Dragon's Valor

by Lee Hayton

  Dragon’s Valor

  The Hearts of Dragons Book Three

  Lee Hayton

  Copyright © 2018 Lee Hayton

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Cover Design by kathay1973

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Also by Lee Hayton

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Sulli picked Shandra up off the ground and spun her in a circle. When she fought to be put down, he demanded, “A kiss is the price for freedom.”

  She caressed the back of his head, pulling him down and then pushing him away to skip free just before their lips touched. “Don’t try that again,” she warned him, “or you won’t get another kiss from me, ever.”

  He rolled his eyes and shrugged before walking out to the center of the field where Halv had managed to bog down the plow. No matter how often he fixed the machines up, they’d only get one or two uses and another piece of them would break.

  Time to get new ones, except they still didn’t have the funds available. Shandra would have suggested they trade machinery for the work they still freely offered the surrounding farms, but it seemed everyone’s appliances were in a similar state of disrepair.

  If it weren’t for the war still depleting the district's reservoirs, Sulli could easily have set himself up as a repairman and be raking it in.

  “Don’t tell me you’re going off him already,” Baile quipped from behind her.

  Shandra turned, planting her hands on her hips but easing the severe posture with a smile. His jokes might be terrible but being around Baile always raised her spirits. “And what if I am? Are you volunteering for something?”

  He blushed and turned his attention back to the seed he was drying in the yard. Their late-season crop had been harvested and sold, but they still had to prepare for the coming spring. If they couldn’t get the seed dry for storing, then next year they’d have to buy it from scratch.

  Sorting through the mountain collected for the odds and sods infested with mold was a job she wouldn’t wish on anyone. Except maybe for Ricci, given how his behavior had deteriorated lately.

  “Do you want a hand with that?” she offered, hoping he’d say no.

  As though reading her mind, or perhaps just her posture, Baile shook his head. “I think I’ve got this bit sorted, thanks. If you’re that desperate for work, though, I have a feeling your brother needs a hand.”

  Speak of the devil. Ricci sauntered into the yard, covered from head to toe in clinging weed from the back pastures.

  “Not near the seed,” Shandra scolded him, waving her arms and walking toward him to drive him back. “It’s hard enough keeping that blasted stuff under control without introducing it into the stock for next year.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Ricci plucked the worst offending stalks off his top, leaving himself only half-covered. “I’ve found a good spot to set up in, around the back of the poplar trees.”

  For a second, Shandra didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, then she nodded. Although she’d half-forgotten making the offer in the first place, Ricci had his heart set on selecting a piece of land to make his own.

  “Won’t it be too dank down there to grow crops?” There was a reason some pastures had been abandoned earlier than others. Even with the majority of their farm good for growing, some patches yielded less for more effort than others.

  “Not if I chop half the trees down.” Ricci danced around in a circle, chasing a piece of weed clinging to his behind. “That should let the light through and keep the soil at a warmer temperature.”

  Shandra shook her head, wondering if he’d missed out on the farming gene altogether. “It’ll also lose the farm its only windbreak on that side. Those trees weren’t planted out there for fun and games.”

  “So, grow new ones closer to the main paddocks.” Ricci combed his fingers through his hair, tilting his face up so he looked at his older sister down the length of his nose.

  “And wait a dozen years for them to be big enough to make a difference. No. The idea is for you to take over part of the farm, not ruin the main growing fields for the rest of the family.”

  Halv came running up to the pair of them, his face breaking up with delight. “Can I go over to the Mastard’s farm today? The new boy they brought in to help has disappeared and they haven’t tilled the soil ready for resting during the winter.”

  Shandra couldn’t help but smile as her youngest brother danced from one foot to the other. It had come as a revelation to her how much Halv had blossomed under the attention of her harem. His skill set expanded every day. Once, she’d worried more about him than the rest of her troubles put together. Nowadays, Ricci’s attitude had bumped Halv down to the bottom of the list.

  “You can go and help out if you’ve checked it off with Mal.”

  Halv clapped his hands together. “Already done.”

  “He’s not your father, you know.” A cloud crossed over Ricci’s face, dimming down his handsome features in a storm of petulance. “You don’t need to ask him permission.”

  “I was helping him with chores when Mr. Mastard dropped by to ask.” Some joy evaporated from Halv’s face as he frowned at his brother. “That’s all.”

  “Make sure you’re back by dinner time.” Shandra decided to ignore Ricci and get back to her own tasks. “I don’t want to have to send someone to fetch you when we’ve all worked hard today.”

  “He’s not old enough to be leasing him out to work on other farms,” Ricci complained as soon as Halv was out of earshot. “Unless they’re prepared to pay him, the work he does should go toward this household.”

