The Last Dragon [Book One]

by LeRoy Clary

  Of course, anyone aware of the reward who offered information, real or false, in hopes of collecting a portion of the gold was gone, as was the documentation. The killers probably believed that Wythe had the reward money in his possession. Those rewards turned his search into such a well of poisoned water and false claims.

  The king eliminated the reward. Instead, he relied upon simple conversations as his best means of investigation, and he sent several people in search if our beginnings, all without success.

  After Wythe’s death, the subject seldom came up. We just accepted our fate. What was there to complain about? My sister and I lived in a beautiful palace, ate the best foods, and if we didn’t live exactly like royalty, we were only one step away. However, now and then one or the other of us would blurt out something we shouldn’t possibly know. Those instances were becoming rare, but we sometimes discussed them when alone.

  Elizabeth snapped her fingers to draw my attention back to her and the present. She obviously had asked me something during my musings—and I’d missed it. She snapped, “Anything else?”

  “Three things of interest.” I hurriedly answered. “Lady Tam intercepted me at the fountain.”

  “Is this going to be painful to my ears?” She asked with a sharp smile because she knew about Tam’s feelings for me and of our prior meeting under the stars. Honesty is the foundation of our friendship, so I’d told her all.

  “She mentioned she had a deep secret she was willing to share, so I refused to allow her to tell it to me and place me under her obligation.”

  “Naturally.”

  “During our benign conversation, she did mention all the people leaving her wing of the palace.”

  “More of them than we suspected. The same information came from another’s loose lips, so she confirms the rumor.”

  I then told her about the wife of the fur trader in the window observing Tam and me.

  “A common gossip,” Elizabeth muttered as I was speaking. “Someone should take the time to shut that woman up before she hurts Tam or you.”

  I filled her in on changes to the note, and of the conversation with the fur trader and his wife in case Elizabeth was ever asked about the mythical investigation. Elizabeth’s response was that such an investigation should be undertaken, and she would mention it to her father if the king became well. That way, if it ever came up, he would be aware of it and slough off any suspicion. In addition, if the rumor of Lady Tam and myself was ever circulated, Elizabeth would go directly to the fur trader and his wife and remove their royal commission.

  I sat back and waited. A lot had occurred in a single day. A certain dread told me that there was more was to come. Both Elizabeth and Kendra had a glint in their eyes that concerned me. Not a concern of fear, but that they knew something else. Neither had reacted to the information in the way I expected, and that said there were things afoot.

  Kendra’s two extended fingers were again held at her side, our signal for a private meeting, and she used them as she pointed to the alcove by the door. A stack of traveling bags and hard-sided luggage was piled there. My leather case was there, and Kendra’s three were piled with Elizabeth’s ten.

  On the small table beside the luggage sat a hard-leather case made especially for me. Well, not for me, but for my deadly toys. A few generations ago, crossbows had been introduced to the kingdom, but they were crude and inaccurate. Still, a soldier-recruit could use one with almost no training, and they were more effective than bows in some situations.

  They were also large, cumbersome, and ugly. Real warriors hated them because the unskilled could win battles with them. I’d become fascinated with their possibilities a few years earlier. I surreptitiously gathered the various parts from castoffs and broken crossbows, and eventually assembled them into a working weapon. The three of us spent an afternoon mastering its use until we’d either broken or lost the five bolts I’d stolen from the armory. We were interested because there seemed to be a future with a smaller, modified weapon. She allowed me time from my duties to build another.

  After adjustments, refinements, and additions, we had one that satisfied our needs. Emeril, the blacksmith who fashioned the king’s weapons, was commissioned with a few of Elizabeth’s coins. He created parts made to my specifications, without knowing their eventual use, but he probably guessed despite our attempt at secrecy. My biggest complaints about crossbows were the weight and size, built for bulky soldiers with little fighting skill. The lack of mobility and the crudeness of construction didn’t help either. A military crossbow could barely be lifted into firing position by a woman. However, when fired, the bolt could penetrate and kill three men before stopping. I questioned why one needed that much power.

  Sparing the details of my hundreds of failures, I constructed a smaller weapon, a quarter the size of the military issue. The result was a one-handed weapon with the power to penetrate one man instead of three. It could be cocked quickly; extra bolts hung in small quivers from the waist within easy reach. The tiny crossbows were accurate within twenty paces, no more. Ten paces away were perfect. Kendra had a feel for the new weapon from the first. Elizabeth and I practiced until we equaled her speed reloading and her accuracy.

  Returning to the initial subject, I nodded my understanding to Kendra. The leather case meant peril. It contained our three crossbows.

  Elizabeth had more maps unrolled on her desk, and I knew at a glance we were traveling west, to the city and province of the same name. Mercia. As if the seven gods of knowledge read my mind, a frightened shout followed by a scream from outside in the courtyard aroused us. I turned to open the door to the terrace as other frightened shouts rang out.

  The three of us crowded against each other on the small terrace for a better view of the sky while people outside stopped whatever they were doing to watch. Some pointed upward. A few puffy clouds in that direction drew my attention first, then, off to one side, my eyes spotted movement.

