by Linda McNabb
‘You can sleep in the stables with the animals,’ the caravan master called out as he and the normal drivers headed off into the main part of the village.
Toby didn’t really want to share his bed with the slathering animals, but the animals looked too tired to cause any trouble. Riko showed them how to lead the animals into the stables, where Toby was relieved to see cages set up at the back.
‘We should get some food before we sleep,’ Riko advised, leading them out into the village market and towards one of the few vendors still open. All he had left were a few loaves of bread, but they sat at the side of the markets and devoured the bread in just a few minutes.
‘This is more fun than sitting in a castle all day,’ Kaylene said, trying to take in every detail around her. ‘Maybe I don’t really want to rule after all. I could get used to travelling around.’
‘Trust me,’ Riko said, ‘it gets boring after a while. Never staying in the same town more than a single night — I would never be a caravaner for a trade.’
The conversation of a group of villagers crossing the markets drifted over on the still evening air.
‘Do you think that healer was right about the dragons?’ one asked with concern.
‘Who knows?’ another replied. ‘I doubt we’ll ever see a dragon around here anyway.’
‘Well, if we do, I think I’ll be keeping my distance in case it does make us sick,’ a third said in a firm tone.
As the villagers wandered out of hearing, Toby sighed. ‘At least we know that Blaise and Lark have been through here. We’re still heading in the same direction as them.’
‘If I wasn’t so tired I’d go and tell those people it’s all rubbish,’ Sanelle said, leaning her head on the stone wall they were sitting next to.
‘Time to get some sleep,’ Riko suggested and nobody argued. They walked slowly back to the stables and made beds from the loose straw that lay on the floor. Toby listened to the animals scratching to get out of their cages, and then he was asleep.
He woke to the sound of the dengols being taken from their cages, and he sat up and groaned. Every part of his body ached, right down to his toes which had gripped the edge of the wagon all day.
‘Don’t worry, you’ll soon forget about it,’ Riko said, getting up slowly, proving he too was sore.
‘I have blisters,’ Kaylene said, examining her delicate hands and showing the red, raw palms to the others. ‘I can’t drive the wagon again today.’
Toby looked at his own hands and saw that they, too, were blistered and swollen.
‘It looks like the usual drivers are still sick,’ Riko said, pointing to the men being helped into the first wagon. He pulled out one of his tunics and ripped it into long strips. ‘Wrap one of these around your hand and it will soften the pull of the strap.’
By the time they had all wrapped their hands, the caravan master was calling them to get moving. The day that followed mirrored the previous day — racing through the countryside so fast that Toby couldn’t have described it if he tried, then offloading goods in villages before racing off again.
By the time the caravans rolled into Belmoor, it was getting dark. The markets were closing for the day and the wagons headed to stables near large storage sheds by the river. Toby threw the dengol’s last slab of meat to the ground and watched as it chewed as slowly as it had the night before. It was a terrible life for the poor creature, no wonder it snarled at anyone who came close.
‘A lot of the goods go west on the river from here,’ Riko explained as they stacked the last of the bales in a large shed. ‘Barges go up and down this river for trade all year round. Some of these will probably end up for sale to King Herat in a few days.’
The four of them headed out of the shed and were met by Marahl. He was nodding his approval as he reached into the folds of his silky clothing. He drew out a small leather pouch and opened it. He took out four silver coins and handed them one each. ‘Any time you want to work the caravans, you come back and see me.’
Toby nodded politely and tucked the coin into his pocket. He had no intention of ever working the caravans again. His hands hurt from holding the reins, even with the cloth wrapped around them; his eyes were sore from squinting into the wind; and he ached from lifting heavy bundles. Even working as a castle servant was easier than the life of a caravaner.
‘It’s a bit late to be heading out to my place, so I’ll stay the night in town with you,’ Riko said. ‘Besides, you’ll need someone to show you around.’
