by LeRoy Clary
“I thought we had plenty.”
Bender chuckled, “Me too, but that was before feeding the dragons.”
Tyler approached the dog and cleaned the blood off him again. His two ears had stuck straight up, but now more than half of one was missing, giving the dog a lopsided look. Tyler glanced down at the compound again and said, “It’s a wonder they didn’t hear.”
“If the dog had started barking they would have. We got lucky.”
“Lucky for now,” Bender said, watching the dragons devour the meat he tossed to them. “But how are we going to feed them enough? I don’t know about you, but I think we should leave them behind.”
Tyler moved to the shade, taking the dog with him, and they went to sleep, but each time he looked at the dog, at least one of its eyes watched the dragons. Later, after waking and Bender slept, the dog wandered off. It returned with a rabbit in its mouth. It dropped the rabbit near Tyler and moved away. As soon as it sat, the dragons darted forward and tore the rabbit apart. They shook their heads to rip mouthfuls from the rabbit, stuck their heads into the wounds for more, and crunched small bones gleefully.
The dog calmly watched them eat. Tyler felt certain it had intended to eat the rabbit, but at the sight of the horrid dragons, it forgot about hunger. It couldn’t have been a peace offering, could it? No, of course not. He pulled the dragon claw from his pack and used his knife to scrape off the little remaining hide, gristle, and skin. After using his thumb to rub the length of it, he found the surface looked almost polished.
Bender woke well before dark and sat up. “I’ve been thinking.”
“You’ve been snoring.”
“That too, but we have other problems. You’re thinking of rescuing that girl we met, Prim. Maybe her family, too. But you heard what Prim said. There are bounty hunters across the river, no boats get by the checkpoints downriver, and there are too many Cabots between us and freedom. The mountains prevent escape that way, so the only option is to try upriver, where we’d be hung for being deserters.”
Tyler said, “You are the one that always thinks ten moves ahead.”
“With that in mind, I’ve considered all the options and to keep it simple for your simple mind to grasp; we’re going to die.”
The statement took Tyler by surprise, and for the first time that day he laughed. Then, as his eyes found Bender, he discovered his friend was not laughing with him. Tyler’s laughter sputtered to a halt, and he said, “I thought you were kidding.”
“No, I’m not.”
Tyler moved closer and said, “Tell me about it.”
“Neither you or I will kill the man we capture at the latrine. We know that because it’s not like us to do it. That means he will tell the Cabots who will know they have enemies here and will come after us full force. Think about it. They will not just be on watch, as they are now, they will know. The same thing applies if we rescue that poor girl’s family. Or her. They will know an enemy is here and hunt us with all they have. There won’t be any escape.”
“Go on.”
“Take it easy. Sometimes I think while I talk. We have our dragons, the damn dog, and each other. I was thinking earlier that we might escape and take the girl with us, but the Cabots will try to locate her, and find us in the process. The way I see it, we only have one option. You and I leave these good people to their own devices, and we’ll travel in the direction of downriver, but we’ll have to stay away from the river because of the patrols. We can’t cross it because of the bounty hunters over there. So, we head for the foothills and make our way south.”
“It’s our only option,” Tyler agreed.
“I feel sorry for the people here, but if we try to be heroes, we’ll all die.”
“There might be something we can do for them if we escape. I wouldn’t be against returning with a small army. What’s happening here is wrong, and somebody needs to end it,” Tyler said, pounding one fist into his open palm.
Bender looked over the treetops into the compound below and said, “But why does it have to be us?”
Tyler thought about the helplessness of the situation. Two deserters from a losing army were not going to change the world—at least, not today. “We can’t build a fire, again. Our food is limited, and we can’t pay for more because anyone that spot us, will probably turn us in for a reward, and we’ll end up working a mine.”
Bender said, “As usual, you’ve put your finger on the problem, and it’s up to me to resolve it. Down there,” he motioned to the compound at the base of the hill, “is everything we need.”
The hub of activity drew Tyler’s attention. Bender was right. “So, instead of taking a prisoner to question, we manage to sneak down there and steal what we need. But what about the soldiers that are there?”
“See those on watch? They’re concentrating on those inside the compound, the workers and prisoners they’ve recently captured. I haven’t seen one of them look behind.”
Tyler saw that too, but also another problem. “I guess you’re right. Who in their right mind would break in? We can slip past them to get in, but then, how do we get out? That’s where they’re watching like you said.”
“My plan is simple. I go inside, not the two of us. If I get captured, it’s up to you to rescue me. I’ll bet tonight there are only a couple of guards on duty, especially well after dark. They don’t need them. If I knock one out and gather what we need and leave, they won’t know what happened.”
“They will begin the hunt for us when he wakes and sounds the alarm.”
Bender said, “I think I have an answer for that. I see men carrying mugs I think are filled with ale, and I have a few Blocks in my backpack that I took from that idiot who marked them so he could cheat us. On my way out of the compound, I’ll douse the guard in ale and leave the Blocks where they’ll be found. The guard will be accused of drinking, gambling, and cheating on duty. Obviously, one of his gambling buddies knocked him out and took the money.”
