Sisera's Gift (Dragonblood Sagas Book 2)

by Robyn Wideman

  Logan looked nervously at Prince Eric. “There’s a problem. Our scouts disappeared during the night.”

  Prince Eric frowned as he scratched his nether regions. “What do you mean disappeared? Were they killed, or out in the woods somewhere?”

  “No, Sir, I mean their horses and gear are gone as well. They’ve fled in the night,” said Logan.

  Prince Eric’s face reddened. “Damned Dragon’s Tail, the cowards knew there would be consequences for their incompetence. They’ve lost the trail and have fled. I should’ve known not to trust them. Father was a fool to think a brigade of men that don’t swear loyalty to a king first would be trustworthy.”

  “What do you want to do? Should we search for the missing men?”

  “No. I couldn’t give two shits about the Dragon’s Tail. We’ll deal with them once we return to Kosal. Perhaps now Father will listen to reason and chop all of their heads off. We continue the search. We don’t leave this spot until we’ve found that damned child. I’ll marry her even if I have to kill her first!”

  “Would be a boring wedding night,” quipped Logan.

  Eric grunted. “Wouldn’t be the first woman I’ve bedded that acted like a corpse.”

  Logan laughed, “I’ll send the men out in a search pattern. Perhaps the scouts missed something obvious.”

  Prince Eric spit a wad of phlegm from his throat onto the ground. This moist eastern sea air was horrid. Even Kosal, while near the Western Seas, was drier. Eric couldn’t wait to get back into the north of Seron. These southern lands were not to his liking. “Find my bride, Logan. I will rule Prozia. Find her for me and you’ll be handsomely rewarded.”

  22

  IT WAS MIDMORNING WHEN Kai arrived back in Shelby. As he walked up the path through the small farms that surrounded the village, he mused to himself, this is probably the first time I have ever walked into this village completely sober. For years he’d made this place home, but never had he ever given the place a true chance to be anything other than his own personal prison, a place he could wallow away his misery with drink. Kai looked around. In some ways it was like he was seeing the village for the first time. His attention no longer on the darkness of his past, he was able to see the village for what it was. Shelby was a nice village. Most of the locals treated him with some small measure of respect. The ones that couldn’t find any redeeming qualities in him … at least weren’t disrespectful to him. And there were plenty like Britt Wistol who had subtly tried to help him overcome his own demons.

  Slipping into the woods, Kai sought out his house. The small sod hut had been home for so many years. It was a cozy little cabin, but Kai felt a tinge of regret that he’d not made improvements to the building. He’d fixed the roof when he first arrived in Shelby, and he kept it clean, but he’d never made it better. He was leaving it in better shape than he found it, but it could have been so much better with a little effort. Inside the hut, Kai pulled out his knife and stabbed the ground at the northeast corner of the hard packed dirt floor. A thud sound told Kai he’d found what he was looking for. Using his knife and hands he cleared away the two inches of dirt hiding his secret stash. He’d built the secret compartment into the floor when he first arrived. It was long and narrow and covered with four thick oak planks, which were then covered in dirt, effectively hiding his stash from view.

  With the dirt cleared away, Kai pried up the planks. Inside the hole, wrapped in cotton and hemp cloth were his sword and armor, surcoat and cloak. Kai pulled the weapon, armor, and clothing out of the hole. He paused. A look of sadness swept over his face. He forced himself to swallow his regret. He took a deep mind-cleansing breath, and almost reverently removed his Dragon’s Tail possessions from the protective cloth wrappings. The sword and armor were in good shape, his cloak smelled earthy, but the thick insignia-bearing garment was in good shape. All it needed was a wash. The cloak isn’t the only thing around here that needs a good wash, thought Kai as he rubbed his face.

