DRAGON AND THE DARK KNIGHT, THE

by Putney, Mary Jo

  “A dragon’s treasure is not cold metals and jewels, but the wisdom of the ages.” Ariane moved to the opposite wall and touched one of the scrolls that rested in a cubbyhole. “This came from the great Library of Alexandria, which was destroyed a thousand years ago. Dragons saved as many of the precious scrolls as they could. More than anything, dragons love learning. They are great scholars, but not gifted with original thinking. This is why they enjoy humans.”

  Awed, Kenrick touched the illuminated page of a book that lay open on one of the tables. Having met Lord Magnus, this kind of treasure seemed right and natural. Not baubles, but the wisdom of the ages. Lord William had been unable to imagine such treasure. “This illumination is exquisite.”

  “Thank you. It’s the best work I’ve done, I think.”

  He looked up, startled. Ariane appeared shy but pleased by his words. “You are the scribe who copied and illuminated this? Saints above!”

  Her gesture included the racks of scrolls. “Many of these are written in rare languages, a few forgotten by all but dragons. Lord Magnus reads the texts aloud, translating them as he goes, and I write down his words. I don’t have time for full illuminations, but I make a pretty title page for each book completed.”

  “You are amazing,” he breathed. “As learned as you are beautiful!”

  She cocked her head to one side. “You are not appalled at my learning?”

  “I envy it.” He paged through the book, which was written in Latin. “I read fairly well, but I’m not good at writing.”

  “Still, for a knight you are learned.”

  “I was schooled by the priest at the home where I fostered.” He thought back to the years to his boyhood, and how enthralled he had been by the priest’s knowledge. “I considered becoming a priest, but I didn’t think I would like the confinement of the life.” Besides, the church didn’t accept bastards into the priesthood.

  “It would have been a great waste if you had taken vows,” she murmured.

  The warm glow in her changeable eyes made his knees come near melting. There was timeless magic in this room, but the source was human, not dragon. More than anything on earth, he wanted to draw her into his arms, feel her warm body pressed against his. He settled for reaching out to touch her cheek. Her skin was delicate as silk against his rough fingertips. “I wish…”

  “You wish what?” she breathed when he didn’t continue.

  Before he could come up with words to express the yearning she roused in him, she raised one hand and tilted her head. “Grandfather is coming.”

  Kenrick dropped his hand. He could hear nothing. “You have excellent hearing.”

  “I don’t hear in the usual sense. Rather, I sense Lord Magnus’s approach in my mind.” She smiled a little apologetically. “I haven’t much dragon magic, but I can talk mind to mind with the dragonfolk. I’m even better at it than Grandfather. When he wishes to communicate with another dragon, I send and receive the messages for him.”

  “Perhaps by the standards of dragons, you have little magic, but by human standards, you are a sorceress.” He tossed his globe of light in the air and caught it again.

  Her expression froze and she turned away. Lord Magnus’s arrival gave her a good excuse. The dragon seemed to appear out of nowhere as he flew into the cavern from the tunnel. Once he was inside, he landed neatly in the open end of the cavern, then settled on the giant feather bed, looking as contented as a cat.

  “What do you think of my treasure trove, Ssir Kenrick?” Lord Magnus said as folded his wings against his body.

  “It’s wonderful!” Kenrick’s gesture encompassed the room. “But not, I think, what Lord William hopes to find.”

  “He has been told what manner of treasure was kept here, yet still he threatens us,” Ariane said harshly. “He judges everyone by his own greedy soul.”

  “Men blinded by the prospect of gold will believe what they want to believe.” Kenrick caught the dragon’s gaze. “You ask my help. What do you want me to do? I’m not sure that I have any abilities that would be of value.”

  Magnus breathed out a globe of light that floated to the roof of the cave and clung, illuminating the whole cavern. “You have lived in the world of lordss and kingss. You ssurely know great men. Do you think that an appeal to Penruth’ss overlord might help uss? If hiss overlord rebuked Penruth, the man might sstop ssending assassins.”

