Dragon!: Book Two: Revenge

by LeRoy Clary

  A deer bolted from one side of the road and bounded to the other. A hawk circled overhead, and a ground squirrel spotted them, darted from a pile of boulders into the open, then raced away. The hawk dropped lower, watching where the squirrel had been playing.

  The ground was rising slightly, but only a little more than level. The ground was more rock than dirt. Tad investigated the first cactus, but after Ann had pulled three spines from his small hand, he lost interest in the later ones. Trees shrank, then disappeared in a sea of brown grass, dotted with silver-green sage, dark green juniper, and gnarled cedar.

  Near mid-day they reached the crest of the long, low hill they climbed. From there the trail split into two. A smaller one wound off to the north, having the signs that mostly animals used it. The main trail continued over the crest and fell away.

  They paused at the top of the ridge. Ahead was a wide, flat, dry valley as far as they could see. Looking to the left and right revealed the same. Not a tree in sight. Just a rolling plain of brown grass and bare rock. No green. No abandoned cities. No water.

  Nothing was out there but the trail they followed until it disappeared from sight in the wavering distance.

  “Three Gods above and four below!” Ann murmured, slashing her fingers in the ancient hand sign to ward off evil. “What is this place?”

  Tad said, “Do we have to go down there?”

  Gareth glanced around for shade and found none. He said, “I want to stop here.”

  “Me too,” Ann added, her voice as ashen as her face.

  Without water the trek into the emptiness ahead was impossible, and they carried no canteens or water bottles. Other than the path they followed, he saw no reason for anyone to enter the dry lands in front of them. But the trail they followed was there because it had been made by people, and it had to go somewhere.

  He sat on the hard ground and reached out for Blackie. The dragon responded instantly. It was clinging to a steep side of a rocky mountain, it’s preferred perch. Gareth looked through the eyes of the dragon and determined the pines and lack of underbrush indicated it was near where the three of them had spent the night.

  Blackie welcomed his touch and returned it. Gareth ordered, “Fly to me.”

  The dragon leaped off the side of the mountain before fully extending his wings. It fell until the first powerful stroke lifted it and sent it forward. Gareth gulped and fought vertigo as the ground began to fall away. Blackie flew higher and ahead with each long, lazy flap of his wings, and as if pleased the two of them were joined as it flew, Blackie tossed back his head and let out a scream of pure joy.

  Any animals within hearing range surely cringed and huddled deeper in their caves, nests, and burrows. Blackie had announced to the world below he was supreme, and none had better dare challenge him. Gareth chuckled as he shared Blackie’s enthusiasm.

  He used Blackie’s eyes to watch the ground below. Spread out in all directions was the beginning of the dry lands. The pine trees were smaller, there was less green, and the air was hotter and dry. He saw the trail they’d walked and recognized a few landmarks despite seeing them from above.

  And then, in the distance, he saw a ridge with three figures sitting, two of them looking up at him. On impulse, Gareth ordered Blackie to fly lower, so low he would barely skim the edge of the crest.

  Turning the dragons head on the serpentine neck, he watched Tad and Ann throw up their arms to protect their eyes from the dust and small rocks they’d thrown in the air. He didn’t miss the concerned expression Ann wore, nor the laugh of delight from Tad.

  Looking to the front again, Gareth watched the trail below. A dozen strokes of the dragon’s wings carried him further ahead than them walking a quarter of a day, or it seemed like it. One last look behind found the ridge, but it was already so far away he couldn’t see the people he knew were there.

  Then, as his attention focused ahead again, he saw that beyond a small rolling hill lay buildings. The trail went directly to them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  The buildings were the same color as the tan of the dirt and grass. There were only five. One appeared much larger. Around the buildings, but out of sight of the ridge because of the hill, were trees and patches of green gardens and pastures.