  Grabbing a bar of lye soap, a small mirror, and his cloak, Kai headed to the creek. The creek had a wide and deep pool that made an excellent place to bathe. He stripped down until he was naked and jumped into the deep pool. He took the soap and vigorously scrubbed himself. He then scrubbed and soaped his clothing along with the Dragon’s Tail cloak and surcoat. Kai flipped his clothing over the branch of a nearby tree to dry and returned to the water. He rubbed his beard with the lye soap until it was thick with suds. Taking his knife and the small mirror, Kai carefully shaved his face clean. The white skin beneath, tanned cheeks, gave evidence that it had been years since the skin under his beard had felt the sun’s caress. Kai then gave himself a haircut. Satisfied that he had tidied his thick unruly hair to a more respectable length, Kai dove back into the water, rinsing himself off. For the first time since he arrived in Shelby, Kai put on his armor. He was thankful Dragon’s Tail warriors were not knights and didn’t need the heavy iron or steel armor that knights used. Instead of heavy armor, Dragon’s Tail warriors most often used heavy leather gear and chainmail. The chainmail was the key. It was small and lightweight, made from Northern Solotine steel. The metal workers of Northern Solotine were some of the best in the world and one of the only places where steel was made. Kai put on his leather leggings, and shirt. He then put on the chainmail. Despite how long it had been since he last wore it, it felt natural and secure, although he had to admit it fit a little snugger than before. While he was still an active man, the years of drinking nightly had added a layer of fat around his midsection. Drunk Kai had never cared. Now that he was to once again represent the Dragon’s Tail Brigade, Kai felt his physical condition was in desperate need of improvement. With his chainmail in place, Kai put on his boots, surcoat and cloak.

  The surcoat, a deep red with a black dragon on the front was not necessary, and often was used for ceremonies, but Kai had ridden into town with it on and he intended to walk out wearing it. If his years in Shelby had never shown its people what a true Dragon’s Tail warrior should look like, at least today he would look the part.

  Kai headed back into the Village. It was time to go meet up with Raven and Isabella.

  As he walked through the village, several of the villagers looked at him strangely. He could tell some were surprised to see him wearing his old gear, others didn’t even recognize him. Kai smiled to himself. He didn’t blame them for not recognizing him. He, himself, felt like a different man today.

  Entering the Winking Pig, Kai could hear a voice. “Furthermore, Kai Woods is a drunken sloth, any woman that spends the night alone with his kind is a harlot not worthy of politeness nor being treated like a woman.” Kai looked to the bar to see what was going on. The voice belonged to Tom Shepard and he was yelling at Raven. His face was red and spittle was dripping from his lip. Kai could see that Tom had started into drinking early this day, but what had him so worked up?

  “Kai was a gentleman the entire time, which is more than I can say for you, you inbred pig-humping goat!” swore Raven.

  Tom’s face went even redder, something Kai would’ve sworn not possible, and then Tom made the mistake of clenching his fist and moving towards Raven.

  Kai wasn’t sure if Tom had intended to hit her or not, but the sour-faced stable owner never got the chance. Raven moved fast. Her first punch struck Tom in the belly. As Tom doubled over from the hard belly blow, Raven’s knee came up and smashed Tom in the face. He went flying across the bar, crashing into a nearby table. He slid down to the ground unconscious. Kai laughed as he recalled the first time Raven had been in the Winking Pig. It had been Kai getting knocked out by the strong woman that time. Kai definitely preferred watching the woman fight, it was less painful.

  “If you keep beating up his customers, Britt is going to ban you from drinking here,” said Kai as he walked up to Raven and Isabella.

  Britt, who was standing behind the bar polishing a glass, replied, “I rather like her. She would make a good bouncer. She knows riff raff when she sees i
t.” Britt’s eyes thoughtfully took in the change in Kai’s appearance.

  Kai laughed again, “I suppose she does. Tom’s been looking for a fight for a while now. I’m just surprised who he picked it with. Speaking of picking a fight, I have a bone to pick with you, Britt Wistol. That was a dirty trick, sending me out into the mountains with a canteen filled with water. Why I could’ve died of soberness!”

  “It looks like the only thing that died was that pitiful excuse for a beard. Good to see you, Kai. I’m glad you were able to help the ladies. Young Isabella here is obviously a special young lady. Tom never should have said what he did about her.”

