The Tainted Crown: The First Book of Caledan (Books of Caledan 1)

by Meg Cowley

  Dragons of many colours, shades and sizes converged; black, grey, brown, red, green, gold, amber and even a few blue dragons. Soren and Edmund stood by the pool slack-jawed as the clan landed around them, battering them with wind. Hundreds of dragons crowded onto the small island. The red dragon that had borne Edmund, Soren noticed, retreated some distance away.

  Once the clacking of claws on stone and the rustling of scales and wings had ceased, the black dragon extended his neck to survey all who gathered about him. The largest and most magnificent of the dragons gathered themselves around the pool, with the smaller dragons craning their necks for a glimpse from further back. It seemed to be a system of classes, where the strongest took precedence.

  Soren and Edmund found themselves the focus of hundreds of pairs of glittering eyes belonging to faces with smoking nostrils, slitted pupils and sharp teeth. Standing on the only clear piece of land he could see, Soren felt like he was on a dragon’s dinner plate, and hoped very much that they were not thinking the same thing. His heart pounded deep and fast in his chest and perspiration sprang from his brow.

  “I, Myrkith-visir, clan master, have summoned you here with such urgency for a meet of significance that has not been seen for many seasons,” rumbled the black dragon, finally naming himself. “Before you all stands a human who comes to claim the crown of the dragon kings.”

  Soren stood up straighter.

  “If it is here, human, why should we pass it to you? What have you done to earn it?” A silvery dragon snaked its head forward from the front row.

  “Silence!” snapped Myrkith-visir and the dragon snatched its head back with a hiss. “Our pact with the Eldarkind requires us to act and we must act with caution if we are to keep the peace of the world. If we should fail to make the right choice, the world shall fall into the endless fires. Caledan and its peace is the keystone to the security of the world and we are bound to its fate. Younglings,” he said and stood on his hindmost legs to survey the smaller dragons at the rear of the gathering, “you will now experience the true majesty of our aged and unique race.”

  He lowered himself to the ground with a grace that belied his great bulk and turned to the pool behind him. Uttering a low, continuous moan, echoed by the oldest of the dragons encircling him, a strange melody began weaving itself, ebbing and flowing in volume and tone. Soren gazed entranced at the pool, barely breathing and frozen in anticipation.

  As the dragons sang, the water began to ripple and expand upwards, impossibly increasing its bulk. It swirled into a flowing form that had no set definition as it grew and grew to the height of Myrkith-visir and then more, whilst spreading outwards. After what seemed like minutes, though it had in fact been mere seconds, the flowing contortions grew finer as the shape settled into the form of a dragon, whose feet remained tethered to the pool.

  Soren stood still, covered in goose bumps with the hairs on the back of his neck rising as he felt the strange power of what they witnessed. It shimmered with the glinting light that caught the forms of the moving water, and he could pick out scales, teeth, and a blinking eye as it swung its head to regard them all. The dragons’ song faded and as one, they lowered their heads to bow to it.

  “Wise one,” Myrkith-visir greeted the form. It regarded him and swung its head to Soren without seeming to reply.

  “Soren Rasirsson,” a strong voice echoed.

  Eve

  The new king was absent from the city and had been since his coronation some days prior, as Nelda managed to uncover the next day, though she could find no explanation for his absence.

  However, the heavy presence of soldiers made the Eldarkind uncomfortable to remain in the city; Nolwen and Nelda blended in with their disguises, as did Luke, however Eve with her unusual hair was a beacon for unwanted attention. So, at the urging of Nolwen, they left Pandora altogether. They headed towards the woodlands that marched south from the capital.

  The wood was the protected hunting grounds for the royal family and it spread many miles south, though it could not go further west due to the lake, or too far east due to the farming lands that lay southeast of Pandora. There was no punishment for passing through the forest, but as hunting here was prohibited, few locals bothered to stray beyond its borders; preferring instead to set up small rabbit snares on its edge where trapping was legal.

