Saying that, he faded from view and came fully awake in his bed, with her lying nearly on top of him. He gently shook her and she woke up. She smiled at him, and they got out of bed to start the day. Dawn was still about an hour away, but they bathed, and he went in search of Nassari.
When he stepped into the hall from his bedroom, Brock was just coming out of the room that had been provided for him.
“Good morning, Brock. I’m glad you’re up early. I need to talk with you while we still have a few moments with no one else to listen to us.”
“I was just going to go and see to Leera. She is a bit moody because she is coming into season. She mated last year, but it didn’t take, so, with so many hatchings going on around her, she is a bit upset about not being allowed to go in search of a male this year.” At Delno’s look of concern, he quickly added, “There’s no need to worry about her performance when we get to Horne. It’s all of this lying about that is getting to her. If she had other distractions, she wouldn’t be upset. Dragons are capable of ignoring such urges for a time, and, as I said, she did mate last year.”
“I can certainly sympathize with her on that point,” Delno replied. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep you long. I just want to know what you think of the new Riders who will be going along.”
“Ah, those four.” Delno started to ask what that meant, but Brock held up his hand to stop him. “They are good, and they work well as a unit. Will is extremely good at not being seen. He and Saadia can disappear from view while you’re watching him, and if you aren’t trying very hard to pay attention, you won’t see him again until he is ready for you to. As for the others, they play on that quite well. And the three of them have worked themselves into quite a fighting squad. They will be very effective against ground troops, but they haven’t had enough practice against other dragons in the air. So far that’s all been mostly theoretical. Leera and I have flown maneuvers against them, but we’ve only had four days to practice. All in all, though, I think they are quite competent.”
“Hopefully, because they have had to stay hidden so much, our enemies won’t have a lot of experience either, but we can’t count on that. I would much rather expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised than hope for the best and be disappointed, especially since disappointment in this case will probably mean the death of one or more of our pairs.”
“Perhaps we can set up some kind of drill routine during our trip to give them a few more days of training. Let them fly contests against you, me and Rita to give them time against dragons and Riders who have experienced aerial combat.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll leave it to you and Nassari to coordinate, and then let me know the particulars once we are in flight. In fact, I would like you and Nassari to see to it that they are ready to leave by this evening.”
“This evening? I thought we weren’t leaving until tomorrow.”
“We aren’t, but I want everyone ready. No last minute preparations. Tonight we all bed down with our dragons at sundown and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow morning we wake before dawn and gear up. After that, we rise with the sun.”
Brock looked at Delno for a moment and then asked, “Do you want to inspect the Riders who are staying?”
“No,” Delno replied. “My day is full. I have to speak with Adamus and make sure he is ready to take charge of the defense of Corice: I believe he is, but I want to hear it from him. Then I have to talk with my uncle and mother, and then, I want to spend a little time with the children before the day is over.”
Brock looked like he was about to say something, but he changed his mind and simply saluted. Delno would have liked to indulge his friend with more explanations of his plans, but he needed to eat and then fly to Stone Bridge, so he returned the salute and strode off toward the dining hall.
Chapter 32
“I have told Beth that we approach, Love; Adamus is expecting us.”
“Good, I want to finish up here and get back to Larimar as soon as possible,” Delno responded. “I still have to speak with my uncle about provisions, and I want to again press the point that the Riders aren’t in Corice as a Corisian fighting force.”
“Delno, when are you going to trust that the man won’t try and use the Riders the way that some others would do? He is your uncle, and he cares about you, and he would like to see the dragons and Riders restored to their former glory.”
“He is my uncle, but he is the also the King of Corice. I am Corisian; we are a pragmatic people. Now that he has been presented with dragons to solve any problems that may arise, he can’t help but want to take advantage of the opportunity. Remember, Lark is my cousin, and she had no problem at all trying to lay the entire leadership of Palamore on me. I have grown quite fond of my uncle, and I truly believe that he means well, but I can’t take the chance that we will return to another mess when we finish this business in Horne. If there is one thing I have learned since your hatching, it is that you are the only one I can completely count on. Everyone else has his own agenda. I believe I can trust Brock and Rita, and I have a good deal of confidence in Nassari, but I can’t even confide everything in them. Hopefully, when this is over, things will change for the better.”
“Careful, Dear One, you’re starting to put yourself apart from everyone.” He started to protest, but she cut him off. “I know you are not doing it because it is what you want. You are in command, and you may find yourself in a position of having to choose which of your friends you have to send to their deaths. I feel that pressure also. You are not the only one who has others looking to you for leadership. However, one of the biggest distinctions between us and our enemies is our compassion and our love for our fellows. That may seem like a weakness at first glance, but I believe that, in the long run, it is one of our greatest strengths. You won’t sacrifice your friends needlessly or callously, but they will willingly sacrifice themselves for you if the need arises: that is a big distinction.”
