Silver Dragon

by Jason Halstead

  Chapter 14

  "Recruits!" Sir Amos called out when he entered the training hall.

  Aleena turned to face the priest and stiffened to attention. She lowered the training sword she was using to her side, trusting that Durak would do the same. He was her sparring partner for the bout.

  "I've been absent due to an urgent request from the Duke Jeffrey to convene a council regarding perils from the north," Sir Amos said.

  Aleena gasped. Alto had fought at Highpeak and been named a hero. Then he'd gone and fought again in the mountains and stopped an invasion. Was there more to it? That's where he'd gone again, back into the mountains because he said, To dark places to do dark things. Things a woman couldn't handle. She nearly smirked at that. In the weeks she'd been training, she'd quickly become one of the quickest and most skilled with a sword. She wasn't far behind with a mace, save that it was a weapon that required strength more than speed. Her training had seen to it that her body was growing stronger almost as fast as her mind was learning and adapting to her new life.

  "Sir Amos, is this about Highpeak and the monsters in the mountains?" Aleena dared to interrupt.

  The priest looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "It is, child. How do you know of such things?"

  "A dear friend of mine fought at Highpeak. He fought again to break their hold in the mountains, with the help of the Kelgryn."

  "This friend of yours, a lad named Alto?"

  Aleena held her head high and smiled. "Yes, Sir Amos."

  The priest nodded. "A most remarkable young man, to hear the tales of him. We've been discussing the things he's learned and done for the past couple of days. A messenger from Holgasford alerted us to this most recent threat that was averted, but also spoke of a greater danger looming."

  "Yes!" Aleena cried out, drawing the attention of the gathered recruits and Squire Celos. Celos frowned at her but she rushed to carry on. "There are more camps of monsters in the mountains, Alto told me. He went back to stop them."

  "I don't know the specifics of his quest but the duke is concerned. He fears that the Kelgryn might be right, and he fears that it may be a trick to divert his armies to the north and leave his borders vulnerable."

  Aleena frowned. Alto had told her a little about what was happening. Why wouldn't the duke commit his forces to the north? She understood the danger of leaving the border undefended, but if the same threat faced the Kelgryn, why would they attack? Lady Patrina had shown her kindness. She couldn't imagine the lady coming from a nation of men who would attack their neighbors like that.

  "Father, I met Lady Patrina, the daughter of the Jarl of Holgasford, before I came here. I can't imagine the Kelgryn would attack us at a time like that."

  "I'm sure the duke will be glad to hear of your reassurance," Celos said, reminding her of her place.

  Aleena cast her eyes down and blushed. "Of course, I'm sorry."

  "Squire Celos is right to a point," Sir Amos addressed them all. "Duke Jeffrey would put little stock in the feelings of a single person, especially one without a proven history. It does not, however, invalidate your feelings."

  Aleena lifted her eyes and found herself smiling because of the priest's kind words.

  "For now, he is unwilling to commit his forces, but this is largely because I have volunteered the Knights of Leander to assist." Several of the recruits gasped at the news and turned to look at one another. After they calmed themselves, Sir Amos continued. "As there will not be enough of us remaining to continue your training, you will accompany us and train when and how you can. This will also serve as training in that you will see how things really happen. You will serve as aides and pages for the squires, who in turn serve the knights."

  Sir Amos waited for the excitement to die down again before he continued. "You will learn in short order that being a Knight of Leander is not all about glory. On the field of battle there are many things, chief among them fear and hatred. As a disciple of Leander, you must always carry yourself as such. Bring courage and light to the darkness. Strike down the evil and have faith that no matter how bad things may be, yours is the righteous path."

  He turned to Celos and nodded. "Our forces are marshaling; we leave in three days. Take this time to make sure they are ready for the road. That will be all."

  Sir Amos turned and left the hall. After a moment of stunned silence shared by the recruits and Celos, he started snapping orders to bring order back to them. They returned to their positions and began to spar with renewed vigor. It was just as well; their training ran long into the afternoon.

