Size is not everything, Ayrmi said quietly. But it does hinder our development as human and dragon. We cannot practice working together the way the others can.
“Not yet,” Khollo agreed. “It will just take patience, I guess.”
“But we don’t have time to wait,” Aralye interjected. “The hatchlings were restless, right?”
“They were, but less so now.”
Only because there is now some hope, Ayrmi replied. The danger is still there, High Keeper. It has not gone away. Something dark is stirring in this world.
Khollo licked his suddenly dry lips. “How . . . how do you know?”
Instinct, Ayrmi replied, A sixth sense. Master Kanin has it as well, but he is not as attuned to it as I am, I think. The others – Thela, Amang, Uthano – they are noble beasts, but they are not strong of mind the way Kanin and I are.
“Everyone plays a part.”
“And what part do we play?” Aralye shot back. “We’re going to fall behind, Khollo, don’t deny it. Ayrmi is smart, but by the time she is big enough to ride the others will have learned so much that we’ll never catch up to them.”
Khollo rubbed the back of his neck. “I know,” he muttered. “Trust me, Aralye, I know. I just don’t see a solution. I wish I had the answer. I wish I could help Ayrmi grow faster. But I just don’t know what to do. Regardless of this setback, you do have a part to play. Both of you.”
A runt and an archer, Ayrmi mused. Trapped on an island three days flight from anywhere. Is this our part, High Keeper?
Khollo frowned. “I hope not. If you’re right about the danger, we need every Keeper we have.”
“Then what can we do?”
“Train,” Khollo replied. “Ayrmi, you have to keep working with Kanin and the others. Learn as much as you can, get stronger, faster. But there’s something else: go beyond them.”
How so?
“When they are done for the day, take what you learned and improve on it. Experiment, try things out, see what you discover. Kanin doesn’t know everything, and his abilities are by no means the limits of dragon kind. He’s something of a runt as well.”
“What?” Aralye demanded, “He’s huge!”
“Yes, but he’s much older,” Khollo countered. “He was held in captivity by the vertaga for a while, and they starved and beat him regularly. When I found him,” Khollo shrugged helplessly, tears springing to his eyes. “He was nearly dead.”
He is large now, Ayrmi said hopefully, and strong.
“And you are smart,” Khollo said. “Both of you. Between you, I think you will still find many ways to help the Keepers. And Ayrmi, when you’re grown, I doubt there will be a greater dragon and rider than the two of you.”
“You’re only saying that – ”
“To make you feel better?” Khollo demanded. “Is that what you’re thinking?”
“So what if I am?” Aralye shot back. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
“No!” Khollo replied vehemently. “Well, not entirely. It’s partly that, but it’s also partly to keep the two of you from trying anything stupid on your own, trying to fly together before you are ready. Finally, it’s because I believe it.”
“There’s no way you can.”
Khollo reached over and gripped her shoulder tightly, forcing her to look at him. “Aralye, I firmly believe you and Ayrmi will be the greatest of us. Just give yourselves time, and someday you will have the opportunity you seek.”
Aralye’s eyes widened slightly. Ayrmi contemplated them curiously, looking from one to the other. After a moment, Khollo released Aralye and sat back, exhaling heavily.
“I asked you to trust me,” he reminded her. “And I asked you to trust yourself. Believe in what you are capable of. Now, I need you to trust in Ayrmi too.”
“I do!” Aralye protested immediately, fiery anger replacing her stunned silence. “How could you say I don’t believe in my own dragon? I love Ayrmi!”
“Believing and loving are different,” Khollo pointed out.
I know what you see, Ayrmi interrupted quietly. You see a dragon who was a runt from birth, beautiful but fragile, intelligent but physically disadvantaged. I am that, yes, but I also hope I can become much, much more. The High Keeper believes I can. What do you believe, friend of my heart and mind?
Aralye’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly, then she took a shaky breath. “I believe in you, Ayrmi, of course. Now and always.”
