“Oh, you have dragons, too?” Miriam said.
Zollin could tell that Miriam was surprised and excited.
“It’s the dragons that Brianna left in the Highlands. They’re solitary beasts, not as friendly as the dragons in her pride.”
“It’s incredible,” she said. “Who would have thought we would see dragons roaming the kingdom.”
“They’re amazing creatures,” Zollin agreed. “I would ask one favor of you. Could you take a message to Commander Hausey for me?”
“Of course,” Miriam said.
“Let him know I left tonight, heading south. Tell him I’ll look for him in Falxis.”
“Alright,” Miriam said.
She stepped close and hugged Zollin.
“Be careful,” she said softly.
Zollin was stiff. He wasn’t used to maternal affection and although he liked it, he wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Tell your father I still love him,” she added, her voice cracking. “Tell him I’ll always love him.”
“I will,” Zollin said.
He stepped back, gave Miriam what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and then he slipped out the door and into the cold night.
Chapter 23
When Brianna woke up, the sun was just turning the sky a pearlescent pink. She lay wrapped in her long cape, Selix beside her, the dragon’s long tail wrapped around her and keeping her warm. There was frost on the grass and trees, giving everything a silvery outline. She knew they would be moving on soon, and while she welcomed the distraction that staying busy would give her, at that moment, she laid still; guilt and misery combining and nearly choking her. She felt terrible for kissing Willam and even worse for enjoying it. She was angry that she was being forced to marry Willam and even angrier that she couldn’t talk to anyone about it. In fact, she had to keep her thoughts and feelings pressed down deep inside of her. If Selix or Tig picked up on her feelings, they would press her until they got the truth. There would be no way to keep it from Willam if that happened. Brianna was positive that the Prince and Gyia had bonded so close that Gyia wouldn’t be able to keep a secret from him.
And Brianna felt bad for Prince Willam as well. He deserved a wife that would love him unconditionally, not one that was forced into a marriage she didn’t really want to be in. Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t imagine an outcome that didn’t end badly for her. Perhaps if Zollin knew what King Felix had threatened her with he could keep her family safe, but there were no guarantees short of assassinating the King, and that would leave her family as exiles, at best. There simply were no good options.
“You ready to get moving?” Willam said as he stood up, stretching his back and shoulders.
“Sure,” she lied.
“It shouldn’t take us long to reach Felson; then we can make plans to move south.”
“That sounds good,” Brianna said, as she climbed slowly to her feet.
Selix growled at her, wanting to know what was wrong.
“I’m tired, that’s all,” she lied again, hoping that the dragons couldn’t sense her trepidation.
The day before she had exalted in being free of the capital and beyond the reach of the King, she had focused on the thrill of flying with the pride, letting the tension that had built up from her mother’s demands melt away. But now, the realization of what lay before her made her time in Orrock seem like child’s play. They were going to Felson, and sooner or later they would join up with Zollin. When that happened, she would have to tell him she was breaking their engagement to marry Willam. She would have to convince him that this was what she wanted in her heart of hearts, and she had no idea how she would pull that off.
“You want breakfast?” Willam asked.
“Sure,” Brianna said, taking the small loaf of bread he offered.
“There’s some fruit preserves in my pack,” he said, “I’ll get it for you.”
They spread the fruit on the bread and ate it quickly. The bread had been baked the day before and was still soft. The preserves were sweet and normally Brianna would have enjoyed her breakfast, but guilt was so strong that she tasted nothing.
“You seem preoccupied,” Willam said. “Is something wrong?”
“We’re going to war,” Brianna said. “I can’t shake the feeling that we’re in over our heads.”
“The witch Gwendolyn is powerful,” Willam admitted. “Do you think she’ll lead the army she’s assembled?”
“No,” Brianna said. “I don’t think she will. She’s not the same person you knew.”
