“Erana,” he almost whispered. “Do you recognize this track?”
“I do...” The elvish maiden nodded slowly. “It's a dragon...”
“Where has our prey fled to now?” Lord Valrak asked, stepping up behind his foster father and peering into the still pool that stood before him.
“It looks as if they've taken a pass that leads through the mountains,” Galrin replied.
“So, they've escaped us again,” the mercenary lord said with a note of anger in his voice.
“Only for the moment, my son,” the ancient wizard assured him. “I believe I now know where they're heading. It should be an easy matter to place our forces between them and their destination. I saw them enter the village of Olinnor and begin slaughtering yet another group of our soldiers. The vision faded before the battle was over, however...”
“The vision faded?” Valrak interrupted, an expression of concern and confusion on his face. “What do you mean?”
“It's the girl,” the old man grinned. “Her powers are beginning to reveal themselves. She has been struggling against me.”
“And winning, it seems!” the mercenary lord exclaimed.
“For a single moment, yes, my son!” the venerable wizard snapped. “For some time she did overcome me. However, hers was by far the easier task. It takes less effort to hide than to seek. In any event, my vision was restored within hours. I found them ascending a steep trail. Fortunately, I know of the pass. They're headed toward Innalas.”
“Then, they're lost to us!” Valrak said through clenched teeth.
“For the moment, perhaps,” the wizard admitted. “But, consider the route they've taken. Obviously, they want to return the girl to her home. The first thing they did was head straight back to Tagril where Kilmer's men failed us and they escaped. After that, we couldn't be sure what road they meant to take, although we knew what their eventual destination must be. So, we had to do our best to block all possible routes. We failed. There was simply too much ground to cover. Now, however, we know not only where they're heading, but what road they have to take. There is only one place where they can cross the Neres river from Innalas back into Mikral.”
Once again, the wizard summoned his magical parchment. As he spoke, dark lines covered its surface. In moments, a detailed map floated in the air before the old man and his foster son.
“There,” he said, pointing a bony finger. “That is where they'll cross. Near the field of Yalnor; if you remember the place.”
“I do,” the mercenary nodded. “It was the scene of one of my earliest victories.”
“It will be the scene of yet another,” Galrin grinned.
“This time, I'll go myself,” Valrak replied.
“I don't think that would be wise, my son,” the wizard replied, shaking his head. “Even now, the prize could be temporarily snatched from our grasp. If you go, questions will be raised. ‘Lord Valrak himself pursuing six mercenaries and a young girl? Why?’ For the moment, the men believe this is just a matter of establishing your authority. If you go yourself, they'll certainly talk. I think we should send some of our finest men in your stead. We could certainly send fifty without raising suspicion. Especially if we point out how many this band has already killed.”
“That same reason could justify my going personally,” the warlord observed.
“What?” Galrin chuckled. “Lord Valrak lead his men against six simply because they've killed a few dozen men? No, my lord, no. Too many would see through that. You command more than a thousand and haven't taken the field for such a petty reason for many, many years. The mighty Lord Valrak fights lords, princes, and kings. Not nameless mercenaries – no matter how successful they may be. I advise you, my son; send more men. If they fail us, we will simply try again. Already, her power is beginning to manifest. The more I consider it, the more I believe that fact could work in our favor.”
“I will consider your words, father,” the mercenary lord said after a moment's silent contemplation.
“That is all I can ask, my lord,” the ancient wizard replied with a bow.
“I didn't think there were any dragons around here!” Kilren said, staring down at the outline of the beast's track. “Are you sure that's what it is? It's hard to make out.”
“Well, look at it this way, lad: What else could have carried a giant pig out of this valley without leaving tracks behind it?” Ian asked, looking carefully at the mark himself. “If it wasn't a dragon, then what was it?”
“Well, you think that old man could have warned us we were heading into dragon country when he put us on this trail,” Kilren observed. “Personally, I'd rather take my chances with Valrak's men.”
“I doubt he had any idea,” the bard replied. “He struck me as quite an honest soul. I'm sure he didn't mean to lead us astray.”
“I agree,” Darian nodded. “Still, we may need to head back the way we came.”
“I don't think so,” Ian shook his head. “We're already in the middle of the pass. There's no advantage to going back rather than pressing on. Either way, we're going to be in this valley for a day and half. Besides, the beast seems to have eaten recently. It isn't likely to be on the hunt again soon. Even if we were to encounter it, that doesn't mean it would give us any trouble.”
“Look, I certainly think we're a tough group,” Kilren smiled. “But, I don't think we can take on a dragon.”
“Well, possibly not; but, that's not really my point,” the bard replied. “Many dragons are reasonable enough. If it does discover us, we'll just explain ourselves and, more than likely, it will leave us to ourselves.”
“So, the odds are good that, even if it finds us, it won't kill us all,” Kilren said sarcastically. “Well, that is reassuring.”
“It's all we've got, lad,” Ian replied with a shrug. “We wouldn't have come this way had we known, but we're here now. Before or behind; the danger's the same either way. Except, of course, for the fact that Valrak's men are hunting for us, and the dragon doesn't even know we're here.”
