King's Dragon: Chronicles of the Dragon-Bound: Book 2

by William Culbertson

  #

  The next morning Dax and Treyhorn left at dawn before the academy was astir. They followed the Weston River toward the sea, turning north just before they came to Bington on the coast. Their next leg followed the shoreline north to Wellock, then westward along the southern shore of the Rimy Peninsula. At End Point, they flew westward over the ocean along the island stepping stones toward the Dragon Lands. Kahshect and Namkafnir scouted ahead. All but one of the islands were uninhabited, but all had grazing for the drakon, and some had hunting for the draigs.

  The one inhabited island was Conclave Island. Dax had been there several times, but the large circular structure still impressed him every time he caught his first glimpse of it. Several miles on a side, the island’s roughly trapezoidal shape was apparent from above. Conclave’s great hall dominated the center of the island. It was a massive, ring-shaped edifice made of white stone. Up close, the walls reminded Dax of the castle in Tazzelton where he had been raised. The dragon-bound believed the Kotkel must have built both massive structures, but no present-day Kotkel had ever confirmed the notion.

  The dragon-bound used a section inside the southwest part of the cavernous building for their conclaves, which is how the island got its name. The meeting room itself was well furnished, but the fine tables, desks, and chairs that filled the large space were well-worn from years of use. Eight of the dragon-bound called Conclave their home, along with another two dozen or so aides, craftsmen, cooks, and other workers who kept up the part of the facility that was in use. Four of the dragon-bound on Conclave managed the job of distributing draig eggs to candidate bondmates through North and South Remmak, or at least the parts of the South outside the Tharan Empire. Although the general population was casually aware of dragons and bonding, the actual process of sifting, the finding of bondmates for dragons, was organized and controlled by the dragon-bound. Dax had accidentally bonded with Kahshect’s wild egg. Every now and again an egg was stolen or mislaid, but most bondings came from this purposeful sifting.

  The other four permanent dragon-bound residents were seniors, dragon-bound of long service, who kept records of the volumes of information gathered from the lands the dragon-bound patrolled. The library on Conclave included accounts of the years of work done by the dragon-bound to keep the multitude of kingdoms, principalities, duchies, and other human organizations in contact and at peace. It also contained an accumulation of knowledge about the world larger even than that at the Monastery of Newham. Scholars from all over the known world, whether dragon-bound or not, made regular pilgrimages to Conclave for research.

  When he had first visited Conclave’s great hall, Dax had taken a tour back into the stacks where scrolls, books, records, and journals were shelved and organized by generations of diligent clerks. The volume of information contained in this one place was impressive, but the dragon-bound’s library, meeting rooms, and apartments for the residents and visitors took up less than a quarter of the circular building. The open center of the building’s circle housed animals used as breeding stock to keep Conclave and the stepping-stone islands supplied with food. Visiting dragons sometimes sheltered inside the ring from the constant winds that blew across the island.

  The rest of the great hall on Conclave was essentially empty. A few of the huge rooms had strangely shaped fixtures that could not be moved, and there were several sections with no entrances. The great hall’s walls could not be breached, so what was in those spaces, if they were spaces, remained a mystery. The dragon-bound had constructed their own rooms within the vaults of the great hall to suit their needs, and this construction showed a patina of age and wear unlike the white walls of the great hall itself.

  #

  After they arrived on Conclave, Dax and Treyhorn spent time with a librarian, reviewing what was known about previous intrusions to the Dragon Lands. Little was in the records beyond what they already knew. There had been a few hints of probing earlier, but only a few jumbled stories gleaned from the wild draigs—not the most reliable of sources. There was no real information.

  Two days later, draig scouts reported a ship inbound toward the Dragon Lands. Dax and Treyhorn flew out the next day to meet her. They left early in the morning and rode the drakon into the early afternoon before they reached a small islet close to the ship’s course. Later in the day the ship hove into view, and they saddled up their dragons.

  “You get heavier every time we do this,” complained Kahshect.

  “And if you get any broader across the shoulders, I won’t be able to straddle you,” retorted Dax.

  “So maybe in a year or two, your weight won’t be an issue?”

