“I won’t get hurt,” he pleaded. “I won’t get in the way. I can help, really I can.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Kelvich. “Do the boy some good to get out of the city. And we’ll be with the army, nothing better to teach a young boy discipline than the army.”
“Are you all insane?” Miriam asked, aghast. “He’s only a boy, and you are going to fight a dragon. He won’t be able to outrun flames or hide from a beast that can rip the roof off a house.”
“He could be a liaison between us and the other groups of soldiers,” Zollin said.
“Will you do what you’re told?” Brianna asked. “As soon as you’re told to do it?”
“Yes, I promise,” Jax said hopefully.
“Even if we tell you to run from danger?”
“Yes!”
“Alright, you can come,” Brianna said. “But you stay with Zollin and me, do you understand? I don’t want you spending too much time with the soldiers.”
“I can’t believe this,” Miriam said. “You all take too much for granted.”
She stood up and left the table.
“I guess she isn’t too keen on the idea,” Zollin said.
“This whole mission is a fool’s errand,” Kelvich said. “But I have a feeling about you, Jax. You might just be the edge we need to see this thing through.”
“Yahoo!” Jax shouted. “I’m going to get my things.”
He ran out of the house before anyone could stop him.
“He’ll need a horse,” Kelvich said.
“I’ll speak to Miriam about it,” Zollin said.
“She may never forgive you for taking him,” Brianna said.
“I know,” Zollin replied, “but he doesn’t have anyone. His parents were killed, and he was left to fend for himself. He could have turned to crime or begging, but instead he has worked hard. He knows almost every shop owner and inn keeper in the city. He’s resourceful and he deserves a chance to make a life for himself.”
“You think chasing down a dragon is the kind of life he deserves?” Brianna asked.
“No, but I think he’s earned the right to say what he’ll do with his life. If he wants to spend it fighting for his country, then I’ll let him. I need more food.”
Zollin stood up and refilled his bowl and then filled Kelvich and Brianna in on the army’s plans while he ate. Brianna went straight to bed after dinner. She enjoyed having a real bed to sleep in again. Kelvich and Zollin sat by the fireplace, which was dark since the weather was warm. They sipped wine and talked about all that had happened since they had parted ways in Brighton’s Gate.
“You know,” Kelvich said. “There’s a chance you can’t beat the dragon.”
“I know,” Zollin said.
“We need to be careful.”
“I will be.”
“And you need to make sure that Hausey holds up his end of this arrangement. I would never have thought that he would have treated you the way he did today.”
“I think he’s trustworthy, it’s the other officers I don’t trust. Most of them are noble born and have been given command due to their family’s influence rather than their accomplishments.”
“That may be true, but we’re putting out lives in their hands,” Kelvich said.
“Yes, well, we don’t really have a choice.”
“No, we don’t,” Kelvich said. “I don’t feel good about this.”
“What? Us going to fight a real, live, fire breathing dragon? You’d be crazy if you did.”
“Why did you agree to do it?” Kelvich asked. “You’ll only draw attention to yourself, and the Torr hasn’t given up on bringing you into their fold. They’ll never give up on that. In fact, the Council of Kings will probably be talking about exactly how to do that very soon.”
“I can’t help what the Torr does, or the Council of Kings. I can only do what I can do. And what I can’t do is turn my back on the people who have been run out of their villages and farms by a dragon that I may be responsible for.”
“You aren’t responsible for the dragon, Zollin.”
“How do you know that? You said I would wake up the magical world. Well, I saw creatures in Peddinggar Forest that I thought only existed in children’s stories and nightmares.”
“There are good things in the magical world and there are bad things. You can’t have one without the other. Take this wine: in moderation it gives us strength and keeps us healthy, but if you drink too much, it can ruin your health and cause you to lose all reason. Would you ban all wine just because some people drink too much? Or what about this knife? It can cut my food and it has a hundred uses, but some people only see it as a weapon, as a way to hurt others. You take the good with the bad, my boy, that’s just the way the world is.”
“Perhaps, but the bad seems to outweigh the good in the magical world. Trolls, forest dryads, dragons; where are the good things from the magical world?”
“I’m looking at one right now,” Kelvich said, staring at Zollin.
Chapter 17
Morning came too early for Zollin. He was still tired and had trouble rousing himself. His mouth felt gummy and his eyes full of grit. The one upside to waking up was that he could eat again. He felt hollow, as if he hadn’t eaten in days. Kelvich had sausages cooking and Jax had already gotten them several loaves of soft bread. Zollin ate until he felt like he would pop and then gathered his things together.
Brianna felt better than she had the day before. Her body felt rested and back to normal after the shock of dislocating her shoulder. She ate a hearty breakfast, although no one could match Zollin’s appetite. She gathered her things and made sure that Jax had everything he needed. She had decided that she would keep her young ward busy and make sure he stayed safe.
