Dragon Fate

by J. D. Hallowell

  “Very well,” Nassari replied, “one last question and I will answer you.”

  Delno nodded and Nassari asked, “Why can Geneva not speak? You told me her mother spoke directly to you.”

  Delno was himself a little puzzled and looked to Geneva who said, “I don’t speak because I am very young. In six or eight weeks, when I have gained some physical maturity, I should be able to hold up a reasonable conversation.”

  After relaying the answer, Delno said to Nassari, “Now it is your turn to answer my questions.”

  “Well, there is no great shake up, I assure you. I haven’t given up politics and decided to join you on the road. I simply saw that my candidate would win hands down and decided that I could take a bit of time off.” Then he added with a slight bow, “So, here I am.”

  “You have to tell me how that worked out. You made it sound as though we would be working like farmers at harvest for the next two weeks if I had run for the office.”

  “So I thought we would,” he responded. “However, when I took my candidate to the council to present him, he got into a shouting match with one of the other prospective candidates. Before the council could call for order, he had struck the other man in the face hard enough to nearly knock him unconscious. The whole thing ended in a furious brawl. It took a dozen town guards to restore order.”

  Delno was shocked. “So they disqualified your candidate? But, you said he was sure to win. I don’t understand.”

  Nassari laughed out loud. “Who said anything about disqualified? The crowd loved it. He put up such a good fight that he’s a sure winner for the open seat.” Then, still chuckling, he added, “Perhaps you were right about not being a good politician.”

  “But, fighting in the council chambers?” Delno was more flabbergasted than ever.

  “Del, have you never gone to a council meeting?” When Delno shook his head ‘no’ he continued, “Shouting matches are frequent and actual fist fights are common among the council members, although the town guards assigned to the council do try to keep real bloodshed to a minimum. Hell, Del, half the people who attend council meetings only go there to cheer on their favorite member in the brawls that break out.” Then he added with a laugh, “The fact that the soldiers would vote for one of their own wasn’t the only reason I wanted you, the retired soldier and hero, to take a seat on the council; I figured that you could hold your own in a fist fight against a bunch of merchants and politicians.”

  Delno just shook his head, convinced more than ever that he had made the right decision.

  “Anyway,” Nassari went on, “after that, I did a quick poll and realized that the only way my man can lose now is if he falls and breaks his neck. So, I thought I would look you up and spend some time together before you leave. Of course, I had to do some detective work and enlist Chester to find you.”

  Geneva, realizing that the conversation had shifted away from her and her kind, and, being full of fresh meat, curled up and went to sleep as the two friends continued talking into the night.

  Chapter 14

  Delno woke early the next morning. Geneva was already awake and finishing the carcass of the sheep from the previous evening. “I thought they wouldn’t be staying long,” she said, a definite note of accusation in her voice.

  “What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t very well tell Nassari to walk home in the dark. Besides, there’s something I want to do in town, and I thought I might ask Nassari to stay and watch out for you until I return.”

  “I don’t need looking after like some human infant,” she said indignantly.

  “You are certainly formidable enough to discourage most predators. I doubt that even a bear would face off against you. But there is always the possibility that a hunter might happen by, and with your hearing to give advanced warning and Nassari’s gift of the tongue to put him off the scent, you would remain undiscovered, which is the point of staying so far from town in the first place.”

  “I don’t like it when you are gone away so far,” she said peevishly.

  “And I don’t like being away from you, Dear Heart, but I need to get a few more provisions for myself, and I would like to get a few things in preparation for moving on our way. I promise I won’t be any longer than necessary.”

  As Geneva was about to respond, Nassari got up and made his way to the bushes. The dragon snorted, and Delno took that as the closest he would get to an actual affirmative response from her on the subject.

  As Nassari stumbled back into camp, Delno told his friend of his plan to visit the city, and Nassari reluctantly agreed to stay with Geneva. Then, quickly killing another sheep and cutting off several nice pieces for his friend to cook for himself and the dog, he placed the rest of the meat within easy reach of the dragon. With everything he could do done, he started his trip to town.

  He set a brisk pace for himself and was again surprised at how easily he seemed to maintain a stride that should have quickly tired him. He decided that increased stamina must be one of the side effects of the bonding that the old female had hinted at. At the rate he was traveling, he was able to reach the city before the sun was even half way to noon.

  Upon entering the gates, he made as direct a course as possible through the twisting streets to a metalsmith he knew. Approaching the shop, he could hear the sound of steel ringing on steel. As he entered, he could feel the heat of the forge, and wondered how people could stand to do such work during the summer months.

  It took several moments for his eyes to adjust to the relative darkness of the place. Besides being a large space to provide light for, the smiths liked to keep ambient lighting dim inside so that they could accurately judge the temperature of the piece they were working by the color and brightness of the hot metal. The shop was filled with different projects in various states of completion. Several journeymen and over a dozen apprentices were working at the different jobs assigned to them. The youngest, and least experienced, were pumping bellows at the forges or fetching and carrying whatever materials were needed, while the more experienced were actually wielding tongs, hammers, or other tools. Standing in front of a large slate was a man who reminded Delno of the big bears that plagued the herders in the wilder parts of the country. The man wore braces on both of his legs and walked with an awkward rolling gate that did nothing to dispel the ursine image. Seeing Delno, the huge man, Elom, smiled and waved to him.

