Winston whistled as he examined the small dark fragment. Nat said, “Why don’t you keep that one and show it to the men so they understand what they could be facing?” Delno noticed that the half-elf was now wearing two long, slender knives—each over a foot long—in a harness on his back; the curved blades were crossed with one handle showing above each shoulder. He was also carrying a bow case and quiver, and was leading Delno’s horse; the horse’s saddle was already stowed in the wagon.
“Expecting trouble?” Delno asked, pointing at the weapons.
“I hope not,” the physician replied, “but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.” He put the bow and arrows next to the seat and then walked to the rear and tied the horse to the wagon.
Sergeant Winslow came up and saluted Winston. “The men and equipment are ready to move out, Sir,” he said.
“Very good, Sergeant,” Winston replied, “We will leave as soon as the Riders are in the air.
Delno nodded to Brock, and they walked toward the dragons, who were waiting on the other side of the field so that they were far enough away that they didn’t spook the animals when they took flight.
Brock went directly to Leera, and Jason was already mounted on Gina, but Delno signaled Rita to wait for a moment, and he walked over to her and hugged her tightly. “I just wanted to do that before we got airborne,” he said with a smile.
She quickly kissed him and said, “You lead, Handsome,” and smiled back.
They mounted, and Delno surveyed the scene before giving the signal to take off. Pearce and Connor waved as the four dragons gathered themselves and launched. Even from the other side of the field, the men could feel a difference in the air pressure as the four sets of giant wings simultaneously beat the air to gain altitude. The horses and mules all stirred. The only animal, including humans, that didn’t seem to care was the little mountain pony hitched to Nat’s wagon. As they had prearranged, the company of troopers waited until the Riders had flown far enough to start scouting the route ahead before Winston called for them to move out. The sun was just rising above the arm of the mountains that lay between Ondar and Palamore to the east.
Delno and Brock had talked privately with Connor after they had concluded the discussion with Winston and Jason and learned that Simcha hadn’t discussed his plans with him, or tried to recruit him as he had with Rita. However, the boy was no fool; he had known that something was going on, because Simcha had regularly had meetings with other Riders with whom Connor was unfamiliar, always in the dead of night. On the few times that Connor had overheard any conversation at all, the other Riders had always seemed deferential to Simcha, except once. On that one occasion, Simcha had appeared intimidated, and he had been even more harsh during training afterward. It was because of the increasingly severe training regimen and what had precipitated it that Connor left. He had left partly to escape, but he was also looking for Brock, figuring that his father would want to know everything that had transpired in Llorn. After that conversation, it was decided that they would escort the troopers when they left two days later acting as scouts, and back them up should there be trouble along the way.
Their flight pattern wasn’t complicated. Since the dragons could easily outrange the soldiers, they would basically fly in circles around them. The terrain was uneven and would soon give way to foothills that would become mountains a little farther on. There should be plenty of good updrafts for the dragons to use for gliding, so conserving their strength shouldn’t be a problem since dragons could soar for hours without fatigue. Brock and Jason would stay fairly close together since they knew the territory, and because Brock, Rita, and Delno weren’t one-hundred-percent certain that Jason could be trusted. While the first two Riders maintained that pattern Rita and Delno would fly back and forth across their scouting grid to catch anything the first two might miss. This would allow them to scan about three to four leagues ahead and several miles to either side while still being able to watch behind the company. Even if the enemy were expecting them, they most likely wouldn’t expect four dragons, since the original plan was for Brock and Rita to go to Horne. Hopefully, if anyone ducked out of sight before Brock and Jason could spot them, then they might be back out in the open when either Rita or Delno flew over ten minutes later. Also, the dragons’ ability to see heat as well as visible light would help to find anyone who might be hiding along the route.
Winston halted the company shortly after noon. They had traveled about six hours and had put around ten leagues between themselves and Orlean. They were making good time for a large group traveling with wagons, but they wouldn’t be able to keep up such a pace. Even with only Nat’s small wagon, and the two larger ones belonging to the soldiers, they were still heavily laden. Winston had pushed them hard this morning to make a good start, but they would have to move more slowly from now on to conserve the beasts of burden. The pony was, of course, holding up fine.
Brock and Jason landed first while Delno and Rita finished their part of the patrol. Once all four Riders were on the ground, they joined Winston, Nat, and Sergeants Smith and Winslow. Lunch consisted mainly of some packed sandwiches and the fresh fruit they had brought, since the fresh food had to be eaten first.
“You’ve made good headway this morning,” Brock remarked.
“Yes,” Winston replied, “but we can’t maintain such a pace. It might seem slow to those on dragon-back, but about one league an hour is the best we’ll be able to manage if we want to conserve the draft animals, and we won’t be able to travel for more than about eight hours a day.”
Brock looked at Delno who shrugged and said, “Be glad we don’t have a larger force, or it would be even slower. Winston is getting all he can out of man and beast. If we were only traveling with light cavalry, we could do better, but the orders were to bring two wagonloads of other supplies, and that slows us down considerably.”
