by Sarah Hite
Dea-hyun looked at Moon and was startled by her fierceness, but for only a moment. She quickly hid her surprise behind pure contempt and hatred. “Why should I? That creature should be killed before it dooms us all.”
In defense of the child, Moon said, “That creature has a name, and she wouldn’t harm anyone. She—”
“That thing should die. It brought this war; the longer it lives the more we will pay the price.” Dea- hyun cried angrily.
Moon pulled herself up to her full height, mantled her wings, and lowered her head aggressively. Her rage was not only fueled by Shaelynn’s predicament, but also by the treatment she had received from Dea-hyun her whole life. She refused to let Shaelynn be treated the same way. “I will ask you once more: leave my daughter alone.”
The field went deathly quiet. That statement startled every dragon, including Dea-hyun, who could not hide her shock. She sneered, “So, a dragon disgraced by allowing the Nesting Caves to be destroyed is now dishonored by that? Ha! You should never have come back.”
At that moment, Shaelynn bolted to her mother’s side, causing exclamations of shock as she did. Moon looked down at her child for a moment; her wings were plastered to her back and her tail was between her legs. The child was terrified. She looked back at her rival. “We didn’t come back. We were already here, so you came to us!”
“I didn’t come to you. Why would I? You are disgraced and dishonored. You have dishonored your family and your clan. You think just because you’re the King’s sister you can act however you want? What would your mate think oh, wait, you don’t have one! Just another mark on your line.”
The rage that Moon felt boiled within her to the point of breaking. She was about to answer when a voice from behind startled both of them. “You should get your facts straight before you insinuate such nonsense.” Kwan stood about twenty feet behind Moon. Sayden was at his side. The young dragon was uneasy. He remembered all too well what had happened the last time. Shaelynn saw them and left Moon’s side and ran to her father and brother.
“Kwan, take the children back to camp. I have some unfinished business,” Moon said as she turned back to Dea-hyun. He nodded and led the children away. After they had disappeared behind the next hill, Moon continued, “Shaelynn has never caused a bad thing in her life. If anything, she has caused good. Young scouts have been reunited with their families, the heir to the throne of Ciciana has been found, and it was because of him that that the Lords declared war, not Shaelynn.” Her eyes narrowed and she added, her voice deathly low and icy, “And, if you think I’m just going to sit back and let you hurt her, think again. Kwan was willing to face several dragons to protect her; I only need to fight one.”
Dea-hyun lowered her head and mantled her wings. “Was that a challenge?” she asked severely.
“Take it how you will.” The two converged on each other, growling severely. Dea-hyun was twice Moon’s size. Not only was she twice as tall, but she was stronger and twice Moon’s weight. Although Moon was smaller, she was also the smarter of the two; she knew how to use her small size to her advantage. Moon had been fighting since her daughter hatched; she had been stripped of all fat, leaving only muscle. On the other hand, Dea-hyun’s bulk included a large portion of fat.
The two circled each other, looking for the other’s weaknesses. Out of the corner of her eye, Moon saw Dea-hyun’s tail twitch. The older dragon lunged forward, but Moon was expecting it. She dodged the attack and began her own assault. A black streak suddenly caught her attention. She stopped her attack mid-blow before she hit Shaelynn, who had returned and was now standing in front of her. Dea-hyun noticed her distraction and moved to strike. She looked up when a large paw blocked her path.
Moon was staring at Shaelynn. The child had deliberately stopped their fight. As Moon looked down at her, she noticed that Shaelynn was upset. Why should she not be? She had been attacked twice in the same week, yet she did not seem upset about the attacks. It was more as if the hatchling were upset at her. Moon stepped back and said, “Shaelynn, what are you doing here?”
The little dragon looked up at her mother and for the first time spoke aloud. “No. No fighting. We are fighting a war… to help our friends. We should not be fighting between ourselves, especially when we could be fighting the Duke. He is the one who crushed the eggs. He is the one who took Papa. He is the one who took me.” The little one spoke softly yet purposefully. She was concerned. “If there must be a fight, let it be with him, please.”
Moon looked at her child with a new sense of admiration. She curved her neck down to reach the child. “You are right. We shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves when there is a war to fight.” She raised her head as Elder released Dea-hyun. She stared at them in confusion.
Moon looked up at Elder. He motioned behind her at the other council members who had been alerted to the fight. Kwan and Sayden were with them. “Shaelynn,” Kyeon called. She looked up at Moon once more before going to the king. Next to him was a human girl wearing armor under a deerskin cloak; there was a sword at her hip, a bow on her back, and a white staff in her hand. She looked at Elder and requested, “Elder, will you please tell them what you discovered?”
He nodded. “Shaelynn has brought up a good point,” Elder said to the gathered dragons. “The Duke has committed several offenses toward us, among them were the destruction of the Nesting Cave and the abduction of both Shaelynn and her father. As far as Shaelynn goes, every good thing that has happened in the last several months has happened after she hatched.” He looked at the surrounding dragons as he spoke. “The scouts, Pai and Chekal, who we had thought lost, have been found and reunited with their families. Moon and her mate— and yes, she has one—have been reunited, and the heir to the throne of Ciciana was found. All of these things, and more, happened after she hatched.”
