Kriden Culture seemed to simply restate what Hawk had told him. Daniel skimmed the book before setting it down.
The book The Northern Accounts was far more interesting. It was a series of journal entries written by several rangers and scholars who were tasked with watching the Kridens from just after the first contact to a short time after contact was cut off. The first section was written during first meetings. After a brief scan, Daniel skipped over them until he found sections relating to when the Kridens became openly hostile.
2nd of Alistar, 1,807th year of the Third Age.
Tommy and I followed a freshly uprooted tribe. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It seemed they were simply picking up and moving as they tend to do. I would have written it off as such, but they are heading in the same direction every other tribe has been the last few days. Something is definitely going on. We’re just waiting on reports from Joseph and Conrad before we pursue.
—Sadie
Daniel flipped through several other entries. Most of them were reports on strange behavior from the tribes. Their numbers were slowly shrinking, with no obvious cause. He flipped ahead. The year 1808 was mostly bare of entries. The few that were there only chronicled how nothing seemed to be happening. However, the next year of entries were made by several different people. A section of these caught his eye.
4th of Oren, 1,809th year of the Third Age.
We can’t get close enough. Sadie tried two days ago and we haven’t seen her since. The fortress is larger than Vigil’s keep, three or maybe four times the size. It’s big enough for every tribe to live in and then some. How we didn’t notice this thing popping up is beyond me. Every tribe must of have been working together on this, which goes against everything we’ve learned about them. I have an awful feeling about this but until we can get a good look inside, there’s nothing more I can do but speculate.
—Tommy
9th of Lathic, 1,809th year of the Third Age.
Now that construction is finished there’s less activity outside, so I was able to get close enough to scale a wall. I witnessed some strange ritual in the courtyard involving fire. Some of the more powerful tribe leaders were standing with their backs to a brazier while a few women used different brands on them. I couldn’t make out the shapes. They spoke something after each burn. Since none of us speak Kridic, I’m going to consult Tommy’s translation notes and try to figure it out. Probably won’t help, but it’s worth a try.
—Joseph
23rd of Landring, 1,810th year of the Third Age.
Joseph is dead. He tried to scale the wall again, but a patrol was out of sync with the rest and caught him halfway up. Tommy and I are returning to Vigil to report what we’ve learned and try to gain a better insight on it. Hopefully the rest of the scholars can put their heads together and figure this out. We might have to try to get the Edaren council to intervene, depending on what we find, but knowing them they’ll write this off as Dragon Guard paranoia and push it aside like they did with Wolves Wood.
—Conrad
The entries from the four Dragon Guards ended there and picked up with another group sent out after Conrad and Tommy’s return some months later. Daniel skimmed their entries. After what had happened to the group before them, these Dragon Guards seemed far more cautious and watched from outside the walls rather than risk scaling them. Supposedly, the Kridens rarely left the fortress during that time, save for hunting and gathering large amounts of wood or stone from the nearby forest and mountain quarry. Daniel jumped ahead. It seemed that nothing changed over the course of several years.
All of this was some time ago so he wasn’t sure how much of it was still relevant. It did give him a better idea about where the burn patterns he saw on their backs were from, though not what they actually meant. It also explained why they were on the scout ship. They must have caught the rangers and chased them to the boat, which was moored somewhere on the shore. With most of his curiosity sated, he decided to let the matter be and leave it in the hands of the captains. He was sure they could handle it. Whatever it was.
Chapter Twenty-three
30th of Sanya, 27th year of the Fourth Age.
The twenty-two trainees stood in the same room they had waited in for their interview with Captain North one year ago. They had been standing here for several minutes while Obadiah, Claudia, Austin, and the leaders of the Dragon Guard conferred with one another in the room beyond. Daniel shifted his weight from one foot to the other as they waited in suspense. Today was the thirtieth of Sanya, which was the last day of the last month of the year. They were being divided into their respective sects within the Dragon Guard. Daniel was excited, but at the same time he felt as if his heart was about to give out.
He glanced up and down the row and saw that everyone was just as anxious as he was. This was the moment that would define the rest of their training and, no doubt, a large portion of the rest of their lives. After several more agonizing minutes, the door in front of them opened. They all tensed as the commander, captains, and their instructors stepped through. The captains and instructors formed a line in front of them while Commander Hall stood in the middle, an open book in his hands. He looked up and down the line of uneasy faces in front of him. They tensed under his gaze as his eyes passed over them.
“You all look terrified,” he said with a smile, easing their nerves slightly before he continued. “Today is an important day for you all. You’ve completed your general training and are now moving into one of the three sects of the Dragon Guard. First are the wardens.”
Eleven were called. Among them were Robin, Griffon, Aaron, and Zachery. They all looked thrilled with their placement. Zachery’s joy was the most evident as he sported a wide, toothy grin. Second to be called were the scholars. As Daniel had expected, Clara was chosen, along with Alan and Robert, making a total of six.
