The officers were a surprise, too. Unlike the regular troops, the officers were… disorderly. Elspeth was sure at least two of them had had too much to drink. Most sat on makeshift benches or on upturned barrels, eating, talking, or smoking on long, tubular pipes. The superior officers, those Elspeth thought were captains or lieutenants, were not nearly as informal. Those men appeared to spend most of their time mulling over scrolls, staring into the camp, or scowling at the lesser officers. Some bid her “Good day,” and more than one tried to talk to her. But Elka soon pulled her away, leaving the officers puzzled, pinching their brow.
The dragons took most of Elspeth’s attention when she wasn’t being pulled from pillar to post. They would be beautiful if they were not so frightening. Some were orange, some a dark green. At least three of the smaller ones were three different shades of red. In fact, all the smaller ones were orange or red. The black one at the back was obviously in charge. He – it looked like a male – had his own water barrel. Now and then, some of the officers would go over and talk to it. At one point, Elspeth thought she saw black dragon reading from a scroll, but that couldn’t be right, surely not.
Frightening or not, Elspeth could have watched them all day. But that all changed after lunch. By mid-afternoon, the dragons were the last thing on her mind. The army was on the move. Unlike her view of some officers, there was no doubt in Elspeth’s mind that the regulars knew what they were about. Call after call rang throughout the valley, as one long line after another set itself towards the tunnels. The rhythmic thump of booted feet played a solid backdrop to the creaking of saddles and the clattering of those narrow carts. Looking at the strange wagons, with their high wheels and tilted sides, Elspeth wondered if the Kel’madden had built them especially for the Tunnels of Aldregair. Indeed, no normal cart would last long in those tunnels. The strange short-nosed horses pulled those carts. They, too, seemed ideally suited for the job, with their thick legs and rough scaled skin. How long have they been planning this?
Elspeth watch from the command area as the army continued south. As each line progressed, one officer after another left the compound, until there were only four left. Elka was still bustling from tent to tent, but most of her cooks and launderers were packing. At least half had already hitched lifts on the passing carts. Elspeth didn’t think Elka would go; the older woman was Vila’s maid, and something told her that Vila liked to keep her maids close by.
That brought up an odd thought; how were they all going to get to this… island? What did the witch call it…? Eiras’moya? A chill floated through Elspeth’s stomach as she realised a good use for that huge, tree-eating dragon. That thing could carry a riverboat! She hoped she was wrong; the thought of climbing on the back of that colossal beast made her knees shake. Vegetarian or not, a foot in the wrong place would squash her flat. It had to be at least twenty feet tall, never mind how long it was. Just falling off while it was on the ground could break a leg. Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the more obvious the idea became. It wasn’t as if the “giant cow” of a dragon would be any use in battle, not unless the intention was to flatten a town, literally.
Elka pulled her sleeve. “Are you well, child? Nobody will hurt you here. Madam Vila has ordered you kept safe.”
Kept safe! For what? Elspeth cleared her throat and tried her best not to look too pensive. “I am well, thank you. As well as can be expected, anyway.” She floated the last on a river of scorn and then wondered if that was wise.
If Elka was upset by her words, she did not show it. “Good,” the older woman said, “We can’t have you falling ill, can we.” It didn’t sound like a question. “Come now.” Elka waved her towards one of the tents. “We will eat, and then find you somewhere to sleep.”
Sleep? Elspeth couldn’t think of sleep. Besides, it was barely dinnertime, and at least another four hours until dusk. Elka was beginning to sound like a real mother hen. Elspeth followed her into one of the long cook tents.
It was all but empty. And dark, compared to the bright sunlight of the compound. A long bench stretched along the narrower side to her left, with large pots, standing on flat stones, arranged along the top. Behind the counter, a wide opening led into the cooking area. Elspeth could see stone fires and grills. A few still had fire flickering beneath, but cooks in white aprons were dismantling the others. In the main tent, two officers sat at the far end of a table made for fifty. They nodded. Elspeth wasn’t sure whether to curtsy or bow. She nodded back. Which made one of them smile. The other slowly shook his head and continued dipping bread into what must have been soup, or stew.
