Tears of War

by A. D. Trosper

  Belan shifted his gaze to her. “We? You mean you have a dragon too?”

  Taela laughed softly. “Kellinar described you as a learned man. Did you fail to learn how to count?”

  Kellinar ruthlessly suppressed his laughter. Belan wouldn’t appreciate it right now.

  “Of course I can count.” Belan scowled at her.

  She pointed to the sky. “Did you bother to count the dots up there?”

  He gazed up for several seconds before looking back at her. “All I can see is a dot circling up there.”

  Kellinar looked up; the four distinct dots were easily visible to him. Why couldn’t Belan see that?

  Shryden’s mental snort came through loud and clear. “He is unbonded my unobservant rider. How you failed to think of this I don’t know, but it’s a good thing you have me. Next thing you know, you would fail to notice a wall and walk right into it.”

  Kellinar shot a glare at the sky. “I would have thought of it in just a moment. If he can barely see you, then it is likely you can fly a little lower and still be safe from notice.”

  “From those in the Mallay at least. You fail to see the wall again and forget the Trilene District is over six hundred paces above you and that is just the ground level. The wall and towers are higher. I think we are safer at this altitude for now.”

  “I didn’t think of that. Thank you for your wisdom, my friend.”

  Amusement ran along the dragon bond. “Friends don’t let friends walk into walls.”

  Kellinar returned his attention to Belan. “I would have them fly lower, but Shryden reminds me that the Trilene District is quite a bit higher than the Mallay and we both think it best if no one sees them yet. We need to talk with the High Houses, but we don’t want them to feel they are being threatened.”

  Belan crossed his arms over his chest, frowning thoughtfully at Kellinar. “You truly are different from Oksana and her ilk aren’t you?”

  Kellinar nodded. “The Shadow Riders feel that it’s perfectly okay to force acquiescence. Galdrilene and all those who live there feel that a forced choice is no choice at all. Each person can be given information and options but it’s up to them to follow their own path. That is what we offer the Trilene—a choice.

  “There is a war coming, a war between the dragons. The nations will not be able to stand aside. Unfortunately, a side must be chosen. We can only hope the Trilene will choose Galdrilene.”

  Belan chuckled darkly. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you. The Shadow Riders have already promised to uphold the Trilene’s way of life. Oksana told them you would force change upon them.”

  Taela crossed her legs and leaned forward. “That is partly true, Belan. If a nation wishes to side with Galdrilene, they have to agree to follow the tenets of Dragon Law. If they agree and fail to uphold those laws then the dragons will enforce it, though not in the way you are thinking right now.”

  Belan’s eyebrows drew down creating deep furrows in the skin between them. “What is Dragon Law and how would you know what I’m thinking?”

  Kellinar smiled. “Her magic is Spirit magic; it deals with thoughts, emotions, and other things of the mind. And no, she isn’t reading your every thought, just those on the very surface.” He chuckled and shook his head; a little humor never hurt anything. “Which is fine for you, but she is my bondmate.We are linked in such a way that she can flit in and out of my mind any time she wants. If you think two wives is a crazy idea, try having one them able to get into your head whenever she wants.”

  Belan visibly relaxed and laughed. “Perhaps you are a little insane after all, my friend.” He took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh before leaning back in his chair. “Okay, lay it out for me. What is this Dragon Law? And, what if the Trilene don’t accept it? Are the people of the Mallay just doomed? Because I tell you things aren’t good here, Kellinar, not at all. Oksana rounded up several people and took them with her. Just rode through the Mallay and Dellar selecting people like they were sheep and forced them through some black whirlpool. She cut a couple of houses clean in half with that thing.”

  Sadness rolled along the bond from Taela as she gazed at Belan. “Servants. I’m afraid any that were taken in all likelihood will never be seen again.”

  “I figured it was something like that. We all do.” Belan said “She took young men and women both from the Mallay and several older men and women from the Dellar. If they were going as servants I can guess they needed all ages.