The Riders and the soldiers studied their maps after they had eaten. Delno put his finger on the map and said, “There: if I were planning an ambush, that’s the place, in that pass. It’s narrow, and the canyon walls are high. Your men would have to shoot almost straight up to return arrow fire, which puts them at a disadvantage when aiming, and they run the danger of the arrows not hitting anything and coming back down at them.”
“You’re right, of course,” Winston replied, “but there’s no way to go around. It’s the only pass within thirty leagues either way. If we don’t go through there, we’ll lose seven or eight days in travel time.”
“And if you do go through there,” Rita replied, “you’ll be sitting ducks.”
“Not if we can help it.” Delno said. “I would take the extra time to go around if it weren’t for the dragons. The problem for anyone trying to ambush the Troop at that point is that where the canyon narrows down, so does the ridge on either side. There’s no room to get away from the dragons and there isn’t much for cover. If we get ambushed at that point with four dragons in the air, it’s they who will be sitting ducks.”
“Four dragons?” Jason responded, “but Geneva still can’t breathe fire yet.”
“Leave that to me,” Delno replied. “I’m hoping that no attack will come, but if it does, while you, Rita, and Brock are doing what must be done, I will use the diversion to try and take a prisoner or two.”
Everyone nodded and Delno turned to Winston, “How many hours do you think you will travel this afternoon?”
“I had planned on calling a halt well before dark. If we are attacked in the open after we make camp, I want to be sure we’ve had enough time to prepare what fortifications we can before nightfall.” Then he thought for a moment and said, “We’ll push on for another four hours, get as much as we can out of the beasts today, and then go easier after that. I want to put as much distance behind as we are able while morale is still high.”
The Riders all nodded and Winston ordered his sergeants to have the men ready to move in ten minutes.
As they were walking to their drag
ons, Jason stopped him. “I know that you and Brock don’t completely trust me,” he said. Delno started to respond but Jason held up his hand to stop him. “I understand the reason; in your place I’d feel the same. I just want you to know, for what its worth, that I am loyal to our cause. I won’t let you down.”
Delno put his hand on the young Rider’s shoulder and shook it gently and said, “Thank you, Jason.”
The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. They saw no one while in the air, and camp was set up by the time they all landed. They erected their own shelters, and then Delno and Nat took out their instruments and entertained everyone until full darkness fell before they retired to their tents. This time, though they both desperately wanted to be together, Rita and Delno slept in separate tents. Since, even on the ground, the Riders were still the weakest part of the pairs, Brock had insisted that all of the Riders sleep separately as a precaution against assassins; with only one to a tent they could only get one Rider at a time. Delno laid down on his bedroll and fell asleep almost immediately.
Chapter 43
The next day passed uneventfully except that the mountains continued to loom larger with each passing hour. They were moving more slowly, as Winston had told them would happen. Still, they expected to be at the pass in two days time. At noon, the company called a halt.
While flying was exhilarating at first, it soon became monotonous flying in circles, and the Riders were glad to get back on the ground at meal times. They talked more about the possibility that they would face one or more dragons in the pass. Delno and, surprisingly, Sergeant Winslow, both felt sure that it wouldn’t happen. Delno didn’t feel the opposing Dragon Riders would show themselves for such a small unit as theirs, especially since it would pit them against other dragons. After getting a close hand look at the dragons accompanying them, Winslow was certain that the pass was just too narrow for the animals to maneuver.
“I’m curious about one thing,” Rita said. “Why are we so certain that there will be an ambush in the first place?”
Winston drew a breath and responded, “They have the information. Since they know our position and troop strength, not ambushing us would be foolish unless they don’t care if we get there or not.”
“But, why would they care so much?” she asked. “Not to give insult, but you are only a small force.”
Winston smiled and said, “You’ve sparred against these men and you’ve done well for yourselves, but you have the advantage of having magically enhanced strength and reflexes, not to mention a century or more of training. Most common soldiers with little or no training wouldn’t. Each of the men in my command was hand-picked for his job. The first qualification was fighting ability, and then I chose them for their secondary skills. Sergeant Winslow is not only a fine animal handler, but he can put an arrow or javelin through a moving target at over fifty feet while mounted and riding at a full gallop. Sergeant Smith is not only a weapons master, but a superb mountaineer and a technical genius when it comes to finding a way through enemy fortifications. Each and every man in my company is an elite soldier. Together, they are a fighting force to be reckoned with.”
Rita nodded her head and said, “Well, I guess that explains why they would be so anxious to stop you.”
By an hour after noon, they were back on the road. They traveled for another five hours before the animals showed any sign of fatigue and they made camp. Delno remarked to Winston, “Another day and half should see us at the pass.”
“Aye,” he replied, “and then we should see some action. How do you want to handle this?”
“I have a couple of thoughts, but I’d like to sleep on it tonight and discuss it tomorrow.”
Delno was carrying three books; he sat down and opened the largest one and started reading. Rita walked up and stood over him, “Hi, Handsome, what are you doing?”
“Reading.”
“And here I thought you just looked at the pictures,” she retorted. “I meant, what are you reading about?”
