She broke eye-contact with the knight, who had been watching her with interest, as if her thoughts had played openly across her face. She calmed herself and glanced at the child to check on how he fared.
The fierce frown on his face surprised her and then she saw fear in his expression. His eyelids flew open.
“It’s a dragon!” Jack said. “She’s watching us.”
Sir Hugh put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “There is nothing out there, Jack. It is but your imagination. Your wish to see a dragon has made it alive in your mind.”
Jack stood. “No. She’s there. I swear it.”
Sir Hugh looked at Samara. “Could he be right?”
She was amazed by the boy’s certainty. All she’d sensed was a brooding presence. He seemed to not only pick up that it was a dragon but that it was a female. These are things her mother would have picked up, but then she had been a dragon speaker. And she’d given her scepter to Samara to give to Jack.
A gift for the boy.
She touched Jack’s hand and instantly received a vision of what he’d seen. Swallowing her shock at that swift transmission of thought, she met Sir Hugh’s gaze. “He’s right, and we’re in imminent danger.”
The knight stood and bellowed, “Innkeeper!”
In short order, everyone gathered, and a plan of where they could hide was decided upon. Each person was to only take the belongings they could carry and quietly leave the inn by the back door, past the kitchen.
The cool night air whispered danger as Samara stepped outdoors. The moment they passed her wards, that sense of fury she’d picked up on before, now overwhelmed her.
“Hurry,” she urged.
Noticing Sir Hugh lingering at the back of the crowd, she turned to him. “Why do you not come?”
“I want to stay, too,” Jack said.
“No,” Sir Hugh said. “I will distract the dragon while all of you escape.” He drew his sword. “Go with the witc...the sorceress, Jack. She will ensure your safety.”
“Will you save my horses?” the innkeeper asked, foolishly hurrying back to their side. “They are my livelihood. While I can re-build the inn, without the horses, I’ll have little of true value with which to barter.”
“Go!” Sir Hugh ordered.
Samara shook her head at the knight’s risk-taking. One man alone could not take out a giant raging beast.
His decision.
She herded the innkeeper and Jack after the rest of the crowd. Turning back once, she spotted Sir Hugh’s strong figure fade into the darkness to the right side of the inn, where the stable was located. He was going to save the horses for the innkeeper. A kind gesture that would likely get him killed. It might, however, as he intended, distract the dragon from their movements.
Thank heavens her father had the foresight to request the services of a knight. Perhaps he hadn’t doubted her abilities as much as wished to ensure that she and the boy return home safely.
Chapter 4
Crouched near the opening of a nearby cave, Samara waited alongside those hiding from the dragon. The beat of the wings came first and an angry bellow, then the creature swooped toward the inn.
Now her perception had switched from inward to out, she couldn’t stop herself worrying about everyone around her. The one who needed her services the most was clear.
“Jack, stay here. Do not move from this cave until I return. That goes for the rest of you.”
She glanced at the innkeeper and he took hold of the boy by his shoulders and gave her a firm nod of acknowledgement.
The innkeeper’s wife called after her, “Save Sir Hugh as well as our horses, my lady.”
So, even this married matron was not immune to the knight’s appeal.
Picturing the innkeeper’s wife’s ribbon being added to Sir Hugh’s colorful collection, Samara suppressed an irresistible grim and brushed off the dirt and grit sticking to her hands. Then, skirting behind the trunks of the ancient trees, she made her careful way back toward the inn. The stench of burning wood suggested the dragon had made its first strike.
A howl of rage filled the night, startling her. A sharp counterpoint to the snap and crackle of fire and timber crashing. Billowing smoke made it difficult to see. Then, within that dark flaming cloud, with a full moon behind it, she spotted a terrifying outline.
Her heart raced in fear as the dragon hovered over the inn, its wings beating in a loud tempo. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Its hind legs tore at the roof of the building.
“What is she doing?” a small voice asked.
Samara swung around to find Jack beside her. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve never seen a dragon before,” he said, sounding both awed and terrified. “Look.” He pointed toward the stables. “It’s Sir Hugh.”
Samara glanced back in time to see the knight on the slanted rooftop of the stables, skulking toward the distracted dragon. How could he think he was capable of killing that beast? The dragon was three times the size of the inn. All Sir Hugh’s sword was likely to do was nick its scales and anger it more.
The knight leaped into the air and landed on the dragon’s hind end. The startled beast turned with an angry growl just as the knight’s sword bit into its side. The beast screamed and lashed at him with its tail and missed. She then flew high up into the air, twirling, and Sir Hugh tumbled off.
Thankfully, the knight fell toward the thatched roof of the stables. It yielded with a whomp as he crashed through, sending up a scattering of straw and heather and reeds.
With a furious cry, the dragon swooped down from on high, making straight for the stables. Samara closed her eyes and focused. Drawing her power from the strength of the trees surrounding where they crouched and channeled that energy to the yews, boxwoods, elders and hawthorns around the stables, encouraging them to grow at an accelerated pace. Each tree expanded, stretched taller, and broader, and leaned over to cover the top of the stables in a thick protective canopy.
