by Avril Sabine
“Ah, a young man with ambition. That’s what I like to see.” Adalric clapped Fen on the shoulder. “Well, our stables are definitely the ones to see if that’s your desire. Midmorning?”
“I’ll see you then.”
A servant showed Fen to the front door where another servant held his horse’s reins. With a nod and a murmured thanks, he took the reins and walked down the gravelled drive. Ahead of him he could see the imposing gates at the entrance to the property.
“Fen,” the hissed word came from a tree outside the property.
“Ed?” Fen moved towards the tree.
“What happened after I left?”
Fen grinned. “Nothing at all to worry your pretty little head over.”
Edana punched Fen in the arm.
“Hey.” Fen rubbed his arm.
“That was for acting like my father.”
Fen laughed. “I thought for sure you were going to throw your dinner at him at one stage.”
“So did I.”
“And when he heard your boots, I thought he was going to explode on the spot.”
Edana giggled. “I usually remember to walk softly so they can’t hear my boots. I was so angry I forgot.”
“You always wear them?”
“I put my dress on over my usual gear.”
Fen laughed. “You’re certainly original. Hey, what’s with your ma?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. A few times I looked over at her and wondered if she’d turned to stone.”
“I obviously left a lot out when I was teaching you about etiquette and the royal class. That’s how a proper lady of the royal class must act.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. How do you survive it?”
“I don’t.”
There was silence between them and then Fen said, “I have to be back here by midmorning for a tour of the stables.”
“I have to be back before breakfast so my father can rake me over the coals before he turns me over to my tutors for the day. They drive me crazy. Who wants to learn a thousand different ways to ask someone how they are?”
“At least you’ll be old enough to go your own way eventually.”
Edana laughed bitterly. “How little you know. My father owns me until I’m twenty. He’ll marry me off before then. To some man who thinks like him, but he can control.”
“I won’t let him do that.”
“How can you stop him? He has my birth blood. There’s nowhere I can hide. I’ll see you at dawn.” Edana slipped into the shadows before Fen could reply.
Chapter Eleven
After the tour of the dragon stables, during which Adalric once again brought up moving River there, Fen made his way to the Eastern Dragon Stables. He checked there was enough water and put out more food.
“What do you reckon, River? What do you think of this place?” Fen rested his head against River’s neck.
An image of the fireplace River had slept near appeared in Fen’s mind. River looked at him mournfully.
“One day.” Fen gave River a pat before he stepped out of the pen.
“Dragon Lords don’t do the work of stableboys.”
Fen spun round to see Bertrisa, the woman who owned the stables, leaning against a wall. She had short, spiky blond hair, sharp blue eyes, a wide mouth that went well with her loud voice, and shoulders nearly as broad as a man’s.
“What about Mistresses of dragon stables? Shouldn’t they learn to leave the hard work to the stablehands?”
Bertrisa laughed and the sound filled the complex. “I’m eccentric. Everyone knows. They’ll call you stingy.”
“Or overprotective.”
Bertrisa shook her head. “Nope. Just cheap.” She nodded, pushed away from the wall, and whistled as she went into one of the nearby pens.
Fen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He didn’t need anything else to worry about. He shook his head and put it from his mind. He had other things planned for the day. Like a trip to the market. He needed a better pair of boots and more clothes with all the social events he’d been invited to. He couldn’t wear the same outfit every time. A waste of a day. He’d rather spend his time training River.
The market was in the middle of the town with the cobbled streets radiating out from it. The permanent stalls, brightly painted timber huts, were in the middle with a variety of goods from furniture to exotic fruits. The rest of the market encircled the permanent stalls. In the outer ring, some of the stalls were little more than a blanket on the ground with a handful of goods, the seller seated cross legged with their wares. Amongst it all wandered street entertainers, hoping to earn a few coins. The markets were filled with sounds and smells, all vying for attention.
Fen’s first stop was at a baker’s stall to buy a sticky bun, which he ate as he wandered through the secondhand stalls. A quick movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Rather than turn fully, Fen moved slightly so he could see.
