“This is the second attack. You probably shouldn’t be left alone.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I didn’t mean any offense, Soren.”
He groaned. He didn’t want to take his anger out on Dex. “I know.” He didn’t want to talk about this. He noticed Rodar was standing in the field below. “Rodar is signaling for us to land. Let’s see what he wants.”
As Dex circled, Soren’s hands shook slightly. He gripped the harness, willing them to stop. His head begun to spin as sweat beaded on his forehead. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. That only made the feeling worse. He opened them again. Reluctantly, he forced one hand to release the strap. He pressed it to his head.
“Soren, what is wrong?”
“I don’t know. I was dizzy all of a sudden. I am feeling better.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, Dex.”
The dragon didn’t respond as he landed. Soren slid to the ground. He quickly covered the distance to Rodar so Dex wouldn’t press him any more about the strange feeling.
“What happened?” Rodar’s eyes traveled over Soren’s bruised jaw. He shook his mind. “Never mind. Let me guess. Your father.”
He nodded. “What brings you out here?”
“Cane wants to see you.”
Soren’s mind raced as he tried to think of a reason the wizard would want to see him. “Now?”
“Yes. Now. He told me not to return without you.” Rodar gestured toward the city, and the two fell into step. “I did find out why your father was chosen to make the harnesses for the dragons. He has your grandfather’s journal.”
Soren’s eyes widened. “What?”
“I guess your mother had her father’s journal from when he was a dragon rider. When news of the alliance with the dragons was announced, Joran stepped forward with it. That is how he got the job over others.”
“I wonder what else is in that journal.”
Rodar shrugged. “It would be beneficial to see it but given your history that isn’t going to happen.”
“No. It is not.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Rodar said as they reached the building where the King and others had set up their operation.
As they entered the building, Soren’s thoughts turned to what the wizard could want. He followed Rodar into a small room. Two men sat hunched over some large books. Cane raised his head as Rodar closed the door behind them.
“Thank you, Rodar. You may stay if you like.” Cane rose, walking toward them. His dark eyes traveled over Soren as if assessing him. He didn’t smile as he gestured toward one of the open chairs at the table. “Sit.”
Soren shrugged at Rodar before following the order. He sat and waited as Cane returned to his seat. The thin man next to Cane watched them. His face was gaunt, and his dark eyes flickered from Soren’s bruised jaw to the mark on his neck.
“This is Elden, the wizard stationed here in Camden,” Cane said. “We had a few questions about the person you saw holding the scepter.”
Soren shrugged. “Not much to tell. As I said, the person’s face was hidden by their cloak.”
“You think it was a woman?” Elden asked.
“I do. There was something about the way the figure moved.”
“We think we know,” Elden said but Cane held up his hand to stop the man.
“It is all speculation at this point,” Cane said. “What is more important is finding a way to destroy the Stave of Drachen, so it can never be used again.”
“And how do you do that?” Rodar asked.
“We have been pouring over the histories and our books of magic. We think we found something. That is where you come in.” He turned one of the books so Soren and Rodar could see it. “This is what we need.”
Soren leaned forward to view the drawing of an ornate carved wooden box. “You need a box? How is that going to help?”
Cane’s eyes bore into him as if he was imbecile. “It is infused with magic…by Drachen.”
“The creator of the Stave?” Rodar asked.
“The same,” Elden said. “From what we read, this box can strip items of magic. We need someone to retrieve it.” He looked at Soren.
“Me?” Soren sat back. “I don’t…I can’t…why me?”
“As the King said, you are a dragon rider,” Cane said, the corner of his mouth turning upward slightly. “You and your dragon can Blink.”
***
In the dining hall, Soren sat with his back to the wall. He listened as the others debated what he himself had been considering all afternoon. He needed to decide soon on if he would do as Cane asked. The wizard’s request would not only affect him and Dex. It would affect Emery and Agnot too.
Cane and Elden did not know where the box was located. Their best guess was it was at Drachen’s fortress located near a small village on the coast of Western Sholar. It could also be in Longmont where he had been the court wizard. Two locations meant two teams. It meant Emery and Agnot would need to go to one location while Soren and Dex checked the other.
But Soren hadn’t agreed to help yet. Even though he had finally decided to join the fight against the advancing army, a side trip was not in his plans. It still irked him that Cane had pointed out he and Dex were not needed here. Nor were Emery and Agnot. His tone implied they were expendable. And not just from the preparation for the upcoming battle. The trips to retrieve the box were bound to be dangerous. No one knew what Sholar was like now. They could arrive to find the area in ruin or the citizens hostile to dragon riders.
Dex had not shared Soren’s opinion that Cane thought they were expendable. He thought the wizard was correct in that no one else could do what needed to be done. Soren had been desperate enough to even argue there would be no one here left to train the other dragon riders. But Dex had simply said the dragons would know what to do and could work with the riders in his absence. It was clear Dex thought they should go.
“We don’t even know if this box still exists,” Emery said, her voice jarring him back to the conversation.
“It could all be for naught that is true,” Rodar said. “But to be able to stop the wizard, I don’t see how we cannot try to retrieve it.”