“I wouldn’t say I knew her,” Willam said frowning. “I was under her spell and I’ll admit I was closer to her than most anyone else, but she never shared her thoughts or plans with me. I was less to her than a dog, just a tool.”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Brianna said tenderly. “But her days of beauty and enchantment are past. She’s deep into the dark magic she unleashed, and it has twisted her physically. I only saw a glimpse of her when I was underground. She’s a monster now.”
“So if she doesn’t leave her unground lair, is it possible that her army is just to protect her, not for conquest?”
“If I hadn’t seen her work and felt the evil intent that radiated from her, I would say that was possible. But she isn’t interested in simply surviving. She wants to kill everyone, especially every man. I’ve never felt such hate. As long as she is alive no one in the Five Kingdoms is safe.”
“Well, we should get moving then. The cavalry will need time to mobilize and get on the road.”
They mounted their respective dragons and took to the air. Brianna tried to let her worries fall away, but they would not leave her mind. The air was cold, and there were dark clouds looming to the south. The sun seemed weak, and there was no warmth from its rays. Brianna would normally have let Selix cover her with flames, but she couldn’t undress or let the fire burn away her clothes. Instead, she stretched out on Selix’s back, laying her face just to the side of the dragon’s long neck. She watched the countryside pass beneath them, flowing like a green and brown river. She saw small farms, villages, tiny camps where refugees huddled together near the Weaver’s road.
Soon they could make out the watchtower that loomed over Felson. They turned north and approached the large cavalry base slowly. They had circled the area several times from high above, the dragons taking in every detail with their enhanced vision and sharing what they saw with mental images to Brianna and Prince Willam. They were just circling down toward an open field outside the base when Brianna spotted the column of dwarves in the distance.
“What is that?” she shouted to Selix.
The golden dragon growled in reply and then peeled away to the north. Tig, the smaller and faster dragon, shot ahead, flying swiftly but staying high in the air. Then, after a moment, a mental image of the dwarves appeared in Brianna’s mind. She was surprised by the number of dwarves. They marched slowly, their small legs moving in unison, their long beards swaying in the cold wind. She recognized Hammert, and she thought that Jute looked familiar, although she didn’t remember him exactly. They all looked so tiny in the wide open world, their skin and beards dull gray.
“Take me down to them,” Brianna told Selix.
An image of Gyia and Willam landing near the army base below flashed in Brianna’s mind, and she sent out an affirmative response to Gyia. She knew that Willam would want to make contact with the commander of the King’s cavalry as soon as possible and ensure that the soldiers were making themselves ready to move south. After flying with dragons, marching with soldiers, even ones on horseback, would seem incredibly slow.
“You stay in the air until I call you down,” Brianna told Selix. The dragon growled but she remained firm. “No,” she said. “I’ll be fine. We don’t want to scare them.”
Brianna waited until they were a few hundred yards in front of the dwarves, and then she jumped high into the air from Selix’s back, flipping head over heels b
ehind the dragon, her body stretched out and rigid, and her long cape flapping around her. Then she let gravity take over. It pulled her down and she began to hop from one thermal updraft to the next, like a child hoping from stone to stone across a shallow stream.
With one final summersault she dropped to the ground, landing gracefully less than a hundred feet from the dwarves. She saw the surprise on their faces. They had never thought to look up, most of the dwarves didn’t like the wide open sky; it made them feel too small, too insecure. None of the dwarves had known she was dropping down from the back of the great, golden dragon until she landed in front of them.
“What is that?” cried one.
“Halt!” bellowed Bloc.
“It is the Fire Spirit,” Hammert said in a loud voice. “I gave her the fire stone,” he said proudly.
“You are Zollin’s companion?” asked Jute.
“I am,” Brianna said softly. She was walking slowly toward the dwarves; her hands open in front of her. “I would be friends with the noble dwarves.”
“You already are,” Hammert said.
“I am Bloc, King of the dwarves living under the Northern Highlands,” he said bowing. “It is a pleasure to meet you. We have heard of your great works.”
