Dragon In The Needles

by Bruce Leslie

  Meena gripped her staff tightly across her body. She had her knees bent slightly and was ready to fight.

  The Lump and Flynn raised their hands in submission.

  The Lump looked at Meena and frowned. “There’s no fighting our way out of this one. Our journey has ended.”

  One of the guards stepped closer. “Oh, you’re in for a sight of discomfort now!” He paced around them, his glaive pointed. “You will be bound and gagged. I’ll see if I can’t find some irons to throw on you.” He looked at Tilley and sneered. “And we will slaughter that bloodthirsty mule.”

  Meena dropped her head and closed her eyes tightly. Her face turned red, and the muscles in her jaws bulged as she clinched her teeth. Her grip on the staff grew so tight that her knuckles became white. She jerked her head up quickly and her hood flew back, revealing her angry features. She screamed, “Noooo!”

  Growling could be heard all around the trailhead. A wolf stepped out of the trees by the path, its teeth were bared and saliva dripped from its fearsome mouth as it growled. Another wolf stepped out on the other side of the trail, looking equally as fierce. One by one, angry wolves padded onto the trail until there were twelve in all. They surrounded the men-at-arms.

  The men turned their glaives away from the escaped captives and toward the wolves. The wolves paced around the guards. When a guard made a move to strike at a wolf, the beast ran into the trees while another nipped at the man’s chain-mail from behind. The pack swarmed the four guards, and a noisy mix of growls, howls and terrified shouts filled the air.

  “Let’s go!” Flynn grabbed Meena’s cloak and ran. The Lump and Tilley followed. The iron bars bounced against the ground as they sped up the trail.

  The group soon crested the hill and arrived at their camp. The Lump hastily grabbed his sword from its hiding place and climbed on his mule. Flynn and Meena were already on Tracer. The horse galloped off and Tilley trotted behind it, struggling to keep up. As they got onto the trail to Bleuderry, and out of harm’s way, the twelve wolves came rushing through the forest. The pack parted into two groups to pass around the horse and mule, then swiftly ran between the trees and deep into the woods. They disappeared as suddenly as they had arrived.

  20: Bane Of The Dragon

  “So this is the place?” The Lump sat on the ground next to his companions. Behind them was a rocky cliff face that rose like a wall of solid stone. The precipice looked to be twenty feet high, above it the ground sloped back into a steep hill covered with loose rocks. A sparse row of small, scrubby trees grew from the rocks on the slope and hung forward over the cliff. Above the row of trees were a few pockets of blue flowers that poked up through the stones, little blue specks on the gray landscape. The wind was strong, and carried a stench that made the Lump aware of the cliff’s proximity to the Wretched Water.

  “Let’s have a look at it.” The Lump pointed at the old, leather-bound book in Meena’s hands.

  Meena opened the thick tome to one of the ancient, yellowed pages that she had marked. “Lonactis dracobanum is the name of the plant, but the description underneath calls it ‘Bane of the Dragon.’” She pointed to the words written on the frail paper.

  Flynn looked over Meena’s shoulder and pointed with excitement. “See! I told you there would be pictures in the book.”

  “Is that so?” The Lump leaned in to better see the picture. The image had been drawn with colored pigment, and seemed surprisingly vibrant for something so old. The drawing showed thirteen slender, blue petals extending from a round, yellow center. “Won’t you look at that! It’s a blue aster flower.” He stood up and brushed the dirt off the back of his breeches. “Those are hard to come by.” He stepped away from the cliff to get a better view of the tiny, blue dots on the stony slope atop the cliff. “I can’t see them too well, but they’re blue enough, alright.”

  Meena read aloud from the book. “If the beast ingests the flower, or else takes it into its lungs, the creature will be overcome with sleep and become dormant until it is again stirred.” She lifted her eyes from the page and looked up the wall of the cliff. “How do we get up there?”

  The Lump walked over to Tilley and stuck his hand into one of the bags slung across the mule’s back. “I still have the Abbot’s rope.” He pulled his hand from the bag and held out a length of rope coiled around a section of iron bars. “When Tilley was trotting down the trail some of the iron smashed off, but I still have a good piece of three bars.”

