“Does anyone ever search the supply cart, or any of the deliveries?” I asked.
“Yes. But there is a space of a few days between inspections, we’re told. They just searched a day prior. We are assured we will have a clear pass for the next day or three,” he said.
I exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Once inside, Lia’ina will help you out of the crate. She’ll give you a hiding place where you are to remain until nightfall.”
I nodded.
“From the kitchen, it is an easy trek to the west wall. You will have to move with caution. The guards’ locations are not where I would position them, considering the circumstances. But his is to our advantage. None-the-less, they are present in adequate numbers.
“When you deem it safe, you will cross the yard and wedge the first blast stick in the drain spout, here.” He showed me a point on the map. “Be sure it is a spout that is under a harpoon cannon. This will ensure that not only will that section of the wall come down, but also their greatest weapon against our dragons. You shouldn’t have a problem finding the correct locations.”
He moved his hand along the parchment as he briefed me on the areas I would need to access in order to place the other two blast sticks. I was pleased to hear there was a passage inside the west exterior wall. It would get me from where I’d placed the first explosive to the next location.
“To access the passage,” Braonán instructed, “look for a push-rock about your shoulder height.”
“A push-rock?”
“An opening mechanism. It is approximately the size of my hand.” He opened his hand and held it flat. “A rock that looks just a bit different than the rest of the wall, barely perceptible. Push on it and the hidden door will slide open.”
Braonán continued his instructions, telling me once the three blast sticks were set, my next step would be to ignite the fuses. I would be shooting an arrow with one of the red dragon’s scales secured at the tip. He said whispering Eshshah’s name as I released the shaft would cause the scale to emit a small flame as it approached its destination.
Calder, who’d been quiet up to this point, spoke up. “It’ll be up to you to decide from which positions you’ll ignite the blast sticks. I recommend the first two shots be taken from somewhere near this fountain. It’s within range of two of the drain spouts. You’ll have to move to set up your last shot.”
Am I really going through with this? A ripple of fear shot through me. I shook off the negative thought.
I will succeed.
“Once the explosions are set off,” continued Braonán, “you will proceed to the escape tunnel in the old north kitchen, in the ruined section. It is some distance from the third blast stick. Stay close to the castle. Go back toward the fountain and come around this corner. There should be enough distraction by this time. No one should detect you.”
Braonán traced the map from the south wall, to the fountain, then to a chamber in the north section. “This is the old kitchen. The area is still in disrepair. The chance of encountering anyone will be minimal. You will find the trap door in the floor about here. Close it after you and latch it from the inside.
“The tunnel is long, but it’s another hidden passage we believe they don’t know about. You should have no trouble navigating it.”
I suppressed a shudder at the thought of the enclosed tunnel.
“There is an exit passage about midway, here.” His finger stopped along the diagram of the tunnel. It opens somewhere in the middle of the jungle. You will not use this exit, but continue to the end at the north shore. I’ll be waiting for you there,” Braonán said.
“What about King Ansel? I thought I was to help him escape.”
“The explosions and the chaos it will create is all the help he’ll need. As soon as your first blast goes off, all the riders will take to the air, their dragons flaming and the riders loosing arrows. We will also have a small company of bowmen on the ground, posted in various locations around the castle.
“You are to make your escape once the sticks have been set off. King Ansel is confident he can dispatch the guards left around him and meet Avano over here at the west wall.”
Avano reached to his side and unlatched a dragon scale that had been carved into the shape of a key. It had a flat brass head on the end, decorated with swirling etchings, including the word, ‘Aperio.’
He handed it to me and said, “This is Aperio’s key. It will open any lock that may bar your way. Say the name of the late dragon, Aperio, and it will open for you. King Ansel has a key as well.”
I turned the key over in my hand, admiring the engravings and shaking my head at the unbelievable attributes of dragon scales.
“The clothing you’ll be wearing on this mission,” Avano said, “will have a small pocket sewn in your sleeve at the wrist. You can store the key in there.”
I nodded as I tightened my hand around the key.
“I have another item for you.” He slipped his hand under his sleeve and brought out a black dragon scale. “This is a scale from a living dragon-like creature. His name is Charna Yash-churka. We call him Charna for short.”
“A dragon-like creature?” More mythical beings?
Avano dipped his head. “We’ve recently discovered that his scales, like those of our full dragons, exhibit special properties.”
I stretched out my hand for the onyx scale. He pulled it from my reach.
“This scale has very serious attributes — much more than most of the others. Charna Yash-churka means black lizard. His scale, when you hold it in front of you and direct its power toward your enemy, will plummet that person into a nightmare of darkness and blindness. If you need to use it, take caution to consciously direct the action toward your intended goal. It could affect anyone in the vicinity, including yourself, if you aren’t clear on your target. Trust me, it’s a horrifying experience. The effects last quite a long time, unless a dragon pulls you out sooner.”
“You’ve undergone this darkness?”
“Yes. All of us riders tested Charna’s scales not many days ago.” He gave a quick shake of his head as if to rid himself of the memory.
I grimaced at the scale as he handed it to me.
