The Dragon Guard: Oceans and Pebbles

by Sarah Hite

  Thorin had not turned to look at him when he had pulled out his sword, but now he forsook his study of the dragon and turned around. He studied Silvrin for a moment before saying sternly, “Silvrin, put that thing down.”

  Silvrin recognized the voice instantly and surprised, dropped his sword. His men slowly lowered their weapons as it clanked against the ground. “It can’t be. You…you’re supposed to be dead,” he said with a disbelieving tone.

  Thorin did not respond, instead, he looked up as the dragon landed in the courtyard. He approached them and dropped a sword in between them, letting it dangle from his claws. They could hear one of the men say, “That’s Thorin’s sword.” As the men began to whisper to each other, Thorin reached up and took the weapon.

  As he strapped the sword to his belt, the dragon turned to the rest of the Guard and said, “If you wish to be angry, be angry with me. It was my decision to hide him.”

  Nealson had not come out with the others, and joined them just in time to hear these words. He watched, shocked, as Thorin pulled the hood back. Nealson shoved his way through the stunned crowd; and when he reached the younger man, he hugged him saying, “My boy, my boy, I thought I would never see you again. We all thought you were dead.”

  “He would have been, but I would not allow it.” They turned to the dragon as he spoke. Flame, who had stayed off to the side, watching, spoke up as well. “Elder, why don’t you tell them the whole story. Elder agreed and retold the story, adding a few other details.

  Thorin looked up at the old dragon, and asked, “Why did you bring me back now?”

  Elder sighed, “Because Ania is a lot like you, therefore, you may be the only one who can find her.”

  The Announcement

  Midmorning, as the air began to warm up, Layon entered the Guest House with a bag full of healers’ supplies. He greeted Queen Alani and said, “Your Majesty, it’s time to change the dressing on your side.” She nodded and looked up as the horn blew, announcing the approach of dragons. She suggested they go outside where the lighting was better, and to see who had come. They left the building to see Kei-ata Lorbrein land; then the palace guards bowed as Kyeon landed a few feet away. They were greeted and came over to meet Alani. After a few minutes of discussion, Kyeon asked where Kym was, and was directed to the other side of the courtyard.

  After a few minutes, she was found lying under a tree. The weather was beginning to change and water dripped from the icicles. She seemed to be asleep but looked up as his feet crunched in the snow. “Are you alright?” he asked concerned. He could not see her rounding figure the way she was laying, but as he grew nearer, he was able to see how drawn she looked. “Kym! What happened?”

  She was about to answer him when the sun glanced off the snow. She hissed as the reflected light hit her bad eye. “Akina!” she yelled both aloud and mentally. Kyeon took a step away from her; he was unaccustomed to the anger in her voice.

  A moment later the eyepatch dropped in front of her from above and Akina carefully landed a few feet away. “You know better than to take my eyepatch,” Kym said, her temper controlled.

  “I’m sorry, I…I just wanted to have it cleaned for you. It was getting dirty,” Akina answered, startled. Kym sighed and laid her head back down. She knew the child was only trying to help. “I’m sorry Akina. I didn’t mean to yell. I…I let my anger get away from me,” she said, distressed over not being able to control her emotions.

  Akina walked over and nuzzled the queen. “I know Mother. I understand.” She then offered to apply the patch.

  Kym decided to introduce the two. “Akina, this is Kyeon Mangjul, the King of Dragons’ Keep.” She did not introduce him as her father since she had already told her about him.

  Akina bowed her head, “Your Majesty.”

  Kyeon smiled, “Come here.” She approached him and when she reached his side, he nuzzled her. “Welcome back to the family.” Watching her, he understood what Torak had meant when he said she seemed fragile.

  Akina looked up at him; she asked him, in her usual timid way, “Can I… can I call you Father?”

  “Of course.” He nuzzled her again and she smiled. Then she turned to Kym and asked, “Are you hungry? Can I get you something?”