“We?” Soren asked.
“If Emery is to go off to Longmont, I may be able to help if there is anything left of the city. I have been an emissary for most of my life. You shouldn’t go alone either.”
“I’ll go with him,” Bevin said. “It beats waiting for the army to get here. I could use the distraction.”
“I haven’t said I would go.” Soren took a bite of bread.
“I agree with Rodar,” Emery said. “We need to do something, and if Cane thinks this is the best way for us to help we should do it.”
At that moment, his father walked in. He paused for a moment as he surveyed the room. His eyes lingered for a moment on Soren before moving to the others in the group.
The bread in Soren’s mouth suddenly was tasteless. He pushed his plate away. His father obviously wasn’t heading back to Kenton. He could not image running into him constantly during the next week or two. He looked at Emery’s eager face. Rodar and Bevin stared at him.
“Let’s go talk to Cane.”
“You mean it? You will go?” Emery asked.
He glanced at his father’s back as the man filled his plate with food. “Yes. I’ll go.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The meeting with Cane yesterday evening had been brief. The wizard hadn’t seemed surprised by his agreement to search for the box. Elden brought in an artist to make copies of the illustration from his book. Cane had shooed them away, bidding them to return in the morning for their copies and more instruction.
That instruction session had lasted too long in Soren’s opinion. He hurried from the building. He had scheduled a morning training session with the guards and their dragons. It was set to start in an hour, but he had wanted to practice using rocks as a weapon fr
om Dex’s back. While some of the men were adapt with a bow and arrow, the others favored the staff or sword, but those weapons would not be of use on a dragon. However, a falling projectile could do damage. Rocks shot from a sling could be even more dangerous. After voicing the idea, Soren realized he didn’t know how well it would work. He had hoped to give it a try before the training session.
Dex met him at the training field. He was surprised to see Rodar there too. He had not been at the briefing session this morning though both Emery and Bevin had been there.
“How did the meeting with Cane go?” Rodar said as he handed Soren Dex’s harness.
“Too long. Cane may not be much of a talker, but Elden is. I thought you would be there.”
Rodar nodded. “So did I, but I stopped by to see King Arden and tell him we would be leaving today. Cane must have been too busy to fill him in. My meeting with him ran longer than I intended. I figured you had training this morning. I set up a few targets and collected some rocks.”
Soren put the harness on Dex and affixed the bag Rodar handed him to it. “Let’s give this a try, Dex.”
Rodar stepped back as Dex spread his wings. The dragon leapt into the air. They circled the field.
“I am going to drop a few first,” he said, as he pulled out a rock. He hefted it in his hand. It was large enough to easily knock out a soldier below. He tossed it over. Turning he saw it landed ten feet from its mark. He tossed two more rocks, each falling closer to the target. “Let’s go higher. As you dive, I’ll see about shooting a few rocks with my sling.”
He pulled the slingshot from his back pocket. He hadn’t used one since he was a boy. Jerrick and he had been good at it. He pulled out a smaller rock, fitting it in the sling as Dex flew high. The dragon lazily turned until the training field was in front of them. Dex dove. As Soren leaned back, the strap securing him to the harness broke. He tumbled backwards, bumping his way down Dex’s back.
“Soren, hold on!”
His hands frantically grabbed for something to hold but there was nothing. He continued to tumble down the dragon’s back. Dex pulled up from the dive as Soren wrapped his arms around Dex’s tail. The dragon contorted his body, attempting to reach him. Instead, his movements caused Soren to lose his grip. He fell backwards. His stomach tightened as he caught sight of the blue sky. He didn’t want to think about the ground rushing to meet him.
Dex barreled toward him with his wings plastered to his sides. As he pulled even with Soren, the dragon turned, rolling under Soren and grabbing him with his claws.
“I have you.”
Soren’s heart pounded so loudly he barely heard Dex. He glanced down, seeing the ground a few feet away. He closed his eyes. A moment later, Dex landed. The dragon set Soren on his feet, keeping his claws close as Soren tottered for a moment.
“What happened?” Dex asked.
Soren reached out to steady himself as he took a step closer to Dex. He climbed onto the dragon’s back to inspect the harness. The connector that linked the strap securing him to Dex had broken. He touched it. Not broken. There were marks where the metal and leather were joined. Someone had tampered with it. As soon as pressure had been applied, the connector had snapped. His mind flashed to Rodar holding the harness when he arrived. He had handled the harness in Ballinger too. The blood rushed from Soren’s face as his stomach knotted.
Rodar rushed over. “Soren, are you alright?”
Soren slid off Dex’s back. Anger coursed through his body as he rushed toward Rodar. He slammed his hands into the man’s shoulders, pushing him backward. “Why…why did you do that?”
Rodar’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about Soren? What…” His voice trailed off. His eyes widened as he looked from Soren to Dex and back. “You think I had something to do with this?”
Soren closed his eyes. He tried to steady himself. He took a deep breath, but the anger still coursed through him. This man was supposed to be on his side. He claimed to be a family friend. He opened his eyes and answered Rodar through clenched teeth. “This is the second time Dex’s harness has been tampered with. And both times you were the last one with it.”
