“How?” Rochelle asked.
“I can’t tell you,” Drake answered seriously.
“Why not?” Mellody demanded, glaring at him. “No secrets, Drake.”
“One or two secrets, Mel. There are things about me that you aren’t ready to learn yet. Things that you really don’t want to know.”
“No. Secrets. Drake,” Mellody growled in a harsh tone.
Drake folded his napkin and placed it beside his plate. “This is a secret that will have to wait to be shared. I’ll meet you in Blue Ridge.” With that Drake was gone; vanishing from their suite to appear in the stables while his three friends gaped in silent amazement at the chair he had been sitting in.
Mellody stood and walked over to his chair and ran her fingers across the back. She whispered, “Be careful, Drake,” then broke down crying in Rochelle’s arms.
* * *
Drake pushed his horse mercilessly until they were well away from Mount Royal. Once he was far enough away that he felt safe from observation, he started looking around for a place to change. He soon found a grove of trees that gave way to a clearing bordered by yet another grove. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do.
Tying the horse tightly to a tree, Drake walked fifty paces before he began to glow. Cloth tore and fell to the ground as Amberdrake spread his wings over the land of Vernardia for the first time.
A quick twist and pounce, and the poor horse joined a long list of its predecessors in Amberdrake’s stomach. Then he took to the air, flying faster than any bird ever dreamt of, and scanned the land below for a more substantial meal. A herd of feral cattle soon joined the horse, and the sated dragon flew on unnoticed.
Amberdrake saw the fires below the city of Blue Ridge and circled, his keen vision making out the markings of the Bresardian army clearly in the flickering light. They had left a path of destruction in their wake that almost caused him to attack in draconian form, but a desire to remain with Mellody made him land near a deserted farm and return to human form instead.
Magic once again clothed him in army robes, and he quickly walked toward the attacking army. Once he cleared the tree line he called bright golden light to surround himself, drawing the attention of the invaders.
Crawn was summoned as soon as Drake was seen. -{So, the Adept. Pity. I had looked forward to the hunt.}- With that the Ocellen stalked forward to meet Drake in clear view of both sides.
Drake saw the creature just as the east was beginning to brighten. He stopped, puzzled for a moment, and then identified it. The Ocellen continued to advance as the sun rose to illuminate their battlefield.
When the Ocellen was twenty paces away, Drake asked, “What are you doing here? There are no Ocellen in Vernardia.”
Crawn stopped and looked at the human. -{Long ago there were,}- he answered, snarling.
Drake tilted his head to the side as he considered the Ocellen’s assertion. “Far in the distant past, perhaps. What brings you here now?”
-{I have come to reclaim what once was ours. Long ago this was our land. Our place. Then Lady Vern came with her human followers. She slaughtered us, driving us into the sea, never to return. But some survived in the Mountains of Bresard, and the story of our lost home has been passed down, generation upon generation, until the time was right to take it back.}-
Drake looked beyond the Ocellen to the Bresardian army and lifted his chin. “And them?”
-{Tools, nothing more.}-
Drake nodded. The sun had peeked over the horizon as they talked and the Ocellen seemed to be waiting for something. “What do you intend to do? I’ll do whatever it takes to stop you.”
Crawn hissed angrily and slashed at Drake, intending to shred him with his magical claws as the Vernardians watched, but his attack slid harmlessly off Drake’s shields. -{I’ll slaughter you, human, and my allies will see that I am the most powerful. From here we shall take back all of Vernardia.}-
Drake shook his head slowly back and forth. “Sorry, I can’t let that happen. I have plans of my own for Vernardia and its people. I don’t want to destroy you if I don’t have to. Can’t we reach some compromise?”
Crawn slashed at Drake once again in answer, and Drake raised his arms. A whirlwind quickly engulfed them. The wind picked up dust and dirt, leaves and twigs, and then expanded to leave a cleared space in the center where Drake and Crawn stood facing one another. The wall of debris was hiding them from the eyes of the people of Blue Ridge and the Bresardian army as well.