  * * * *

  "This is great!" Durak confided later that night as they gathered together in their barracks. "I don't know if there's ever been a time in the history of the church that the recruits were invited to a campaign!"

  Aleena walked over from where she'd changed into a long tunic that served as her sleeping robe from behind a smaller curtained-off area. She'd argued successfully to stop her segregation but the priests had demanded that she still change in privacy away from the others. She sat down on the edge of Durak's bed and said, "There's never been a time when Saint Leander's ranks were so thin."

  Durak and the others nodded.

  "You are right, though; this is a great opportunity. For everyone," Aleena stressed. "We can show the people Saint Leander's greatness and what He stands for. How His light can help them through the darkest of times when everyone and everything else seems lost."

  Durak stared at her. "This sounds personal to you?"

  She nodded and offered an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry. My friend I spoke of, he's going through a dark time now. I didn't truly realize it until I came here and began to learn more. I wish I'd known then what I know now. I could have helped him. I could have talked to him and shown him Leander's grace."

  "Sounds like quite a friend," Durak hinted.

  Aleena's blush deepened. "He is," she said without admitting any more.

  Durak chuckled and turned to the others. "Just think, in a few days we'll be riding with the knights and have the chance to see the world!"

  "We'll be messengers and servants," William reminded him. "They don't trust us to do any fighting."

  Durak shrugged. "Maybe not, but it will be nice to get away from these stuffy halls."

  "These people behind this, they're evil," Aleena said.

  "Of course they are!" William said with a chuckle. "Why else would we get involved?"

  "No, that's not what I mean," Aleena said. "I'd heard that Alto died while fighting in the mountains. He found a way to bring a mountain down on hundreds of them, and we feared he'd been crushed with them. He escaped, though. Escaped and—"

  "Wait, this guy brought a mountain down on them?" Durak said. "Is he a wizard or something?"

  "No, a warrior. A good one, too. I've seen him fight," Aleena boasted.

  "How does a warrior collapse a mountain?"

  "I don't know," she admitted. "One of his companions is a wizard, perhaps he was involved."

  Durak and the others exchanged doubtful looks. Aleena saw them but other than pressing her lips in a disapproving line, there was little she could say to convince them. "Anyhow, when he came back, he visited his home and found it destroyed. They'd killed his family."

  "This from the same guy who claims to have dropped a mountain on some people?" Durak asked.

  "I heard about the mountain from Lady Patrina first," Aleena said. "Alto confirmed it. He told me of his family and how he saved his sister from the same fate as the rest of their family."

  "Burned alive or drawn and quartered?" William asked, earning a chuckle from Durak and the others.

  Aleena stood up. "Caitlyn told me how they beat her and forced themselves on her, then they cut the heads off her brothers and sisters while they forced her and her parents to watch. They killed her parents and kept her around for entertainment until Alto showed up. They didn't expect him to be able to kill them all but he did."

  The laughter faded as
Aleena delivered the news of what Caitlyn and Alto had told her. The men glanced at one another with uncertainty in their eyes. "That's how I know that Alto's gone after them and how he needs help. Now, more than ever, he needs a light to guide him out of the darkness."

  A new voice from the door startled them all as it spoke. "Perhaps you'll get your chance to help your friend, but you won't do it by sitting and gossiping in here. On your feet! You've got a long night ahead of you if you want to be ready to join the knights on the field!"

  Aleena and the others stiffened and then leapt up as Celos stared at them. He scowled when he saw the inappropriate dress that Aleena wore. "Get dressed—you've got two minutes. Tonight you learn what it means to set up a camp in the winter."

  Several of the recruits groaned at the prospects but Aleena had already leapt to her feet and raced back to her trunk. She flipped it open and pulled out her pants and shirt and then started to yank her tunic off without moving to her changing screen.

