'What? You must have seen it. Red leather, about the size of my hand, with a string of matched black pearls wrapped around it.'
'There are no folios in the collection, most honourable Teacher,' the eunuch said, crouching into a smaller target.
'Are you stupid? I saw it myself when I opened the vault,' Prahn snapped. 'Bring me the manifest from the Dragoneye Council.'
The eunuch scrabbled across the floor on his knees, picking up a scroll from a low table.
Prahn snatched it out of his hands and pulled it open, scrutinising the list.
'Well?' the Prince said.
Prahn looked up. His wide eyes seemed to hold the only colour in his face.
'But I...' He stopped. 'My lord, I cannot find any folio listed on the manifest. But I saw one. I am sure of it.'
I crossed the room in a few strides and plucked the scroll from Prahn's slack grasp. 'There is none listed?'
The Prince followed, looking over my shoulder as I read the record.
There was no folio. I let the scroll slither back up into its roll.
The Prince's hand flicked out, clipping the old man across the face. It was a light blow, more formality than punishment. Prahn took it without a sound then dropped to his knees, kowtowing to his young master.
'I am sorry, Your Highness.'
'You should be begging Lord Eon's forgiveness for your incompetence,' the Prince said coldly.
The old scholar immediately gathered himself into a hunched apology. 'My lord, please forgive an old man's faulty memory'
The Prince turned to me. 'Do you want him beaten?'
I stared at his implacable face. I thought I had seen a hint of the young ruler in the pavilion, but that was nothing compared to the young Emperor who now stood next to me. I could truly believe he was descended from dragons.
'No,' I said quickly. 'I am sure he believed there was such a folio.'
The Prince nodded. 'I think you are right. A just decision.' He looked down at Prahn. 'We shall overlook this failure, Prahn. Your service up to this point has been exemplary. Do not let it happen again.' He gripped my shoulder. 'Come, let's go and look at the swords.' I le walked out of the room.
I'rahn bowed low to me. 'Lord Eon, I apologise again. I was sure there was such a folio.'
I studied his upturned face: puzzlement and hurt pride overlaid with deep unease. Teacher Prahn was a meticulous man — it did not seem likely that he would make such a mistake.
'Tell me, where did you get the manifest?' I asked.
'Lord Ido brought it to me himself,' Prahn said.
The crackle of parchment made us both look at my hand. I had crushed the scroll. I loosened my grip, using the moment to hide my fear.
'Lord Ido?' I said, trying for a tone of polite interest, but it came out tense and tight. 'Why did he bring it?'
'It was his duty, my lord. As Council leader he opened the vault and checked the contents with me. I am sure the folio was listed. And Lord Ido saw it too.' Prahn frowned. Although I cannot remember the occasion clearly Maybe it is true, I am getting too old.'
I remembered the flick of silver in Lord Ido's eyes as he tried to charm me. Had he succeeded with Prahn, using his power to confuse the old man?
'It was just a mistake, Teacher,' I said, handing back the flattened scroll. 'There is no harm done. Let us forget it and join the Prince. We should not keep him waiting.'
Prahn nodded and bowed, eager to leave his humiliation behind.
I took one last look around the room. There was no proof that there had ever been a folio amongst the treasures — who would believe an old scholar's ageing memory against the word of the Ascendant Dragoneye? But I was willing to gamble my good leg that it did exist, and that Lord Ido had stolen it.
Did the folio hold my dragon's name? I knew it was only a slim chance, but it was also my only chance.
Somehow, I had to get that folio back.
CHAPTER 10
I picked up a cup of wine from the tray that the servant held out to me. I would have preferred cold water, but anything wet was welcome. My master shook his head at the offering, tapping his folded silk fan impatiently against his thigh.
It was only mid-morning, but the day's bright heat had already thickened the air in the courtyard of the Rat Dragon Hall. Small cumquat trees created a lush green border but didn't cast enough shadow for any refuge from the sun. The other Dragoneye lords stood at the front of the square in clusters of two or three, apprentices at their elbows, their murmured conversations lost in the wide expanse of paving. Although none looked directly at me and my master, it was obvious that all attention was upon us.
