Without being asked, Dex lit the fire as Soren knelt next to Bevin. He tore his pants to expose the wound that went from his knee down to the middle of his calf. Blood dripped down Bevin’s leg. Soren poured water on it. With the blood briefly cleared away, it didn’t appear too bad.
“What happened?” Soren asked as he grabbed a cloth to bandage the wound.
“When the ground gave away,” Bevin began.
“Sorry about that.”
Bevin shrugged. “I dropped the torch and grabbed onto the side. I think that is what made the difference. If I hadn’t I would have been impaled by one of the stakes. Instead, one grazed my leg and another my shoulder.”
Soren stood. “Take off your shirt. I’ll bind this and then start a healing potion for you and Dex.” He glanced toward the dragon. “And check his wounds.”
Bevin grimaced as he removed his shirt and again as Soren poured water to wash the wound. “You found it? You found the box?”
“I did.” He told Bevin the tale as he bound his wounds and made the potion. He then checked Dex’s wound. “They look better. I think one more time with the poultice.”
“Let me see your back,” Bevin suggested. “It seems to reflect the state of his wound.”
Soren took off his shirt. “So?”
“Faint lines. Almost gone but not quite.”
Soren slipped his shirt back on and began working on the poultice.
“Do you think Dex is ready to travel?” Bevin asked.
“I am,” Dex answered before Soren could.
“No, Dex,” Soren said as he put the pot near the flames. “You’re still injured. The jump was hard on you last time. I think we should hold off Blinking again.”
“I feel fine. I think we should Blink in the morning. We have already been gone for four days. The sooner we get back the sooner Cane can figure out how to use the box.”
Soren stared at Dex for a moment, trying to decide if it was worth it to argue. He sighed. It wasn’t worth the effort when he knew Dex was right. They needed to get the box back to Cane.
“The box means nothing without someone getting the scepter.”
“True.” The dragon regarded Soren for a moment. “You have something in mind?”
Soren had been thinking about it – more than he wanted to admit. The upcoming battle hinged on stopping the Southern Dragons which meant getting the scepter controlling them. A way to do just that had been rattling around in his mind as they flew toward the fortress, but he wasn’t ready to tell Dex or anyone else about it just yet. “I’m working on it,” he said instead.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The darkness pressed in on Soren. Even though he knew this was a longer jump, he fidgeted. Surely it was taking too long. Where were the blue sky and sun? Shouldn’t they be there already? A coldness started in his stomach, spreading outward as panic began to build. He took a deep breath, willing himself to relax. Everything would be all right. Dex had assured him he was strong enough to Blink even though Soren had pressed him to rest longer. In his opinion, Dex needed more time to recover from the Shadow Stalker’s poison. Again he had voiced his concerns this morning, but he had been outvoted.
The sudden appearance of the sun briefly blinded him. He blinked before taking in the village below them. Camden. They had not appeared outside the village but over the center square. Dex’s hide was a pale red as he spiraled down, landing in the plaza. Soren barely heard the cries of surprise by the town folk at their sudden appearance.
“Bevin needs a healer,” Dex said before Soren could question him. “It is quicker this way.”
Soren slung his bag over his shoulder and slid to the ground, barely glancing at the gawking crowd. He turned to help Bevin. The man scowled at him, muttering something about not being that injured, though he did grimace slightly as his feet hit the ground. His eyes focused on something behind Soren, who turned to see Darvin rushing toward them.
“News travel fast when a dragon lands here,” he said, offering his hand to Soren.
“It’s good to see you, Darvin.” Soren grasped the man’s hand. “Bevin needs to see a healer.” He held up his hand to cut off the man’s protest. “I will feel better when someone has checked over those wounds.”
“You underestimate your healing skills.” Bevin’s eyes flickered to the top of the stairs. “That’s the symbol of the royal house of Rison. Is King Edric here?”