  Flynn stood and tilted his head. “So, what are you going to do with that?”

  “Why, I’m going to make something.” The Lump picked up a heavy, round stone big as his hand and walked over to the base of the cliff. “Meena, would you be nice enough to find me some kind of long, narrow rock?”

  “I think I can do that.” Meena placed the book and staff from her lap onto the ground beside her. She rose and walked to the nearby trees where she searched quietly for several minutes. She returned carrying a stone cylinder that looked like a portion of some long-dead, petrified tree. “Will this work?” She struggled with the weight as she carried it to the face of the cliff and placed it at the big man’s feet.

  “Should do well enough.” The Lump got down on one knee and placed the iron over the round stone. “This’ll be my anvil. Could you hold it steady for me?” He lifted the stone in his hand up behind his ear. “Don’t worry, I won’t hit you.” He brought the rock down and smashed the iron bar, bending it to the shape of the petrified wood. He spoke while he continued to pound on the metal. “How did you do that with the wolves?”

  Meena winced each time the stone struck iron. “I don’t know… I mean, I didn’t do anything. It was just happenstance.”

  The Lump flipped the iron over and began bending the second bar, in the direction opposite the first. “Happenstance? Like with the catamounts?”

  Meena kept her head turned away from the work to protect her face from the small chips of stone that flew with each strike. “No, I’ve calmed animals before… but they’ve never appeared from nowhere like that. They’ve never been aggressive.” She shook her head. “Happenstance.”

  “Happenstance,” the Lump repeated. He flipped the iron again and smashed his rock against the third bar until it bent. He stood and held up his creation, the bars were bent into iron claws that curved in three different directions. “We fasten the rope to this.” He pointed up to the scrubby trees that hung out from the cliff overhead. “I’ll throw it up around one of those trees, and we can climb up.”

  “Those are veritable saplings!” Flynn’s eyes were wide as he pointed up to the small trees.

  “The roots run deep.” The Lump tied the rope to the middle of his hook. “They’re sturdier than you think.” He spun the rope in a wide circle by his side and heaved it up to the top of the cliff. “Once we get up the face of the thing, we can crawl up the slope and get the flowers.” He pulled the rope slowly. A few small stones fell over the edge of the cliff and the iron hook bit into one of the trees.

  “Who’s going up?” Flynn asked.

  “I figure if the rope can hold me, we’ll know it’s good and sturdy.” The Lump grabbed the hanging rope and pulled down on it with all his weight. It held. “I’ve never been afraid of climbing.”

  “And what about us?” Flynn ran a hand through his hair and swept light brown strands out of his face.

  “You two can stay down here.” The Lump tugged hard on the rope again. “You can keep a look out for brigands, or wolves, or catamounts, or men-at-arms, or snakes…” He looked down at the ground. “…I think I’ll stop listing things. I’m starting to realize just how ludicrously fraught with peril our trip has been.” He looked at Flynn. “I’m getting a scary feeling that we haven’t seen the worst yet.”

  “I’m going.” Meena crossed her arms in front of her.

  The Lump stretched his hands out wide. “Why? I can do it just fine.”

  “You’re a big, lumbering oaf.” Meena walked over to the ro
pe and tugged on it. “You barely made it out of a ditch on the Market Road.”

  “Hey! I learned a few things in that ditch.” The Lump looked up the face of the cliff. “Besides, there’s not any mud up on that hill, it’s all rocks.”

  “We can both go.” Meena rubbed the palms of her hands together. “Flynn is perfectly capable of standing watch on his own.”

  The Lump put his hand across the back of his neck. “Sounds fine to me.” He stepped back from the rope. “Ladies first.” He bowed and extended a hand to the rope.

  Meena bent her knees and swung her arms. She leapt up and grabbed the rope. She began climbing it hand over hand and rose a few feet off the ground. Her progress stopped, she hung in the air for a moment, then slipped down a few inches. “I can’t, the rope is slipping through my hands.” She looked down. “I don’t have any gloves, it’s burning my hands.” She released the rope and dropped gracefully down to her feet.

