Dragonspeaker Chronicles Box Set

by Patty Jansen

  “I thought the other way around. I wanted the large team on the small boat because we need to be faster. Then when we rescue the people, we take them to the order’s ship and hook up both teams.”

  “So we’ll want twenty-six animals?”

  “That was the plan.”

  “That should do, but how are we going to get the sea cows? No one has that many animals anymore.”

  “They come into the old Brouwer Company barn. We have carrots they seem to like. Once we fix the harness, we’ll try to lure the animals in. Most of them have probably worked before and will be used to wearing a harness, although the younger ones might be a bit feisty.”

  “You really have thought about this.”

  “I have—wait, earlier, you said we?”

  “I have nothing left to lose. My wife is dead, my children grown up. I’m just existing from one day to the next, waiting for the Regent’s men to come around and accuse me of having magic. If they’re going to arrest me, I might as well give them a proper reason.” He grinned.

  “All right.” Nellie was glad for his offer because he seemed capable and experienced in all the things she was not. “As long as you’re happy to leave the city with us.”

  “I am, as long as there is water for me to go fishing.”

  “I didn’t catch your name.”

  “It’s Floris.”

  “I’m Nellie.”

  “Nice to meet you, Nellie. I’ve heard about you from a friend who used to work for the Brouwer company.” He gave her a fishy handshake. “I was wondering if it was you. I knew your father. ‘Nellie’ doesn’t sound right. You should call yourself Cornelia. A lot of the common folk are talking about you, because you’re one of them. In some places they call you the Dragonspeaker.”

  Nellie laughed. “Well, if there is a dragon to be spoken to, it’s sure not speaking to me.”

  Nellie wasn’t sure that she was comfortable with so many people talking about her, but it was to be expected. Soon, few places in the city would be safe.

  “You still have the dragon?”

  “The dragon is not mine. I can’t command him, but he follows me around when he feels like it.”

  But still, she chuckled to herself when walking back to the barn. The trail of sparks followed her along the quayside, and she had no means to call the dragon to return to his solid form; but to be called the Dragonspeaker—that was silly and impressive at the same time.

  Nellie the Dragonspeaker.

  Chapter 12

  NOW THAT SHE HAD A PLAN, they had a few days to carry it out.

  First, Nellie needed to secure ham for the carpenter. So the next morning, she went on another trip to the palace. It was risky, and she didn’t need to go for leftovers because they still had the carrots and beans that had been left in the barn, and they now had a supply of fish, but there was no other place that Nellie could get ham.

  She got up before the others, wound the shawl around her head and collected her basket with pots to disguise herself as a spice seller.

  She stumbled through the dark barn to light the fire and turn up the wick to the old oil lamp and set a pot to boil so that there would be porridge and tea when she came back.

  Two sea cows popped their heads above the water, and Nellie tossed them some carrots, which they ate with much crunching and slobbering, attracting even more sea cows. She guessed at least twenty animals called the barn home.

  The number of cats had increased to six, the puppy still came to sleep under the workbench at night, and Anneke had pointed out that a handful of bats hung in the rafters during the day. The dragon’s presence attracted other creatures.

  Nellie made her way along the dark quay. Floris was still at home, his fishing boat tied up and nets neatly stowed on the deck.

  In the palace forecourt a lone boy was walking a beautiful white and grey horse held by the reins. Those horses were Madame Sabine’s. When she went into town, she would either ride one, or two of them would pull the coach. They were beautiful, tall animals with dappled grey fur, white manes and tails, white fetlocks and pale blue eyes. The stallion, which the boy was taking for a walk, had the reputation of being a cranky animal, but rumours also went that it was worth a lot.

  When she walked past the stairs to the palace’s main entrance, the sounds of angry voices drifted down from inside the foyer.

  By the Triune, what was going on there?

  Nellie looked over her shoulder. The guards at the gates had gone back to watching the market square. The stable boy was taking the horse back inside. Nobody could see her sneaking up the stairs.

  Nellie stopped at the door, in the shadow of the porch, from where she could see into the palace foyer.

  A surprising number of people stood in the foyer, especially considering the time of day.

  The Regent’s housekeeper was up at this time but he would be bustling about getting breakfast ready. The palace guards were up, but they’d be standing silently by the doors. The palace’s domestic staff would be doing the washing and cleaning, not standing on the stairs and the edges of the foyer watching a commotion.

  The centre of the attention was Lord Verdonck’s son Adalbert.

  The housekeeper was speaking. “And my master has assured us that anyone who has anything else to do with this dreadful affair will also be arrested.”

  Lord Verdonck’s son said, “I don’t believe you. None of the food produced here was poisoned. Someone came to my father’s room and poisoned him, just him, no one else. Your suggestions that he was killed by a dragon are ridiculous.”

  “You haven’t seen those scars,” the housekeeper said.