  “Nice show of community spirit there,” Shandra said, his words digging hard into her last nerve. “We’ve taken help from our neighbors when we needed it. Now the clan brothers have eased the burden on us, it’s time to return the favor. Besides”—her brow darkened as she thought of Wella’s latest announcement—“Halv’s old enough to enlist in the army now that our overlord’s altered the rules again. If he’s old enough to go to war, he’s old enough to help out on another farm.”

  “You don’t believe she’d make him go, do you?” Ricci seemed genuinely concerned, and it relieved Shandra to see it.

  “She’s pulled boys and girls just as young into her army in the last sweep. Unless you know of some magic protection for Halv to wear, he’s just as likely to be caught in the next roundup.”

  For a second, despair overwhelmed Shandra and she closed her eyes, tilting her head back so tears wouldn’t fall. After the battle in the past few months to keep herself clear of the army, it was hard to believe her brothers now had to face the same fight.

  “If Wella comes for Halv, she’ll have to fight her way through me first.” Ricci’s face set into hardened lines, showing the man he would soon become.

  “If you’re serious about fighting to stay clear of the war, then you need to get in more hours of practice.” Shandra wiped at her eyes as she opened them again, pretending the moisture came from the brightness of the sun overhead. “Io is always willing to show you some new moves. You should take advantage.”

  “You’re better in a fight than he is,” Ricci said, the unexpected co
mpliment taking Shandra by surprise. “I suppose that’s why the men dragged you off to fight on the front line last month. Who needs Wella rounding up the troops when your harem is just as ready to drag you into somebody else’s fight.”

  He stomped off, not giving Shandra the chance to correct his impression. She sighed as she returned to the yard to see what other tasks needed completing. Ricci kept to himself so much these days, it astonished her what twisted views he had of what went on.

  Or was it?

  The thought came out of nowhere and Shandra stopped in her tracks, blinking. The mage was an enemy of Sulli. If he hadn’t been on the farm, would she have gone into battle to help fight him?

  Of course, not. Then again, would they have had a farm left to fight for if the boys hadn’t come along when they did?

  The frown didn’t leave her face as Shandra went out into the field to see what magic Sulli was attempting to draw from the broken-down tiller. For each step forward, it seemed lately her makeshift family took two giant leaps backward.

  Chapter Two

  “Sit down, for goodness’ sake,” Shandra called out, laughing as Baile danced around the table with a casserole pot in his hands. “If you spill it, you’ll have seven hungry bellies to face up to!”

  Baile finished his spur-of-the-moment waltz and served up the meal. He filled Mal’s plate first, maybe noticing the harsh set of his jaw. The two brothers rubbed each other up the wrong way, just as Ricci and Shandra did lately.

  “Mr. Mastard said he’d be glad to have me back anytime,” Halv said, his eyes gleaming. “I finished up all the work he’d left over from last week when he took to his bed and got a start on the tasks he needs to have done this week. He said if I’m still as handy when the new season’s harvest is sold, he’ll make sure I get a good cut.”

  “Please tell him we don’t need the money,” Shandra said. “It’s great of him to offer, but we’re doing well enough here that we shouldn’t take from anyone who needs it more.”

  “Are we a charity now, then?” Ricci's eyes glinted from the other end of the table, but Shandra ignored the taunt.

  “But I’m pleased he’s happy with what you’re doing for him. It’s great to be capable of earning a living through your own hard work, even if you don’t take him up on the offer.”

  Halv nodded, his shoulders drawing back as his chest thrust forward with pride.

  “I’ve found a new plot of land,” Ricci said in a sullen voice. “If you care to—”

  A knock at the door cut his sentence short and Shandra went to see who it was. Of late, the neighbors had taken to bringing her their sick animals. It was the only thing she could think of that would bring someone by at this hour of the night.

  Her face fell when she pulled open the door to reveal Wella and two large males standing outside. When Shandra craned her neck further, she saw another six standing up the path.

  “What is it?” Her hand wanted to clutch at her throat but Shandra forced it to stay where it was. To betray her nerves to Wella would be a mistake.

  Wella didn’t answer, pushing by Shandra to stand in the hall. The sounds of merriment came through from the kitchen where the rest of the family continued to eat their evening meal, oblivious.

  “I’ve come for your harem. I need them.”

  Even used to the woman’s usual brusque manner, Shandra was taken aback by the demand.

  “You can’t have them.” She folded her arms and watched as Wella inspected the hallway they stood in. The woman’s nose turned up and a bolt of anger tore through Shandra’s body. “It’s not our fault if you got your men killed in your last blunder. I assume from this lot”—she nodded at the guards who’d followed Wella indoors—“you’ve started reforming your own harem, so you’re certainly not eligible to chase mine.”

  “I don’t want them for my bed, you fool. I need them for a task up in the mountains. And I wasn’t asking.”

  “Well, perhaps you should try that next time, then.” Shandra moved to the door and opened it up as wide as it could go. “Nice to see you as usual. Here’s the way out.”

  “Watch your tone.” Wella glared at her. “Remember who you’re speaking to.”