Mouse, Fen thought to himself. What’s he doing here? Fen had expected to run into people from his old life, but hadn’t expected it to be Mouse.
The scrawny boy was dressed in ragged clothes, wore a floppy felt hat equally full of holes and had bare feet. He brushed against a woman at a stall who put her moneybag away. A red velvet drawstring style that bulged. Fen didn’t see Mouse take the bag, but by his movements, he guessed he had. Then Mouse moved on while the lady left the markets with her basket perched on her hip.
Fen threaded his way through the thin crowd in the market so he could keep Mouse in sight. He watched as Mouse bumped against one person, brushed against another and stumbled into a third.
“Oi, thief! He stole my knife,” a short, dark skinned man bellowed. A man behind Mouse turned and grabbed hold of him before he could run off.
Fen rapidly slid through the gathering crowd and arrived in time to hear one lady say, “Make him turn his pockets out. Has someone gone for the guard?”
Another called, “He deserves hanging. Don’t tolerate thieves around here or they’ll all think they can move in on us.”
Fen had to do something. He couldn’t let Mouse hang. He remembered what it had been like. Hunger, fear and Rhone’s walking stick keeping them in line. He took a deep breath, hoping he wasn’t making a big mistake. “His punishment is mine to choose.” Fen looked around at the crowd.
“And how do you figure that?” demanded the man who held Mouse.
Fen made the only claim he could think of. “Because I’ve tracked him through the crowd for the last few minutes trying to get close enough to grab him. He lifted my money bag.”
“I never. Never seen you ‘fore in me life,” Mouse protested.
Fen stared at him. “No, I guess you haven’t. It doesn’t take looking a man in the eye to rob him blind.”
There was a murmur of agreement through the crowd.
“How do we know you’re not working with him? You look a bit of a shifty one to me,” the dark skinned man demanded.
Fen smiled icily. “Since when does a Dragon Lord need to lower himself to petty theft in the market?”
“Hey, I know him. It’s the one with the wild dragon,” said a teenaged boy with a bad case of acne. “Tell us how you saved the dragon.” He nudged the sullen boy next to him. “You should have heard it. Real exciting.”
“That has nothing to do with what’s going on here,” a lady said sternly. Her glare made the boy step back.
“What is going on here?” demanded a guard. His hand rested lightly on the sword belted at his side.
“This thief stole my moneybag. It’s red velvet. I demand the satisfaction of dealing with him myself,” Fen said.
“I caught him. He took my knife,” the dark skinned man complained as he shook Mouse to show he was in his possession.
“I never. Just ’cause I’m not all sparkly clean, they think they can pick on me,” Mouse whined.
Fen recalled that tone. He remembered the desperate fee
ling that went with it. “Empty out his pockets and you’ll see I’m correct.”
“And who are you?” the guard demanded.
“Dragon Lord Fenton Walsh.” Fen was amazed at the difference his title made to the way the guard behaved. He was glad he’d followed Edana’s advice and used the title he was entitled to since he officially owned a dragon.
The guard turned to the dark skinned man. “And you?”
The man scowled. “Merchant Cadoc Cobbler.”
“Ah, a cobbler, that was on my list of things to do today.” Even if he hadn’t needed them, he still would have said he did in an effort to help Mouse’s cause. “Tell me, a sturdy pair of boots, good for around the dragon stables, good for riding in, what will you charge? I don’t have time to change boots every minute of the day. They need to be able to stand up to the rough treatment they’d get around a dragon,” Fen said.
“Well now, that sort of leather doesn’t come cheap,” Cadoc began.
“I realise,” Fen said. “Quality always has a price.”
“Please sir, can we deal with the matter at hand first?” the guard asked Fen.
“Yes, yes, of course. Empty out the thief’s pockets and you’ll see he’s mine to deal with. Give back the knife to the good merchant here and take whatever else to the guard house where people can claim it when they realise it’s gone,” Fen said.