“Still, if we see the beast, it would be best to take cover,” Erana observed. “No need to attract its attention.”
“Certainly, lass,” Ian agreed. “If we see it before it sees us, we'll do our best to hide. More than likely, it wouldn't do us any harm, but there's no point in taking chances.”
“Well, if we're going; let's go,” Kilren said, turning back toward the main trail. “The sooner we get out of this valley, the better.”
It was with increased caution and lessened speech that the little band resumed its journey. More than one eye in the group carefully scanned the skies above as they traveled. Hiding from such a formidable beast was no easy matter. The sooner they knew to take cover, the better their chances were of avoiding detection. As time passed, however, so did their fears. Slowly, conversation began to fill the ranks again.
“I wonder how long a dragon's been up in these mountains,” the warrior said at last.
“Who knows?” the bard replied. “Not long enough for the mountain men to know about it. My guess would be that it's new to the area.”
“You're right about that,” the warrior agreed. “Had it been here for very long, they'd've known. Maybe it was simply passing through.”
“That's as likely as not,” Ian nodded. “Really, I think the odds of us actually running up on it are...”
Before the dwarf could finish his sentence, a shadow suddenly passed over the entire party. All eyes shot upward. Erana held her hand above her eyes and carefully studied the airborn creature.
“Dragon!” she and Kilren exclaimed at the same moment.
“Down! Before it sees us!” Tealor said as loudly as he dared.
Darian quickly, but gently, grabbed Gwendolyn by the arm; pushing her down behind one of the large rocks that filled the path.
“Whatever happens, try to stay hidden!” he whispered, crouching down in front of the maiden.
“Don't worry, we will!” Sarena replied,
taking up a position beside the maiden. “Whatever you do, Gwendolyn; don't get excited and try to catch it on fire.”
“Maybe it hasn't seen us,” Kilren said to Erana, as the pair watched the beast circling slowly in the sky above.
“Maybe...” she replied without confidence.
“By the way, shouldn't Rragor be trying to tear my leg off or something,” the rogue observed, turning his gaze to the beast. “He never lets me get this close to you. I mean; I'm glad he's not but...”
“Shhh!” she whispered. “He's too scared to worry about it at the moment. Whatever he may think about you, he's more worried about that.”
As the pair watched, the dragon began to descend; circling the area where the party lay hidden.
“Well, it's seen us,” the warrior said to his dwarvish companion. “That much is plain. Any ideas?”
“None that are likely to work,” Ian replied, shaking his head.
“You don't happen to know a song it might like?” Tealor asked.
“Some dinner music perhaps?” the bard chuckled.
“Not exactly what I had in mind,” the warrior replied.
“Let me think,” the bard said, knitting his brows. “Nothing... If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to spend some time in prayer. My voice may not be as pleasing to the Eilian as that of the knight, but there's no harm in asking for mercy.”
“Good point,” Tealor nodded. “I'll join you.”
The prodigious, green skinned beast slowly, and gracefully, alighted on a large piece of rock jutting from the earth only a short distance from the band's various hiding places. It stood, carefully surveying the scene; turning its massive head one way and then the other. Its sharp ears listening for the slightest sound. The beast's large nostrils flared as it snuffed the air; considering all the scents that drifted on the breeze.
The creature was more than thirty feet from head to tail. As it stood, its powerful muscles rippled beneath its armored skin. The monster gently tapped its long talons on the stone before it as it gazed carefully over the scene. Its large mouth was filled with teeth the length of daggers that seemed, if anything, even more deadly. Both the creature's eyes and the thick scales that covered its body were a deep emerald green. It was undeniable that the beast was terrifying, but it was also beautiful in its way.
The young knight remained as quiet as he possibly could; breathing as slowly and as lightly as he was able, terrified that the slightest clink of his armor might give them away. He felt confident of his own fate, but less so that of his companions. It was certainly his destiny to survive this encounter, but the same might not be true for the rest of the party. He silently begged the Eilian to watch over the lives of his friends.
As the moments passed, an almost irresistible itch began to spread across his nose. It required all of his self-control to keep from scratching. In his silent prayers, he added a request for the sudden itch to dissipate and for the alleviation of the cramp he was getting in his left calf. While contemplating his discomforts, he also began to notice that the breeze had died away and that his back was exposed to the direct rays of the noon day sun. This, combined with the natural tension of the situation, caused his entire body to begin pouring sweat.
It seemed that Gwendolyn took notice of his sudden and extreme distress. She slowly and carefully wiped the moisture from his brow with the sleeve of her tunic. After she had done so, he slowly mouthed several words to her and, after a moment's confusion, she gently scratched the thankful Telian's nose. The look of relief on his face almost made her burst out laughing, but the very serious expression in Sarena's normally cheerful eyes put an end to her merriment.
At last, the silence was broken by the dragon itself.
“Now, let me see,” it said with a deep and powerful voice. “There's a dwarf here and one of the fair folk. I believe I also smell four, no five, of the children of men... A wolf also travels with you...”
The party remained silent. For his own part, Darian immediately wanted to respond to the beast. It was obvious he was destined to encounter this dragon. Now that they had been discovered, it seemed unfit for a Telian to cower in hiding. However, both the sorceress' hand and the look in her eyes arrested his movements before they had even begun.
