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

by William Culbertson

  Timberlake’s ridge was on the south side of a bend of the river, and the upstream margin of the city needed a relatively short wall between the ridge and the river to protect it. In the peaceful kingdom of West Landly, Timberlake, like Tazzelton, had overspilled its walls long ago, but the old wall still remained. The falls made the city a strategic point on the river, and it had become an important commercial hub for trade between Bington on the coast and the resource-rich lands around the Circular Sea.

  The road along the river was broad and heavily traveled. Prosperous farms and wooded estates lined the route. One large house caught Dax’s eye. It lay beside a wooded stream that flowed into the nearby river. The manor, which might have been the home of local nobility at one time, was large and stately, but it had obviously seen better days. Still, it was a busy place with several horses tied in front and two wagons unloading at a side entrance.

  Treyhorn, who had been pointing out landmarks along the road, gestured toward the building. “That grand old estate used to belong to the family of the Duke of Faymarsh, but that was some time ago. Now it’s Orrysa’s Inn and Way Station,” she said.

  “Who’s Orrysa?”

  “Maina Orrysa is the lady who hosts one of the finest inns in the North. Adjoining the inn is a highly regarded bawdy house.”

  “Oh,” Dax said, embarrassed.

  Treyhorn smiled a little awkwardly. “Which reminds me of a little talk we need to have about the dragon-bound.”

  She paused, and Dax was surprised that she appeared to be blushing. “I suppose you are going to tell me to avoid places like that,” he offered.

  “Well, of course your great-aunt would tell you that, a warning that would make it all the more certain you would go there at your first opportunity.”

  “So is my great-aunt telling me not to go to Orrysa’s?” Dax asked slyly, enjoying her rare discomfort.

  Treyhorn wiped her hand across her face. She still appeared flushed and uneasy. “Look,” she said finally. “I haven’t got all this worked out in my own head yet. We need to have a talk about the dragon-bound . . .” Her voice trailed off, and she gestured again at the house.

  Dax nodded gravely. “You need to tell me about sex? I already know about that. The basics anyway.”

  “No, there’s more you have to know, and it has to do with how your dragon side, ah, differs from the usual.” She was quiet for a time. “You’ll have to excuse me, but it has been a while since I’ve had this talk with a new member of the dragon-bound.” After another pause, she looked at him. “You know how when you’re filled with a dragon’s fighting fury, it takes over your thoughts to the point you don’t remember exactly what you did?”

  Dax remembered the night Weasel had tried to molest him and nodded. Once the bloodlust had taken him, he only remembered fragments of what he had done to the man . . . and the savagery still frightened him. He nodded again.

  “Well,” she started carefully, “our dragons feel their emotions very strongly. Therefore, so do we.”

  “And,” Dax announced the obvious conclusion, “sex is one of those emotions.” When she nodded, he paused to think for a moment, then asked, “So how badly could I hurt someone?”

  She smiled. “Right to the heart of it, eh? Usually there’s no problem if you can keep control of yourself. Control. That’s the key. That’s a good reason to go to Iron Moor.” She nodded.

  Dax could not resist. “For the sex?”

  She scowled at him, but a moment later she threw back her head and laughed. “Right enough. I asked for that.” She shook her head. “No, I was talking about learning to fight and control your dragon emotions at the same time. Commandant Renshau is one of the dragon-bound, and he will help with that. Control of your dragon side will make you a very effective fighter.” Then she snorted. “And lover.” After another pause she said, “And mind your fingernails.” She shifted her shoulders under the straps of her pack, and Dax had the amusing thought that she might be reliving a memory.

  #

  After they had walked on a ways, Treyhorn said, “I also wanted to tell you that I know and admire Orrysa. She’s a tough lady in a tough business, and she does a good job both with the inn and with her girls.”

  “Do you know everyone in the North?”

  “I know a great many people, and I make it my business to know important and successful persons. Being dragon-bound probably makes me particularly fond of people who are both good and honest. Orrysa is both.”