Delno considered her words carefully and then said, “You’re right, of course. I know that we will all do what must be done and that Adamus and Craig will see to the new Riders while we are gone. It is just hard to keep that in perspective sometimes. I am distancing myself so that I can continue to function if one of my friends, my extended family, dies under my command. I will try to not shut off my emotions so much, Dear Heart. If you see me doing so, remind me of this conversation.”
“I will do that, Love. Now sit tight, we are about to land.”
As Geneva touched down, Adamus ran up to meet them. “It’s good to see you, sir. I was hoping that I would get the chance to do so again before you left for Horne.”
Delno slid down from the saddle and said, “Well, besides wanting to make sure that you have everything that you need, I did want to see you just to say goodbye. We started off together as enemies, but I think that we have truly become friends.”
“Yes, I still can’t believe that we were so easily taken in by Simcha, and by default, Warrick. I am just glad that you were able to show Lawrence and me the error of our ways. The outcome could have been much worse.”
The two men looked at each other for a moment and then Delno said, “So, you know that you will be working with Craig. You and he will be rotating the new Riders between aerial practice here with you and theoretical instruction in both being a Rider and doing magic with Craig. He will try and be the one to coordinate with the king’s people to make sure that both dragons and Riders are well supplied.”
“Yes, I’ve spoken with Craig several times, once when he came here to look over the situation, and then we have had relayed conversations through our dragons. We have everything in hand.”
“Good,” Delno said. “How is everything going here?”
“The stone works are progressing just fine. The iron workers are already setting the gates. The whole structure will be ready in less than another month. Also, if all else fails, we can pull the supports and let the whole thing fall into the canyon. The Bournes
e are going to stay on their side of the bridge this time.”
“Excellent. I can’t stay long; I have other things to do today, and we will be leaving at dawn tomorrow.”
“Well, there is one more bit of good news.” Delno looked at the man with open curiosity and Adamus continued. “The Bournese have apparently come to realize that the children they were using aren’t going to be needed and have sent them home. The only soldiers on the other side of the bridge now are full grown men, and about a third of their original number have gone too. It could be that they have moved them to the other access points, but it is more likely that they just don’t want the expense of feeding them anymore.”
“Well, I thank you for that news. My life will be so much easier when I tell Rita that those children are no longer being used as troops. Just in case though, as you put the newly bonded pairs to work up here, widen your search patterns so that all of the passes are covered. Also, the Bournese are good mountaineers; don’t neglect to keep watch on the slopes near all of the border points to make sure that no sappers get through to do acts of sabotage in our rear areas.”
Adamus nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that. Where I’m from the land is flat, and I look around and think of these mountains as impossible to climb. Now that you mention it though, a squad of well-trained men could do quite a bit of damage if they could get past our initial defenses. I’ll also instruct the others to look for signs that hostile Dragon Riders are in the area, too. Beth hasn’t felt anything, but the newly bonded dragons might be more sensitive. I don’t expect to find them, but better safe than sorry.”
“Good man. I knew I was right leaving you in charge of defense here.”
Adamus straightened proudly at the compliment.
“I know that we may be a bit paranoid about the Bournese getting more help from Warrick,” Delno continued, “but it has been my experience that a little paranoia in warfare is sometimes a good thing.”
“I wish we had a time table of how long you will be down in Horne.” Before Delno could say anything, Adamus added, “I know it’s impossible to tell at this point, but I can still wish.”
“Yes, we can all wish,” Delno said. “I wish that this weren’t happening. Unfortunately, the only way to make my wish come true is to get down to Horne and settle this account.”
Both men stood looking over at the Bournese camp for a moment and then Delno said, “One last thing, and I’ll be on my way.” He paused and made sure that no one was within earshot of their conversation. “I served with General Dreighton when he was a captain. He is a good man and has a good military mind, but he is a Corisian military man. His supply lines are secure and his rear lines are in no danger. Now that he has strong fallback points at all of the border crossings, he may start thinking about pushing forward. You are not to let him commandeer you or your Riders for such a push. Your job is to protect these outposts. Unless you have to do so to fend off enemy dragons, you are not to cross the border.”
“Yes, sir. You have nailed a potential problem. His staff officers have been wondering why we aren’t taking this fight to the Bournese. Apparently some of them are anxious to get some revenge. I have told the general that the dragons aren’t to attack on the Bournese side unless we are attacked, and he has been satisfied up until now. I won’t move forward without specific orders from you.”
“Good,” Delno said. “In that case, I have to get back to Larimar and finish preparations for leaving tomorrow.”
They saluted each other and Delno climbed back into the saddle. Geneva crouched and pushed off as her wings beat down and they were again airborne. Delno just sat and enjoyed the ride for a few moments. The mountains, rugged but beautiful, diminished below them slightly. The tallest peaks were snowcapped even in high summer. Delno had always loved to look at these mountains, and viewing them from the air only made them appear more majestic.
“It won’t take long to get back to Larimar, Love. The winds are with us, so even soaring, the trip will be short. Should I circle for a while and let you think?”
“Am I so transparent?” he responded.