  Dax slapped Kahshect’s leg and pulled the cinch tight.

  “Kahshect is complaining too, I take it?” Treyhorn called across to Dax.

  “Nothing I haven’t heard before,” he replied.

  “And will hear again the next time you try anything like this. Riding a draig is a silly idea.”

  “Well, the drakons don’t swim, and we’ll be meeting the ship at sea.”

  Kahshect shook his head and shoulders, adjusting the fit of the saddle. “Swimming yourself is out of the question, is it?”

  Dax did not say anything more before he swung up into the saddle. Kahshect gave a mighty leap, and with a powerful thrust of his wings, they were airborne. In a few minutes they were above the ship. They circled twice before the two dragons gracefully touched down in the water nearby.

  “Ahoy, the ship,” called Dax, cupping his hands to direct the sound. “May we come aboard?”

  A man with captain stripes on his sleeves waved his arms, then pointed to a boat that the crew was working to lower. Once the boat was in the water, two crewmen rowed toward the dragons. They rowed slower and more cautiously the closer they got to Kahshect. The sailor on the near side shipped his oar and called out, “Captain says you are welcome to come aboard. Will the dragons be all right?”

  “Thank you,” replied Dax. “Yes, my dragon will leave to scout the area, and the other will remain nearby. Your ship will be perfectly safe.”

  “I hope they won’t mind if Namkafnir scratches his itchy back on the bowsprit.”

  Matching the dragon’s sarcastic tone, Dax thought, “I’m sure that would give us something to talk about.”

  “It would undoubtedly get their attention.”

  Dax let the dragon have the last word and climbed carefully down the harness into the bow of boat. “Thank you, gentlemen,” he said to the crew once he was safely aboard. Neither man seemed inclined to talk, so Dax asked, “What is the name of your ship?”

  “Wave Dancer,” one of the men answered, but he said no more as both crewmen laid to their oars. They rowed the boat alongside Namkafnir and collected Treyhorn. She sat in the stern so the men faced her as they rowed back to the ship. Suddenly there was a rush of water and burst of wind. The startled men looked back as Kahshect heaved himself into the sky. The boat rocked in his wake. The men had been quiet with Dax, but Treyhorn was at her chatty best, and she soon had the crewman talking to her about the weather on the voyage.

  At the ship, Dax and Treyhorn scrambled up the rope ladder to the deck while the men stayed behind to secure the boat. The captain came forward to greet them. “Captain Biel at your service, sir and madam. What business do the dragon-bound have with us now? I had assurance all was arranged.”

  Dax introduced himself and Treyhorn before he asked, “You say you have arrangements with the dragon-bound?”

  Captain Biel blinked and looked a little uncertain. “Surely we do. Dantle told us the dragon-bound had arranged for visitation to the Dragon Lands so we could find a suitable western harbor to use for trading missions.”

  “Trade? With the Dragon Lands?” Dax stared at the man in incredulity. “What would you trade?”

  The captain appeared even more hesitant. “Dantle and Altea said dragons favor bright baubles. Beads. That sort of thing. They also suggested some preserved meats and cheeses. We
’ve got a hold full of samples to see what they fancy. In return, the dragons would give us gold they collect from the rivers.”

  “This Dantle and Altea, they were dragon-bound?” Treyhorn asked.

  “Most assuredly, madam. They were from a group wanting to open up direct trade with the dragons who stay behind.”

  “I know all the dragon-bound, and there are none named Dantle and Altea,” Treyhorn stated. The captain frowned, and Treyhorn inquired gently, “Did you actually see their dragons?”

  Captain Biel looked over at a tall man standing nearby. “No, but Yas Finnel here would have seen them. He was the one who approached me about the trip.”

  Dax looked at the man. “Mr. Finnel?”

  Finnel was an older man with thinning hair. He had a few age spots, yet he stood erect and returned Dax’s stare. Finally he blinked and looked down. “No,” he shook his head. “They said the dragons would cause a disturbance in the city, so they came on foot.” The man sighed. “I guess I am the damn fool my daughter says I am. The arrangement sounded so attractive. One more good trading voyage, and I could leave her set for life.”