Are you clear on your role today?' my master asked.
He flicked open the fan and waved it near his gaunt face, sending a warm breeze in my direction. I nodded, trying to ignore an itch of sweat under my breast-band.
'It seems straightforward enough,' I said.
On the short journey to the hall, my master had told me what to expect at the Council meeting: he would accept the role of
proxy lord and I would stand aside in order to train. But such a simple transfer of duty did not explain the tension in the faces around us.
I gulped a mouthful of the wine. The sourness burned through the knot of panic in my chest.
There was nothing to fear — my master knew what he was doing — but I could not shake off my unease. Perhaps it was just being in Lord Ido's domain. I scanned the courtyard again. He had not yet made his entrance.
'This will liberate you from attending every Council meeting,' my master said. 'You will eventually need to know how the Council operates, but at the moment it is more important for you to focus on developing your Dragoneye skills.'
I smoothed an imaginary crease out of the sleeve of my red robe, avoiding his searching look.
My first Staminata lesson was later in the day How long could I bluff through the classes and training before someone realised I could not call my dragon? I looked around once more, this time for Dillon. Perhaps he had seen the Mirror Dragon folio in Lord Ido's rooms.
My master suddenly drew himself up. Lord Tyron had broken away from a tight whispering group and was approaching us, trailed by his tall apprentice.
Remembering Lady Dela's lesson, I bowed to the older Dragoneye. The rich amethyst of his robes brought out the florid tones of his skin and the blue exhaustion under his eyes.
'Greetings, Lord Tyron,' I said.
He nodded to me and my master. 'Greetings. Allow me to present Apprentice Hollin, in his eleventh year.'
Hollin bowed to us, his small dark eyes as shrewd as his master's. Next cycle he would become Ox Dragoneye, so for all intents and purposes he was my peer. I liked what I saw —he had a level gaze and a long-limbed awkwardness that undercut his air of self-possession.
'It has been a most interesting night,' Lord Tyron said. A real lesson in strategy, hey, Hollin?'
The younger man nodded, a wry smile easing the early worry lines on his face.
'Did our friend try it?' my master asked.
I looked from him to Tyron. Who were they talking about? The three men turned towards one another, blocking me from the conversation.
'He did,' Tyron said. 'But Dram countered with the older ruling. It stopped Ido in his tracks.
Now the decision has been delayed until your position is confirmed.'
My master's smile was tight. 'No doubt he will try again today Do we have enough votes?'
Tyron shrugged. 'We don't know which way Silvo goes.' He bowed and returned to the group he had left, Hollin at his heels like an elongated shadow.
My master shifted to see Lord Silvo more clearly. The handsome Rabbit Dragoneye was standing alone, his pink robes and pale skin a stark contrast against the dark green trees at his back. He noticed my master's scrutiny and nodded.
'He meets my eye,' my master murmured. 'Perhaps it is a good sign.'
'What are you trying to stop Lord Ido from doing?' I asked.
'Lowe
r your voice.' He placed his hand on my shoulder in warning. 'This is not your concern.
I will inform you if you need to know.'
I glared down at the ground. How were we to survive this treacherous game if he kept me ignorant of his plans and strategies? Did he forget that we lived or died by each other's actions?
I shook off his hand. 'No,' I said softly, my boldness roiling in my stomach. 'How do you know when it is necessary? You are not always with me. I must understand what is happening if I am to play my part properly'
His eyes narrowed, but I set my jaw and forced myself to meet his anger.
'Lord Tyron trusts Hollin with his plans,' I pushed.
We stood for a moment, our wills locked in the silent struggle.
Finally, my master sighed. 'Yes, you are right.'
The victory startled the breath from me. He grabbed my sleeve and edged back, setting more space between us and the nearest group of Dragoneyes.
'Ido seeks to bend the Council into placing its power at the feet of Sethon and his army' he said, his voice so low I could barely hear it. 'We think Ascendant Ido aims to withhold the Council's power until Sethon can force the Right of 111 Fortune and replace his brother.'