Elspeth heard forced coughing. When she turned back, Elka was tapping the seat of a wooden stool.
“You sit. I’ll bring us some stew,” she said.
She was smiling for some reason. Maybe she knew who those men were, and thought it funny that she would nod to them. Elspeth hoped they weren’t colonels or generals. But then, So what if they are? Elspeth thought. It wasn’t as if she could be in any more trouble.
So, it was stew, and beef stew at that, if Elspeth’s nose wasn’t lying. She could not help her stomach rumbling as she sat down on the wooden stool Elka had pulled out for her. Hard seat or not, once sat down she realised how tired her legs were, and how much they hurt. Abruptly, she remembered the last time she had slept properly was probably three days ago – or was it four? It felt like weeks – the night Olg, Lud and Fran took turns standing guard. She wondered what had become of them. They must have escaped; Arfael said he had a plan, and what with Olam and Alacin’s abilities… She tried not to think about that. The possibility that they were dead made her sick to her stomach – especially when she thought of Gialyn.
Glancing to her right, she noticed one of the officers was smiling at her again. He stood, and Elspeth made a study of the dark-wood table. “Please don’t come over,” she whispered.
But a second later…
“Afternoon, miss. I don’t think I have seen you around before.” The man’s voice was deep and slightly slurred. So not a general, then. Another one of those half-drunk junior officers, maybe.
Elspeth tried not to look up. She glanced at his hand, still gripping a tankard of what smelt like wine. He had one foot up on a stool and was standing with an elbow resting on his raised knee. Her father had warned her about army men, she did not think he was just talking about the enemy. “I’m new,” she told him, her eyes back to gazing at the table.
“No need to be shy, miss. I won’t hurt you.”
By the sound of his voice, Elspeth thought he might be smiling. Then she felt fingers running through her hair. She flinched, but couldn’t help giving him her best scornful look – the one she had perfected on her brother.
The man laughed. He rolled his eyes back towards his friend. Again, the older man shook his head, though Elspeth thought his tired expression was more for the other man than for her.
“We have a feisty one here, Bard,” the younger man said. Bard just grunted and carried on eating. The younger man chuckled. “Bard is too old for the pretty ones. My name is Martrim, Lieutenant Martrim.” He bowed, then tried to touch her hair again.
Elspeth wondered if he thought she should be impressed that he was a lieutenant. Still holding her best disdainful look, she drew herself away.
“It will be Corporal Martrim if Madam Vila catches you talking to her friend,” Elka told him. She moved up opposite Elspeth and stood by the lieutenant. A look in her eye said it wasn’t the first time she had had words with him. “You should run along before Vila forgets who your father is.”
Martrim’s lip trembled – it actually trembled – and his face turned a sickly shade of grey. Standing to attention, he bowed deeply at Elspeth. “Begging your pardon, miss. By my oath, I will submit myself to sanction, as you require.”
Elspeth goggled at him. Sanction? What was Vila like, that she could turn a man like Martrim to a quivering wreck! She raised a brow and looked to Elka for help. What was
she supposed to say to this?
As if reading her mind, Elka said, “It’s your choice, Miss Elspeth. You can choose a sanction, or let it be.”
“Let it be!” Elspeth said, without really thinking. She had no idea what the sanctions were, but a little flirting did not justify punishment. Besides, it might have been worth talking to him, find out a few things – if he wasn’t drunk and a letch. Although she doubted whether Elka would have allowed that.
“Run along now,” the older woman told Martrim. “Think yourself lucky Miss Elspeth is the forgiving sort.” Martrim bowed again and backed away. “And learn some manners,” Elka said to his back.
They finished their food and Elspeth realised she really was tired. She was not reluctant when Elka showed her to the curtained-off area at the side of her own tent. A narrow, but comfortable, bed took up most of the space. There was a stand of sorts, to hang her clothes on. In the corner, a tray with a large water bowl, and a jug full of lukewarm, but clean, water stood on top of an ironbound chest. Elspeth thought about looking in the chest, but Elka wouldn’t have left anything important in it. It was probably full of the woman’s small clothes.
