Kingdom of Dragons

by Anna St George

  “Uh huh,” said Pryderi with wide blue eyes. “She kissed him.”

  “She did not!” Trystan protested. But the dragon sat down next to him and softly purring like a lion.

  “I think you got the medicines mixed up,” said Pryderi with a grin. “But at least you’ve got yourself a new friend,” he chuckled.

  “Well she certainly has changed,” said Gwen. “She even seems a little better. I’m going to give her some fresh water,” said Gwen and she headed towards the stream.

  Pryderi had other concerns on his mind such as Wylde’s whereabouts. They hadn’t seen him for hours and Pryderi couldn’t help but feel a growing concern for him. He said would be back within an hour. “I’m going to go see where Lord Wylde is. He’s been gone a while and he said he’d be back in an hour and its now four hours later,” said Pryderi and his eyes glanced upward mysteriously as if he knew or sensed something wasn’t right.

  “I’ll come with you,” said Gwen.

  She and Pryderi made their way back up to the Solar, three levels up and he saw the steward walking towards the great hall. “Where is Lord Wylde?”

  “The Eagle Tower, Sir.”

  “Thanks,” said Pryderi and he and Gwen headed straight for the Eagle Tower located at the highest point of Dinefwr on the Southwest side of the castle and climbed up seven flights of stairs to the top. There was Lord Wylde perched near the ledge like a bird in its nest observing the situation somewhere down below.

  “What are you doing?” asked Pryderi.

  “Come here and have a look at this.”

  Gwen looked over the side with trepidation and sighed. It was a dizzying height andPryderi walked to his side and looked over the edge. Some where hundreds of feet down the hill side he could see riders making their way up the winding road to the castle.

  “I’ve been watching them for some time and I’m certain it’s Lord Wolf Ulric of Blackstone and Sir Simon Pagett. Ulric is my worst enemy and Pagett I met some time ago at Dragon’s gate.”

  “I know Ulric but Pagett, I’m not familiar with.” said Pryderi with a tone of anxiety. “Why are they coming here?”

  “I really don’t know but my guess is to seek my allegiance to the Duke.”

  “Your allegiance?” said Gwen with fear and surprise. “But surely you won’t . . .”

  “Of course not Lady Gwendolyn. He is wasting his time . . . and mine.”

  “What a great time for them to show up?”

  “I want you to go back down to the cavern,” said Wylde with urgency. “Take Lady Gwendolyn and make sure Trystan is with you. Seal the grate over the passageway and close and seal the cavern door. If you hear any disturbances take Aeronwy through the tunnel to Carreg Cennen.”

  “Carreg Cennen? How far is that?”

  “It’s about five miles. Just follow the tunnel. You’ll come to a fork half way but keep straight. The side tunnel goes nowhere but once you reach Carreg cennen there are several more tunnels that interconnect. She will be safe there anyway.”

  “Of course,” Prdyeri nodded and he turned to leave but Wylde grabbed his arm.

  “Wait! There is one more thing,” he said with sad eyes. “If it comes to it . . . ” And tears ran down the side of his cheeks as he choked on the words. “Whatever happens, don’t let Ulric take Aeronwy.”

  “Don’t worry, she’s safe with me,” he assured him.

  “Of course,” Gwen agreed. “We won’t let him or anyone touch her.”

  “You don’t understand,” he said with pleading eyes. “Kill her if you have to!” Pryderi was stunned. It would be like killing a sweet little dog. “Don’t let them take her. They’ll only torture her to make her wicked like them and use her for their evil purposes. Promise me!”

  “Rwy'n addo/ I promise,” said Pryderi with tears in his eyes. “Rhoddaf fy ngair i chi fel Tywysog Gwynedd /I give you my word as a Prince of Gwynedd.”

  “Diolch/thank you” said Wylde with relief. “Be sure to take Cadwallader’s sword with you. I put it in the cavern early this morning. I had the sense of dread when I awoke. If it comes to the worst use gwirionedd to do the job,” Pryderi nodded softly and took Gwen back down the stairs and below to the crypt but he was curious as to the visitors that came to see Wylde and he made his way back upstairs and waited indiscreetly. Little did he know that Gwen had followed him up the stairs and also found herself a quiet place to hide.