“No need to fear it, just be heedful.”
I took it from his hand and held it with Aperio’s key.
“Do you have any questions or are there any points we have covered that you would like to discuss?” Braonán asked.
“Er ... that is ... what if ...” My voice came out in a hoarse whisper.
I can’t believe what I’m about to propose.
I exhaled.
“Yes?” he said.
Braonán’s, Avano’s and Calder’s eyes were all on me.
I sucked in a breath. “It seems that thought transference ... thing ... you all have with your dragons is very useful. With King Ansel in one part of the castle, you riders in the air, and me, by myself ... somewhere else, well ... it would only make sense that I should be a part of that communication.”
Avano raised his eyebrows and nodded for me to continue. I wished one of them would have caught on and finished my thought for me. I had a feeling they were making me think it through, so it would be my own decision.
“The red female, Eshshah,” I said, “she is the missing lady’s dragon, is she not?”
I caught a flinch from Calder, but he answered my question in the affirmative.
“Do you think the dragon or her rider would mind greatly if she could keep in contact with me while I’m inside? I mean, this would only be with her consent and your opinion that her lady would not object.”
“That is a very good suggestion, Amáne,” Braonán said. “I believe Eshshah would be ... fine with that proposition and I am willing to wager, her rider would as well.”
Avano added, “It’s an option we’ll have to discuss with the Healer to see if she anticipates any danger to you or Eshshah, but I’m sure she’ll agree to let us try.”
I
gritted my teeth and convinced myself that having her voice in my head would add to the success of our operation. That is if I could even understand her noise. As soon as I set the explosions and met up with Braonán, I would ask her to stop.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Braonán, Avano and I headed toward the field where Eshshah and Sovann rested. They told me they had spoken with the Healer. She’d voiced a bit of apprehension, but did give permission for me to attempt thought transference with Eshshah.
We approached the red dragon, closer than I would have felt comfortable had I been on my own. I felt her warm breath and caught her intriguing scent. Spicy. Pleasant, with a hint of, what is that? Campfire? Yes, or a hearth fire. It inspired comfort. My fear of her lessened.
The three of us saluted. Eshshah nodded in response. I followed Avano and Braonán’s example and saluted Sovann as well. He was quite a bit more intimidating. Sovann signaled his acknowledgment before lowering his great head and curling back around himself to resume his slumber.
I assumed for my benefit Avano spoke aloud to Eshshah. “Fiery Eshshah, our greetings to you. As you know, at dawn we’ll begin our sortie against Galtero. Amáne has seen the advantage of thought transference and wanted to ask your permission to communicate with her while she’s in the castle.”
Her golden eyes lit up. If a dragon could smile, her reaction was exactly what I would have imagined. I read an excitement in them. They whirled.
“The Healer has some concerns,” Avano added, before he became silent. By the look on his face, I suspected he spoke in secret to Eshshah.
I frowned at being left out of the conversation.
Avano turned to me. “Eshshah’s eager to give this a try. Are you ready?”
His eyes moved to my hands. “Relax. Stop making fists. This isn’t going to hurt. She’ll merely speak with you, just like I’m talking to you, now. There’s nothing to fear.”
I nodded.
I’m as ready as I can be, not knowing what to expect.
Turning to Eshshah, I said, “Please fiery dragon, talk to me.”
I steeled myself. For what? I didn’t know.
Silence. But, more than that, there was an absence of sound, as if all noise had been sucked out of existence. The edges of my sight dimmed, then darkness closed in. My heart accelerated. A sound like metal against metal reached my ears. At first distant and muted, it began to crescendo. Before I could cry out in alarm, an explosion went off in my head. I gripped my temples and squeezed my eyes shut as lightning lit the insides of my eyelids. Falling to my knees, I brought my head to the ground and screamed in pain.
Then, just as suddenly, a calmness fell. Only the sound of my breath echoed in short gasps. Avano and Braonán stooped down next to me. Avano rolled me over and cradled me in his arms.
“Amáne?” Fear seized his voice.
“I ... I’m alright. I think. It appears I failed the test,” I said through a forced smile.
Braonán groaned. “I hope we didn’t just make a grave mistake.”
“Wh ... what are you saying? Would what just happened have an effect against getting my memories back?” I swallowed my panic.
“I don’t know ...” he said. “Let’s hope this didn’t mar your chances of a full recovery.”
I stifled a sob.
Eshshah’s large head came close. Her eyes dulled with distress.
“Eshshah,” I said out loud. “Please, don’t trouble yourself. It was not anything you did. It was me. I’m not a dragon rider, so now we’ve proven I wouldn’t be able to communicate with you as if I were one.”
I turned and glared at Braonán, “As to regaining my past, I am not giving up hope.” My voice ended in a whisper.
Eshshah hummed as she breathed on me. The last of my pain disappeared.
Avano gathered his arms around me as if to pick me up.
“No, no, please. I’m fine. Don’t carry me. I can walk.” I pushed him away.
“Stubborn girl,” I heard under his breath. But he moved back, rose to his feet and offered me his hand. I let him help me up.
