He turned to Trysten. “Now, what about those dragons?”
Trysten shifted in her chair, crossing her leg over her knee. She flipped her booted foot once as she stared at the King with a hard, intense gaze. She shook her head. “I’ve never encountered anything like it. They…”
She held up her palm and drew it in a little circle, a curious motion. “It’s like they’re not there. Or there are just shadows of them there. I can barely sense them at all. And they don’t seem to respond to me in the least.”
“Interesting,” King Aymon said, “given that they wouldn't respond to Verana.”
“They did bond with her,” Ander said. “Right away. As soon as their other alpha died.”
“But they’ve been getting worse,” Ren said.
“And Halton said he thought it was speeding up,” Tyber added. “Once Pendro died.”
Trysten gripped the seat of her chair on either side. Her brow furrowed. “It’s the funniest thing. Because I can just look at a dragon and tell what alpha she or he is bonded to. I can look at Rius or Maybelle and tell you each is bonded to Verana. But these other dragons…” She shook her head. “I’ve never encountered anything like it.”
“The Shepherd,” Tyber whispered.
“What was that?” Prince Winsom asked from his seat off to Tyber’s left.
“The Shepherd,” Tyber said, sitting up straighter in his chair. “When Rius and I had him alone, after she yanked him off his horse, he tried to gain my cooperation. He told me that…”
He shifted in his seat. He started to rub at his bandage, at the tingling beneath it, but then he stopped himself and turned to Trysten.
“The Shepherd told me that he, and others more powerful than him, are trying to free the dragons of your influence. He claimed you are a sorceress, and that you enchant all of the dragons. They are trying to break them of that. Trying to free them. He said the dragonjacks’ dragons aren’t bound to you and can resist you. I thought he was just trying to convince me to rescue him. But what if what he said is true? The dragons are sick because of something The Shepherd and his associates did to them to cut them off from your influence?”
Trysten’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Is that even possible?” Prince Winsom asked.
Trysten turned to Clemens. The tall man with the mop of curly hair shrugged. “I have no idea. No one really understands the nature of Trysten’s power, why it works, how it works. And we don’t really understand dragons all that well, either.”
He rubbed at his chin, stared at the floor a second, then looked at the King. “If you had asked me yesterday if it was possible, I would have said it wasn’t. But we have the dragons, and…” He gestured vaguely in the direction of the weyr Rius and the others were in.
“Do you think you can cure those dragons?” King Aymon asked.
Clemens shrugged again. “Maybe. I would like to think so. But I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’ve seen boils, but usually they happen when something small gets under a scale, and it manages to fester in the flesh. From what I’m hearing, the scales fall off first, right?”
Ander and Tyber nodded.
“I’ll need some time to look closer at this.”
“Get Galelin involved as well,” King Aymon said. “I want all of you working on this.”
“Will do.”
The King twisted around in his chair to face his brother. “You will question The Shepherd and the dragonjacks. The Shepherd is a prisoner and shall be treated as such. The dragonjacks are subjects under our protection. Request their cooperation, but feel free to remind them of the generosity that has been visited on them.”
“Understood,” Prince Winsom said.
King Aymon gripped the arm of his chair and pushed, shifting his weight again. He looked across Tyber, Ren, and Ander.
“I commend the three of you for your efforts. You’ve not only come through for me and the kingdom, but it appears that you may have uncovered a deeper layer to this plot against my family and the kingdom. If The Shepherd is indeed involved with an effort to alter the dragons of the kingdom, then we need to stop it. The one who controls the dragons of Cadwaller controls the kingdom.”
Tyber sat back and recalled what The Shepherd had said about Trysten being the kingdom’s true ruler. This woman, hardly older than himself, sat there in her plain green tunic and light brown leggings, her deerskin boots and blonde braids, commanding the heart of the kingdom’s true power.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to put the three of you back in the field immediately,” King Aymon continued. “The Shepherd’s absence will have been noticed by now, and the people of Iangan will likely connect the three of you to his disappearance. You will leave at dawn tomorrow along with a journeyman dragon healer, and you will return to the northeast corner of the kingdom. Look for other dragonjack hordes and assess the health of their dragons. Determine how widely this illness has spread. Verify The Shepherd’s claim and find who is responsible for this. I will send a horde to meet with you in Wightmouth fourteen days from tomorrow.”