  It was late afternoon when a group of riders led by Wolf Ulric were presented at the Great Hall of Dinefwr and they walked in with the Steward’s announcement and approached Wylde.

  “Wylde, you old bag of bones. You’re still here?” said Ulric

  “Where else would I be?”

  “Aren’t you even going to ask me how I am?” asked Ulric. “It’s been a long time.”

  “How are you?” asked Wylde non-chalantly.

  “Yeah, not bad. I have a lovely wife by the way in case you didn’t know. Her name is Lillian. I think you knew her at one time,” said Ulric spitefully for he knew that Lillian had been his lover.

  “Yes, of course, a delightful beauty.”

  “You’ll be happy to know we have a son too. Twenty-two years old he is and takes after his old man,” he smiled and Pagett gave him a funny look for he thought his son looked nothing like him.

  “How delightful for you,” said Wylde. “A chip off the old block aye. Does he have your level of intelligence?”

  “What’s that?” asked Ulric but Pagett was softly chuckling.

  “Never mind,” Wylde grinned.

  “Surely you must get lonely up here in this old relic of a place,” said Ulric as his eyes scoured the room. “It’s ancient, like you,” he laughed and the group of men laughed.

  “You’re very amusing,” said Wylde. I never get bored.”

  “Really?” said Ulric. “I heard you’ve been a very busy boy. Have lots of eccentric hobbies. Reading, experimenting?”

  Wylde grinned at him and turned his attention to Pagett. “What about you Pagett. Why are you hanging out with the likes of Wolf Ulric? Don’t you have anything better to do?”

  Ulric laughed. “Thank you for the compliment. Actually you know I came here for two reasons. First to tell you how the Duke misses you. He wanted you to know that he is now the king in case the news hasn’t travelled here yet.”

  “The king? Really? Well I never would have guessed. He certainly is moving up in the world,” He smiled back sarcastically.

  “Like I said he misses you and wants you back in his service.”

  “Is that a request or a demand?”

  “It depends on your answer.”

  “Ahh, of course. I should have known.”

  “So what’s your answer old man?” asked Pagett.

  “I’ll let you know when I think it over. I never make impulsive decisions.” There was an unnerving moment of silence and Wylde grinned. “And your second reason?”

  “Well, what do you know about dragons?” asked Pagett.

  “Dragons?”

  “Yes, you see I’m on a dragon hunt to find a dragon and you and your ancestors are the ones they call the great dragon lords of Dinefwr. Is it true that your ancestors owned dragons?” asked Pagett.

  Wylde laughed. “No one owns a dragon.”

  “Really?” said Ulric sceptically.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  Ulric walked up close to his chair and smiled. “So what do you know about dragons?”

  “Well, let me see,” he speculated. “They are fearful creatures with scales and wings and can grow to be of amazing proportion. Apparently they breathe fire, the subject of many tales in the Isles,” he finished on a whimsical note.

  “You know what I mean! Do you or do you not have a dragon?”

  “A dragon?” Wylde cackled softly. “Do I look like the sort of man who would hide a dragon?” Pagett looked back at his bedraggled state; hair ruffled in a wild manner and he looked like he hadn’t slept for weeks. His clothing was
complete oddness with a bright coloured surcote trimmed with fur. One ear was bejeweled with a gold ring and sparkling stone. He had a Celtic gold cross around his neck and chunky gold and ruby ring on his right hand. He was a strange man indeed.

  “Well, are you a faithful servant of the Dragon King, Luther of Redforte?”

  “Of course,” he replied sweetly. “Always and every day.”

  “Hmmm, then you agree to accompany us back to Dragon’s Gate.”

  “I . . .well you can’t expect an old man to just up and leave. I have my things to pack. Servants to organize and there’s the cat to be put out. I . . . I need a bit of time.”

  “How much time?” asked Ulric firmly. “Luther Wyvern is an impatient man.”

  “Oh just a day or two will do.”

  “Very well, I’ll come back for you in the morning and we will escort you to Dragon’s Gate” he affirmed. “But first, you are going to help us find a dragon.”

