Dragon Fate

by J. D. Hallowell

  This time, it was she who suggested that she scout ahead, so they were able to start their travels this day without tension.

  As with Larimar, he decided that it would be quicker to just travel right through the middle of town. He stopped only for a few moments to talk with Parnell before making his way along the main street to the gate on the other side of the village. The village straddled the road leading north to Larimar. The actual crossroads was about two hundred yards beyond the southern gate. Delno passed through and then continued straight when he came to the crossroads, taking the most direct route south.

  If they stayed on the main roads, they would have to travel over two hundred leagues before reaching the borders of Palamore. About ten leagues ahead, the road turned east for several leagues, following the natural contours of the land. If he cut cross-country when the road turned that way, he could possibly save time, but he would be subject to whatever the wilds threw at him. Of course, cross-country would present the best hunting for Geneva. Once again, he found that he must make a choice that might cause more problems than it solved. He decided that he would call a halt about noon to rest the animals, and he and Geneva could discuss it. After all, they were partners and she had shown a remarkable amount of good sense this morning.

  After traveling all morning without a break, he reached out mentally for Geneva and found the contact as strong as if she were right beside him. “Dear Heart, I would like to halt and rest the animals, and my buttocks, for an hour or so. Is there a place were we can meet together that is somewhat hidden from the road?”

  “There is a place about four hundred yards from where you are now that should work,” she responded.

  She guided him to a clearing about fifty yards from the road. She joined him within a few moments. Again, he was awed by how large she had grown, and by her grace and beauty. He watched carefully as she landed to see how the muscles moved under her hide. He was actually starting to get a feel for what muscles were responsible for which movements of her wings.

  “I have an itch between my hips that I’m having trouble reaching,” she said.

  Delno laughed softly and dug into his pack. “I got something while I was in the village that might help,” he said. He brought a small bundle to her. He unwrapped the bundle to reveal a stiff-bristled brush and a small covered jar. He then began using the brush to remove the flaky skin that was causing the itch. Then he opened the jar and applied a small amount of the oil that was inside to the patch of new skin. Geneva sighed in contentment and beamed pure joy and love to him, thanking him for his thoughtfulness.

  Once her immediate concerns had been attended to, he told her about his ponderings and asked her opinion on whether or not they should leave the road and try to cut cross-country.

  “At thish point,” she said out loud, “I believe tshat we tshould shtick with the road.”

  “Really? I would have thought that you would have been for cross-country.”

  Again her common sense came through, “Normally I would, but the land around here is still crissh-crossht with thstreams. You will looth time fording them. Later, when the land ith more open, and there are more thities, we can leave the road.”

  “Again, Dear Heart, your logic is flawless.”

  “I wishth my thpeach was likewithe,” she complained good-naturedly.

  “I’m sure it will improve once the growth of your jaws has caught up with those fearsome teeth of yours,” he said, laughing with her.

  The next week went quite smoothly. Delno had met several travelers including one fairly large caravan, but Geneva had seen them well before they had the opportunity to see her, so she remained undiscovered. He had been able to get some news of the road and found that there was little to fear from bandits for a while, though it was always wise to be vigilant. He’d even been able to trade a few things with the caravan, bartering several carvings he had finished.

  They had settled into an easy routine that was not unlike the one they had at their original camp. Geneva would eat a small meal of whatever she had left from the day before, and then they would travel. He and the horses were able to go about six to seven leagues before they would make camp for the evening. She would then hunt while he cooked his own dinner. While his dinner cooked, he usually worked on carving, then later he would play his pipes, usually accompanied by Geneva. While Delno was sure that fate had not made him a Dragon Rider to be an idle traveler peddling his carvings, he was equally sure he could get used to this life.

  Another week passed without incident. The road turned sharply east and wound its way along for several leagues. He and the horses were approaching the last bend where the road turned back to the south when Geneva’s warning brought him to a halt.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “There are seven men who appear to be accosting an older man just around the bend in the road,” she responded.

  “That doesn’t exactly sound fair,” he said. “Perhaps we should have a look.”

  In the last week Geneva’s growth had continued, and she was now large enough to be very dangerous, and her scales were thick enough to stop an arrow. He said, “While I am sure you can take care of yourself, Dear One, and me, too, for that matter, I would still prefer that you stay hidden unless I really need help.”

  “I don’t like you walking into danger alone, but I understand. Besides, as you have pointed out before, I’d be much more impressive swooping down out of the sky than walking beside you like just another pony.”

  He chuckled and thanked her for her understanding. He kept the same pace as always as he rounded the bend. It wasn’t difficult to make out what was going on. There were seven men, ranging in age from two older boys to one middle-aged man, all dressed about the same. The other four were roughly Delno’s age. The eldest one had an older man pressed up against a small wagon while the others were going through the wagon’s contents, throwing things carelessly on the ground, heedless of what they might be breaking. The older man was pleading with them to be careful of his property.

  The men were so intent on what they were doing they didn’t notice Delno’s approach. They were quite surprised when he spoke. “I’d ask what’s going on here, but I hate stupid questions, so let’s just move on to, ‘Let that man go and leave now if you wish to live.’”