“Wait. It takes six days to even fly that far,” Ren said, holding up his hand. “And a day to fly to Wightmouth? You’re giving us a week?”
“You don’t have much time as it is,” King Aymon said. “As word of The Shepherd’s disappearance spreads, trust in strangers will become nonexistent. But if I send an entire horde to do your job, whoever is responsible for the state of those dragons will go deep into hiding. We cannot fly the kingdom’s flag there just yet. When you meet the horde in Wightmouth, they will aid you in apprehending those responsible, or they will help in your continued search. If you do not show up to meet them, they will search for you.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Ander said, standing, and then bowing at the neck. Tyber and Ren followed suit.
“I do not wish to draw attention to the three of you at this time,” King Aymon continued, “but your service to the kingdom has been remarkable. Each of you has earned a place of honor among our heroes, and at the earliest opportunity, I will see that you are honored publicly and appropriately. Until then, this must all be kept quiet. The walls of Aerona have many ears.”
“Understood,” Ander said, nodding again.
King Aymon turned to Tyber. “I will make sure Royston provides you with extra bandages and salve and anything else you might need for your wounds, hordesman. It looks like you’ve had the worst of this mission.”
“If he could just learn when to keep his wild mouth shut he’d be better off,” Ren offered.
Ander jammed his elbow into Ren’s side.
“Ow!” Ren said, glaring at Ander. “I’m not lying. It’s true.”
“Knowing when to keep one’s thoughts to oneself is definitely a valued skill,” King Aymon said to Ren, one eyebrow raised.
“Ren’s right,” Tyber said. “I do need to watch my mouth and not let my feelings show so much. It was worth it though to get the dragons to Aerona. To get them the help they need. They aren’t to blame for any of this.”
“Rius chose well when she chose you,” Trysten said from across the room.
“Indeed,” King Aymon agreed.
Tyber nodded, his breath stalled in his chest. “Thank you for that,” he said, then cleared his throat.
King Aymon gripped his arm rests and shifted his weight. A grimace crossed his face. His valet stepped forward, then paused, hovering just behind Ander and Ren.
“Dismissed,” the King said with a nod to Ander. “And good luck to you and your men. I know you will prevail.”
“Thank you, Sire,” Ander said, then turned sharply away from the King. Tyber met Trysten’s eyes briefly before he followed Ander past the King’s valet and out the door.
“Broken feathers,” Ren spat as they cleared the King’s cottage. “I thought for sure he’d send us back home. It doesn’t pay at all to do a good job. Act like a hero and you just get more work for your effort. I really should—”
“Enough, Ren,” Ander snapped.
Ren sighed, then looked at Tyber. “I bet you’re happy, though? It’s starting to look like we’re going to be stationed here between missions, even if it is just for one lousy night.”
Tyber looked to the east, to the pale horizon. He recalled lancing the boil on Cetteth’s shoulder. The dark ichor that had poured out, and the crying the dragon had done, almost a howl. He’d thought for sure that she would die like Pendro, but she pulled through. They had packed the wound with layers of linen, saddled her up, and Myler flew her to Aerona with Shella behind him and a child between them.
One dragon. He had managed to save one dragon.
And to think that this had been done to the dragons on purpose.
Tyber shook his head as he stared out to the east. Whoever was responsible would pay. He’d see to it.
“I can’t wait to be on the wing again.”
About the Authors
Yes, they’re married. Together, they write fantasy fiction featuring strong characters and adventurous stories appropriate for most ages. And of course, dragons.
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The Complete Wisdom of Dragons Series
Dragon's Eye View
Letting Go
Fighting Chance
Hordesmen
The Complete Dragoneer Series
Book 1: The Bonding
Book 2: The Prince
Book 3: Aerona Stands
Book 4: Outposts
Book 5: Between Kingdoms
Book 6: Couriers
Book 7: Emissaries
Book 8: Elevera
Dragonjacks: Book 1 - The Shepherd: A Dragons of Cadwaller Novel Page 23