  Kym offered her a small smile and nodded, “Thank you dear.” She watched the child scamper off before turning back to Kyeon. “Kyeon, there’s something I need to tell you.” She sounded tired, unhappy, and very much unlike the little dragon he had fallen for.

  “What is it, it’s not the children?” She shook her head and repositioned her forelegs in preparation of rising. Slowly, carefully, she began to rise. As she did, he began to notice how heavy she had become. “Can we walk?” Too stunned to speak, he nodded and followed her to a different section of the courtyard, where they slowly circled back toward the Guest House. She remained quiet while they walked, but he could tell something was bothering her. “Kyeon, I’m not going to the Islands. With Alani here in Sheadod, and the children, my duties have, changed, for lack of a better word. I will not be returning to the Keep either, not for a while.” He listened silently while she spoke, until she told him why. “Kyeon… He looked down at her when she suddenly sounded scared. “Kyeon, I… I’m pregnant.” She said the last two words so quietly, that they were barely audible.

  “What?” After a brief moment of shock, he shook his head, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

  She looked up at him. “I’m pregnant. I don’t know if I…if I can…” She looked down, unable to finish the sentence. Instead, she changed the topic. “Did you bring Torak back?”

  “Yes, he’s at the Guest House. The trip tired him out.” She had stopped walking and did not seem to want to look at him. He lowered his head and embraced her. He knew what Kei-ata Lorbrein had said; he took her in his wing and pulled her close to him. “Hey, it’ll be okay. We’ll be okay, all of us.” He continued to hold her, holding back his own fears. Now, late into the second trimester, her pregnancy was beginning to tax her strength. He knew that she would need a great deal of care and help, and suggested they go and speak with the shaman.

  As the king and queen walked back to the Guest House, Kei-ata spoke to Queen Alani and Layon. He watched as the young man changed the loosely woven bandage that covered her side. He was surprised at the quality of care she had been given and asked how they had stopped the acid. “We discovered it by accident,” Layon answered.

  Alani looked up at the shaman, “Kym wanted to show me around, so when I was strong enough, she did. There is a lake not far from here where we stopped to rest. I decided to take a drink and the ground under me gave way. I fell in and was completely submerged before I realized what had happened. When I climbed out I realized that my side and wing did not pain me as they had before, and the pain lessoned as time went on.”

  “Hmm, the water must have overwhelmed the acid,” Kei-ata said thinking out loud. He was about to ask them another question when a soft sound alerted him to someone behind. He turned to find a young, pale green female standing just a few feet behind him. She seemed nervous.

  “Are…are you the shaman?” she asked.

  “Do you need a shaman?” he asked her gently.

  “I think my mother does. She… she hasn’t been feeling well.” He decided to ask her name, and who her mother was, but found her starring uneasily into another section of the courtyard. He followed her gaze and saw Kyeon approaching. He did not see Kym for another minute, not until she fell. He followed as the small female ran to her. “Are you all right?” Her concern was evident.

  Kym nodded and said, “I… I… just need to rest for… for a minute.” Her breathing was labored. The shaman looked at Kym, he could see that her physical condition had changed dramatically. Knowing what ailed the queen, he could see that her pregnancy was already very hard on her.

  They looked up as Alani approached. The southern queen lowered her head and looked Kym in the eye. Let’s get you back to your quarters. They did
not know what she said, but Kym nodded in response. Alani turned to Kyeon and said, “They have constructed a separate building for her, it will be her quarters until she leaves.” They followed her lead and helped Kym to her feet. Then they followed the Ocean dragon to a newly built structure roughly one third the size of the Guest House.

  When they reached the building, Kei-ata watched as Kyeon slowly lowered his mate to the soft sand. The king could not hide the apprehension and fear he felt. As the shaman watched them, he understood why they had built this smaller version of the Guest House. He turned back to the queen to find the little green dragon at her side. They could hear Kym say, “I’ll be alright Akina.”

  The youth did not look convinced. Softy she said, “We just found you. I don’t want to lose you.” Having known the child existed, he studied them and began to see the resemblance.

