by Sarah Hite
“The eldest directed a dragon with gold and deep blue scales to land. He landed swiftly and set down the wagon that he had carried just inside the tree line, then he backed out of the way so two of the three smaller dragons could land. The three stood at the edge of the clearing and waited. It was not long before the eighty-three villagers that formed Pycan’s guard trickled into the clearing. After as many villagers were there as could fit in the clearing, their voices died down as they noticed the wagon. It was covered in blood spatter and mud. One of the members of the Dragon Guard said, “That’s Silvrin’s wagon.” The man who had acted as the grimy man returned wearing a wig and a different shirt.
“The people started to whisper amongst themselves, but quieted down again as a thin woman wound her way through the crowd. She was wearing a plain dress that covered her pale skin, with her dark brown hair tied in a bun. When she saw the wagon, a startled cry escaped her lips. She ran to it, ill-fated thoughts and ideas running through her head, thoughts that she could never convince herself to express.
“The dragons regarded her with interest. They realized she was no doubt the injured man’s mate, or wife. It was then they noticed the man standing apart from the rest of the assembled men; he was speaking to a young woman who held a child of only a few months. She wore an interested expression and nodded in reply to what he was saying. She was dressed simply, her skin tanned and her long dark hair unbound. She stood with an heir of adventure and free will.
“The man wore a curious expression. He looked around the clearing and seemed to take in what was going on. He was also dressed simply, wearing slacks with a belt, a long-sleeved shirt, and a plain vest. He said something to the woman then stepped out from under the trees. As he did, he noticed how many dragons had honored them with their presence, including the two yet to land. The Guardsmen quieted down when this man left the cover of the trees. There was no doubt in the older dragon’s minds that this was the man they had come to see. The dragon also noticed that the babe was staring straight at him, as if she knew exactly who and what he was.
“This disturbed him slightly until he recalled what the scout had said about the child, so he redirected his attention to the man who had now walked over to the wagon. He stood there noting the blood and the wagon’s condition. Then he turned to the pale woman who now looked as if she were about to faint. However, before he could even say a word, she turned on him.”
A woman joined the actors now and took the part. With a cold voice, she accused, “You. You did this.” She thrust her finger at the man who had changed his clothes. “You got him killed. Now how am I supposed to provide for our children?”
He waited a moment before answering. “Madia, I am sorry for what has happened. It was not my intention to get your husband into trouble. However, I do not regret my decision. I sent Silvrin for supplies because he was the least likely to get in trouble. He is the only one who could bring the wagon back, intact, and full, in due time.” He raised a finger, pointing it skyward. “Furthermore, I doubt he’s dead. I mean, I’m sure he’ll be back. After all, he did promise to return…” He smiled at her kindly. “And we all know he keeps his promises.”
“Thorin turned his attention to the dragon closest to him. To his surprise, the dragon with the blue and gold scales was looking at him. It seemed as if the dragon were studying him, as if he were looking for something. The dragon snorted.”
One of the men acting the dragon’s parts took over. “I am Kei-ata Lorbrein, the Shaman of Dragons’ Keep. We are here to discuss our part of the treaty our ancestors established.” He paused a moment then went on with a tone of regret. “We also wish to apologize for neglecting it this past year.” “He spoke with a deep tenor voice that commanded respect. After a moment he spoke again, less formally.”
“My name may be difficult for some to pronounce; you may call me Shaman, if you like.”
“Welcome to Pycan Peak,” the man playing Thorin replied simply. Changing the subject he asked, motioning with a thumb, “How did you find the wagon?”
“Kei-ata Lorbrein did not answer. He was distracted by a pressure to his thoughts. Looking up he saw the last two dragons in the air. The small one appeared to be having some difficulty. Yes, what is it?” “The elder replied, Your Scout is getting tired, and the animal is making flying difficult.
“The Shaman turned back to Thorin and the Guard. Kei-ata Lorbrein spoke then, ‘Make room; Scout is going to land.’ A sound from one of the other dragons caused him to turn around. The sound reminded Thorin of laughter. They stood unmoving and silent for several minutes, and then the shaman surprised them all with an outright roar. It was long and loud, seemingly unprovoked, and sent the other two dragons cowering under the trees. Thorin wondered if it had something to do with the young dragon the shaman had just spoken of. He did not wonder about their seemingly silent conversations. He knew dragons could speak to each other mind to mind, or telepathically. He hoped he would not regret this decision.”
Thorin’s actor spoke then. “The scout?” He looked up at the dragons again. “The little one?”
“Yes, the young one is the scout. He has been watching you for quite a while,” he replied with some amusement.
“He has? Why?”
“We have been curious. There has been a scout at most cities and villages watching the Guard for answers to our questions. We have never fully understood why our treaty was important, not until today. It was because of his last report that we decided to come here, and that we discovered the wagon.” He paused. “He should be given plenty of room. He is young and still learning, and has not quite mastered landing on all fours; now he must land on only two.”
“At Thorn’s inquisitive look, he explained.”
