*I am the Old One of High Peaks Tower.*
Verde rose from his crouch. *Did the red reach you?*
*She did. Her eggs are safe. There were two, a red and a blue. They will be taken to the cavern.*
Verde sighed. He wished he could join them. *And the red?*
*Alas, she died.*
*How will you carry the eggs?* Verde could not imagine how the Old One could bear both eggs in his talons and fly.
*My speaker will help. Drakon is his name. He has charge of the eggs. He rides on my back and has secured the eggs in fur-lined sacks.*
The picture that entered Verde’s thoughts excited him. He must think about this method of transportation and tell Arana. *Who will speak for the dragonets?*
*Drakon will speak and ride the blue.*
When had he heard that name before? Verde scratched the sand that lined the floor of his pen. After a few minutes of thought he remembered. Arana dreamed about a boy of that name. *My speaker has sleep visions of a boy who rescues her from the evil one. He has that name.*
*Perhaps he is the same one. Bring her to the cavern. You must arrive before the winter storms begin.*
*How? The evil one will not let her have a horse to ride. The cavern is too far for her to walk.*
*Did you see the pictures of how Drakon rode on my back?*
*Yes, but I do not know how to make such a thing.*
*This is what your speaker must do.* Pictures appeared. *On the day you leave, you will need a hearty meal of thorns and berries mixed with your food. If she can pack an extra feeding, that would be good. Hurry, for there is much I need to teach you.*
*About what?*
*The duties of a green dragon.*
This news made Verde wish to depart at once, but Arana was locked in the slave quarters for the night. *We will come as soon as we can.*
* * *
The carts of fyrethorn products from the four towers under the control of the lord of Sea Cliff rumbled into the forecourt. Arana joined the slaves and servants in unloading the wagons. She hoisted a sack of thorns taking care not to prick herself on the barbs protruding through the cloth. Though her tolerance for the poison had increased, she dreaded the onset of a headache not much less intense than the one caused by the berry tea.
As she stood in the line of workers she counted the sacks. This year’s harvest was scant. She listened to the cart drivers and heard tales of stunted bushes. What would happen to the dragons if the fyrethorn bushes failed? Would the beasts die, or would they turn wild like they had been before men tamed them?
When the last of the sacks were stored, Arana joined the men who fed the dragons. They pushed barrows of beef and mutton across the landing field to the pens. To each barrow, she added the allotment of thorns or berries. She pushed a small barrow into a dark corner. This contained Verde’s feeding of meat she’d taken from the other carts.
“Arana.”
She froze. Had he seen what she had done? Could she say the meat was for a special feeding for one of the recovering dragons? After drawing a deep breath she turned. “My lord.” Her hands curled into fists. Anger churned in her gut.
He grasped her waist and pulled her against his chest. “Be prepared. The red from High Peaks will be forced to rise soon. I’ve ordered special feedings.”
She stiffened. “Why tell me? Perhaps your current woman will give you the son you desire so you can retain control of the tower.”
His laughter held no trace of amusement. His eyes narrowed. “Haven’t you heard? My bed is empty and waiting for you to fill it. The wizards have foretold a woman from High Peaks will give me a son. The others have failed.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip.
The time had come for her to leave. She wasn’t sure how she could find a place to hide from him. An escape would be better, but she knew so little about the land. Winter approached, and that was no time for travel. Perhaps Verde could come with her. He could fly ahead and find hiding places for them in case Lagon sent searchers. She shivered.
“Does my touch stir you?” His voice held an undertone of malice. He curled a lock of her hair around his finger. “Hair of fire above and below will surely provide passion enough to exhaust me.” He seized her mouth in a rough kiss. His teeth nipped her lower lip.
When she gasped he shoved his tongue inside. Arana fought the panic curling in her thoughts. Acid rose in her throat. She was going to be ill.