  “Have you helped her too?”

  “Of course I have. Orrysa knew several of the dragon-bound before she started her business, and she insisted on paying for dragon-bound-witnessed contracts from the start. She’s sharp that way and could have run any business she’d wanted. Of course, being a woman, her choices were limited.”

  “Why?” he asked. He sounded like Kahshect.

  Treyhorn shrugged. “Men just don’t seem to take it well when women run things.”

  “Landly has had queens before.”

  She nodded. “But not in East Landly. And even when a queen sits on the throne, she still is surrounded by her advisors and rules through the rest of the nobility, and they are . . .” She paused and gestured to Dax.

  “Usually men,” finished Dax. “I see your point.”

  “Orrysa was also the one who put Neena in contact with me when Neena and Hirald had their problems.”

  #

  The road followed the broad river, and the barge traffic fascinated Dax. On the far side, large, downbound barges were burdened with loads of lumber. They floated freely, steered by a coxswain at the tiller, with crew members standing duty with long poles to fend off snags and sandbars. On the near side, between the road and the river itself, draft animals, mostly oxen, trudged upriver on a towpath, hauling barges loaded with trade goods for the city and beyond.

  Treyhorn noticed him taking in all the sights. “We’ll be seeing the city at its best. This week they are celebrating Summer Fair, and the Festival Feast is tomorrow night.”

  “You planned the timing?” Dax was certain she had, but he had to ask.

  She nodded. “I’ve had it in my mind. If you are to be a man of the North, you should get a good first impression. We could have pushed a little harder and cut some days off our trip, but Kahshect needed time to grow a bit. You two needed time together . . .”

  “And I needed time to get to know my great-aunt,” Dax added. With a big smile, she put her arm around his shoulders and gave him a hug. He smiled too.

  Dax did have one concern, and he decided to bring it up. “After what Neena said about troubles at Iron Moor, I think I should be careful when I arrive.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much,” she replied. “There’s likely trouble enough in Tazzelton among the powerful to keep them busy down there. Renshau will have things well in hand at Iron Moor. He’s been good at avoiding any political winds blowing his way in the past.”

  “You’re right, no doubt. I’m ‘taking a loan on trouble I’ve yet to see’ as General Herne would say.”

  She smiled and nodded. “But you are not wrong to anticipate all possibilities. The less surprised you are, the easier the time you will have.”

  #

  Dax had never been in Timberlake before, but from Evnissyen’s lessons, he knew it was nothing like Tazzelton. Timberlake was a city right enough, but it was a logging town. The walls of the older buildings in the city displayed the roughhewn trunks of trees cut from the surrounding forest. Few buildings were made from stone. Even Commons Hall in the center of town was constructed primarily of wood, although it was sawn and finished wood with elaborately carved gables. The structure had stonework trim, but like the rest of the city, it was wood. Even the city wall was a stout stockade of sturdy timbers soaked with pitch.

  Timberlake overlooked the falls of the Weston River and sat just below the confluence with the Frigore River coming down from the Faymarsh Crags. Even though the forests no longer pressed in close aroun
d the city, it was an important lumber shipping and finishing center. Lumberjacks up river in the forests around the Circular Sea and in the foothills of the Faymarsh Crags cut trees and floated log strings down the rivers to Timberlake, where the logs were fished out of the water and turned into either rough or finished lumber in the mills. Downriver, the shipyards of Bington and the rest of West Landly were eager markets.

  Timberlake was crowded with people. Every street corner had some sort of a small stand with a cook selling food off a hot grill, a merchant peddling hats from a booth, or a capering piper offering a song for a price. After traveling so long with just Treyhorn and the dragons for company, the crowds and activity were overwhelming. Dax concentrated on keeping Treyhorn in sight as they made their way through the city.