  “Rubbish. You speak lies. My father has had those scars for a long time, longer than you’ve been alive. You’re trying to cover up for whoever amongst these pathetic nobles in this so-called court of yours has killed my father. If you continue to make no effort to unmask the murderer, I will withdraw my funding from this ridiculous excuse of a kingdom and you can all come to our estate on your knees begging for forgiveness and money. And let me tell you this: I’ll take extreme pleasure in saying no to your fat, pampered faces.”

  “My master assures me we are hot on the trail of the dragon—”

  “Stop your ridiculous suggestions. The dragon did not kill my father. The food at the banquet was not poisoned. The wine was not poisoned or if it was, your beloved monks would have something to do with it, and you wouldn’t want to admit that now, would you?” The housekeeper stepped back. Nellie knew the man from her time working in the kitchen. He was a nervous, easily upset character and no match for the young noble’s power of argumentation. He stammered, “The Regent has instructed the guards to arrest this person. Surely the Regent knows best.”

  Which person? Had anyone been arrested?

  “It is nonsense. Just like your city raids are nonsense. The talk about the dragon is nonsense. All you will achieve is that you will sow discord amongst your people. None of the staff have done anything wrong, and your master knows it.”

  The housekeeper sniffed. “I will not take this treatment any more. I will complain to my master.”

  “Do that. I will enjoy arguing with him.”

  The housekeeper gave him a rude prick look, turned around and strode up the stairs, followed by the guards.

  Adalbert Verdonck strode in the direction of the guest quarters, uttering a snort that sounded like, “Idiots.”

  The housekeeping staff dispersed and Nellie scurried down the steps before anyone could ask what she was doing there.

  She sped past the side of the palace into the servants door to the kitchen.

  The moment she opened it, several people gasped.

  “There she is,” Corrie said, seated at the table. “We were just talking about you, Nellie.”

  Dora stood at the stove, stirring a pot. “Quick, hide yourself before the guards see you.”

  Hide herself? “Whatever is wrong?” Nellie asked.

  “The guards were
just here looking for you. You’re to be arrested to be accused of the murder of Lord Verdonck.”

  “Me?”

  But Nellie felt cold inside. She had expected that this would happen at some point when no clear culprit could be found.

  Corrie explained, “Yes, they say because you visited him in his room, and because you got herbs for him, you must have poisoned him.”

  “Well I didn’t, but I guess that is no argument.”

  “No, and you must leave as quickly as possible. The guards wanted to know if we had heard anything from you since your last visit. Apparently, they went to the warehouse where you were rumoured to be, and didn’t find you there.”

  Nellie’s heart jumped.

  Had Zelda had been spying for the guards? Really? There was no way that the guards would otherwise have known where she was. The ones who had come into the warehouse had been city guards who didn’t know her, and had enough to deal with, like a big dragon in the hayloft.

  “I can see it’s becoming dangerous. I won’t come back here after today. At least not for a while, but I need to get some ham.”

  Dora laughed. “You’re getting picky now?”

  “I promised someone. It’s a trade.”

  Dora went into the pantry and came back with a hessian bag full of bread and cheese. She put it on the table in front of Nellie.

  “Here is your ham. I put in a little bit more than usual. If you let me know where you are, I’ll try to come out there and bring it to you, or I’ll send one of the young ones. We have to be very careful. They’ll punish me if they know where I’m going.”

  “I understand. But we’re fine for the time being. I may need to ask you later, when things quiet down. I’m looking after six children whose mother has been taken prisoner and whose father has fled town.”

  “How old are they?”

  “The oldest is ten, and the youngest is just three. There is one set of twins. They were never poor. They used to live in a normal house and their father had a tailor shop when he was forced to leave town.”

  “Poor mites. Come with me.”

  Dora preceded Nellie into the hallway, and to the linen room.

  This corridor was so familiar to Nellie. Just the thought that she could go to the end of the corridor and find her comfortable room still there disturbed her. Someone else might have taken it, but she didn’t think so. She had wanted to collect her few remaining positions, but she knew better than to burden herself with unnecessary furniture when she had nowhere to put it.

  It was dark in the linen room, and the smell of soap was achingly familiar.

  “It’s probably just as well you missed the big to-do here in the last few days,” Dora said, after she shut the door. It was cold in here, and her breath steamed in the air.

  “It is about the Lord Verdonck’s son, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. The son demands an explanation for his father’s death. He is invoking the unspoken rules that hosts of castles and palaces are responsible for the safety of those under their roof.”

  “So the Regent has been scrambling for someone to blame for the poisoning?”

  “That’s about the gist of it. First, they came and arrested poor Wim.”

  “But he did nothing wrong.”

  “No, and the Lord’s son said as much. Then they came here to look for you because, apparently, you gave Lord Verdonck some herb concoction.”

  “I brought tea, which he was in no state to drink.”

  “And then, in another desperate move, the Regent said that Lord Verdonck had been killed by a dragon, and the son grew extremely angry. The Regent then said he would punish Wim, just to have someone to blame, and because he was the only person he could find who could remotely be responsible for the poisoning.”

  “Wim didn’t do it.”

  “We know that. They know that. I think they wanted you, but they didn’t know where to find you.”