The idea would work. The guard might find himself working the mines along with the slaves. But that was the genius of Bender. He thought ahead and planned his moves. With just a little luck they might gain what they needed without raising alarms. He allowed a smile to tell Bender what he thought of the idea.
Before dark, several fires in the compound burned. Bender and Tyler watched and commented on the movements of the people. The bunkhouse for prisoners was quickly identified. The cook-house and mess-hall stood out, as well as the barracks for the Cabots. Another set of buildings were larger, separate, and obviously for the officers.
Bender said, “See where the back of the cook-house and barracks is near each other? There’s a single guardhouse back there, just big enough for one man. The other is at the front by the road, and I don’t think they can see each other. Poor planning.”
“Take out the one, and you’re inside and can escape.”
“The food will be in the cook-house. The barracks will have men coming and going. Nobody will pay attention to me in the darkness inside,” Bender said.
“What are you looking for?”
“Just supplies we need. Blankets, weapons, and a backpack or two.”
“We have backpacks,” Tyler said.
“We can put them on backwards and carry one on our chest filled with food and blankets.”
Tyler signed, “We’re not going to be out here a month.”
Bender turned and gave him the same expression as when he thought a new recruit was an idiot. “How much do baby dragons eat? How about their appetite five days from now?”
Later, Bender stood. “Wait here. You’ll see if I raise a ruckus. Otherwise, be ready to leave when I return. I mean, we’ll be leaving right away.”
Tyler was feeding the two dragons and tossing a morsel to the one-eared dog now and then. The dragons had approached the dog several times wanting more rabbit, and received a warning growl in return. After that, they avoided the dog. He checked the remaining meat and said, “Make sure
you grab a slab of bacon or a few roasts. We’re almost out of meat.”
“They never stop eating except to sleep. I think they’re already growing fatter.”
“Are not,” Tyler mumbled, wishing the statement was not true, and knowing it was. He sat in the darkness watching the limited movement below, but especially the guard standing at the rear. He wished he was closer to see what Bender was doing, but realized he should watch the other guard, which was much nearer. Then he realized he couldn’t do anything about it, or prevent Bender’s capture. If caught, Bender needed Tyler to rescue him.
Tyler’s eyes adjusted to the dark, the fires below had died to dull orange spots on a field of black, and even the nearest guard was hard to locate if he stood still. Tyler noticed a flicker of movement near the other guard and found he could make out Bender dragging the guard to the edge of the forest, then returning to the gate.
He watched Bender stalk to the rear of the darkened cook-house. After a long wait, Bender emerged and moved to the long, narrow bunkhouse. He slipped along the side, but when he entered the center of the compound, he stood and walked confidently to the front entrance, as if he belonged. He disappeared inside.
Tyler held his breath. In less time than he would have believed, Bender walked back out, his arms loaded. Tyler fed the dragons another snack and called softly to the dog. He put each dragon in a backpack and fastened the straps, then rolled their two blankets and tied them to the strings on the packs, so they rode above.
He heard Bender stumbling through the forest and up the hill, long before he entered the clearing. He ran breathlessly to Tyler’s side and let the booty from his raid fall at their feet.
Tyler said softly, “Everything went well?”
“They’ll think the guard was attacked for cheating, plus being drunk. He never saw me coming, so he can’t tell them he was attacked by a stranger.” While he talked, he opened another backpack and started stuffing whatever his hands reached first and stuffed it inside.
Tyler dropped to his knees and did the same. He found four thin blankets, rolled them as one, and after filling the second pack, placed the straps over his shoulders, so the pack rode on his chest. He carried the blankets under his armpit, trying to keep his hands free. He hissed at the dog, “Come on.”
Bender was already standing and leading the way. They retraced their path for a while and then made a slight turn away from the river where an animal track went in that direction. But since Bender believed they would think the guard had been drunk on duty, and there was no indication of an intruder, Bender and Tyler didn’t have to travel all night.
They paused beside a small stream, not the same one the compound used for a latrine, after moving off the path a dozen steps. Each of them used three blankets, a new thin one on the ground and their heavy army issue as well as another thin one on top. Their campsite was simply an opening between trees giving them enough room to stretch out and sleep.
In the morning, he heard a rustle near his head. Tyler’s hand went for his knife, his body tense. He cracked his eyelids, but remained still. His head faced Bender, and he saw his friend’s hand slowly creeping for his knife, too.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The rustling sound from near his head drew his attention again, but Tyler still didn’t dare move to look. He’d wait for whatever was in their camp to show itself. He barely breathed.
Two dragons, larger than skinny chickens raced to stand near his face, peering expectantly at him. “How’d you two get out?” he growled, sitting up and making sure it had been them that woke him. One glance showed the straps of the backpack had been chewed in half by the dragon. The ragged ends lay exposed, and as he looked at Bender’s backpack, he found the same thing.
He said, “Relax. The dragons just chewed the straps and escaped.”
Bender sat and examined their surroundings. “Time that we were up and moving, anyhow.”
“I thought you got away clean.”
“I thought so too, but what if I didn’t?”