  Saying this, he swung his right leg over the horse in front of himself and jumped down. It was a style of dismount taught in the Corisian army when you were riding a horse that wasn’t trained for combat. As he landed on his feet, he drew his Dragon Blade with his right hand and his main gauche with his left. He was an impressive sight; six foot three inches, well muscled, holding the two blades like he not only meant business but knew how to conduct it.

  The men were unsure what to do next and didn’t immediately move. They looked to the older bandit for guidance. Instead of telling the men to attack, the older man drew a wicked leaf-bladed dagger and placed it to the other traveler’s throat. “One move out of you, my fine fellow, and this man dies. You boys get his weapons, and then we’ll see what goodies he’s packing on that pony.”

  Delno looked at the nearest man, “I wouldn’t be too quick to obey those orders if I were you.” The man, who had started to take a step in his direction, stopped. “You see,” Delno went on, “I may be a Good Samaritan trying to protect a fellow traveler, but I don’t know that man. I’m not likely to relinquish my weapons just because your leader puts a knife to his throat. The first man that tries me dies.”

  The older robber opened his mouth to speak and suddenly screamed in pain and keeled over. Everyone looked. The leader of the bandits was now on his knees holding his groin, which was bleeding, and the man he had been threatening was holding a small but wicked-looking curved blade in his right hand.

  Delno looked at his new ally and raised his eyebrows. The older man shrugged his shoulders and smiled sheepishly.

  Then Delno turned back to the other bandits and said, “Well, now, that puts a new lig
ht on things, wouldn’t you say?”

  They all drew their weapons and one said, “You’ll both pay for that.”

  Delno realized that the older man wouldn’t be able to hold his own against the younger bandits now that he no longer had surprise on his side. He called out mentally, “Geneva, I can look out for myself, protect our new friend.”

  As two of the younger highwaymen moved toward the old man the rest of them advanced on Delno. Suddenly, the two screamed in fear and dropped to the ground as Geneva, roaring, swooped down just over their heads and grabbed the elder traveler. She then flapped her wings and carried him away from the fight. Even though he was ready for it, Delno was still surprised. The rest of the men were dumbstruck.

  “You certainly know how to make an entrance, Dear Heart,” he said.

  “I do my best,” she replied, “but if this man doesn’t stop squirming to get a look at me, I’m going to drop him.” The old man, who had initially been startled by her appearance, was now completely enthralled by her. She landed and set him down as gently as possible about fifty yards from everyone else and moved as quickly as she was able back to the fray.

  One of the men recovered, and, drawing a short sword, lunged at Delno. Delno used his main gauche to block the blade and brought his saber up under his opponents chin and thrust it into the right side of the man’s neck, then he swung his arm to his right, nearly decapitating his assailant. He instantly moved on to the next attacker, again blocking and then thrusting his saber into that man’s chest.

  The other four hadn’t quite recovered from Geneva’s appearance, so they were standing still as she approached, bristling and ready to fight. She still had a lot of growing to do, but for the uninitiated, she was more dragon than they had ever wanted to see. Three of them broke and ran, and the fourth fainted. She was about to run them down when Delno called her back.

  “Let them go, Dear Heart, I don’t think they will trouble us again today.”

  “As you wish, Dear One, but I would prefer to know where they are when we resume our travels.”

  “I’m sure,” he responded, “that wherever they are they won’t want to find you again.” Then he laughed out loud. “You were wonderful. You nearly frightened me, and I was expecting it.”

  She chuckled and said, “Yes, I am rather pleased with that performance.”

  Delno was surprised to see the old man walking toward them. He didn’t appear to be afraid at all. In fact, he appeared to be completely enchanted with Geneva. Before anyone could speak, though, the unconscious man groaned and sat up. Delno had his blade to the man’s throat before he could move another inch. “Move and you die,” he said.

  The old man walked directly to the dragon, wide-eyed, and oblivious to either of the bandits who were still alive. He walked completely around her twice, appraising her. Finally, he actually walked right up and placed his hand on her scaly side. Then he said, “Magnificent, absolutely beautiful, I’ve never seen anything so wonderful.”

  Delno, his blade still at the bandit’s neck, cleared his throat and said, “Perhaps we should. . . .”

  Geneva hushed him and said out loud, “Don’t interrupt him, he’s doing jusst fine.” Her lisp had almost completely disappeared in the last week.

  Delno wouldn’t have thought it possible, but the man’s eyes actually opened even wider. He said, “You can speak as well, you’re sentient? Why, you’re more marvelous than I’d even dared hope.”

  Delno was getting a little annoyed, “We need to finish up here and resume our trek,” he said.

  Geneva snorted, “There’s no harm in hearing what the nice man has to say.”

  At that moment, the older bandit groaned loudly and rolled over. The front of his trousers was soaked with blood. Delno turned to the younger man and said, “Get your friend on his feet and get him over there,” he pointed to a spot a few feet from the wagon.

  The younger man, wary of the dragon, did as he was told. As he helped the older man to his feet, something fell out of the man’s trouser leg; Delno looked and saw what it was. The old man had emasculated the bandit with that curved blade of his.

