by Sher Dillard
Thaddaeus shrugged his shoulders. “The forest is quiet. There is nothing to worry about.”
Drake grumbled and continued to eat.
“I did see something interesting outside of the forest, though,” Thaddaeus said as the butler placed a plate of stew before him.
“Oh, dear, what was that?” Queen Matilda asked, obviously hoping to ease some of the tension around the table. Drake shook his head. If he continued to be a jerk, his family was going to stop sharing meals with him.
“An encampment,” Thaddaeus said. “At least twenty wagons and carriages, and over two hundred men. Off the eastern boundary. Just below the Hen’s teeth.”
Drake’s insides turned cold.
Flint whistled at the size of the encampment. “That large, it must be one of the royals. Only they would have such a large contingent.”
“Yes, that was what I thought,” Thaddaeus said as he began to wolf down his food.
Drake’s spoon hung in mid-air as he waited for more information. He could tell that his brother had more to say, but the jerk was drawing it out. Making him suffer.
“But?” his mother said, shooting her youngest son a look that let him know she wasn’t pleased.
“But,” he continued, “it’s two different groups of soldiers, both Lushcany King’s Guard, and Sinstra cavalry. Camping together like they’re on a summer picnic.
Drake’s insides finished turning to ice. This couldn’t be right. She couldn’t have regained her lands, already. The Hen’s teeth were a jagged outcropping of rocks still inside the Sinstra boarders.
“Are you sure?” Drake said through gritted teeth. “The Lushcany King’s Guards shouldn’t be there.”
“Yes, that is what I thought. So I flew in a little closer for a better look.”
The Queen gulped and swallowed hard.
“Don’t worry mother, they didn’t see me. It is a dark night, and I know what I am doing.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, as if the thought that her baby would ever be grown up enough to take such risks was beyond her.
Thaddaeus continued on. “I was able to see three rather large tents. One flying the yellow and green pennant of Sinstra, two others flying the royal pennant of Lushcany.”
Drake held his breath. His heart raced as he waited.
“One of the Lushcany royal tents was guarded by four armored knights.”
“Elsbeth?” Gwyn asked.
“I don’t know,” Thaddaeus said as he took another bite of food. “But it was interesting, the knights were each facing inward. You would think they were keeping someone inside the tent instead of others out.”
Drake shoved himself away from the table and jumped up.
“Where are you going?” his mother asked.
“To save her,” he replied as he raced to the door.
“You don’t know that she needs saving,” his mother said, her eyes begging him to be careful.
“It’s obvious,” he said, “the bastard betrayed her to her uncle.”
“We will come, too,” Flint said as he began to rise from the table. Thaddaeus shoved another bite of food into his mouth, and then rose to join them.
Drake looked back and forth between his two brothers. They were both willing, eager in fact, to risk their lives for him. His insides softened a little as he shook his head.
“Thank you,” he said. “I know that you will be there if I need you. But this calls for stealth.”
“I’m quieter than you,” Thaddaeus said as he reached over and took a roll from the basket, stuffing it into his pocket.
Drake shook his head at his brother’s loyalty. “Maybe,” he said, “but she’s my woman.”
With that, he turned and raced through the halls. His heart beat a thunderous pace as his beast screamed to be released. His woman was in danger.
Coming to the outside landing, Drake didn’t hesitate. Running at full speed, he jumped off the edge and into the night air.
A green fire erupted, and his beast was free.
A beat of his wings and he was away from the cliff. Every part of him urged him to hurry. Every part of him begged him to kill and burn them. To turn them into cinder and ash.
He fought to control the beast. Fought to harness his power. He must be careful. Even a dragon couldn’t defeat two hundred trained soldiers. They would take him and where would that leave Elsbeth?
No. He must be smart, saving her was his goal. Not killing. That could come later. After she was free and clear.
Twisting in the air, he turned for the Hen’s teeth.
The encampment was laid out in typical military precision. Two separate grids, one for Sinstra troops and the other for Lushcany personnel.
In the middle of the Lushcany cohort, two tents, one of them guarded by four knights. Just like Thaddaeus had said.
Drake dipped a wing and swooped back over the forest. He had seen what he needed to see, now he must change, must cage his beast. And he must do it without alerting the camp.
Once he was safely inside the trees, he found an open spot and returned to human form. He made sure both his sword and his dagger were loose in their scabbards, then made his way to the forest edge.
As he stepped through the trees and into the barren land, his breath calmed as he brought himself under control.
His dark green jacket and black hair blended with the night. His muscles moved with ease, and his mind processed what he had seen. This was what he was trained for. This was what he was made for.
Fires and torches cast a faint yellow light through the camp. He crept to the edge of the darkness and crouched down in the grass to observe.
His beast pushed to be set free. Pushed to kill, all and any. Drake tapped into the anger and animalistic bloodlust but refused to allow the beast to take over. That way lay failure.