“No, but I have learned how to read you. You are enjoying the view and not thinking of this war. It is good for you to do that from time to time. It seems to give you better perspective when you once again return to the task at hand.”
Delno laughed out loud. “Geneva, I love you. I think we can afford a quarter of an hour just for ourselves.”
“I love you, too, Delno. Let’s give ourselves a real treat and make it half an hour!”
“I like a strong-minded female. Very well, Love, half an hour.”
Chapter 33
“Oh, there you are, Nephew. I am glad that I found you,” Dorian said as Delno entered the main hall of the palace. “I was hoping we could talk again before you and your forces set off for the south.”
“I wouldn’t have left without seeing you, Uncle. In fact, I have made specific time in my schedule to see you today. Besides wanting to say goodbye, I want to make sure that all arrangements are made concerning the housing of the new Riders, and food for any hungry dragons.”
“Well, you know, Delno, the dragons and Riders have my total support.” Dorian paused for a moment and then said, “Which brings me to something I wanted to speak with you about.”
Delno was suddenly suspicious, but he simply waited for his uncle to speak his mind.
“I have been considering this alliance we seem to find ourselves in,” Dorian continued. “I have thought about these constant wars between Corice and Bourne. I am starting to think that perhaps leaving the descendants of House Bourne to rule that land is not a good idea. With the help of the Riders and the dragons we could . . .”
“Uncle,” Delno said sharply, “we have discussed this very thing, and I have told you that the Riders are only involved because of Warrick. I cannot allow the Riders to get involved in Corisian expansion.”
“Corisian expansion? Nephew, the Bournese have tried to take over this kingdom by force at least once a generation for hundreds of years. The current king of Bourne is particularly determined to control Corice and its resources. I am merely asking the Riders for assistance in protecting our own people. I have come to believe that the only way to ensure the peace in this area is to stop the Bournese by consolidating both kingdoms.”
“Uncle, few people are more acutely aware of the Bournese determination to conquer this kingdom than I. However, I cannot allow my Riders to become embroiled in local politics, especially with a war of our own to fight in Horne. I have left two fully trained Riders and seven newly bonded pairs to help protect the borders while I am gone. As far as anything further, I cannot allow the Riders left behind here to participate in a push into Bourne: I have specifically ordered them not to comply with any such request. Unless Dragon Riders from our enemy’s camp show up and make overt acts of aggression, my Riders will not fly into Bournese air space. That is the way it must be, at least until I return from Horne.”
Dorian regarded his nephew for several moments and then said, “So, that is your last word on the matter?”
“I’m afraid it must be, Uncle.” Dorian shook his head and Delno added, “When I return from Horne, I have every intention of settling matters in Bourne.”
Dorian raised an eyebrow as an invitation for his nephew to expound on his statement. Delno, however, had no intention of saying more at the moment. “We will discuss this further after the Riders have settled with Warrick. For now, your newest advisor seems to have found us.”
Both men turned to Laura Okonan who had just come into the main hall.
“Mother, I am glad you came now. We can have lunch together.” He didn’t add that he was also glad that her appearance saved him from his uncle’s questions.
Will, John Okonan, Rita, and the children joined them for lunch. The conversation was a bit strained because of the fact that the three Riders would be leaving for the war in the morning. That subject was specifically, and somewhat
obviously, avoided by all.
After lunch, he and Rita took Marcus and the twins for a long walk, and then spent the remainder of the afternoon with them.
“How do you play the tiles?” Marcus asked Delno.
“There are several games that can be played with tiles,” Delno responded. “Most of those games involve some form of betting on the outcome of how the tiles are dealt.” Delno had quickly found out that while Marcus was still a child emotionally, he was quite a bit older intellectually, so he made sure not to try to talk down to the boy. “I’ll tell you what: I’ll go and get a set of tiles and try to teach you one of the games. I’ll be right back.”
“I’m not sure your mother would approve of you teaching the child to gamble, Love,” Geneva said. She had become quite fond of the idea of helping to raise three human children.
“You could be right. She was a bit put out when my father taught me when I was Marcus’s age.”
It didn’t take long for him to find a set of tiles and return. The tiles were in a wooden box: this set was made of ceramic, but most were made of wood or bone. Delno shook the box gently to make sure the tiles were mixed up.
“Each tile is inscribed with a number or a symbol,” he explained. “There are forty-eight numbered tiles. They are numbered one through twelve.” He paused and asked, “Do you know your numbers?”
“My mother taught me those last year,” the boy said. There was still a bit of sadness in his voice whenever he talked about his parents, but he didn’t dwell on it.
“Good, then I won’t have to explain all of that and we can get on with the game,” Delno replied. “Now then, there are four sets of numbered tiles and each set is a different color: Usually red, green, yellow, and blue. Some homemade sets use different colors because the person who made them used what was available to paint them. There are four sets of tiles that have animals on them that are also painted the same colors as the number tiles. The animals are dragons, which are the highest ranking tiles; the swans come next, then horses, then dogs.”
Dragon Blade Page 27