for long, and we both know that there will be times when we must be separated.”
“I know that. I know that all too well. I also know you well enough to know something is weighing heavy on your mind. Is it the Norsemen? Or the clanns and kingdoms?”
“The concern is the same,” Bryn said. “Now, let us put this aside. Tell me, how do you like riding with An Yun?”
The company ate quickly and were on the backs of their dragons again in short order. With the sun high overhead, Bryn did not expect to stop until it sat deep upon the horizon. Throughout the meal, no one spoke. She needed to be able to speak with them openly; encouraging them to also speak their minds. Nevertheless, they remained quiet. She did not expect Malcolm to restrict his speech. He had made it known that he was not used to taking orders. Yet now he followed Bryn’s lead without hesitation. Kenna and Arryn deferred to Bryn and would do as she bid without questi
on. Thalynder, Bryn could tell, wanted to voice her opinion, to cry out her concerns, but she held her tongue and that was a problem for Bryn. She was used to the princess being a force of her own. This quieter, more pensive Lynder was not at all what Bryn wanted to see.
The terrain below grew misty with the evening fog, and Meydra suggested that one of the dragons drop lower and act as scout. Bryn agreed. They sent Arryn and FireSong down into the mists. After a couple of hours the mist began to clear, and the Peak Stone appeared in the distance. Bryn waved over at Thalynder and pointed to the high peak. Thalynder returned the wave and gave Bryn one of her best thank-you smiles.
Arryn returned with FireSong and called out to Bryn. “There is a small group of hunters at the forest edge. There is nothing else between the forest and the Peak Stone, except for four dragons at the high lake.”
Bryn waved back her acknowledgment. She sent out a thought to FireSong.
Are they friends from Skerrabrae?
They are not known to me.
Meydra, I will ask the others to remain behind. I would like for you to take me closer to the new dragons.
Bryn called out to Arryn. “Remain behind with the others. Meydra and I will approach the dragons first.” She could see that Arryn did not want her to go alone, but he conceded to her without voicing his concern. That too was not customary for Arryn. Bryn had to set things right and once they were on the ground again, she would do just that.
Bryn and Meydra approached the dragons quickly. As they neared where the dragons sat on the tops of rock pinnacles, the dragons dropped to the ground and bowed their heads low. They remained bowed until Meydra stepped to the ground. Bryn did not dismount Meydra. She waited for the dragons to be first greeted by Meydra. She gauged their reaction to the High Dragon. The dragons were respectful.