As he watched, Drake noticed a lackadaisical attitude within the camp. They did not expect to be attacked. Only a few pickets were out, and they were not very alert.
The four men guarding Elsbeth’s tent, however, did seem to be awake and observant.
No, they didn’t expect an attack, but they did fear her attempting to escape. This wasn’t a military camp. This was a mobile prison.
Sneaking past the external sentries was easy. Drake smoothly worked his way around them. Sliding through the night like a shadow.
Once past them and in among the sleeping soldiers, he rose and walked confidently. As if he belonged there.
Approaching Elsbeth’s tent he halted once again. They had made a tactical error. Placing themselves to close to the tent, the men could not see each other.
Drake smiled to himself. Such mistakes could get a man killed.
Shifting to the side, he came up behind the knight located at the rear of her tent. He paused, looking around to make sure no one would see him. Confident that he was alone, he crept up behind the man.
Throwing his arm around the knight’s neck, he lifted him from the ground and gave a quick twist. The loud snap of the man’s neck sounded like someone had stepped on a branch, snapping it in the night.
Drake froze in place. Continuing to hold the man as he twitched. Bending slowly, he lowered him quietly to the ground.
One down, one hundred and ninety-nine to go.
.o0o.
Elsbeth paced in her tent. Sleep was impossible. She would never be this close to the forest again.
Her mind raced with ideas and possibilities. But, all of them led to certain failure.
Turning, she began to pace back to the front of the tent. There must be some way to escape. Some way to get away. As long as she remained a prisoner, her people would suffer.
The thought burned a hole in her soul. How silly she had been, how reckless and naive.
Taking a deep breath, she turned again.
Her eyes jumped as a silver sword pocked through the back of her tent and silently cut through the fabric. She froze in place, holding her breath.
&nb
sp; Drake, her Drake, stepped through the cut cloth. A smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. His massive shoulders and shear power filled her with a sense of calm and well-being. The world was right again.
He held a finger to his lips, looking at her, his eyes telling her she was the most valuable jewel in the world.
“What took you so long?” she whispered as she rushed into his arms.
He chuckled under his breath and wrapped her into a warm embrace.
“I thought I’d let you try it your way for a while. How’s it working out for you?” he replied into her ear. His warm breath sending a chill down her spine.
She slapped him on the shoulder and smiled up at him.
“Get me out of here,” she hissed quietly as she smiled at him. She didn’t think she’d ever not smile around him.
He nodded and took her hand. Pausing at the new tent opening, he stuck his head out, then pulled her through and into the darkness.
Elsbeth’s heart jumped, and her feet felt like if they were barely touching the ground. He had come for her. He had risked death to save her. And he would succeed. She knew it in her very depths. Nothing would stop this man.
They ducked behind one of the officer’s tent, then twisted to make their way past the sentries. They might have made it. No, they definitely would have made it. But, a young lieutenant in the King’s Guard chose that moment to visit the latrine.
He stepped out of his tent, adjusting his doublet, his sleepy eyes searching the night for the latrine.
Elsbeth swallowed a curse as both she and Drake froze in place. You would think a man so young could go the night without having to relieve himself.
His eyes sprang open with shock as soon as he registered who stood before him. But the King’s Guard were well trained. Even their young officers knew what to do.
Before Drake could react, the man yelled, “Guards, to me.”
Elsbeth felt her insides turn to stone at their discovery. Drake, of course, didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and drove the pommel of his sword into the man’s forehead. He crumpled to the ground like a bag of laundry.
Reaching for her, Drake pulled her past the fallen man and into the darkness.
But they were too late. Torches sprang into life Men called to each other, the external sentries turned to see what the commotion was about. They had been spotted. The Princess was escaping.
Drake began to run, his hand pulling her along at a flying pace. Elsbeth fought to keep up with his long strides.
They darted around a white tent and into an onrushing pair of soldiers. Drake dropped her hand, parried a sword thrust while twisting and slicing through the side of one attacker, then spun again and brought his dagger into the chest of the second man.
Elsbeth gasped, it had been so fast, and now two men lay dead on the ground.
He didn’t hesitate but pushed her into the night.
“Run,” he said as he turned to face their pursuers. “I will find you in the forest. Run!”
Elsbeth hesitated. She could not leave him. Not now. He had just returned to her.
“Now, damn it,” he yelled at her as he brought his sword up with both hands. Elsbeth could see several men running towards them.
She must go, it was the only way. If she stayed, they would take her. If she escaped, then Drake could escape.
Turning, she rushed into the night. Her feet pounding into the ground as she fought to get to the safety of the forest. If she could get there, she would be free. No one would find her in the darkness. No one but Drake.
She fought for breath as she ran. Her side began to ache, and her feet screamed with pain in her simple slippers. Yet, she continued to run.
The sound of battle raged behind her. Why didn’t he turn into a dragon? she wondered. Why face them as a man? His dragon could destroy them. He would be free of them if he would but allow himself.