“But I…I didn’t…”
Soren swung around, ignoring Rodar as he strode over to Dex. He quickly took off the harness.
“Soren,” Dex said, “You think it was him?”
“This is the second time. I don’t believe in coincidences.” He gathered the harness. “I’ll be back.”
His feet pounded the ground as he stormed back into town. He couldn’t believe Rodar claimed to be a family friend, yet had tried to kill him not once but twice. Soren always considered himself a good judge of character. He liked the man and couldn’t believe he had been so wrong about him.
Soren quickly located the tannery where Darvin had gotten the additional leather strap for Dex’s harness. He pushed open the door, slamming it behind him. An older man with graying hair sat on a stool, working on a piece of leather in his lap.
“Can I help you?” he said, coolly as he assessed Soren.
“I need to repair this harness.”
The man held out his hand. Soren hesitated for a moment before handing it over. The man pulled at it and inspected every inch of it.
“Someone has messed with this fastener.”
“I know. And it came apart while I was in the air.”
A smile tugged at the man’s lips. “I bet that was exciting.” He stood, walking to his worktable. “I thought you were the dragon rider. I’ve seen you at the dining hall. Soren, right? My name is Vaughn.” The man sat and began working on the harness. “This appears deliberate.”
“I know. It isn’t the first time someone has messed with Dex’s harness.”
Vaughn glanced at him curiously. “This will take a bit. Have a seat and tell me about this other time.”
Soren sat on the bench across from the man. As he told him about the time in Ballinger, he watched the man work on the harness. It brought back sharp memories from his childhood.
Vaughn shook his head. “This here,” he said as he lifted the fastener up to test it. “This was done by someone who knows what they are doing. It would take extensive knowledge of harnesses to do this and not have it obvious to the person using it. The other one you mentioned. That was a simple cut, a weakening of the leather. It reminds me of something my younger brother would have done in his youth as a joke. Now that I think about it. He did it to the girth of a saddle. It fell off as our oldest brother was showing off for a girl. The point is that kind of damage, the cutting of the actual strap, implies the person didn’t know what they were doing.” He held up the harness. “This person did.”
Soren’s mind whirled as he processed Vaughn’s words. Someone with knowledge or experience working with harnesses. Could Rodar have this? He didn’t know much about him. But he did know someone with extensive knowledge. His father. And he was angry with Soren. Could he be angry enough to try to kill him? His father had more of a reason than Rodar. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed his father was to blame. At least this time.
Vaughn handed him the harness. Soren double checked and tested every inch of it as Vaughn watched.
“Who did the breast plate?”
“I did.”
“This is good. I could find some work for you if you ever need it.”
“I will keep that in mind. Thank you for your help.”
Soren left the tannery. Now he had to do the one thing he was good at. Apologize. He might as get it over with. But as he neared the main square, Bevin hailed him. The men were waiting. The training. Soren had forgotten. As they walked back to the training area, Bevin glanced over at him. He must have sensed Soren’s mood as he didn’t ask what was wrong. Soren was glad. He needed this time to clear his head and to decide on a training exercise. As he put the harness on Dex, he told him what Vaughn had said.
“If your father is willing to kill you, perhaps it is better that we leave.”
&nb
sp; “The thought of running into him daily was one of the reasons I agreed to go.” Soren climbed on Dex’s back. “I can’t believe he would do this, but who else is there?”
“Are you sure Rodar doesn’t have the knowledge to do it? Maybe he realized his first attempt was noticed and simply tried again with a better plan.”
Soren considered it. As much as Dex could be right, he didn’t think that was the case. Now that his anger was abated, he would rather trust his instincts about the man. “Vaughn is certain it is two different people and as much as I hate it, I am inclined to agree.”
They ran the dragons and their riders through agility drills before moving to target practice. Quinn, Drake and Parr had all opted to try the bow and arrow. Quinn, the youngest of the three, was quite accurate from the back of a dragon. The older guards, Bryce and Tyrus, tried using rocks. Bryce had more success with dropping them, while Tyrus proved accurate with the sling.
Then it was time to Blink. Emery and Agnot were waiting on the other side of the city. The dragons would Blink to her and fly back. Since he planned to Blink later that day, Dex and Soren remained in the air only as a show of support. He glanced at Quinn to his right. He could see the young man’s eyes were wide with fear. It had been much easier when Dex had first Blinked with him. He hadn’t known anything in advance. Maybe it would have been better to have done that here, but it was too late for that. All eyes were on him. He dropped his arm as Dex gave the dragons the command to Blink. Suddenly, he and Dex were alone in the sky.
“Agnot says they arrived,” Dex said as he circled toward the ground.
Soren looked at the training field. Rodar was nowhere to be seen. The only person around was Bevin, who was pulling arrows from the targets. Soren slid to the ground. He would have to go find Rodar. He waved to Bevin as he headed into Camden and all too soon he was standing in front of Rodar’s room. He was used to this. Apologies rolled off his tongue with ease. He offered one to his brother all the time after a night of drinking. This should be no different. But it was. He stared at the door. Sighing, he raised his hand and knocked.
Blood Bond Page 17
