King's Exile: Chronicles of the Dragon-Bound: Book 1

by William Culbertson

  When the man had left, Dax turned to Trimble. “Would you rather have this cabin?”

  Trimble shrugged. “Doesn’t make any difference to me. You’ve got a little window there. Excuse me”—he smiled—“a porthole. Why don’t you just use that one? We won’t have to move the trunks.”

  Rather than unpack, they went to find Captain Lauter. It was not hard. He was in the bow, arguing loudly with two men who were repairing a section of railing above the bulwark. After listening to Herne’s reminiscences about the man, Dax was mildly surprised to see the captain was very stout—short, but stout. Under a worn leather cap, his weather-beaten face was flushed with anger below his tan as he berated the workmen. “You shortsighted jackasses. Haven’t you ever worked on a ship before? You use that pine wood on my rail, and it will be falling apart in a week. Teak, you stone-bound carpenters. It must be teak! If your shop wants my business, you’ll just have to do it my bloody way.”

  After a brief back-and-forth, the two men departed with a promise to return within the hour. Captain Lauter scowled and turned away with a snort. “Sasway’s ‘Shipwrights’? Bah. They must think they’s building cheap hovels in Shitsville. That’s not the double-damned, shoddy kind of work I’ll accept on my ship.”

  When he saw the two newcomers, a smile came to his face, quickly replacing the scowl. He nodded to Dax and Trimble. “Good morning, gentlepeople! How can I help you? Are you sailing with us today?” Trimble presented the note that Herne had prepared. Lauter glanced at it, then took Trimble’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Ah! Good to meet you, Tre Trimble.”

  “It’s just Lukas, please. I’m working for Orin Herne now, and I’m no longer in the guard.”

  “Yes, yes.” Lauter nodded. “That’s right. Herne told me about that. Seems to be a pisspot of trouble in Tazzelton these days. We’ve got some other folk outbound with you this trip.”

  He turned to Dax. “And this must be the young lady who is on a journey to Bington.” He took Dax’s hand and gave a polite bow. “I am so happy to have you sailing with us, Miss Leith. Please forgive this old salt’s coarse language, but on board ship, if you don’t have a bit of a rough edge about you, nobody listens.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Dax said, “and there’s nothing to forgive. Is there trouble with the ship?”

  “Eh? Oh, that. No trouble. Just trying to get a section of the rail repaired, but even in a seaport like Stone Harbor you have to keep an eye on the workers. The Wings of Wind here is my ship and my business. Got to take care of her.”

  “Will this delay your departure?” Trimble asked.

  Lauter laughed. “No. We sail with the afternoon tide. There should be plenty of time, but I did light a fire under their bloody blue britches. If I know Sasway, he’ll be back with them in well less than an hour, and he’ll stand over them until they do it right. Just fries my fanny that you have to raise a four-headed fuss just to get something done right. Then again, it seems lately that it takes longer and longer to get any new crewmen broke into their jobs on board.” He eyed Trimble up and down. “Course a young buck like you must be a quick study, yes?”

  Trimble grinned. “Not by General Herne’s standards. I have a feeling you two share more than just an acquaintance.”

  “Yeah, the stiff-arsed old bastard and I go way back. We’re both a couple of grumpy old sons of bitches these days, but I figure I’ve made my life, and I’m happy with the way it is.”

  While the men talked, Dax noticed that, although Captain Lauter must have put on a fair amount of personal ballast since he first met Herne, his extra weight did not have the jiggle of too much flesh. No, it appeared to be all muscle. They might call Herne Old Bear for the way he acted, but if this man had more hair, would have looked like a bear—albeit a small one.

  Captain Lauter also had the same type of commanding presence Dax had always sensed from Orin Herne. What was it that gave them both that air of authority? Confidence? That was a part of it. If Dax was going to Iron Moor for military training, he needed to study this trait.

  #

  Back at the cabin doors, Trimble pointed to Dax’s luggage. “Best thing for you would be to stay in your cabin rather than take a chance somebody might recognize you before we leave. After all this trouble, we’d best be careful.”