He looked at her and smiled. Then taking her hand in his he said, “It’s a book on anatomy and physiology that Nat loaned me. I am studying so that I can learn to be a better healer.”
“I thought you were pretty good already.” Then looking down and noticing the other two books on plants and herbs sitting beside him, she added, “Planning on taking up the whole profession?”
“I’ve always believed that a man should broaden his horizons; specialization is for honey bees.”
They talked for a while and then, reluctantly, went to their own tents to sleep. Almost everyone except the soldiers assigned to guard duty went to bed as soon as it was fully dark.
”DELNO, WAKE UP!” Geneva’s contact was a shout in his mind. He came awake and grabbed his sword.
“What is it, Dear Heart?”
“There are several creatures sneaking through the camp; two of them appear to be moving in your direction. They are trying to be stealthy, and they are also carrying weapons.”
“Alert the other Riders, and be ready,” he said.
“The other Riders are already moving; you were sleeping heavily,” she admonished.
He quickly crawled out of his small tent and scanned the area. He noticed that his night vision had improved considerably. While it wasn’t like he had a full moon to give him light, it was certainly better then normal.
He reached out to Geneva. “Where are they, Love?”
“Twenty yards due north of you and moving fast; I’m coming.”
He was about to tell her to stay back, but he didn’t have time. She had been right about the speed of the creatures; they were almost on top of him. They moved with a curious loping gate, swinging their arms as they ran; almost like they were trying to run on all fours even though they were upright on their legs. That was all the time he had for curiosity; the closest one, though still nearly three yards distant, leaped at him.
Time seemed to have slowed down, and he was able to focus on details. The creature, for it had a face similar to but unlike a human, struck out with a strange-looking blade. The blade was about two feet long and curved, and it widened at the business end. The point was somewhat blunted and there was a gut-hook just behind it: it was also nearly three quarters of an inch thick at its widest point.
The jump covered the distance so fast that Delno barely had time to get his blades up to block. Though time appeared to be slowed, it didn’t help him react faster; his blades were moving to block just as slowly as the other was moving to strike. He realized that the effect was an illusion caused by the surge in adrenalin and widened his focus to compensate. As his field of focus broadened, time resumed something approaching normal. The creature made a vicious cut, but Delno got his saber up and used his main gauche to stab into its lower belly. Then he used the momentum of the creature’s weight to throw it up and over himself while pulling his large dagger out in a slashing motion. The attacker, more like a huge bipedal cat than a man, fell heavily on its side.
He didn’t have time to ponder who or what it was; he just barely ducked in time to avoid being decapitated by the second beast. This time, the man-thing pulled the blade up and back trying to catch him in the neck with the gut-hook. He blocked that with his sword and the two blades locked briefly. The cat-man pulled hard and nearly disarmed him, but the dragon blade seemed alive in his hand, and he was able to hold on and twist it free. As he did so, his attacker aimed a vicious kick at his left side. He put his main gauche in position and let the cat-man impale his own leg on the big knife. The beast didn’t make a sound; it just pulled its leg free by twisting to the side. It landed awkwardly but quickly got its balance and began to circle looking for an opening.
Delno realized that the first creature had also risen and, even though he could clearly see about two feet of gut hanging out of the large gash he had opened in its middle, it was up and moving. It launched itself at him; the heavy blade came around before he could get his blade up to block and hit him in the lef
t hip. Fortunately, he had been practicing and the energy shield he had managed to get into place, though weak, did prevent the vicious cut from opening a huge wound, though the impact still hurt—a lot. He stabbed out with his main gauche, but the cat-man was quick enough to avoid the blade this time.
The second beast hadn’t been idle. It had circled around behind him and was just launching itself in an attack when there was a deafening roar and Geneva leaped first, as Jason, who has just arrived also, yelled, “Behind you!”
Geneva landed heavily on the cat-man. She had put her front feet as close together as she could, one above the other, and as her claws sunk in and came out of the creatures back, she gripped and pulled her feet apart, ripping the thing in half. This time it didn’t get up. The first cat-man turned to help its comrade and lunged at Geneva. Geneva twisted her head and ducked under a sword cut that would have cloven a man in two and closed her powerful jaws around the creature’s torso. She bit down hard, and the creature struggled for a second and then went totally slack. She spit it out as if it tasted foul.
There was a gout of flame on the other side of the camp, and Geneva said, “Gina has just finished off the last of them. There were two others; they attacked Rita. The other Dragon Riders were ignored.”
“Interesting,” he replied, “Any idea what these things are? They obviously aren’t men, and even though I have never seen a Rorack, I am guessing these aren’t of that species, either.”
“The only thing I know about them so far is that they taste foul, and having the beast in my mouth has left my tongue strangely numb.”
Once they were all assembled in the center of camp, and the guard had been doubled around the perimeter (the men had had to make room for the dragons because they absolutely refused to leave their partner’s sides). Nat, with Delno’s help, began examining the bodies. There were only three, since one had been reduced to little more than ash by Gina. Those remaining were badly mauled, but Nat had insisted that even the parts of the one Geneva had rent asunder be brought into the light to be examined.
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