by C. E. Swain
"First, I wish to eat these steaks." Menimeth replied. "And then we can talk."
"I'm not hungry right now." The man replied. "And I do not know anything."
"My friend killed this deer just to feed you sir." Menimeth said, and looked at Danorathin with a smile. "And he may get upset if you refuse to eat it."
"I did not kill the deer for him, and I do not care if he eats it or not." The dragon said. "But he is funny and this game is fun, so I will do what I can."
"Thank you, my friend."
Danorathin raised his head, and looked directly at the man with his large intelligent eyes, which inspired the man to return to the fire. After looking through the small sack where he had located the pan, Menimeth retrieved a plate and a knife and fork, and served the steak to the man who now sat across from him again.
"I am sorry that there is no Blackbeer to wash this steak down with." Menimeth said. "But when we get to Glansford, the Sword and Dragon will supply us with all we can drink."
"Glansford!" The man exclaimed. "You are taking me to Glansford?"
"I had not planned on it." Menimeth replied. "Why? Do you have a problem with going to Glansford?"
"No." The man said, a little too quickly, but then began to speak with a forced calm. "I was on my way to Frothing, that is all."
"Frothing? Where are you traveling from?" Menimeth asked, even more curious than before. "That would have you so far west of the town."
"I was on my way to Argnon until the army passed me." The man said. "But I was afraid that the battle had arrived before I could reach it, so I decided that Frothing would be a better place to look for a wife."
"Look for a wife! There are no women in Argnon, as have not been for some time." Menimeth said.
"No, but in the towns south of the Argnon there are." The man said. "And some are very beautiful. There was some land to be acquired if a man would clear it, or so I was told."
"What would you do with this land when you clear it?" Menimeth asked. "You do not look like a farmer."
"I am not a farmer." The man said. "But I had hoped to breed horses, and raise a family."
"That is a costly enterprise to begin." Menimeth said. "How will you pay for it?"
"My last employer paid me well." The man said. "And I have saved all I could."
"Who was your last employer?" Menimeth asked. "And what did you do for him?"
The man looked at the dragon rider, who sat across the fire from him, and knew that if he lied to the man he would know. He decided to answer his questions truthfully, because he believed that the dragon rider already knew some of the answers to the questions he asked.
"My name is Fagerin, and I worked for Beloran." He replied. "I was a collector of secrets, which I then relayed back to him."
"So, you were a spy for Beloran." Menimeth said. "What kind of secrets did you collect?"
"I collected information about his enemies, or those he wanted to control." Fagerin replied. "But I did not tell him everything I learned."
"Oh, and why not?" Menimeth asked. "Were you not loyal to him?"
"I was forced into my job, by the very man that I helped." Fagerin said. "But I was good at it, and continued to gather the information, even after the death of my father at his hands."
"But now you wish to become a horse breeder in the west." Menimeth said. "That is a big change from being a spy."
"My father was a horse breeder, before he was arrested by Beloran, and all of our horses were confiscated for use in his army." Fagerin replied. "I was forced to become a spy, to keep my father alive."
"But he was killed anyway?" Menimeth asked. "Even though you did as you were told."
"He was killed because he would not agree to give the regent all of the horses that he wanted, without payment." Fagerin said. "And he was killed soon after I was forced to become a spy, but I did not know it then."
"How good are you at gathering information?" Menimeth asked. "And how do you go about it."
"To gather information, all one needs to do is to sit in a few taverns and listen." Fagerin replied. "Then it is just a matter of verifying that the information is true, before you pass it on."
"How much have you saved to start your horse breeding ranch?" Menimeth asked. "Perhaps we could help each other, and both come out ahead."
"What did you have in mind?" Fagerin asked, but believed he already knew the answer.
"I am in need of someone with your talents." Menimeth replied. "But not for the same reasons."
"I have one hundred gold pieces." Fagerin said. "And a few hundred silver, but that is enough to start the ranch, as long as I start small and add to it as time passes."
"Come and work for me, and I will pay you five hundred gold pieces, and will give you one hundred horses to add to the ones you purchase." Menimeth said. "One year of service is all I ask in return."
"And what information will you require me to collect?" Fagerin asked.
"I need to know which towns around the empire will need a garrison built to protect them." Menimeth replied. "And where any garrisons that were built by the regents, are now located."
"And you will pay me five hundred gold pieces, and one hundred horses, for that?" Fagerin asked. "When you could acquire that information for free."
"If you accept my offer." Menimeth said. "You cannot allow anyone to know what you are doing, or what information you seek."
"But the people of the towns would gladly give you that information for the chance of a garrison nearby." Fagerin said. "Why pay for it?"