  It was condescending of Trimble to mention it, because it was part of the plan they had already discussed. However, Dax did want to see more of the ship. Wings of Wind fascinated him, and questions bubbled up in his head about everything he saw. He had his baggage to tend to, but he was curious about the ship. Unpacking was the last think he wanted to do. Still, strategy was strategy. He nodded. “Okay, I understand. Would you help me get that trunk up on the bed?”

  “Well, I would,” said Trimble, “excepting I need to check out something on the dock before we leave. I’ll be back.” With that, the ex-guardsman was gone. Dax had seen a good-looking young woman wink at Trimble on the dock earlier, and he suspected that she was the reason for Trimble’s errand.

  Since Trimble was not around, Dax was sorely tempted to go back on deck to watch the hustle and bustle he could only hear from the cabin. He sighed to himself. No, he had to follow the plan. He would stay in his cabin until they sailed.

  The cabin was small, but the bed, which filled a good bit of space, folded up out of the way. Dax began the tedious chore of unpacking the trunks they had carefully packed just the day before. Once emptied, the trunks would be stored below until they reached Bington.

  “Hi.”

  Startled, Dax dropped the dress he had been holding back into the trunk. His heart thumped two hard beats before he relaxed. A young girl with curly blond hair stood in the doorway. She was smiling, and her light-brown eyes were large and friendly.

  “Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. They just said there was another girl on the boat, and I wanted to meet you.”

  “No, that’s okay.” Dax smiled and tried to relax. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. You just startled me.” He had been on edge for months, and he knew he had overreacted.

  She smiled. “My name’s Anna. What’s yours?”

  This was the moment he had practiced for. “I’m Leith.”

  “Leith. I like that name. My father is sending me to Butterock Haven with my governess in case there’s trouble in the city over this king thing.” She giggled. “Oops, that rhymed! Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to Bington.”

  “That’s quite a trip. Do you have relatives there or something?”

  Dax knew he had to get her off track because she was starting to ask awkward questions. “Hey, would you like to help me put some of my things away? I guess I brought more than I thought.”

  “Oh, sure! You’ve got so many beautiful things.” She reached out and touched the sleeve of his dress. “I just love this blue dress. The sash goes perfectly with it.”

  He flushed. “Thank you.” He pointed to the open trunk. “Why don’t you hand me those things, and I’ll put them away.”

  Anna dropped to her knees by the trunk and started taking out items one by one, commenting on everything. “Look at this one!” she exclaimed holding a dress up to her chest. “The stitching on the bodice is just perfect.” Soon she was well ahead of Dax, who was trying to put the items into some sort of order in the cabin’s built-in storage.

  Her chatter stopped for a moment, and Dax looked up to see her holding Mrs. Pibb. “What’s this?” she asked.

  Carefully Dax took the tattered stuffed rabbit from her and held it in his hands. “This is Mrs. Pibb. My mother made her for me when I was little—before she died. It’s the only thing I have left from her.” He looked up at Anna, and there were tears in her eyes.

  “Oh, Leith. My mother died two years ago, and I know how lost you must feel. My only sister died before that, and now it’s just my father and me. That’s why he’s sending me to stay with my uncle in Butterock. He says he couldn’t bear it if something happened to me. Is your
father sending you to Bington?”

  “He died a couple of years ago.”

  Anna stood up and put her arms around him. She hugged him tight. She sniffed, and her eyes were still moist when she released him. Anna’s sympathy touched him. He could find no words. Anna carefully took the stuffed toy from Dax and snuggled it to her chest. She looked him in the eyes and smiled. “Now you take good care of Mrs. Pibb, and she will be good company for you.” She nodded extravagantly at the rabbit. “Isn’t that right, Mrs. Pibb?” She handed the rabbit back to him.

  Gently Dax laid the stuffed toy on the small shelf by the head of the bed. When he turned back, he was relieved to see Anna back at work in the trunk, getting out more of his belongings. He had to get the conversation onto safer ground.

