Dragon Clan #2: Raymer's Story

by LeRoy Clary

  It made a difference. It was no longer a dragon and he a man. The bonding was complete. They were now one.

  The emotions were so deep he missed the takeoff. The dragon was rising into the air. Raymer asked it to fly higher. He wanted to see more of the landscape ahead. The old man, Henry, was smart. He had been in the army and knew how they operated. His suggestions were the best information Raymer had to work with.

  They flew east, away from the castle and the rising smoke. Ahead lay a wide valley with farms. Crops, pastures, hay, and dense forest where building materials and firewood would be obtained. As far as he could see. Off to the right, he saw hills and a slightly different color of vegetation. But no soldiers.

  Turn that way, he ordered. The dragon turned and within a short time, the vegetation became more distinct. A low ridge lay ahead and on the other side a more rugged, narrow valley filled with small trees. They flew closer, but there was no sign of the needle of rock Henry spoke of.

  The dragon turned to follow the valley. They still saw no needle or anything remotely like it. Raymer estimated the distance to the castle for a man walking and decided it was a full day’s journey. Too far away to prepare an attack. If it were him, he’d want something much closer so the men wouldn’t be worn out by walking for a full day.

  Turn around, he ordered. As the dragon made a wide swing, Raymer spotted movement below. Perhaps a dozen men dashed across a meadow, in the direction of the castle. The dragon flew on. He then saw two men walking, pausing and looking up and then ducking for cover, too late. Ahead he found a string of men following each other where the brush grew thick. They were easy to see from above.

  Then he spotted the needle. Far ahead, it stood alongside a river exactly as Henry had foretold. In the forest and underbrush below were hundreds of men. Probably thousands, all heading in the same direction. The dragon flew directly to the needle.

  At the base of the stone, column were cold camps. Already there were troops in clusters, waiting for others to arrive and then they would make their final assault. If the sneak attack worked like planned, the invaders would probably walk through the city gates late at night, almost unchallenged. Northwood wouldn’t know it was being invaded until it was conquered.

  He looked into the distance and found the castle. Earlier they had flown past the needle before knowing to look for it. That’s why he hadn’t seen it when they fled the castle and burned the farmstead.

  The problem still became a matter of trying to alert the castle to the danger lurking in the forest. Quint wouldn’t arrive for at least two days, and the army was massing for the attack.

  The dragon couldn’t write a note or talk to the Earl. How could it convey the concept that an army was invading Northwood, not just a dragon attack?

  Raymer thought about it over and over as the dragon flew back in the direction of the castle. Sure, it could attack the castle again, but to those inside, their only problem was a rogue dragon. They had only to wait until it moved on. The Earl would not call out his entire army because of a dragon attack.

  The dragon attacking the castle again would only result in more people injured or killed. He gently ordered the dragon to fly past the castle low enough to cause concern, but not so low arrows could reach it.

  My only option is to attack King Ember’s army and hope to draw the attention of the Earl’s men. Turn back to the needle.

  Raymer felt a flash of confusion in his mind. Of course, the dragon didn’t understand the concept of a needle. Make a turn. I’ll tell you where to go.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The dragon began a wide turn that took it out over the Endless Sea. Ships sat at anchor or tied up at piers, and a few were under sail. Raymer watched below and tried to imagine how he could use the information to help. He could sink a few ships, but again, it would only warn of a rogue dragon, not an invasion of a neighboring kingdom.

  The dragon continued the turn, heading back to land again, and Raymer adjusted his course to where he knew the king’s army would be. If he drew enough attention of the few locals living nearby, perhaps some would flee to the castle and spread the word of strange soldiers.

  Nearing the spire of rock called a needle, the sharp eyes of the dragon picked out the gaudy blue and gold of the uniforms. He asked the dragon to fly lower.

  The dragon swooped and passed directly over the encampment. Men looked up to watch. There were not enough for an invasion yet, so he followed the valley and found many more moving closer, usually in small groups.