  A dragon.

  I’d never seen one and wasn’t personally certain they really existed until that moment. However, there was no doubt of what it was. It flew high and far away, the wings pumping up and down in an almost lazy motion despite the immense size of the creature. The body hung low between the massive wings, and as it turned slightly, we saw two legs, no more. A barbed tail swung from side to side. A wyvern. However, to me, it was a dragon and would remain so.

  It flew northward, the serpentine neck twisting and turning slowly as it watched the ground below. It never once looked in the direction of the palace. That was until it did.

  The head suddenly turned on the end of the long neck and peered directly at the palace. The body shifted until the creature flew directly at us. I had the feeling it looked at me, and probably everyone else in the palace with his or her head tilted to the sky felt the same. The people outside panicked and ran in terror. Within a few heartbeats, the streets were empty. We remained on the terrace, transfixed.

  Kendra poked me in my ribs with her elbow and whispered in awe, “A dragon.” She said it as if it was somehow my fault for the thing being there, or at least, that’s the way I interpreted her tone. We had been too stunned to speak. Her poke brought me back to reality.

  “Wyvern,” my loose lips automatically corrected her and earned me another jab.

  Elizabeth said, “He’s right. Only two legs. And smaller than real dragons.”

  “Smaller?” Kendra squealed, her hands raised to cover her mouth in wonder. “That thing is as big as a house.”

  “A small house,” Elizabeth answered slyly, just as the beast opened its mouth and roared so loud every bird within half a day’s walk took flight as one. Most people covered their ears and cowered as they watched from the protection of windows set into the stone walls. The dragon searched the ground, then its attention turned back to our terrace.

  It shrieked, then turned abruptly away and increased the pumping rate of the wings, looking like a scared small dog when it unexpectedly came u
p against a larger dog. The dragon turned to look at us a few times while it flew away as if ensuring we were not flying after it. It disappeared from sight after a few moments. The people emerged into the courtyard below, almost shyly. It seemed every person in this wing of the palace had managed to catch at least a glimpse of it, the first wyvern to fly over in memory, and possibly ever.

  Kendra said in a wondrous voice, “Princess Anna claims the sky is often blackened with them where she lives. It was beautiful.”

  It was not beautiful, but I held my tongue, so I didn’t get jabbed with an elbow again.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  A s if hearing her name mentioned, Princess Anna chose that moment to tap lightly on the door. Kendra’s duty was to greet and announce all visitors, and she stalked to the door, her mind and actions were obviously still centered on the dragon that had flown past. It was a sight to remember, both majestic and fearsome at the same time. As everyone else did, I wondered at the sighting and the timing. Princess Anna arrived for a secret state visit, and the first wyvern in memory flew past as she knocked at our door.

  Princess Anna now wore a lemon shade of yellow instead of the butter color she’d had on earlier. Elizabeth went to the door to give her a welcoming hug as if they were old friends and invited her inside with the grace and ceremony only one royal can display to another. Princess Anna was hesitant and unsure, Elizabeth gracious and confident. They sat facing each other while Kendra fetched tea and soft, sweet-cakes for them.

  “Did you see it?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Oh, yes. They’re common at home, but more interesting was the reaction of the people here, especially those outside. They acted as if the wyvern was going to eat them.” She chuckled as if that was unreasonable.

  Neither Kendra nor I sat or spoke, as we were loyal servants. My position was to stand aside, near the alcove ready to serve Princess Elizabeth and to protect her, if required. My wish was for larger ears because with their heads placed so closely together I heard little. Kendra, on the other hand, maintained her position at Elizabeth’s side where she could pour more hot water for tea and hear all while being all but invisible in the performance of her duties.

  Elizabeth clearly directed the conversation and Anna responded. They wore smiles. An intimate conversation like that could continue until dinner, but when Elizabeth abruptly stood as a message of dismissal, I came erect. The change in them was perceptible. The air crackled with tension. Back straight and tensed, my hand rested on the pommel of my sword as smiles between the women turned to intense energy. The princess in yellow finally stood, nodded coldly and politely to Elizabeth, and she turned away in a swirl of her gown. She strode to the door with her chin up, her eyes never once acknowledging my presence. She didn’t appear happy.

  She left us without a backward glance, leaving the door standing open for me to close. I did so and turned.

  Elizabeth’s face was flushed, and her eyes narrowed. Before I could question her, she snapped, “She lied to me. The woman sat here and denied meeting with the king right to my face—as well as about a few other things. Fetch your things. We’re going to Mercia.”

  Since I stood in front of a pile of luggage, the statement held nothing new except that she had made up her mind so there must have been doubting of the situation earlier. Kendra placed the pot of hot water for tea back on the stove and said quietly, “When?”

  Ignoring the question, Elizabeth spun to face me. “We need a mount for you and a carriage for us right away. See to it.”