‘I wonder if Blaise is here yet,’ Sanelle said, looking around in the fading daylight as they walked through the town. There were a lot of people out on the streets, and some of the caravaners were ahead of them. One of the caravaners had a large sack on his back.
Toby knew what was in it. They had seen one like it in each village, but not as big as this one. The man came to a stop in the middle of the town square, where he tipped out the contents of his sack, spilling dozens of letters and parcels onto the cobbles.
Crowds began to gather as he picked up the first letter. ‘Jerest. Letter for Jerest,’ he called, and then waited while a man pushed his way through the crowd.
Toby and the others began to wander away as the mail was distributed.
Other townsfolk also seemed disinterested in the arrival of the letters, but hung around the square to talk with the caravaners.
‘What news of the king?’ one asked. ‘Did he choose an heir?’
‘Is the weather in Northport too warm as well?’ another pushed in front to ask.
‘We saw dragons fly over this morning. They flew in very low, as if searching for something, but they didn’t land. Is that good luck?’
‘The townsfolk see the caravaners as their source of gossip and advice,’ Riko told them as they left the town square. ‘There’s an inn just around the corner where we can stay. It is owned by a friend of my father.’
Toby and the girls simply nodded; they were too tired to talk. Riko led them into the noisy inn and up to the bar. He talked with a tall, thin man for a minute, and then they were led through a door into a poorly lit room.
‘This is where the lodgers drink and eat,’ Riko explained. Small lamps hung on the walls and a fire glowed dully in the fireplace, making the room far too warm for comfort. ‘We can have a meal here.’
They sat at a small alcove at the far end of the room, as far from the fireplace as possible.
‘We should—’ Toby was about to suggest that they eat and then go searching for Blaise when Sanelle grabbed his arm and held a finger to her lips. She pointed over the top of the sectioned wooden screen that separated them from the next table.
Toby looked at her questioningly and she pointed this time to the floor. Sitting watching them was a small, scruffy dog that Toby recognised instantly.
‘Oska, come here!’ a voice commanded and the little dog scampered back around the partition.
‘We should poison the well first thing in the morning.’ Blaise’s voice, although quiet, carried over the partition.
‘And soon we will have convinced the entire land that dragons must be feared,’ Lark added with a small grunt of laughter.
‘So when I conquer Dragon Valley I can take over any kingdom I wish. With the dragons at my command, it will be simple. Just the sight of a dragon will have them shaking in their boots. If they don’t let me rule, I’ll bring in more dragons until they change their minds.’ Blaise’s voice was confident.
A minstrel, who had been drinking at the bar, picked up his lyre and started to strum it. He began to sing a song, so far off tune that it was unrecognisable, and painful to hear.
‘He’s terrible, Lark. Perhaps you should offer to sing instead,’ Blaise laughed.
‘I’m not that desperate for money,’ Lark replied sourly. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Blaise, Lark and the little dog left the room just as the patron of the inn came in with plates of food for the four youths. He refused the silver coin Ri
ko offered him as payment for the meal.
‘So Blaise still wants to rule all of Arandyl?’ Kaylene said, once the innkeeper had gone.
‘And with the gateways so unstable, he could probably get an army in there right now,’ Toby added soberly. ‘He hasn’t changed at all.’
‘He doesn’t sound like a nice person,’ Riko agreed.
‘He’s not nice, even if he is my brother,’ Sanelle said.
Silence fell as they ate. Working on the caravans had given them a huge appetite. By the time they had finished, all they wanted to do was go to sleep.
‘I don’t think Blaise is going to cause trouble tonight,’ Kaylene said, stifling a yawn in the stuffy room. The minstrel was still singing his off-key songs and Toby had a headache.
‘But we need to be up early to stop Lark poisoning the well,’ Sanelle said, also yawning.