Kelvich was ready to leave before he made breakfast, so he spent the rest of his time cleaning up after himself. Then they all went out in the early morning, when the sky was pink but the sun wasn’t yet visible, and mounted the horses Miriam had gotten ready for them. Zollin was on a large horse, as was Kelvich. Both mounts were trained to be war horses. Brianna was still riding Lilly, the mare that Zollin had won in a bet with a traveling illusionist. Lilly had been thin and tired when he’d won her, but soon she had grown strong under Zollin’s loving care. When Zollin and Brianna had fled Tranaugh Shire with Quinn and Mansel, Brianna had ridden Lilly. They had been together through all their adventures, and Brianna saw no reason to change things now. Jax was riding a small gelding that was fast and strong. It was also much shorter than the destriers that Zollin and Kelvich were riding, but the gelding didn’t need a strong hand to control him and he could keep up a fast pace much longer than the other horses.
“Check his hooves every day,” Miriam was telling Jax, “just like I taught you. Take good care of your horse and he’ll take care of you. And please be careful,” she pleaded. “I want you back here safe and sound.”
“I will,” he said, smiling widely.
“I’ll keep a good eye on him,” Brianna said.
“Alright, we’re all ready,” Zollin said. “Miriam, thank you again for your hospitality.”
“You’re always welcome here,” she said; although her face was passive, he could see the emotions she was struggling with in her eyes.
“Let’s go,” Kelvich said, and they rode out of Miriam’s small corral.
The city was just beginning to stir. There were people sleeping in the streets, and the smells of early morning baking began to override the stench of trash. When they arrived at the fort they found two centuries, or hundred men groups, mounted and ready to leave. There was a supply wagon that was loaded with simple robes that would be used to disguise the soldiers as religious practitioners. There was also a good supply of lead that Zollin would use to transmute into gold and lure the dragon to them. Several other wagons stood ready as well, these were laden with food and medical supplies. Commander Hausey met them at the gates, leading a white stallion that tossed its hea
d impatiently, tugging on the reins, but Hausey held him fast.
“Good morning,” the commander called.
“Well met,” Kelvich replied.
“All is ready now that you are here, shall we proceed?”
“Yes,” Zollin said.
They sat on their horses and watched the soldiers parade out of the fort. The cavalry soldiers had traded their lances for throwing spears, and everyone had longbows with fat quivers full of arrows.
Zollin looked over at Brianna, she had the recurve bow unstrung in a specially made sling that hung from her saddle. She also had a quiver of arrows, but there were less than two dozen. Zollin made a mental note to make sure she had plenty of arrows. They rode out after the last of the wagons rumbled past. The sun was bright, but there were clouds moving up from the south. The temperature rose dramatically and sapped all their strength.
Zollin led his little group around the army’s long parade. They rode across fields that were used for growing hay for the legion at Felson. Mosquitoes attacked in swarms, and by early afternoon, everyone was exhausted and miserable. Jax was the only exception, he seemed unaffected by the heat and immune to the mosquitoes.
He jumped off his horse and quickly made sure everyone else had food. The army had taken a break to rest their horses and eat. Commander Hausey ate with the other officers under a large oak, while the soldiers sat in the shadow of their horses. They walked the rest of the afternoon, and just before dark, the clouds caught up with them. Tents were erected and fires kindled. Zollin had a large tent, as did the other officers. It was big enough for them to all sleep in, but Zollin insisted that someone keep watch.
“That’s a little redundant, isn’t it?” Kelvich asked. “The army will have sentries posted.”
“True, but if the dragon attacks, I want someone awake who can warn us. We’ll be an afterthought to the army.”
“Alright, I volunteer to go last. I’m an early riser anyway,” the old sorcerer said.
“Why don’t Jax and I take the first watch?” Brianna said. “He can help keep me awake.”
“Okay,” Jax said.
“That’s fine,” Zollin agreed. In truth, he would have liked to be the one standing watch with Brianna. He was tired, but he missed their quiet conversations around the fire when they were traveling to Felson. Now they were always with other people and Zollin felt like he needed to hide his feelings.
“It might rain,” he warned them. “Have you got dry clothes you can change into?”
Brianna nodded and so did Jax, the boy laid his change of clothes neatly on the bedroll. Miriam had made sure that Jax had a clean set of clothes and that they were well mended. Most of Jax’s clothing consisted of mismatched garments and hand-me-downs from people who no longer needed them. The boy wore sandals instead of shoes, and Zollin planned to prepare the boys some proper clothes when he had the time.
After they ate their supper, which was the last of the food that Miriam had sent with them, bread and cheese, dried meat and a few apples, Kelvich went immediately to sleep. Zollin set about making a small bow for Jax, which didn’t take long. Brianna and Jax practiced their shooting while Zollin rested. When the fire died down, Zollin moved into the tent with Kelvich and tried to sleep. He was exhausted, but his mind just wouldn’t calm down enough for him to rest. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something might happen to Brianna. Their relationship was still strained, but he thought if he could just spend some time with her, they might be able to mend things.