Hall closed the book with a loud thud. “That means the other five of you are our rangers. Your specialized training begins tomorrow, the first of Eren. I suggest you all go out and enjoy the festival for a while. But you are required to return to the keep by sundown and await us at the front entrance. Tonight is a bit of a . . . special event.”
They were dismissed. Once they were outside the keep, they all quickly split into their selective groups. Daniel was in a daze as they made their way down the steps to the first floor and then outside. He’d had no idea which sect he would be placed in, but being chosen as a ranger felt . . . off. After all he’d learned, he’d wanted to be a warden, someone that stood and fought on the front lines to protect everyone around him. Being a ranger felt almost wrong.
Zachery lifted his brother off the ground and spun with him. “Woo!” he yelled. “One year down!”
Griffon punched Zachery in the arm. “Quiet!” she said. “The whole city will hear you.”
Aaron grinned. “Come on, Griffon,” he said. “Let him have some fun. I can’t imagine Obadiah will allow much of it starting tomorrow.”
Daniel smiled at his friends. He’d been with them only a year, but it felt like a lifetime. In his mind, they fit their sects perfectly. Griffon was a talented fighter in spite of her hot temper, which could be beneficial in a fight. Aaron was calm in almost any situation and was by far the most skilled with a blade. Zachery was excellent at adapting to the flow of events. In contrast, Clara had a knack for knowledge retention when it came to history or politics. If there was ever a question that needed an answer, she would likely be the one to provide it. Lastly, Alan was becoming a highly skilled doctor.
“So what should we do?” Alan said as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
Zachery thought for a moment. “Why not go down to the market district?” he said. “There’s always lots of traveling traders arriving for the festival.”
“You don’t have any money,” Griffon remarked.
He shrugged. “Clara does.”
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Clara glared at Zachery. “Don’t you dare volunteer me for that again,” she said. “Last time we went to the market and I offered to pay, you went way overboard.”
“How did I go overboard?”
“You tried to buy a dog.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Someone already owned it! Besides that, where would you have kept it?”
They continued their lighthearted “argument” as they had dozens of times before. Daniel tuned them out as he was lost in his own thoughts. After a few moments, he shrugged. “I’ll pass,” he said. “You guys go ahead.”
Aaron looked at him with a worried expression. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just going to take a walk. Clear my head a little.”
Zachery shrugged. They all stepped through the gate and out into the city, with one last glance in Daniel’s direction from Aaron. When they were gone, Daniel walked through the courtyard and over the frost-covered grass until he came to one of the corner towers. He opened the door and glanced up through the wooden supports crisscrossing the empty, vertical space. Spiral stairs wound their way up along the wall until they came to the top floor, which led out onto the wall. He started up. When he reached the top, he stepped out onto the north wall. He sighed and brushed snow away from the battlement to clear an area for him to sit and look out over the city, his feet dangling over the edge.
Snow coated every roof and street, covering everything in a thin, pure, white sheet with bits of grey stone peeking through. Smoke rose from chimneys dotted around the city and along the few streets he could see clearly. People were going about their day preparing for the festival by setting up stands, stages, and decorations. He wondered how many people knew about the Disciples of the Left Hand and about what dragons really were or what the Dragon Guards’ true purpose was. What his purpose was.
It all felt so surreal. He was going to be a ranger in the Dragon Guard. There were still days when he woke up and didn’t quite believe how his life had turned out since that autumn day in Sapella’s Crossing. It had started with a peaceful walk with Connie along the edge of the Arrow before he’d headed down to the falls with her and Jeremy. Then the valgret had turned the day on its head. His rescue cemented his desire to be a Dragon Guard. He wanted to be like the ones he read about in his book. To be like Kenneth, Claudia, and Mila.
“You’re likely to fall off the wall with all this ice.”
He turned. Kenneth was walking toward him from the opposite tower. “What are you doing here?” Daniel asked.
“I’m on patrol duty for the evening,” Kenneth said. He sat next to Daniel, though he kept his feet planted on the wall and his back to the city. “So, how are you feeling? Obadiah told me what sect they’d chosen for you.”
“When did you find out?”
“Just a few moments ago. He caught me as I was entering the east tower.” He looked at Daniel and frowned. “Not happy with the choice? You have a look about you that I’ve seen far more often than I’d like.”
“Not sure. On one hand, I’m excited to have come this far. But on the other hand, I don’t feel like a ranger.”
Kenneth laughed lightly. “Well, you aren’t a ranger yet. Still have some training to do first. But I think it’s a perfect fit for you.”
“I don’t know,” Daniel said with a sigh. “I just always imagined myself as the hero, standing out in front of everyone, ready to protect them.”
“Lad, that passion is what makes you a perfect ranger.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen it since the day we met in that forest. The way you placed yourself between me and your brother when you had no idea who I was. The way you asked any question that came to your mind during our trip. Your determination to fulfill your dream of coming here. You are a clever and insightful young man. You are the type of person who would do anything to protect others, no matter the cost, and for rangers that cost is often very high.”