  Flynn turned to the Lump. “I believe you’ll have to make the climb alone.”

  “Perhaps not.” The Lump interlocked his fingers and cracked his knuckles. “I’ve got an idea.” He knelt down on one knee. “Grab onto my shoulders.”

  “Are you sure?” Flynn asked.

  “No! Not you, dunderhead.” The Lump looked up at Meena. “I’ve pulled plenty of heavy stuff around, you can’t weigh more than a middle sized sack of turnips. I’m sure I can pull us both up the rope.”

  Meena hopped on the Lump’s back and wrapped her arms tight around his thick neck. “If you fall on me, I’ll stab you with my dagger!”

  The Lump stood up and grasped the rope. He pulled up hand over hand until his feet were off the ground. He lifted his legs up and placed them on the face of the cliff. “The trick is getting your legs to help your arms.” He pulled up with his hands until his legs were low below him, then hopped away from the cliff and pulled his legs up in front of him before they thudded once again against the rock wall.

  Meena held a deadly grip around his neck. “It may be good for your strength, but it certainly makes for a jarring ride.”

  The Lump continued to climb the cliff with Meena secure on his back. He arrived at the end of the rope and reached one of his big hands up and grabbed the tree. “Go ahead and climb up over me, I’ll follow you up the slope.”

  Meena dug her boots into the Lump’s sides and scaled his back. She placed her feet on his shoulders and slid up onto the slope above the cliff.

  The Lump felt several small stones tumble onto his head as Meena ascended the hill. He swung a leg up onto the slope. The loose rocks under his heel slid down and over the edge, bringing his foot down with them.

  Flynn yelped at the bottom of the rope as the stones bounced off his head. “Be mindful up there!” He stepped well away from the bottom of the rope.

  The Lump swung his other leg to the ledge, but it came sliding back down, the same as before. He clutched the little tree in his iron grip with one hand and released the rope from the other. He reached up onto the slope with his free hand and clawed into it. His hand came down the slope with a fistful of small stones. He shouted to Meena, “I think you were right about me and climbing, It look’s like you’re on your own!” He looked down to the bottom of the cliff. “Hey, Flynn! I’m going to drop. Do you think you can catch me?”

  Flynn looked up with wide eyes. “Well…um…I will certainly try.” He slowly stretched his arms out in front of him and wrinkled up his face in anticipation of the impact.

  “Don’t worry.” The Lump chuckled as he dangled from the tree. “I was just craving another laugh.” He gripped the rope with his free hand, then brought his other one to it. He bounced his feet against the cliff and descended the rope with little hops. He planted his feet on the ground and slapped Flynn on the back. “I had you going there.”

  Flynn smiled and put his hands against the front of his tunic. “I found myself wondering…” He looked down at his flowered, blue garment. “…if this would still fit if I was flattened like a piece of fried bread.”

  The Lump’s grin left his face when he was struck on the head by pebbles that tumbled down from the slope. He put his cupped hands around his mouth and shouted up the cliff. “Are you alright up there?”

  Meena’s distant voice came down from the rocky hill atop the cliff. “Yes, I just need to get a little higher…”

  The Lump stepped back from the wall of rock to get a better view. He watched the green cloak slither across the stony slope as Meena climbed on her belly. The cluster of blue specks was just above her. “Nice and easy now! You’re almost there!” He watched her creep up to the flowers.

  The hair on the back of his neck rose when he saw all the stones beneath her begin to shift. A rumbling sound came down through the air and the whole surface of the slope started sliding. His heart pounded in his chest while he watched the landslide of rocks flow down toward the cliff, carrying Meena along with it.

  Flynn put his hands over his head to shield it from the stones pouring down and ran away from the face of the cliff.

  The Lump stretched his arms in front of him and ran forward, toward the rocks raining down from the high ridge. The stones continued tumbling down, over the edge of the sheer face of the cliff. He felt a pang of relief when the green cloak stopped sliding.

  Meena grabbed onto one of the scrubby trees and dangled over the ledge. The tree she clung to was not the one with the rope attached, but she clung to it just the same. She only had one hand clasped around the tree as her body twisted in the air.