Good, Ayrmi said, rustling her wings as she shifted positions. Then all we have to do now is wait for our time.
“You two were meant for something,” Khollo repeated. “What, I don’t know yet. But Ayrmi hatched for you, Aralye, not one of the others. And of all the people in the world, I found you. Our paths did not cross by accident.”
“What, you’re saying fate has decided that I will be a Keeper?”
“I’m saying you’re here for a reason,” Khollo corrected. “That your being here is no accident. I don’t really believe in fate or destiny, but I do believe you and Ayrmi are something special. Great Keepers in the making.”
We will do our best, High Keeper, Ayrmi promised. We will not let you down. We will be patient, and when I am large enough we will work harder than any of the others to catch up.
“I could ask for nothing more,” Khollo replied gratefully. “These next few weeks could be difficult for you though. The others will be flying together, Halena and Amang, Sven and Uthano, L’tel and Thela. They will likely talk and think of nothing else, be discussing flying constantly.”
“Like tonight?” Aralye asked, grimacing.
“And even worse,” Khollo agreed sympathetically. “And that will be hard for the two of you to bear. But you must look towards the future, wait for your chance. Your time will come. I promise.”
“Then we will wait,” Aralye agreed. “But, I’m still building a saddle with the others. That way, when Ayrmi is ready, I will be too. I don’t want to hold her back.”
“I would expect nothing less,” Khollo said, grinning. “Now, it’s late and we’ve discussed quite a bit. We should all get some sleep. Tomorrow will be another long day.”
“Is there any other kind?” Aralye muttered.
“Eventually,” Khollo promised. “But, well, training is training. It can’t be sped up or ignored, and it’s a matter of life and death with the way the world is right now. If trouble arises . . . ” He stopped, shook his head, then started again. “When trouble arises, we have to be ready. We have to be able to defend ourselves and others. We have to be able to fight. And we need to be able to fly.”
He stood, as did Aralye. “Rest up, and be patient over the coming days. No matter how tempting it is, don’t attempt to fly on your own until Kanin and I agree it is safe. The surest way to ensure you never get a chance to fly is to injure yourself or Ayrmi in some foolish accident. Understood?”
“Understood,” Aralye agreed. “Thank you, Khollo. I don’t feel good, but I feel better.”
“And that is good,” Khollo said with a wry grin. “Good night, Aralye, Ayrmi. Remember what I said: you will be the greatest of us.”
Chapter 30:
Map of Masks
The three days Narin had allotted passed without incident. Relam spent most of that time out in the city with his four guards, touring the markets, working with the city guard, reviewing trainees at the Citadel, and in general being seen by his people. Wherever he went he emphasized delivering hope and encouragement, whatever the situation or the problems people were facing.
Throughout those days, Eric and Galen were short-tempered and irritable. Relam tolerated it as best he could, knowing it was concern for his safety that drove their frustration. They couldn’t understand why a king with a death threat over his head was constantly putting himself in potentially vulnerable positions. Relam had considered pointing out to them that, with the power and reach of the Masks, nowhere in the city was truly safe but had decided against it. The two guards might take such
a statement as a challenge and lock him in a windowless secret room somewhere deep in the palace.
Winter was tightening its icy grip on the region. The river had been frozen for days now, and every roof and street was layered in snow and ice. Two gales came down from the north while Relam was out and about, depositing fresh snow and bringing even colder temperatures. By the time the third day rolled around, the young king was fervently looking forward to spring. If he lived that long.
Relam rose early on the third day, while the world was still dark. That meant less during the winter season, since the sun rose later, but it still gave him a sense of accomplishment to be up so early and being productive. Reasoning that he shouldn’t seem too eager to go anywhere and draw unwanted suspicion, the young king forced himself to go to his study and work through a few reports and documents.