  Kenrick shook his head. “William of Penruth is sworn directly to the king. Edward will not intervene in a vassal’s affairs as long as Penruth is maintaining order and sending taxes to the royal treasury.”

  Ariane sighed. “That’s what I thought.”

  “But we had to assk,” her grandfather said. He fixed his silvery eyes on Kenrick. “Wait here while I change.”

  He rose and vanished around the corner of the tunnel. There was a flash of light. A minute later an elderly man walked into the chamber, tall and dignified in dark velvet robes. He had silver hair and Lord Magnus’s eyes.

  Ariane said, “You forgot your shoes, Grandfather.”

  He looked at his bare feet in mild surprise. “I’m out of practice.” After a small poof of light, his feet were covered with handsome leather boots.

  “You should feel honored, Sir Kenrick,” Ariane said as she seated herself on a bench. “Lord Magnus doesn’t change to human form without good reason.”

  “It is easier to converse man to man than dragon to man,” her grandfather said as he chose a seat.

  Kenrick sat as well. It was indeed easier to converse with a man than a dragon, though he noted that Lord Magnus’s teeth were in perfect condition, and rather pointed.

  “Penruth is unlikely to drop his persecution of you,” Kenrick said. “It costs him nothing to send knights errant. He will send them until one of them succeeds. Wouldn’t it be easier for you to move away to a safer place?”

  Magnus shook his massive head. “The age of dragons is almost over. There are few safe places left. I have been friends with the local villagers for many years. In particular, I have looked out for the fishing village of Tregarth, which is nearest. I have brought them food in times of famine, and kept trouble away. In return, they keep me informed of possible danger. In a new location, I will have no such support. Besides, Ariane has lived her whole life here. I will not take her away from her home.”

  “You know I will go anywhere with you.” Ariane’s face was pale.

  “You are a good and loyal child,” her grandfather said gently. “But you do not wish to move to a strange land.”

  “No,” she admitted. “But even less do I wish to see you killed in front of me!”

  If a mob came and attacked Magnus, the violence would spill over onto Ariane. That knowledge made Kenrick’s gut clench.

  Magnus said, “Ariane, earlier I noticed what a fine dinner you are preparing for us. Perhaps it needs your attention now?”

  She snorted. “You want to talk to our guest without my hearing.”

  Magnus smiled peacefully. “A man to man discussion is not out of place, child. We will join you soon.”

  She left the treasure room, her back stiff. Kenrick guessed that if she were a cat—or a dragon—her tail would be twitching.

  And a very pretty little tail she had, too….

  Chapter 7

  Once Ariane was out of sight, Magnus remarked, “The child is right, of course. I do wish to speak to you out of her earshot.”

  “Why?” Kenrick asked.

  “I want you to destroy Lord William,” Magnus said bluntly. “I dislike violence, which is why I asked if the king might intervene to stop this persecution. But you confirm what I feared: that a diplomatic solution will not work. Force must be used. You are a skilled and honorable warrior. You have the strength to defeat him.”

  “I could probably defeat Lord William in single combat, but he would never accept a challenge from me. I am a mere knight errant while he is a great lord. He would send his castle guard after me and I would be lucky
to escape with my life.” He frowned at Magnus. “There is obviously a feud between you and Penruth. I am not a political man, but I know that it would be folly to be caught between two angry lords.”

  “If you will not fight him for the sake of me and Ariane, will you do so on behalf of the people of Penruth?” Magnus said harshly. “I am convinced that Penruth is behind the attacks on his own villages. You fought the men who attacked Ariane. Did they seem like common thieves to you?”

  “They had the training and weapons of mercenaries,” Kenrick admitted. “But that doesn’t mean they were in Penruth’s pay.”

  “They knew enough about dragons to trap Ariane in human form with cold iron. Do you think any ordinary bandits would know so much about my kind?”

  Magnus’s words triggered the image of Ariane pinned down by that brute. The thought was even more disturbing now that Kenrick knew her. “You’re saying that Penruth taught the mercenaries about dragons. That suggests he knew enough to hire a dragon, perhaps a foreign one unknown to you and Lady Ariane, to take part in the raids. Then he hired those villains to finish the job. Do you think they came here to kill you?”