  Finally they stopped before a tidy three-story building on a busy street. “Wee Willie the Woodsman’s Inn,” she announced, pointing at the sign that hung over their heads. Once inside, Dax discovered “Wee Willie” was a towering man whose bulk seemed to spread nearly as wide as he was tall. He worked at a small standup desk at the entry, and he recognized Treyhorn as soon as she opened the door.

  “Ah, there you are!” His voice rumbled up from somewhere deep inside his broad chest. “Just in time too. There was a party come up from Bington who needed another room, but I told them, no, the room was already reserved. Now I am completely full up for the night, and folk are waiting to get into the common room as well.”

  Treyhorn swept off her hat and wiped a little of the road dust from her face with the back of her hand. “Thank you, Willum. We’ve had a bit of a long day, but we’re happy to be here. Is it my usual room?”

  “None other. And who is this fine, strapping young lad?” Willum looked at Dax.

  “Willum, meet Leith. Leith is distant kin, and I wanted to show him the sights of Timberlake and the festival tomorrow.”

  Willum seated his mountainous frame on a stool and leaned forward to greet Dax. Even seated, Willum still overtopped Dax by a head. “Welcome to Timberlake and my inn.” He shook Dax’s hand with grave seriousness, even though Dax’s hand completely disappeared in Willum’s grip. “And we welcome any kin of Bindle’s. Even if you were the young King Ambergriff, may he be safe wherever he might be, you couldn’t get me to save a room for you on Festival Eve. Bindle, however, sent word to me she was coming to Festival, and it wouldn’t do for her to stay anywhere else.”

  He turned to Treyhorn. “I do appreciate you letting me know you would be late. Otherwise, I would have been sore tempted by other offers.”

  Dax had been startled by the reference to the king—to himself—but he suppressed his reaction. Instead he looked at his great-aunt. “You really do know everyone in the North,” he observed.

  She smiled and ruffled his hair. Her affectionate gestures had gotten more frequent over the weeks, and they always made Dax smile. “Just everyone who’s anyone.” She nodded toward the big man. “Like Willum here.” She patted the man’s broad arm. “Finest inn in the city, and it is within sight of the river too.”

  Willum, for his part, glowed with the compliment and held out his hand with a flourish. “And a key for you, madam. Now you both look a little road-weary. If you like, you can go right up to your room. If you are hungry, I’ll send Giff up to fetch something from the kitchen for you directly. Otherwise, you will have to wait a good bit to find a seat in the common room. There will still be something to eat later, but we’re down to our last roast goose if you fancy some of that this evening.”

  Those were all the words Willum had for them, because at that moment another party dressed in fine clothes and chatting happily swept through the door. Treyhorn nudged Dax’s shoulder, and they headed up the stairs behind Willum’s station by the door. Their room was not large, but it was well-appointed with a window that looked out toward the river, still dimly visible in the fading twilight. Willum was as good as his word, for in a few minutes a young boy about Dax’s age knocked on the door and introduced himself as Giff. Treyhorn ordered goose dinners for both of them, and when it arrived, it tasted just as good as it had sounded.

  After Giff returned for their dishes, Dax chatted with Treyhorn for a time, but he started to yawn. “You look as if you could use some rest.” She smiled. “I am going to slip downstairs to the common room for a bit and catch up on what’s current gossip around town. I’ll be quiet when I come in.”

  Dax nodded his thanks and was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

  #

  The morning sun streamed in through the window past the curtains, which they had left half open last night. Dax heard Treyhorn moving around the room, and he sat up blinking in the light. From the angle the light made in the room, he could tell it was not first light, but it was still early.

  Treyhorn noticed he was awake and smiled. “Second night in a row under a roof. Much more of this and we’ll be getting civilized again.”

  Dax mumbled a reply and slipped into his outer clothes.

  “There’s biscuit and gravy for breakfast downstairs. A slice of mutton too if you like. Tell Weena you’re with me. I paid for yours.”

  “I still don’t feel right taking your money for all this.”

  She waved it off. “Dragon-bound help each other. We have money here, there, and everywhere for needs just like this. Someday you’ll be contributing to the pot for others. Besides, let your great-aunt show you a good time in the city.”