‘I’ll get the innkeeper to wake us at dawn,’ Riko suggested as they headed up the steps to the rooms above. Toby paused halfway up. He could see Blaise sitting at a table in the corner of the public room, deep in conversation with Lark. Just how soon did he intend to attack Dragon Valley? The dragons would barely be able to fight back right now, and if Blaise knew that he might attack soon. If nothing else, Toby knew he had to make sure that Blaise did not hear that the dragons were sick.
**
Sleep did not come easily, and Toby tossed and turned all night in the unusual heat. It was not the unseasonable weather that kept him awake, though. He had to find a way to fix all the trouble he had caused and he couldn’t figure out how.
He was more than pleased to hear the soft knock on his door that told him it was almost dawn. He went to leap out of bed, but fell back. His body ached from their two days on the caravans.
‘Do you still ache, too?’ Toby asked as he watched Riko get up slowly.
‘I always do for several days afterwards,’ Riko said with wry smile. ‘But it’s a quick way to travel and pays well, too.’
By the time they had both struggled up and met the girls downstairs, it was almost fully daylight.
‘We’d better get down to the markets straight away as they open in a few minutes,’ Riko said, leading them out a back door of the inn.
‘Riko and Sanelle can go to the markets to see if Blaise and Lark are there yet,’ Kaylene suggested. ‘I know where the well is — Toby and I will go there and keep an eye on it.’
Kaylene led Toby off to the right, while Riko and Sanelle headed for the markets. When they reached the well, everything looked normal. There was a line of people drawing water and carrying it off uphill, while a small channel carried water downhill to the rest of the village.
‘It ends up in a small fountain down by the markets,’ Kaylene told Toby as his eyes followed the path of the water for as far as he could. He could see people drawing from the small aqueduct as it flowed past. No wonder it was so easy to poison the water in large towns.
They had been watching the well for ten minutes when Riko came running up the hill towards them.
‘Come down to the market — we’re too late,’ Riko said, puffing breathlessly.
Kaylene and Toby hurried back down the hill, and when they reached the marketplace they saw an all too familiar sight. Dozens of people were crowded around Blaise’s wagon and he was doing a roaring trade.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
AN UNWELCOME VISITOR
Toby watched in despair as Blaise and Lark handed out bottles of their green potion, and frowned as the happy punters walked past with their precious potion.
They didn’t look sick in the same way as the people of Northport had done. There was no feverishness, no flushed faces or glazed eyes. Some people were coughing, others had a limp, and some didn’t look sick at all.
‘Something isn’t right here,’ Sanelle whispered. Several women were chatting as they walked past and Toby slid a little closer to the crowd to listen.
‘And I started feeling faint as soon as the dragons flew over yesterday,’ one woman said, then stopped to take a swig of her potion.
‘My sore knee started acting up at the same time,’ her friend agreed.
‘So when the caravaners told me last night about the dragon sickness in Northport I knew exactly what it was,’ the first woman said confidently. She took another swig of potion and grimaced at the taste. ‘But this will fix it.’
The women melted into the crowd and Toby turned back to his friends.
‘I bet he didn’t even have to poison the well this time,’ Toby suggested.
‘Just hearing about the sickness in Northport was enough for them to believe it,’ Kaylene agreed.
‘So how can we stop him now?’ Riko asked.
‘We can’t,’ Sanelle said sadly. ‘We can’t fight gossip and rumours. Even if he doesn’t visit another town or village, the story will spread. He doesn’t have to poison a single well to make people believe in dragon sickness now.’
They returned to the inn and, although they tried to eat the breakfast the innkeeper dished up, none of them had much of an appetite.
‘Do you have dragon sickness?’ The innkeeper looked warily at the long faces and half-full plates when he returned to clear the table. He clearly didn’t want them in his inn if they were sick.
‘There’s no such thing,’ Sanelle replied quietly.
Toby didn’t expect the innkeeper to believe her and wasn’t surprised when he shook his head. ‘But half my staff are sick today, even the minstrel.’
Toby wanted to comment that the minstrel had sounded sick the night before, but he didn’t think the innkeeper would see the funny side of it.