  Mentally he asked Kyeon for permission to examine the queen. After receiving his answer he turned back to Kym. “Your Majesty, I need to ask you a few questions. If you don’t feel strong enough, you can answer me directly.”

  Kym nodded and looked down at the little one by her side. “Akina, can you go sit with your brother? I will send for you later.” The child looked up at her and slowly nodded. After she left, and the door was closed behind her, she gave the shaman permission to continue. At his request, she told them of how Ania and Pai had approached her, and with permission the young shaman had given her the basic exam. She told them what he had said, what he thought the advancement was, and how he wasn’t sure of the timing. After a few more questions, he requested to repeat the exam. He wanted to see if he could get a better idea of the pregnancy’s advancement.

  The exam did not take long; his questions were quickly answered. By the end of the exam, Kym’s condition had deteriorated to the point where she could barely stay awake. “All I want you to do right now is rest,” he said gently. She did not argue and was asleep within minutes.

  He drew the king aside to discuss her condition. “Sire, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m concerned.” Kyeon said nothing, but motioned for him to continue. “I’m not going to fault Pai. He did as he was supposed to, but he did not have all the facts or the experience when he performed the first exam. From what she has told me, his only mistake was when he estimated how far along she was, but he knew he could not accurately estimate the pregnancy’s advancement. I have only been able to locate two eggs, which means it’s a small clutch, and would have presented itself later on.” He paused, and looked at his friend. Sadly, he continued, “I believe she is late into the third trimester, and due to the hardship of this pregnancy, will likely nest soon.”

  Kyeon looked up at the older dragon. “How soon?” he asked, alarmed.

  “I’m not sure, but it will likely be within the next few weeks.”

  The king nodded, “I’m not going back to the Keep, not when she needs me.”

  Kei-ata studied him for a moment, then said, “I have no doubt that Ryou and you brother will continue the preparations, but we should tell them what has happened.” Kyeon nodded and looked up at the ringing of the horn. They left the sleeping queen to see who else had come and were soon greeted by Elder and Lang Ryou. Elder lowered himself to the ground and allowed a few men to climb off of his back. Silvrin, Nealson, and another man greeted the two dragons and then left for the palace. After a brief discussion about the three men, Elder and the queen’s personal guard were informed of her arduous situation. They were concerned and quickly devised a plan. Kyeon and the shaman would stay until after she had recovered, Elder would return to the Keep to see that the warriors received their orders and followed them, while Lang would look after the young prince and princess.

  Search

  Thorin left the Guard House at the first light of dawn. He stood on the porch and admired the sunrise. The sky was lit with blue, pink, and gold streaks. He watched it for a few minutes and left the porch. They had decided the night before, that Silvrin and Nealson would start their search at the docks, where Ania disappeared. He was going to speak with the dragons. Kyeon had asked to see him and he did not want to keep the king waiting. He reached the Guest House and the queen’s quarters, to find the doors already open. Akina was asleep at Kym’s side, but the queen was already awake. She had also been watching the sunrise.

  “Your Majesty,” Thorin said in greeting.

  She looked over at him as he approached. “Thorin,” she replied, “Kyeon took Torak hunting just before dawn. I don’t think they will be back until later this morning.”

  Thorin nodded. “Do you know what he wanted to see me about?” He knew it was not his recent reappearance; Elder had already explained his situation.

  With some difficulty, Kym adjusted her position. “I’m afraid not. I don’t think he was expecting you until later today.” She closed her eyes against a bout of lightheadedness. He could tell she was weak and not feeling well, and asked if he could help her with anything. She laid her head back down, it was becoming difficult for her to breathe. “If you would, can you fetch Kei-ata Lorbrein? I… I think I need to talk to him.” Thorin agreed and went to find the Shaman.

  After giving him the queen’s message, he returned the Guard House to fetch his sword. He was going into the city and knew old enemies could still be lurking. He stopped by Kym’s quarters once more before heading out, just to make sure she did not need anything else. Akina was sitting outside this time and assured him that she would take care of her mother. He spoke to the young princess for a few minutes before leaving. Something was bothering her, but he assumed it was just the queen’s ailing state.