Together Soren and Darvin looked at the tall thin guard watching them from the doorway. His dark hair was pulled away from his angular, clean-shaven face. Over his black pants and shirt, he wore a red cloak. The man’s dark eyes surveyed the scene before he abruptly turned and retreated inside.
“Yes,” Darvin said. “King Edric arrived a few days ago…by dragon.”
“What?” Soren exclaimed.
“I know. I never thought I would see that.”
He shook his head. “He is fine with the alliance with the dragons?”
“I didn’t say that. More like furious.” Darvin gestured to the door. “King Arden has been informed of your arrival. He is expecting you, Soren. I will get Bevin to the healer.”
Soren nodded. He patted Dex’s side. “Get some rest.”
“I will after I see Warnox.”
Darvin glared impatiently at Soren, so he didn’t stop to argue. The dragon needed to rest, but arguing would do no good. Dex would do as he wanted. Soren climbed the stairs, pausing outside the door. Turning, he watched a pale Dex leap into the air. He could feel the dragon’s exhaustion. He too wanted nothing more than to sleep. Instead, he entered the building and headed to the meeting room where just a week ago he had met with the King. At least this time he knew what they wanted from him. The box. He shifted the bag. Reassurance washed over him as the box bumped against his back.
Two men stepped into the hall, blocking his way. He recognized the one on the left as the guard who had watched his arrival. The man beside him was tall with a grey, neatly trimmed beard. There was a distinct air about him as if he expected to be obeyed without question. Soren didn’t need to see the crest of Rison on his shoulder to know who he was. King Edric.
The King didn’t smile as his eyes skimmed over Soren. “So, you are the dragon rider.”
He said it as if it was an insult. Anger flared within Soren. He almost responded but recalled one of his first interactions with King Arden. He remembered being hit in the stomach for his insolence of speaking without permission. His eyes traveled over the man at the King’s side. The Rison guard had his hand on his sword. Soren chose to bow and kept his mouth shut.
“You are not at all what I expected,” the King continued as his eyes traveled to the mark on Soren’s neck. “Dragon riders use to be those of high quality. I see that isn’t the case here. Don't get used to this. King Arden may have agreed to an alliance, but I assure you it will not last beyond this battle. You have my word on that. Your dragon and the others will be destroyed as they should have been fifty years ago.”
King Edric didn’t wait for a response. He swung around, striding down the hall with the guard at his heels. Soren stood there for a moment, tempering his anger. His mind whirled as he replayed the King’s words in his mind. He meant to exterminate the dragons. He had tried over the years, but the dragons had been safe in the mountains. Now many of them were here. Soren wanted to turn, to leave and find the dragons. He needed their reassurance that they would be fine. As he shifted the bag, the box again banged against his back reminding him of his mission. He would see the dragons after he delivered it to Cane.
With that in mind, he continued down the hall. He entered the meeting room to find King Edric sitting beside King Arden, the two already deep in conversation. General Thayer sat on King Arden’s other side. He and Colonel Hadar were bent over a map. Everyone looked up as the door closed behind him. Before he could move, the door behind the trio opened. Cane and Elden rushed in. Cane’s eyes immediately went to Soren, who bowed to the Kings.
“Did you find it?” Cane asked, his voice tinged with excitement.
Soren nodded as he approached. He swung the bag from his shoulder and put it on the table. He pulled out the ornately carved wooden box, feeling a small sense of satisfaction as the others gasped. Cane reached forward, gingerly picking up the box. He ran his fingers lightly over it before lifting the lid. As he inspected it, Soren pulled out the journal and ring he had also taken from Drachen’s fortress.
“These were hidden with it,” he said, pushing them toward Cane.
The wizard barely looked at him. “Good,” he muttered as he handed the box to Elden. He reached for the other items. “If you will excuse us, Your Majesty, Elden and I will go examine the box.”
“Of course,” King Arden said to the wizard though his eyes were fixed on Soren. “You proved more resilient than I thought. I did not agree with Cane’s decision to send you on this mission. I see I was mistaken. Good job, Soren.”