  As Blackie flew closer, Gareth decided three buildings were houses, one a storage shed or barn, and the last was far larger than any other. It was a community center or church. Animals grazed on the lush grass surrounding the buildings, and smoke rose from a chimney.

  A startled woman looked up, saw Blackie and shielded her eyes from the sun as she watched and called out a warning. Others emerged and watched. Gareth didn’t want to worry them so he turned away and flew back to the safety of the mountains where Blackie could feed at will as he waited for Gareth to complete his business.

  Gareth broke the link and looked at Ann and Tad. “There is a community ahead. Just a few buildings, but I think we need to go there.”

  Ann shrugged, “It’s what we came here for. I suspect the answers you seek are waiting there.”

  Tad said, “I still hear the minds of ten people, but they are excited, now.”

  “That’s because they saw Blackie fly over them.”

  “Is there water? I’m thirsty,” Tad added.

  “Yes, there’s green fields and trees, so there is water.”

  Ann gave him a questioning look. “Out there? How far is this place?”

  Gareth understood her question. They had no water with them. As far as they could see it was brown without a sign of water. “Not as far as you’d think. About where the trail disappears from sight is a small hill and the buildings are on the other side.”

  She didn’t seem convinced. A glance at the sun to estimate the time and she asked, “Will we be there before dark?”

  “Long before our mid-day meal,” he told her, trying to assure both of them.

  As one, they stood and started walking. The path was still no larger than at the top of the mountain pass, but it covered hard ground that made for easy walking as they moved down the long slope. At the bottom, they found the land was not as flat as they believed, or that it looked from the crest. Instead, it rolled one small round hill after another. They walked up one gentle slope and down another. Then repeated the process.

  Early in the afternoon, with the sun at their backs, they climbed another hill and found the buildings directly ahead. The green of the crops and pastures looked unnatural against the brown of the arid land all around. All of the buildings were constructed of mud bricks with a coating of tan plaster protecting the outside. All were constructed so much alike that it appeared a single worker had done all the work, which may be true.

  “It’s pretty,” Tad declared.

  “As long as they have water,” Ann said in a raspy voice.

  Gareth was about to tell them there had to be a well or spring when movement captured his attention. Two people now stood on the path in the shade of the largest building. Another was walking to join them. “They knew we were coming.”

  “Blackie?”

  “Yes, they saw him so they waited and watched,” Gareth said, feeling uncomfortable despite having no reason apparent for the feeling. Still, he hesitated. Another person joined those waiting. That made four.

  The distance was too great to make out details, but one thing drew his attention. It was not the person, but what he wore. It appeared to be a green robe. A robe like those of the Brotherhood wore, but he couldn’t be sure. Gareth swallowed and started walking. Whatever was down there would answer questions he didn’t even know to ask.

  Why he felt so sure was unknown, but instead of being scared he felt confident if a little wary. If Belcher came from there, it was reason enough to be scared. He heard the footsteps following behind, but Gareth took the lead for the first time. His presence might help protect Ann and Tad, but he didn’t believe it would be necessary.

  People planning him harm wouldn’t stand in the center of the p
ath and wait for them. As the distance closed, another joined the group, this one a woman carrying a child. He could sense all ten of them, with six standing in the road. Only four more, and as that crossed his mind, two more emerged from another building and joined the rest. Eight, counting the baby.

  Gareth attempted to seek out their minds and failed. Each wore protection, as people might wear cloaks in a rainstorm. Their minds were there, just beyond reach, but closed to outside thought. The one in the center held his arms in front of himself, each hand in the baggy sleeve of the other arm. There was not a hair on the head, and Gareth knew there would be no eyebrows when he walked closer.

  The others wore similar robes, but of different colors, all shorter in length than that of the Brotherhood, but made of the same heavy material. He saw sandals on the feet. Another figure, that of a younger woman walked from the doorway of a house carrying a baby. She joined the others, standing slightly behind the Brother.

  Tad said from behind, “That’s all of them.”