‘We’re not sick,’ Riko assured the man. ‘Just not hungry.’
The man gathered up the dishes, nodding but still looking a little cautious. A sound from outside the inn drifted in as someone opened the door to the street. At first it sounded like someone yelling, but a second later Toby knew exactly what it was.
‘There’s a dragon out there,’ Toby said, leaping out of his chair and running for the door. ‘Maybe Klel has come for us.’
Confirming his theory about a dragon, people were streaming into the inn, looking terrified. They were pushing each other in their desperation to get as far away as possible from the dragon outside.
Toby and the others fought against the tide of people rushing in. Someone pulled him back by his sleeve. ‘Don’t go out there, lad. There’s a dragon down at the markets. You’ll get sick,’ a man said as he held onto Toby.
‘I’ll be fine,’ Toby said, pulling free and following Sanelle, Kaylene and Riko outside. He stopped as soon as he was outside the door, and people knocked past him and yelled for him to get out of the way.
They fought their way down the streets. As long as they were going against the tide of people, Toby figured they were heading towards the dragon. They finally came out in the market square which was almost empty. Just a few people stood near the edges, staring across to the other side. The four travellers hurried across the markets. They could see a dragon on the roof of a house on the other side of the marketplace. But it wasn’t Klel, as Toby had expected. Instead, a smaller dragon was perched on the roof.
‘Tryx!’ Toby called, getting the dragon’s attention immediately. ‘What are you doing here?’
The golden dragon wasn’t looking so golden any more. She was a faded, dusty brown and her wings hung limply at her sides.
Searching for the dragon stone, Tryx replied weakly.
‘They know the dragon!’ someone yelled from the edge of the markets. ‘They carry the sickness too!’
People immediately flooded into the markets, but kept their distance from the four children and glared suspiciously at them.
‘Get out of Belmoor,’ someone yelled, ‘and take that dragon with you!’
A stone hit Toby on the arm, and he turned to see who had thrown it. Had they all gone mad? What he saw made him back away instantly. The entire crowd was scrabbling around for stones to throw.
<
br /> The crowd parted as someone fought their way to the front. Soon a familiar face grinned at Toby. Blaise. He and Lark stood at the front of the crowd, and Blaise looked delighted to see both Tryx and the group of children.
‘Stone them all. Stone the dragon. They have brought sickness to your town,’ he ordered and then stepped to the side of the crowd, followed by Lark. The little dog barked madly as the crowd began to shout angrily at the children.
‘I think it’s time we left town,’ Sanelle suggested.
They were already backing down the nearest street, but when another stone flew towards them they turned to run. Toby looked back and up at Tryx.
‘Meet us out of the town!’ he yelled.
‘By the long row of tall trees,’ Riko added. Tryx lifted off the roof slowly and swatted back a stone that was thrown at her.
Riko led them on a winding path through streets that were so narrow that they could only go single file. The narrow passage also stopped them being mobbed by the pursuing crowd, and after a few minutes only a few people were still chasing them.
‘Hold hands,’ Sanelle called out, and they joined hands as they ran. As they ran, Sanelle muttered the word sapphire. It was her family word and enabled her to use magic around them. ‘They can’t see us now.’
Their pursuers dropped back when they saw nobody ahead of them, and they started searching the closest alleyways in confusion.
Riko led them out of the town and across several fields to where a long row of tall trees marked the edge of a small farm. Sanelle cancelled her spell and they drew apart.
‘This is Riko’s farm,’ Kaylene told them as they paused for breath under the trees. They looked back and there was nobody in sight, so Toby guessed the angry crowd had finally given up.
‘And there’s Tryx.’ Toby pointed out the dragon lying in some long grass a short distance away. She was lying totally still, except for a slight twitch at the end of her tail.
They hurried over to the dragon and Sanelle knelt down to look at her.
Dragon Valley dying, Tryx said as she struggled to lift her head. All dragons now search for dragon stone.