  Dax and Treyhorn exchanged looks. Dax stepped forward and clapped Finnel on the shoulder. “You might not make any money from this trip, but at least you will return alive. If you had set foot on the Dragon Lands, the dragons, by treaty, would have been free to attack you. They welcome no human visitors, no matter what their intent.”

  “They said there might be troubles.” Finnel looked even more uncertain. “They said it would be best if we brought some arms to defend ourselves.”

  Namkafnir had drifted closer to the ship and looked over the side, staring at the people on the deck. Biel, Finnel, and the others moved back, their eyes on the dragon. They were unnerved by the beast sitting in the water, staring directly at the people standing on deck.

  Treyhorn gestured to the dragon. “This dragon is Namkafnir, my bondmate.” Her tones were gentle yet stern. “He says there is no way for humans to trade with the wild draigs on the western shore. They will eat any and all humans and ignore the beads and baubles.” She looked at Finnel. “How good would your arms be against a couple dozen hungry dragons like Namkafnir?”

  “I’d heard tell that the dragon-bound talk with their dragons.” Captain Biel sounded desperate to change the direction of the conversation. “So have you or the dragons seen anything of the Moni-Mani? She was supposed to rendezvous with us in three days at noon off the great river that flows out of the table mountain guarding the western tip of the Dragon Lands. If you can find her, you can talk with Dantle and Altea directly. They are supposed to be aboard her.”

  “What does the Moni-Mani look like?” asked Dax.

  The captain switched his gaze to Dax. “She’s a narrow-beamed forty-footer, fore and aft rigged. A right speedy little thing.”

  Dax looked at Treyhorn. “I’ll see if Kahshect can find her.”

  Treyhorn grimaced. “Dragons don’t know ships very well.”

  Kahshect was still close and circled back closer to make sure he understood. Dax concentrated on describing the ship as well as trying to give the dragon a mental picture. Namkafnir took off to join the search, but there was a lot of ocean and only two dragons.

  Once the dragons had left, Dax had another thought. “Captain, you and your passengers would be in mortal peril in the Dragon Lands, but you could put in at Conclave for a time. It will give your crew a chance to stretch their legs on dry land, and we would like to talk with you more about how you came to make this voyage.” He smiled. “You may be able to sell some of your meats and cheeses to the folk who live there.”

  “Mr. Finnel?” The captain looked at the man questioningly.

  Finnel shrugged. “It sounds fine to me. It strikes me as better than trying to go ashore on the Dragon Lands.” He sighed and looked off toward the horizon. “At least I can tell the other sponsors we tried to make a little something out of the voyage.”

  #

  Dax and Treyhorn stayed with the ship as it sailed for the island. Kahshect had caught a glimpse of a ship that first day. It had been beyond the limit of his range. After a rest, he searched for it again, but he could not find it. The dragons patrolled around the southern and western edges of the Dragon Lands while the Wave Dancer sailed on, but neither sighted another ship. The ship’s journey to Conclave took three days, but neither they nor the dragons saw any sign of another ship.

  Once Wave Dancer docked at the island, the seniors questioned Finnel and the captain closely. Dax sat in while the men described the planning they had done with Dantle and Altea, as well as the trip itself. There was little new information to resolve the puzzle. Finnel did not know where Dantle and Altea were from, but he had the impression they were from the South. How far south? Finnel also did not know if they had any connection to the Tharans. Dax, however, was suspicious. While he had not seen the Moni-Mani, she sounded similar to a Tharan vessel his father had once pointed out to him years ago at the Stone Harbor docks back in Tazzelton.

  Mathilde, Lady Aylssandra, and now another connection to Thara? He went to Conclave’s library to see if the dragon-bound had any records of recent Tharan activity. He was curious about Tharan connections to damaging incidents in both Landly kingdoms and now the Dragon Lands. It was a soldier’s response to a rustle in the grass. Sometimes a rustle in the grass was just a rustle in the grass. However, sometimes a rustle in the grass was the only warning you had that an enemy was near.