  Their former victim turned to the bandits and said, “So, not so tough now, huh? Now that it’s not just a defenseless old man you’re facing.”

  Delno looked at the body parts lying on the ground and said to Geneva, “Judging by that evidence, I wouldn’t exactly call him defenseless.”

  “Don’t you pick on him,” she said.

  “Wonderful,” he exclaimed, “a little flattery and you have a new best friend,” he teased.

  She made a rude noise he hadn’t thought she was capable of but otherwise ignored the comment.

  No one moved or spoke for several moments. Finally Delno said, “Well, what’s to be done with these two?”

  The old man looked at him and said, “I would gladly have killed them during the fight, but to do so now feels too much like murder for my taste, though I am loath to leave them free to prey on others.”

  Delno understood the sentiment. In fact, he was in complete agreement. If there were soldiers about, he would have no problem turning them over, but killing them in cold blood, though they would be within the law to do so, just wasn’t in his nature.

  Finally, he looked at the two men and said, “I have no reason to let you live, but I feel that killing you while you are helpless would be sinking to your level. We are too far from any city to turn you over to the authorities, and I cannot afford the delay in taking you along. Besides, I feel that your companions would eventually overcome their fear of my scaly friend and come looking for you.”

  Before he could continue, Geneva spoke up. “I can eat them.”

  The two men looked terrified at the suggestion.

  Delno said, “You aren’t serious?”

  “Of course not.”

  Out loud, he said, “The last bandits you ate gave you indigestion.”

  “Yes, well, there is that, but I am very hungry this time,” she said.

  To the men, he said, “I’ve wasted enough time on you; be on your way. Mind you, though, if you ever cross my path again, I won’t be so kindly disposed toward you.”

  The two men got up quickly, and, with the elder leaning heavily on the younger, they walked away as fast as they could.

  Delno, Geneva, and the old traveler stood and watched them until they were out of earshot, then the man turned to Geneva and said, “Would you really have eaten them?”

  She did her best to approximate a smile and said, “No, but they don’t know that.”

  Their new friend laughed out loud and said, “You are an amazing creature. I’ve read about your kind, but I haven’t had much opportunity to study dragons personally. The last dragon I had the opportunity to observe was when I was still a boy.” Then, remembering that they hadn’t been introduced, he said, “I’m Nathaniel; my friends call me Nat.”

  She looked at him for a moment and then said, “I am Geneva, and this man, my Rider, is Delno.”

  Delno extended his hand and Nat started to grasp his hand in the northern style and then tried to switch to the southern arm grasp. As the poor man got more flustered, Delno closed both of his hands over Nat’s and said, “Pleased to meet you.”

  Nat grinned, and said, “I’m sorry, I’m not very good at social interaction. I’m a doctor and usually deal with people who are more interested in getting help than exchanging pleasantries.”

  As he turned to survey the remains of his belongings, he said, “I would dearly love to talk with you at length,” he turned to Geneva, “especially you, my dear, but I must salvage what I can from this mess.”

  Delno was about to offer to help when the poor man nearly wailed out, “Oh, my poor pony.”

  They all stepped around to the front of the small wagon, and there, still tied into the harness, was a pony with several arrows sticking out of its side. The animal was obviously dead.

  Nat shook his head and said, “I tried to run when I saw them
, but they just killed the poor beast and stopped me anyway.”

  Geneva said, “Delno, we have to help him.”

  “Calm, Love, I have no intention of just leaving him here.”

  Then he said to Nat, “The pony that carries my pack is also broken to harness, at least according to the man I bought him from. He should fit that rig just fine, and, since it seems from the direction your wagon is facing that we are going the same way, we can at least get you to the next town.”

  Nat said, “I don’t know how I am ever going to repay you. You’ve saved my life, you’ve introduced me to this wonderfully beautiful creature,” at this he pointed to Geneva who sat up straighter, “and now you are providing me with transport for myself and my possessions. I am a simple doctor; please don’t take this wrong when I say that I hope I never have opportunity to repay your kindness.”

  Delno smiled and bent to the task of removing the dead pony from the harness. Then he unstrapped his pack from his own pony, stowed it in the wagon, and hitched the animal to the wagon. While he was doing that, Nat salvaged as much from the mess as he could, explaining that the jars and such that the bandits were throwing around so casually were full of medicinal herbs. Once the pony was hitched, and all that could be salvaged was stowed, Delno suggested that they put some distance between themselves and the site of the bandit attack.

  Geneva looked at Nat’s dead pony and said, “It seems such a waste to leave it laying there.”

  Delno was afraid that Nat would take offense and was surprised at the older man’s response. “I had an attachment to that animal while it was alive, but I do not believe that you eating it is offensive.” Then, at Delno’s look of surprise, he added, “After all, if we just leave the poor beast here, scavengers will only eat it anyway; I’d rather she get the nourishment.”

  Delno, shrugging, then pulled the arrows out of the stricken beast’s side so that they wouldn’t get in Geneva’s way. He looked at the arrows and found them to be of inferior quality for his use and tossed them aside. His own bow was much too powerful to use them; his arrows were longer and had steel nocks to prevent the string from simply splitting the shaft when he fired them.