  Nolwen, Nelda, Eve and Luke slipped into the forest at the earliest opportunity; guiding their horses off the beaten track and let them trot into the forest until all signs of habitation behind them were gone. They came upon a beck a short distance from a bank high enough to shelter them from any passersby and the worst of any bad weather and stopped there to make camp.

  There were few hills and no caves, so it was the best that they could have found. Nevertheless, it would not provide shelter against downpours or gales and so they each said a small prayer to ask for the calm and mild weather to continue to bless them.

  The forest completely extinguished the noise of the city, even though they were still in easy reach of the city gates, a deceptive illusion that lulled Eve into thinking they were in the depths of the countryside. Even though she knew it not to be the case, rustling leaves and muted birdsong helped her relax after Pandora’s hustle and bustle.

  Since landing in Pandora, the irresponsibility, rashness and implications of her actions had begun to dawn on her. I must not have doubts now. Irumae needs my help. She resolved to scry the princess again that night, regretting the lack of privacy she had had since Ednor and feeling guilty that she had not yet managed to scry her father, Soren or Irumae.

  By the time they had scouted the area and made camp, it was almost too late to venture back into the walled city. The gates closed every day, an hour after sun down until dawn the next morning. The exception was the dock gate, which shut later and opened earlier for business to commence.

  Nolwen and Nelda decided to return to the dock front to lurk about in the public spaces in the hope of seeing or hearing something useful. Eve agreed to remain behind. She cursed her conspicuous appearance, which the Eldarkind refused to disguise. Luke would not leave her alone in the woods, so the Eldarkind departed without them.

  Eve was glad that he remained behind, so that she did not have to be alone in the unfamiliar place, but also a little frustrated as it meant that she would not be able to use the scrying mirror in his presence. Although she was sure she could trust him, she was reluctant to show him its power in case he was unnerved by the display of magic.

  As they waited for Nolwen and Nelda to return, they sat with their backs against the bank and talked freely as they watched the horses graze on long tethers. Eve felt at ease in his presence, as she always had done when they were children. It felt to her just as it had then and filled her with a warmth, knowing she had one friend in the world that would follow her so far.

  Luke was surprisingly open in return; since finishing in the town school at the age of eleven, she had returned to her father’s care for private tutelage whilst Luke, who was slightly older, had already joined the ranks of the guards. He had started at the lowest rank, working his way up to just below captain before they had departed.

  Until he joined the ranks of the household guard with Nyle, the only contact they had were brief encounters, mostly in the training ground where the guardsmen trained daily. Eve had also trained with them at her father’s insistence. Lord Karn had never believed in mollycoddling his daughter; she was the heir to the county and he wanted her to succeed him, rather than have Arrow county ruled by an outsider. It was a wish that was now becoming his demise. His desire for her obedience could not match the level of independence and free thinking he had allowed her.

  Now, she was halfway across Caledan. She knew it would be against her father's wishes. For the first time she felt concerned that her actions might not pay off and what the consequences might be. In a world ruled by laws and politics, her actions might have consequences beyond herself – consequences that could affect her father, h
er home and the land she loved, which would one day would be hers.

  She shared all of this with Luke and the moments of her life that he had missed and in turn, he shared such moments with her. They laughed together into the sunset and beyond as darkness fell. They lit no fire, but the darkness did not feel intimidating as it first had to Eve when they had set out from Arlyn, now that she had acclimatised to the night time sights and sounds.

  Eve lay down that night as they awaited the Eldarkind’s return, whilst Luke took the first watch, feeling happier than she had done in a while. She bid him a warm goodnight, but could not settle. She must have slept, for the next thing she knew, she was shaken awake with a hand hovering over her mouth. She struggled, about to cry out, when Luke whispered to her.

  “Eve, shh, it’s me! I’m sorry.” He apologised for covering her mouth and removed his hand hastily as she stopped squirming. “I didn’t want you to make a sound. There are horses nearby; I don’t know who they are.”