  As the dragon flew farther from the castle, he continued to find more soldiers until finally there were only a few stragglers hurrying to catch up. A few patrolled the edges of the valley, and in one clearing he found, at least, twenty of the blue and gold uniforms surrounding farmers and ranchers in a clearing.

  Those must be the prisoners they captured to avoid word of the invasion spreading. Raymer realized his plan for the locals warning the Castle would not work. King Ember’s army still might conquer Castle Warrington without a battle.

  Maybe he could order the dragon to capture one of the prisoners and deliver it to the castle. No, the person would just talk about the dragon, not the invading army. He would sound crazy. The results would be similar to attacking the castle walls again.

  Or maybe not. The tickle of an idea turned into a plan as fast as his mind churned the idea around. One small fact, combined with another and then a third. He suddenly had a plan that would work. A plan that would warn the castle and draw enough attention that all the armies would be summoned.

  Through the dragon’s eyes, he watched the ground, and he had the dragon circle back around. Off to one side, he spotted several soldiers sleeping. They had probably traveled all night. An image filled his mind that he sent to the dragon. In his mind, the dragon fell from the sky and grabbed a sleeping man in its hind legs and flew away, as swift and sure as any eagle snatching a fish from the sea.

  The dragon understood what to do. Raymer pulled back his mind and simply watched through the dragon’s eyes as it folded its wings against its body and dived. At the last instant, the dragon spread its wings wide and slowed to almost a standstill right over the sleeping man.

  Talons encircled a soldier wearing the king’s blue and gold uniform. The man screamed in terror, but the dragon lifted off. It often flew with a deer clutched much the same way. The additional weight would tire the dragon, but it would recover. The man in its clutches screamed and yelled, twisting and turning until it freed a talon. As if suddenly understanding his fate if he freed himself from too many talons, he became still.

  Raymer pictured the castle in his mind and the dragon turned and raced for it. The distance was not great, and when it came closer, he examined each of the five towers on the wall and found one that looked free of palace guards.

  There. Put the man on top of that turret. Raymer pictured the tower in his mind, and the dragon veered. As it reached the top, it glided until the rear feet were almost touching. It released the man and powered back up into the air, reaching to a height spears and arrows couldn’t.

  He ordered the dragon to circle as he watched. Palace guards rushed to arrest King Ember’s soldier. There would be a lot of questions as to what a soldier from another kingdom was doing in the clutches of a dragon, but the soldier might hold out answering for a few days, and that would be too late.

  Reluctantly, Raymer pointed the dragon back at the needle of rock. This time, the dragon knew what to do, and when it spotted a guard far from the main body of men, it turned and came at him from behind. One swoop, talons extended, and a second soldier in full uniform was flying in the direction of the castle.

  The dragon released the second man on the rampart, at the very center of at least fifty uneasy palace guards. But none of them lifted a weapon this time. In their midst was a single figure that stood out because of his size. A man a full head taller than any other, dressed in a green and gold robe that sparkled in the sunlight. Raymer decided h
e was the Earl.

  The Earl pointed as he ordered men to take the soldier into custody, then placed both fists on his hips and watched the dragon fly off. Raymer made sure it flew directly at the main body of men who were waiting to attack.

  When the dragon delivered the third soldier, a laggard at the very end of the stragglers, the Earl approached as soon as the dragon flew away. It circled again, with Raymer watching. The Earl went to the soldier and spoke.

  The soldier shook his head violently, and then abruptly fell to his knees. His folded hands and posture clearly said he was asking forgiveness—which hopefully meant he was confessing.

  The Earl abruptly turned to his guards and shouted orders. Men raced away to carry them out. Soon horses appeared at the castle gates, speeding away under their rider’s whips. First, there were five of them. Then three more. And another two. All as fast as the horses could run.

  It was after midday. Raymer wondered when the first of the Earl’s troops would arrive. He touched the mind of the dragon and found it hungry again.