After washing face and hands, she hung her robe on the peg and climbed into bed. She couldn’t remember if her head touched the pillow.
* * *
The next morning, Elspeth woke without a prompt from Elka. The tent was dark, but a thin shaft of grey light sifted through a slit in the ceiling. It was early. Wondering if she should get up, Elspeth listened for any movement from beyond the curtain. She could hear heavy breathing, interrupted by the occasional snort of a snore. Thoughts of escape crossed her mind. She could probably duck out the back, but where would she go? The entrance to the valley was a good three miles to the west. Army gone or not, there were likely still a few thousand Kel’madden camped along the track. The only other way out of the valley was the Tunnels of Aldregair. That thought didn’t last very long. No, she would have to take her chances with Vila. Maybe after they leave, when there were only a few of them.
Thinking about it, she didn’t know how many would be going to the island, but it couldn’t be more than ten or twelve. She doubted Vila would tie up any more dragons than was necessary. Still, ten was more than enough to cause problems. But it was better than her present situation. A little better.
She lay a while, staring up at the slit in the ceiling. It was already warm. She wiped her hands over her face and turned the pillow over. The bed was comfortable, which annoyed her. In fact, the entire situation annoyed her. What was Vila’s plan? Why treat her so well? If she was trying to win her over… Well, she could just think twice about that idea. But she did say, “You will change your mind once I’ve told you what’s at stake.” What could possibly be at stake that would justify bringing fifty thousand Troopers to Aleras and risking war with all of Moyathair?
She suddenly felt less comfortable. Sweeping her legs around, she sat on the edge of the bed. Before she could stand, she heard Elka shuffling out of her own bed.
A moment passed, and then, “Good, you are awake,” Elka said. “We have a long day. I hope you slept well.”
Elspeth open her mouth. But managed to stop herself saying, “Yes, thank you.” Instead, she said, “Well enough. What are we doing today that will make it ‘long’?”
“Oh, we have an exciting day today. We are going for a ride on the Nirad. You’ll like it. It’s not as rough a ride as the Cuis, more like riding a cart on a smooth road.”
“The Nirad?” Elspeth whispered, and then louder, “Is that the big dragon; uh, the one that eats trees?”
Elka laughed. “Yes, I suppose you could call him that. He will eat grass, too, if it is long enough. Have no fear, child; Tulak is a gentle beast, he won’t harm you.”
Elspeth started when Elka pulled back the curtain. The older woman placed a pile of clean clothes on the narrow bed: a shift, another robe, a pair of soft leather boots, and a thick shawl. The robe was the same colour as the last, but with yellow embroidery on the sleeve and hem. It was thicker, too, and the boots had fur lining.
“It can get cold up there,” Elka said, tapping her finger on the thick black shawl. “You keep that close, don’t pack it away.”
Pack it away? In what? I don’t have a bag.
Elspeth nodded; no point starting an argument. “When do we leave? Are we going straight to the island?” She asked the question knowing that escape would be of little use if she were stuck a hundred leagues across the Eastern Ocean.
“We leave in an hour or two, as soon as Madam Vila requires. We have time for breakfast, don’t worry about that.” Elka was standing at the foot of her bed, folding sheets. She smiled and nodded reassuringly, as if Elspeth would be bothered about food at a time like this. “As for the island, I don’t know if we will travel directly. I doubt it, though. The open sea can be hard on the dragons, all that wind and weather. We will probably head to the northern camp first.”
Elspeth stifled a sigh of relief. A last chance to escape. She hoped this “northern camp’ would be empty, or at least empty enough for her to sneak away.
An hour later, she found herself carrying a small pack of provision and walking behind Elka, as the two made their way to the dragons’ corral. The Nirad was lying on its belly, chewing on a bush. Its jaws circled around as it crunched through the plant, branches and all. It eyed her as they approached, a placid expression, like a cow gazing at a passer-by.
