The Captive

by Paul Lauritsen

  “And patience,” Aralye agreed, snorting as Sven got out from under Uthano. “We could all do with a bit of that.”

  “Some of us more than others,” Khollo agreed. “Although, some of us are starting to need more patience for other reasons.” He nodded to where L’tel was sitting, scowling at Sven and bouncing a small rock in the palm of his hand.

  Sven was working his way up Uthano’s left side now, making small adjustments to a few of the straps. He then moved around to the dragon’s neck, then his right side, doing a thorough check of every aspect of the saddle. When at last the northerner was satisfied, he waved for Khollo to join him. Preparing himself for another round of failure, Khollo slowly crossed the ledge to join Uthano and Sven once more.

  “All set?” Khollo asked.

  “Yes,” Sven replied firmly.

  Khollo nodded. “We’ll see.”

  He made a slow circuit of Uthano, inspecting Sven’s handiwork. There were no awkwardly twisted straps now, and the knots seemed to all be in the right place. It was built properly this time too, which helped tremendously. When he had finished his visual inspection, Khollo tugged at a few of the straps just to be sure.

  How does that feel? He asked Uthano.

  I feel the saddle and the straps, the dragon replied, trying to twist his neck around and see the saddle for himself. They are tight, but not uncomfortable.

  Or painful?

  No. Maybe a little itchy.

  Khollo grinned. “Get used to that. All right, Sven, looks like you might be ready.”

  “Yes!” the northern youth crowed, scrambling onto Uthano’s back. “I knew I had it, all I needed was – Ow!”

  Khollo swung around to glare at L’tel. “That wasn’t necessary.”

  “Sorry,” the boy from the plains replied, totally unabashed. “The pebble slipped.”

  “And nailed me in the head?”

  “I was aiming for your shoulder.”

  “Yeah, right,” Sven muttered darkly.

  “You earned it,” L’tel grumbled, “Wasting the whole morning with your idiocy.”

  “I didn’t – ”

  “Enough,” Halena interrupted. “We’ve waited long enough. If you two start arguing, we’ll never get off the ground. Now, listen to Khollo so he can tell us how to fly.”

  “Thank you,” Khollo said, nodding to Halena. “Now, Kanin has been teaching the other dragons flying maneuvers for the last few weeks by having them copy him. We’ll do the same thing today, starting with basic maneuvers.”

  “Great,” Sven said. “When do we start?”

  Khollo deliberately climbed onto Kanin’s back, taking his time settling himself in the saddle. “When we’re in the sky, listen for Kanin and obey him instantly. Control your excitement. This is an exercise, not just flying for the sake of flying. I expect you all to stay in formation and follow Kanin and I. Except Ayrmi.”

  “Is she not coming?” L’tel asked, confused.

  “She will fly, but she will be experimenting with our formations, finding ways to strengthen them.”

  “How come we have to follow the rules?” Sven demanded. “Why don’t we get to fly wherever we want?”

  “Because I said so,” Khollo muttered under his breath.

  This is more effective, Kanin said to the others. Is everyone ready?

  There was a quick chorus of agreement, so Kanin spread his wings. Khollo tensed, leaning forward slightly, then they were airborne, Kanin’s wings pumping as they climbed into the sky.

  Behind them, Uthano let out a bugle of pure joy, echoed by the others, and leapt after Kanin. The four younger dragons lurched back and forth, crowding each other then backing off, nearly colliding several times. After a few moments of stern directions from Kanin, the younger beasts sorted everything out and managed to settle into more stable flight patterns. Khollo looked back, checking the arrowhead formation, and nodded to himself.

  That’s progress, he observed. Tell the others we will soon begin the exercises. Instruct Halena, Sven, and L’tel to watch what I do and copy it as best they can.

  What about Aralye?

  Include her I suppose, Khollo replied, but the instructions will be useless to her on the ground.

  Still, she should be aware of what we are doing. Kanin paused, relaying Khollo’s message to the others. They agree. They are excited, and a little nervous. This is good. It will help keep them from doing anything foolish.