  "Recruit Aleena!" Celos barked at her as her shirt was pulled up almost above her waist. "You will not act so brazen while you claim service to Saint Leander!"

  She nodded and swallowed, realizing she'd been too caught up in the moment. She hurried over to her privacy screen and scrambled into her clothes. She waited until Celos announced it was acceptable for her to come out. The men had already left, leaving only Squire Celos waiting for her.

  "Is it dedication or stupidity that drives you?"

  Aleena stiffened and stared at him. "Dedication to do Saint Leander's will, Squire Celos."

  "If that's true, I admire how you put his will above yourself," he said and then paused. "But I don't believe you. Why would a woman want this? This is a life of hardship and service. A life of pain and bloodshed. A life where you can never really have what you want the most. What I can't figure out is what could possibly make you endure this?"

  "Perhaps, squire, you don't understand women as well as you think you do," Aleena suggested in a clipped tone. "Or men, for that matter. I want this more than any of the men who share this room with me. I have worked harder and will continue to work harder. I will beat them, and I will stand at your side one day as an equal."

  Celos smirked. "For your sake and that of Saint Leander, I hope you're right. Now fetch armor and weapons and then join the others on the obstacle course. You'll be camping out there tonight, and let me recommend keeping watch. There's no telling when your enemy might try to surprise and overrun you in the middle of the night."

  Chapter 15

  Alto rounded a corner and found a staircase ahead of him. He frowned. The servant he'd spoken to hadn't mentioned stairs. He turned back and saw empty hallways. He traced his trail back to a four-way junction of halls and studied them. Was he supposed to turn left there or keep going? He frowned and was about to select another direction at random when he heard a shout followed by the unmistakable sound of steel striking steel.

  Alto took off down the passage that would have taken him straight. He ran past several doors, ignoring them, and continued to follow the sound of battle. The sounds faded before he found the source, but still he ran on. He was headed in the right direction, that much he knew.

  The wandering warrior rounded a corner and found a pair of doors that were scratched and chipped. Splinters of wood were scattered on the floor. He moved to them and pushed the double doors open to see a dining room. Trussed up in table cloths and gagged were two guards.

  Alto turned away, ignoring his urge to chuckle. It seemed he wasn't the only one who found the guards insufferable. He turned away and looked down the hallway. Whoever had defeated the guards hadn't come past him, leaving him to believe they'd gone the other way. Alto took off, walking as quickly as his injured hip would allow.

  He turned at the next intersection of hallways but had to go back when it ended at a great hall reserved for large dinners or balls, both of which he doubted took place in the remote city often. By the time he made it back to the intersection, the fire in his veins was fading and his hip began to burn with a fire all its own. This time, he was guided by the sound of steel on steel from the passage on his right.

  Alto limped down the hallway and turned another corner. The sounds were closer, urging him on. He turned down a side passage and saw a group of guards being driven back by his companions. One of the guards was on the floor cradling his chest while the rest were trying, and failing, to not give up any more ground. Blood dripped from the arm of one of the men still fighting.

  Alto drew his sword and felt a momentary flash of heat rush through him. His joints loosened and his breathing eased. He passed beyond the wounded guard and saw that blood was running from his lips as well as his chest. He guessed the guard's lung had been pierced. Without the help of a priest, he was not long for the world.

  "Alto!" Kar cried out when he glanced behind and saw that young warrior approaching.

  The others looked up, surprised by the wizard's shout. The Highpeak guards used that to their advantage and pressed back, drawing a curse from Tristam and a loud clang as a sword rang off Mordrim's helm.

  "You should know not to hit a dwarf in the head!" Mordrim spat at the surprised guard. Mordrim's hammer smashed into his hip, knocking the guard to the side and into the man next to him before he collapsed to the ground and grabbed his hip. Garrick lashed out with the hilt of his sword and smashed the off-balance guard in the face, dropping him beside the man with the crushed hip.

  The final guard took a few more steps back and then risked a glance at the doors behind him on the hallway. Both were closed but he had no other escape except past the Blades of Leander. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees. "Mercy!" he cried.