Crawn looked around and hissed his displeasure, striking repeatedly at Drake but having no effect. His confusion was evident. It was if he couldn’t understand how Drake could withstand his attacks.
Drake let the corner of his mouth rise in wry amusement. He knew that no human could stand against an Ocellen. Not even the most powerful human Adept could withstand even one exchange against any Ocellen. But Drake wasn’t a human Adept. Bright golden light once again shrouded Drake for an instant.
When the light faded, the human was gone. In his place stood a fully-grown male dragon, and Amberdrake grinned down at the big cat.
As his head slowly rose to look up at the dragon, Crawn could only say one thing; -{Oh, scat, this is going to hurt.}-
* * *
The watchers from both sides strained to see what was happening, but aside from some light that shown briefly, no details could be made out through the wall of wind and dust. Then the wind died to reveal the human standing next to a charred hole that had been blasted into the ground.
The people of Blue Ridge sent up a cheer, and the Bresardian soldiers cowered back in terror. The invincible Ocellen had been defeated.
General Boatwright ordered his men to attack, but Drake attacked first, blasting at the Bresardians with power bolts that sent fountains of soil fifty feet into the sky where they hit. Thunder claps drove men to their knees in pain as they clasped their hands over their ears. Men screamed in terror and broke ranks, running back toward Bresardia as Drake pursued them. Horses went mad and bolted toward the west as the scent of a hunting dragon reached their nostrils, dragging their riders or wagons away.
All the while Drake simply walked forward, encouraging the Bresardians to further feats of speed whenever they began to falter.
* * *
The leading elements of the Vernardian army reached Blue Ridge sixteen days later, and the tale of Drake’s second rout of the Bresardian Army was quickly sent to Mount Royal. General Preston led his men in the Bresardians’ wake, his eyes haunted by the devastation they had left during their rampage, and finally caught up with Drake on the cliffs overlooking the Bresardian Channel port of Laviston.
Drake saw Mellody riding at General Preston’s side and smiled. She looks terrible. Her hair was a mess, and dark circles shadowed both of her lovely eyes…and she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
Mellody was out of her saddle and into his arms in an instant. Their kiss lasted an eternity, but then something made her draw back. “Drake, what is—?” she asked, looking at a lump that was moving under Drake’s robe.
Drake smiled and displayed the creature that had been struggling to get out from between them. An angry little ball of tan fur with black spots and stripes blinked owlishly at Mellody, then meowed and attacked Drake’s hand, gnawing on his thumb and growling in its most ferocious fashion. Drake’s smile turned into a chuckle as the kitten did battle with its most persistent foe.
“Darling, I found a kitten. Can I keep it?”
Chapter 13
THE VERNARDIAN ARMY SET UP AN encampment on the cliffs overlooking Laviston. Word had come that Queen Rochelle was at last willing to listen to her advisors and seize the Bresardian continental province. More troops were on their way to begin the occupation and pacification of the province. It had been decided that simply defending Vernardia from King Malcolm was not going to work. It was time to take the fight to Bresardia.
Mellody and Drake spent a week with the Army before turning everything over
to General Preston and heading home to Blue Ridge. They were joined by a ten-man honor guard of troops that General Preston had insisted on sending with them as they traveled back to the seat of the Carstairs lands.
* * *
The town of Woodhead sat on the border between Vernardia and Bresardia. Drake and Mellody were both angered by the wanton destruction the Bresardian Army had done on their initial rampage into Vernardia. At first the people of Woodhead were cautiously welcoming of the Vernardian soldiers. Then the captain introduced Drake and Mellody. Upon discovering the identity of their guests, the people of Woodhead prevailed upon their lord and lady to stay the night, though they could offer but poor hospitality after the Bresardian’s depredations.
Drake nodded politely as Mellody introduced him to Norm Hastings, the Mayor of Woodhead. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mayor Hastings.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Lord Drake,” the mayor said softly. His head was bandaged, and he appeared to have lost some teeth. “May I offer you the hospitality of my home?”