"Because there are still men in the empire that spy for the mage king, and I do not wish them to know the information you seek." Menimeth said. "It would tell the enemy where we are weakest, and give him an advantage against us, when he turns his attention to the empire."
"You are smarter that I expected." Fagerin replied. "And not like any king I have ever heard of before, so I will accept you offer, and do as you ask."
"Come to the Sword and Dragon in Glansford, and I will give you all you need to accomplish you task." Menimeth said. "I will pay for all of your expenses while you are away, and you will have a room made available to you while you are there."
"I will begin the journey to Glansford this morning." Fagerin replied. "And I will see you when I arrive."
"Just tell the innkeeper your name, he will be expecting you." Menimeth said, as he climbed back onto his dragon. "And I will see you there."
Danorathin leapt into the air, and within seconds, had left the garden behind. He traveled back to the castle but did not stay long after talking with Falendor, but flew south in search of Saesic instead. It was not hard to find Saesic as he rode south, for he was not used to traveling through the brush, and left a trail behind him that even a child could follow. Menimeth had Danorathin land a few miles away from the regent's son, but in the path the man was using. He did not want to chase Saesic before he could speak to him, for fear that his horse would suffer if the man tried to escape.
"We must be careful with this one." Menimeth told his dragon. "He will not want to talk to me I think."
"Then we will have to see that he does." Danorathin replied. "But it is the horse you worry about, not the rider. I will take great care not to frighten the animal, but will not allow the regents son to escape."
"That is all I can ask." Menimeth said, as he patted the dragon on his neck.
Dragon and rider, waited for the regent's son to reach their location, and watched as he quickly approached. He was looking behind him for any sigh of pursuit, but he paid very little attention to what lay before him, when the dragon rider stepped from behind the tree, and grabbed the horse's rains. Saesic was shocked by the appearance of the dragon rider, and tried to flee, but the sight of the dragon so close made him freeze with fear.
"Do not fear, for I will not harm you." Menimeth said. "I am only here to deliver a message to you from your father."
"What does he want?" Saesic asked rudely.
"H
e offers you a choice." Menimeth replied. "He will not imprison you if you come back to Argnon, but you will have to face some kind of punishment if you do. If you chose to continue south, and do not return within three days, you are not welcome in the empire any longer, and if you do return, you will face charges of treason from me."
"Fine, you have delivered your message errand boy." Saesic said. "Now let go of my horse."
Danorathin spread his wings, and bellowed into the air at the disrespect Saesic showed to his master, and looked at the man with cold black eyes.
"Let me kill this one." The dragon said to his master. "We will all be better off if I do. He will cause the deaths of many more men, if he is allowed to leave the empire."
"I cannot allow it my friend." Menimeth replied. "But I believe you are right, and he has some part yet to play in the war."
"If you chose to leave the empire, do not return." Menimeth said to Saesic. "You will not be treated so kindly as your are now."
Menimeth released the rains to Saesic's horse, and the traitor fled as fast as the animal could run. He did not turn back to see if the dragon rider was following, but rode straight south until his horse gave out, and he was forced to stop and let the animal rest.
"I hope the fool has the sense to return to his father, and take his punishment." Menimeth said. "But I am afraid he will not."
"No, he will not return to Argnon, but we will see him again." Danorathin replied. "And it will not be a good reunion."
It was nearing midday when Menimeth and his dragon returned to the castle, and relayed the results of the encounter with Saesic, to Falendor.
"I should have had you drag him back here," Falendor said. "To face his punishment."
"Do you think it would do any good?" Menimeth asked.
"No, It would do no good." Falendor replied. "I had hoped he would grow out of his greed and anger, but I can see now that he did not."
"Does he not know what he has done?" Menimeth asked. "And that he would be getting off with very little punishment for the crime he
committed."
"He is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, but he does not care about anyone but himself." Falendor said. "He may not know that what he has done is considered treason, but I believe he does."
"That is too bad." Menimeth said. "Because he would have solved my problem, at least for a few years."
"My son could have helped you?" Falendor asked, puzzled by the remark.
"Yes, but that is for another time." Menimeth replied. "For now I have men to escort back to their realms, and fallen heroes to lay to rest, so we will talk again when you arrive at the Dragon Tower for the banquet."
"As you wish." Falendor said. "We will leave for Glansford on the morning of the first day of the forth week."
"Then I will see you there." Menimeth said, and turned to leave the room before stopping, and turning back to the regent. "There is one more thing you could do for me." He said. "Have Feran, Javen, and Kiler's families with you when you come to Glansford for the banquet."
"I will send Captain Brannor right away." Falendor replied. "They should be here before we are ready to depart, but if not, we will wait for them."
"Thank you." Menimeth said smiling. "And there is the matter of Chrisanna."
