Raven was also wearing a beautiful, flowing dress.
“This is something I never thought I would ever see,” she said, laughing. “Never in a million years.”
Raven entered the room and spun around, sending the dress flowing out around her.
“Do you think it is too much?” she asked.
“I think it is perfect,” Isabella said. “I’ve never seen you like this, Raven. What has gotten into you? Going to parties, wearing dresses. Even in Prozia, you would never consider such a get-up.”
“I’m still a woman, Isabella.”
“You never dressed like this for Kai,” said Isabella, determined to tease her mentor.
Raven gave her a harsh look. Isabella knew that was a line that should never be crossed, even in jest.
“This is not something I will do very often. Probably never again in your lifetime but mainly because you probably won’t live very long.” Raven laughed and lunged after the young girl. Isabella easily avoided the grapple by leaping to one side. She grabbed the post of her bed and swung herself up onto the thick mattress. Raven lunged at her again. Isabella avoided the tackle by jumping onto the post of her bed, balancing herself on one foot.
“You’re a show-off,” Raven said, straightening herself out. “Come down before you ruin that dress.”
Isabella hopped down from the post and fixed herself up again.
“Did you see the show?” she asked.
“I sure did. There was more than one person who soiled themselves during your little stunt there at the end. Your mother is not very happy but you probably won’t hear anything about it. It was very thrilling for everyone on the ground. How did you make those wonderful explosions in the sky? I have never seen anything quite like that ever in my life.”
“Kind of like seeing you in a dress?” Isabella winked at Raven. “Oshri taught me. It is an easy trick once you learn how. It took me a few weeks but now I can make them as large as I want to.”
“It was a fantastic way to kick off the celebration.”
“Have you seen your man yet?” asked Isabella.
“He is not my man,” said Raven, huffing. “And no, not yet. We are to meet them outside the gates. We should hurry, they are probably waiting for us already.”
“I’m ready. Let’s go,” said Isabella, as she was already on her way out of the door.
They walked through the tower, talking about the spectacle that Isabella and Sisera had put on.
“Hello, ladies.” A huge man greeted them as they walked out the main gates of the Tower after crossing the yard. The man stood a foot and a half taller than Isabella, who was still hoping to grow beyond her current height of five feet and two inches. Even with his great size, the man had a young face, complete with a wide, friendly grin. He wore clothing that did not resemble anything Isabella was familiar with.
“Jaers.” Raven greeted the man with an equally big smile. The man made Raven look like a normal sized woman. Isabella could see why Raven found him attractive.
“You look amazing,” the big man said, as he gave the warrior woman a light peck on the cheek.
Isabella could have sworn she saw Raven blush.
“Thank you,” Raven said as she put her arm around Isabella. “This is Lady Isabella.”
Jaers took Isabella’s outstretched hand and bowed down to give it a light kiss.
“My lady. It is an honor to meet you,” the big man said.
Isabella gave a curtsy and bowed her head slightly, a tradition left from her days in the Prozian court. “Hello, Sir,” she said.
“May I present to you my son, Makal,” Jaers said as he moved to the side and turned around.
Isabella’s heart jumped when her eyes landed on the boy standing behind Jaers. He was tall and his muscles were well toned. He shared the friendly face and wide smile of his father. Makal looked at her in the eyes and smiled. Her heart jumped again when she locked onto his bright blue eyes.
They stood in stunned silence for a moment before Jaers gave his son a nudge. Makal snapped out of the trance he was in and took Isabella’s hand and kissed it, as his father had done.
“Mi’lady.” Makal’s voice was a whispered croak.
“Hello,” Isabella squeaked.
Raven and Jaers shared a quiet chuckle as they watched the pair.
“Let’s go get some food,” Jaers said, pointing the way. “They are roasting pigs in the square by the blacksmith’s shop. We walked by on the way here and the smell had my mouth watering buckets.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” said Raven.
The two couples walked through the mass of people celebrating, Jaers and Raven leading the way, talking and laughing with each other.
Isabella and Makal kept pace behind them, nervously walking side by side.
“So, how long have you been in Mara?” asked Isabella, trying to break the ice.
“Almost four months now,” Makal said, his voice cracking from nerves. “How about you?”
Isabella turned to look inquisitively at her companion. He saw the look and realized his folly.
“Ugh, I’m stupid,” he said. “I just don’t see you around very often.”
Isabella laughed. “It’s okay. I’m not around very often.”
“What do you do?”
“Train mostly. I work at the infirmary whenever I can because I enjoy helping people.”
“The infirmary? Really? I figured you would be in the tower, counting gold, or whatever it is that nobles do.”
Isabella laughed again. “You’re funny,” she said. “Everyone has to work together, even if that means we aren’t doing the most glamorous jobs.”
“Yeah, I know,” Makal said with a downtrodden look on his face. “I carry big rocks all day. My father says it is good for me. He says I need to learn how to work hard while I’m young so when I get older I can support myself.”
“That’s good advice.” Isabella smiled. “Where are you from?”
“Mainland. Bonao. It’s a mining town.”
“Why did you leave there?”