  All of the people living on this side of the mountains, every single one, stood within sight. Gareth slowed his approach as he came close enough to see their individual faces, but he still had one more shock to understand. Except for the Brother, seven were women and two babies.

  Gareth lifted his chin and continues walking, a distance that seemed greater than crossing the mountains. At the edges of his wits Belcher emerged, like a fighter jabbing and dodging, he struck time after time as hard as he could but did no harm. Gareth ignored him like he would a persistent fly as he tried to understand what he walked into.

  A dozen paces away Gareth pulled to a halt as the Brother advanced with his arms spread open in welcome. The man was old, far older than any Brother Gareth had ever encountered. His skin was loose and wrinkled, his eyes slow to track, and his back as bent as a branch of spiral wood. When Gareth closed the distance, the Brother stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Gareth and pulled him close as he kissed Gareth’s neck. In his ear, he whispered, “Welcome back, Gareth.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Gareth didn’t return the hug. He stood slack, arms at his sides. The action of the Brother was so unexpected he didn’t know how to react, and the words confused him further.

  “Water,” Ann hissed from behind.

  “May we have water?” Gareth asked, then after hesitation continued. “Why did you welcome me back? I’ve never been here.”

  The old Brother used a voice so soft it was almost lost in the rustle of the leaves in the breeze. “Of course. Water first. We should have been prepared and had it waiting.”

  A young woman in a pale green robe with a hood similar to the Brother’s took the hint when the Brother glanced her way. She turned and ran for the largest structure, fully two stories high and big enough to hold a hundred people. It was the same tan colored plastered wall, cracked and repaired many times, the variations in color indicating where the work had been done.

  As she threw open the door, Gareth noticed two things. First, the walls were thick, fully as thick as a long stride by a tall man. Second, there were no windows. As those two items were considered, Gareth remembered the sound of the door closing. It was heavy. The sound of the door was low pitched but soft. For the woman to open a door of that size, it must be counter-balanced and the hinges well oiled.

  On impulses, Gareth watched as the woman returned through the same door. It swung open easily, although it was thicker than Gareth’s hand. It was also taller than he could reach and wider than two outstretched arms, easily the largest door he’d ever seen.

  She carried a pitcher and three mugs. All of the others waited until Gareth, Ann, and Tad nearly emptied the pitcher. Gareth’s trust was thin, and he kept watch on the people as he tried to collect clues as to what was happening. Most were smiling in what seemed pleasant ways.

  The Brother stood as still a stone, not even his eyes shifting. He said, “We have a cabin for you. Our assumption was that you would wish to stay together.”

  “We would, and thank you, but we are in a rush to return to our lands so cannot remain here long,” Gareth told him, using his most earnest voice and hoping to draw out information.

  The Brother didn’t change his expression. He answered, “Also as we assumed. A meal has been prepared so all will enjoy meeting each other. However, no business is to be discussed until after. First, you rest and then we enjoy our meal.”

  The response reminded Gareth of his youth in Dun Mare and matching wits with those of the Brotherhood. Before he could prevent his mouth from speaking, words were already spilling out. “No business is to be discussed? But we came to learn.”

  He expected reactions from the people standing behind the Brother, if not from the Brother, himself. But all faces remained the same. The Brother spoke again, “If you learn nothing of us during our evening meal you are stupid. I know that is not the case.”

  “Because you know me. You say that I lived here.”

  “See? It has already begun.” The Brother said, obviously pleased with the wordplay. “You will not let us down. Please follow Haran to your rooms. Nap, rest, I’m sure you’re tired. You will be summoned for the meal.”

  Another woman stepped forward and motioned with her hand for them to follow. Meanwhile, all the others departed in different directions. Gareth stepped to her side, “You are Haran?”

  “Yes.”

  “How long have you lived here?” Gareth persisted while watching the small house come closer with each step.

  “Questions will be answered after the meal, but you already know that.” She opened the door to a cottage built of the same mud bricks and plastered to match the shade of the desert beyond.

