DRAGON!: Book One: Stealing the egg.

by LeRoy Clary

  In a flash, Tom pulled his knife from his waist and in a single step held the blade to her throat. “You won’t take him from me.”

  Blackie, run! Gareth no longer saw through the eyes of the dragon, but he heard it scramble free of the bag and dart into the undergrowth.

  Her forearm reached up and blocked the hand holding the knife. She shoved the knife to the side as easily as moving a branch aside as she walked the forest. Then she whirled and walked away on the path, her back straight, her head held high and unafraid.

  Tom waited a few breaths, replaced his knife in the scabbard and slipped an arm under Gareth’s shoulder, lifting him to his feet. Gareth opened his eyes. Tom steadied him and said, “We have to get you out of here. How much of that did you hear, boy? And did you understand any more of it than me?”

  Gareth felt Tom’s betrayal stall his words. Tom was not the friend he had believed him to be. Not trusting his anger, he mouthed, “Blackie.”

  “Your damned dragon, again?” then Tom turned and called softly, “Come here you black beast.”

  The creature emerged from the edge of the underbrush chewing on the remains of a small bird. Feathers and dripping blood coated its mouth and neck, and dribbles of red ran down the chest. It darted for the bag and squeezed inside.

  Tom lifted the bag and placed an arm around Gareth’s shoulders as he followed the woman down the path. He said softly, “Can you understand me Gareth? Blink two times if you can.”

  Gareth grunted, then blinked twice, as if it was far more effort than it was.

  “Okay son, this is how I see it. These women are up to something, and my guess is that they want to use you, just like everyone else. I don’t trust them,” he glanced around to ensure they walked alone. The woman was far ahead on the path, well out of earshot, but still he spoke quietly. “Next time she gives you medicine, spit it out when she isn’t looking. You and me are getting out of here.”

  Gareth felt like telling Tom he was two steps ahead in that plan but shuffled along. His plan involved getting out of there, but he would be alone. He saw the dragon slowly poke his head out of the bag. It snarled and drew back as if it was going to snort slime. Tom placed his hand in front of the dragon’s mouth to protect himself from any acid. “What’s wrong with it, now?”

  The wings shivered in irritation, shaking the leather bag.

  “No,” Gareth hissed to the dragon. “Don’t spit.”

  Tom pulled his hand away and raised his eyes to the path ahead. “He’s not mad at me, Gareth. Look.”

  Gareth turned.

  A tall stranger stood in the middle of the road. A scarlet slash of ribbon decorated his blue uniformed chest. Legs spread, arms on hips, he tugged at the red cap with the gold insignia winking in the torchlight as if in mock salute. “Good evening. You must be the infamous Captain Tom.”

  Another pair of men, each carrying a torch, rushed to stand at attention nearby. The torchbearers also wore blue uniforms.

  “That I am,” Tom answered in a cold voice. “Who might you be?”

  “Field Lieutenant Jameson of the His Majesties Army, sir. Sent by the king himself to rescue you and escort you and your friends to safety.”

  Tom advanced a few steps and spat in the dirt near the officer’s feet. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we were trying to get away from you. We need no rescue.”

  The soldier smiled, but his eyes didn’t. His voice carried on as smooth as oil. “The woman who was traveling with you has agreed to accompany four of my men to our camp where she will tell her tale. I’m sure they will come to a painful understanding, sooner or later.”

  “You might find she isn’t willing to talk. And we may not wish to go with you.”

  The officer barked a laugh. “Sir, I understand that you outranked me in the service of our King at one time. However, there are several thousand troops, five dragons, and a few hundred monks of the Brotherhood searching for you in the nearby forests. There are others out there who mean you harm. My orders are to take you into protective custody.”

  “Protective custody,” Tom said flatly.

  “Of course, sir. We are on your side, and we will protect you both at any cost. The boy and dragon are of utmost importance to our king.” He motioned with an arm and several soldiers stepped from the concealment of the underbrush and took up positions in front and behind them. Many held bows, arrows ready to fly. Others had swords drawn. “Captain, if you will be so kind as to accompany us? I’ll lead the way.”