Soren inclined his head, uncertain how to take this praise. Should he be upset the King didn’t think he would succeed? Or should he just be pleased the King had recognized that he had indeed done a good job? He decided on the latter. Praise from the King was something he never imagined he would ever receive. It felt foreign but good. His eyes fell on King Edric, and any good feeling drained away.
“Did you have any trouble retrieving it?” King Arden asked.
“It was protected by a series of traps. We got through them though both Bevin and Dex were injured.”
“They are on the mend?” The King waited until Soren nodded to continue. “You can regale us with the adventure later tonight over dinner after you have had a chance to clean up. I believe the other dragon riders are training this afternoon. I am sure they could use your guidance.”
Soren noted both King Edric and General Thayer frowned at the word dragon riders. He had forgotten about the men he had been training before he left. His stomach tingled as a wave of doubt washed over him. He wasn’t a leader. He did not know what he was doing, but he couldn’t bring this up to the King or anyone for that matter. Sighing he realized there was no way out of this. As soon as he spoke with Warnox, he would go check on them. The King’s nod of dismissal pulled him out of his thoughts. It wasn’t until he was almost to the door that he realized he had been invited to dine with the King. He shook his head in disbelief. He hadn’t seen that coming.
He left the building, heading down the main road leading toward the forest. He paused before the alley shortcut he had used in the past. The image of the meeting with his father flashed before his eyes. He didn’t even know if his father was still in Camden. He hesitated for a moment before deciding to stick to the main road. The shortcut would have only saved a few minutes anyway he assured himself. There was no hurry.
As he reached the outskirts of the village, he saw someone walking toward him. The young man’s face broke into a smile when he saw Soren. He hurried forward, running a hand through his blond hair.
“You are back,” Quinn exclaimed. “This is great. I think you will be impressed with what we have done while you have been gone. We have been training daily. And we now have three more dragon riders, but two of the new dragons don’t have harnesses so we have had to share. And you will never believe it. One of the new riders is Kincade Morot.” At Soren’s blank expression, Quinn rushed on. “He is the best marksman with a bow and arrow.”
“What? No. Does General Thayer know?” Soren asked as his mind whirled. The General had been specific. None of his best men would be dragon riders.
“I suppose he knows. Kincade was injured during training the day after you left. He hurt his leg real bad. It is so bad he can’t walk without a crutch. The only way for him to join the upcoming battle was on a dragon’s back.”
“How is he doing shooting from the air?”
“Good. I think he will do even better if his dragon had a harness that fits. They have been using Thella’s harness, but Aria is a bit smaller.”
“Why didn’t you have someone here make a harness?”
“A man came by. He told us he had done the other harnesses. The dragons said he couldn’t do it. He had been ordered to stay away from them.” Quinn shook his head. “He was mad.”
“Is he still here?”
“I haven’t seen him. Do you who he is?”
Soren nodded. “I know him. I’m on my way to see Warnox. After I check in on Dex, I can get the supplies to make Aria and whoever else needs a harness. Let’s meet after lunch.”
“I’ll tell the others.” Quinn dashed off.
Soren had to smile at the young man’s enthusiasm. He could hardly have been a member of the guard more than a year. If he had joined at the age Soren had, the young man was probably seventeen or eighteen. He supposed he too would have been excited at that age to be riding a dragon into battle. For a moment, he remembered the nights he and Jerrick had stayed up late talking about how exciting it would have been to live in the time of the dragon riders. It was that summer they had made the trip toward the mountains and had seen the dragons from a distance. To a young boy, dragons meant freedom. For Soren, it would have meant escaping his father’s disdain. He shook off the memory as he neared the dragons.
Five of them sat in a circle. He recognized Warnox, Rakkah and Thella. But there was a second smaller golden dragon and a larger red dragon. The red one’s coloring was darker than Dex, and the dragon lacked Dex’s golden highlights on his wings and underside. The dragons watched as he approached. Warnox bowed his head, and the other dragons followed suit.