  Delno approached the man a bit cautiously. They had been friends for years. Elom had joined the military because of their friendship. Delno had not only been present during the attack that had resulted in Elom’s injuries, but he had been in charge, and he still felt quite guilty about it.

  Seeing Delno’s caution and concern, Elom said, “Still blaming yourself for that ambush, Corporal? Sorry, I forget it’s Lieutenant now.” Elom, still smiling, used the title of rank as a show of respect, which only heightened Delno’s feeling of guilt.

  “Actually, it’s neither. I’ve given up the army life all together. As for the ambush, if I’d been a better leader, it might not have happened.”

  Elom grimaced and said, “Corporal, if you’d been less of a leader and less attentive, the ambush would have been a hell of a lot more successful, and we’d not be around to be having this conversation.” The big man shook his head and said, nearly shouting, “Damn it, man, if you’d just look at it objectively, you’d realize that you did the best anyone could have under the circumstances.”

  Delno would have been ready for Elom to hate him, but the man’s gratitude only made his own sense of shame worse. “If I’d sent more scouts ahead, we might not have walked into that narrow ravine in the first place.”

  “Nonsense,” growled Elom, “you led us where you were ordered to lead us, and. . . .”

  Delno cut him off, “And you paid a dear price for my obedience to orders, and the fact that I pushed you right under those falling rocks.”

  “Oh damn it all, give it a rest, will you? You pushed me out of the way.
I tripped and the big rock that would have crushed my skull and killed me crushed my legs instead. You saved my life, and I can still get around my father’s shop and do my work just fine.”

  Delno opened his mouth to make further objection but Elom spoke first. “You saved my life. Then, when you couldn’t shift that boulder off my legs and pull me to safety, you stood over me despite the arrows whizzing around your head and fought off seven enemy soldiers who would have liked to finish me while I was laying there helpless.” Then he added in a loud, dangerous voice that invited no argument, “You are the reason I’m standing here alive today, and I’ll have no man, not even you, Corporal, saying any different or even hinting that you did anything wrong that day.”

  Delno looked around and realized that all work had stopped and that everyone in the shop had heard the exchange. All he could do was smile and reach out to clasp hands with his friend. Elom returned the smile, and clasping Delno’s arm, pulled him close and picked him up off the floor, wrapping his huge arms around him in a bear hug. He was sure he could feel his ribs bending under Elom’s forearms and wondered briefly, before he was released, if he might be safer if Elom had held some animosity for him.

  Once Delno’s feet were again on solid ground, and his ribs were no longer in that iron-solid grip, Elom sent an apprentice for beer and led Delno to a table. The big man refused to speak of anything until the two of them had raised full glasses and toasted their old unit and those friends who had not returned from the war.

  Elom looked him in the eye and said, “Now then, what brings you to my father’s shop?”

  “I thought this was your shop. I’d heard that your father retired.” he responded.

  “Aye, he retired, but I will always think of this shop as his. It was he who built this with his own hands, and it was he who taught me the trade and made me the finest journeyman metalsmith in the realm, and while it was you who saved my life during the war, it was he who raised me to be man enough to put aside my self pity and get on with my life when I returned. So this is, and always will be, my father’s shop.”

  Delno had always admired Elom, but that speech elevated the man greatly in his eyes. They simply sat and stared easily at each other for a moment, and then Delno raised his glass for one last toast, “To your father,” he said.

  The big man smiled and raised his glass and they finished the beer.

  “Now then,” Delno spoke up, “I have a blade that needs some finishing touches, and I know no better man to do the job.”

  “A blade?” Elom said. “If you want a blade, I’ll make you one that will be unequaled anywhere.”

  “This blade is unequaled,” he responded, then hastily, to avoid any insult to Elom, he added, “Though I’m sure your metals are the finest, this blade is of a different material.”

  Whether he took any insult Delno couldn’t tell, but he was certainly intrigued, and said, “Different material, you say, but fine enough to warrant further work? That’s interesting. Let me see what you’ve got there.”

  He handed it, bundled in some rags, to the smith. Elom unwrapped the blade and was immediately fascinated by it. He examined it carefully from every angle. Finally, he said, “If this is what I think it is, you’ve got yourself a treasure here. Where did you come by it?”

  “It was a gift.” he replied. Then he added, “From a very special lady whom I believe was of regal lineage.”

  Elom raised his eyebrows and smirked.

  “We weren’t involved that way. I saved her life and the life of her child. In return, she gave me the blade.”

  He decided that the truth would be a bit much for the man to handle and said nothing further, even though Elom obviously wanted to hear the whole story.

  “Well, if this is what I believe it to be, she must have been a very well placed lady, indeed.”

  “What do you mean?” Delno asked.