Lagon released her so abruptly she fell against the wall. He raised her head with his hand. “You’re afraid. I like fear. Once you ride the red as she teases the Sea Cliff blue, your terror will become my passion. You’ll welcome my desire. My phala will fill you. My seed will take root.” He kissed her again, turned, and walked away.
Arana slid down the wall and landed on the hard stone floor with a thud. *Verde, what can I do? He wants the High Peaks red to mate with his blue. She’s gone. He intends to bed me. Maybe I should leap from the tower onto the rocks. I’ll never be able to escape and evade the servants he’ll send after me.*
*Do not do that.*
Arana heard hints of panic in the green’s voice. *Then what?*
*We can escape. I know a way.*
*Where will we go?*
*To High Peaks Tower. The Old One is there. He has a speaker, and also the eggs.*
Arana straightened. *Who is this Old One?*
*A dragon of my lineage. He says he has much to teach me. I want to go. I want you to come, too.*
Arana closed her eyes and searched her memories of High Peaks. She had been ten years old when the men from Sea Cliff invaded. Ten years and one ago. Her brow wrinkled. There had been an elderly dragon who seldom flew except during a mating flight or a hunt. She had believed he was killed during the invasion. The other dragons of the tower were driven to Sea Cliff, and all but two had died.
*I recall a very old dragon that I thought Lagon killed. Once we left the tower I didn’t hear him speak.*
*He must have blocked his presence, the way I did for the High Peaks red and blue during their mating flight.*
*Makes sense. There would be little a single yellow dragon could do to prevent what happened. After the speakers for the blues were killed, the dragons had been easily captured.* She sighed. *We must make plans.*
*This is what you will need for your escape.* He sent pictures of a fur pad and leather straps. *When they are fastened to me, you will ride on my back and I will fly.*
*Let me find and bring the supplies to your pen.* Arana pushed to her feet and left the pen. She ran to one of the storage buildings. There she found a long leather pad and a roll of the same material to make the straps. In another room, she took a sack of thorns and one of berries. She loaded her spoils into a barrow and took large chunks of beef from the butchery. She wheeled them to Verde’s small pen. After retrieving what she had hidden earlier, she emptied the contents into his feeding trough. Then she prepared the pad. *We’ll leave as soon as the sky is dark.*
*Good,* Verde said.
As she hurried to the slave quarters to pack her few belongings, she heard Lagon shouting orders. “What do you mean she has vanished? Find her at once. Arana, I want you.”
She dare not disobey him, or reveal her plans for flight. She followed the sound of his voice. He stood in the hall near the doors to the slave quarters. There was no way for her to pass him. She swallowed her fear. “My lord, I am here.” She failed to keep a quaver from her voice.
He turned and grasped her arm. “How long has she been gone?”
“Who, my lord?”
“The High Peaks red.”
Arana gulped a breath. “She wasn’t in her pen when I brought her morning feeding. I looked and couldn’t find her.”
He shook her. “Why didn’t you come and tell me? You know I had plans for the beast.”
“I was afraid.” Her voice cracked. “I started for the tower to let you know, but the wagons from the farms arrived. The steward ordered me to help unload the thorns and ber
ries.”
“You saw and spoke with me not that long ago, yet you said nothing, not even when I mentioned my plans.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “Am I not right?”
She nodded, but couldn’t force herself to speak. Fear tumbled into terror and her knees buckled. She landed on the floor.
When she tried to rise Lagon put his hand on her head. “Stay where you are. You are right to be afraid.”
“My lord, the red grieved for her mate. She tried to leave once before and I stopped her. She must have sought to join her mate in death.”
Lagon’s laughter made her quake. “That matters not. You should have come to me immediately. Your punishment would have been confinement to your quarters. Now you have earned five lashes.”
She heard the whip crack and felt the leather thong strike her back. Pain made her body jerk. She bit her lower lip to hold in a scream. Five times she felt the pain.