  She sat up. It was nearly pitch black. They could see the faint glow of the moon through the trees though it offered little light to them. She could indeed hear horses nearby; but the tramp and rustle of their hooves came from a different direction to where their own horses rested. Adrenaline coursed through her, her heart pounding.

  “Lady Eve? Luke?” The faint cry came and she sagged with relief.

  “Nelda!” Luke called and scrambled to stand up. From behind the bank, the Eldarkind emerged, each holding a lamp that illuminated the trees and forest floor. “Are you alright?”

  Eve shook off her thin blanket and stood to greet them. She was not sure whether it was due to the poor light, but they appeared tired for the first time since she had met them.

  “What time is it?” Eve asked, disorientated by her sleep.

  “The second hour of the new day,” Nelda replied as her brother tethered their two horses by the beck. She sank onto her blankets.

  Eve waited for her to speak.

  “We think we might have found a way. We shall talk when we awake. Can you keep guard tonight?”

  Eve agreed despite her disappointment. Nelda thanked her, before she reclined into her blankets, closely followed by Nolwen. Light snores soon rose from their still forms.

  “I’ll stay up,” said Eve. She held out her hand for the second lamp.

  “Wake me when you tire,” replied Luke, before he too lay down to sleep.

  Eve sat up her blankets between Luke and Nelda, who were a metre away on either side, placing both lamps down by her feet and extinguishing one. Before she woke Luke for his watch, she thought he muttered her name, but in her tiredness, she could not be sure. Once she was certain he was awake, she passed him the lamp and fell asleep.

  Nolwen and Nelda still slumbered peacefully when she awoke. She yawned and Luke glanced down and smiled at her.

  “Morning.” They greeted each other as she rose to wash her face and hands in the brook. She felt stiff and grimy that day. Splashing the cool water over her face, she longed for the luxury of a bath and could not remember how many days it had been since Ednor and her last proper wash. A hot bath, she decided, was her target; however she might procure it.

  As she stretched and wandered back to camp, Nolwen and Nelda stirred. They too washed and broke fast as they explained their ventures the previous night.

  “We passed up and down the docks,” Nelda said, “stopping off in the inns along the way. We found one tavern, close to the dock gate that seemed to be a favourite of the off duty city guardsmen and so we lingered there the longest, until turning out time at midnight.”

  “I have a sore head this morning.” Nolwen grimaced. Nelda buffeted him on the shoulder.

  “That is your own fault, brother! You should have kept to water like I.” She admonished him, though not harshly. She turned back to Luke and Eve to continue. “In any case we heard many an interesting thing. Zaki left the city after the seven days of mourning for Queen Naisa, riding North as if the very devils of the earth were after him and taking a large contingent of men. He returned days later with nothing to show for it.

  “In any case, he was crowned not two days after his return. However, his coronation was not after the fashion of old. There was no blessing performed by the abbot, who seems to have vanished – imprisoned is the rumour – and the dragon guardian did not release the throne to him. The archbishop crowned him with a simple ceremonial crown though he maintained the rest of the usual pomp. The people rest uneasy at this. It does not sit well that he is unblessed by both abbot and great spirit and does not even possess the traditional crown, as all good kings and queens must if Caledan's history and lore is anything to judge by.

  “There are already mutterings that Soren is alive and has fled not as a coward and a criminal, but to gather men and rightfully take his throne by force. There are whispers – and only whispers, for anything louder would be certain treason – that the king is not so innocent as he would have his subjects believe. I have reason to suspect that should it come to it, some, perhaps many of the guard and the city folk would support the prince if and when he returns.

  “A few days ago Zaki rode south. Apparently, he shall meet with a small force of his father in law King Harad’s soldiers who will return to the city to ensure the successful transition to his rule. I am not certain how credible the source is, but we can be sure that he is absent for now.”

