Dragon Fire: Dragon Knights (The Sea Captain's Daughter Book 2)

by Bianca D’Arc

  Gryffid moved off. Hrardorr could tell by the flow of air as the wizard walked away.

  “But keep my offer in mind. It stands, if you ever can bring yourself to act on it,” the wizard had told him silently.

  That afternoon there was much activity on the beach near the dragon’s cave. Leo and Lizbet sat on the beach with Lady Shara while the other dragons frolicked in the waves. Shara couldn’t get her injury wet for a few more days yet, but she was healing well according to Seth and Lizbet.

  Even Leo could see the wound was knitting as it should. With a bit more ointment and rest, they’d probably be able to take out the stitches soon. Maybe in a day or two. Then, it would be a few more days for the skin to knit more fully together. The scales would take a few weeks to grow back, though it might take more than one molt cycle for the scales to sit properly in the area of the cut again.

  Sir Hrardorr had come back mid-morning and landed in the ocean, wading ashore with guidance from Xanderanth. Seth and Livia O’Dare showed up a short while later, riding on the back of a gryphon. A summit of sorts had taken place a short while later, involving the gryphon commander, General Falthith, Sir Hrardorr, Xanderanth and the leader of the sea dragons who had come ashore just after Hrardorr had arrived, a massive male dragon called Lord Skelaroth.

  From what Xanderanth had passed along to Leo, Hrardorr was in charge of helping the sea dragons learn how to patrol and fight, should they be needed to defend the island again. Lord Skelaroth had agreed to help protect the island and the repository of magical objects and books in Gryffid’s keep, but to do that, he acknowledged that his people needed to learn some basic guard skills. To that end, they’d asked Hrardorr to be the intermediary, since he understood the limitations of land, sky and sea equally.

  General Falthith was there to coordinate training flights around the island with select gryphon teams, who would show the sea dragons how gryphons usually patrolled and how they spotted problems from the air. Xanderanth would fly those patrols with the sea dragons at first, as group by group, the gryphons and sea dragons learned how to work together. Xanderanth and Leo would share their knowledge of such things from their perspective, and Hrardorr would help them put it all together so they came up with a workable system that utilized everyone’s greatest strengths at the end of the training period.

  While the dragons and gryphon were ironing out details, Seth and Livia approached Leo and Lizbet, who were tidying up the cave and their campsite. Leo went to Seth at the other man’s beckoning, concerned at the frown on Seth’s normally jovial countenance.

  “Is something wrong?” Leo asked, joining Seth by the fire that had all but died out.

  “Could be,” Seth said quietly, making room for Livia to sit on the log they’d used the night before as a bench. “We need you to keep your eyes open. There is a strong possibility that one or more of Gryffid’s people is a traitor.”

  “Surely not!” Lizbet had joined them, objecting to the idea that one of her fey brethren could betray Gryffid.

  “I’m afraid it’s possible,” Livia said quietly. “Even Gryffid has come to the same conclusion.”

  “I thought, being outsiders…” Seth went on, looking pointedly from Lizbet back to Leo, “…we might possibly be able to spot things the folk who live here could otherwise miss.”

  “Like what?” Lizbet asked, not really caring that Seth meant for the conversation to be between the folks from Draconia.

  For his part, Leo wouldn’t keep Lizbet out of any conversation he might have. This was her home. She was entitled to know what was going on as far as he was concerned.

  “Could be anything. Someone walking where they shouldn’t be. A sound out of place in the setting. A suspicious action that goes otherwise unnoticed,” Seth said, clearly scrambling for examples. “Frankly, since you’re spending most of your time down here on the beach, I don’t expect that you’ll see much, but you never know.”

  “I’ll keep my eyes open,” Leo agreed readily.

  “Good. Now that’s out of the way, I understand a memorial of sorts is being planned for three days hence, down here on the beach so as to include the sea dragons,” Seth told them. “Lady Lizbet, can you tell us what we might expect?”