  He stretched and stood up. “What are we doing today?”

  “I thought we would do the festival’s street fair today. Festival Feast is tonight. Firefall is at dusk.”

  “Firefall?” Dax had never heard of this.

  “A tradition on Summer Fair’s feast night. They light little candles on scrap-wood rafts after the sun sets and send them down through the rapids and over the falls. It’s a pretty sight in the darkness. After that, civilized folks go home to bed while the real party gets started.”

  He nodded. “Sounds like something to see.”

  “Day after next there’s a hearing for dragon justice.”

  “Dragon justice?”

  “It’s the dragon-bound’s contribution to truth and fairness in the world. There will be three of us sitting that day to hear cases brought to us for judgment. Three dragon-bound judges at once is unusual, so we should hear some especially important cases. Of course with three judges, the parties have to pay more.”

  “How does it work?”

  “The claimants have to put up a bond for the amount in question. In Neena’s case, it was their home against the fine for filing a false claim, which the other side would have to pay. In that case, I found the man who had filed the claim against Neena guilty of a more serious crime, and he ended up not only paying Neena for the false claim, but paying her a great deal more besides.”

  She smiled with the memory. “The man just couldn’t stop talking, and every word he said dug his hole that much deeper. It doesn’t take too many judgments like that to keep the worst of them honest. Most of them anyway. There are always a few who think they are smart enough to get away with it.” She’d looked out the window, evidently reviewing the memory, but now she looked back at Dax. “The dragon-bound take a portion of whatever judgment we hand down. Loser pays, and that keeps people in line.”

  “Can I watch the hearing?”

  “I was hoping you would. We should be able to start for Iron Moor by the afternoon of that day if there are not too many cases. Next day at the latest. We should get there in about another week. The fall term starts soon.”

  “There’s one other thing I meant to ask you last night.”

  She stopped sorting items from her pack and looked up at him.

  “I wondered how Willum knew we were coming.”

  “Ah,” Treyhorn said. “Dragons again. Before he left, Namkafnir told me that Jassa Nimrel and her bondmate, Anganith, were already in Timberlake. I asked Namkafnir to relay a message through Anganith to Jassa to tell Wi
llum to expect us. Dragons are better at talking over longer distances between themselves. We do this fairly often.”

  She gestured to the door. “Now if we are going to see anything of Timberlake’s festival, you had better get some breakfast in you.”

  #

  The day was a kaleidoscope of activities large and small. Dax found it hard to believe, but the crowds of yesterday had doubled, as had the number of merchants and other activities. Posters advertised an amazing variety of events taking place throughout the city. In one public square, they lingered for a time watching a livestock contest. Large pens held sheep and goats off to one side, but while they were there, the judges were evaluating horses. The owners proudly paraded their steeds in front of the judges and the gathered audience.

  These were not fancy riding horses like the ones in the castle’s stable, nor were they the large, well-trained warhorses of the guard. The horses on display were draft animals from the farms and logging operations. They were all as big as any horses Dax had ever seen. Beautifully groomed and well-behaved, the animals were huge and powerfully built. At one point, they cleared the street, and a massive wagon with an impressive eight-horse hitch rumbled through the square. The ground shook underfoot as the team passed.

  In a different city square, three small stages had been constructed, and groups of players performed short productions of popular dramas and comedies. Treyhorn bought Dax a sack of roasted nuts from a vendor, and they snacked while they watched. Dax was drawn to a production of the old story of King Darius Ambergriff IV and the dragon. The actors were good, and the large dragon figure was animated by three people. The story was more involved than the usual version done for children. Some parts were amusing, like the moment when the dragon’s tail caused the king to fall on his behind. At the play’s end, the dragon’s bondmate called out to the king, “And someday the dragons will give back to you and your family for all you have done for them today.” Dax sat in silence, thinking about those last words, while the people around him shuffled off to the next event.