  What about the dragons?

  They are confident, Kanin replied. Perhaps too confident. They are eager to show off, I think.

  Caution them against that, Khollo said immediately. We don’t need anyone getting hurt.

  They insist they will obey, Kanin reported back a moment later. But I am not sure. There is only one way to test their resolve I suppose.

  Ready to get started, then?

  Yes, but slowly. Some simple turns, dives and the like will be a satisfactory warm up.

  Khollo nodded. You’re in charge. Relay your commands to the other dragons, but not to the riders. And don’t tell me what you’re about to do either.

  Are you sure?

  Yes. In a battle, you don’t warn me before every maneuver, you just do it and hope I hold on.

  I have a little more concern for you than that, Kanin sniffed.

  Sometimes.

  I heard that.

  You were meant to. Even if you weren’t, I suppose I’d have a hard time hiding it though.

  You would, but – Kanin broke off, listening. Ayrmi wants to know when she should start experimenting.

  Keep it simple for now, Khollo decided. Once everyone is a little more comfortable up here, she can start deviating from the pattern more.

  There was another pause before Kanin replied. She agrees. Do we begin training now?

  Yes, Khollo replied, flexing the large muscles in his legs to brace himself against Kanin’s movements. Let’s see how the others manage to keep up.

  Kanin flew straight for another moment, then went into a wide, arcing left turn. Khollo leaned with the dragon, shifting his balance smoothly and easily, always in control. As Kanin ended the turn, Khollo looked back at his students, observing their rigid postures. L’tel had slid a little in his saddle, and was working to center himself again. Sven and Halena seemed to have managed better, but neither looked entirely comfortable.

  Kanin veered back the other way, and Khollo leaned gracefully with the dragon’s movements. The wind whipped past his face, tearing at his clothes and battering at his body. He grinned fiercely as Kanin came out of the turn and settled on a straight course again, now headed directly into the wind.

  They are keeping formation, Kanin reported, But L’tel is having a hard time keeping his seat. He slides back and forth according to Thela.

  Are his straps tight enough?

  Kanin hesitated, relaying the message. He is tightening them further as we speak. He is considering adding more straps to secure himself since he is the largest and heaviest of the group. But he thinks he will be fine for the rest of today.

  Then let’s continue, Khollo said impatiently.

  Without warning, Kanin went into a steep dive, rocketing towards the jungle far below. Startled cries from behind Khollo told him the other dragons had performed the same maneuver as Kanin, and had not informed their riders. As they plummeted, Khollo leaned forward over the saddle, crouched low over Kanin’s back.

  The others do not ride as well as you, Kanin told him, Halena and Sven are leaning back rather than forward.

  Aren’t they watching me?

  Watching and doing are not the same thing, Kanin replied, chuckling, as he pulled out of his dive and went into a lazy ascending spiral.

  Khollo sighed, relaxing in the saddle. Get me close enough to talk to them if you can.

  I will do my best.

  They rose on the warm air for another minute, then Kanin leveled out and the other dragons clustered around them, all within shouting distance. L’tel, Sven, a
nd Halena stared at him from the backs of their dragons, their faces studies of mingled uncertainty, fear and excitement.

  “You have to watch what I do!” Khollo shouted to them. “Trust me, it will be easier!”

  “That’s not as easy as it sounds!” L’tel shouted back.

  “Or as easy as it looks!” Halena added.

  Khollo sighed. “You have to try. It’s the only way to get better. Don’t fight your dragon, move with them. Focus on balance, on keeping yourself centered. That’s the first step to being comfortable in the air. If any of you were in a fight right now, you wouldn’t last a minute before falling off.”

  “We’ve only been flying ten minutes!” Sven protested. “We’re not experts!”

  It is nice to hear him admit as much, Kanin observed drily.

  “You don’t have to be experts,” Khollo replied, “But you have to realize this is not a game. It’s not leisure or pleasure. This is difficult, and it is life and death. The dragons have been training seriously to prepare themselves to fight in the air. You all need to take this seriously as well, and put in the effort.”