  Serena laid her hand gently on Belan’s knee. “You wanted to know about Dragon Law?” When he nodded she continued, “It’s really very simple. Anyone can be anything they wish. A fisherman’s daughter can run a city; a king’s first born son can become a cobbler. Each person is allowed to choose their own destiny according to their interests and skills.”

  She shifted to face him more fully. “A person does not inherit a throne by birth alone; they must first petition the Silver dragons for such a position. Leadership is so much more than blood relations. Silver dragons have a unique ability to discern the motivations of a person. If a carpenter’s daughter and King’s first born son both petition for right of succession, the Silvers will see them both and choose the one with the right mind-set; the one with the people’s interests closest to his or her heart.”

  Taela smiled gently and picked up the explanation. “No man may gain success at the expense or sacrifice of another. If one chooses to run a fishery, that is fine. However, the workers must be compensated fairly and the working conditions must be decent. If there is a grievance by the workers, the Silver dragons and riders mediate. The man who runs it can’t lie and neither can the workers because the Silver Riders will see through it.

  Anevay gave Belan one of her breathtaking smiles and picked up the conversation. “The education of everyone is of paramount importance no matter their station in life. Everyone must learn to read, write, count, chart the stars, learn about the history of various places, etc. An educated population is more in control of its self.

  “There are no destitute. No Mallay Districts. Everyone works and pulls their weight except for the old, the young, and the infirm. The older generation brought us up, and cared for us as children, they deserve to be taken care of when age makes work difficult.”

  Belan stared at them as if each had grown three heads. “That sounds great, but it’s impossible. No such utopia exists in the world.”

  Kellinar chuckled. “I would have agreed with you a couple of years ago, until I went to Galdrilene. Dragon Law works quite well there.”

  “Galdrilene?” Belan rubbed his temples and sighed. “Let me guess, Galdrilene is not the destroyed city of the tales.”

  “No, it isn’t, my friend.” Kellinar ran his hand over the braids on his head and leaned forward a little. “Galdrilene is alive and well, and has been for quite some time. Boromar and Calladar have known about it for several centuries. They make a show of executing their magic users and then they send them to Galdrilene for training. The Calladarans also send some of their young men there to train. Some young men from Shadereen even go, though the rulers of their nation have no knowledge of it, or at least they didn’t until now.”

  Taela watched him for a long moment. “So you see, Belan, magic users have been around for quite some time. How many have gone crazy and killed people?”

  He appeared at a loss to answer. Finally, he shook his head. “This is a lot to take in all at once. Dragon Law certainly would change life here.” He let his gaze wander over the tightly packed buildings and streets of the Mallay. “The High Houses will never agree to such rules.” He looked Kellinar in the eyes. “I know that for a fact.”

  Anevay frowned. “How are you so certain?”

  Belan laughed and patted her hand. “Because I used to be one of them, my lady. Until I lost a war of houses and my conqueror decided to exile me here rather than kill me. It gives him great pleasure to see me reduced to this.” He glanced at Kellinar. “But I found fri
ends and a young man that was much like a son to me. How do you think Kellinar knows how to read and is so well spoken? I took him under my wing when he was around seven or so. Smart lad he was. Never thought I would see the day he would be so stupid as to take two wives.”

  “Reduced to this?” Taela raised an eyebrow. “I saw the amount of gold in one of the caves we passed; you haven’t been reduced too much.”

  Serena shook her head. “It isn’t like that.”

  “No, it isn’t.” Belan’s face lost its mirth. “I can see how it would seem so to you, but we keep only a small portion to ourselves and rarely spend what we do keep. You will find most of the caves that house the thieves’ quarters simple and unfettered by elaborate decoration. I am the leader of the thieves, but you will notice I wear clothing common for the Mallay. I buy my morning pitas from the women who sell them in front of their houses just like everyone else.”

  Taela frowned, confusion in her eyes. “Then what is all of the gold for?”

  “For this.” Belan swept his arm across the view of the Mallay. “The Thieves’ Guild in the Mallay has always existed to serve but one purpose; to keep the people of the Mallay alive. None of the jobs available to a man of the Mallay pay enough to truly keep the man and his family alive with the possible exception of becoming a soldier. Even with that, a Mallay man will never rise in the ranks. That is why every thief buys all of his meals from one of the women who spends her days cooking even as she chases children and errant chickens.”

