Lleland listened to this speech in astonishment, then laughed. “Mistress Lydia, my apologies. You’ve put me in my place! I would far prefer you to be yourself, and if clambering over the mountains is what you do, then I’ll gladly join you in your pursuits.” He glanced towards the ledge. “But perhaps we should just use the main entrance?”
“You won’t fall,” Lydia assured him.
Lleland pulled back. “As you pointed out, you were born and bred in the mountains,” he said, “and probably have the feet of a goat. I come from the city, where there are only tiny, little hills, and the ladies are quite happy to flounce along a small stretch of nice, paved road as they go from one store to another.”
She laughed. “Come on,” she said. “You can do it.”
Lleland looked at Lydia, who smiled playfully. Her eyes were glowing, and her hair was mussed from the wind. “Fine,” he said. “But if I fall to my death, these mountains will be forever haunted by my ghost.”
“I’ve always wanted to see a ghost,” she said. “It’s all settled then. Let’s go.” She stepped through the door and onto the ledge, and moved along a few feet to give him space. “Come on,” she said.
Lleland glanced over the edge once more, then taking a deep breath, tentatively placed one foot on the ledge, while his hand gripped the door frame. Placing his other foot next to the first, he carefully slid along until he was standing beside Lydia, his back to the wall. His toes overhung the ledge by an inch, and below them the mountain plunged into a valley, far, far below. Ahead of him lay peak after peak, spreading in every direction. Snow covered the towering summits, while the valleys were blanketed in green. In the distance he heard the thundering of a tumbling waterfall. He looked for it from the side of his eye, but it was outside his line of sight. A blast of wind blew the hair around his face, and he pressed his back against the wall.
Lydia smiled at him encouragingly, then walked another few feet, while he sidled along slowly, pausing whenever a gust of wind whipped his tunic. “It’s not far,” she said. “Just a few yards until we reach the ridge.” Lleland gave a slight nod, his eyes focused on the edge of the ledge.
“Right behind you,” he said. It was a little further than a few yards, but inching slowly along the reassuring face of the wall, Lleland finally made it to where the ledge met the ridge. He took a deep breath as he jumped down to solid ground, and glanced at Lydia. “Perhaps we can return through the front gate,” he said.
She smiled – wickedly, Lleland thought with an inward groan – then pointed to a cliff a short distance away. “There’s a good view of Storbrook from up there,” she said.
“No more ledges?” he asked.
“None,” she promised.
“Lead on,” he said. They reached the foot of the cliff which was covered in scrub and scree. Lydia led him along the base of the cliff, stopping at a crack in the rock face. It was about two feet wide at the bottom, narrowing to a point about three feet from the ground. “There’s a funnel we can climb through,” she said. “We just need to squeeze through the crack.”
“I’m not sure I can,” Lleland said, eyeing the opening skeptically. Lydia turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed as she inspected him.
“Zach can get through with a few inches to spare, and you’re about the same size,” she said. Lleland frowned. “It opens up inside,” she assured him. He nodded and gestured with his hand for her to lead the way. She dropped to her haunches and shuffled through sideways. Following her lead, Lleland also crouched down, but it was immediately evident that he wouldn’t fit. With a sigh he lay down on the ground and stretched his legs through the hole, edging his way over the ground on his back. The gap opened into a small cave and he rose to his feet and looked around. Above his head the roof narrowed into a long chimney that reached all the way to the top of the cliff. It was wide at the bottom, nearly five feet across, but tapered towards the top.
“How do we climb up?” he asked Lydia, gazing into the funnel.
“You have to brace yourself against the sides,” she said.
He looked at her doubtfully. “Have you done this before?” he asked.
“Oh yes, many times,” she said, loosening the ties of her gown.
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t climb in this,” she said, shrugging the offending article off her shoulders and down to her feet. Beneath the gown and over her chemise she wore a shirt and a pair of breeches. Lleland looked at her outfit dubiously. “That isn’t really appropriate apparel for a lady,” he said.
She ignored him. “Lift me up, please,” she said, turning her back to him. He stared at her for a moment, then slowly wrapped his hands around her waist. They settled on her hips, which curved gently. She reached up her hands and he lifted her the full length of his arms. Her hands settled on the stone walls of the funnel, and she lifted her feet to brace herself, then shuffled upwards.
“How do I get up?” he asked.
“Jump.”
“I can’t jump that high! How does Zach get up there?”
She glanced upwards. “If we had some rope, I could throw it down to you and pull you up.”
“You? Pull me up?” Lleland snorted. “Besides, we don’t have any rope!”
“We can use this!” Lydia dropped back to the floor of the cave and picked up her gown.
“No!” Lleland grabbed the gown from her hands, his expression horrified. “Absolutely not!”
She lifted her eyes to his and smiled. “It’s just a gown,” she said. Lleland dragged his gaze away.
“No,” he said, more gently this time. “It’s not right that you destroy your clothes on my account. Maybe we can find another way up. Perhaps there’s a path.”
Lydia shook her head. “There’s no path, but we can try scrambling up the side. There’re a few small bushes that might give us some leverage.”