  Silence greeted his words as the youths exchanged glances with each other and conversed with their dragons.

  “Let’s continue,” Khollo decided. Kanin, tell Ayrmi to stay with us a little longer please.

  It is done, Kanin said an instant later. I will stay with basic maneuvers for now as well.

  The emerald dragon went into a new series of turns and shallow dives then, effortlessly gliding through the air above Ethgalin. The other dragons followed in perfect formation, the youths on their backs gradually growing accustomed to their motions. Sven picked up the balancing aspect of riding a dragon the fastest, but Halena was a close second. L’tel struggled on Thela’s back, sliding frequently and constantly repositioning his weight as they flew.

  Over the next three hours, Kanin gradually increased the complexity of the exercises. The turns became sharper, the dives steeper, the speeds faster. Through it all, Khollo kept an eye on the young riders as best he could, using Kanin’s observations and those of the other dragons when he could not see his students himself. When they leveled out after a particularly long sequence, Khollo glanced to his right and saw Ayrmi dutifully flying beside Kanin.

  Tell her to begin her experiments, Khollo said to Kanin. Let us see what she can teach us.

  Kanin passed the message along, and immediately Ayrmi was rolling over the formation, flipping from the right to the left in an instant, changing the whole dynamic of the arrowhead and providing herself with an expanded range of options for attack or defense. In an instant, she was back again, settling in between Kanin and Amang.

  A promising start, Khollo observed, picturing the scene if a dragon on the other side of the formation had mirrored her actions.

  Yes, but we were flying straight. Let us see what she does with this!

  Kanin went into a steep dive, arrowing towards the ground with his wings folded. Three dragons followed him, tucking their wings and plummeting earthwards in a straight line.

  But not Ayrmi.

  Though he was preoccupied with crouching over Kanin’s neck and holding on, Khollo noticed the purple dragon was spiraling around the group of diving dragons. When Kanin pulled up a moment later, she spun right around him and back into formation, wings pumping to gain altitude. The group leveled out a moment later, then Kanin went into a backwards roll, then a sharp turn and a spiraling dive that took him nearly to the ground again. Only by snapping his wings open at the last second was the emerald dragon able to avoid crashing. The other dragons followed effortlessly, though this final maneuver elicited a panicked scream from at least one of Khollo’s students.

  As Kanin pulled out of the dive, he moved right into another complex pattern. Through it all, Ayrmi followed, never staying in one place long but always aware of where the other dragons were, finding weak spots in the formation, places where they would be vulnerable, and shoring them up. The agility of the purple dragon amazed Khollo, as well as her speed and instincts.

  If only we had another with her skills, Khollo observed reluctantly as they glided back down towards the holds an hour later. We would be unstoppable.

  She is quick, Kanin agreed, and inventive. You were right when you said she may be the best of us. Flying in formation like we have been makes us weak from the sides and back, reveals openings for an enemy to take advantage of. Ayrmi’s innovations make those weaknesses harder to exploit.

  Kanin landed with a thump, and Khollo slid down from his back immediately. Ayrmi was the second to land, alighting beside Aralye delicately. The huntress stood and rubbed the dragon’s snout, smiling. As they stood there together, the other three dragons landed and deposited their passengers.

  “She did well!” Khollo called. “I’ve never seen a dragon do what Ayrmi did in the sky today.”

  Aralye grinned. “I know, I was watching. And I’m almost glad I wasn’t riding today.”

  Khollo laughed. “Well, when Aralye’s big enough, you’ll have to get used to it. And you’ll want to spend some time shooting from her back as well. That takes practice.”

  Aralye gaped at him. “You use your bow from Kanin’s back?”

  “Of course,” Khollo replied. “It’s hard, but it’s a huge advantage when we’re flying.”

  “And you can hit your target?”

  “Not as often as I would like,” Khollo admitted. “Which is why I don’t do it very often. But you’re a better shot than me, so you may have more success.”

  “Another reason to get us in the air together as soon as possible,” Aralye said, rubbing Ayrmi again. “But after that performance, I can’t decide if I’m looking forward to it or dreading it.”