  His eyes saddened. “It doesn’t freeze solid this far south like it does in the farther north, but it still gets mighty cold in the winter. Without the Guild to purchase supplies for the cobblers here in the Mallay and warm bolts of cloth from the Traders, many children would perish during the winter. Without a lot of the food staples we buy from the Traders, many women would have no food to sell, nothing to feed her family. Her husband would become too weak to work and bring in the pittance that he is given. We are the heart of the Mallay. Without us, the body of this part of the city would die out.”

  Taela shook her head. “You mean the High Houses would really allow people to die? How do they not notice that you keep this place afloat?”

  A bitter look crossed Belan’s face. “They don’t even see the people of the Mallay unless we become disobedient, die off in enough droves that we clog the roads, or if sickness depletes that week’s available labor force. Even servants for the High Houses are hired from among the lower Dellar. The only people from the Mallay the High Houses notice are the thieves and only because they seem to adore wasting a lot of gold on their eternal House wars.”

  Kellinar chuckled. “I always said we could never have made such a good living if the High Houses of Trilene weren’t such greedy backstabbers.”

  Belan became solemn. “It’s because of that they will never agree to Dragon Law and never come under the protection of Galdrilene. That leaves the Mallay out of luck.”

  Kellinar gazed over the district he’d grown up in. No, the Mallay wasn’t out of luck. “Belan,” he looked at his old friend, “I won’t let the Mallay fall to the Shadow Riders, not if they truly wish the protection of Galdrilene. As the leader of the Thieves, you are the closest thing to a leader the Mallay has. If you wish the protection of me, my dragon, and Galdrilene, we will give it to you.”

  Belan gazed back with hard eyes. “What you suggest would tear this nation in two and cost a lot of lives.”

  Kellinar nodded. “I know. Better a life lost fighting for freedom than one lived under the claw of a Shadow Dragon, don’t you think?”

  “I do.” Belan said. “But it would take a lot of people in the Mallay to think that before it would work.” He paused and rubbed his chin, his eyes unfocused and thoughtful. “I don’t think we would be alone in such a fight. There are a few in the upper districts that would prefer what you have to offer over what Oksana brought to the table.” He slapped his hands on his knees. “I will see what trouble I can stir up.”

  “We should probably at least speak with the High Houses first before we begin preparations for a civil war.” Taela looked between Kellinar and Belan, her brows drawn together. Disapproval and a touch of anger flowed along the bond.

  “We will talk to them.” Kellinar rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “But those of us who have lived here know how this is going to go.”

  Serena looked at him with sad eyes. “He is right, Taela. I was raised in the Dellar, but had plenty of dealings with the Trilene District. There are maybe a handful of High Houses that will join us, if that many. I expect the Dellar will split fairly evenly.” She glanced around at the Mallay and looked up at the walls of higher districts before bringing her eyes back to them. “It’s time for new leadership in Trilene, time for the upper houses to acknowledge the Mallay. This city, this nation, will be torn apart at the seams. But when it’s mended back together, everyone will be better off.”

  Kellinar pulled the letter Belan had given him from his pocket and turned it over in his hands. “Yes, it will be.” He broke the wax seal and slowly opened the letter. “Maybe that isn’t such a bad thing.”

  Anevay studied him. “Who is it from?”

  “Arianna,” Kellinar answered absently while reading the flowing script. Las Fane had seen black dragons. Two Shadow Riders had visited and plans were underway to attempt resistance. She hoped he was safe and ended the letter the same way she always did, by offering to help him if ever he needed anything.

  Kellinar looked up and saw a smile on Anevay’s face. “Is that the girl you saved when you were just starting out?”

  He nodded and glanced back at the letter. Kellinar had protected Arianna from a brutal life so many years ago. How in the name of the Fates would he protect her and Las Fane from Shadow Riders? The Guardians were spread so thin.