He paused to let that sink in. “We all know that dragons of Shaelynn’s coloration always seem to precede hardship, but more than this, they have marked a time of major change. Shaelynn came before a war, yes, but this war was decided by the Lords Ryell and Mychal, as well as the young Prince. When we have won this war, and he takes the throne, it will improve our lives, not make them worse.”
Dea-hyun looked up at Elder. “If Saydene has a mate, who is he, and what line does he come from?” she demanded stubbornly. Elder merely looked at the young couple, who now were sitting together and talking quietly. The children were with them; Sayden was sitting next to Kwan while Shaelynn was lying between them. “Him?” Dea-hyun questioned incredulously.
“Yes,” Kyeon answered. “As far as his line goes.” He turned to Ryou.
Ryou had been thinking about Kwan all day. He had not seen or met Kwan until then, and when he had he had seen the scar above his left eye. He knew instantly who he was. When he had hatched, the mark was already there. Their clan shaman had said it was a birthmark, caused by his egg cooling too much. When he had recognized his long lost son, he told the council mentally.
Ryou looked up and quietly voiced words he never thought he would speak. “Shaelynn had indeed brought many together. When we lost our last clutch we never thought any would return. Most had died during their first year; one had disappeared only a week after he had hatched. Now he, too, has returned.” He looked over at Kwan, who was looking at him with an unreadable expression. “After hearing what had happened to him, I am glad he has found happiness.”
Ania walked over to Kwan, whose unreadable expression had turned to a look of unease and shock. She put a hand on his cheek. “See I told you we would find your family.”
“Yes, but I… wasn’t expecting to. There’s so much I can’t remember…”
Ania gave him a small smile. “Why don’t the two of you take a walk? I’m sure there is much you need to catch up on.” She turned to Moon. “I’ll take the children back to camp while you go to your meeting.”
“Thank you, Ania.” Moon looked at her brothers. Since most of the assembled dragons had not met her Ky
eon performed the necessary introductions. “For those of you who don’t know, this is Ania Dragonheart, Thorin’s daughter.” All the dragons in the area acknowledged her.
She turned to the dragons, acknowledging Dea-hyun last. “Anyone else have a question?”
Ambushed
The stones reflected the midmorning heat as Ania looked out over the canyon. The smell of dust and dirt was heavy in the air. She slowly turned in a circle, trying to find any sign of Ryell’s battalion. They were three days late, and the royal family was beginning to worry. Moon and Kwan had stayed with Mychal’s battalion, while Kyeon led the dragons to the rendezvous. Kym, Seoung, and little Sayden, along with a few other dragons, went with Lord Ryell.
As Ania looked out over the cliffs to the east, a dragon shot out from behind a cliff. They angled toward the canyon at a breakneck pace, landing within minutes. Seoung landed heavily on the large boulder that Ania had just vacated. He grumbled to himself as he slowly climbed down. Kyeon heard that his brother had returned and quickly went to meet him. As he approached, he saw Caleb run away toward camp. As he reached Seoung he saw the wounds. A long, hook-shaped gash spread from his left shoulder down his ribcage. Several other smaller injuries could be seen across his body.
Kyeon was shocked. “What happened?” he cried just as Elder and Kei-ata Lorbrein reached them.
Seoung snorted, “I wouldn’t want to be Gunner right now.” He did not realize that he was not alone until Elder put a forepaw on his right shoulder. He looked up at the other dragons and sighed.
“Seoung, what happened?” the King asked again. This is time he answered with a question. His voice betrayed him as he asked, “Where’s Moon?”
The other dragons looked at each other and Ania told him that both Moon and Kwan were helping Flame and Lord Mychal determine the next stage of their plan.
As the shaman tried to look him over, he said, “I can wait.” Kei-ata objected, but he insisted, “I can wait. There are so many others…” He then told them that the rest of the battalion was about a day away. They were moving slowly because many were injured. He refused to say more until he could speak with the war council. The group made their way to the command tent, and the prince ignored the alarmed cries and looks from the soldiers as they walked. The council was waiting for them outside the tent. Caleb had informed them of the Seoung’s return at Ania’s request.
Before explaining what had delayed them, the prince again asked where Moon was. “She and Kwan were helping to reinforce the perimeter’s defenses. They left only a moment ago.” Flame informed him. He saw the injuries and knew something horrible had happened. Pushing the uneasy feeling aside, he had the dragon tell them his story.
Seoung took a breath. He shook his head and said three simple words: “We were ambushed.” He went on to tell them that the beginning of their journey had gone without misfortune. As they entered the forest, things began to go wrong. “When we entered the trees everyone was being as quiet as possible; even Dea- hyun was silent. We may have been on the edge of Gunner’s land, but we were still in Gunner’s land. Ryell had given orders to make our journey through the woods as unnoticeable as possible.” He paused, then continued: “It happened about a week ago...”
