dragon archives 04 - dance with a dragon

by Linda K Hopkins

  She saw Garrick often, but there was little opportunity for conversation. He took his turn with Frank and Tobias, guarding the camp with a bow on his back and a sword in his hand, but he passed her with his quick smile and a brief word whenever he was able.

  Only once did Matilda question Anna about the misadventure. “I’m surprised the men who captured you treated you so well,” she said.

  “There were only three men, my lady, and one of them was clearly a man of noble birth.”

  “A man of noble birth? Did he give a name?”

  “He did, my lady – Syngen Gail.”

  Anna glanced at the queen when she remained silent. She looked a little pale.

  “Are you all right?” she said. “Do you need to lie down?”

  Matilda waved her hand. “No, no, it’s just the heat. I was trying to place the name, but I confess it is quite unfamiliar to me. He may have had the appearance of a nobleman, but he is probably a man of low and common birth.” She rose to her feet. “Perhaps I will go lie down for a little bit.”

  As for Max, despite his assertions that he remained behind to protect Anna, it seemed to her that his attention was fixed on the other women in the camp. He flirted with the maids and teased the serving girls, making them blush. He sat with Matilda, laughing and talking, and even managed to get Kathleen to engage in a few shy words. But apart from a few polite greetings, he spoke little to Anna. She was relieved, of course. She could not be comfortable with Max. But she could not help watching him when his back was turned and he was talking to Matilda, or Betsy, or one of the other maids. One time she turned away to see that Garrick had returned to the camp, and was watching her watching Max. He had glanced away, but a wave of shame washed over her. Garrick deserved so much better than she was able to give him. She walked over to him with a smile, and when he looked up at her, his expression was calm.

  “How is your arm doing today?” he asked.

  “Much better,” she said, slowly circling her wrist with only a small wince to show just how much it had improved. He smiled, and nodded.

  “I am in desperate need of a wash,” he said, “so I will see you later.”

  “Of course,” she said, and turned away. As she walked back towards her tent, she saw that Max was where he had been before, but now it was he who was watching her, his gaze intent. Her eyes met his, and for a moment he held them, but then his expression turned mocking, and he flourished a small bow in her direction. But she had seen a flame in his eyes before it was quickly doused by gray, and could not suppress a slight shiver as Max turned away. There were times when he disappeared from the camp, and she could feel his presence circling above her. She did not look for him then, but she knew he did not go far. How she knew this, she would have been hard pressed to say, but something within her sensed his presence, as tangible as the bench she sat on.

  Two days passed before Matilda decided it was time to resume their journey. Plans were made to start the following morning, and Garrick helped Anna mount her horse and take a turn along the dusty path around the camp. It was difficult to control the reins with her injured arm, but her horse was patient, and after a while she had the trick of using just one hand.

  They left at dawn, easily following the trail left behind by the army – broken trees and bushes, paths made by thousands of feet, and as they continued north, the occasional cottage burned to the ground. The soldiers were getting impatient with marching and no fighting. Rupert was eager to maintain a good pace, however, and for the most part the villages had been left untouched, but as they neared the first major town, Anna could smell the smoke rising into the air. The town lay behind a small hill, and as they crested the summit she gasped at the destruction. The town walls had been completely destroyed, and within the town only smoldering ruins remained. Anna turned away, horrified at the devastation, wrought by a man who wished to be king. Garrick moved up to stand beside her.

  “War is a terrible thing, is it not?” he said quietly.

  “I’m glad you weren’t a part of this,” she said. He remained silent. “What is it for?” she said. She searched his face for an answer, then turned back to the ruins. “All this for the sake of a throne.”

  “Not just a throne, Anna,” he said. “Power, money and supreme rule.”

  As they drew closer, Anna could see that not everyone had fled the destruction. People picked through the smoldering ashes, using sticks to poke through the hot embers, snatching up anything that still looked useful – pots with broken handles; pans, twisted and bent; melted candlesticks and lanterns. Children wandered around, their arms and faces covered in soot, and dogs nosed their way through the debris. They paused at the outskirts of the town, and Matilda stared with glassy eyes as the people she claimed as her own rummaged through the ashes. One, an old man, looked up and seeing her, spat in her direction.

  “See what your people have wrought, Princess,” he hissed, shaking his finger as he glared at her. “Take your brother, and your husband, and begone!” Matilda’s face was white as she clutched the reins, and without another word, turned her horse aside and traced a path around the town. Anna could see she was shaking, but she held her head high as she rode.

  Anna could not sleep that night. Her arm ached after a day of riding, and her heart ached at the destruction wrought by Alfred’s army. She wanted to be away from this place, this war between a few power-hungry men. She lay on the cot listening to the heavy breathing coming from the other beds. Outside she heard the low mumble of voices of the guards and servants. She could see the blaze of the camp fire through the thin wall of the tent, the flames casting dancing shadows over the fabric. Cradling her arm against her chest, she rose to her feet and awkwardly slung a robe over her shoulders. Her riding boots sat at the foot of the bed, and she pushed her feet into them, leaving the laces untied as she carefully pushed open the flap to the tent and stepped outside.