“And I am pleased to meet you,” Brianna replied to Bloc before turning to Hammert. “Have you seen Zollin then?” she asked.
“Of course we have,” he said. “He was marching with us until just yesterday, and then his dragons showed up and carried him away.”
“You are the dragon maker?” Bloc asked.
“I am dragon kind,” Brianna said.
“But you created the dragons?”
“Many dragons,” she answered. “Just look up.”
Bloc and the others tilted the heads back and saw Selix and Tig for the first time.
“The dragons are pleased to meet the kings under the mountain,” Brianna said. “Would you mind if they landed nearby?”
“No,” Bloc said. “They are welcome. My people are cautious, but we are honored to meet you and your dragons.”
Brianna sent a mental image of Selix and Tig landing behind her. A moment later, the two dragons swooped down and landed less than a hundred yards from the dwarves.
“Magnificent,” said Bloc.
“They don’t eat dwarves, do they?” Jute asked.
“No,” Brianna said.
“That’s good,” he replied. “I would hate to have to bust their teeth.”
“What? On your hard head?” Hammert teased.
“With my hammer, you fool.”
“Please pardon their jesting,” Bloc said.
“It is nothing to pardon,” Brianna said. “Come, let me introduce you.”
The next hour was spent with the dwarves slowly inching closer and closer to the dragons. The dwarves were both awed and terrified. They didn’t like anything that was as huge as Selix, yet they were fascinated by the beasts that were formed from living stone.
Bloc peppered Brianna with questions about where she had formed the dragons and how she had done it. She answered as honestly as possible. Selix was patient and calm, even lowering the dragon’s massive head down so that the dwarves could touch its scaly neck. Tig, on the other hand, took flight, preferring to perform aerial tricks to impress the dwarf army.
Once Bloc and Brianna decided it was time to move on, Tig sent word that a contingent of soldiers were on their way north. He sent mental images to Brianna of a group of six officers in armor and riding horses.
“The soldiers from the city are coming,” she told Bloc.
“Is Zollin among them?” he asked.
“No,” Brianna said. “But he will have made sure that you are welcome.”
Selix and Brianna moved to one side of the road, and the dwarves reformed their long column beside them. They waited for the soldiers and Brianna. Using her enhanced vision she looked to see Prince Willam, but he wasn’t with the officers. She did recognize Commander Hausey, though, which made her breathe a little easier.
The horsemen rode to within a hundred feet of the dwarves and then they dismounted. Commander Hausey left the horses with one of the other officers, while he and three other men walked forward, their helmets under their left arms.
“Ho, Bloc, leader of the dwarves,” Commander Hausey said, as they approached.
“I am Bloc,” said the little dwarf, stepping forward.
“I am Commander Hausey, the officer in charge of his majesty’s light cavalry stationed in Felson. I want to welcome you to our camp.”
“Thank you, Commander,” said Bloc.
“We have food and ale ready for your people. I’m afraid my orders to move south have just arrived today. Your people can make camp near our base and rest, and then we will move south in the morning.”
“The dwarves don’t need much rest,” Bloc said.
“But ale would be welcome,” Jute spoke up.
“And food,” Hammert added.
“All of that is being arranged,” Commander Hausey said. “Zollin told us you would be arriving. I’ve had our people preparing for your arrival since sun up.”
“That is most gracious of you,” Bloc said.
“We are honored to be allied with the dwarves,” Hausey said. “May I have the honor of marching back to our camp with you?”
“Of course,” Bloc said.
The other officers remounted their horses and rode slowly on the right side of the long column of dwarves. General Hausey and Brianna walked on the left. Selix and Tig flew in circles over the parade. When they reached the base, they found row after row of mounted soldiers, all at rigid attention with flags flying in honor of the dwarves. Trumpets blew as Commander Hausey led the dwarves to a pavilion where long tables of food, ale, and wine had been laid out. There were also bonfires burning. Selix and Tig joined Gyia who was curled next to one of the fires a short way from the pavilion.