  Again the walls were thick, only a few tiny windows high on the walls, and as Gareth stepped inside the air felt almost cool after the heat outside. The floor was stones fitted together. One room. Three beds in a corner, each with a wooden storage trunk at the foot. Three crude chairs made of bentwood stood near the center and a table with three mugs and two full pitchers. Scones for candles were mounted on the walls at intervals, and two hammered iron candleholders suspended from the wood ceiling by lines tied to loops on the wall for raising and lowering.

  Haran stood aside and allowed all three to enter, but she stood at the door ready to close it. “Is there anything you require?”

  When Gareth shook his head in response to her offer she pulled the door closed with a solid sound of heavy wood striking stone. The three stood in near darkness. Ann said, “What now?”

  Tad said, “Water.” He rushed to the pitchers and in a delighted call said, “Hey, this one has milk!”

  They all stood at the table and filled mug after mug, but none sat in the comfortable looking chairs. Tad was busy drinking milk, but Ann and Gareth waited as their eyes adjusted to the meager light in the room, each lost in thought.

  Ann asked, “What is this all about?”

  Gareth strode to the door and lifted the lever. He expected to find the door barred on the outside, but it opened easily and desert light burst into the room almost blinding him. A quick peek outside didn’t show anyone guarding the door.

  Pulling it closed again, Gareth said, “No guards.”

  Ann drew in a deep breath. “It was so hot outside. This coolness has me wanting to stay in here and one of those beds is sure to give me more sleep in a few moments than I’ve had in several nights.”

  As she walked to the closest bed, Gareth reached out to Blackie. The dragon was not there. Gareth rushed back to the door and threw it open. He ran a few steps outside, fearing the worst, but almost instantly he located Blackie and almost fell to his knees in relief.

  The old Brother approached on the stone walkway and said, “I’m sorry Gareth. Your powers are restricted while inside. Not on purpose, it is just the way it is, the materials used to build the house we think. I should have warned you.”

  “Can any outside reach me?”

  “If you’re worrie
d about Belcher, you can relax. The walls of mud prevent any mental communication in either direction, although they still work if two of us are inside. But we’ll discuss more of that after we eat.”

  The Brother strolled on to the shade of the orchard where he sat on a bench without movement, probably communication with another Brother, although Gareth wondered how the message reached over the mountains. Perhaps he was simply praying.

  Gareth turned and reentered the cabin and closed the door. The mental touch of all ten dissipated as he entered, and disappeared fully as the door closed. For the first time in almost a full lunar cycle, he relaxed and lowered the intense shield held over Tad.

  But, his skepticism forced it back into place. The bed called to him. Ann’s eyes were already closed, and she looked close to falling asleep. He said, “Tad, time for you to take a nap.”

  The boy shrugged as it that had been his intent. Tad skipped to the closest bed and leaped on top, not bothering to pull back the blanket. Gareth sat in the third, his mind in turmoil, but at the same time feeling more relaxed than in several days. He stretched out to better think of all they found and instantly went to sleep.

  All three woke when the door to the hut opened. Haran, the same woman who had shown them the room, took one step inside and softly announced that the food would be ready soon, and waited in the main house, then she exited. Ann sat up on her bed and said, “That was the most wonderful sleep I’ve had in years.”

  Gareth couldn’t disagree. His mind felt uncluttered and refreshed for a change. Tad also acted more animated than he had in days. Together they walked out into the late afternoon sunshine with long shadows and the air warm and dry. Haran sat on a small bench beside the great doors to the main ‘house’. At their arrival, she stood and opened the door that stood twice as tall as Gareth and wide enough for all three to enter side-by-side.

  Inside the temperature again dropped considerably, the dim lighting made it almost impossible to see when the door swung closed, and only a few candles fought back the darkness. As their eyes adjusted, the vast room seemed to appear out of the dark.