Ryell ordered a general halt as they neared the northern edge of the forest. He called the young scout over. The forest dragon had been assigned to navigate the way through the trees. “Can you see how far we still have to go?” The young dragon nodded and launched himself to the air. He cloaked himself as he left. The battalion waited for him to return, but he never came back. After waiting another hour, Ryell decided to keep moving. The scout would catch up. They went about another half mile when they found him. He was lying on the bare ground, in the middle of a small opening in the trees. He had been shot down. Judging by the surrounding trees, it looked like he crashed. Upon further examination, they found three large arrows, each one over three feet long and at least an inch wide. One of these arrows was lodged in his left wing muscle, another had gone through the soft scales under his foreleg. The third had punctured his right wing and then had been broken off in his side. They also discovered that his neck had been broken.
Ryell asked two of the larger dragons to move him to the back of the regiment so he could be taken to his home clan after they left the woods.
Seoung stopped and shook his head again. He looked at Kyeon with sad eyes before continuing.
As the dragons moved to pick up the youth, the forest in front of them erupted into flames. Seoung stopped mid-step as one of the large, three-and-a-half-foot arrows struck the ground in front of him. This arrow was followed by a volley of both normal and large arrows. Men and dragons were heard screaming as they were struck, and several hollered as nets of woven iron dropped from the trees on top of them. Chaos reigned as men and dragons struggled to find shelter as they were again hammered by arrows.
Then soldiers wearing the duke’s uniform tore from the trees with weapons raised. They assaulted Ryell’s men from the rear. Ryell turned in his saddle as he heard the men scream. Seeing what was happening, he yelled over the noise, “Attack!” As his men fought back, a young forest dragon to his left cried out as one of the iron nets landed on him. Cables stretched from the corners of the net and tangled around his legs as he struggled to free himself. The more he struggled the more the cables tangled around his legs, causing him to fall. Ryell saw the dragon’s distress and spurred his horse on through the flames to help free the dragon.
Kym stood alone at the edge of the battlefield and looked around, searching for Sayden. The little dragon was nowhere to be seen. She ducked as an arrow buzzed by her head; another bounced off one of her horns. She looked up and time seemed to slow; she saw the battle spread out before her. As more dragons fell to the large arrows, arrows that seemed to have been designed to puncher a dragon’s thick hide, the painful truth sank in. There was no place for the larger breeds to take cover. Those who had been trapped by the nets were unable to defend themselves and were soon struck down by arrows, and those who were still fighting were wounded by many. The men were slowly being cut down by arrows and blades. They were taking heavy damage. Fires lit the forest, and spread, filling the forest with smoke. It burned her throat and eyes, blurring her vision.
She continued to search for her nephew and watched as another dragon was struck down. Fearfully, she looked out over the dead, hoping she would not find him there. She called for him with her mind. Sayden! Where are you?
The young dragon was cowering under one of the supply wagons. He heard her call and searched for her, looking out from between the spokes of the wagon wheel. Aunt! he called from his hiding place. I’m over here. She looked around, desperately trying to find him. Over where? I can’t see you!
The wagons! he shouted back. The supply wagons were covered with arrows; water was streaming from a damaged barrel. She searched the line of wagons but saw nothing. She was about to call out to him when a small movement caught her attention. Seeing him curled up under the lead wagon, she commanded, Stay there!
Knowing the arrows were their biggest problem, she searched for their source. Spotting an odd glimmer among the branches of a large oak several yards in front of her, she charged the tree. Rearing up on her hind legs, she rammed the tree with her head, striking it with the thickest part, where her horns met her skull. This sudden impact caused several of Gunner’s men to fall from it as the tree shook. They’re in the trees! she shouted to the other dragons. They followed her lead and rammed the trees, causing more men to fall. Those who were not harmed in the fall regrouped, and the King’s Men advanced. They met each other with swords raised, and the sound of metal striking metal filled the forest. More fires rose from the forest floor as the two groups struggled against each other. Dragons bellowed and struck back with claws and teeth; under the trees the larger breeds were unable to move freely, leaving the smaller Forest and Desert dragons to do most of the fighting.
A slight whistling caugh
t Kym’s attention. “Seoung!” she called. She had been caught by a net and the ropes were now tangled around her legs. He leapt over a blazing log and ran to help her. A dozen of Gunner’s soldiers blocked his path. They swung their swords and battle axes, trying to bring him down. He kicked three of them with a hind leg, throwing them several yards. Three more went down as he swung his tail knocking them down. Unfortunately they quickly rose again.
A horn rang out from somewhere deep within the woods, and another volley of arrows struck the ground. One of these grazed Seoung’s side. He bellowed with pain and fury. Before the nine remaining men could attack him again, he mentally called to Kym. Get down! He openly broadcast his message so any dragons in the area would know to be careful. He reared up and locked his neck. With a bellow, he lit the forest a blaze, instantly incinerating six of the soldiers and critically injuring the other three. He swept his blaze over the area, clearing it of all opposing forces. He snapped his jaws shut and turned back to Kym. He grabbed the iron mesh with his teeth and pulled it off of her. Holding it he threw it toward a group of soldiers, catching several of them under the heavy metal. Then he turned back to the fight.