  Kai frowned, he’d missed that comment. Kai looked at Isabella to see if the comments had offended her, but from the wide smile on her face, it wasn’t an issue. That, or she was sufficiently happy to see Raven knock the loud mouth out that she had already forgotten whatever he’d said. He was tempted to wake the man so that he could personally knock him out. Kai easily accepted any comments about his being a drunk, but to question his behavior towards women was an insult he would not accept.

  “It’s okay, Kai. The man made rude comments about my scales, but Raven dealt with it. I’ll not have you harm the man for good measure, over such a minor slight. He probably won’t be the only one who will make derogatory remarks about how I look, now that I am different,” said Isabella.

  Kai knew that she was correct. There were always going to be those who feared change and would look at Isabella as an abomination instead of the gift that she was. It was wise to not overreact to such comments, although in the case of Tom Shepard, Kai felt Raven’s actions fit the situation perfectly. If there ever was a man that needed a good smack in the mouth to remind him to keep it shut, it was Tom. Kai was curious what Raven and Isabella had told Britt about their situation. Had they told him that she was Dragonblood? While they were intent on leaving Shelby, the village was fairly close to Mara and it was likely they would be back to buy supplies. Kai wouldn’t want the village fearing them.

  Britt seemed to understand what Kai was thinking. “You know, Kai, if you weren’t drunk all the time, you’d have known that rumors of dragons flying around the land have been circulating for months. It’s only natural that if dragons have returned, then a Dragonblood would soon follow, ‘tis high time too. Shelby is a fine village and we have it good here, but for the most part, Seron has suffered since the loss of dragons. Kings starting wars for personal power and glory, bandits roaming the countryside terrorizing travelers. You Dragon’s Tail aren’t the only ones who dreamed of a day dragons would return. It warms my heart to see this beautiful young lady with her amazing skin. A Dragonblood ruler is exactly what this country needs.”

  Kai was surprised to hear Britt speaking s in such a manner. Real world issues were not something he’d ever discussed with Britt. The man was his bartender, his source of pain numbing relief in the form of alcohol, and one of his main sources of income. The pub owner always bought his game and became his agent. Whenever a village member needed random work done, they’d come see Britt, who’d make sure Kai did the deed before getting too drunk. But he’d never really made an effort to understand the kindly bartender, he’d been too busy wallowing to do so. That Britt knew of dragons and had such an informed opinion was welcome news. If Britt thought this way, it was likely that others in the village did.

  “Lady Isabella, would you, Raven, and Kai join me in the backroom? We need to have a private conversation.” Britt’s eyes pointed out the door to the back room.

  “Of course,” answered Isabella.

  Again the bartender caught Kai off-guard. Why would Britt need to have a private conversation with them?

  Britt lead the three to the backroom. A private eating room that joined Britt’s living quarters in the back of the pub and Inn at the front. Sitting at the table were Alder Tatum, the village blacksmith, and Shan Browne, a local farmer and one of the most respected citizens of Shelby.

  At this point, Kai had given up being surprised and was prepared for the unexpected.

  “I’ll be right back. I’ve one more guest to track down,” said Britt as he hurried out the backdoor.

  Alder Tatum and Shan Browne rose from the table to greet them.

  “Princess Isabella, it is an honor to meet you,” said Alder as he gave Isabella a small formal bow.

  “Princess Isabella, this is Alder Tatum, and his associate is Shan Browne,” said Kai.

  “Mr. Tatum, Mr. Browne, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Isabella.

  “Would you please join us. Britt will only be a moment,” said Alder as he waved a hand to the benches along the large oak table. He turned his attention to Raven. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lady Raven. I’m glad you were successful in retrieving your lost companion.”

  Raven nodded in reply.

  Isabella sat at the table across from the two men while Raven stood silently behind her. Kai watched carefully. He realized that Raven was letting Isabella do the talking, showing that her role was of guardian and protector. Whatever was on the men’s minds would be discussed with Isabella, not Raven. Kai realized that he too would need to keep his tongue. Despite her youth, Isabella was a Dragonblood princess. If she was to one-day rule these lands, the people needed to see her as a leader, not a child.