  Tom said, “The boy is ill. He needs rest.”

  The Field Lieutenant snapped, “My orders are to escort you both to the king, along with that dragon you carry, with utmost haste. I will obey those orders to the best of my abilities.”

  Tom fixed him with a scowl. “If the boy dies or is injured because of you overextending your orders, I will have the pleasure of separating your head from your body.”

  “Captain, what would you suggest?” The officer’s voice was neutral and possibly agreeable to some extent.

  Tom eased a step closer and softened his tone. “Sir, if it were me in your shoes, I’d send a messenger to spread the word of our capture. Perhaps change ‘capture’ to ‘custody’. However, I’d make it clear in the message who managed to succeed in our ‘rescue’. Take all the credit for yourself possible. I’d say the boy is ill. That I am such a responsible officer and understand how important the mission is that I am allowing Gareth to rest, and take his medication. I will deliver the young man and dragon in good condition. If you do it right, you may find yourself a knight, or even a general.”

  The officer nodded as he considered the idea. “Tantalize my superiors with success, plus others will not have the chance to grab the glory from me . . . right?”

  “You’d only be doing what’s best for all concerned,” Tom muttered, spreading his hands and speaking only loud enough for those closest to hear.

  “I will put six men in a circle to guard the two of you, and the dragon. I’ll send a series of messengers, each armed with additional information of your capture and care. I may send one directly to the king.”

  “Bypassing your superiors is risky, but sometimes worth the reward, if you see what I mean,” Tom said, ignoring the comment about six guards.

  Gareth kept his eyes closed and slumped himself against a stump, but watched intently through the eyes of the Blackie as he hung on every word. Blackie really is a stupid name. He couldn’t determine what Tom was up to, except to delay and give him time to formulate an escape, but his trust of Tom had fled long ago. Tom wanted the glory and reward from the king for himself. He wouldn’t want a young Field Lieutenant half his age grabbing the credit.

  Gareth’s best course of action seemed to be waiting and attempting escape from all of them, including Tom if the opportunity presented itself. Then he could make up his own mind about what was best for him and Blackie.

  *A wise choice.*

  Gareth sat bolt upright at the remark. He fully opened his eyes, looking at each man nearby to determine who spoke so clear in his mind, with a voice so loud it almost echoed. The guards reacted to his change in posture with hands placed on weapons, but none had the intention of attacking. They looked at him in alarm, as if he intended to leap to his feet and flee, or as if they were scared of him, which may have been closer to the truth. The guards knew nothing except what little the officers shared, and the officers were scared.

  Their minds must have heard the same fear and surprise he felt and sent to them almost as a physical blow. His mind had probably shouted the fear so everyone felt it. Gareth realized his mistake and shut down his mind, then quickly fell backward onto the ground and laid still, eyes closed.

  *Quick thinking, my boy. Relax your mind or they may attack.*

  The voice boomed and rattled inside his mind so loud he wanted to wince in pain, but his ears heard nothing. It was a male voice, deep in tone, slow to pronounce each word, and it was too ‘loud’, yet oddly familiar. Gareth lay st
ill and tried to remember if he’d ever heard of such a thing, and realized he had. This must be what the teachers in the Brotherhood did when they “talked” to each other in mind speech. The one “listening” must experience the same sensations as he now heard. He had spoken to the dragon, but it had never spoken back. His mind raced.

  There was so much he didn’t know.

  *I’ve been observing and waiting for the right time to speak with you, Gareth. It seems that everyone intends to use you for his or her own purposes. None of them is a true friend, as I believe you now understand.*

  “You’re the night whisperer,” Gareth said the words in his mind without moving his lips or sound issuing from his mouth. The same way he talked to himself when alone.