  The next item Anna pulled from the trunk was hardly safe. “What’s this?” she said pulling Dax’s leathery dragon’s egg from its heavy cloth pouch. Her eyes were big. “Oh, my gosh. It looks like a dragon’s egg.” She held up the egg with both hands and looked at it from all sides. Dax’s mind was blank. No one was supposed to know he was carrying the egg, and Anna had discovered it within minutes. “Yes, it’s just like the dragon’s egg we saw when we visited Meister Fraus in Silverdale.” She brought the egg close to her face. “But this can’t be a dragon’s egg.” She held it against her cheek. “It’s so nice and warm.” She cradled the egg in her hands and stared at it. “I just love the way it feels.”

  A pang of jealousy struck him. Warm? It was supposed to be his egg. Herne had told him that only with the magic of the dragon’s bond did the egg turn warm. Could she have taken away his bond with the egg? It was his egg! All he knew about bonding was what Herne had told him, and he had no idea if a bond could be stolen.

  Dax retrieved the egg and was relieved to find it was still warm and comforting in his hand. He relaxed and slipped the egg back into its bag and into a cubby out of sight. “Yes, I think it’s a dragon’s egg, but it’s supposed to be a secret.” He paused, worried lest he say too much.

  Relieved now that the egg was put away, he sat down on the bed and tried to think of something to say to change the subject. Anna came over and knelt in front of him. She cupped her hands around his hands. “Leith, I can tell you have things you don’t want to talk about.” She spoke quietly, holding his hands and looking into his eyes. “You’re worried about your egg because it’s valuable. Don’t be. It will just be our secret. I know I’m just a girl, but between us girls, maybe we can keep each other safe.”

  “Thank you.” Dax was grateful for her offer of help, but he was still anxious. Holding the egg had been comforting, but Anna had rekindled his worry about the trip. “I’m really kind of scared about this whole thing. Lukas Trimble, the guy in the cabin across the hall, uh, passageway, is taking me to Bington.” He looked at her and smiled. “But I’ll be glad of all the extra help I can get.”

  “Lukas? Is that his name?” Anna was immediately off in another direction. “I saw him earlier. He’s gorgeous. You’ve got to introduce me to him.” Her tumble of words stopped, and she put her hand to her mouth in embarrassment. “Oh, wait. Are you promised to him? If you are or something, just ignore me. I don’t want to butt in or anything.”

  Dax smiled. He was amused by her question, but he could not share the jest. “No, he’s just a friend. I’ll introduce you. He was in the guard until recently, and he has relatives in Bington.”

  #

  Anna was full of news and gossip about people from the castle. Her father, the Baron of Newham and a member of the Assembly of Nobles, had moved to Tazzelton two years ago. Before the move, they had rarely visited the castle, and Dax could not remember having met the man. The baron and his daughter had lived in Tazzelton for two years, and Dax had not met them. That fact brought home to Dax how isolated he had been since Mathilde had become regent. Until his final illness, his father had made sure Dax attended all formal presentations at court. Dax had not been involved in those royal functions since his father had died.

  With Anna around, however, Dax could not dwell on his circumstances. Her constant string of stories about her friends and activities in the School of the Goddess in her Rational Aspect was a happy distraction. At the mention of the school, Dax thought of Hammer’s sister, and sure enough, Anna soon mentioned Lilly’s name. Dax did not pry, but he did not have to. In a short time he knew everything Anna had thought or done in the last year or two.

  As they finished putting away the last of Leith’s clothes, Anna looked at Dax and said, “Do you think I talk too much?”

  Dax smiled ruefully. “Why? Are you getting hoarse?”

  She stuck out her tongue, then smiled. “Father always says I chatter like a wagget. I’m not like that, really.” She looked down. “I’m just a little frightened about going away . . . and what might happen to my father if things go badly,” she finished quietly.

  Dax scooted over beside her and took her hands in both of his. “I liked what you said before. You and I. Together.” He nodded encouragingly. “We can help each other—all the way to Butterock.”

  She smiled back. “And then you will sail on even farther.”

  He had no answer for that, but suddenly they heard a commotion on deck. Dax recognized Captain Lauter’s voice shouting commands, and he heard running feet and other noises.