  “I hope that will help us,” said Luke. “If he is absent, few should remain to guard the palace.”

  “We can be hopeful that it will be favourable for us that he is away,” Nelda said.

  “Did you find anything that may help us enter the castle?” asked Eve.

  Nolwen nodded and then groaned. “You had best continue, sister. My head betrays me.”

  Nelda rolled her eyes. “We cannot hope to acquire any plans of the city or castle, but there is one way we might be able to access the castle in broad daylight without being seen.”

  Eve was not convinced and Luke seemed cautious.

  “Magic?” he asked.

  “No, that would be much too complicated,” said Nelda. “The castle has its own private dock.”

  Luke and Eve remained nonplussed.

  “This dock,” Nelda said, “is underground and can only be reached by a channel that flows from the lake right into the hill and under the castle itself, ending in a large chamber where boats can moor. It is how all provisions destined for the castle arrive. Rather than carting them into the city from the common docks and up the hill and then through the castle itself, it is much easier to sail them up this channel, moor the boats at the pool within, and then offload the goods. For all we know it could be the route Soren took to escape from right under Zaki’s nose.”

  “How could we access it?” Eve asked.

  “It still may not be our best option,” said Nelda. “We still do not know where Irumae is held; we are assuming she is in the castle at all.”

  “I think I can shed some light on that,” said Eve. She regretted having to reveal her secret possession but knew that it would be necessary to convince the others. She retrieved the black box containing the scrying mirror from her saddlebag and sat down again. She took out the mirror and placed it down before her on top of the box so it did not touch the dirt.

  “Leitha Irumae,” she whispered to it. The mirror’s surface distorted and swam with colours, until once more she saw the room that contained Irumae. It was the same room, darkened with no visible windows and she suggested that it could mean the princess resided within the dungeons. Irumae remained still on the bed, unconscious, as Eve had last seen her.

  “She could be drugged,” murmured Nelda, with pity in her eyes, “but she seems to be alive, which is something, and we can hope that she has been treated well.”

  “Do you agree she could be in the dungeons though?” Eve said.

  Nelda frowned. Nolwen did not react. His hand still cradled his head and his hair fell forward over his face. Luke remai
ned impassive with a troubled gaze.

  “It may be a good indicator,” Nelda replied, “though of course they may simply have closed and barred the shutters on her window. The dungeons should be easiest to reach if we enter the castle by the docks. Shall we?”

  Silence fell. It was time to make their decision; to attempt to enter the castle via the docks, or to abandon the idea altogether.

  Soren

  Soren gasped and his mouth fell open with astonishment at the strange being that knew his name. He felt a great weight upon him and everything around him seemed to fall away as the figure scrutinised him and he could do nothing but gaze back at it. Transfixed yet unsettled, shivers crawled over his skin.

  “I am Brithilca,” the ethereal dragon rumbled, confirming Soren’s guess.

  Soren bowed low to the watery figure. “I am honoured to meet you, Great Dragon.”

  “I know why you are here. I cannot give you the crown, though it is within my power to bestow it.”

  “Why not?” asked Soren, forgetting manners and courtesy and stepping forward in his surprise.

  “You are yet to prove yourself and the true nature of your character,” the dragon explained. He growled as Soren began to protest. “Peace, youngling. I know of your circumstances, I know of what you have endured to reach this place and I know of your legitimacy through your bloodline; it is not enough. Before you can inherit the crown of the dragon kings, you must prove your worth, prove that you are worthy to ensure the peace of the realm.”

  “My uncle has already seized the realm under false pretences and if I cannot claim the crown, the kingdom will fall to him!” exclaimed Soren. “I cannot let that happen! His madness, cruelty and self-serving nature would do irreparable damage to Caledan!”

  “Peace, youngling,” said the great dragon once more. His voice swelled in magnitude. “Zaki sought to take the crown by force from its resting place, without earning the privilege of possessing it and for that and other reasons it will never be his to hold.”