I faced Eshshah and said, “Thank you, I know it was your doing that my pain has been relieved. You have a beautiful gift of healing and I’m grateful you shared it with me.”
She tipped her head.
I offered her a genuine smile. Her eyes brightened a bit. Forgetting any previous fear, I reached my hand out to her. She lowered her head and touched it with her nose. We remained in that posture for a brief moment. I found myself almost in love with this great creature.
Maybe I wouldn’t mind becoming a dragon rider one day. That is, if I can be assured of linking to a dragon like her.
“I have an idea.” I swung my eyes to Braonán and Avano. My heart beat lighter. “It appears Eshshah can understand me fine when I speak to her, so what if we make do with a one-way contact? I can use the open thought transference —just me communicating with her. If we’re able to at least make that work, then I can keep you apprised of my whereabouts in the castle.”
“Brilliant idea, Amáne,” Braonán said. “But after what you’ve just undergone, we will not be doing any such experiments.”
My shoulders dropped. “What? You’re willing to just give up in finding a way for me to communicate? This is an important part of the success of the mission. It would be different than her communicating with me. I feel in my heart it will work.”
The two held fast. Their lips pressed in a straight line.
I stomped my foot in exasperation. “Please let me try. There’s not much time left. I’d feel better knowing I’ll have some way to stay in contact with you riders. Don’t you see how important this is?”
“We do see that, Amáne,” Avano said.
He rubbed his forehead with one hand and dragged it down his face, stopping at his chin. “Let’s see what the Healer says about it. She needs to know what happened here. Mind you, if she opposes for any reason, we won’t go through with it. We will not jeopardize your healing. Any more than we already may have.” He uttered the last part as if to himself.
I pursed my lips.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I waited in the dining hall while Avano and Braonán proceeded to the ante room with the communication device. After several minutes, Avano asked me to enter. Braonán stood before the glass, the Healer’s reflection filled the disc. Concern showed on her face.
My heart sank.
I have to do something before she denies my request.
I concentrated on a vision of me standing before Eshshah and speaking to her. Placing my hand in front of my mouth, I whispered with all my heart, “Eshshah, if you can hear me, please tell Avano. Please, Eshshah, can you hear me?”
Avano’s head snapped around. Our eyes locked. I shot him an innocent smile.
“What is it Avano?” the Healer said.
Not bothering to hide my mouth, I said in a low voice, “Eshshah, thank you. Tell him I feel no pain, or anything similar to what I’d experienced earlier. He can inform the Healer we have communication for our mission.”
“Healer,” Avano said. His eyes darted to mine before he turned back to the image in the glass. “It appears Amáne has taken it upon herself to test her theory with Eshshah. Eshshah can hear her, and Amáne appears to be unaffected.”
The Healer’s eyebrows came together.
“Amáne?” she said.
I stepped up in front of the glass and cringed at her expression.
Could she still forbid me to talk to Eshshah? She is certainly a woman of power, but...
I saluted. “Yes, Lady Healer?”
She took a moment to compose herself, but did not hide the sternness in her voice. “Please do not play lightly with your ... condition. There’s an important aspect to your situation that you don’t understand. It would be to all of our advantage if you would heed the warnings you’re given. While I’m pleased to hear you can communicate with Eshshah, your disregard for our caution is not appreciated.”
Thoroughly abashed, I said, “My apologies, Lady Healer. You’re right, I don’t understand.”
Her voice softened. “Amáne, understand this: we have your best interest in mind, but it goes much further than your interest alone. Your health has more far-reaching implications. You must accept that truth.”
“I do, Lady Healer.”
She exhaled. “Since you’ve already proven some success, you may continue your experiments. But if you feel the slightest pain or doubt, abandon your test.”
I dipped my head. “Thank you, Lady Healer.”
Her attention shifted to Braonán for a few more words before they signed off.
Once the Healer’s image faded from the disc, Avano turned to me with his head tilted and a reprimanding set to his mouth. He may as well have said “Tsk tsk tsk” out loud.
I shrugged my shoulders, and said, “At least we know it works.”
“Then, we may as well start testing the distance,” he said.
We moved to another location in the inn, increasing our range.
“Very good,” said Avano. “She heard you again. Now try it without saying it out loud.”
“You mean talk to her in my mind?”
He nodded.
I scrunched my eyes shut and inwardly said, “Eshshah, how about now?” My lips still moved.
Avano burst out laughing. “She heard you, but you didn’t have to make it look so painful. And, I could read your lips like you were shouting. You don’t have to squeeze your eyes closed like that, either. Try to look normal.”
I scowled. “Look, you’ve been doing this for countless years. It comes naturally to you. I’m still trying to get used to the thought of dragons even existing, let alone being able to talk to one.”
I held his eyes in my glare as I mentally said, “Eshshah please tell this annoying man to step back and show a little more compassion. He has no idea what it’s like for me and he appears to not give a care. I’m done practicing for the night. I wish you a pleasant sleep. But for this rider, I wish him a stone in his mattress.”
Amáne of Teravinea - Black Castle (The Teravinea Series Book 4) Page 12