“We are pleased to accept, Mayor Hastings,” Mellody said before Drake could turn him down.
The mayor smiled and turned to lead the way. “The Bresardians thoroughly raided us, but we’ve received a good portion of relief from Blue Ridge and the other towns to the south. Please forgive us, for the fare is plain, but it’s the best that we’ve received.”
Drake smiled softly as he bowed and said, “I’m sure it will be fine, Mayor Hastings.”
The mayor led them to a large stone and timber house near the center of town. It had suffered some fire damage, but still appeared sound. A solid-looking woman met them at the door, and the mayor introduced her. “Lord Drake, Lady Mellody, may I please present my wife, Bernice.”
Bernice Hastings did an elegant curtsey as she bowed her head to her overlord. “Welcome to our home, Lord Drake and Lady Mellody.”
“We are honored by your hospitality, Madame Hastings,” Mellody replied, returning the curtsey. Drake bowed without prompting, and Bernice led them into her home.
A servant quickly appeared with a tray of glasses and a decanter of wine, and Bernice poured for all of them. When Drake received his glass, he nodded deeply. “For the welcome we have received under your roof, we are truly grateful,” he said formally.
“It is we who are grateful, Lord Drake,” Mayor Hastings replied. “You have delivered us once again from the Bresardian attack.”
“And this time there will be no repeat,” Mellody said softly. “Queen Rochelle is not going to relent until King Malcolm accepts his defeat.”
The mayor nodded. “So the army informed us as they marched past.” He paused and looked closely at Mellody. “As I understand it, there’s no longer going to be a Bresardian continental province. Vernardia is claiming it all as spoils of war. That’s going to cause some problems with the locals. The people of the province consider themselves to be Bresardians and are going to object to becoming Vernardians.”
Mellody’s eyes narrowed. “They may object all they wish, but those lands are now Vernardian. And not only that, but they are our lands. Queen Rochelle has decided to return those lands to the Carstairs holding, essentially doubling it.”
“We get to tame these lands?” Drake asked with a grimace.
“We do indeed. There was something of an uproar in the Court when the queen announced her decision.” Mellody smiled at Drake, then transferred her attention to their hosts. “Mayor Hastings, you will be called upon in the near future to expand Woodhead’s influence into the former Bresardian territory.”
The mayor nodded deeply, though he had a worried expression on his face. “If that is your wish, Lady Mellody. There may be trouble though. We’ve never enjoyed a friendly relationship with the Bresardians over there.”
“They are Vernardians now,” Mellody said tightly, “and you will be the only commoner with an acknowledged rank in the area. As of the time that we captured the area, all town councils were dissolved. We, and we alone, will approve new councils.”
The mayor nodded and turned the conversation away from the subject. “Lord Drake, when the Bresardian Army passed through they had a Mage with them that was supposedly invincible. How was it that you were able to rout them so thoroughly?”
Drake smiled and reached into his robe to scratch the kitten’s ears. “He was very powerful, but not invincible. It took all I had, but I was able to defeat him. It was unfortunate that I had to destroy him to do it.”
The mayor nodded. “Indeed, though I don’t know if I would call it unfortunate. Without the possibility of his return the Bresardians may not have the stomach to try us again.”
“Perhaps not, perhaps so. King Malcolm still has to capitulate,” Mellody said softly, and then turned to look at the servant that had entered the room.
“Master Norm, dinner is served,” the man said softly, then stepped aside and held the door.
Mayor Hastings bowed to Drake and Mellody. “If you would precede us, Lord and Lady Carstairs,” he said with a bow and sweep of his arm, “we’ll see what my cook has been able to come up with.”
Drake and Mellody followed the servant into the dining room and allowed themselves to be escorted to seats on opposite sides of the table. Norm and Bernice took the head and foot of the table.
As soon as everyone was seated the servers entered and began. Drake and Mellody were treated to a good meal of sliced beef in thick brown gravy, hard-crusted sourdough rolls, and sweet butter. Bernice kept glancing at Mellody and Drake, and the worried expression in her eyes finally made Mellody say something.