“Huh? What is that for?” Soren asked.
“We are in awe of your healing skills,” Warnox said. “A Shadow Stalker injury is almost always fatal.”
“Dex said others have survived.”
“Maybe one or two.”
The blood drained from Soren’s face. “I didn’t know.”
“It was your quick actions and healing skills that saved him. You have proven yourself worthy to be a dragon rider.”
Soren shuffled his feet. His gaze dropped to the ground. He rubbed his neck. He fought the urge to leave, to go build the harnesses Quinn said they needed. He glanced at the other two dragons.
“Aria and Dubbin,” Warnox introduced them.
Soren inclined his head toward the smaller gold dragon. “I hear I need to make you a harness, Aria. In fact, I probably should go get the supplies.”
“Wait,” Warnox said as Soren turned to leave. “Before you return to Camden, you should know King Edric is here.”
Soren’s stomach tightened as he grimaced. “We met.”
Warnox lifted his head. He must have said something to the others as Aria and Dubbin flew off. Rakkah and Thella moved off to the side leaving the brown dragon standing in front of him.
“What is it, Soren? I may not be linked to you like Reddex, but even I can feel your anxiety. First with the praise and now with the mention of King Edric.”
Soren sighed. “I am not used to people expecting so much of me. I’ve spent my life as failure. Nothing has ever gone right. Now I have people expecting me to be a dragon rider, to find magical items and join a battle I would rather avoid. And all I can do is wait for things to go wrong as they always do.”
Warnox laid down, tucking his wings next to his body as he regarded Soren. “Maybe you underestimate yourself. Often it takes time to learn to use your wings. Maybe you are not a failure but still trying to find your way.”
Soren shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his gaze on the ground. He tried not to bristle at Warnox’s words. At twenty-six, shouldn't he have already found his way? His brother had a good job, a wife, a family. He had nothing.
“Maybe,” Warnox continued. “You should spend less time thinking about what has gone wrong and focus on what has gone right. Your choices are what brought you to Reddex. You have a good heart, Soren.” The dragon stared at him for a moment. “Nothing I say will sway your beliefs but know this, the dragons believe in y
ou. Now to the other matter. What about King Edric worries you?”
“He swore the alliance between dragon and man would not last beyond this battle. He plans to kill all the dragons.”
Warnox lowered his head until his eyes were even with Soren’s. “I do not know if the alliance will extend beyond the battle. But I will do what I can to protect your relationship with Reddex. We will find a way to work things out.”
Soren smiled. “This is something I never thought I would worry about. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t imagine even talking to a dragon, and now I am finding I can’t imagine not having this connection with Dex.” He shook his head. “And what about King Edric’s threat?”
“Ah…that is nothing to worry about. He and his father before him have tried for years to kill us. We dragons will survive this too.”
Soren didn’t see how Warnox could be calm with King Edric’s pledge hanging over the dragons. “I hope you are right…about all of it,” he said.
Chapter Thirty
Warnox’s words echoed in his mind as Soren walked to the tannery. Though the thought of working with leather brought back childhood memories of his father, he needed the distraction. Building the harnesses would do that. It would be good to work with his hands. But in the back of his mind, he still was toiling over how they were going to get the scepter out of the hands of the wizard wielding it. It would be no easy feat but a necessary one.
Someone bumped into him, jarring him back into the present. A young girl with blonde hair ran by without an apology. His eyes widened as he saw she had his bag. He looked down as if to verify his bag was really gone. He tore after her, pushing people out of his way.
“Stop her!” he shouted.
A few people looked, but no one moved to help. The girl wove through the crowd. She slipped down a nearby alley. Soren dashed after her, turning the corner to find the alley empty. He heard voices coming from around the corner. He moved slowly.
“You’re as good as promised,” a man said.
Blood Bond Page 22