He handed Daniel a folded black cloth. Daniel held it out and let it fall open. It was a long, ragged black scarf with frayed edges.
“After what happened to get you here, I don’t think there’s anything else you could be.”
Daniel clutched the ragged scarf in his lap for a moment. Mila’s scarf.
“Thank you, Kenneth.”
“Don’t thank me. It was Obadiah’s idea. Big softie, that one. Said he meant to give it to you but you all left so quickly.”
Daniel smiled and wrapped the scarf around his neck. It wasn’t as heavy as he thought it would be. In fact, it was rather light, but still quite warm, and soft as well.
Kenneth placed a hand on his shoulder. “She would want you to have it. The ragged look of it suits you quite well. Makes you look rather dashing, if I’m being honest.” He grinned.
Daniel smiled back at him as Kenneth stood. With one last glance at Daniel, Kenneth turned and walked into the tower to continue his patrol. Daniel sat on the edge of the wall a while longer before deciding it was time for him to stop sulking and start celebrating his new role. He went down the tower and out the gate to head for the market district and find his friends.
Several hours later, the trainees were patiently waiting on the stairs just outside the keep entrance. It was moments from sundown, which meant it was nearly time for what Hall had simply called a “surprise” for them. They had no idea what it could possibly be, but that didn’t stop them from guessing.
“Maybe they’re preparing a feast for us!” Alan said while lying down on one of the steps, looking up as snow fell onto his face.
Daniel shook his head. “All you think about is food.”
Zachery shrugged and said, “Hey, if its Jonathan’s cooking I’m all for it.”
“There’s already the festival feast,” Daniel said, “so I doubt that’s what’s happening.”
They heard the main doors open. Collectively, the twenty-two of them turned to see Austin step out and stand at the top of the stairs. “Good,” he said, “you’re all here. Well, this will be interesting. Hope you’re ready.” He motioned to the door. Everyone stood and followed him in.
Inside, Claudia and Obadiah waited at the base of the stairs. When the recruits crowded around, Claudia addressed them with hint of amusement in her tone. “Now, we’re taking you to meet someone. She’s a bit of an . . . oddity. But treat her with the same respect you would treat Commander Hall.”
With a new sense of curiosity, they were led up the stairs to the fourth floor, then the fifth, and then beyond. They had never been allowed this far into the tower before. They kept quiet, as if speaking was forbidden and even the slightest sound would be frowned upon. Slowly, they climbed higher in the tower, passing several doorways leading to unknown rooms with unknown contents. Even after several minutes, they had yet to reach the top. Daniel knew that if it hadn’t been for all the exercise they’d been put through, he would be falling over from exhaustion. Building his endurance and muscle tone had been a slow process, but it had been a noticeable one.
When at last they reached the top of the spiral stairs, they stepped into a short hallway with a single iron door at the end. Obadiah and the other instructors walked to the door and faced all of them as they crowded into the hall.
Austin gave a knowing grin as he gripped the handle. “Don’t freak out.”
He turned the handle and pushed the door open, allowing himself and the other two instructors through first. From where he stood, Daniel could see only the three of them. The rest slowly trickled through the doorway. Each one of them stopped in their tracks, then stumbled forward as those behind pushed to get in. They found themselves on a large, open, stone platform. Lit braziers lined the edges, giving the area a soft and comforting glow.
But most surprising was the brilliant, silver-scaled dragon. It lay near the right edge of the tower on its belly
, its forelegs crossed in front of it and its tail hanging over the side. It had a long snout and a slender body. Its wings were folded in at its sides, but even so Daniel could tell they must be double the length of its body, which was roughly forty feet from the tip of its tail to its snout. It had a set of horns that curved slightly upward at the top of its head, with another two at the back of its jawbone curling downward towards its neck.
It turned its head towards them, and Daniel could see that its eyes were much like a cat, though they were colored light lavender, barely discernable in the low light. It was beautiful in a slightly terrifying way. It seemed to look at each of them in turn without turning its head. Its eyes simply darting this way and that. In spite of what Claudia had taught them about dragons, all he could think of right now were the songs sung in taverns and things said in children’s stories. That they were evil creatures bent on destroying everything mankind had built. They did nothing but destroy and cause chaos.
Claudia’s voice was reassuring in the tense silence. “Don’t worry, she’s not going to hurt you.”
“I made no such promise.”
The sudden voice coming from the slender beast was alarming and made most of them shrink back. But as alarming as it was it also seemed, calming. It was clearly a feminine tone and had a hint of amusement in it. Almost like a mother or an older sister teasing their younger sibling. When it saw them all back away it laughed lightly, at least Daniel assumed it was a laugh. Even being nearly eight feet away the heat from her breath was apparent in the cool night air as it exhaled.
Austin grinned and stepped forward to stand next to the dragon. “It’s wonderful to see you again,” he said to the creature. “How was your nap?”
“Refreshing,” the dragon answered. “I feel fifty years younger.”
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