There was a new treaty that needed his ratification, an agreement between the marshland lord and one of the lords of Gobel-Tek on the boundaries of their lands. And there was a query from Jalakash, wondering what they were to do with the captured desert raiders now that they had been interrogated. The captain who had written the letter recommended a swift execution, but Relam countered the idea with an order to keep them under guard and continue questioning at intermittent intervals.
When he had finished the short letter, the young king heated a small amount of wax, poured it in a thin circle in the bottom right corner of the page, then pressed his seal into it firmly as it was cooling. He pulled back the wooden plug his seal was etched into, studying the result to be sure it had formed properly. Satisfied the image of an overlaid sword and crown was clear enough, he rolled the parchment and sealed it with another blob of wax.
There were more documents to review after that, more problems needing his attention. A littler after dawn, Galen poked his head into the room to check on Relam, and to admonish him for leaving his quarters without any guards. The young king pretended to be contrite, and Galen left satisfied.
As Relam was finishing with the last report, a brisk knock came at the door. The young king frowned, for he knew the way Galen and the others rapped on doors very well by now, and he knew immediately that this visitor was not one of them. Just in case, he drew his dagger and laid it in a prominent position on his desk, then reached down and loosened his sword in its scabbard.
“Enter.”
The door to his study swung open and Eckle swept in, the very image of pompous idiocy with his head held high, his back straight as a rod, one arm swinging at his side, the other firmly clutching his sword. His armor clanked as he moved in a rhythmic jolting fashion, until he stopped in front of Relam’s desk and nodded to the young king.
“Your majesty,” he began. “Is now a good time?”
Relam sighed. He had been hoping to leave for Oreius’ house now that the reports were done, but it seemed he would have to wait. “Of course,” he managed through gritted teeth. “How can I help you, commander?”
Eckle straightened even more. “I have heard you are spending a great deal of time away from the palace,” he began.
“That is true,” Relam said evenly. “What of it?”
“Well,” Eckle said, “It’s rather hard for the palace guard to protect the king when he is not in the palace.”
“I still have Galen and the others.”
“Of course,” Eckle replied smoothly. “But, there was a reason I let you have those men when you were just a prince. They are not my best men, and they have a tendency to shirk their duties and to not take things seriously. You could do much better for your personal guards.”
“Perhaps,” Relam said, “But perhaps not. I have been more than satisfied with Galen and Eric’s ability to foresee and plan for trouble, and all four men are capable fighters. They’re also loyal. I believe the new Master of the Citadel Narin can attest as much.”
Eckle frowned, his lip curling slightly in a half sneer before he remembered himself. Apparently he hadn’t gotten over Narin surviving execution and being elevated to such a high station. “Be that as it may,” the commander replied, “You can do better. Don’t tell me you think Wil and Telegarinitnat are competent indi – ”
“Who?” Relam asked blankly.
“The fourth one,” Eckle snapped, “Idiotic, looks like he’s never really paying attention.”
“Johann?” Relam asked. “He gave you the same fake name he gave me originally?”
“It’s fake?” Eckle asked, blinking in surprise.
“Yes,” Relam said, struggling to keep from bursting out laughing. “I thought it was obvious.”
“The little swine,” Eckle muttered. “Johann, is it? Yes, you can do much better than those two.”
“Oh, they have certain redeeming qualities,” Relam replied, brushing the matter aside.
“Like dumping slop buckets in front of people’s doors?” Eckle demanded.
“I hadn’t heard about that,” Relam said, feigning surprise. “Are you sure it’s them?”
“Who else?”
“That’s not much to go on in the way of evidence, commander.”
“Well, it’s enough!”
The young king sighed. He had enjoyed needling the commander, but he really did have other things to get to. “Was there something else you needed, Eckle?”
“Yes, actually, your majesty,” Eckle replied instantly. “With you spending so much time outside the palace, I wanted to ask that you allow me to add a couple more guards to your retinue, as well as make sure that I am still commander of your guard.”
“What do you mean? Your title is commander, yes?”