The dragon hit that magical shield and the branches sprang back flinging the beast into the air.
Jack crowed in delight.
Samara snapped her eyes open and slammed a hand across the boy’s mouth. She took him to the ground with her, partly because that swift and mighty use of magic had left her knees shaking.
Hopefully, distracted by that rebound, the dragon had not heard Jack’s cry. Samara wasn’t ready yet to deal it another sound blow. She needed a few moments to recover first. She felt as winded as that dragon looked.
The beast shook itself in the air, as if confused by what had just happened.
As it should be. The trees around the stables were back to their normal size and the roof appeared as delicate and easy to pierce as it must have seemed at first to the dragon.
The beast took a moment to consider, and then, perhaps deciding this situation too confusing, it retreated across the night sky.
“It lists,” Samara whispered to Jack, releasing him now the dragon was far enough away not to hear them. So, the knight’s stab had pierced the scales and injured it. No doubt that, too, had played a part in its decision to withdraw. Good.
“Come,” she said, getting to her feet. “Let’s go see if our brave knight survived his fall.”
They were buffeted by waves of heat as they skirted the burning inn. Coughing in the cloying smoke, they ran toward the stables. The knight stood outside its doors, observing the retreating form of the dragon.
“You injured her, sir,” Jack said, awe imbuing his tone. “That was a mighty leap onto her back. You looked just like an eagle flying through the air.”
“Were the trees your work?” Sir Hugh asked, glancing at Samara. Was that approval in his gaze?
“Yes,” Jack said before she could answer.
To her surprise, the boy’s admiration of current events seemed to lend itself to her deeds as well as his knight hero. “It was amazing how swiftly they grew and sprang back, sending the dragon flying through the air. How did you do t
hat, ma’am? I would like to learn how to do that.”
“I am sure my father will teach you all that and more,” Samara said. Surprisingly, she found she no longer resented the idea of taking this boy home. If her father wanted Jack, she suddenly wanted to ensure she took very good care of him.
She ruffled his hair. He wasn’t such a sorry lad.
“Couldn’t you teach me how to do that trick with the trees?” Jack asked. Persistent, too.
“First,” Sir Hugh said, drawing both their attentions, “we must put that fire out before it reaches the stables or spreads through the forest.”
They sent Jack to fetch the others. Soon the innkeeper and his family and servants arrived to form a line and lugged buckets of well water, splashing as much on the ground and themselves as onto the inn. That also helped keep everyone cool from the heat of the fire. Together, they worked hard, with Samara magically drawing water into the well until it overflowed.
Once the main fire was under control, they all scattered, running to the sides and back of the building. Shouts of encouragement rang through the night as everyone found and smothered rogue flames.
By the time the last of the spot fires were extinguished, the smoke had dissipated into the cold sky, making breathing a little less acrid and easier on the throat. The tired group gathered in the inn’s front courtyard to survey the damage. The roof was completely demolished, not only by the dragon’s fire, but also by its talons ripping into the building.
Jack, who had been helping as diligently as everyone else to put out the fires, now walked over to the kitchen maid and animatedly explained all he’d seen of the dragon attack. To be young and so energetic. Samara hardly had the strength to sit up.
“I’ve lost my inn and my horses,” the innkeeper said in a forlorn voice, coming over to Samara and Sir Hugh.
“The inn can be rebuilt,” Sir Hugh said. “As for your horses, they are alive and in the woods. I released them before the dragon attacked. It will take a bit of effort, but you should be able to retrieve them soon enough.
As exhausted as she was, seeing the innkeeper’s wife hug her dejected husband, Samara expended the last of her energy to whistle, adding a magical “come hither” call to the sound.
In the woods, the pounding of hoofs signaled the horses returning. A cry of joy went out from the innkeeper as he ran to greet his horses.
“Thank you,” his wife said to Samara before running after her husband.
Samara slumped back on the ground, exhausted, but also pleased to have cheered the couple.
“How do you fare?” Sir Hugh asked lying beside her. He looked as exhausted as she felt.
“Well enough.” Her gaze wandered over to the roof of the inn that the dragon had torn up before Sir Hugh jumped on it. “Did it seem to you that the dragon was searching for something at this inn?”
“Yes,” Sir Hugh said, with a wry laugh. “Searching for its night’s meal. No doubt, it regretted the absence of the owners and guests of the establishment.”
“Possibly. Yet, why did it take so long to attack? I sensed it was watching me earlier in the forest and waiting. Perhaps for those inside to flee before it came?”
Sir Hugh snorted. “The beast was hungry, and it saw an opportunity to raid the inn. That is all. Women,” he muttered. “You will render any animal worthy of human wit.”
His tone annoyed her. “I suppose you know all there is to know of women?” she asked. “I take leave to inform you, sir, that sleeping with a score of women does not render you intimately knowledgeable of their wants and needs.”
Under the moonlight, a gleam of humor crinkled his gaze. “I know enough,” he murmured suggestively.
He rose to rest on his elbows and leisurely, with blatant desire, studied her body encased in a soaked and soot covered dress. “Ask me when we’re alone,” he said, “and I will be happy to show you all I know of women's needs and wants.”