“Eat, drink, rest,” Commander Hausey said. “I shall join you shortly with Prince Willam.”
Brianna went with Hausey back to the low-roofed building that he used for officers’ quarters. Hausey was a practical man, and Brianna could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t happy.
“Now,” he said, as he burst through the door to his quarters. “What’s this nonsense about me retaining command?”
“The King has ordered it,” Willam said. “I shall serve under you.”
“That is absurd,” Hausey said.
“What’s he talking about?” Brianna asked.
“When my father sent me here, he was very specific that I was to serve under Commander Hausey.”
“Which is clearly improper,” Hausey said.
“Perhaps not,” Willam said. “I was defeated by King Zorlan’s forces in Osla. It is clear that my father has no faith in my abilities to lead.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Brianna said.
“It really doesn’t matter,” Willam said. “For now, my father is king and his word is law. Whether I like it or not, whether it makes sense or not, makes no difference.”
“Fine, but I am lodging an official complaint,” Commander Hausey said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must see to the mobilization of the cavalry.”
“Your orders, commander?” Willam asked.
“I could use your help with the dwarves, your highness.”
“Of course, I’ll make sure they have what they need.”
Brianna followed Willam back to the dwarfish camp. The tables and benches were too tall for the dwarves to sit at, but they didn’t seem to mind at all. Instead of sitting, they stood on the benches and made short work of the food and ale. The cavalry’s mess officers were constantly on the run, bringing more food and a lot more ale.
Most of the dwarves ignored them, intent only on the food before them and their own company. Brianna introduced Bloc to Willam, and they sat down at the table with the dwarves. After a few minutes of polite questions, Brianna finally asked what was on h
er mind.
“Why did Zollin leave?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” Bloc said. He, alone of all the dwarves, wasn’t stuffing himself with food and ale. He sat calmly sipping wine and talking with Brianna and Prince Willam.
“He went to prepare this feast for us, but did not return,” he explained.
“Did he mention any other magical folk that would be helping us?” Willam asked.
“Giants,” Bloc said. “I’m not sure how many or when they’ll actually arrive, but they are coming.”
“Giants?” Willam asked.
“They’re shy creatures,” Bloc said. “I doubt you’ll see them at all until they arrive in the mountains.”
“This is truly a historic hour,” Willam said. “Our races coming together in friendship and mutual aid. I, for one, am honored to stand with you during this dark hour.”
Brianna had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. The Prince was sounding so formal that he seemed almost like a different person.
“I know that if my father were here he would be deeply honored,” Willam continued.
“Your father won’t be joining us in the battle?” Bloc asked.
“Yes, of course he will,” Willam said. “He and the other generals will be bringing the body of our army south by sea.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Bloc said. “Although, I, for one, would not enjoy bobbing along in a ship so far from solid ground.”
“Nor I,” said Hammert.
“I’ll keep my feet firmly on the ground, thank you very much,” said Jute. “Or under it would be even better.”
“I would like to visit your home in the mountains one day,” said Willam.
“The dwarves would be honored to host the Crown Prince of Yelsia,” said Bloc.
Brianna excused herself and went to check on the dragons. The huge beasts were napping by the bonfire. She felt all alone. Willam was in his element hosting the dwarves. The soldiers were all busy preparing to leave Felson. The dragons were asleep, and Brianna’s only company was the fears that circled in her mind like bats in a cave. She couldn’t help but wonder if Zollin had somehow discovered that she had broken her promise to him and was now engaged to Prince Willam. The very thought of causing Zollin pain made her want to weep, but she forced herself to stay calm and composed. It wouldn’t help her cause to break down. She simply had convinced everyone that she was doing what she wanted to do; there was too much at stake to risk even one person discovering her secret.
Five Kingdoms: Book 06 - Evil Tide Page 22