  Britt quickly returned, with him was Hans Lear, a local merchant. Between Britt, Hans, Shan, and Alder, four of Shelby’s most prominent leaders were in the room. Britt quickly introduced Hans to Isabella. And then joined Shan and Alder at the table. The four men sat across the table from Isabella.

  “Now that we’re all here, we can get at it,” said Alder Tatum. It seemed he was the de facto leader of the group. “When rumors of dragon sightings first started being reported in Shelby, there was a lot of fear. For most of us, dragons are simply legends of a forgotten time. No one alive had ever seen one, but some of the older villagers remember hearing stories of dragons from their parents and grandparents. There was a time when all of Seron was a vibrant and peaceful land, that was when there were dragons. Ever since the dragon wars, Seron has become a divided and troubled place. The kingdom of Prozia has done well, Queen Amelia, like her former husband and his father before him, has done a good job keeping peace and prosperity in her lands. Outside of Prozia, things are not as good. The kingdom of Kosal is ruled by the Ramseys. They tax the citizens heavily, offer little in return and once King Ramsey is gone, the younger Prince Eric will become ruler, a truly terrifying thought as his interests lie only in power and seduction. South of these two northern kingdoms is chaos. The destruction of the kingdom of Mara has left a void. Clans of families control small sections of land, but mostly the villages and farms of the south are on their own. Bandits are a common problem throughout the south, as are raiders from other lands who attack from the sea. Those who hate dragons, such as the Sacred Blood Brotherhood, are no friends of the people of Seron. The last few generations living here in Seron have suffered greatly because of the dragon wars. And from the stories our elders tell us, the return of dragons and the rule of a Dragonblood is something to hope for. Princess Isabella, we want you to know that Shelby will do what it can to support you when you claim these lands.”

  Alder Tatum’s speech was music to Kai’s ears. He’d feared that the common folk of villages like Shelby would be afraid of the return of dragons and Dragonblood. That some were talking of it as a good thing was a relief. That they were already wanting to follow Isabella was fortuitous.

  Isabella raised a hand. “Thank you for the kind words, good sirs, but we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves. I have only been bonded to Sisera for a few days. I have no intentions of trying to rule anyone right now. I’m only trying to survive. Until I’ve learned more about what it is to be Dragonblood, I want nothing to do with claiming any traditional rights.”

  “Southern Seron needs leadership, Lady Isabella. Even if you believe you aren’t ready for the role, the need is too great to wait. I urge you to
take that into consideration when you think of your future,” said Alder Tatum.

  Isabella nodded, “I shall. It means much to me to know that people want a queen. If that is to be my role in life, I will do my best to be worthy of the title. When the time is right, if Shelby wishes to be part of my domain, I shall accept that honor. In the meantime, Kai and Raven will be my representatives. Any decision made by either of them on my behalf has my consent. Treat them as you would me.”

  Kai looked into the eyes of the men across the table from Isabella. He expected derision and possibly contempt as the mention of his name as an authority figure and representative of a queen. Yet their expressions did not change.

  “We know Kai well,” said Alder Tatum. “Some here only know him as a drunk, but those in this room, among many others, know that Kai is an honest and loyal man with kindness in his heart. We know how he came to this village. He’s never mentioned what happened in his past, but we’ve had enough travelers come though the village over the years that recognized Kai from his days in Kosal to have an idea of what took place. And one only has to look into his eyes to see that the man who we knew is gone and replaced by a better version of himself.” Alder turned and looked at Kai. “You’ve done much for this village; you may not remember much of it, but there have been times where you alone were able to find food. It wasn’t out of charity that we kept having Britt send you out as our hunter, it was out of necessity. Times have been much better lately and our farms survived the droughts, but you had much to do with that. You will be missed, but we are all happy to see you back in your rightful place. Lady Isabella will need good men if she is to rule. We’re glad she had found you.”