When the last blow landed, Lagon spoke. “You are the promised mother of my heir. I was told me my heir would be born from a woman from High Peaks. Though I believed another would have that honor, I was mistaken. I never would have invaded that tower if I had not been given a promise.”
“Who made such a promise?” Though she should have remained silent she gave voice to the question.
“The wizards of Fyre.”
Arana frowned. Why had they done such a thing?
With no warning, the lash struck again. “You will remember all I have said and you will be ready to do your duty.”
*Arana, I will come and bite him.*
*Verde, no. He will kill you. Then I’ll be alone and can never escape. We will go tonight.* She didn’t tell the green she would receive another beating for allowing him to live.
Lagon pulled her to her feet. He raised her chin and kissed her. “Do not think your wounds will keep you from the speakers’ room. I am your destiny. For punishment, the other speakers will be present when the Sea Cliff pair rises. Tomorrow the special feedings will begin. In a few days she will be ready. The speakers will stand as witness when I take my pleasure on your body.” He grabbed her hand and placed it on the front of his breeches. “On that day my dragon will rise and take you.”
Arana frowned. He didn’t stir. She tried to speak, but daggers of pain stabbed along her back. The agony was worse than the time she spilled boiling water on her foot.
“You’re speechless.” Lagon laughed. “You’ll scream when I breach you. I will roar like a dragon.” He strode away.
Arana sucked in a breath. She and Verde must leave tonight. She walked to the slave quarters. Each step jolted her body and sent agony along her skin.
One of the women waited in the common room. She pulled off Arana’s torn smock and spread a numbing paste on the slashes. “You displeased him. You should know better..”
“I know. Thank you for the salve.” The pain ebbed. She retreated to her room. There she donned a clean smock. She wrapped her comb, and a knife she had stolen from the kitchen, in a shawl. She crept from the cubicle, slipped along the corridor and sped across the landing field. Before entering the pens she made sure no one was about. By the time she reached Verde’s pen, her fear had returned. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
*I still think I should bite him,* Verde said.
Arana stroked his side. *Not now. We must make our plans to leave. If it ever becomes possible we will return and take care of him.* She sat on the floor to work on the riding pad. Then she prepared a meal for Verde. The pain gradually returned but exhaustion carried her into a restless sleep filled with visions of Lagon and of the lashing she’d endured.
*Arana, wake up.*
She rubbed her eyes. The motion brought a rush of pain. *Is it time?*
*Yes. The sky is dark and the moon low.*
*What should I do?*
*Bring the pad to the landing field. When we are there, you can fasten it, and yourself, on my back. This is how.* He sent her pictures. *Do you understand?*
*Yes.*
The green dragon lumbered past the other pens. Arana forced herself to carry the pad and her belongings. She crept after him. Each step brought a jolt of pain. She wished someone could apply more of the numbing paste. She dare not stop. She had to escape.
By the time they reached the landing field, her eyes filled with tears. She bit her lower lip to keep cries from escaping. Verde crouched while she placed the pad over his spinal ridges. He rose so she could tie the straps under his body. When he crouched so she could mount, despite the coolness of the night, perspiration covered her skin.
Once she was securely fastened, Verde moved to the edge of the field and stepped off. He stroked his wings three times. Each stroke brought Arana a jolt of pain. Clouds covered the moon. They circled the tower and headed for High Peaks.
As they continued onward, Arana felt chilled. Her body shook. She wondered how long the flight would take. Were they flying in the right direction? The absence of moonlight kept her from seeing the land below. Would seeing matter? She had never flown before.
She drifted into a half-sleep. She felt hot, then cold, and finally hot again. Had the slave cleansed the wound? She couldn’t remember.