  “A dragon, really?” he mused. “How delightful.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then, in that case I need plenty of time to prepare and pack. Perhaps next month will do.”

  “No I’ll be here at dawn and you had best be ready.”

  Wylde nodded and Ulric and Pagett left his presence but once outside he spoke distinctly to his men. “We’ll go back to the village for the night and leave at first light. Pagett you and your group can scout the place. I want the place watched in case he tries to leave.”

  As soon as Wylde saw them riding across the bridge he sighed with relief but he knew he had to act quickly. “Is he gone?” asked Pryderi moving out from behind the doorway.

  Wylde sighed and swung around. “What on earth! I told you to go down to the cavern!” And then Gwen appeared as well. “Lady Gwendolyn! You too!”

  “I couldn’t just leave you alone. Anything could have happened,” Gwen defended herself.

  “We haven’t much time,” said Wylde.

  “I know. I heard. He’s planning to come back for you at first light. . I implore of you sir to come with me now to the caverns below.”

  “I can’t just let them come up here and take my years of written work!”

  “What could you possibly do about it now?” asked Pryderi. “He’ll be back at first light.”

  They both thought deeply for a moment and Wylde rose to his feet. “I’ve got to move my works tonight. You saw the shelves of journals and history. I can’t let the Duke have my research. We must remove it to the vaulted area below the castle.”

  Pryderi sighed for it would be a huge job. “You’ve got to be bloody joking”.

  “I assure you I’m quite serious. The information in my research is of great importance. It must be concealed from Wyvern,” said Wylde. “It contains lots of information about Aeronwy and the other two dragons. He can’t get a hold of it.”

  Pryderi thought of the mountain of books on shelves and stacked on tables and he sighed wearily. “Well, we best get to it then. It will be one arduous chore moving them all and could take a while but with the four of us we might just get it done. What about your steward and caretakers?’

  “They’ll be fine. They’ve been trained in what to do in times of danger. They’ve probably gone to their concealment already. Pryderi and Wylde headed downstairs and back to the crypt and passageways leading to the tunnels below Dinefwr.”

  They worked hard until late evening moving everything Lord Wylde commanded and they piled the books onto trolleys and carted them down to the caverns below and stacked them neatly. They were just about finished as the midnight hour closed in. “There, it’s all done,” said Pryderi with a sigh of relief as he put the last book in place. “Now we can get out of here.”

  “Yes, thank goodness for that,” said Wylde as he looked around sadly with a nostalgic glow in his eyes.

  “Don’t worry old man,” said Pryderi. “You can come back when this is all over and Edward has returned.”

  Wylde grinned back softly with a degree of doubt for they were all living in times of trial and tribulation and the future of it all seemed uncertain but at times like these he was thankful for faithful friends. Time would work its way for each of them whether good or bad and he only hoped that they were all strong enough to endure what lie ahead.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Lucky Escape

  Gwen was relaxing on the rocks near a stream in the cavern below Dinefwr and she watched Aeronwy sleeping. She seemed so relaxed with her legs crossed and one paw dangling and she stretched slightly and a long dagger like claws stretched out with her and Gwen was still enchanted over this whole situation for who would ever have imagined she would be sitting next to a dragon and travelling alongside Prince Pryderi who shared her feelings of love. And she dreamily thought of a life she might have with him in the near future as his wife, a princess of Gwynedd. The idea of marriage had suddenly lost its hostile edge. How wonderful that would be she surmised and her heart throbbed with joy. Wouldn’t Ceridwyn be delighted to find out that she was right about her feelings for him and that Pryderi returned those feelings. This was just amazing and she remembered the conversation she had with Merry only a month or two earlier when they discussed the possibility of dragons at one time in the kingdom and it suddenly dawned on her that Pryderi had been gone for a while when he and Lord Wylde burst through the passage door with anxiety and carrying arms full of books and journals and they spent the next few hours stacking books in the tunnel passage.

  The moments prior had revealed the unwelcome visit of Lord Wolf Ulric and Sir Simon Pagett. What had started off as an enchanting dream was soon turning to a nightmare. They were fleeing for their very lives through a mountain passageway that had probably been around for a thousand years and whether it was naturally created or dug out by one of Lord Wylde’s ancestors she didn’t know but it was a passage to Carreg Cennen, and that she was certain of.