  “Well, I have seen the like only once, years ago, before we ever met. In fact, I was just a young lad myself. My father did everything himself in those days, and I was his only apprentice. I was working the bellows and this man comes in looking for the smith. He was a small man, but walked like he was sure of himself, completely at ease without being cocky. I called my father, and the man introduced himself and said he had need of a good craftsman. Then he brings out this sword. It didn’t look like any metal I’d seen, but that wasn’t too surprising since I was so young. I figured that my dad would know what it was. That was the thing though; my father had never seen the like. The man said it was a Dragon Blade.”

  Elom stopped to refill their glasses from the pitcher and then went on. “It’s some kind of ceramic that comes from down south, I reckon, but how they make it, I don’t know. It’s harder than any steel. In fact, my father ruined two of the finest quality steel drill bits trying to make a hole so he could rivet a new guard to the tang.”

  “So, are you saying that you can’t work with it at all?” Delno asked.

  “Oh, I’ll be able to set you up all right. I’m not just braggin’ when I say I’m the best. But you need to remember this; that blade will out live anything I can add to it. A few hundred years from now, your great-great-however–many-times-removed grandson will have to find another clever smith to redo the guard I’m going to make for you.” Then Elom lowered his voice and added, “The legend of those blades says that they aren’t made of ceramic at all.”

  Delno raised his eyebrows and leaned closer to listen. After looking around to ensure that none of the other craftsmen were eavesdropping, Elom continued, “They say that the dragon blades are made from the shell of the egg of a dragon using dragon’s fire and magic.” After letting that hang in the air between them for a moment, he went on. “From what I remember about my father working on that fellow’s Dragon Blade, I almost believe it.”

  “You have a remarkable memory of those events,” Delno said.

  “I should,” he responded, “it was after the man came back and retrieved the sword that things starting going so well for my father. The man was quite impressed by the work, and said my father should be thrice blessed for his fine skill. After that, we suddenly found ourselves with so much work that we had to start taking on new apprentices. It seemed that every caravan master who needed work done saved as much of it as possible for our shop. As our business grew, our fame grew, and then our business grew some more . . . I heard rumor that the man himself was somehow linked to dragons or some such. Don’t know if it’s true, but it sure feels good to think he was some kind of nobility.”

  He sat for a moment thinking, then added, “You might want to remember that when dealing with this lady of yours.”

  “I’ll keep all of that in mind.” Delno said quietly. Then he added, “How long do you think it will take you to make the guard?”

  “In a hurry, are you?”

  “Well, I have to go away soon, and would like to have the blade with me when I leave.”

  Elom thought about this for a moment before saying, “Well, if you’ll be traveling, you’ll be better off with a better blade, so I’ll get this one done quick as I can. Will two weeks be too late?”

  “No,” he replied, “I’ll be around that long, though I won’t be in town. I have some new duties that require nearly all of my time right now.”

  The big man chuckled, “It wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain lady whose life you saved, would it?”

  Delno chuckled back, “It would, my friend, but not the way you are thinking.” Then, after a moment’s thought, he added, “Elom, do you think you could have a suitable scabbard made for the blade? Not anything too ornate, but something that fits its grandeur and will be serviceable under hard wear.”

  “Aye, I know just the craftsman to do the job. After all,” he smiled, “I don’t wrap the blades I make in anything but the best.”

  After concluding their business, they sat and talked for some time. It was lunchtime when Delno finally got up to leave. Elom insisted that they have lunch t
ogether, so it was nearly an hour after noon when he finally said good-bye.

  In parting, the big man said, “It’s been too long since we last spoke. Don’t be so long in coming around next time. You’re always welcome here.”

  “I’ll remember that, my friend,” he said as he left the smith’s shop and headed out into the city.

  His next stop was the herbal market where he bought a good supply of herbs, both for cooking and for medicinal purposes. Then he moved on and replaced the canvas satchel that Geneva had so easily shredded in her frenzy to get to the meat inside. After that, he replenished his supply of bacon and jerky, and then added some flour, salt, and other such staples to his portable larder.

  He then found a shop where he could purchase some maps. While the maps of Corice were quite good, the only ones he could find of the southern lands were incomplete. When he inquired of the shopkeeper if he had any better, he was told that the caravan traders had purchased the best weeks ago. He did find one that showed the kingdom of Palamore, and though it, too, was less complete than he liked, he bought it as well as a good map of Corice. “At least,” he thought, looking at the scale of the map, “Palamore isn’t a large kingdom.”

  His last purchase was made at the stockyards. He was quite capable of walking, but having his own mount and a stout pony for a pack animal would be helpful when he finally began his trip south.

  As he rode back to his camp, he thought a great deal about the story Elom had told him. He wondered if perhaps Geneva’s mother had come this way because it was familiar territory. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he was absolutely sure the man with the Dragon Blade had been Corolan. For some reason, this comforted him. He had been going to that spot where he had first met the dragon for many years, since he was very young. Perhaps it was the shared knowledge of that place that had somehow fated him to be there for Geneva’s mother in her time of need. Then he thought to himself, “Perhaps you are looking for connections where there are none.” Still, the thought remained and occupied his mind all the way back to camp.