I stared at my master, trying to absorb the import of his words. The very first Emperor, the Father of a Thousand Sons, proclaimed the Right of 111 Fortune to protect the land from a ruler abandoned by the gods. If an Emperor's reign was besieged by too many earth/water disasters, he could be denounced and replaced with a ruler whom the gods favoured.
'You mean Ido intends to block the Dragoneye control of the monsoon storms and earth angers?' Horror made my voice rise. We were fast approaching the worst season of floods, winds and earthshakes. It was the Dragoneyes' sacred duty to protect the land and the people from harm.
My master pulled me even further from the others, his eyes cautioning me. 'That is exactly what I am saying. And there is a very real fear that he aims to break the Covenant of Service.
To actually offer dragon power to Sethon for use in his warmongering.'
I gasped. It was forbidden for dragon power to be used in warfare. The dragons were agents of nurture and protection, not destruction. I swallowed, imagining the wild power of all the dragons in the control of one ambitious man. The Council and Covenant were meant to stop such madness.
My master patted my arm. 'I know. But I am working with Tyron and others to stop him. The best way you can help us is to
learn how to control your powers as quickly as possible.' His head snapped up. 'Abb., here is our host.'
Like sunflowers turning to the sun, everyone shifted to watch Lord Ido's progress through the courtyard. I fought the impulse, but found myself turning towards the force of his presence.
He topped all of the other men by more than a head, and as he bent to exchange a quick word or bow, his sheer size gave him an air of authority The deep blue of his Dragoneye robes was echoed in the oiled gloss of his beard and the tight loop of braids bound at the crown of his head. Behind him, in a matching blue tunic, was the slight figure of Dillon. He was scowling, the uncharacteristic expression etching sharp lines on his face. Lord Ido paused and searched the groups of men until his gaze found mine. I straightened; my body surged with a strange hot energy Something was drawing me to him. Was he using his power again? But as he approached, I could see no flick of silver in the amber of his eyes.
'Lord Eon,' he said. 'Greetings.'
I gave a quick bow, raising my head to find him standing over me. I wanted to step back, create some space between us, but knew it would be a surrender. Grimly, I held my ground.
He nodded graciously, including my master in the brief acknowledgement. Dillon stood at his elbow, eyes down.
'How do you find your first days as Mirror Dragoneye?' Lord Ido asked. Beside his thigh, his hand was flexing in and out of a tight fist.
'Busy, my lord,' I said. 'I have hardly had time to think.'
'It is set to become even busier,' he said. 'I must take a short journey in the next few days, but when I return we will start your training in the dragon arts.'
I could not help it; I stepped back.
'Train with you, my lord?' I turned to my master. 'But I thought you would be...'
My master shook his head, the strain around his eyes giving away his own unease. 'I no longer have a connection to a dragon,
Lord Eon. Since Lord Ido will be teaching his own apprentice the basics, it has been decided that he will take on your initial training as well.'
'Of course,' I said hollowly 'Thank you, Lord Ido.'
My hand was shaking, spilling wine onto the paving stones. How was I going to bluff the Ascendant Dragoneye? I looked around for somewhere to put the cup before I dropped it.
'I look forward to teaching you, Lord Eon,' he said.
There was a strange caressing tone in his voice. It thrust me back five years to the salt farm and the smiling face of the whipmaster. My body chilled. I knew that tone: Lord Ido was one of those who took his pleasure in the fear and pain of others.
He pushed Dillon in front of me. 'Take Lord Eon's wine away'
Dillon grudgingly took the bowl, still not lifting his gaze from the ground. This was not the boy that I knew — he had always jumped to attention at an order, eager to please his master.
What had Lord Ido done to him? He seemed easy in his movements and there were no visible marks apart from the cut above his eye. Perhaps he was just frightened. Then he bowed to us and I saw the discolouration on his neck: a rash of dark red dots. Was he ill?
Lord Ido turned and clapped his hands. 'Let us move into the meeting chamber and begin the formalities.'