  Frank was near the fire, and he turned when he heard her movement. He watched her closely as she stepped up to the flames. “I couldn’t sleep,” she whispered. He shrugged, and after a moment, walked away.

  It was hot next to the fire, and after a few minutes she headed over to a bench that had been placed beneath the trees, and took a seat. She leaned her head back against the trunk and closed her eyes, listening to the crackling flames. She heard a noise and looked up to see Garrick walking towards her. He had been guarding the camp with Tobias, and still wore his sword and dagger. A bow was slung over his shoulder, and an axe hung in his belt. He swung the bow from his back and laid it on the ground.

  “Couldn’t you sleep?” he asked as he sat down on the bench beside her.

  Anna shook her head. “Too many disturbing images in my mind,” she said.

  Above them the sky was dark as a new moon waxed low above the horizon. Stars sparkled against the black canvas, their glittering pinpricks of light shining brightly. Anna glanced at Garrick as he stared into the flames. The play of light and shadow made him look pensive. “Tell me what you dream about,” he said.

  “What I dream about?” Anna turned back to the flames. “I don’t know. A happy life, with my own home, and children. And you, of course.”

  A slight smile played over Garrick’s lips, but it was quickly gone. “Should I tell you what I dream about?” he said. He took her hand in his as he turned to look at her. “I dream of you, every single night. I dream of you in my arms, your body soft and yielding as I love you the way a man loves a woman.” Anna shifted self-consciously as he continued. “I dream of you carrying my seed, nurturing it and bringing forth new life.” He glanced down at her hand, lying in his, and gently stroked her fingers. “I dream of us growing old together, your hand in mine as we watch our children growing up and building lives of their own. I dream all of that, Anna, and then it all fades away and I dream of only one thing.” He brought his gaze back to hers, his eyes searching as they held hers.

  “What, Garrick?” He stared at her for a long moment, then l
ooked away.

  “I dream of you happy.”

  “We will be happy,” she said. “We will have a home, and children, and each other.” She lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek, and he slowly looked back at her. He covered her hand with his own.

  “I love you,” he said, “and I dream of a life with you.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “But your dreams are your own to follow, Anna. Do not be bound by mine.”

  He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, before rising to his feet and quickly walking away as Anna watched in perplexity.

  Chapter 39

  Matilda and her party broke camp the following morning, following the trail left behind by the marching soldiers. As they drew nearer to the rear of the army, Anna could see smoke in the distance. Frank and Garrick rode ahead, returning an hour later.

  “We engaged the enemy this morning,” Frank shouted as they drew near. “One of our companies came upon one of Terran’s, and they engaged each other in battle.”

  “Are we victorious?” Matilda reined her horse next to the two news-bearers. Frank glanced at Garrick.

  “No,” Garrick said. “By the time our commander reached the skirmish, all was confusion. The officers on both sides were dead, and the men were engaged in hand-to-hand fighting, with some trying to flee the scene. The company was made up of volunteers and new recruits, not trained soldiers. The prince put two of our men to death who were trying to escape, and then recalled the remaining troops and withdrew.”

  “He withdrew? Leaving the enemy behind?” Matilda said, her tone incredulous. Max had joined them, and was listening to the conversation, his narrowed eyes trained on Garrick.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Garrick replied. “There weren’t many enemy soldiers remaining – most had retreated behind their lines, leaving the wounded behind. The prince rounded them up as prisoners, and tomorrow he will pitch his forces against the enemy with a definite plan of action.”

  “I want to see where they were fighting. I want to see the dead bodies of the men who chose to fight against Roderick.”

  “Uh, my lady,” Frank started, but Matilda waved away his protestations.

  “I insist,” she said. Frank glanced at Garrick, who stared at the queen for a moment, before his eyes flickered over to where Max was standing. After a moment Garrick nodded his head.

  “The ladies must stay behind,” he said.

  “No,” Anna said, stepping forward. “I will remain with my lady.”

  Garrick turned to glare at her, but it was Max who spoke.

  “No!”

  Anna glanced at Max, who was glaring at her with arms folded across his chest.

  “Can you give me a good reason why I should not go?” she said. He stared at her, and Anna felt an angry wave of heat roll over her. She narrowed her eyes. “I thought not,” she said. She looked at Garrick, who met her gaze with resignation.

  Garrick turned back to Matilda. “My lady,” he said, “follow me.”

  Still on horseback, Matilda and Anna followed Garrick as he led them in silence through a small grove of trees. Anna knew Max was following on foot, but she did not look around. Beyond the trees was a large open field, and in the distance she could see large, dark birds circling the sky. She followed Garrick and the queen across the grassland. It had been trampled down by the moving army, walked into dust and chaff.

