by Sarah Hite
Ania watched the fire for a moment before answering. “He likes you.” she said. “That’s strange because he has only known humans to be cruel.” Knowing that the dragon trusted him, she answered his question. “He was taken from them. I found him chained up inside a cave. He had been beaten, starved, and left for dead. I couldn’t just leave him there, I had to help him.”
Marcus nodded. They talked for a while and she learned that he had been a trapper by trade and that he had recently retired. He complimented her on the skins that she wore. He said they had been expertly removed and dried. She suddenly realized that she must smell frightful and apologized; he smiled and said it was all right. As a trapper he had spent a great deal of time in the forest and understood. He was a friendly sort, and she could tell he was a trustworthy person, so when he asked why she had been traveling alone through the woods she told him the whole story. He was amazed by the Duke’s sadistic actions and apologized for them. He looked at her and said, pointedly but not unkindly, “Do you think that he was going to use the hatchling as a replacement for your friend out there?”
She nodded. “The idea had occurred to me as well. It’s the only reason I can think of for stealing an egg and for destroying the Nesting Cave.”
After a moment he asked, “Why do you think Lorex betrayed you?”
“He had gone hunting the night we were ambushed and was gone far longer than necessary. There was plenty of game around, so he shouldn’t have had to go far; and he asked if Pai and Moon wanted to go hunting. It was unusual, because he rarely spoke to them. After they sold the wagon in Locrin, Lukair said that they had separated in town, and there had been no reason for Lorex to go off on his own. The only reason I can think of for his leaving was to alert the soldiers to our location.”
“Why would he betray you?”
“See, that’s the thing. He may be a pig-headed fool sometimes, but he was always loyal to his family. He wouldn’t have betrayed them. The only reason I can think of to even make me think he would leave is, so that he could find his father. When he heard about what had happened to Pycan, he… well, he wasn’t the same. I can only hope that he went to help them escape. Showing open betrayal would have been the only reason the soldiers would have trusted him enough to tell him where they were.” She then inquired how far they were from Ryell’s land and learned that they were already there. Aretell was only three weeks away on foot, half that by horseback.
He thought for a moment and then stood and went to another room. She could hear him moving things around, as if he were searching for something. He returned holding a large object wrapped in cloth. He set it on the table and carefully unwrapped it. When he had finished, he revealed a long elegant sword. It shone in the fire’s light and was of a sort she had not seen before. Threads of polished silver were wrapped tightly around the pommel, and the cross guard had been shaped into dragons. The body of the sword was made of steel but was marked with the same writing that adorned Flame’s sword. The sheath was of a simple design but elegant. It was a deep charcoal grey with burnished silver around the top as well as the bottom. It also bore a rune near the top that was wrought of polished silver. She could not help but think this sword, and the one Flame possessed, went together.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
Marcus smiled and revealed a ring. It was similar to the rings the Guard captains wore, but the symbol was different and it was thinner, more ornate than the Guards’ rings. She studied the ring and noticed that the symbol was the same one that marked the sword’s sheath. Ania looked at them in wonder. Marcus sighed. “These belonged to my great grandmother. It was said that she helped a dragon and was given these as a thank you. I never found out what it was she did, but I was told that she was liked by all dragons because of it.” He looked at Ania. “You remind me of her, and I’m sure that she would want you to have them.” He handed her the ring and went to check a pot that hung over the fire.
She sat there for a minute, thrown off by the gifts. She was sure that these would have fetched a fair price had he decided to sell them. She slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand and picked up the sword. Again, she was thrown off as her hand fit the grip snuggly, as if it had been made for her. She stood and walked away from the table where there was an open section of floor and gave the sword an experimental swing. She barely felt its weight, as if the sword were only part of her arm. It was the right weight and was balanced perfectly. She smiled and thanked him for the gift. He nodded and handed her a bowl of stew as she sat and sheathed the sword.
He offered them a place to stay so that she and Kwan would not have to stay in the cave. She smiled and said that she would talk to him about it, but she was sure he would accept. He was tired of the cave; it held nothing but bad memories for him. It would also give him more chances to exercise and strengthen his body. After the storm abated he walked out to the barn with her and was introduced to Kwan properly. He accepted the offer almost immediately.
The next day they went out to the barn and Marcus helped Ania remove most of the chains that still hung on Kwan. He still wore the harness that the larger chains had been attached to, some of them still dangled from it. The smaller chains that had bound his head were still there, as well as the remaining portion of the muzzle. Together they were able to remove the harness and all of the remaining chains, except the small one that was tangled around his horns, and the shackles. They tried to untangle the chain from his horns but only succeeded in removing the broken piece from them.
“I’m sorry I can’t get them all off,” Marcus said, wishing he could do more. To his amazement, Kwan answered. “That’s okay. This is a big improvement. Now I can move freely, and my hide can start to heal.”
Ania smiled at them, amused by Marcus’s reaction to hearing the dragon’s voice. She went to the well and drew a bucket of water. Taking a cloth, she proceeded to clean the sores on Kwan’s back and chest. They were hot and feverish from being repeatedly rubbed raw. As Marcus watched her, he smiled, thinking he had given his great- grandmother’s treasures to the right person.