  “We depart today?” I meekly asked, knowing the answer but a strange giddiness had taken hold. We’d seldom been outside the walls of the palace, and never on a trip. Instead of fear, it seemed exciting and adventurous.

  Instead of answering my question, she snapped at Kendra, “Get some help to carry our luggage to the stables as quickly as you can.”

  When Kendra opened the door to rush out and find servants to help us, I slipped out and headed for the stables. When entering, I waited while the stable master was instructing two young men in the proper manner to oil saddles by using their bare fingers, so they could feel flaws and stiffness in the leather and know where to apply more. He’d taught me the same lessons years ago when I was near their age. At my excited appearance, he left the boys and looked at me as if he knew I was not there to visit my horse. My facial control obviously required extensive practice to appear passive.

  I calmed myself with a deep breath, at least, outwardly. “Princess Elizabeth requires a carriage for two and their luggage, and we need Alexis saddled. A plain saddle, one I can ride in comfortably for days.”

  “Goin’ to Mercia along with everyone else?”

  My impulse was to deny it. Instead, I winked and refused to tell a lie when he already knew the answer. “How long before they are prepared?”

  He said with a shrug, “The carriage will be ready when the luggage gets here. A stable-boy is washing it, and another is already greasing the hubs for the long trip. Alexis has been placed in the small corral and is waiting for you.”

  That drew a grin from me. The news of our departure might take the rest of the day to reach the nobles in the main wing. However, as in all palaces, the cooks, maids, stablemen, and a hundred other lowly occupations would know of our trip immediately. They knew because of the speed of the rumors between servants. It was the responsibility of those people to care for their masters. Life in a royal palace operated on two distinct levels and seldom did they coincide. The Royals and the servants.

  That was how so many important people had departed for Mercia without our knowledge in the last few days. In this case, I included Kendra and myself with the Royals. It also made me wonder how much else we’d missed when we three were so self-proud of our knowledge of palace intrigue that we forgot to interact with those who serve.

  Standing there amazed, the hustle of preparation went on around me. In the future, I might forego all the whispers, back alleys, hints, and subterfuge in the royal wing, and proceed directly to the stables for my information. Alexis greeted me at the small corral. She already wore a saddle similar to that I had requested. As usual, the stable master had anticipated my needs, including a red apple to treat my horse.

  After a brief and unnecessary inspection, I turned at a small commotion. The first of our luggage had arrived. Soon after, the carriage, an older one, but well-built and sturdy, pulled beside us. A pair of brown mares were in the harness. They were not the most beautiful in the herd, but their legs and chests suggested power more than grace.

  The stable master noticed my inspection and moved to my side. “Do you approve?”

  “Yes.”

  “Gotta guide, yet?”

  I turned to him. “The roads are well-marked. Do we need one?”

  “Nope. Not if you already know where to stay each night, which inns serve good food, if you know where the water is sweet, and the places where bandits and highwaymen like to hide before they attack. And of course, if you plan to stay awake all night on watch to protect the princess.”

  Ignoring his knowing smirk, I asked, “Who would you hire?”

  “Tater.”

  “Seriously? That man has a bad leg, a foul mouth, and doesn’t bathe.”

  “He’s a little crude, no question about it. He also spits a few hundred times a day and doesn’t pay attention to which way the wind blows—so you have to. But you didn’t ask me who I like. You asked me who to hire, and Tater is my answer.”

  “There are others. There must be,” I said, as my mind formed a picture of a man who hadn’t cut a wild hair on his head or face in years, used crude language enough to make sailors wince, and overall, he thoroughly disgusted me. Then I reconsidered. If the stable master recommended him, there must be a good reason. “Why him?”

  “He’s honest, and he knows the route. He has been to Mercia three times this year alone. He’ll also fight at your side and die for you if needed. Loyal as can be. Can’t say that for others.”
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br />   And he had the stable master’s approval. “Where is he?”

  “Gathering his things for your trip.” The stable master turned and walked away with a chuckle.

  If his face had been turned my way, there would have been a smile on it. I’d been manipulated as easily as a parent getting a child into bed with promises of sweet apples for breakfast. More luggage arrived, and right after it, my sister and Elizabeth.

  The luggage had been loaded into the back while I wasted my time talking to the stable master, but at least, my back was not sore from lifting our things into the carriage. It was almost as if I’d planned it that way.

  Tater led two horses into the barn from a wide door. His saddle-horse was tall, the hooves large, and the head square. It was not part of the royal herd and belonged on a farm instead of under a saddle. The other was shorter, wide, and snorted at me in a nasty way. Its fur was shaggy and tangled. It wore a pack outfit wrapped in heavy waterproof canvas. No telling what was under it. Between reaching the barn door and carriage, Tater spat twice.

  Kendra flashed me an inquiring look as if I’d lost my mind. I ignored it and decided I’d made the right choice. Wearing my best smile, I examined Alexis’ hoof so I couldn’t see the scorn on her face. When I stood, Elizabeth and Kendra were seated in the carriage. Elizabeth held the reins, which was unexpected. A gentle slap on the rumps of the two horses set the carriage into motion.