  He left the Guest Quarters and headed into town. After a little bit of a walk, he met Lukair at the butcher’s shop. The young man was still leading the hunt for Ania. “So, she stopped here to arrange the supplies, and said she was going back to the palace?”

  The butcher nodded. “She said something ‘bout the queen, but I don’ remember what. I tol’er the supplies would be ready in’a few days.”

  “Did she say she was going anywhere else?” he asked.

  “I’m ‘fraid not, Sir,” was the butcher’s reply.

  Thorin waited until the young man left before approaching him. “Lukair, wait up.” He stopped and greeted Ania’s father before continuing his journey. “Has there been anything new?”

  “No, unfortunately. I have been all over this blasted city and I haven’t found anything new. Everyone says the same thing: Ania came in to check on supplies, and left again. No one knows what could have happened to her.” Lukair soon became quiet, but after a moment he changed the subject. “How did my father react when you reappeared?”

  Thorin looked down for a moment before grinning mischievously. “He drew his sword on me.” Thorin was a little surprised that the young man had accepted his return so easily, but he kept it to himself.

  “He what! He drew his sword on you?” Thorin nodded. “Well, I supposed it could have been worse,” he said grinning as well.

  Thorin chuckled. “Once he saw it was me, he dropped the sword and accepted it.” Their conversation slowly turned to Ania and the dragons. Lukair asked if he had heard the story of how they had met the dragons, and the treaty’s re-establishment. When he said no, the young man told him about Shaelynn’s egg and the events that followed, but he soon realized that Ania had told him most of this when she and Kwan had landed on his doorstep. They continued to talk until Thorin once again became quiet.

  “What is it?” Lukair asked.

  “I’m not sure, but we may have just found the break we need.” He watched a man suspiciously dodge into a nearby tavern. “Find your father and meet me at the palace, in Mychal’s study.”

  When Lukair was on his way, Thorin turned and followed the stranger into the tavern. He paused in the entrance and studied the room within. It was dark inside, with only a few sparsely placed lanterns giving light to those within. The business seemed crowded, claustrophobic. The wooden tables were close together and
cramped. The whole place smelled like bad ale and tallow smoke. As he studied the dark room, he noticed his target sitting at a corner table in the back of the room. He walked down the short flight of steps to the main floor. Then he went to the counter and ordered two flagons of ale before sitting down at the man’s table. The stranger looked up at him and asked, “Can I help you?”

  Thorin passed him one of the flagons and leaned across the table. He looked the man in the eye and said, “Heard you worked at the docks. I was wondering if you knew of any work available. Name’s Nolen.”

  The man studied him for a moment before taking a sip from the flagon. “Benik. So, you’re looking for work. What makes you think I know of work at the docks?”

  “Heard you been there for a while. Thought you might know of any openings.”

  Benik leaned back in his chair and took another swig of ale. “Well, I might know of a few, but I don’t know if they would take you on, being older, ya’ know.” He took another swig.

  “My apologies, the job isn’t for me. See, my nephew just moved here and is looking for work. Thought I’d help him out.” He watched as Benik nodded and took another sip. Thorin mirrored his action, taking a sip himself.

  After a minute, and a few more gulps of ale, Benik set the empty glass on the table and looked up at Thorin. “How old’s the kid?”

  “He’ll be twenty-one in a couple of months.”

  Benik nodded and said, “I might be able to do somethin’. When can he start?”

  “Any day now.” He ordered Benik another glass, which he drank in a few minutes. As he set the glass down, Thorin asked if he would like another; Benik nodded and another glass was ordered. As Benik drank his third pint, Thorin allowed silence to fall between them. He was biding his time.

  Several minutes later, when Benik was on his fourth, and had begun to slur his words, Thorin leaned forward in his seat and sighed, fingering his glass. “It’s sad, isn’t it?”