Over the next couple of weeks, he helped Ania acquire new clothes and supplies for the trip to Aretell. She was sure that her friends had gone there if they had not been captured, and Lord Ryell’s blacksmiths would be able to remove the rest of the chains.
As the weather grew warmer the snow began to melt. However, it still snowed on occasion, replacing what had just melted. Marcus built a wood frame pack for Ania and helped her prepare for the trip. As she packed her new clothes and supplies, he packed her enough dried meat and bread to last at least half of the trip. He apologized for not having more to give her, and she said that it was all right, “I can hunt for my food.” He helped her plan the trip, and they agreed that Kwan should fly straight there.
The next morning Ania donned her fur-lined cloak and slip on the pack. Marcus offered his help if they should need it again and waved farewell. Then he watched as the girl and dragon started off; Kwan took flight and flew ahead. Ania followed using her birch wood staff for support, so that she would not stumble in the snow. As he watched them leave, his eyes revealed a level of pride too deep for a stranger.
Reunion
Early in the morning flame left the palace and went to visit Moon and Pai before they left to go hunting. He was still worried and wished he knew if Ania was all right. Shaelynn met him at the entrance. She nudged his leg playfully and then ran back to Moon’s side. Moon looked up from her place next to one of the large fire pits that heated the Guesthouse. She nodded to him and stood. Pai stirred and lifted his head. He blinked blearily and stretched, before he acknowledged Flame as he approached. “It will turn out,” Pai said, stepping forward. Together they left the Guesthouse and went out to the courtyard. There they met Lukair and Stone, who had just left the palace. Flame pulled his coat tighter around him and crossed his arms, trying to keep warm.
Pai looked around and saw Chekal on the other side of th
e courtyard. He stood on the top of a great stone pillar and appeared to be observing the new day. As he looked around he saw the others and left the ice-covered stone to join them. “Are you going to come with us?” Pai asked him.
“I haven’t hunted in a while. There is a clearing a few miles from here; a stream borders it, so there should be plenty of deer and other critters to hunt.” He turned to look at Moon. “Will Shaelynn be joining us?”
Moon looked down at the youngster, who looked back up at her hopefully. Can I, Mother? She lowered her head so that she was at Shaelynn’s level. I’m sorry, child, it is far and we must fly to get there. Until you learn to fly, I’m afraid you will not be able to join us. Stay here in case they need our help. You are the only one who will be able to call us back if there is trouble. She nuzzled the hatchling and continued. It may not be fun, but it is important. Shaelynn looked up at her, her eyes sparkling. Okay, Mother.
She turned back to Chekal, “No, she will stay here.” The others nodded and they turned to leave. It was not long after they left, perhaps an hour, when Shaelynn suddenly looked up. She was curled up in the corner of the stairwell to the palace’s main entrance. She looked up at the sky to the northwest and jumped to her feet. Lord Ryell had been going over the weak points of their foundations and fortifications with Flame when Shaelynn ran past them and climbed to the top of the wall, where she looked out over the snow. She turned back to the two men below and whimpered. Flame left Ryell and went to her side. She looked up at him with troubled eyes, then looked back out at the dull grey sky. He followed her gaze but saw nothing. Ryell came up behind him and asked, “What is it?”
“I don’t know, but something out there is bothering her.”
“Do you think something is wrong with Moon?”
“No, if something happened to Moon she would let us know. This is something else.”
“I’ll prepare the men for an attack.” He turned to go back to the courtyard, but Flame stopped him with a sharp exclamation as something launched itself off of a distant hilltop. They watched as it came closer. Shaelynn left the platform and ran back to the courtyard. She ran up the palace steps and back to the middle of the courtyard. They watched her, concerned.
Flamed turned back to the hill just in time to duck as something flew past his head. “Whoa!” Shouts from the other men on the wall began to echo around him. He watched as a dragon landed heavily in the courtyard. There were shackles around his legs, and a chain was tangled in his horns. This dragon was very thin and shuddered from the exertion it took to fly. Shaelynn trilled a greeting as she approached him. He looked at her and then collapsed on the cold, snow-covered pavement.
Hearing the commotion, the others came out to see what had happened. When they asked what had occurred, Flame motioned toward the unconscious dragon in the courtyard, where people had begun clearing away the snow, and the nearby fire pit, which was normally used only for festivals, that had been lit. They stared at the dragon for a moment, before turning back to Flame. He only shook his head and turned to watch as Ryell directed the men and women working around the dragon. “He just flew in. No one knows where he came from.”
Together they watched as Alastair, the head smith, arrived. He studied the dragon’s bonds for a few minutes. Then the men discussed how to remove the shackles from the dragon’s legs and the tangled mass of chains around his horns. They approached in time to hear Alastair say, “The shackles are the easy part; it’s the chains around his horn that I’m concerned about. They’ve been there for so long that his horn has begun to grow over them. The best I can do right now is remove the shackles and the chain from the fasteners that hold it onto his horn.”