  “Music,” Lizbet replied at once, her expression somber. “And toasts to the departed. It is our tradition to sing them home. Such memorials have been going on all over the island since the battle. Many were lost, though not as many as would have been had Sir Hrardorr and the sea dragons not come to our rescue.” Lizbet’s beautiful blue eyes looked so sad Leo wanted to put his arm around her shoulders, but he dare not take such liberties, especially in front of others. “It is our way to share the celebration of the life that was lost with those around us. It is natural to my people to want to include the sea dragons in our ceremony. I should have realized…”

  “You were busy with other thoughts,” Leo told her quietly, reaching out to touch her hand. Surely, that small touch wasn’t overstepping the bounds of propriety.

  Lizbet seemed to take comfort from his gesture. She smiled softly at him before squaring her shoulders and getting back to the topic at hand.

  “There will be food and drink. A large crowd here on the beach. Music. Ceremonial dance. Offerings of flowers, grains and dried herbs. A ceremonial fire.” She looked around at the beach. “We’ll need to make preparations to host that large a group and provide the facilities they will need—the fire pits, the seating areas. The nests for gryphon families and comfortable spots for the dragons…” She trailed off, looking to Leo for guidance.

  “Land dragons prefer heated sand pits for relaxation. I’ll ask Xander what he thinks, but the dragons will probably be the easiest to accommodate since we’re on a sandy beach already, and both Xander and Sir Hrardorr can supply any fire we need to get things heated up.”

  “I wonder what the sea dragons think of hot water?” Livia mused. “If we could create a shallow pool, one of our dragon friends could heat it with a quick burst of flame, right?” She looked to Seth, who nodded agreement. “I wonder if they’ll think it odd, or if they might like it?”

  “We’ll have to ask,” Lizbet said. “Shara and I have never talked about such things, since none of the sea dragons are able to flame like your land-based friends. I suspect they might like it, though. They enjoy basking in the noonday sun here on the beach. Shara told me they like the warm rays on their scales.”

  “Then, we should look into testing out this idea. Leo, can you and Xanderanth try digging out a shallow pool big enough for a dragon when you have a few free minutes?” Seth asked him.

  Leo nodded readily. “We’ll give it a try as soon as he’s free.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  As it turned out, the sea dragon lord himself was the first to try the heated pool Xanderanth and Leo had devised. All the sea dragons had watched with interest as they took a short break from the planning and training to enjoy the sunlight and a moment of peace together on the beach. Xanderanth and Leo, of course, did not rest, but set to work building a small pool down by the water. Sort of a manufactured tidal pool that would capture about a foot of water in a shallow depression big enough for Xander to sit in comfortably.

  When Lord Skelaroth asked what they were doing, Xanderanth had explained the experiment, and the sea dragon leader volunteered to try it out first. He stood back, watching Xanderanth with what Leo read as respect, while the younger dragon blew fire onto the small pool of water, heating it to a steaming bath in just a few moments.

  Lord Skelaroth dipped a toe into the water, and his head went up in surprise, then moved downward again in intrigue as he lowered his front foot into the warm water. A moment later, he was sitting in the pool, a dragonish sigh releasing from his nostrils. Leo had to grin. It was more than apparent that the sea dragon liked the hot water on his scales.

  “This is divine,” the dragon lord commented to all, his eyes closed in bliss as he settled deeper into the heated pit of sand and water
. “Do land dragons do this all the time?” he asked.

  “We sleep in heated sand pits called wallows when we are not on duty elsewhere,” Xanderanth told the sea dragon lord.

  Leo added a little more to the story. “The Lairs are built into the sides of mountains and cliffs. There are platforms for flying and landing, and each dragon or dragon pair has a suite of rooms built around their wallow. The oval wallow is the heart of the suite, with a rim where people can walk and rooms arranged around the sides of the pit. Usually a small kitchen, bathing chamber, bedroom for the knight, or if it’s a family’s suite, rooms for children as well, supplies, equipment and other things. The key is, the dragons can see into every room arranged around their sand pit so they are part of the family, involved in every aspect of our lives,” Leo told the sea dragon.