"Chrisanna, what has the girl gotten herself into now?" Falendor asked, as he shook his head at what he believed to be another one of his daughter's antics.
"You do know that there is a very good chance that she will not return to Argnon, but will live in the Dragon Tower with Javen instead." Menimeth said. "You may want to consider an extra wagon just for her."
"Yes, I suspect that she has Javen in her sights, and that he has fallen under her spell." Falendor replied, smiling back at the dragon rider. "But then, she will not be giving me as much trouble as she does now. Sometimes I think she believes that she runs the realm, and not me."
"Yes, women can do that." Menimeth said. "But the right man can set them straight, until they have daughters, of course."
"Yes, and then you are just a foolish old man, that cannot survive without them." Falendor replied. "And you could not possibly know anything, about anything, unless they tell you."
Menimeth walked from the room laughing loudly at the regent's remark, and made his way to the Red Falcon. He relayed the order that they were not leaving until the following morning to the men of the third army as he passed them, and they began to remove the saddles from their horses. That night, the men talked about the journey they were about to take, and what would happen when they returned to Glansford. Menimeth listened to them as they talked, but offered very little information about his plans for the banquet. Changes were coming to the empire soon, and he wanted it to be a surprise to all it would affect, but first he had men to return to their realms.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The morning dawned bright and warm, as the men began to prepare for the journey home. The wagons were placed in a line along the great road, and the warriors of the third army formed their ranks behind the wagons of their realm. The riders that were to carry the banners of the empire, waited in front of the wagons, for the king to ride from the inn, before unfurling the banners for the journey home.
Menimeth waited while his friends saddled their horses, and led them from the stables in back of the inn. Donner waited at the front of the inn, with what almost appeared to be pride, for his master to walk from the tavern. Already saddled and waiting, the war-horse stood with his head held high, and watched as the other horses were led from the back. Several minutes later, Menimeth walked from the main door of the Red Falcon, and mounted his warhorse.
"We will ride to the crossroads and turn south." Menimeth said, as he turned Donner north, and started down the street of the town. "Magdrin will be our first stop, and Venteno will be our last."
"That was the route I expected you to take," Kyler replied. "So that is the order in which I placed the wagons. The men are also riding in groups, according to their realms, with the south first."
"Then we should be on our way." Menimeth replied, and urged Donner forward, riding onto the great road and turning east.
"As they fell in behind the now unfurled banners, the last of the empire's warriors to fight in the battle, rode from Argnon. Falendor watched them go from his seat in the tower, and when the regent could no longer see the precession, he walked back down to his private office, to begin the day's duties.
Menimeth rode at a pace that the wagons could sustain, while still putting the miles behind them. With the fear of an attack no longer a threat to the men, they traveled with a feeling of security, which they had not felt in a very long time. For the next several days the men rode along the road in relative silence, as they made their way east to the crossroads. They had been traveling for less than a week, when people began to appear on the road, returning to their homes in the west. They cheered the warriors as they passed, having heard of the overwhelming victory at Argnon, and waved to them before continuing on their way. More and more people began to appear on the road as they drew closer to the more occupied, lands, and the cheers grew louder the farther east that they went.
It was well before midday, when Menimeth and the last of the warriors from Argnon reached the great crossroads of the empire. From here they would turn south, but not without an addition to the party it seemed. Chanry and Brylen sat in the middle of the crossroads, and waited for Menimeth to reach them. Brylen was not wearing any armor, but he did carry a sword strapped to his side. He escorted Chanry, though he did not look like the protector, but rather the protected. Chanry was dressed in his armor, with his Elvin knife and short sword strapped to his side, and Da'Thintahar slung across his back. He carried his Elvin bow, with a quiver of arrows with red feathers that were tied to Striders saddle, and he had a golden shield shaped like a dragon that chased its tail. His purple and gold cloak, which was held down by the very large sword he carried across his back, was almost identical
to the one that the dragon rider wore.
The boy looked like a smaller version of Menimeth, and the warriors of the realms, took notice. Unlike the men who trained at the garrison at Corlindum, the warriors of the realms had not seen the boys skills grow in the use of all of the weapons of war. Chanry smiled at Menimeth as he approached, and could barely control his excitement.
"We have been here all morning, Meni." Chanry said with a serious look, as the dragon rider reached them. "I didn't think you would ever get here."
"Well, I am here now." The dragon rider said, as he looked at the boy with affection.
"I am sorry sir, but he insisted on being here when you arrived, and since he is the heir to the throne, I could not allow him to wander off on his own." Brylen said. "But he is a hard one to keep up with, the two guards that were with us are still looking for him, and I am lucky to have found him before you arrived."