Dragonlinked
Page 50
“Sort of. You still have to prove your holding before the lands are granted to you. And that is also how the use of ‘caer’ came about. In the old days, a caer was called a fortress.”
“Why aren’t they called fortresses now?”
“With the end of the last of the feudal battles over two centuries ago, new caers didn’t have as much of a military design as the old caers, the fortresses. When they signed the Human Rights Compact, which ended that awful period of history, the lords signaled their desire to address the issues of their people. They also took up naming the seat of their holding a caer. Caer means ‘defensive village’ in an ancient language, and calling them that helped the lords distance themselves from that period even more. Besides, the new caers weren’t the enormous impenetrable fortresses of old, with catapults and oil cauldrons and inner and outer twelve-foot-thick walls. No, they were merely defensive villages. Caer Baronel’s one defensive wall is only six feet thick, which is just wide enough for the parapet and wall-walk up top. Caers no longer had to defend against armies, only the occasional band of roving bandits and nature.”
“Nahual,” Aeron said.
Millinith glanced at him briefly before returning her gaze to the road ahead. “Not so much then, but with the rise in nahual attacks, caers are now a great defense against them too.”
“You know,” Aeron began, “Willem, Sharrah, and I were very surprised when we read your reports and found out how many nearby nahual attacks there actually are. We had only heard about maybe one a month.”
“Well, we have access to a faster and more accurate means of communication.”
“Ether writers?”
She nodded. “Exactly. The caers and major villages have them and use them in emergencies to send short messages in a sort of message queue. With them, we hear about every attack in our area, where the general public only hears about the ones that travel by word of mouth.”
Aeron thought on that for a bit before asking, “Have there always been this many attacks?”
Millinith quirked her mouth. “Personally? I don’t think so. I think there would be more in the history books about them if there had always been around six attacks a month. That’s sixty a year just for our region.” She shook her head. “No, I think they’ve been slowly growing in number. But it’s hard to be sure. The ether writers in this region have only been in place for three years. And Lord Baronel has only been investigating nahual for one year. He began the inquiries shortly after the Caer was formally started, after an attack on one of his survey groups as they extended the detailed mapping of the holding to the edges of the valley. In the last year that the investigation has been ongoing, the attacks averaged about the same, six a month or so.” She sighed and made a face. “But again, with only a year’s worth of data, it’s hard to know whether that number is an accurate accounting of the normal number of attack per year.”
They traveled the remaining distance mostly in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually they reached the start of the cobbled road just outside Cotter’s Grove. The entire trip from their landing spot had taken just under an hour.
“Let me do most of the talking,” Millinith said. “They should remember me.”
Aeron nodded as they entered the hamlet. The village proper was of a size with Caer Baronel, but the village was surrounded by many fields and farmsteads, which covered an area much larger than the Caer. He had never been out to Baronel Farm, though, so he couldn’t say whether the Caer and the Farm combined were larger. He noted the garrison he had heard they were going to start, two guards standing at its door. They also saw an occasional guard on patrol, and each guard eyed them suspiciously as they passed. After a few minutes, the way the guards and people were acting caught Aeron’s attention.
He would expect some interest. After all, it was human nature to be curious about strangers. But the looks they were getting were unusual. Eventually, the not-so-subtle nudging and pointing, the rather loud whispers and the outright stares got to him. “Why are they looking at us like that?” he asked Millinith, quietly.
She shook her head, said, “I’m not sure,” and suddenly stopped. “Garathel’s great hammer, of course,” she muttered. She let out a frustrated quiet scream. “Arrgh! Why didn’t I plan for that?”
“What is it?” Aeron asked from beside her, eyes still on the people watching them.
“The riding gear,” she said in disgust, pointing to herself and to Aeron. “It certainly makes us stand out, don’t you think?”
“Oh,” Aeron said looking at his gloves, “I forgot about it.” The riding gear was pretty striking. He could see why they were getting stares and whispers now. He and Millinith must look very unusual to the people of the village.
“Not much we can do about it now,” she said. “Let’s just get to Elder Cayo’s house.”
Even with Millinith’s quick pace, it took them ten minutes to arrive at the large but modest house. She knocked on the door while Aeron looked around the neat porch. There was a small table with two chairs and, on the other end of the porch, a wide swing that looked very comfortable.
“Hello?”
An older woman, hair draped over her left shoulder in a loose ponytail, was standing in the doorway. She was staring at their riding gear.
“Hello Loranna,” Millinith said. “Is Elder Cayo available? I’d like to speak to him about the attack last night.”
The woman shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Elder Cayo?” Millinith repeated. “I was hoping to speak with him?”
“Oh, of course. I’m sorry. I was distracted and missed what you said at first.” Loranna looked more closely at the tall girl standing on the porch. “Millinith?”
“Yes ma’am, it’s me.” Millinith smiled.
“Come in, come in. It’s much too cold outside.” Loranna opened the screening door and they walked inside.
“I hardly recognized you in that clothing,” the older woman said as she lead them to a side room. “Styles must be very different now at the Caer.”