Whether by chance or design, my master stepped between us and the short walk across the courtyard was completed in silence. A servant slid open the lacquered screen as we approached. Quickly, we slipped off our shoes and followed Lord Ido into the room. The air was immediately cooler and scented with Icmongrass, the green silk wall hangings and clean straw matting adding to the sense of lightness. The bright furnishings made me pause; in my mind, Lord Ido was smooth darkness and t hreatening shadow. As he led me and my master alongside a long oval table, I counted thirteen chairs, three set at the far end in the place of power, facing the door.
'You and Heuris Brannon will sit at the head of the Council table with me until the proxy formalities are complete,' Lord Ido said. 'Take the centre chair.'
I sat, my head bowed under the heavy press of curiosity from the Dragoneye lords as they took their places around the table. I chanced a fleeting survey of the room and met the guarded stare of an apprentice standing behind his master and the belligerent face of Lord Garon, the Dog Dragoneye. As Lord Ido took the seat at my right and my master settled into the chair on my left, I focused on the glossy surface of the table, trying to avoid the searching eyes of the twenty men before me.
Finally, Lord Ido rose from his chair, silencing the few whispered comments. I politely turned towards him and saw Dillon standing in his position behind his master. For a second our eyes met, but there was no connection in his gaze, only blank misery.
'Welcome,' Lord Ido said to the assembly Tor the first time in five hundred years, we number twelve again. No longer will the Year of the Dragon be without an Ascendant leader. No longer will this Council be held back by the absence of the eastern power. Lord Eon's glorious reawakening of the Mirror Dragon has closed our circle. We are once more a Pearl of Dragons.'
Lord Dram, the Horse Dragoneye, smiled at me then slapped the table with the flat of his hands. The other lords quickly joined him in a loud tattoo of celebration. Heat rushed to my face. I bowed in my seat — once, twice — as the drumming shook the table.
Lord Tyron looked over his shoulder at Hollin, standing behind him. 'Be glad, boy This cycle it would have been your turn in the duty rotation to lead the Dragon Year. A thankless task without the doubled ascendant power.'
'Hear, hear,' a few of the other lords said.
<
br /> 'Quiet,' Lord Ido commanded, reclaiming the room. 'Yes, we are back at full strength. And although Lord Eon is untrained and
our knowledge of the Mirror Dragon largely lost, there is no doubt that if we are bold, the power of twelve will achieve great things for our land.'
'Our first duty should be returning abundance to the eastern plains,' Lord Silvo said quickly.
Lord Ido pinned the smaller man with his gaze. 'Our first duty, Lord Silvo, is not to the easterners. We now have our full power: our first duty should be directed to the greater glory of the empire.'
A murmur rippled around the table. Some nodded their agreement, others shifted uncomfortably.
'With such possibilities ahead,' Lord Ido continued, 'Heuris Brannon has agreed to act on this Council as Lord Proxy so that our young brother can focus on his training in the dragon arts.'
Dram started another thunderous ovation. My master nodded, acknowledging the honour.
Lord Ido motioned me to my feet.
'Lord Eon, do you agree that Heuris Brannon will, from today, be Lord Brannon and represent you on the Dragoneye Council? That his decisions and votes will be taken as your decisions and votes until you are of an age and experience to accept your position among the twelve?'
'I do agree,' I said. And I thank him for his guidance.'
I bowed to my master. Under the table, his hand tightened around the folds of his silk fan, the force bending the frail lacquer sticks. He had waited years for this return to wealth and power.
I could almost feel the triumph humming through his body as I took my seat next to him.
He did not wait for an invitation from Lord Ido to stand. Although he looked like a frail old man beside the Rat Dragoneye's youthful strength, there was something in his bearing that brought all focus to him. I saw Lord Ido frown, sensing the shift of attention.
'I leuris Brannon,' he said curtly, 'do you agree to act as Lord Eon's representative on the Dragoneye Council? Will you serve
as proxy lord until he is of an age and experience to take up his position among the twelve?'
'Yes, I agree to represent Lord Eon on the Council,' my master said.
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