“You’ll be over to order boots after this?” Cadoc asked Fen.
“Of course,” Fen said.
Cadoc nodded and turned to the guard. “I’m happy with that arrangement.”
The guard ignored Mouse’s protests and quickly found all the items hidden on him. As well as the knife and red velvet moneybag, there were several plain cotton moneybags, a few loose coins, a child’s bracelet and a half eaten bun.
Ignoring the whining and complaining from Mouse, Fen asked the guard, “Do you have a length of rope or leather to bind his hands? I don’t want him to run off before he gets the whipping he deserves.”
“Certainly sir.” The guard pulled a length of leather from his belt pouch and efficiently bound Mouse’s hands, leaving a piece long for Fen to hold. “He won’t get out of that none too fast. Is everything in hand now?”
Fen took the end of the leather. “Thank you. Everything’s fine.”
Most of the crowd had disappeared. Only Fen, Cadoc and the two teenage boys were left. The guard nodded briefly to the merchant, bowed slightly to Fen then continued his rounds of the market.
“What are the directions to your shop? I’d best deal with this one before we talk boots,” Fen said.
Cadoc gave directions before he strode off through the market. The two boys stayed.
“Can you tell us now?” the first boy asked. His sullen friend stood beside him with a bored expression.
“I have to deal with this scum.” Fen firmly gripped Mouse with one hand.
“I’ll hold him for you while you give him a flogging,” the boy offered eagerly.
“I have my own people for that.” Fen pulled a coin from his new moneybag and flipped it towards the boys. “The baker stall with the blue awning still has quite a large selection of sweet buns.” Fen nodded in the direction of the baker he’d visited earlier.
“Thanks. When can you tell us the story?” the boy persisted.
Fen grinned at him. “How about next time you see me about come and say hello. If I’ve got a few minutes I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Wow,” the boy breathed before he grabbed his mate and dashed off.
“I know who you are,” Mouse said when they were alone. “And if you think you’re flogging me I’ll be squealing to everyone. You’re no Dragon Lord.”
Chapter Twelve
Fen stared at him for a minute. “I guess it’ll have to be a hanging then.”
Mouse was quiet for barely a second and then he tried to run. Fen dragged him through the market as he kicked and cursed. Mouse managed a few good kicks to Fen’s shins but not hard enough to make him let go. He’d suffered worse. At the edge of the market, Fen grabbed Mouse by the throat and pulled him close.
“That was for your benefit. No proper thief goes to a flogging without a protest. Now quit your carrying on.”
“And what’s this for? You never pushed me round like this ‘afore,” Mouse whined.
“What else would make a thief settle down? A please and thank you wouldn’t. Now when I let you go, drop your head down and shuffle your feet. No more trying to get away. I can’t let you go in front of the whole town. Use your brain, Mouse.”
Mouse stared back at him sullenly. Stallholders around them pretended not to watch, but Fen knew they strained to hear the conversation. They’d have needed the ears of a dragon to hear the low growl he’d used.
“Do you understand? Are you going to come quietly now?” Fen made sure his voice was loud enough for the nearest stallholders to hear.
“Yes,” Mouse hissed.
With a nod, Fen released Mouse’s neck. He didn’t let go of the leather. Mouse rubbed his neck with his bound hands. Fen knew the rubbing was for effect. He hadn’t held Mouse that hard.
When they were well out of town Mouse began to whine about how far they’d walked. Fen ignored him. Mouse whined Fen could let him go. Still Fen ignored him.
“I’m not moving.” Mouse pulled back on the leather.
Fen gave a sharp pull and Mouse stumbled forward. “Not far now.”
“How far? And where we going? My feet hurt.” The whine crept back into Mouse’s voice.
“Oh, shut up Mouse.”
Mouse fell silent, except for the occasional moan. They finally came to a thick stand of trees and Fen tied Mouse to one of them.
“I thought you were going to let me go.”