  “Do you have to heat the sand yourselves?” Lord Skelaroth asked, tilting his head as he spoke to Leo directly for the first time.

  “My understanding is that there was a bit of magic used in the construction of the Lairs,” Leo told the dragon, scratching his head as he thought about it. “Science and magic both, actually. The wallows are heated automatically, but I don’t know exactly how. There is also running water in the bathing chamber and the sink in the kitchen, but if I want a hot bath, I fill the tub and ask Xanderanth to heat it for me.”

  “It is a blessing to have fire in your belly,” Lord Skelaroth said solemnly. “That is something we have lost, but it is said of old, our forefathers could flame.”

  Leo didn’t know what to say to that, so he remained silent.

  “Perhaps one day, you will flame again,” Xanderanth said, with all the enthusiasm of youth. “I, for one, would love to be able to swim like you or Sir Hrardorr, but I fear it is a skill beyond my abilities.”

  Lord Skelaroth turned his head to really look at Xanderanth, giving him a critical eye. “Maybe not,” the sea dragon lord said, making Xander’s head pop up in surprise. “You have strong wings and a muscular build. You could be a very powerful swimmer, given a bit of instruction, I believe. Perhaps while you are here, we will get a chance to give it a try.”

  “Oh!” Xander seemed truly enthusiastic about the possibility. “I would enjoy that greatly, milord. Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” the dragon lord chuckled, relaxing back into the water. “Swimming lessons are hard work, even for our young. We will put you through your paces and see how you do.”

  The older dragon seemed to doze off after that, and Xanderanth tiptoed away, loath to disturb the leader of all the sea dragons in the area. Leo followed suit, walking back to the main fire pit because Lizbet was sitting there, drinking a mug of tea.

  He was drawn to her in a way he hadn’t ever experienced. If she was near, he wanted to be with her. It was that simple. And that alarming. Leo knew his heart was in grave danger from the fey beauty, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from wanting to be near her. To just look at her. To talk with her. To bask in her gentle presence.

  “I think Sir Xanderanth will be a better swimmer than you realize,” Lizbet said as she offered Leo a fresh mug of tea. He took it and sat down on the log beside her, facing the rebuilt flames of the small cook fire.

  “You heard all that?” he asked to make conversation. She nodded.

  “I’ve known a few young sea dragons who were learning the ways of their water world over the years, including Shara. They are born on land, though I know not where. When they are little, their parents protect them and teach them swimming once they are big enough, but they have to come ashore to rest often, and many times, they come here, to this cove. Which is why I come here a lot, to see them and speak with them, if they will allow it.”

  “You have many friends among them?” Leo asked, intrigued.

  “Some.” Lizbet shrugged. “Shara is my best friend, really. She and I go way back, and we have earned each other’s trust over the years.”

  “Xander’s my best friend, though it was fast for us. He spoke the words of claim, and then, the bond formed between us and…it was like…” He searched for words to explain the sensational feeling, but couldn’t describe it adequately. “It was like nothing I can explain in words. We were just instantly bonded. One, yet separate. He knew me to my soul, and I got a glimpse into something ancient and wonderful in his. I can’t imagine my life without him.”

  “I feel a little like that about Shara sometimes,” Lizbet admitted. “But of course, it’s different. I’m not a knight, and she’s at sea much of the time. But we talk every day, even when we are apart. We’re more like sisters, I’d have to say. Sisters who are also best friends, no matter that she has wings and scales and I do not.”

  “I have a lot of siblings,” Leo said, contemplating her words. “And yeah, Xander feels a lot like one of my brothers, but there’s something more too. Something even deeper than the family bond. We are partners. And I know we will face whatever comes to us in this world together. That’s something you can’t say about just anyone. Even a sibling.”