  The Lump stood under her and shouted up. “It’s alright! You can drop, I’ll catch you!” He looked up and tried his best to align himself below her.

  Meena closed her eyes and stiffened her legs. “You’d better not drop me!” She let go of the tree and held her arms tight by her sides. The wind caught her cloak and it billowed up around her. She looked like some great, green bird of prey swooping down to snatch up a rabbit.

  The Lump watched as she plummeted toward him, feet first. Her boots crashed into his face and knocked him to the ground, flat on his back. The air rushed out of him as the rest of Meena’s weight fell onto his soft belly.

  Meena took a few deep breaths, then rolled off of him and onto the ground. She held herself up on her hands and knees and opened her eyes. Her face was covered in pale dust that had been kicked up by the avalanche of stones.

  The Lump sat up and wiped the blood from his nose. It felt broken. “I’m sorry you didn’t make it.” He rose to his feet and drew in a deep breath through his nose to make sure that it still worked. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure out another way up there.”

  Meena lifted herself up, resting her weight on her knees. Much of her red hair had come loose from her braid and jutted out in every direction around her head. She held out a fist that was covered in scrapes from the stones. She unfolded her fingers and showed him her open palm. It contained a cluster of several small, blue flowers.

  21: A Big Hole

  “We’re getting close to the Peddler’s Pass.” The Lump looked at the heavy growth of trees on either side of the path. “You should be home in a few more hours.” The trail had become wide enough for the mule and horse to traverse it side by side.

  “I’ve been away from home so long.” Meena was at her usual perch behind Flynn. “I think I’ve grown homesick.” She lifted her head to look at the steep trail ahead of them. “It will be nice to be home again… if there’s any home left.” She now wore a length of twine around her neck that held a small, yellow, cloth pouch. Inside the pouch were the precious, blue flowers that she had risked her life to gather.

  “I’m certainly missing my straw bed, nice and cozy in the stall next to Tilley’s.” The Lump rubbed his mule on the neck. “I look forward to getting back to it.”

  Flynn ran his fingers over the Abbot’s rope that he now carried on his hip to replace the one he had surrendered. “I am always eager to see a new place.” He took his hand off the rope and held
the horse’s reins. “I must confess, it is a nervous excitement - given the task at hand.”

  “Do you miss Silverport?” Meena held the little, yellow pouch in her hand and studied it. “Do you miss your family?”

  Flynn looked up at the sky. “Silverport is a beautiful place.” He lowered his head and shook it. “My mother, on the other hand, can be difficult.”

  The Lump laughed and turned his head to Flynn. “She can’t be as scary as a dragon.”

  “You haven’t met my mother.” Flynn looked over and smiled. “I fear what she will have to say about my losing my breastplate and sword.”

  “Don’t forget your helmet.” The Lump raised a finger in the air. “That was the first to go.” He grinned.

  “Yes, my helmet.” Flynn wrinkled his nose. “I never cared for that helmet very much. I was glad to see that go.” He added, “I bet it makes that white-haired man’s porridge taste odd.”

  Meena leaned to the side. “I’m certain that your mother will be overjoyed at your safe return.”

  Flynn looked over his shoulder. “I’m not, but that is a challenge for another day.” He looked forward again. “Presently, my focus is on the dragon.”

  “You’ve convinced me that you really are a hero.” The Lump nodded his head up and down. “I haven’t seen you back down from anything yet.” He wagged his finger at the man beside him. “I think you’ll be able to handle Old Red Line.”

  “We.” Meena looked at the Lump with cold eyes.

  “What was that?” The Lump twisted his head around to better see Meena.

  “Didn’t you mean to say we will be able to handle the dragon?” Meena gripped the staff she held across her waist.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to leave you out.” The Lump raised his eyebrows. “You’re an amazing young lady. Flynn will be blessed to have you beside him in the fight.”

  Meena’s eyes became narrow slits of blue and green. “I’m talking about you, you dense nincompoop!” She pointed a finger at him. “You’re going to be at our side.”