“He is carrying the animal that pulled the wagon; the beast is making flying difficult. It keeps thrashing and appears to be trying to bite him,” he said with a hint of humor. After another pause, he continued. “However, this should be a good learning experience for him, as long as that animal doesn’t break something,” he said with a dangerous undertone. “He turned his enormous head to watch the scout make his approach. Careful Scout, he cautioned, there is much that could go wrong here.
“He broke visual contact with the scout when he heard Thorin speak.”
“You care a great deal for him, don’t you?”
“Kei-ata Lorbrein replied without looking at Thorin; his attention had refocused on the young dragon.”
“Yes, I have good reason.”
“Thorin did not press the matter; instead, he gave an order to clear a path and watched the little dragon circle in for his landing. He had to try to land with a crazed horse clamped in his front paws. He was not surprised that the animal was giving the scout so much trouble. Silvrin’s mare was known for being ferocious to those she disliked. She was also known to attack wolves and bears without cause. No, what did surprise him was that he was actually afraid for the dragon! He knew the horse’s nature and just hoped she would not attack him after she had been released.
“The young dragon glided over the treetops and landed awkwardly on his hind legs at the edge of the clearing. There he quickly and thankfully released the horse. Everyone expected the animal to flee; however, Thorin’s worries came true. The mare turned and began attacking Scout with her hooves and teeth.
“The young dragon looked to the shaman for advice. He knew he should not harm the animal, but was being battered by the beast. Kei-ata Lorbrein sent his silent reply which the scout immediately followed. Using his wings as shields, he defended himself, but still did not fight back, as the shaman had said. They were hoping the mare would stop when it had exhausted its strength.
“Thorin wondered why none of the older dragons were helping him. It seemed as if they did not care. He watched as the mare continued to abuse the young dragon. The scene seemed to last for at least ten minutes. Then suddenly the mare seemed to tire. Is this what they are waiting for? He wondered. Did they want the mare
to tire herself out? It made sense. The mare did indeed seem to be tiring.
“He was about to give an order to restrain the animal when she attacked again. This time, an audible snap, was heard and a surprised, pained squeal. These were also followed by a long, loud, and very angry sounding roar. The unexpected counterattack caused the mare to finally run and the assembled Guard to jump. Looking around, Thorin saw that the rest of the dragons had now taken interest in what had just happened, although they were backed against the trees. The shaman especially seemed interested.
“Thorin watched as the shaman walked over to where the younger dragon had curled into a surprisingly small, trembling ball, one wing folded awkwardly. He looked the little one over for several moments, looking for the apparent injury the mare had given him, while the other two talked amongst themselves. Everyone knew when he found it. He snorted, and then looked up to the remaining dragon, who was gliding just above the trees. He was as close as he could be without landing. The Guard ex- changed several looks before the shaman looked out over them again.”
“Move back! Elder is landing.”
“Everyone scurried to comply. Thorin realized that this dragon was larger than Kei-ata Lorbrein, and he was the largest on the ground.”
Here the narrator paused. He watched the children’s reactions as they tried to figure out where the young dragon had been hurt. The teens recognized many of the names and now understood why Pai knew so much about Pycan. After a moment the narrator continued.
“Elder landed expertly within seconds; however, he kept one leg off of the ground, giving the appearance of being crippled. Then Thorin realized that he, too, was carrying something. He turned his head to face the shaman. Then a moment later angled it slightly to look at Scout. He finally turned his attention to the Guard and Thorin. His crimson and copper scales gave him a regal look.
Elder brought his curled front paw down in front of Thorin, where he unfurled his claws, revealing Silvrin’s broken body.”
“The attack was unprovoked.”
“His deep base voice resonated in Thorin’s bones as he told them what they had seen. Thorin was surprised by this. He had not expected an attack, let alone to have them save Silvrin, or return the wagon and horse.
“He had two men take Silvrin back to the complex, his wife close behind. Then he turned his attention back to Elder, whom he was surprised to find watching his wife. She handed the sleeping child in her arms to another woman, and then went to stand by her husband. It was then he realized that the dragon’s interest had not been in his wife at all, but in his child, as he continued to watch her. This concerned him, but he knew better than to ask. Elder looked at them a moment then turned his attention back to Scout. Just a few steps brought him to where the shaman and scout were, and then looked the scout over himself. He brushed part of the young dragon’s wing with his snout, causing him to whimper and pull away. Kei-ata Lorbrein lowered his giant head to inspect the scout’s wing where the other dragon had indicated. He snorted, shook his head, and then looked at the sky toward the mountains. He stood over the scout in a protective manner.
Then Elder spoke. “How did the animal strike him?” The answer was obvious, but no one answered- dragon or human alike. Elder regarded the crowd for a moment, and then turned to the other two dragons. They had become quiet, and seemed to shrink in size as Elder came toward them. He surprised Thorin by striking the dragons with his front paws. Then he asked them directly, “How did the animal strike Scout. What caused the injury… or were you not paying attention?”
“We were… or, at least, I was, Elder.”