“Oh, no, this is only riding gear we are wearing. We just arrived.” Millinith removed her cap and shook out her hair.
“Are you here about the attack?”
“Yes. The more we can learn, the better.”
“How did you get here so quickly? We just sent out word last night.”
“We now have access to,” and Millinith glanced at Aeron quickly before continuing, “a much faster mount.”
“I see. Well, all the better. And who is your friend?” Loranna smiled at Aeron.
“Oh, I’m sorry, this is Aeron. He is helping me study the nahual attacks.”
Aeron removed his cap and placed it under his arm. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
“And polite too,” she said, chuckling. “Well, I’m sure you two want to get on with your investigation, so I will go fetch Elder Cayo.” She smiled and left the room.
“You know her?” Aeron asked, after she left.
“Yes. She is Elder Cayo’s wife. She helped me when I was here for the other attack. She accompanied me when I talked to various people in order to smooth things out. Villagers didn’t want to talk to a stranger at first, but once she came along with me, it was easier.”
“I see.” Aeron nodded and looked around the room. It was filled with comfortable furnishings, well crafted and not cheap from the looks of it. Here and there were a few items, baubles, that looked quite interesting. Aeron walked over to one, on the fireplace mantle, and studied it.
“Millinith, so nice to see you again!”
Aeron turned and watched a man enter the room and hug Millinith. Elder Cayo, like his wife, was an older man, perhaps in his sixties. He had the same laugh lines that his wife did, and though he was smiling, his eyes were shadowed. Due to the attack, Aeron supposed.
“Elder Cayo,” Millinith said. “It is good to see you as well, though I wish it was under happier circumstances.”
“Yes,” Millinith said. “Aeron and two others are assisting with the investigation, though only Aeron travels with me.”
Elder Cayo looked at Millinith. “Good, good. The sooner we find some way to stop those gods-cursed creatures, the better.”
“Millinith was telling me about how your grandfather started the village,” Aeron said, walking over to them. “His choices reminded me of a lord and his Caer, doing what is good for his people. And you too, you are trying to protect your people. I noticed the garrison and guards as we made our way through the village.”
“Much good it did the people who were attacked,” Elder Cayo said, sadly. “The garrison and guard patrols are good for the village itself, but those living in outlying areas still have no protection.”
“Millinith was telling me that your holding encompasses the village and quite a bit around it?” Aeron asked.
“That is true. Though not all of it belongs to me anymore.”
“Oh?” Millinith asked.
“In recent years I have allowed tenants who have been in the same place for decades to buy me out of their land or buildings, should they desire. There are now several shops in the village that are owned by their crafter merchants as well as a few homes that are owned by those living in them.”
“I see,” Millinith said. “Why did you decide to allow that?”
“I am not of the type to want or even be able to run this village as a Caer. And the village is now of a size that it is difficult for my family to keep up with it. Besides, I felt it was only right to let everyone have a chance to find fulfillment.”
“Fulfillment?” Millinith asked. “What do you mean?”
“A place of their own,” Elder Cayo replied. He looked at Millinith and Aeron, smiled and explained further. “When we are children, we know our place through our parents. We have their love, we have a home. We have only to live, to love, and to grow. Once we are older and have moved on, however, we must find a new place, a place of our own. People came to Cotter’s Grove, even before it was called that, to look for such a place.”
“I get the feeling, though,” Millinith began, “that when you talk about a place, you aren’t really talking about a physical place.”
Elder Cayo nodded and said, “There are people who want to have a physical place to call their own, which is why I allow those with the desire, and who have proven themselves, to buy me out. Then there are people that don’t really care about whether they own the land or buildings where they live or work.” He paused and raised his finger. “In both cases, however, what really makes them happy, whether they realize it or not, is what they are doing. They could be anywhere on Lethera where they feel safe, but unless they are doing that which they feel in their heart is what they are meant to do, they have not really found their place.”
Aeron stared at Elder Cayo. That was exactly what he had been feeling! He needed to find his place in the world, what he was meant to do. He still remembered when last it felt like everything was right, before he lost his mom. He could still picture their house. It was small, but it was perfect. With his mom and dad, it was home.
After the loss of his mother, though, his father had moved them to Caer Iron. It was the first caer where his father had been able to gain a position with his abilities. It hadn’t been easy for Aeron to make friends. Everyone else seemed to have lived there all their lives, so he had been somewhat of an outsider. His father had tried hard to make them a home there, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing really had been since he lost his mother.
“I imagine you want to talk to any witnesses?” Elder Cayo’s question to Millinith brought him out of his thoughts.
“Oh, yes, please, if there were any,” she replied.
“There are two,” Elder Cayo said, “out at their farm. Etran and Gurt, two brothers. They are relatives of the victim, their cousin Valin. All three lived on the farm, which is where the attack took place.”
“I see. Are they solid people? Not prone to fancy?” Millinith had removed a notebook from her satchel and was writing in it.