  They were silent for a while.

  “If they find me, would they release Wim?”

  Dora’s expression was horrified. “Oh, I don’t know. Probably not. I wouldn’t try that if I were you.”

  “I don’t intend to.”

  “Good.”

  Few sounds reached this room, except someone must have come into the back yard, judging by the oinking of the pigs.

  Nellie said, “The Regent wants to blame someone so he can get Adalbert Verdonck off his back.”

  “He wants to blame everyone.”

  “Adalbert Verdonck is not happy with the story about the dragon. I don’t think he should be. The dragon didn’t kill his father.”

  “They said he had scratches on his leg.”

  “The dragon didn’t kill him, believe me.”

  “Have you seen the dragon lately?”

  “No. He flew off. He’s probably gone home.”

  Dora sighed. “It’s not an easy situation. The guards have been in here many times. They also talked to some other kitchen workers.”

  “Not Els and Maartje?” Nellie’s heart jumped. She had rescued the two sisters from a certain fate of becoming whores, and she did not want anything bad to happen to them.

  “No, those two were smart enough to stay away. Haven’t seen them for days either.”

  Els was smart. In fact, if she did not work at the palace, Nellie probably knew where to find her. And she also was not entirely convinced that Els had nothing to do with the poisoning. Especially not with her strange monk friend. But drawing attention to it helped no one.

  So she was now under suspicion. She’d prefer that to pointing suspicion at Els and her young sister.

  Dora had opened one of the linen cupboards and took out several sheets and some blankets.

  “Here, put those in your bag. I will ask around for people to bring spare clothing for children, and if you let us know where you are, I can send someone to bring it to you.”

  “Thank you very much. I’ll let you know once we’re safe. I don’t think I would still be alive without you.”

  “Don’t be silly. Now, look after yourself.”

  But Dora’s eyes glittered, before she took Nellie into a strong, soup-scented hug.

  Then Nellie walked along the hallway to the side entrance of the palace, knowing she might not come back here for a long time, if ever.

  While she had been inside the palace, there had been a change of guard, and one of the replacements at the gate included Henrik, who stood in the guard box, and could not be fooled about her identity, no matter how much she pulled the shawl over her head.

  He pulled her aside, into the darkness of the box.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice little more than a whisper.

  “I only found out that apparently I’m supposed to have poisoned Lord Verdonck.”

  “You are risking your life by coming here. If I were you, I would run as far away from the palace as possible.”

  She didn’t like his tone at all.

  “You don’t believe that I poisoned the Lord, do you?”

  He glared at her. “I consider whatever proof we are given.”

  Nellie couldn’t believe her ears. “So you believe these lies the Regent tells?”

  “I look at evidence. We know who came to Lord Verdonck’s room. We know who was at the banquet. We know where the food came from—”

  “But do you know which item was poisoned?”

  He glared at her.

  “That would be a start, if you knew that. Or you knew the type of poison and who has it—”

  “Don’t tell me how to do my job.”

  “Then do your job. Look at the most obvious possibility. Who supplied most of the food and wine? Who was there to help serve it?”

  “You want to blame the church? What happened to you? Is that what your father told you? Your father left the church because he was disgraced. He attempted to overstep his boundaries as accountant, so he could dictate what the church bought, which should be the shepherd’s decision. And
it should be the Regent’s decision. No one else can see their plan for this city. I don’t need to remind you that the church keeps us safe from magic, and the Regent keeps us safe from the bandits that roam the countryside. He has made the city a safe haven. I don’t need to remind you of how scarce imports from other lands have become. Produce can’t come through. The traders see no more reason to stay in our town. The Regent has a plan to fix all that. The Regent is my superior. I don’t always agree with what he says, but I have to listen to him, because he has the best interests of the people at heart.”

  “You genuinely believe that?”

  “And you do not? You think he came here out of his own free will, just because somebody needed this job to be done? He had to be asked, and he agreed, and he did not want to come here, and especially his wife did not want to come here.”

  Well, he was right on that latter statement.

  “He came here because—” and then she stopped.

  There was no point in arguing with him.

  He did not understand, he did not want to see the depth of deceit that these men were playing on the people of the city. There was nothing she, an old woman, could say about the situation that would make him believe it. She would have to show it to him another way, or not at all. Whatever their relationship might have been, whatever course it had been on, it was not to be. There was no point in pursuing any of this.

  She yanked her arm loose.

  “I’m leaving. You won’t see me again, so don’t even try find me.”

  And she walked out of the palace gates, but her eyes pricked.

  She would show him.

  Her father did not leave the church out of disgrace. And Henrik was wrong about the Regent. And he was wrong about who poisoned Lord Verdonck. She would show him and then he would have to apologise to her.

  Walking across the market place, however, she realised that by fleeing, she as much as admitted her own guilt. If they suspected her of poisoning Lord Verdonck, the guards would hunt her forever. She could never come back to the city, and would live her twilight years in fear.

  The only way of clearing her name was to find out who had poisoned him, right?