  Lizbet leaned over and kissed his cheek, surprising him.

  “What was that for?” he asked, wishing he’d known she was going to kiss him so he could have enjoyed it more.

  “It’s because you love him so completely. Because you’re willing to give of yourself to him and expect nothing in return but his company. You’re a noble being, Sir Leonhardt.”

  Were her eyes sparkling with tears? Was she nearly crying? Over him?

  Leo couldn’t help himself. He moved closer, putting one arm around her shoulders. He didn’t care who might be looking. Lizbet was feeling deep emotions, and the least he could do was offer comfort. She’d been through a lot over the past few days. Perhaps she just needed a shoulder to cry on. His sisters were like that sometimes, and Leo had learned how to be there for them when they needed him.

  “Hush now, Lizzie,” he crooned as she buried her face in his neck. Sure enough, she was crying. Just like his little sisters. “It’ll be all right.”

  Of course, she was nothing like his sisters in any other way. For one thing, she was fey. For another, Leo was highly attracted to her. Holding Lizbet was not at all like holding his snotty little sisters when they cried.

  “I’m sorry,” Lizbet said, sniffling as she tried to move away. Leo held her gently, letting her go only so far, so he could look into her watery eyes.

  “Don’t be. You’ve been through a lot these past few days. We all have. It’s only natural that your emotions are running high.” He leaned in and kissed her softly, meaning it to be a quick peck, but it turned into something a little less tame.

  Still, they were on the beach in full view of everyone, in the middle of the day. Leo had at least enough presence of mind to pull back before he ravished her right there under the sun in front of everyone.

  Hrardorr was gladdened by how well the sea dragon training had gone that afternoon. He’d spent a lot of his time underwater, where he was able to “see” what was happening, and he was impressed by the way the sea dragons picked up new skills. They were fast studies, which would make this exercise work much better than he’d originally thought.

  They could also teach him a thing or two about swimming, he realized. They were much more agile than he was, and Hrardorr intended to work on his skills now that he’d discovered what a dragon could truly do underwater.

  The flying part of the program he’d have to leave up to young Xanderanth. Sea dragons could fly, but they didn’t do much of it. Low-altitude hops around the island and the occasional leap from the surface of the water was about all they admitted to doing. That would have to change. Hrardorr thought it a crime that they didn’t utilize all of their native abilities. Dragons who didn’t do much flying was anathema to him, though he tried not to let it show.

  They were making an effort, and he was glad of that. The gryphons, too, would help with the flying part of the planned training. Gryphons had been flying organized patrols around Gryphon Isle for centu
ries. They would be teaching the sea dragons some of the skills the gryphons had perfected, using Xanderanth’s guidance on any adaptations needed for scaled wings rather than feathered ones.

  All in all, Hrardorr was well pleased with the results of the first day’s work. He returned to the keep satisfied with the progress they had made. The sea dragons were already beginning to patrol the waters in a more organized fashion, and they would be learning more about patrolling patterns on the morrow from the gryphons.

  He tried not to be concerned that young Xanderanth decided to stay down on the beach with the injured female sea dragon for another night. It was true that she needed protection while she was injured, and it was probably a nice gesture on his part to want to keep her company, but Hrardorr couldn’t help but notice the attraction between them—and between their two-legged counterparts.

  Lizbet and Leo showed every sign of being smitten with each other that Shara and Xander did. It was kind of poetic, but definitely different from what land dragons had long-ago accepted as the norm.

  Hrardorr wondered how it would all work out as he took a place before the grand fireplace in the great hall. The fey servants had left a bushel of sweet melons for him to snack on, as well as a bucket of clear, fresh water. They were good to him, and he did his best to show his appreciation.

  It wasn’t quite as comfortable as his sandy wallow in the Lair, but it was definitely a snug place to sleep, warmed by the fire on one side, a soft rug beneath him, and snacks within easy reach. He dozed off, content.