  “It’ll be scary,” Khollo told her, removing Kanin’s saddle. “But, fear will turn to exhilaration once you learn to trust her. And once you reach that point . . . ” he shook his head, grinning. “You’ll be finding excuses to fly, believe me.”

  “I thought you wanted me to trust you?” she asked.

  Khollo nodded. “That too.” He lowered his voice. “Now do you see why I said what I did? About you and Ayrmi being the best of us?”

  “Yes,” Aralye agreed, eyes shining with pride. “I guess trusting you on that was the right decision.”

  “And trusting Ayrmi to be capable of flying like that,” Khollo added. “This is what it all comes back to, Aralye. Trust. Or belief, if you prefer that. Is it getting easier?”

  The girl considered this for a moment. “It’s getting easier,” she said finally. “Every time you’re right about something, it gets easier. But I’m still learning.”

  Khollo nodded. “That’s all I can ask.” He turned to the others. “Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve worked up an appetite. Who’s hungry?”

  His question was met by a series of groans and other protests from Sven, L’tel, and Halena. All three were slumped against their dragons, holding their stomachs or their heads.

  “The ground is spinning,” Sven muttered. “Should it be spinning?”

  “I don’t want to even think about food,” Halena protested.

  Khollo glanced back at Aralye with a wry smile. “I guess that means more for us.”

  Chapter 32:

  The First Battle

  Garnuk strode purposefully through Dun Carryl, making for Zanove’s lair. At long last, it was time for a real mission! A true test of their powers, and a real blow against the cursed Sthan. He marched right up to the door to the small room where he stored his flying equipment, but as he was opening the door a voice hailed him.

  “General!”

  Garnuk turned slowly, recognizing Tarq’s voice. “Yes, old friend?”

  The captain joined him in an instant, crossing the intervening space in a few long strides. “Is it time?”

  “It is,” Garnuk replied grimly. “Zanove is ready. I am ready. The Keepers have not been seen in weeks. Now is our opportunity to strike, ha
rd and fast.”

  Tarq nodded slowly. “Very well. I suppose you realize that if you carry out this attack, there is no going back.”

  “I do.”

  “You are committed to this course?”

  “Always,” Garnuk grunted. “The Sthan will pay, and the Keepers.”

  Tarq dipped his horned head slightly. “There was a time when we fought for more than mere revenge,” he muttered. “When we had a goal of lasting good for our people.”

  “That is still our goal,” Garnuk promised. “But this time, we have to fight a war to get there. We have been over this many, many times, Tarq. Even the clan chiefs are in agreement now, we must fight.”

  “And it is rare they agree on anything,” Tarq agreed. “What are the rest of us to do while you are gone?”

  “Ready our armies to march,” Garnuk replied. “After Ishkabur, we move north. Based on what your spies report, we’ll decide if the Sthan need another demonstration or if they have seen enough to accuse the Keepers of these attacks.”

  “It is strange they did not respond to the destruction of the villages.”

  “Maybe not as strange as we think,” Garnuk murmured. “It took a long time for the Sthan to figure out what was happening in the first war. By the time they did, it was almost too late.”

  “So once Ishkabur burns, we will be waiting for the Sthan to make the next move?”

  “Yes.”

  Tarq shook his head, scowling. “I do not like waiting. But I see that it is crucial to this little game we are playing.”

  “It is no game!” Garnuk snarled, stepping forward and crowding Tarq for space. “They must all burn!”

  Tarq recoiled a half pace. “That sort of fervor is the reason I doubt,” he said finally. “You can tell me as many times as you want this is about preserving our people, that this war is about securing a future for our race. But I know better, Garnuk. This is about what happened during the last battle. Against Norkuvad.”

  “Do not speak his name,” Garnuk snapped. “He is unworthy of even being remembered.”

  “The Usurper, then,” Tarq corrected. “I was there, Garnuk, I saw and I remember. They chose to make the sacrifice, to save you and give you a chance to live. Why? So you could throw it away in yet another unwinnable war?”