“Do what you can. Try to do it before he wakes. He may not appreciate hot tools close to his skin.” Ryell bent to examine the scars and other wounds that covered over fifty percent of his body. Eventually, he stood and shook his head sadly. “Who could be so cruel?” He bent down to Shaelynn and continued, “Look after him, will you?” He patted her on the head and returned to his observations of the foundations.
Over the next several days, they took to calling him Bones, and no one spoke of anything else, other than where he could have possibly come from and what had happened to him. Even when the other dragons returned from hunting, talk still revolved around him. Curious, they went to investigate. Pai and Chekal arrived first. They could not answer when asked if they knew him, nor could they figure out where he had been or where he had come from, but when Flame asked Pai what he thought of the dragon’s injuries, he replied, “From a shaman’s standpoint, I would say that he was deliberately abused… and somehow escaped his captors. It also appears that he was starved.”
Moon arrived just then and observed from behind. She could not see the dragon, but heard Pai’s comment. She stepped forward to see for herself and stopped as soon as she saw him. She gave a startled, disbelieving cry. Alarmed, the others watched as she slowly approached the dragon. Her wings were flat on her back and she was trembling. “Moon?” Pai asked in a concerned tone. She obviously knew him and seemed not to notice those around her. He tried again. “Moon!? Who is he?”
She turned her head to look at him. “I don’t know,” she said quietly.
He was confused; her reaction said that she knew who he was, but she said the opposite. “You don’t know him?”
Moon shook her head, “I know him, but I don’t know his name.”
“How could you not know his name?” Doren asked.
“He never told me.” She said this even more quietly. Shaelynn ran up to her. She looked from her mother to the other dragon and back again. Slowly, Pai began to understand and watched Moon carefully; she looked like she wanted to run. She really did not seem to know what to do. The dragon stirred just then. He opened his eyes and saw Shaelynn first; he blinked, as if he were not sure she was really there. He watched as she ran back to Moon. He blinked again and suddenly jumped backward as he realized who he was looking at, now that he was fully awake.
Moon’s startled reaction quickly faded into anger and she surprised everyone by slapping him hard. “Don’t you ever do that to me again,” she spat. He seemed taken aback for a moment but then merely lowered his head in submission.
He looked away from her and slowly, painfully, he said, “I didn’t want to, but they would have taken you, too.” He looked up at her, regret clearly visible in his eyes.
She was unsure of his meaning. “What?”
“The ones who held me prisoner, they were coming. I couldn’t let them take you, too; they would have—”
He broke off and did not finish. He shook his head as if to clear it.
“What are you saying?” she asked more confused than angry. Whatever he said in response made her stop and stare at him in wonder. Those surrounding them got the feeling that he was telling her what had happened to him. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she opened them, they revealed a deep sorrow. She approached him and, with great emotion, slowly rubbed her head against his. She sat down next to him and continued to talk with him. Realizing who this dragon was, and why she knew him, the other dragons turned and went to the back of the courtyard. The kids soon followed.
“Is he… who I think he is?” Tyanna asked, thrusting her thumb in his direction.
“It would appear so,” Pai answered, still a little confused. He watched the dragons from that distance as Shaelynn approached the new dragon, and he seemed to study her. She snorted and ran away, only to come back. She repeated this action several times but finally laid down between them.
Moon lowered her head and closed her eyes. She took a shuddering breath. How… how did you get free?
The first time, or this time?
Both. You… didn’t talk about what happened.
The first time I was able to wriggle out of the chains. Some of them I could break, but the rest I had to untangle myself from. Then I just slipped out the main entrance. After they caught me, after I ha
d you leave, they took me to back to the cave and collapsed the main entrance. There were a few smaller exits, but one was too small and the other I was too weak to use. They put a harness on me and used heavier chains to pin me down. They even put a muzzle on me so I could open my mouth no more than a few inches.
He looked at the ground and continued. They beat me into submission, or they tried. They never broke my spirit. I knew I had to get out. I had to find you. I owed you an apology, and I was afraid of what your brothers would do when they found out, and if you…and you did.
My brothers never knew.
He looked down at her. They never knew?
No. The pain in her voice told him that she was still upset over what had happened; he could tell she blamed herself.
It wasn’t your fault. It was the hunter’s fault. She looked at him. How could he know that? She looked him in the eye and asked somewhat suspiciously. How did you escape the second time?
I had help. That was all he said and refused to answer any more of her questions.
The friends had left them alone, but Flame came out to check on them later. He found them in the Guesthouse curled together. Her head was resting on one of his feet and his head laid next to hers. Shaelynn was curled up next to them. He smiled and quietly walked away.
Return
“How long are they going to be gone?” Doren asked.
Ryell looked up at his son. “It was supposed to take three weeks. It has already been more than two. They should be back within the next several days.” He looked back at the pile of papers on his desk. He had maps, missives, and letters in one pile and expense tickets, tax papers, and census sheets in another. He asked how the reinforcements were going and was told that the men were having difficulty with the western wall. Ryell stood and led his son from the room. Together they went outside to see if they could help with the reinforcements, or at least see what needed to be done to finish the job.