  “Perhaps. Four armed men would be more effective than a single knight.” Magnus frowned. “But I think they wanted to hunt for treasure, and attacking Ariane was a convenient amusement along the way.”

  Kenrick’s grip tightened on his crutch as if it was his sword. “They will harm no more women!"

  “No, thanks to your strong right arm. But what of Penruth’s other mercenaries? I do not know how many villagers they have slaughtered, but even one is too many.”

  “You are making a terrible accusation. I have trouble believing that any lord would destroy the people he is pledged to protect.” Kenrick shook his head. “It is against the natural order of things.”

  “So it is. Yet I believe Lord William cares nothing for the fate of his villagers if their deaths advance the cause of killing me.” Magnus’s gaze was piercing. “If I am right, can you, as a knight and a man of honor, stand by and do nothing?”

  Kenrick thought of the burned village he had ridden through on his way to Dragon Island, and the new crosses in the cemetery besides the small church. His mouth tightened. “If you are right, I must act, even if it costs me my life. The code of chivalry demands no less.”

  Magnus exhaled roughly. “You are as honorable as I believed. If you do challenge and defeat Penruth, there will be a reward for you, beyond honor upheld.”

  Small profit in a reward if he was dead, but Kenrick asked, “Time spent in your library would be a fine gift.”

  “You may have that, but I had in mind something of more worldly value.” The dragon lord smiled, the sharp teeth visible. “You can win the heiress of Penruth. With William dead, the barony will need a strong arm to maintain order. Marry the heiress, and the whole of Penruth will be yours.”

  Kenrick’s heart seemed to stop. To become a baron…! “This heiress. She is of marriageable age and not betrothed?”

  “Marriageable, not betrothed, and the sole heir. Lord William is twice widowed. ‘Tis said he is bargaining for a third wife, but he has no wife now.”

  Magnus was right. A knight who slew a murderous, dishonorable lord, then married the legitimate heiress, should have no trouble being confirmed in his rule. Kenrick could become a great and powerful man despite the bar sinister on his shield. His children would be lords and ladies. This was the dream of Kenrick’s life, one that seemed so unlikely he had ceased to dream.

  Except—he thought of Ariane, and could not see beyond her to the heiress of Penruth. Would that unknown girl have Ariane’s warmth, her beauty and intelligence?

  Impossible. But Penruth’s daughter would bring a dowry that would turn a homeless knight into one of the great lords of England.

  Magnus rose and gestured for Kenrick to follow as he led his way across the cave and into the curved tunnel that led to the outside world. The dragon lord halted in the mouth of the cave, his gaze on the far horizon as the stiff wind tore at his robes and silver hair. “Ariane is in danger from Lord William because of her relationship to me. She has lost much in her life. I don’t want her to have to choose between staying here and dying, or going to a strange place with no friends or family.”

  “As long as she has you, surely she will be happy.”

  Magnus turned to look at Kenrick, his eyes storm gray. “I will not always be here. There is a land to the west where only dragons live. No men, no swords, no seekers after treasure. Only dragons and books and leisurely discussions of the wisdom of the ages. More and more, it calls to me. Someday soon I will fly into the west, and I cannot take Ariane with me. I want her to be safe when I leave. That will not happen as long as Lord William is alive.”

  Kenrick’s heart tightened at the thought of her alone and unprotected. “She has no one else who will take her in?”

  Magnus shrugged. “The villagers in Tregarth know and like her. If the threat of Lord William is removed, they would take her in because of the aid I have given them over the years. There is a young man there, owner of a fishing boat, who might marry her if I provide enough dowry to overcome the fact of her tainted blood.”

  Kenrick frowned. “Tainted blood?”

  “She is one quarter dragon. That would not make her desirable in the eyes of the world,” Magnus said dryly. “Nor will she lie about what she is.”

  “I had not thought of that.” To Kenrick, her dragon nature was unique and fascinating. But not everyone would appreciate that. “This fisherman. He would treat her well?”