The comment and his shamelessly seductive glance left her flabbergasted and wanting to laugh in wonder. “I think you would bed a filthy chimney sweep,” she said, “if the sweep were female and willing.”
“Is this sweep as pretty as you?” he asked.
She hoped her face was covered in enough soot to hide the blush that flamed her cheeks. “I cannot believe that in the midst of this disaster, you are contemplating bedding me, sir. Is that all you think women are good for?”
“Not at all,” he answered with a serious expression. “That is, however, the most enjoyable activity to engage with a woman.” His unrepentant grin had her shaking her head.
“Sir Hugh, if you recall, it is this penchant of yours for seducing women that landed you with this child-minding detail. This experience should have taught you a valuable lesson about when and with whom to take your pleasure.”
“Hmm…” Sir Hugh said, lying back down and lifting one hand to count off on his fingers. “One, this child-minding detail allowed me the opportunity to fight a dragon. Two, it has given me an opportunity to take pleasure with the most seductive woman. And three…”
“I take leave to quibble with number two please,” she interrupted.
He laughed, a warm enticing sound. “With what do you wish to quibble, my beautiful princess? My estimation of how seductive I find you or my assumption that I will find our eventual coupling pleasurable?”
She sat up and hugged her knees, her body warmed uncomfortably by both suggestions. Knowing his character flaw should have had a repressive impact on her unwelcome physical reaction to this knight. Apparently, it did the opposite.
Jack trudged over to where Samara and Sir Hugh were sprawled and flopped down beside her. He looked exhausted and as filthy as the rest of the inn’s guests and keepers. Samara looked at him fondly. She was proud of his hard work in helping to put out the fire. The boy had a good character. Her father would like him.
“Ready to turn in?” she asked the child.
“I am,” Sir Hugh said quietly beside her, but that teasing light in his eyes promised more than just sleep, if she would consent.
Did the man never give up? If he didn’t stop soon, she worried she might give in.
“No!” Jack said, sitting up. “I want to know how you changed the trees first.”
Jack looked ready to keel over, but his mind obviously had other plans. He might make a good king after all. Like her father, he was able to remain focused on a topic that mattered to him no matter his physical needs.
“You did promise to tell him,” Sir Hugh reminded her.
Samara nodded to both. They were right. Besides, the talk might calm Jack enough so he could sleep tonight. “Changing the shape of things is tricky, whether through a spell or done naturally.”
She indicated the burnt-out remains of the inn. “It took a lot of force to bring the shape of that inn down to these charred remains. In the process, a great deal of smoke was released. The earth beneath us heated and burned. Everything is affected when the shape of an object is altered. Air, water, earth. It’s the same with a transformation spell, not easy or particularly safe to do.”
“Then, why did you use it?” Jack asked.
“I had no choice. If I hadn’t, Sir Hugh here might have ended up as the dragon’s dinner.” She sent the knight a side glance. “In fact, he has yet to thank me for his rescue.”
Sir Hugh grinned without replying, then winked as if he had plans to thank her later, in private.
Samara went hot all over again. She forcefully relaxed her tensed shoulders, stomach, and thigh muscles. Looking down showed her toes were curled tightly, too. She straightened them before they cramped.
Go away, she silently pleaded to the knight.
“What changed when you cast the tree spell?” Jack asked, thankfully drawing Samara’s thoughts away from the dangerously passionate trail they wandered.
“I only saw the trees by the stables grow, bend and then spring back,” Sir Hugh added.
Jack moved to sit in front of her, all a
ttention.
“I drew power and material from the trees surrounding where we were,” she told him, keeping her eyes firmly on the boy. “If you had looked around, you would have noticed how much shorter, narrower, and weaker they’d become as a result of my providing a bigger shield around the barn.”
“Oh,” Jack said, his frown and gaze staring off into the distance suggesting he was thinking through her explanation.
“Now that’s all explained, where should we sleep tonight?” Sir Hugh asked, getting to his feet. The talk of spells and their workings might interest Jack but obvious had an adverse impact on the knight’s attention.
A good reminder that a mortal man was not a good mate for a sorceress. The two of them would have nothing to discuss outside the bedchamber. Now that the life she had planned had changed, she needed to forge a new one. That new life would not include an amorous knight who found any talk of magic, boring. Every time they disagreed; he would likely insult her by calling her a witch again.
No. Unacceptable.
Once she took Jack home, she needed to design a new role for herself. Hopefully a role that would allow her to stay in her father’s kingdom, her home, and not be viewed as a threat to the next sorcerer king.
“We can no longer sleep at the inn,” Sir Hugh said, stretching languorously as he looked about.
Unable to look away, Samara had to admit, he was a most handsome man.
“The stable is too dangerous to use,” he continued. “With the horses back in there, the dragon might return. We’d best camp out in that nearby cave.”
All business now, he went off saying he would consult with the innkeeper about sleeping arrangements.
A crowded cave suited Samara just fine.
Jack tugged at her skirt.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Do you think the dragon will return?”
“It might. Whatever it was looking for, it didn’t have time to complete its search.”
Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology Page 149