“Yes,” Eckle agreed, “But you never tell me anything! I have to hear from other people where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing. As commander of your guards – ”
“I see your point,” Relam said reluctantly. “I will see that the others know they still ultimately report to you. As far as more guards, I really don’t think it’s necessary.”
“What about someone familiar?” Eckle suggested. “Say, those two younger boys, Sermas and Hern?”
Relam frowned suspiciously. “That would be agreeable, but I thought you would want to assign more seasoned warriors to be my guards. They are young after all.”
“They are,” Eckle admitted. “But youth has its advantages. Keen eyes, agility, speed. They have performed admirably in training. And they are a little less obvious than some of the other guards would be. There are others who would be my first choice, but you have rejected them all before so I thought I would offer these two.”
“And I accept the offer,” Relam said. “They can continue to learn from Galen and Eric, get some practical experience as well. This could be a highly beneficial arrangement.”
“It could be,” Eckle managed, frowning. Clearly, the commander still had his doubts. “If I may, your majesty, I would suggest keeping them apart from Wil and Tele – the other one.”
“Johann.”
“I don’t care!” Eckle snapped. “That could be a false name too for all I know.”
Relam thought about mentioning that Galen and the others had confirmed this name, then decided he would rather let Eckle wallow in confusion and suspicion. “It could be,” he said instead. “We may never know. Was there anything else?”
“That will be all, your majesty,” Eckle replied, bowing slightly. “Please do remember to be careful when you are out in the city. And I would recommend staying near to the palace as much as possible. This world – ”
“Is not safe,” Relam finished, rolling his eyes. “Believe me commander, I am well aware of that fact.”
“A reminder never hurts,” Eckle admonished, taking on his signature patronizing tone once more. “And when it comes to you, the king, we cannot be too careful. Good day, your majesty.”
“Good day, commander,” Relam managed. He groaned audibly after Eckle had let himself out, then firmly pushed all thoughts of the commander from his mind to focus on other tasks.
It was o
nly a few moments before he heard raised voices in the corridor, then the sound of heavy footsteps approaching from further down the hall. The door opened after the most perfunctory of knocks, and Galen appeared, red in the face and gripping the hilt of his sword so hard his knuckles were white.
“Your majesty,” he began respectfully, “Eckle was just throwing his weight around again out there. What exactly did the two of you discuss, if I may ask?”
“He wanted to add guards,” Relam replied wearily. “So I’m letting him add Hern and Sermas.”
“Ah,” Galen said, nodding, relaxing a little. “That’s not so bad. They’re solid enough lads, handy in a fight. Or just for noticing things and being helpful.”
“He also wanted to make sure he is still in control of the guard,” Relam continued. “The palace and personal guards. Claims he can’t do his job properly otherwise. So I agreed to place you and the others under his authority once more.”
“That,” Galen growled, “Is what he said to get us all riled up. I thought you got us out from under his thumb last year? Now you’re sticking us right back where we were?”
“No,” Relam replied, “You still answer to me, and you are my personal guards. I have given Eckle oversight and the perception of power, which is what he was after. What I did not give him was outright control or direct dominion over you. After all, you spend so little time around the other palace guards – you’re not even quartered with them – it will be very hard for him to use his power.”
“Oh,” Galen said, subsiding a little. “That’s better. I’ll make sure the others understand as well. Thank you for clearing things up, your majesty.”
“Do remind them not to go spreading that around,” Relam added quickly. “If word reaches Eckle, he’ll try to rectify his error immediately. As it is, I’m surprised he didn’t recognize the loophole I left us.”
“Me too,” Galen agreed, “Still, he’s an utter imbecile. Wil and Johann have been dumping buckets on his doorstep again, in case you hadn’t heard – ”
“Eckle told me,” Relam interrupted. “And he suspects Wil. But for some reason he thinks the other person involved is some Telegarinitnat fellow. Do you know him?”
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