“I will. In good time.” Fen sat down, leaned up against a tree near Mouse and closed his eyes.
“Hey. Don’t go sleeping while I’m tied to this tree.”
“Quiet.” Fen kept his eyes closed. He thought of River. He tried to call him in his mind. Minutes passed. Mouse moaned. Fen ignored him. He focused on River. A butterfly touch brushed his mind. A sense of concern washed over him.
Fen thought of Edana. He showed River her in her usual clothes and then in the widow’s outfit. Next he thought of the blood oath he’d signed and then visualised the blank parchment. He pictured where he was and sent a feeling of urgency to River.
River sent a wave of assurance before the butterfly touch was gone. Now he had to wait and hope Edana would understand. He kept his eyes closed a little longer, wanting to postpone the talk he needed to have with Mouse. Fen finally opened his eyes to stare at Mouse.
“What? Not sleepin’ now? What we waiting here for?”
“What were you doing in the market on a light day? Do you have a death wish?”
“Rhone sent me.”
“Why?”
“Getting too old.”
“He wants to get rid of you.”
Mouse nodded. “He said I was allowed the markets Firstday to Fifthday. Halfday and Restday belong to some of his other boys. Till I can show him a good haul, I don’t get my old grounds back. I nearly had it today. Then that merchant,” Mouse spat the word out, “had to ruin things.”
“How badly do you want to leave Rhone? If I can promise you work, food and clothes will you stay with me?” It would have been easier to advertise for a stablehand, but he had to do something with Mouse.
“What sort of work?” Mouse asked suspiciously.
“Stablehand.”
“I’m no one’s lackey.”
“Dragon stable.”
“Cor! You weren’t spinnin’ a story earlier? How’d that happen? Didn’t Rhone send you after a dragon? Didn’t he flog you for not getting one? How’s it you got one after all?”
“Mouse. Focus. Can you work for me as a dragon stableboy? I can offer you a better life than what Rhone offered, but you’ll have to sign a blood oath. No matter which choice you make today, a b
lood oath will be involved.”
“No way. Not chancing my blood boiling.” Mouse shook his head.
“You have exactly two choices. You hang or you take a blood oath. I’m not having you ruin my plans. I can’t have the wrong people finding out where I came from.”
“That’s lovely, that is. An old friend an’ all. What you want to kill me for? I won’t blab.”
Fen tried to ignore the need to shake Mouse. “I don’t want to kill you. And I won’t. I’ll hand you over to the town guards to execute. I don’t want to, but there are too many things at stake. I want you to take a blood oath. It’s quite simple and one day I’ll take it off you. There’ll be less chance of you dying from breaking it than living in Rhone’s dubious care.”
“Speak normal. Anyone’d think you were using a foreign language with some of the words you spit out.”
“Mouse. Quit stalling. I need you to make a choice. Blood oath or town guards?”
Edana came into the trees. “Oh, I don’t know. He doesn’t look worth the effort either way. I say we throw him in a sack with some rocks, tie it up tight and dump him in the river. Much less effort.” Her widow clothes prevented Mouse from seeing who she was.
“Blood oath,” Mouse squealed. “Keep her away from me. Never liked no widow women anyhow.”
Fen nodded. He moved over to Edana, hoping she’d brought the parchment with her. She had and quickly gave it to him.
“River gave me a fright when he caught me. I didn’t know he could reach that far. My tutor thought I was suddenly ill. So I guess it worked well, but don’t let him do that too often.”
Fen moved her further away from Mouse to make certain he couldn’t hear their softly spoken conversation, noticing Edana’s horse tied to a tree further away. “I had to do something. He’s from my old life. I can’t have stories getting back to Rhone yet. I’m not ready.” It took him only moments to tell Edana the basics.
Edana nodded. “Make sure you don’t write anything on this parchment you wouldn’t feel safe having another read. You remember how I worded it?” At Fen’s nod, Edana continued. “Here’s some more money. I was worried the problem was more complicated than River showed me.” She handed over a moneybag.