“Like most people here, they have good heads on their shoulders. They have worked that farm for two years now.” Elder Cayo’s expression turned glum. “One of the brothers, Gurt, took serious injury as he fought the beast. I sent a healer out last night when we heard about the attack. Gurt’s resting at the farm and should make a full recovery, or so I’ve been told.”
“That’s good news, at least,” Aeron said.
Elder Cayo nodded and sighed. “We tell people to be wary at night. And that if they have to be about after dark, to not be alone. Unfortunately, people don’t always listen.”
“Or they don’t think it could happen to them,” Millinith remarked, still making notes.
“Indeed,” Elder Cayo said. “People don’t imagine that bad things could befall them. Until they do.”
Aeron chewed on his lip, thinking about Anaya. He checked the link. She was resting, deeply asleep.
“As there are no witnesses in the village,” Millinith said, closing her notebook, “I guess we should head out to the farm.”
Chapter 23
Sulday, Primory 24, 1874
Midday
They had been riding for some time, and Aeron’s butt, abdomen and thighs were starting to get sore. He was used to riding Anaya now instead of horses, and though his body had not forgotten how to post a horse, his muscles were long out of practice.
Elder Cayo had insisted on treating them to an early lunch, a delicious meal of eggs, bacon, griddle cakes with fresh honey, and fruit juice. Aeron had loved it as he’d been quite hungry. Anaya had eaten yesterday—he had flown her out and they’d hunted a meal for her. She’d gotten a young buck and would normally be fine for another two or three more days, but with all the flying they’d be doing today, she would probably need another meal tomorrow.
He smiled at the memory. He was no longer as squeamish about her feeding, and she was actually fairly dainty as she ate. Still smiling, he checked the link, but she was napping. His inattention caused him to lose his riding rhythm and he frowned. His butt was not happy.
The village leader had also insisted on providing them with horses for the trip to the farmstead after he learned they had left their mount out in the woods. He also sent one of his sons to guide them to the farm, as well as to avoid any problems.
“It was probably a bad idea to leave your mount in the woods like that,” said Fillion, Elder Cayo’s youngest son. “There are wolves about in these parts.”
“If a wolf tries to harm Anaya, I feel sorry for the wolf,” Aeron said as he tried to adjust his posting. He was trying to vary which muscles he was using to rise for the trot that Fillion set. He glanced at Millinith, who, he was irritated to see, was doing quite well.
“As proud of your horse as you are, they can be taken down by a wolf pack. Especially, you know, if they are tied to a tree.” Fillion was watching Aeron.
He can’t be more than a year older than me, Aeron thought. But he seemed to know what he was talking about with the wolves. Even so, he didn’t know Anaya. “Our mount isn’t a horse. She’s not exactly defenseless and can protect herself against anything.”
“Aeron,” Millinith said, staring at him.
“What?” he asked, irritably. He really wasn’t happy about not being able to post comfortably. He stared at her a moment, waiting for her question. “Oh leave off, would you?” he said when he realized that there would be none. She just didn’t want him to talk about Anaya. “Everyone is going to find out eventually. And it might even make things easier.”
“Easier?” she asked, doubtfully. “In what way, exactly?”
“People will respect us more, for one. I’m still a little young, so many might discount me. But not if I arrive on Anaya. And people would think
twice about harming us if they knew Anaya was on hand to assist us if needed.”
“What exactly is Anaya?” Fillion asked, now thoroughly confused.
Millinith shook her head and sighed, as if giving up.
“She’s a dragon,” Aeron replied, defiantly.
They rode for about a minute before Fillion spoke again. “So you folks get a laugh at making fun of us?” He seemed quite upset. “I have half a mind to turn around.”
“What are you talking about?” Aeron asked.
“Really? A dragon? You know, just because we don’t live in a big Caer like you, or have fancy clothes like you, that doesn’t mean we’re so backward that we’ll believe anything you tell us.”
Aeron was momentarily speechless. Fillion thought they were making fun of him? “Haven’t you heard about the dragon we have at Caer Baronel?”
“Of course,” the young rider replied. “We heard there was a dragon there. But we heard the dragon belongs to a man who found her while he was climbing a mountain.” Fillion looked over at Aeron. “You don’t look like you can ride a horse very well, much less climb a mountain. And you are not a man.”
“What? That’s completely wrong. I didn’t find her on a mountain. I found her—” Aeron caught himself. “Well, I can’t tell you where I found her, but I can say that I didn’t find her on a mountain. And,” Aeron paused, embarrassed about his poor ridding abilities after being so long out of practice, “I haven’t ridden a horse in years.”
“You’re the one that found her? She’s your dragon?” Fillion looked highly unconvinced.
Aeron nodded. “Yes.”
“These ‘fancy clothes,’ as you called them,” Millinith began, “are the riding gear we wear when we fly on her. It’s very cold up there.”
Fillion glanced at their clothing again, studying it closer. He still wasn’t completely convinced. “I don’t know,” he said, looking back at Aeron. “You’re just a kid.”