  Stay nearby, but find food.

  Raymer pulled from the mind and opened his eyes on the bed in the inn, again. “I think we did it.”

  “Warned them?” Ander asked. All had been sitting in chairs that had not been there the last time he’d been awake. When he considered all that had happened, he understood why the chairs were there. He was also hungry.

  Bread and cheese, as well as slices of meat, lay on a plate. Ale from a pitcher filled a mug. He sat up and stretched. “I had the dragon catch soldiers in uniform and drop them at the castle wall.”

  “That’d do it,” Ander said, beaming. “When the Earl heard that King Ember’s soldiers were being dumped on his ramparts he didn’t wonder why the dragon did it, he wondered how the dragon had found uniformed soldiers of his enemy so close.”

  “I saw messengers on horses leaving the castle. At least nine of them.” Raymer said between mouthfuls.

  “Probably more were sent later, all with orders for every troop in the kingdom to make haste to Castle Warrington. I wouldn’t be surprised if so many arrive the battle is called off.” Ander said.

  Fleet had been quiet. He said, “You were in the mind of the dragon and told it to carry those men to the castle?”

  Raymer nodded, gulping ale.

  “When this is over can I discuss this with you? I mean, I want to know it all.” Fleet asked.

  Raymer paused. He fixed Fleet with a stern expression and said, “When this is over, you and I will talk all you want at your village. You are as much a part of this as I am.”

  The old man, Henry stepped forward.

  “You too, Henry! The help you provided was made this thing work. I’ll ask Quint to reward you with land, horses, gold, or whatever you wish,” Raymer said.

  “I have asked for nothing,” Henry replied with dignity.

  Raymer smiled and said, “Perhaps free ale and food for as long as you live?”

  “Perhaps I should have asked for a reward. Free ale, you say? All I can drink?” Henry asked with a chuckle. “That might be a price the Earl regrets.”

  Raymer laughed and said, “Well, let’s not be silly. Even the Earl cannot promise you that much ale.”

  In the middle of them all laughing, Raymer felt an unfamiliar sensation in his mind. The dragon wanted his attention. “I have to go back.”

  The dragon was flying high above the castle. In the distance were men in gold and blue lined up, in columns and in rows. The generals of King Ember had realized what the dragon was doing, even if they didn’t know why. The army was marching on the castle. The battle would soon begin.

  Raymer realized that not all the troops had arrived at the rendezvous location at the stone needle, but they couldn’t afford to wait. The only way to still win the battle was to attack before the reinforcements for Castle Warrington arrived.

  In his haste, Raymer may have doomed the castle.

  The advancing army was still so far away that those in the castle were not aware of the danger. Could he warn them again?

  No ideas came this time. King Ember’s army marched behind a rise unseen. Then, as Raymer watched, they poured over the rise out onto the wide plain where the farms filled the valley. They spread out, many men marching side by side while others took up positions in blocks of men a solid ten rows of ten. Each held a massive shield to protect from falling arrows.

  The dragon continued flying high overhead, shrieking and drawing attention to itself. The foreign army could now be seen from the castle, and people ran to the ramparts to watch. Officers on the walls shouted orders. Guards appeared with bows and spears. The city gates swung shut. More arrived on the tops of the walls, ready to defend their castle.

  Raymer saw no supporting troops, yet. They would arrive too late if the invaders were not slowed. There seemed to be but one thing to do. He said to the dragon, Attack.

  The dragon spun and flew at the invading army. The dragon came at the line of soldiers from the side. It made the hollow spitting sound, once, and then again. It spat into the close-packed formations where men were shoulder to shoulder, ten wide and ten deep.

  A hundred men in each of those formations broke and ran as one, screaming painfully at the acid burns, and many calling for help for their fallen comrades. Several lay still on the ground. Others broke formation and ran for shelter under trees. Many held a wounded arm cradled in a good one, or limped on a leg with black slime eating holes into it. They cried out in pain as officers shouted orders and more men shouted in fear and watched the sky.