“We don’t have to make it to the top,” Lleland said.
“You’ll be glad if we do,” Lydia said. “The view of Storbrook is breathtaking.”
Lleland nodded. “Then let’s give it a try.”
They scrambled their way out of the cave again, and walked once more around the base of the cliff, searching for another route. The dead stump of a tree provided a boost up the first few feet, and from there it was little more than a scramble. The side of the mountain was covered in loose scree that slipped as they climbed, and more than once Lleland grabbed rocks and bushes to stop himself falling. By the time they reached the top his hands were scraped and his breeches had a rip in the knee, but these inconveniences were forgotten when he rose to his feet and stared out at the surrounding vista. Storbrook Castle lay below them, a massive golden palace that glittered in the sunlight. Beyond the castle the mountains stretched in every direction, disappearing into a haze of purple and white. He turned and saw an alpine lake shimmering in the distance, while further to the left a high waterfall cascaded down the mountain. Other waterfalls caught his eye as he continued to turn, and occasionally he could see the river that twisted its way down to the valley below, more than half a mile away.
“It’s a long way down, isn’t it?”
Lydia peered over the edge. “Not really.” She glanced back at Lleland with a smile. “It’s all just a matter of perspective.”
“Well, from my perspective it looks very far!”
Lydia laughed. “Perspectives can change. If you were an eagle, then the distance from here wouldn’t seem very far.”
“Ah! But I’ll never be an eagle.”
“True!” Lydia cocked her head slightly. “Then let’s say an eagle – a very big eagle – swoops you into its talons and flies you to its eyrie way up there.” She pointed to a mountain peak in the distance. “You’ll think the distance to the valley from here quite short after that.”
Lleland laughed. “I’ll concede that you’re right, Mistress Drake. If that were to happen, then I’d find this a quite comfortable height.” She grinned and turned back to the
view. “Which way is the village?” he asked, but when she pointed north, he could only see more mountains.
“Have you ever seen such a view?” she asked him, and he shook his head.
“No,” he replied.
“Was it worth the climb to this great height?”
“Absolutely!”
They stood in silence for a few minutes, drinking in the view. A ground squirrel scurried over the bare rock and Lleland glanced down, noticing the hole in the ground for the first time. He walked over to it and dropped to his haunches as he squinted into the shadows.
“We can go down through the funnel,” Lydia said, watching him.
“After you,” he said. She sat down at the edge and scooted forward, then lowered herself into the hole, using her hands and feet to brace herself.
“Are you sure you can manage?” he called as she dropped into the darkness. Her laugh echoed between the stone walls.
“Of course! I’ve done this many times,” she said. “Come on.” He waited for another moment, then carefully lowered himself to the edge. A small stone skittered into the darkness.
“Watch out,” he called, relieved when she ducked out of the way.
“I’m fine,” she said. He lowered himself into the funnel and paused a moment as he braced himself against the walls, then slowly started his descent.
Lydia watched as he dropped the last few feet to the floor of the cave. She had already donned her gown. “There’s a waterfall not too far away,” she said. “We can go past it on our way back.”
“Do we have to defy death to get there?”
She laughed. “I won’t lead you into danger.”
He looked at her skeptically. “Please forgive me if I don’t find that reassuring! But lead the way. I’m right behind you.”
She smiled. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
Chapter 19
It was a short hike to the waterfall, where Lydia waded in the shallows of a pool just below. From there she led Lleland through a forest, and finally back towards Storbrook, arriving just in time for the evening meal. It was served in the hall, and Lleland joined the Drakes on the dais. The priest said a blessing, then joined the servants as they sat below. When the meal was finished, someone brought out a fiddle, and an impromptu dance soon followed.
“Does this happen often?” Lleland asked.
“Almost every evening,” Lydia said. “Come dance with me.” She slipped a warm hand into his and pulled him to his feet. “Sometimes Cook or one of the others will sing, or Fritz will regale us with a story. His father was a traveling bard, and he knows plenty of tales.”
“The servants don’t mind living so remotely?”
“Most of them have been here for generations, and this is their home as much as ours.” She led him into the middle of the hall, and they joined hands with the other dancers. She laughed as they circled around the hall, her hand in Lleland’s. It was with reluctance that he let it go when the music ended and the servants started clearing the hall.
Lleland had no trouble falling asleep that night and was awake at dawn. It was a beautiful morning, full of the promise of summer, and he flung the shutters wide to allow the warm air into the room. A flicker of light through the open window caught his attention and he gazed into the distance. A pair of dragons were circling between the mountains, their scales glimmering in the morning light. Lleland grabbed a tunic and breeches and quickly pulled them on, his eye still on the dragons outside. He glanced at the bow and arrows standing in the corner, but turned away without taking them, Aaron’s warning ringing in his mind.
All was quiet within the halls and passages as he made his way downstairs, but in the courtyard people were already bustling about, getting ready for the day. He nodded a greeting at those he recognized from the previous evening as he hurried towards the gate. He could no longer see the dragons, but hoped that once he was beyond the walls he would catch sight of them again. If he could get an idea of where they had their lair, perhaps he could persuade Lydia to take him in that direction.