  *Yes, I am your night whisperer. I could not make full contact with you until you bonded with your dragon, a beautiful specimen if I may say so. But I could whisper through the veils of darkness and sleep, and suggest you leave Dun Mare before the Brotherhood took complete control of you.*

  “Why would they do that?”

  *When you were newborn, you cried out and notified those with the power to sense you with the understanding of your presence. It was the loudest cry heard in generations. The king sent an army to take you into custody, the sisters sent women to ‘mother” and teach you. But the Brotherhood arrived first, and they stole you from your family. They hid you in the mountains where they used a drug in your food to prevent your mind from reaching out. They educated and raised you in secret, and always had brothers nearby to shut down your thinking so no others could locate you. The brothers intended for you to serve only them.*

  Gareth responded. “A man should choose his way in life.”

  *I agree. However, as it now stands, if you serve the king, the Brotherhood and Sisterhood will kill you. If you choose the Brotherhood or Sisterhood, the outcast pair will see to your death. Understand the problem? You cannot choose any of them.*

  “I have three sides fighting over me. I cannot win.”

  *Yes, fighting over you and your dragon, of course. You’re a pair. A pair that eventually combines as one into extreme power, but you don’t know or understand how, yet. The important fact to consider this day is that two of the three opposing sides must lose, and they will not allow you to survive to serve the third.*

  Gareth paused and then allowed the truth to speak for itself. “It seems like there are now four sides if I include you.”

  *What? You don’t trust me?*

  Gareth sensed humor in the question but answered it truthfully. “No, I do not.”

  *Good for you, Gareth. Trust only yourself. Now you may ask me who I am, and how I might help you.*

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Gareth spoke under his breath, in a normal tone. “Okay, who are you?”

  *I am you, many, many years ago.*

  The words appeared inside his mind, booming and echoing, sounding amused. Gareth said, “That doesn’t make sense. Do you have a name?”

  *I have had many names, but I have not had people living around me in such a long time that they’re almost forgotten. You may call me whatever you wish. It makes no matter to an old man like me.*

  “Your voice is so loud in my head it’s like somebody shouting to me in a cave when I’m standing nearby.”

  *Is this better?*

  Gareth snatched a peek at the six men standing guard around him, finding them standing, weapons in hand, in a circle. They were at attention. Not looking alarmed as a short while ago. He used his mind to speak, “Yes, that’s much better. Now, what do you mean, you are me?”

  *Poorly stated, I’m afraid, and for that, I do apologize. One day soon you will understand. When I was about your age, they came for me, too. For me and my young dragon, Cinder. The king’s men, the brothers, and a few women of what would become the Sisterhood. The women had not formed an alliance back then, so it was only a few who acted on their own. Therefore, I understand your feelings and confusion.*

  “Well, I don’t.”

  *Allow me to enlighten you about a few interesting facts. Cinder is my dragon. My black dragon. We talk to each other as you and your Blackie, but you are the first to share our abilities in so many years I cannot remember specifics. There was once a very old man who had paired with a black called Amadeus. A very large and short-tempered black dragon, as I remember. He didn’t like me so we never communicated. I believe they lived way down south, somewhere near the Gates of Huron.*

  Gareth felt himself begin to shake in excitement, and he fought to control it before the guards around him thought he suffered a seizure and interrupted his conversation. “You speak to your dragon with your mind?”

  *Cinder. A fine, intelligent specimen of a black, if I say so. You have a young male, far too young to breed, however when the time comes he will give you fits, but this is not the time when we should be discussing that topic. They grow up so fast. Speaking is not a precise term for our interaction, but I haven’t another better-suited word. Have you looked through the eyes of your dragon, yet?*

  “Yes, for the first time, today. I thought I was sick or something.”

  *That is the true test of lifelong bonding. You have so much to look forward to in your life; however, for now, you must escape those around you and come to me. Alternatively, you may go off to some distant location on your own, but it is imperative that you escape the clutches of everyone who determines to have their claws into you.*

  “I wouldn’t know where to go in either case. Unless you haven’t noticed, there are armed guards all around me. They say there are thousands of soldiers in the forests nearby, not counting the sisters or Brotherhood.”