With a jerk, she roused. Clouds parted to reveal the moon. Arana peered at the ground. Were they moving slower? The beat of the dragon’s wings seemed less vigorous. *Verde, are you tired?*
*Some.*
*We could land so you can rest.*
*What if the evil one discovers you are missing? He will send the blues to search.*
*Maybe not. He would send servants on horseback. He does not know about you.*
*The dragons do. They might tell. I can stay aloft until we reach the cavern at High Peaks.*
*Don’t harm yourself.*
*When we reach the cavern I will eat and sleep. Rest now. I will see you to safety.*
Arana drifted to sleep. The sun rose and still the dragon flew onward. Arana woke and felt him falter. She must do something to help him. They flew over a forest. There was no place to land. She couldn’t allow Verde to kill himself because of the effort of flying with a burden on his back.
She fumbled with the straps that bound her to his back. Exquisite pain ran from her back down her arms. The knots were too tight. She searched her bundle for the knife. The weapon slipped from her hand. She tried to grab it, screamed and slumped against the pad. There was no way to relieve Verde of her extra weight. *If you grow too tired you must land.*
*I can reach the tower.*
* * *
Verde’s wings ached. He had flown through the night and into the next day. His wings felt as though fire burned where they connected to his body. The sky began to gray. He felt the weight of Arana sapping his stamina. He had never flown this far before. His night excursions had been around the tower, over the sea, and back. Sometimes he thought about fleeing, but that meant Arana would have been left alone. He could not do such a thing.. She saved his life.
*Old One,* he cried. *My wings hurt. I am so tired.*
*You are almost to the cavern. Your voice sounds louder.*
*I must land soon. Arana is heavy. She is ill. The evil one broke her. She is hot, and then cold. Her dreams frighten me. She moves restlessly, and I fear she will fall.*
*Open a path for me to her and I will calm her. Open your eyes and tell me what you see.*
*A big mountain. More behind that one. A large block of gray stone.*
*Good. I will come and guide you to the cavern. Why did the evil one harm Arana?*
*He learned the High Peaks red was gone. He blamed Arana. She did not tell him where the red went.*
*Does he know about the eggs?*
*She did not tell him that either. After the beating she came to me. She made the flying pad and gave me another feeding.* Verde stared at the mountains. A yellow dragon appeared. *I see you. Why are you yellow?*
*Age has done that. Soon you will reach the cavern. There will be food and rest for you, and someone to care for Arana.*
*Old One, night has come. The evil one will soon send the blues to search. Will they come to High Peaks and find us.* He heard a deep chuckle.
*You are hidden here. The blues of the other towers do not know of this place. All but the evil one’s blue and red hatched after he invaded High Peaks.*
Verde aimed for the dark opening and landed. He was too tired to move completely into the cavern. He collapsed half on the stone and half on the sand. The glittering pillars made him think of a welcome home.
* * *
Drakon woke. The Old One’s call pulled him from a dream. Had something happened to the eggs? Surely the time for the hatching hadn’t arrived. There was no speaker for the red egg. He scrambled for the clothes he’d dropped on the floor the night before. After dressing and jamming his feet into his boots, he clattered down the stairs.
*Hurry.*
*What’s wrong? Are you ill?*
Radlan appeared in the doorway to the suite of rooms where he and Sofona lived. “It’s barely dawn. Where are you going?”
“To the cavern. The Old One woke me. I fear something dreadful has occurred.”
*She needs you,* the Old One called. *Have a feeding with thorns and berries brought.*
Drakon relayed the message to the older man. “Who is he talking about?” Radlan asked.
“I have no idea who she is. I’ll meet you at the cavern. As soon as I discover the identity of this woman I’ll let you know.” Drakon frowned. “Do you suppose the Old One took flight and stole a young woman for the red egg?”
*Do not be foolish. Come now.*
The demand in the yellow dragon’s voice propelled Drakon into a dash to the door. He ran across the forecourt and skidded at a halt at the mouth of the cavern. A misshapen green dragon sprawled on the ground. Cautiously, Drakon approached the beast. He stared at the green’s back and realized the dragon carried a passenger. *Green dragon, I have come to help.*
Dragons of Fyre (Island of Fyre Book 2) Page 3