“Bernice, you needn’t worry about the meal. We understand the circumstances. And please remember that we have both been part of the Army for quite some time.” Mellody smiled and almost chuckled.
Bernice ducked her head in embarrassment. “Yes, Lady Mellody. Still, I’m embarrassed to serve such a meal to our overlord. It isn’t fitting.”
Drake chuckled and wiped his mouth. “Bernice, I’m not nobly born. I’m a commoner from the far north, and this is much more to my taste than the fancy food served in court. Honestly, it’s a good thing I can Heal myself. Otherwise I’d probably have spent every night in Mount Royal with a bellyache.”
Bernice smiled at that and they finished the meal in a much more relaxed atmosphere. When the meal was through, Drake said, “Mayor Hastings, let me see to your injuries.”
The mayor glanced at his wife and received an encouraging nod, so he bowed to Drake. A simple touch on the hand was all it took.
“You can remove the bandages now. And your teeth are as they should be.” Norm and Berniece both looked at Drake with awed expressions on their faces.
Drake and Mellody accepted a room in the mayor’s house and left in the morning to continue on to Blue Ridge.
* * *
Blue Ridge, the capital city of the Carstairs lands, sat on a real ridge of blue-tinted granite that had been thrust up by geologic forces in ages past. A short wall topped the ridge to provide defenders with cover, but no enemy had ever tried the northern approach. To the south, the city was bounded by the deep, fast-flowing Carstairs River, providing yet another all but impassible barrier. East and west were the only approaches where an enemy could hope to successfully attack and the walls on those two approaches stood twenty feet tall and nearly as thick. Made of rock quarried from the granite of the ridge, they had never been breached.
Drake and Mellody rode through the west gate under the watchful eyes of a score of guardsmen. A sergeant of the city guard stepped out and addressed the leader of the soldiers who were escorting them.
“Your pardon, Captain, but who are you escorting?”
The captain didn’t slow his horse as he answered. “Lord Drake and Lady Mellody. Why don’t you send a runner ahead to the estate?”
The sergeant stepped back and quickly went to one knee. “Lord Drake, Lady Mellody, welcome home! Welcome home indeed!” he shouted. Those close enough to hear him shout
ed even louder, and a cheer went up from the people near the gate.
The identity of the visitors flew through the city with the speed of gossip, and soon the road to the Carstairs Estate was lined by people straining to see their savior and overlord.
The soldiers split into twin columns, leaving Drake and Mellody alone in the center of the street. The captain had a self-satisfied grin on his face as he led the way to the estate. As the cheering spread, so did his grin.
The ride through the center of Blue Ridge to the estate was not a short one. The streets of Blue Ridge hadn’t been laid out by anyone. They had grown like melon vines, following no discernable pattern, as the city grew. The twists and turns had Drake thoroughly confused in short order, but Mellody smiled brightly as she watched the familiar buildings pass by.
Drake’s first sight of the Carstairs Estate left him speechless. A high wall of finely dressed blue granite blocks curved off to the left and right of the gate that was centered on the road they were following. The gate stood open, and he could see a massive building that he could only call a castle surrounded by assorted outbuildings.
Mellody saw his expression and patted his leg. “It was the original city and fortress from the founding. When the city expanded, my ancestors had everyone move out. We still maintain the fortress as a defensible position, but there hasn’t been room for everyone inside the walls for hundreds of years.”
Drake nodded, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have the words to describe how impressed he was. This estate, their home, was as big as Chanders had been when he was a boy.
A group of people was filing out of the fortress to take up positions by the road as they rode in. The captain led his men off to the side to allow Drake and Mellody to take the lead.
Mellody led Drake to where a distinguished looking older man stood and dismounted. “Gavin, it’s so good to see you again,” she said as she dismounted and stepped into his embrace.
“Ah, Lady Mel, it’s good to have you home again. So good to have you home,” Gavin said softly as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Easing his embrace, he pulled back a little. He whispered, “You’re being rude, child.”
The Chronicles of Amberdrake Page 11