“Because you’re here,” said Makal sincerely.
Isabella blushed. She giggled and tucked a wisp of stray hair behind her ear. “No, really, though,” she said.
“Well, my mama died a few years back. An accident at the mine. Father was torn up for a long time. He didn’t work for a while and things were getting worse for us. He met a group of people that helped him turn things around. They gave us work, food, and shelter until we could afford to buy our own again. When we heard about the Dragon Princess of Seron, he said we should find you and offer our services. I think he just wanted to see a dragon. When we arrived, the village was already in full swing so he decided that we would stay.”
Isabella was in awe of the boy’s story. “Oh. So, you really did come here for me?”
It was Makal’s turn to blush. “Yeah,” he said with a sheepish look.
Isabella smiled to herself. “Do you like it here?”
“Not really. The work is hard and we live in a shack,” Makal said. He looked and sounded despondent. He realized immediately what he said and quickly added, “but I enjoy being around you.”
Isabella giggled at his blunder. “That’s okay. I don’t really like it here either.”
“Then why do you stay here. Couldn’t you just ride your dragon and take any castle you wanted to?”
“Yes, I suppose I could but this Tower is the perfect fortress for us. We can defend it easily with lots of natural resources available. Also, there is a cave at the top of the tower where Sisera can sleep.”
“What’s it like flying on a dragon?”
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” Isabella exclaimed. “There is nothing in the world like it.”
It was then that Isabella realized that they had fallen far behind Raven and the boy’s father. She scanned the crowd of people but could see the older couple among them.
“Where did they go?” she asked.
Ma
kal looked around and pointed to a booth set up on the side of the square.
“Over there,” he said.
Isabella looked in the direction of the makeshift bar but could not see any sign of Raven.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Pretty sure. I can hear him laughing.”
“You can hear him laughing?” Isabella laughed. “Even with all this music and all these other people talking and laughing?”
“You just don’t know him. You’ll see.” Makal smiled and grabbed her hand. He led her through the dense crowd toward the booth.
As they got closer, Isabella could hear a high-pitched cackle. “That sound could not be coming from such a large man,” she thought to herself but as they approached the tables that surrounded the booth she saw for herself that it was true.
Seated at a long table were Jaers and Raven, sharing a drink with a group of men that Isabella recognized as ununiformed Daxrah soldiers. As she approached they recognized her as well and leapt to their feet to salute the Dragon Princess. She greeted the men warmly and begged them to return to their merrymaking.
“We thought you two got lost.” Jaers laughed.
Isabella could not believe that such a high, feminine sound could come from such a large man. She cast a quick glance at Raven and gave her an inquisitive look. Raven just smiled and shrugged.
“Just chatting, father,” Makal said. “I was just telling Isabella how hard it would be to lose you anywhere.”
“You’re a funny boy.” Jaers hopped up from the table and threw an arm around the boy’s shoulders, playfully wrestling with him.
“Stop it, old man,” Makal said as he tried to fight off his father, with little success.
Raven and Isabella shared a laugh watching the two tug and pull at each other, Jaers more so than Makal, who was permanently on the defensive, being much smaller than his father. The group of soldiers cheered them on.
“You’re embarrassing me,” Makal said sharply as he struggled to remove himself from a headlock.
Jaers let his son go. “Ah, you’re right,” he said with a wide grin on his face. “Not proper etiquette when we are entertaining these ladies.” He winked and both Raven and Isabella giggled.
“You have been very entertaining, I must say,” Raven said. Isabella could see that Raven was as smitten with Jaers as she was with the man’s son.
“This looks like a party.”
Isabella turned around to find Jaime was pushing his way through the crowd, a large flagon of ale in each hand. The Daxrah soldiers greeted their commanding officer with a loud cheer.
“What have we here?” Jaime said, looking to Raven and Jaers. “By the gods, you have yourself a beautiful wench there, sir.”
Jaers, unfamiliar with Jaime, stood to defend the honor of his lady friend. Raven put a hand on his shoulder and laughingly shook her head.
“All he has are his words,” she said loudly enough for the Daxrah to hear. “Nothing between his legs to back it up.”
“And how would you know that?” Jaime laughed.
“Because when we spar, it is you who fights like a girl.” Raven winked.
The group of Daxrah began to howl with laughter, as did everyone else within earshot who had stopped to watch.
Jaime nodded, the smile never leaving his face, and held his cup into the air for a toast.
“Bested again by the fair Raven,” he said and took a long pull from the flagon, using his sleeve to wipe the thick foam left behind. The Daxrah cheered again.
Jaime slammed down the empty cup and held out his arm to Jaers.
“Well met, Sir. Jaime, commander of the Daxrah guard,” he said.
Jaers grabbed his hand and the men shook roughly. “Jaers Holwyn, stone breaker.”
“You are a big one, huh,” Jaime said. “Ever thought to join the guard? We could use a small mountain, such as yourself.”
“I would be afraid to get soft.” Jaers laughed as he flexed a massive bicep, just inches from Jaime’s face. The group of soldiers jeered playfully, a few leaping on top of the table to show off their arm muscles.