“Come now,” the beast continued, “I know you're here. I can hear you breathing. There's no reason to hide from me. Unless, of course, you've come here looking for me. If that's the case, then there's no point in hiding.”
As Darian listened to the monster, he asked the Eilian if the creature could be trusted. The Telian was filled with a sense of calm. The young knight knew that the beast was no enemy. With a knowing smile and a nod of his head, he removed the sorceress' hand from his arm and stepped boldly from his hiding place.
“We weren't sure you were a friend,” Darian said, meeting the dragon's eye with his own.
“Are you so sure now?” the monster's powerful voice asked in reply.
“I am,” Darian nodded. “The Eilian have opened my eyes and I know you are not my enemy.”
“Ah, a Telian, it seems,” the beast said warmly. “What brings you here, good master?”
“Only our road,” Ian said, stepping from behind the boulder where he had hidden.
“A dwarf dressed in finery and lace?” the dragon asked with a hissing laugh. “What is your name?”
“Ian Donald Angus Malcolm McFaren of the clan McFaren, at your service,” the dwarf said with a bow; whipping off his hat with a flourish.
“I've heard of you, master dwarf,” the dragon nodded. “Might I ask why you take this particular path?”
“May I ask the name of my inquisitor?” the bard replied.
The giant monster laughed long at this.
“You're a bold fellow,” the beast observed.
“I see no reason not to be,” Ian replied, lifting his hat back to his head. “Manners certainly permit me to ask the name of anyone who inquires into business that is mine and not their own.”
“Come now, master Ian,” the dragon replied. “I meant no offense. It's merely that my kind can't be too careful. Hunters and plunderers are the plague of our existence. My name is Baldorin and I have lived in these mountains for several years. No monarch rules here, so these lands could be said to be my own. So, I ask you again, what brings you here?”
“We have come from Mikral and are on our way to Innalas,” the dwarf replied.
“Then, you picked a difficult route,” Baldorin said.
“But, the one that suits us best, none the less,” Ian nodded.
“I see...” the dragon said slowly, “Would you think it presumptuous of me to ask if I could escort you?”
“I thank you,” Ian bowed. “However, I believe we can make it on our own.”
“He's not our enemy, Ian,” Darian said, glancing over at his companion with a touch of surprise.
“Not being an enemy doesn't make him an ally,” the bard replied quietly.
Once again, the monster laughed.
“True, very true,” the dragon nodded. “However, to all who travel with a Telian Knight in their company, I am an ally. If such were not the case, why would I waste time talking to you?”
“Aye, that's a fair point...” Ian conceded. “Well then, as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to join us.”
“I would consider it an honor to be watched over by one of your kind,” Erana added, slowly creeping from her own hiding place.
Within moments, the rest of the party had stepped into view and introduced themselves. The dragon offered to lead the way and strode along beside the seemingly diminutive dwarf as they continued down their road.
“You know, if you hadn't tried to hide, I wouldn't have taken the least notice of you,” Baldorin admitted. “However, jumping for cover the moment I came into view was rather suspicious behavior. It made me wonder just what you were afraid of. I hope that my kind don't have such a fearful reputation in this region as to make you suppose I was the ene
my of a Telian.”
“Well, we didn't expect to run into a dragon here,” Ian replied. “That, in and of itself, was enough to make me uneasy. We had no idea who you were or what your political allegiance might be.”
“In truth, you still don't,” the dragon chuckled.
“Well, I suppose that's true,” the bard nodded. “But, now I know you're not our enemy; which is much more than I knew at the time. I wasn't sure what your reaction to us might have been. Not every dragon can be trusted with the lives of weaker races.”
“Weaker races?” Baldorin said, a rising inflection in his voice. “Your dominance of Areon might make an unbiased observer feel that we dragons were the weaker race.”
“Perhaps when one considers all of Areon,” Ian chuckled. “Not, however, when one is trapped in a narrow mountain valley.”
“Even so, few of my kin would have molested harmless travelers,” the dragon replied.
“The fact that it's rare doesn't make being attacked by a dragon any easier to survive,” Ian pointed out.
Once again, the dragon laughed at the dwarvish bard.
“I take your point,” he replied. “I, myself, was more than a little concerned with your sudden appearance. Few travel this path, and I know most of those who do. I wasn't sure what to think of strangers on this road; especially strangers that didn't want to be seen.”
“As if you had anything to fear from us,” the dwarf said, laughing himself this time.
“You might be surprised, master Ian,” the giant beast replied. “Many of my kin have lost their lives because of such misplaced confidence. For my own part, I prefer to be cautious. In truth, even if my life wasn't in danger, my lair might be another matter. It's not far and having my home raided would have been a great annoyance. Which brings me to a point; I would appreciate it if you told no one of my presence here. A few of the mountain men know of me, but they're honest souls that understand the value of silence.”
“Indeed, they do,” the bard agreed. “In fact, the man who suggested this trail said nothing of you.”
“Who was that?” Baldorin inquired.
The Stars of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 1) Page 24