  Garrick kicked him in the chest and sent him flying onto his back. He pointed down at him while the man coughed and struggled to pull his breath back in. "Don't get up," the barbarian growled.

  "Alto! Saints above and below, you're alive!" Tristam turned and said.

  "Where've you been, up the dragon's arse?" Kar wrinkled his nose and asked. "You smell like it!"

  "I've been busy," Alto said. He turned and looked them over. "Where's Patrina?"

  "That's what we want to know," Tristam said. "Something about the people running things here doesn't add up right."

  "What happened to her?"

  "Aren't you paying attention?" Tristam raved. "We don't know! She dragged us out here, looking all over these thrice-damned mountains for you and then we came here, figuring maybe you'd head north into them caves again. Then last night while we was sleeping, she up and run off on us."

  "She ran off?" Alto said.

  "Well, that's what the baron and his man want us to think," Kar said. "Now we've drawn blood against the guards of Highpeak while under contract with the Kelgryn."

  Alto shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

  "What? You hit your head on some rocks while you were in the mountains?" Kar asked.

  Alto shook his head. "That's got nothing to do with it. Patrina being taken was cause enough to strain tensions. It nearly worked in the spring; this time there's no mistaking it. My guess is that they planned to turn you loose to run back to Holgasford once you'd calmed down."

  Kar nodded. "Clever. I missed having your wit around."

  Tristam looked between the two men. "So what's next then? Do we go back to the jarl?"

  Alto frowned. That was a week of time lost getting there, plus the time coming back. Time that horrible things would be happening to Patrina. Also time that he should spend gathering the materials for the weapon he needed.

  Alto glanced at the sword in his hand. Did he really need another weapon? Wouldn't this one do? It warmed him and made it so that nothing could stop him.

  "You've still got the knight's sword," Karthor pointed out.

  Alto jerked his head up. "Yes, why?"

  "No reason," the priest said.

  Alto narrowed his eyes. Karthor was bothered by something, he could tell. He glanced at the priest's father
and saw the wizard's eyes dart away from his. There was something going on. Something they didn't want to tell him.

  "The baron, is he in his office?" Alto demanded.

  "We don't know," Tristam said. "That's why we're here, though."

  "Then let's find out." Alto strode through them and looked at two doors. He moved to the farther one and tried the latch, only to find it locked. Alto stepped back and planted his boot on it, knocking it open. He felt something give in his hip, causing him to stumble. He grabbed the doorjamb and kept his feet, and then glanced in to see the empty office.

  "Not here," Alto said. "Try that one."

  "Are you hurt?" Karthor asked him.

  "Later," Alto said. "Try the other door." He held on to the wall until he felt certain he could support his own weight.

  "You see how he knocked that door open with a kick?" Mordrim asked Garrick.

  "You need to be used as a battering ram again?"

  Mordrim chuckled but held up his hands. Garrick stared at the door and planted his foot next to the latch. He kicked it hard enough that not only did the door burst in but he sent himself stumbling back into the wall behind him. The extra force saved him from a sheet of flames that fell down from the sill of the door to blanket the opening. The flames disappeared as quickly as they'd arrived, leaving behind only some blackened wood along the doorjamb and floor as proof of their brief existence.

  "What foul trick is this!" Garrick cried out.

  "A magical trap on the door. Had you opened it with a key without being able to disarm the magic, it would have roasted you alive," Kar explained. "It would appear Master Victor is a wizard. Funny, I didn't notice any magic about him."

  "You're probably getting old," Tristam said. "Is it safe to go in now?"

  "There's no probably about it," Kar lamented. He peered at the doorway and then through it. "Yes, it seems safe enough now. I'd advise you not to touch anything, though."

  "Good call," Namitus said as he slipped through the doorway ahead of them. He peered around the small office and then frowned. "Nothing of use. The desk might have something in it, though."