  “Oh, good!” Anna said and jumped to her feet. “The boat must be getting ready to sail. Let’s go on deck and watch them leave.”

  Chapter 12

  The sun blazed off the water and burned Eval Tapp’s eyes. The glare made the pounding in his head even worse. He glanced around to be sure no other guardsmen were in sight. Tipping back his helm, he wiped the sweat from his brow one more time. “Damn Malyt and his evil Silverdale brew,” he muttered. It made his head hurt to speak, but it made his head hurt to think as well. At least when he spoke the thought aloud, the sentiment seemed more real. He slipped his helm back into place and continued his patrol.

  He should have turned in early like he had intended. He had known he had morning duty today. But no, Malyt had just gotten back from a patrol up the Marble Coast and wanted to share the keg he had brought back. Well, they had made a good time of it last night. At least, what he could remember had been fun. He blinked his sandy eyes. The flashing stipples of sunlight dancing across the waves made daggers of pain inside his skull. He must have had a grand time the way his head pounded today.

  At the boundary with the fishing docks, he turned around and headed back through the trade docks. His squad mate, Pakal, nodded in passing as he went by on his own route. Pakal looked fine, but Pakal had been smart enough to quit early in the evening. At least Tapp was not on mounted duty today. Jostling along on horseback in counterpoint to the thumping between his ears? His head would have erupted.

  Trying to forget the hammer behind his eyes, Tapp turned his thoughts back to the duty at hand. Foot patrol on the trade docks was poor duty for a guardsman. Maybe that’s why Malyt’s liquor had tasted so good last night. Still, this was an assignment he could handle on a day after. Why were they still patrolling? It had been months now with no sign of the boy king. Not that Tapp had ever seen the lad enough to recognize him. The only times Tapp had seen him were at parades, and the boy had been all dressed up in his kinging clothes. Now if he were to ride by with the crown of West Landly on his head, I might recognize him. He wiped a drop of sweat off his nose and had another thought. Well, maybe not today.

  The docks were busy. A fair number of the people had business with the ships, but many others crowded around to do business with the people doing business with the ships. Vendors sold all kinds of food. They were the noisiest, trying to attract attention from the crowd. Others sold weather charms and blessings to worried travelers. Jugglers, mimes, and minstrels plied the edges of gathering, hoping for a notice and a copper. A few easy girls were about too, but more of them plied their trade during the evening hours. He saw a boy with a trained cockle bird that walked up the
boy’s arm to his head, sang a few sweet notes, then walked down his other arm to perch on the boy’s finger—all for the price of a copper.

  Normally Tapp would have mixed with the throng and kept a wary eye out for pocket dippers and cutpurses. Today, however, he worked his way around the fringes, making no effort to spot petty thievery or any other kind of trouble.

  Around the ship Wings of Wind, the crowd had thinned. She was getting underway, and her gangplank was up. Most of the mooring lines were cast off, and the last of her lines creaked and groaned as the ship strained to be free. Since the wind, what there was of it, was out of the south right into the mouth of the harbor, the harbormaster’s longboats worked the bow away from the dock, preparing to pull it out of the harbor far enough to catch a fair wind.

  Phew! Tapp thought. Just the thought of pulling an oar today made the pulse in his head pound harder. Everyone was watching the Wings of Wind, so he took a moment at the back of the crowd to surreptitiously wipe his head again. It was just too hot.

  On the boat several passengers stood along the rail. Two young girls darted from side to side, trying to take in everything at once. Oh, to be that young and enthusiastic again. One girl, the taller blond one, seemed excited about everything and constantly pointed out the sights of the harbor to her companion. The younger girl had long, dark hair, but Tapp was struck most by her probing dark eyes when she happened to look his way.

  Rich girls. Off on a lark. Well, more to it for them, but it was no concern of his. First off, they looked a little young. Give him a girl with a little more experience—like Lulli, the serving girl at Dawk’s Tavern. He had met her last week, and maybe he would head over there after his shift was over. He did not feel much like drinking today, but maybe Lulli would have the time and inclination to help with his headache.