He passed beneath the raised portcullis, and scrambled down the stony path that led to the castle. He had noticed a fork in the path the previous day which led to a higher elevation. He reached the summit of the next peak a half hour later. Behind him lay Storbrook, tall and proud on its rocky height, while soaring through the sky above him were the two dragons he had seen from his window. While both dragons were golden in color, one was lighter than the other and looked almost dainty compared to the huge beast beside it. Their tales streamed out behind them and massive wings glittered in the morning light. Dropping to his haunches, Lleland watched as they swept through the sky.
The dragons drew closer, and Lleland could see the bright yellow of their cat-like eyes. He wondered which of the beasts would be the bigger threat, before deciding they were probably equally dangerous. A slight breeze stirred, and Lleland swore softly under his breath as both dragons turned towards him. The larger one drew to a stop, hovering in the air as it stared at him, and Lleland felt a clenching in his stomach as he returned the gaze. The smaller dragon did not slow down but continued flying towards Lleland. He had no weapons, but he grabbed a rock as he rose to his feet, and tightened his grip around it as the creature bore down on him. A roar split the air, and Lleland’s gaze flew to the larger creature as it snarled at the smaller dragon. A fight seemed imminent when the smaller dragon turned away with a growl and headed in the direction of Storbrook. The larger dragon stared at Lleland for another moment, before it too turned and followed the other. The rock slipped from Lleland’s hand as he watched them flying away. Although he had grabbed the rock, he had not really felt threatened. Instead, he had the strange impression that the dragon was just being friendly. He took his time retuning to Storbrook, thinking about what had happened. Aaron Drake had assured him that the dragons would not attack while he was in the mountains, but what kind of sway did the man have over the dragons that he could prevent them from harming Lleland?
It was late morning when Lleland arrived back at Storbrook. As he crossed the lower hall, he could hear the sounds of laughter and pots clanging in the kitchen beyond, but all was quiet as he mounted the staircase. He turned into the passage as the door to Aaron’s study opened, and Lydia stepped out. She was frowning, and didn’t notice Lleland as she started marching down the hall in the opposite direction.
“Mistress,” Lleland called. She swung around, her expression startled, then gave a tight smile.
“My apologies, Master Seaton, I didn’t see you there.”
“I’ve just come from a walk,” he said. He moved towards her. “Are you all right?”
Dropping her head, she covered her eyes with her hand for a moment. “I’m fine,” she replied. She glanced up at him. “I was with my father.”
“Ah! I’m sorry!”
She gave a reluctant smile. “Dinner will be served soon. Would you like to do some more exploring this afternoon?”
“I’d enjoy that very much,” he replied.
She nodded. “I’ll see you later,” she said, before turning around and walking away.
Lleland returned to his room thoughtfully. Back in his chamber, he paced as he pondered the dragons, then opened his daybook and scratched out some notes about what he had seen. When he finally made his way to the hall below for dinner, Aaron and Keira were already seated at the table. There was no sign of Lydia.
Keira waved him over with a smile. “How are you enjoying your stay?” she asked. “I heard that Lydia shocked you with her unladylike behavior yesterday.”
Lleland smiled. “She presented her case quite persuasively,” he said. “I quickly realized that Mistress Lydia is a woman who marches to her own drum.”
Keira laughed. “That’s a polite way of putting it! She is determined, like her father. They’re frequently in a contest of wills!” She turned to Aaron with a smile. “Perhaps she’ll follow in his footsteps one day.”
“She’s too head
strong,” Aaron said. He glanced at Lleland for a moment. “And too used to getting her own way. She’s lived a very sheltered life.”
A maid brought a tray of food to the table and the conversation ended, to Lleland’s relief. Aaron did not linger at the table, but Keira chatted to Lleland as they ate, and by the end of the meal he had reached the conclusion that she was a woman of quiet charm and intelligence. “Enjoy your afternoon ramblings,” she said as they left the table. “I think you’ll find Lydia upstairs.”
“Thank you Mistress.” He followed her from the hall and started his way up the stairs to see Lydia standing on the landing.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
“I am. But you haven’t eaten.”
She smiled. “I ate earlier. You should bring your daybook.”
“Where are we going?” Lleland asked as they headed down the passage towards his chamber.
“I have something to show you. I think the scholar in you will find it interesting.”
He raised an enquiring eyebrow, but she just smiled. She waited at the door as he grabbed his daybook and writing kit and placed them in a small cloth bag which he slung over his shoulder, then led him outside.
“Did you write about the dragons you saw this morning,” Lydia asked as they walked across the courtyard.
Lleland glanced at her in surprise. “How do you know I saw dragons?”
“You were out walking,” she said. “Since the dragons always hunt at that time, I assumed you saw them. Did they scare you?”
“Scare me? No, but I would have felt a little safer with a weapon in my hand.”
Lydia looked at him. “They’ll never harm you,” she said.
“Because of your father? He has some power over them, doesn’t he?”
Lydia laughed dryly. “You could say that,” she said. “But,” she continued, “that’s not why they won’t hurt you. They just aren’t interested in people – at least not in the way you’re thinking. They want to live in peace.”
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