There he went thinking ahead and considering all the possibilities, again. Bender stretched and got his bearings as he watched the dragons nip at each other and wrestle. Tyler didn’t see the dog and hoped it managed to flee the little black beasts and had a good life for itself.
Bender pulled a variety of food from his second backpack, or chest pack, and tossed pieces to the dragons. What they didn’t eat was given to Tyler to eat. As he chewed on a lump of hard bread the size of a turnip, burned black on the bottom, he said, “They need names.”
“Who?”
“The dragons.”
Bender watched them mock-fighting and said, “What about the dog?”
“He’s gone.”
“I don’t think so. He was up ahead of us earlier,” Bender said.
That information pleased Tyler, but he couldn’t say why. The dog limped, he had two major wounds covered in huge scabs, his one ear had been bitten off by the dragon, and his hair was matted. Tyler remembered an old joke about a similar cat. Bender would object, and it would be fun to pretend he liked the name. “Lucky. We should call the dog Lucky.”
“Perfect!” Bender chuckled, an evil gleam in his eye, which was the exact opposite of the reaction Tyler expected.
Tyler smiled weakly. There was no getting out of the name, now. His attempt to tease Bender had reversed itself, and in trying to change the name, he would have to admit defeat. He should have known better. Bender was always at his best first thing in the morning. He growled, “Lucky, it is.”
“Now, for the dragons. I like names that go together. Tim and Tom, Pete and Pat, sort of like that.”
There was no outward indication Bender objected to the name of Lucky, but Tyler knew he did. Tyler also knew Bender didn’t want any of the names he’s offered, but Tyler couldn’t bring himself to agree with them, either. Doing so might cause the little animals to have the stupid names forever. “We should think about it. Choosing the right name for the dog was pure chance. A lucky guess.”
Gathering his two packs, Bender allowed the dragons their freedom as he continued down the path with Tyler at his heels. They kept the blue ridgeback of the mountains on their left, knowing the Middling River was somewhere off to their right. They traveled through a forest of deciduous trees which must look barren and scary in the winter when the leaves fell.
While the travel was up the side of one hill and down the other, they encountered no sign of people, guards, Cabots, or army patrols. They found no farms, crossed no roads, saw no smoke rising into the clear blue sky.
Lucky appeared at their side. Burrs stuck to his coat, his legs were muddy, and his single ear stuck straight up. The other was a bloody mess. The fur along the ridge of his back stood on end. His nose lifted to sniff the air.
Tyler said, “He’s not growling.”
“But he doesn’t like something ahead. Put your dragon in your backpack, and we’ll move ahead slower, so we don’t run into whatever’s up there.”
“Maybe we should go around?”
“And be left to wonder? What if there is help?” Bender asked.
“What if it’s danger?”
Bender smiled, “Then we’re forewarned, and maybe we can avoid similar danger in the next few days.”
Tyler scooped the reluctant dragon into the backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He couldn’t help but think that if Bender didn’t want to see what lay ahead, he would have argued convincingly to go around. But he’d known since childhood not to argue with Bender, but sometimes couldn’t help himself.
Tyler hung back a dozen steps, ready to charge ahead to help Bender if needed, or to retreat. He didn’t feel a coward at retreating and knew Bender would support his escape, especially if he managed to return and rescue Bender. Their actions had kept them both safe during their military careers.
Bender eased ahead, careful not to allow low hanging branches to scrape against his clothing. The sound would alert any people lurking ahead. Lu
cky lowered his head and slipped past Bender, the fur from his neck to his tail standing up and quivering. Bender and Lucky pulled to a stop and waited.
Tyler slipped to the side of the path and into the brush, his heart racing. Bender motioned for him to advance to where he stood. When he arrived at Bender’s side, a grisly sight greeted him. Three men and two women hung from ropes under the trees, beaten, arms and legs askew from broken bones. Their bloated and blackened bodies covered in flies. Carrion birds had been at work on the eyes and faces.
The stench gagged Tyler, and he backed away to find cleaner air. No wonder the sensitive nose of the dog had upset it, and he shied away.
Bender backed off. He said, “Their clothing is not Cabot or that of miners. I think they were travelers like us who were captured.”
“There’s no way to tell that.”
“No way not to. We’ll circle around and pick up the tracks of whoever did this.”
Tyler frowned. “We want to do what? Follow them?”
“If we know where they are, we know where to avoid.”
It sounded as if Bender knew what he was talking about, but Tyler didn’t like the idea. Worse, he had no ideas that sounded any better. He nodded, but reserved to think about it and try to find another way. Bender moved along a path and then pushed through underbrush until he came to a larger perpendicular trail. Boots, the kind the Cabot troops wore, left the same sort of prints as were in the dirt, all leading in the direction of the hills.
Bender knelt, examined them and said, “Two days old, at least. Maybe more.”
Tyler turned his attention to the hills. Before reaching the mountains, there arose one hill after another, each appearing higher than the last. One caught his attention, near the peak that provided a view of the entire valley. He let his eyes drift down the ridge and found another perfect lookout.
From the hillside, the Cabot forces wouldn’t have to patrol the entire area between the mountains and the river. They could sit up there in comfort and watch. When movement was spotted, they would send a patrol to investigate.