  “What does it say?” Taela asked. He knew she would be able to sense his frustration.

  “She says Las Fane has been visited by Shadow Riders.”

  Belan sighed. “It would seem they are everywhere.” He clapped Kellinar on the shoulder. “Go talk to the Trilene. The sooner we can begin tearing this place apart, the sooner others can be helped.”

  Anevay glanced between them. “Does it have to be war? Can’t the people of the Mallay just leave?”

  Belan chuckled. “And go where, my lady? These people,” he motioned to the buildings and crowded streets, “have nothing. The Thieves’ Guild has a lot of coin, but not near enough to support everyone while starting over. Besides, the Trilene needs the labor the Mallay provides. Even if they pretend they don’t, they won’t release the people of the Mallay easily. No, this is our home and we need to fight for it.”

  Vaddoc and Namir soared over the small village of Welan that lay north of Marden and not far from the Blood River. They had a promise to keep. Below them, two newly constructed towers on either end of town rose at least six stories high. Scorched ground circled each tower.

  As the massive gold landed just beyond the houses, several children ran to meet them with the adults not far behind. Before Vaddoc could even dismount, little Lenya had already snagged hold of the edge of Namir’s nostril. Vaddoc laughed as he jumped down. He removed the catcher strap and tossed it up on the saddle.

  “Come wif me, Mir,” the little girl commanded, tugging on the dragon’s nose. With a rumble of happiness, Namir slowly followed the toddler. Cat trilled from the saddle and skated down the dragon’s side to run alongside the dragon and little girl.

  Her mother approached slowly, the baby on her hip. Lenya beamed up at her. “Looky, Momma, my Mir came back! And he brought kitty wif him.”

  The woman eyed the dragon uneasily. Vaddoc stepped forward. “Your daughter is beyond safe with him.” Fates, what was her name?

  “I believe it is Anly, if my memory serves me correctly, and it usually does,” Namir sent. Vaddoc sensed the attention the dragon kept riveted on the little girl as she led him about like a prized pony.

 
; “Anly? Is that your name?” he asked the worried mother.

  She didn’t take her eyes off her youngest daughter. “Yes.”

  Vaddoc studied her closely. Her voice was sad and her eyes held the red-rimmed, puffy look of one who had cried until there were no tears left. “Is everything alright?”

  Anly turned her eyes on him for a brief moment before returning her attention to her daughter. “No, it is not. My husband was a Border Guard. He died in the battle at Marden. He was a good man and now I am left alone with three children and no idea what I will do.”

  The battle at Marden, one designed to be nothing more than a distraction. “I am sorry Anly; even dragons cannot protect everyone when Kojen are over running things.”

  She looked at him again. “I do not blame you, or your dragon. You are Shaderian, you know as well as I do that people die when there are Kojen.”

  A failed shield and deep brown eyes, like bottomless pools filled with pain, flashed through his memory. Images of his father and older brother followed. Yes; he knew all too well the pain Kojen brought to families.

  Medar came striding up the street. “Vaddoc, it is good to see you again.” He chuckled. “Never thought I would say that to a Dragon Rider. Where is Kirynn?”

  Vaddoc smiled and clasped forearms with the heavyset man who doubled as the mayor as well as the innkeeper. “Medar, you certainly look better than the last time I saw you. Kirynn is patrolling another area. How are the horses doing?”

  “They are doing great under my care; I would not have it any other way. Right now they are enjoying some time in the small pasture. I am unable to turn them out in the larger one.”

  “Why is that?” Vaddoc sensed something under the man’s words.

  Medar scratched the thinning hair atop his head. “Well, it would seem that those black dragons have decided that whatever they have been feeding on in the desert is no longer enough. They come through those black whirlpools of theirs and snatch up farm animals, people, and whatever they can catch easily.” He pointed to the towers. “We built those and keep them manned as lookouts. They sound a horn as soon as they see the signs. Did you know the air starts to ripple and swirl even before it turns black? Anyway, they sound a horn and people know to grab as many animals as they can and get them into barns; and women and children know to get inside.”