Was he holding back because of her? The thought scared her as she, at last, came to the trees.
Turning, she looked behind her, men were scurrying about carrying torches, searching for her.
Where is he? she wondered, unwilling to go into the forest without him.
Not because she was afraid, the forest felt like home to her now. No, but because she didn’t want to leave him.
“Go,” a voice yelled from the night.
Her brow scrunched as she peered into the darkness towards the camp. Fighting desperately to see who was yelling at her.
Before she could discern what was happening, a shape appeared. A blur of action, as Drake scoped her up and carried her into the forest.
She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and ducked her head against his chest. Holding on for dear life as he jumped over obstacles and twisted through the trees.
She was safe, she was free. The forest wouldn’t hurt her. It would protect her. Just as her Drake would protect her.
Yet, he didn’t stop but continued to run.
“They won’t follow us,” she said. “We’re safe. At least for now.”
He slowly came to a stop, his brow creased in concern, his heart pounding in his chest. Drake, she thought, her Drake.
“How can you be sure?” he said.
She laughed. “Everyone knows. There are dragons in these woods. They won’t come in at night. In fact, I’m not too sure if they’ll try in the morning.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re not staying here to find out.”
He started running again, holding her close to him as he made his way through the forest.
Elsbeth let herself relax in his arms. She wouldn’t be able to convince him. Better to let him do what he must. None of it mattered. Not really. The only important thing was that she had her Drake.
Chapter Twenty
Drake halted on a small hill and slowly lowered her until she could stand on her own. He turned back to search down their path. She was right, his senses told him. They hadn’t been followed.
The dark path was bare. No one had entered the forest after them.
He looked up to the night sky. The new moon had appeared on the horizon. In the far distance, both Flint and Thaddaeus were up and ready. He had felt their presence throughout the night. Ready, not to close, but available if he needed them.
Even now, the two were circling his back trail.
He smiled to himself. Elsbeth would be safe tonight. Nothing would get past the two of them.
Turning, he quietly examined her in the new moonlight.
Her hair had come free, her face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled as she stared back at him.
He gently reached out and caressed her cheek.
“You will be safe tonight,” he said.
She smiled, then came into his arms. Throwing her arms around him, she buried her head in his chest and said, “Thank you, I knew you would come.”
He stood there and soaked in her strength, her love.
At last, they separated. He took her hand and led her up the trail. Silently, they walked hand in hand.
“Why didn’t you turn into a dragon?” she asked. “Can you only do it in the forest?”
He laughed, “No, nothing like that. The situation called for stealth and care. Not something dragons are known for. I believed I had a better chance of getting you out as me. Or at least, this me.”
She paused for a moment, her brow narrowed in confusion. Eventually, she nodded, obviously accepting his answer.
“What now?” she asked.
“Now, we rest,” he said as he indicated his campsite. “I’ve been staying here the last few nights.”
Elsbeth glanced at small comforts of his temporary home. His pack off to the side and his blankets laid out by the ring of stones.
Squatting down, he quickly started a fire, there was no need to worry. Nothing would find them, now.
“Sit,” he said. More an invitation than demand.
She quickly scurried to sit on the blankets. Pulling her knees up so that she could wrap he
r arms around them as she stared into the fire.
“Julian betrayed me,” she said. Shaking her head as if she still found it difficult to fathom. “Even before I had reached him, he had sold his soul to my uncle.”
Drake bit his tongue, now was not the time to say, ‘I told you so.’
Once the fire was going he joined her on the blanket, their shoulders brushed, he closed his eyes and drank in her lavender scent.
Her softness called to him. This close, he could not stop himself from needing her. Wanting her. His heart pounded, his beast demanded.
Swallowing hard he felt an awkwardness come over him. What now? They had said their goodbyes, she had moved on.
Granted, she needed him for a protector. But, what did she want, now?
He turned to look at her. To really study her. Their eyes locked and the old familiar passion began to build between them. He could see it in her eyes. That flaming need for him. The same need he felt for her.
Lifting a hand, he gently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I will help you get your lands back. They will not win. I promise you.”
She sighed into his hand. Her eyes closed as she seemed to melt into his touch.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Everything I have tried has failed. I have no army.”
“You have a dragon,” he said. “A dragon of Perralt. We always defeat our enemies. It is what we do.”
“Yes, but, these are not your enemies, they are mine. Your mother’s rules about not getting involved in other people’s problems. I can’t let you break her will.”
Drake laughed. “Oh, Elsbeth, my mother’s demands no longer apply. They stopped applying the minute I fell in love with you. It is your needs that are mine, now. Your wants and desires that I must help you obtain. Nothing else matters.”
She froze in place as she stared into his eyes, as if trying to decipher a secret code or complex puzzle. Was he telling the truth? He could read it in her face.
“I love you, Elsbeth,” he said. “I have since you walked into that damn tavern. Your head held high, back straight, like you were walking into a council meeting. You are mine, and I am yours. It can be no other way.”