  As they grew closer, Anna could see the remains of soldiers fallen in battle, and the stench of death made her cover her nose. She glanced at Matilda, but the queen was riding with a straight back, her eyes unwavering as she took in the scene before her. Anna followed a few steps behind, pausing when the queen stopped to survey the bloody scene. Max had disappeared through the long grass, heading towards the corpse-strewn field. The bodies of three dozen fallen men lay on the ground, their blood staining the earth beneath them. Flies were already swarming around open wounds, their buzzing making Anna gag. The queen stared for a long moment, then with a nod turned and followed Garrick from the field. Anna turned her horse around, but she stopped when she saw Max standing in the shadow of a tree, his body tense as he took in the sight before him. Anna nudged her horse forward, then changing her mind, drew the horse to a halt. She slipped from her saddle and walked to where he stood.

  “Max?”

  He turned to look at her, his jaw set, and Anna could see the flames building within his eyes. “Not all the men are dead,” he said. “I can hear their heartbeats, stuttering as the agony of death is drawn out.” His upper lip curled slightly. “I can smell their blood in the air and taste it on my tongue.” He turned back to look at the dead and dying. “You should go,” he said, his voice low. “The smell of blood arouses my hunger. I’m not sure I want to test the limits of my control with you.”

  Anna stared at him, but when he turned to look at her again, his eyes were blazing with flames, the whites completely swallowed in the burning inferno. His mouth was slightly open, his upper lip curled sardonically, and when his tongue traced his lower lip she could see the hint of teeth that no longer appeared flat and human. She took a step back, tripping over a large stick, as fear coiled through her stomach. Turning away, she hurried to her horse and pulled herself inelegantly into the saddle in her sudden haste to be away. Surely Max would never hurt her. But he was a dragon, and if he lost control … he was the world’s most dangerous predator, a fact it would behoove her to remember.

  When Anna joined Garrick and the queen, she learned that a messenger from Alfred had sought out Her Majesty with a message from the king.

  A loyal Roderick supporter, Cameleus Allen, lived only two miles hence, and had opened his home to Roderick, Alfred and Matilda. At long last, for the first time in weeks, Matilda and her ladies would sleep within four walls, with a roof over their heads.

  Anna guessed Cameleus Allen to be in his fifties. He was of middling height, with a rotund belly and whiskers that stuck out from his chin. A friendly, jovial sort of man. He came outside as Matilda and her ladies reached the front door, his round face beaming with a smile of welcome. Anna wondered what he thought of the destruction of the towns and villages to the south.

  “Matilda, my dear, how lovely to see you again after all these years,” he said, taking her hand and delivering a loud, smacking kiss.

  “Thank you for the use of your lodgings, Cameleus,” she said. “My ladies and I have not been comfortable in many weeks.”

  “My home is yours,” he said as he led the women into the hall. “The west wing has been closed since my wife passed, but the east wing is open, and chambers are being prepared for you.” Roderick and Alfred were already seated in the hall as the women entered behind Cameleus, still chatting to the woman who trailed behind him. “And its proximity to Terranton is certainly an advantage,” he added. Roderick glanced up.

  “Terranton?” he said.

  Lord Cameleus laughed. “That’s what the locals have taken to calling it,” he said. “Terran’s town, you understand?” He caught Roderick’s narrowed look, and cleared his throat. “Not that I call it that, of course. It’s just that Terran built a new palace there, and …” His voice trailed off as Roderick continued to glare at him. “Ah, well, yes, enough of that.” He turned to Matilda. “A maid will show you and your ladies to your chambers. Dinner will be served in an hour, if that suits you.”

  “Thank you, Cameleus, that suits me quite well.”

  Cameleus smiled and glanced at the ladies standing beside Matilda, his gaze pausing on Anna as he took in the healing gash on her forehead. “Have you hurt yourself, my dear?”

  “Syngen,” Matilda said, flatly, before Anna had a chance to respond. Cameleus’s gaze swung back to Matilda in surprise.

  “Syngen?”

  “He ambushed and abducted two of my ladies.”

  Cameleus looked back at Anna. “And he did this to you?” he asked.

  “No,” Anna said. “I fell down a ravine when I tried to escape.”

  “Ah! I see.”
He paused a moment. “But how did you escape?”

  “We were rescued by, eh –”

  “A dragon,” Kathleen finished. Cameleus’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Indeed!”

  They supped that night on a sumptuous meal of roasted meats, baked pies and sweetened figs. It was marvelous, and Anna could not help but feel a stab of guilt at the rations Garrick would be enjoying this evening.

  “Tomorrow will decide our fate,” Roderick said as they ate. “We will face Terran’s men in battle and victory will be ours.”

  “Most certainly it will,” Cameleus said.

  “I would like to watch,” Matilda said. Anna’s heart sank – that was the last thing she wanted to do. She glanced at Kathleen and saw her expression mirrored her own, but Blanche just smiled.

  “No!” Alfred’s voice was horrified, but it was drowned out by Roderick’s louder response.

  “Of course, my dear,” Roderick said. “We will draw up a carriage to the sidelines so you can observe the proceedings.” He turned to Alfred. “She has an interest in seeing Terran defeated, and I, for one, am not concerned that she will be in any danger.”

  “It’s ludicrous,” Alfred said, but Anna could hear the resignation in his tone, and when Cameleus offered the use of his carriage, he remained silent.