The rain that night started softly. Jax and Brianna had constructed a crude little awning to keep the worst of the weather off of them. They propped fallen branches together and laid more leafy branches on top to form a barrier that was relatively dry. The fire was just embers and it snapped and hissed as the rain fell on it. Zollin was lulled to sleep by the sound of the rain pattering on the tent. It was a soothing sound and there was thunder rolling softly in the distance.
His dreams were so peaceful. He saw Brianna riding away from him, the wind blowing through her dark hair, a look of unbridled happiness on her face. Zollin couldn’t see where she was going, but he was certain she was riding away from him. When Jax woke him to take his shift standing watch, Zollin was both tired and frustrated. He looked at Brianna as he stepped out into the rain. The drops were cold and his clothes were soon as damp as his spirits. She smiled at him, but it wasn’t the same passionate look he remembered. She was treating him like a friend and he wanted to be so much more than that. He had been more than that, but she had severed their connection. Their romance in Orrock had been playful and innocent. Zollin had taken things slowly, wanting to treat Brianna with honor and perhaps ask her to marry him when things in their lives settled down. Now he wished he had made his intentions more obvious.
“You good to stand watch?” Brianna asked.
“Fine, thanks,” he responded.
He watched her hurry back into the tent. He was squatting under the little shelter they had made. It was obvious that Jax and Brianna had bonded. That didn’t surprise Zollin. The boy’s excitement was infectious and, of course, who wouldn’t love to spend time with Brianna, he thought.
The rain was falling harder now, and the awning was leaking steadily. Zollin took a few moments and let his magic meld the wood and leaves into a solid roof. Then he dried the ground under the shelter. He sat on his heels and let his magic flow out into the night around them. They were camped in a field that had gone untended. There were scurrying creatures, mice and rabbits, searching through the darkness for food. Zollin could feel the soldiers, most of them were asleep. Their horses, too, neatly picketed and well cared for, weren’t very far away. They stood exposed to the rain, but Zollin sensed no distress from the animals.
He wondered if their plan would work. Would they be able to attract the dragon’s attention? Would they be able to wound the beast? Zollin didn’t know. His future was as dark as the night around him. He wondered what his father was doing. Surely he and Mansel had reached the coast by now. They would be sailing south, hurrying to outrun the Mezzlyn assassins. Zollin wanted them to succeed in their mission, but he feared what might happen if they had to fight the fabled killers. The Mezzlyn knew nothing of honor and let nothing stand in their way. The only way to stop them was to kill them, which wasn’t an easy task. The Mezzlyn were trained to survive and complete their task. They had no qualms about fleeing to fight another day or sacrificing themselves to keep from being captured.
Zollin shook all of those thoughts away, he had enough to focus on. He needed to find the ruins of Ornak and make sure they were ready to face the dragon. He would have to start transmuting their supply of lead into gold soon, a task that would drain his energy. That thought reminded him that he was hungry. He drank a little wine and ate some bread that was left over from their supper. It wasn’t a tasty meal, but it filled his stomach, which seemed to be unable to be satisfied lately.
The night passed quickly, and he woke Kelvich a few hours before dawn. He used his magic to dry his clothes rather than change. He rolled himself in his cloak and lay down next to Brianna. He could hear her steady breathing and just being close to her gave him a feeling of peace. He fell asleep quickly and was not bothered by bad dreams.
The rain followed them the next day, and they shivered in their wet clothes. Zollin did his best to help them. He heated rocks that they could hold to warm their hands. He took the dried rations the army gave them for lunch and made a quick stew so that they had a hot meal in their stomachs. He transmuted one of the army blankets into a good cloak for Jax and used some of the tack that the army carried to repair saddles and made the boy a pair of boots. Even in the cold rain, Jax maintained his joyful demeanor.
That night they camped in a wooded valley where a river ran in a winding path through the hills. Zollin once again constructed a waterproof shelter so that they did not have to sit in the rain. They kindled a bright but smoky fire. Zollin even walked through the army’s camp, usin
g his magic to start fires for the troops since the wood was so wet. That night he began turning the lead into gold. He planned to construct a statue from the gold, something that might actually pass for a religious symbol.
The next few days were similar to their first two. The humidity was high, so that even when it wasn’t raining, everyone was hot and uncomfortable. Still, they made it to their first destination without trouble. It was a town that had been destroyed by the dragon. Sir Hausey set up a base of operations there and left half of his troopers to man the outpost. The next day the rest of the army, now only one hundred men, left the base and followed Zollin and Kelvich as they led the way north. Two days later they arrived at the second checkpoint, a thickly wooded area where Sir Hausey set up a line of defense. They were only a few hours from the ruins at Ornak now. Hausey left twenty men hidden in the trees with orders to construct several ballistae, which were, in essence, very large crossbows. The weapons could be moved quickly out onto the hilltop, which was an open area, and used to hold back the dragon in case the remaining troops were forced to retreat.
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