  “I believe so, if Ariane would accept him. She has her pride.” Magnus smiled fondly. “We dragons are an ancient race. We have much to be proud of.”

  It was unthinkable that Ariane become Lord William’s victim. Barely more acceptable that she would become a fisherman’s wife. But that fisherman had family and home and a means of making a living, which was more than Kenrick could offer.

  First, Ariane must be made safe. “If you can provide me with proof that Penruth is behind the raids on his own people, I will challenge him. Whether he will accept my challenge, I cannot say. But I will proclaim his sins to the world and do whatever I can to subject him to the justice he deserves.”

  Magnus held his gaze, then nodded. “I can ask no more. Come, let us see what my granddaughter has cooked for our dinner.”

  The ducklings that had been slow roasting for hours were now crisp and succulent. Ariane turned the ducks on their spit, savoring the scent. She’d used torn bread and herbs to stuff the birds, and had roasted turnips and carrots as accompaniments. Plain food, but tasty. Absurd that she wanted to prove her cooking skills to Sir Kenrick, but there it was. She wanted him to think well of her.

  Since she also wanted to show that they were not savages, even though they lived in caves, she set the table with the best plates and goblets. The heavy silver was fit to serve a king. Though dragons weren’t obsessed with jewels and precious metals, they did like objects that sparkled.

  She surveyed the great cave, which was warm and well lit on a cold, gray afternoon. This chamber with its hearth and comfortable furniture was the heart of the cave complex. Her own bedroom opened off of it. The guest room where Sir Kenrick slept was adjacent but not connected. Often she cooked and ate alone, since her grandfather could not enter the room when he was in dragon form. It would be good to have company.

  She heard the voices of the approaching men, so she poured wine and had it waiting when they entered the great room. Despite needing the crutch, Sir Kenrick kept up with her grandfather’s long strides. He was almost fully recovered.

  She took the goblets to the men, curtseying slightly. “Grandfather. Sir Kenrick.”

  The warm admiration in the knight’s eyes made her drop her gaze, but her fingertips trembled when they touched his as he took the wine. His voice almost as deep as a dragon’s, he said, “Thank you, Lady Ariane.”

  Seeing her raised eyebrows at his use of the titl
e, he said, “Since your grandfather is a lord, surely you are a lady?” He raised the goblet to her in a salute. “I thank you for all you have done for me, my lady.”

  She liked his courtesy, even if it was incongruous in a cave. Knowing how men’s minds worked, she served the food quickly. Catching the attention of hungry men was an exercise in futility.

  The laughter and conversation over the meal sounded almost normal, as if she and her grandfather were not of dragon blood. Even the stern, dark face of her knight lightened with laughter as Lord Magnus described the more amusing aspects of fishing for his meals.

  She waited until the pears poached with honey and wine had been consumed before she said, “I assume your man to man discussion was about Lord William. Sir Kenrick, did my grandfather ask you to slay the baron?”

  The knight choked on his last bite of pear, then shot her grandfather a guilty glance. “He did. How did you know?”

  “Because Lord William is looming over all our destinies like a thundercloud. That must end.” She caught Sir Kenrick’s gaze. “When you fought the bandits, it became clear that they were not ordinary thieves but trained warriors, else you could have defeated them easily. Ever since then, I have been thinking about recent events, and I have realized that Penruth is behind all these evils. Not just urging knights to slay my grandfather, but also behind the dragon attacks which gave him the excuse to do so.”

  Lord Magnus chuckled ruefully. “I should have known I couldn’t conceal the truth from you.”

  “Why would you want to? My life is also at stake here.” She shivered. “There is danger all around us. I can feel it.”

  “Are you a seer?” Sir Kenrick asked with interest. “Is telling the future one of your dragon magics?”

  “I cannot tell the future, but I can sense when there is trouble about.”

  “That is not a dragon magic, but a human one. Ariane’s grandmother had the Sight.” Lord Magnus finished his wine, his expression wistful. “She was an extraordinary woman. Ariane resembles her greatly.”