  “I’m speaking to the woman I dragged out of an overturned carriage.” Shandra watched the flush creep up Wella’s cheeks. Although she was appalled at her own words, the expression on the overlord’s face gave her a great deal of pleasure. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m trying to have dinner.”

  Wella’s face twisted into a mask of rage. She stamped her foot down and advanced on Shandra, raising up her arm to push her back against the wall.

  Seeing the action, Shandra blocked the move and used the momentum of her thrust to bounce back, throwing Wella into one of her guards.

  She hadn’t expected the woman to crumple that easily. Shandra staggered forward, off-kilter, and soon found her shoulders encircled by the enormous arm of one of Wella’s new brutes.

  “Why don’t you call your dogs off? If you want to challenge me to a fight in order for me to keep my harem at home, then I’m ready.”

  “I don’t want to fight with you,” Wella said, eyes spitting fire. “But I do need your men. If you won’t send them to me, then I’ll have to use my powers as overlord to pull your brothers into service. Take your pick.”

  “They’re children.” Shandra pushed back against the guard and after a nod from Wella, he released his hold. “Halv is a full head shorter than me. What are you going to do with him? He’d be lucky to tower over a dwarf.”

  As she said the name of that creature, Wella’s eye narrowed even further.

  “Is that who you’re fighting? The dwarves?” Shandra gave a laugh of disbelief. “And you’re saying that these strong guards can’t battle them for you?”

  “We’ve taken over their land, but the stupid creatures still refuse to secede the mines to us. The wealth in those caves is the only reason I started this fight to begin with, so I’m not about to turn around and leave the loot behind. It’s cost me too dear.”

  “Cost you?” Shandra shook her head. “It’s my community you ravaged to pull out the men and women to fight your battle for you. Apart from being so careless you led your harem straight into a fight they couldn’t win, what has it cost you?”

  “If you’re saying that losing a harem isn’t a big deal, then stand down and lend me yours for the duration.” Wella stepped forward, pulling her shoulders back. “That’s all I want. Do that, and I’ll leave the rest of your family alone.”

  “That’s half my family, right there.” Shandra tried to think, but it was hard with Wella’s smirk hovering a few inches away. Her mind kept returning to how easy it had been to push the overlord back, catching her off guard. If she challenged Wella to a real fight, she could take over the mantle of leadership…

  No. That thought led to chaos. Besides, she had bigger things to negotiate right now.

  “Well, now that you have a brother to spare…”

  Shandra quickly glanced behind her to check that Ricci and Halv weren’t near the connecting door. She still hadn’t told them about Zen being alive. Her elder brother had ignored his promised correspondence the same way he’d neglected to get in touch with any of them for the past five years. Wella’s mention of him was the first indication he was still alive.

  With her nerves on edge and her thoughts in disarray, Shandra decided to compromise. Wella wouldn’t leave until she got something, and Shandra needed to ensure that something wasn’t Ricci and Halv.

  “You can take me.” She planted her feet firmly on the floor with hands on her hips, ready for the ridicule.

  “I need more. I want a dragon shifter. It’s the quickest way to scare the dwarves into giving me what I’m due.”

  Mal and Sulli were on first-name terms with every farmer in the community. To tear them away, would leave the remaining boys struggling to keep up. Chance’s temper would do him no good in such proximity to Wella and Io was still teaching H
alv fighting skills.

  “Fine. Baile and I will accompany you. No more. And I want your promise that you’ll leave the rest of my family alone.” Shandra stepped forward, raising a finger in Wella’s face. “And not like the last promise you gave me, either. If you renege on me this time, whatever we get out of the dwarves, we’ll keep.”

  “You’ve got a lot of confidence for someone who had to send in a man to fight her last battle.” Wella sniffed and looked around the sparse hallway. Shandra felt a rush of annoyance at the haughtiness of her gaze. The humble home couldn’t compare to a castle. “Fine. But the two of you won’t be enough.”

  Wella pushed forward to stand at the threshold of the kitchen, staring at the suddenly silent men gathered around the table.

  “You.” She pointed to Ricci. “How old are you, boy?”

  “I’m not a boy.” Ricci stood up and puffed his chest out. “I’m seventeen years old. I’m a man.”

  “Good. I need a man.” Wella turned back to Shandra. “You, Baile, and your brother”—she turned back to the table—“what’s your name?”

  “Ricci.”

  “You’re coming with us on a journey.”

  “No.” Shandra pushed forward but this time Wella’s guard held a blade to her throat rather than an arm. She fell back as Ricci stepped out into the hallway, glancing at the assembly there with open curiosity.

  “Where are we going? Do I need to pack?”

  “Pack lightly. We’re traveling into the mountains, so you can’t afford to weigh down your horse.” Wella jerked her chin at the guard holding Shandra and he released her, dropping back a few steps. “You and Baile pack, too. We’re leaving tonight.”