Makal grabbed Isabella’s hand. “Let’s go,” he said. “I hate when he does this.”
“Okay,” Isabella said. “One moment.”
She went to Raven and made arrangements to meet later in the evening.
“Have fun but be careful,” Raven said, calling after her.
Isabella followed Makal through the crowd. He led her to the blacksmith shop, which had a low-hanging roof. He jumped and grabbed the edge. With a bit of a struggle, he managed to pull himself up. He reached down and offered Isabella his hand.
“Take it. I’ll pull you up,” he said.
Isabella laughed and leaped into the air, landing on the roof next to him.
Makal’s jaw dropped.
“Remember? Dragonblood,” she said with a wink.
Makal laughed and sat back. He patted the place next to him. Isabella accepted his invitation.
“I forgot,” he said.
“How can you forget?” Isabella laughed. “My face is covered with purple and gold dragonscales.”
“I guess I don’t see the scales,” he said, with a coy smile. “All I see is a beautiful girl.”
Isabella blushed. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. What was she supposed to say back? Her stomach was turning like the first time she ever rode on Sisera’s back. Could he tell that she was panicking? The thought made her panic more. She looked up at his face. When her eyes met his own, they locked in place. She could not turn away.
Makal leaned in and closed his eyes.
“Do it,” she thought to herself. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. Time seemed to stand still. She leaned forward even more. Still nothing.
She opened one eye.
It was then that she realized that the sound of the crowd had changed. Instead of merrymaking, there was the sound of terror and fright.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Makal just shook his head and pointed.
Isabella followed his outstretched arm. On the other side of the village huge bright lights danced in the night.
It was then that she smelled the smoke.
“What is it?” asked Makal.
10
“FIRE!”
Kai’s head spun around as he tried to locate the source of the warning. He saw a large group of party-goers scrambling toward the outskirts of the village. He looked at his men and without having to bark orders they all ran in the same direction.
“What’s going on?” Kai asked a man who was rushing by with a cart of empty buckets.
“There’s a fire, sir,” said the man who obviously recognized Kai. “On the edge of town. Two of the new housing units. We’re organizing a bucket brigade. That what these are for.”
“Good man. Continue,” said Kai, giving the man a slap on the back as he rushed off.
Kai and the other members of the Daxrah took off in the direction the man had pointed. They ran through the maze of streets. Looking up Kai knew they were going the right way because he could see the light from the fire reflecting off the smoke to light up the night sky. As they got closer, they could see a crowd of people forming lines to and from the water tower to the blazing houses.
“What happened, Thomas?” asked Kai as they approached a squad of Daxrah who were directing people into place.
“Not sure, Sir,” said the squad leader who was a tall, heavily muscled man in his mid-twenties. “We arrived back from patrol not that long ago and were headed to the barracks before joining the celebration when we heard shouting. When we arrived, the people were already forming the brigade but couldn’t get themselves organized so we stepped in.”
“Excellent work. Does anyone know what started the fires?”
“No Sir.”
“Thank you and good work,” said Kai as he turned back to his own squad of men. “Spread out and make sure no fires are missed, and see if you
can find any witnesses.”
“Yes, Sir,” the men said in unison and saluted before heading off.
Kai saw Camdyn working with a crew to water down neighbouring buildings so they wouldn’t also ignite. He sprinted over to his mentor. Camdyn saw him coming and gave directions to the crew he was working with. He wiped the sweat from his brow which left a streak of soot.
“Hell of a celebration,” Camdyn said as Kai approached.
“What information do we have?” Hell of a celebration indeed, thought Kai. Fire in the tightly spaced village was one of his biggest fears.
“Nothing yet. We’ve been too busy trying to keep it contained.”
“I have a squad investigating now. How can I...”
Kai stopped short when he heard someone shouting his name. A man that Kai knew to be one of the new recruits came running up to them. He could not remember the man’s name though.
“Sir. It’s the Sacred Blood. We caught a group of them on the far side of the village heading for the Tower.”
“Shit. I knew this would happen eventually. Let’s go.”
The recruit lead Kai in the direction of the invaders. Camdyn shouted orders to continue working and quickly followed. They rushed through the narrow streets until they came to an open area on the east side of town near the outer walls of the Tower. They found a group of thirty or so men huddled together in a defensive formation, all brandishing weapons that ranged from swords down to pickaxes and pitchforks. Kai could not see any archers in the bunch. Daxrah soldiers in battle formation surrounded the group, many of them with their bows drawn and pointed at the invaders.
Kai and Camdyn slowed to a brisk walk as they approached and assessed the situation.
“This is very strange,” Camdyn said. “They are attacking a military fortress known to house hundreds of soldiers as well as a dragon with a rabble of farmers. Something just doesn’t seem right about this.”
“I agree. Something doesn’t smell right here,” said Kai. “Where is Sisera by the way?”
“She left before the party to go fishing on the coast. At least that’s what Isabella told me,” said Jaime as he walked up to his old friend.
“Jaime. Good.” A slight look of relief crossed Kai’s face. “Where is Isabella?”
Sisera's Gift 2: Sacred Blood Page 6