Tulak was not fat like a cow. He was broad with a flat back. Although his head was more cow than dragon – apart from the scales, of course. The eyes were at the side, instead of in front. The ears were floppy and towards the back, not pointed and on top like the others, and from what Elspeth could see, its teeth were more reminiscent of large, off-white house bricks than dragons’ teeth. The carriage was already on Tulak’s back. Much more elaborate than the smaller version, this carriage had a roof and wooden dividers, instead of simple rails. The whole structure sat on a thick blanket, which must have been the size of a small field, held down by span-wide leather straps that looped under the dragon’s belly. A ladder leant against the side.
“You first,” Elka said, waving at the ladder.
Elspeth stood at the bottom and looked up. With the structure on top, the ladder was likely four spans high. She grabbed the sides and slowly made her way up. At the top, a hand reached over and took her bag, and then a man helped her over the rail. He was probably the dragon’s handler. Once inside the carriage, the handler pointed towards the back where cushions and blankets had been piled against what looked like a flimsy wall: the wall was thin, and had slit in it, like a garden trellis. Elspeth made her way to the rear and looked around. The man touched her shoulder.
“You sit there, miss, and I’ll strap you in.”
The man pointed to a small area in between what looked like two wooden chests. Elspeth sat, and the man pulled leather straps from behind her and fastened them around her waist. The binding was tight. Elspeth coughed, and the man laughed.
“You can loosen them a little once we are up.”
“I’ll keep it as it is,” is all Elspeth could say. She wasn’t about to risk falling out.
The man smiled again. “As you say, miss, but you’ll be quite safe once he’s up in the air. Tulak is a gentle old fellow.”
The man was old and grey, probably as old as her grandfather was, and he spoke as though the dragon was a friend. Elspeth wanted to ask him about the journey; how long it would take, how high would they be, but he was already off, taking care of Elka.
Once Elka was sitting in the space to Elspeth’s left, they both waited in silence for Vila to arrive. For all her brave words, the older woman’s face was nearly white, and her hand shook a little. Elspeth felt like laughing. She would have if her stomach weren’t already spinning.
A good ten minutes later, the first of Vila’s retinue arrived – a tall, pretty woman, carrying what looked like clothes, and then another five minutes b
efore Vila herself climbed the ladder and sat down at the front of the structure. Two guards, another man – who Elspeth though was a cook – and two more women followed. All of them sat behind Vila.
The handler fussed about, making sure all the straps were secure. Even Vila allowed him to tighten hers. After a minute, the old man opened a gate and mounted a saddle fastened at the base of the dragon’s neck.
Elspeth heard Vila say, “When you are ready Sergeant Haselan.” The old man nodded, and with a blow on a round horn, and a few encouraging words, the huge dragon stood.
Elspeth felt her breakfast rushing up to her throat, as the dragon turned east and began lumbering towards the cliff. She managed to hold it in, but barely. The dragon climbed the shallow slope, and then waited a hundred paces short of what Elspeth knew was at least a two-hundred span drop – she had seen the cliff on her way back into the valley and was glad she couldn’t see it now. One look to check all were ready, and the old man sounded the horn again.
The dragon started to move forward. A slow walk at first, and then it sped up, faster and faster, until it was running as hard as a racehorse. The carriage shook, and Elspeth’s teeth chattered. Clasping her jaw shut, she held on to the wooden chest to her left until her knuckles whitened. The people in front of her looked to be doing just the same, and Elka’s eyes were wider than a frightened weasel’s. Vila hardly moved.
Suddenly, Elspeth’s stomach lurched, and she saw the ground hurtling towards them. The dragon called, or maybe grunted, and the carriage shuddered as the beast started to flaps its immense wings. Elspeth’s stomach tossed again as they began to climb into the air. The carriage sounded as if it might break. Elka moaned, and those in front sighed as the shaking eased off. They were still climbing higher, but now it was a much smoother ride, and after a minute they levelled off.
The Dragon Oracles: Omnibus Edition (The Eastern Kingdom Omnibus Book 1) Page 94