“The smaller of the two replied with a light tenor. His scales were modeled green and dark brown and he was barely taller than Thorin. The other dragon had dark green and tan-modeled scales and was nearly twice the younger dragon’s size. He said nothing but stood watching Elder with quiet distain. Elder looked at him for a moment then regarded the younger dragon. He said something telepathically that made the smaller dragon wince. This silent conference went on for several moments; then Elder finally snorted, nodded, and turned to the older of the two dragons.”
“Return to the Keep. I will deal with you later.”
“The green and tan dragon winced. Before leaving he turned to the smaller dragon. He said something to the younger dragon that made him shiver, then took off.
“Elder turned to the modeled green and brown one.” He paused and looked out at the children with a knowing look. He glanced at the other actors and they smiled. “What did he say, Chekal?” The children oohed and awed and looked around for the dragon.
“Chekal did not answer. He only watched as the other dragon flew away.”
In a gentler voice Elder asked again, “Chekal?”
“Chekal took a breath, and then slowly answered.” The man playing Chekal’s part did not get a chance to play his role.
“He said that if I said anything that got him in trouble I would regret the day I hatched.”
The actors and children jumped in surprised and turned to look at the dragons who had snuck in on the story. The children laughed and applauded.
The men playing the dragons’ parts smiled and continued.
“You should send him back to his sire,” Kei-ata Lorbrein’s actor suggested.
“That is not my decision, but I will discuss it with his grandsire.” Elder’s actor said.
“It was decided that the two young dragons would stay on Pycan Peak with the Guard, until Scout’s wing had healed. Chekal,” he said, indicating the dragon, “would deliver messages to the Keep from the Guard, and vice versa. Kei-ata Lorbrein visited to check on Scout every once in a while and to see how Thorin, his family, and Silvrin were doing. After six weeks Scout had taken his first test flight; and three months later the other dragons returned to Dragons’ Keep- except Scout, who was left to his new station.
“After hearing the events from the Pycan, King Kyeon Mangjul gave orders to the council to re-secure the treaty with the Dragon Guard. This treaty was solid, as both sides regarded it with resolve; they were determined to make it work. And work it did; for the next five years the Guard and dragons looked after each other. Skirmishes decreased, farmers stopped blaming dragons for missing animals, and hate crimes stopped. All was well until the duke died and his son took the throne.
“Thorin’s wife, Tia, was taken by Lord Mobren. He was acting under orders from Tollak Vidar, and said he would release her if and when the Guard ended their friendship and truce with the dragons, and when Thorin turned himself in. He said they must live like normal men. The Duke, Lord Mobren, and Lord Dregno Gunner hate dragons. It was partly because of men like them that the Dragon Guard had been formed. Thorin, Silvrin, and some of the others spoke to the dragons about their situation. It was decided, against the dragons’ better judgment that they would cooperate. The dragons did not believe that Mobren would spare Tia’s life. They knew she was probably already dead; however, they would give it a try because they did care for humankind, and because they knew the child would need her mother. The dragons left that night unhappy; however, they were also determined, for they had a plan of their own. As he finished speaking the children all spoke at once. He laughed and had them speak one at a time.
“Who was the baby?” one little girl asked.
The narrator glanced at the dragons. He turned back to the little girl and replied, “No one other than the Pycan Dragon Guard knew her name. They were afraid that the Duke would kill her, too.”
“Why?” the same little girl asked.
“He was afraid of her, afraid of how the dragons seemed to trust her.”
The little girl continued, “But where is she now? If the Duke doesn’t like her, wouldn’t she be in danger?”
The narrator smiled, “Yes, she would be. That’s why no one knows who or where she is. From the day she was born, she has been in danger, and that danger only increases as she grows older.” He continued to talk about Ania’s whereabouts and t
he reasons Vidar feared the girl. While the actors and children spoke, the teens were having their own conversation.
“I never knew Father had been saved by dragons,” Stone said in awe. Lukair nodded, “He never said anything about ever actually meeting them; but he must have known Scout was still up there, that’s why he wanted us to go there, to find him.”
This caught the attention of the storytellers and the group of children, who turned in unison to look at the smaller group.
Ignoring their looks, they agreed, and Flame spoke. “Now I realize why Ania never wanted to speak about her parents, and why they were kept a mystery to her. If Vidar were to find out who she is, he would have killed her just to make a point.” His statement quieted the others.
Tyanna nudged Lukair, “And now we know why Pai doesn’t like horses!” She laughed; the others laughed as well.
Chekal turned to the larger dragon, who had stayed quiet. “Answer me this: why is it that whenever you get hurt, it’s your wings that get damaged?” The group of children looked at the bigger dragon. He shook his head, playfully batted Chekal with a wing, and retorted, “How come whenever my wings get hurt you’re around somewhere?” After a moment he added matter-o- factly, “I still don’t like horses,” and walked away.
Later when the kids and dragons were alone, Flame made a suggestion. “I think we should continue the pact our ancestors made. We can’t let Vidar win. If we continue to work together, help each other, we can overthrow Vidar and recreate the peace our parents had.”
They all agreed and formed a new pact. They vowed to be true to one another, to protect one another, even if it meant their death. They were determined to show that they were not afraid. They were the children of the Dragon Guard; after what had happened to Pycan, they were the Guard, and would do what needed to be done.