  There was a pause and Gareth took the time to open his eyes and glance at the guards surrounding him, again. They looked like experienced troops. The Field Lieutenant and Captain Tom had their heads together near a campfire fifty paces away, Tom probably filling the other’s head with dreams of glory, if he did as Tom wished. Gareth felt the last of the drugs intended to calm his mind wearing off and his excitement growing. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his heartbeat. There had been no sign of the woman, Karen. He saw no other women nearby.

  Gareth’s eyes snapped fully open. Where was his dragon?

  He reached out with his mind and ‘found’ it. He looked through the dragon’s eyes. The dizzy sensation was becoming familiar, and he saw himself lying on the center hump of the road, men standing in a circle and watching him. Beyond he saw more men attending cooking fires or lounging near tents. The angle and distance indicated Blackie had already made his escape from the circle of guards, although nobody had noticed. His vision blurred again, and he was himself. He performed the act a few more times to be certain he could reach the dragon at will. A casual turn of his head found the location of the dragon. It was laying in the thick underbrush, behind a rotting log, a whole forest behind to hide in.

  *Not good! Gareth, you must keep track of Blackie at all times. Keep him close to you. He’s at a stage where a meal is his most important function, but you will want him at hand when you escape. Try to always keep a tendril of your mind touching him.*

  “I don’t know how to do that. Anyway, I’m not sure of escaping until I know more about you, and I may not take that damned dragon with me when I do.”

  *Know this, Gareth. I live in a safe area where none of those around you has ever reached. I have a good home, plenty of food, and I do as I like when I like. In my spare time, I keep the Brotherhood and Sisterhood from becoming too powerful, and I try to do some good for the people of the world when the mood strikes me. How does that sound?*

  “It sounds like the only way I can tell the truth from the lies is to see you in person, but if Cinder is a full grown black he can destroy me and my little dragon with one spit. How can I trust you?”

  *A wise response. I have a counter-proposal. You and I can communicate to and from anywhere. It is not necessary for you to come to me until you are ready, if ever. However, if you do not
escape the clutches of the three groups vying for control over you, I fear you will not survive another day. Certainly not two. Therefore, your first priority is to escape. Second is to hide. Perhaps from all of us.*

  “It’s going to be kind of hard to escape with a whole army around me.”

  *Perhaps not as hard as you might believe. Cinder is resting on a mountain near you. I sent him to help you three days ago. Cinder can create a diversion, and you can run for your life. He can escort you far enough away that you can continue on to wherever you wish. He can ensure your escape by laying down a path of slime behind you that no army can pass.*

  “You can direct him to do all that?”

  *We have been together many, many years. I will watch what transpires through his eyes, and between the two of us, we will provide so much confusion that the last thing on the minds of the soldiers surrounding you will be to follow you.*

  “Cinder’s acid slime will kill many of them. I don’t like that.”

  *As they say, that’s the cost of doing business. A soldier must be prepared to die while doing his duty.*

  “No, that’s not true. I forbid Cinder from spitting at a single one of them. Nobody has to die so that I can escape. If I have to stay a captive, so be it, but I won’t have the deaths of good men on my conscience.”

  The deep voice in Gareth’s head chuckled, a strange booming sound. *I really wish I could take credit for making this a test of your compassion, but instead, it becomes a reminder to me of the excesses of power. Including my own.*

  “Can Cinder create enough of a diversion for me to escape tonight?” Gareth asked, as he opened his eyes a slit and saw three guards in front of him, standing not more than three steps away. He assumed the others were to the side and behind, but didn’t bother to look. “It only takes one of these men to keep me here.”

  *Your captor, the promotion-anxious Field Lieutenant, said there are over a thousand troops in the nearby forest. Supposing you can escape from the six guards posted near you, how do you feel about escaping from the rest? Especially if none are to be harmed?*