  “Quickly, this way!” said Wylde with urgency and they carried on following him and Gwen grabbed the side of the granite wall and took a deep breath. “Hurry, we must hurry,” he said again.

  “Can’t we stop for a moment?” asked Gwen who was out of breath.

  “No, we must keep moving.”

  “But you sealed the door on both sides and it is most unlikely they will find the cave,” said Pryderi who was calculating the way with urgency as they moved along and every move went through his brain like the hardest arithmetic problems with every consideration.

  “But if they do!” said Wylde firmly. “Believe me, the Duke will show no mercy if we are handed over to him.”

  “Come on Gwen, move!” shouted Pryderi and pushing her along and she was very tired but grateful for his persistence for she would just as easily lie down and collapse on one of the rocks. The further they travelled into the cave the more closed in it became and Gwen found it very suffocating closed in by granite walls on both side with little air filtering through and water trickling down from a small stream. They carried on at a quickened pace and Pryderi moved close to Wylde and whispered. “How far is it to Carreg Cennen from here?”

  “About five miles from Dinefwr. We aren’t far now.”

  “Then what?” asked Pryderi. “Are you so certain we’ll be safe there?”

  “Perhaps, perhaps not but there are more tunnels located there. We have a better chance there than we did at Dinewfr. The castle is also more fortified.”

  “Against the Dragon king?” asked Pryderi. “Are you crazy?”

  “Just a little,” he smiled strangely and Pryderi chuckled softly. He knew now why his father had befriended such a character. He was faithful, loyal and full of adventure and the stories he could tell were marvelous and soul compelling.

  It was with great elation that they reached the end of the tunnel and Gwen was ever so thankful and she prayed quietly, thank you Lord of Heaven.

  It was early morning now and they came out of the tunnel into a paddock on the surrounding hills under a starry host and moon
lit sky and Gwen was so grateful she felt like kissing the ground and standing before her was Carreg Cennen, a fortified structure of great fortitude and magnificence. She raced out of the tunnel and took in several deep breaths of fresh air.

  “We made it,” said Wylde with a pleased smile.

  “I think you underestimate your enemy,” said Pryderi. “He has an army and we are but a few people.”

  “Then I will stay in the caves with her until it is safe.”

  “You are so devoted to this creature, why?” asked Pryderi.

  “Why shouldn’t I be?” he responded. “She’s helpless even though she is fearless. She would die without me. And you have seen how friendly she can be.”

  Pryderi softly sighed. “Yes but try convincing that to the rest of the Lion clans. They’ll never believe you.”

  “That’s why I keep her hidden,” said Wylde and at that moment he and Pryderi looked up to the sound of laughter.

  Aeronwy was thrilled that she was out in the open and she raced through the field with exuberance and Gwen ran along after her playing in the fields and she laughed with delight and she ran and danced amidst the lush green fields of Carreg Cennen. The sun burst through a ceiling of grey mist and filtered over Gwen, sparkling over her hair and enlightening her countenance. “She’s so happy,” said Gwen. “Just look at her. She’s free and the sickness is gone.”

  “Yes, she’s free,” said Wylde, “just as it should be for everyone.”

  “Now what will you do?” asked Pryderi as they reached the back of Carreg Cennen.

  “I will stay here with her. She is my life now, but you must not delay. You must go and take the sword of Cadwallader to the Lion Kingdom. The black dragon must be defeated.”

  Pryderi nodded for he knew this was right even though it seemed strange.

  It was then they looked up and saw riders approaching from the North of the castle grounds. There were four of them. “Oh no,” said Gwen.

  The dragon scampered back into the caves as quickly as she could before anyone had a chance to see her but her friends were not so lucky. The riders soon circled them and Pryderi pulled out his dagger and said, “Gwen, stay close to me and as soon as I say run, run for the cave.” When there was no answer, Pryderi glanced sideways and to his horror she was wielding a dagger of her own in her hand. “Gwen! What do you think you’re doing?”