  Again. The dragon had reached the end of the advancing line, and it powered up into the air in front of nearly all eyes on the ground. It made a swooping spin, almost as if knowing the serpentine movement would fill those on the ground with even more fear, and then it flew down the front of the line again, high enough so none of the hundreds of arrows reached it, but low enough to set panic into many. It spat again. Then again. And once more.

  The dragon reached the end of the line again and flew higher, for the first time hearing cheering from the direction of the castle. It looked to the castle as it turned, and the tops of the walls were filled with waving and shouting people, all encouraging the dragon to attack King Ember’s army again.

  Raymer ignored them. From the height the dragon flew, the soldier’s lines were no longer even and straight. The officers were doing their best to reform them, but when the dragon started the third attack nearly every man ran for his life, including the officers. Raymer did not order the attack again, but he directed the dragon to fly low all the way.

  From high in the air again Raymer watched the army in retreat and chaos. Still, it wouldn’t take long for the army to reform and attack the castle again. Raymer had the dragon fly in the direction where most of the messengers on horseback had gone.

  He found about two hundred soldiers in scarlet and cream uniforms marching full speed to the castle. Beyond another hill, he found several hundred more. Not nearly enough to defend the castle, but he assumed many more were on their way.

  The dragon was tired. It was in a strange land and had no safe place to land. No rocky mountains with perches in sight. Dragons on the ground are easy prey if something wants to prey on something as large as a house.

  The cliffs, the castle stood upon, were too short for protection. Perhaps he should let the dragon do what was natural. He said, Rest.

  The dragon flew directly to the castle, to the tower where it had released the first man. People were gathered there. It flew low, almost low enough to snatch one and Raymer felt a twinge of worry. When the dragon returned, the tower top was free of people. It landed and folded its wings, but kept a wary eye out for human intruders.

  Raymer had worn the beast out with all the flying. While dragons do fly, they are not like some birds that remain in the air all day without effort. Dragons fly for a reason. Normally that reason is to hunt.

  Today the dragon had flown the distance it takes a m
an on a fast horse to travel in three days, and then it attacked the castle and King Ember’s army. It deserved the rest. But what if the people in the castle attacked it?

  It was a dragon, after all. Raymer listened with the dragon’s ears. Then he asked the dragon to look around. There were people on the ramparts, in the streets, at the windows, and anywhere else that gave them vantage to see the creature.

  They were all smiling. The dragon had saved them, even if they didn’t know why. They had watched the dragon attack the king’s army. If not for the dragon many of them would have lost their lives, or the lives of their sons and husbands in the battle. Most would have lost their homes and livelihoods.

  When Raymer met with Quint next time, he might suggest the Earl add a dragon to the Fairwoods coat of arms. At the very least Quint should have a parade waiting, and the Dragon Clan would be appreciated and welcomed into Castle Warrington.

  The dragon seemed safer perched on the top of the tower than it had even been. Raymer suspected the people of the castle would protect it while it slept. He allowed himself to pull back to the bed at the inn. He said, “The castle is safe. We can go there as soon as I’m up to walking.”

  Fleet said, “Ander has arraigned an escort and mounts for us. The soldiers who were left here will take us. They’re standing by outside.”

  “How’d he do that?” Raymer asked.

  “He assured them the Earl wanted to see us as soon. There might be a reward for them if the Earl was pleased,” Henry said. “As for me, I’m going downstairs and drown myself in free ale and spin tall stories for my friends.”

  Ander asked, “Is it really over?”

  “No. Just the beginning, really. I think King Ember will have a hard time facing the Earl when they meet next time, which will be soon if my guess is right,” Raymer said.

  “Both Earls will be at that meeting,” Ander said. “I believe I’ll have to speak to my father about this situation, too. There’s no doubt he will side with the Earl of Fairwinds Provence. We may find ourselves with a new king.”