  #

  Three days later, Dax and Treyhorn left Conclave, headed back for the mainland. Wave Dancer was still moored at the island’s one dock. Finnel and the rest of his partners had managed to trade some of their cargo. One commodity Dax had not considered earlier was knowledge. Once Finnel and the traders got wind of the dragon-bound archive, they immediately recognized the value of its information about trade prospects with other kingdoms. The two parties were deep in discussions when they left the island.

  At one evening campfire on the trip back, Treyhorn apologized to Dax. “I’m sorry to drag you all the way out here. Since we were able to warn them away before they got to the Dragon Lands, there was not really that much of a crisis. You wouldn’t have needed to come along after all.”

  “There was no way to know ahead of time, and I’ve been curious about these incursions for some time.” He shrugged. “Besides, I was doing well with the Ugori. Part of being a leader is creating an organization that functions when you are gone.” He smiled. “We’ll see what has happened when I get back.”

  They were quiet for a time before Treyhorn spoke again. “Do you think the ship Kahshect saw might have been the Moni-Mani?”

  “It might have been, but there’s no way to be sure from such a distance. If it was, what was it doing way up the west coast from where it was supposed to meet the Wave Dancer?” Dax thought for a while. “Looking at it tactically, the Wave Dancer could have been a diversion. They sent them off to the Dragon Lands, but they never intended to meet them. Why? The Moni-Mani would not have had any more success dealing with the dragons. Less, in fact, since they would have had fewer men to fight.”

  “There’s something more going on here than we yet see,” Treyhorn agreed. “These voyages to the Dragon Lands are all too much alike to be just happenstance.”

  Dax nodded. A rustle in the grass.

  #

  Dax and Treyhorn returned directly to East Landly from Conclave, a long, tedious, but uneventful journey. They rode the drakon to within a mile or so of the Ugori encampment. Treyhorn traveled the whole distance with Dax, but she wanted to get back to Iron Moor to share what they had seen with Renshau. The incident still puzzled both of them, and she wanted to hear Renshau’s thoughts on the conundrum. They arrived at the camp outside of Frohliem City late in the day. Treyhorn agreed to accompany Dax back to the camp to stay the evening before she headed off for Iron Moor in the morning.

  Once they were on the ground, Kahshect suggested they make a
showy display at the camp itself. They settled the drakon for the night before they put riding gear on their own dragons. As Dax worked putting the harness on Kahshect he thought, “Remember, this was your idea to make a dramatic entrance. I don’t want to hear complaining this time.”

  “Complaining? I’ve just tried to make sure you had a realistic understanding of what hauling you on my back feels like.”

  “Which sounds a lot like complaining.”

  “Just be sure they understand that I gave you a ride, not that you are riding me.”

  Dax laughed. “So now you are riding me about what I should tell the Ugori?” When there was no reply, Dax allowed himself to feel a small level of satisfaction in getting the last word. He kept the feeling small so Kahshect would not overhear.

  Riding atop their bondmates, Dax and Treyhorn made a high pass over the camp. Far below Dax saw the sentries and others looking up and pointing at them. People swarmed from their tents. Dax felt Kahshect’s excitement, and he did not have to urge the dragon to do another pass. This time they came in low, directly over the center of the camp. Kahshect pulled up sharply at the outer boundary. Dax looked back and watched the people below jump up and down, waving their arms in excitement.

  “How about one more of those?” he suggested to Kahshect. “They seem to like it.”

  “Your Ugori are so easily impressed. Do they do that sort of thing when you walk around camp when I’m not around?”

  “I can’t say they do, no,” After he answered, Dax felt smug satisfaction from Kahshect.

  Diving into the next flyby, Kahshect picked up even more speed, but this time Dax felt the dragon’s muscles trembling as they pulled up after their pass over the camp. “How about setting down to the north side in the big, empty corral,” he thought to the dragon.

  Kahshect said nothing and concentrated on flying. They were on the ground in short order. The Ugori swarmed out to welcome Dax. Namkafnir and Treyhorn had not joined the showy aerial maneuvers over the camp, and they landed in the clearing with Dax and Kahshect. The crowd was little leery about getting too close to Kahshect. Once Treyhorn had dismounted and joined Dax, Namkafnir settled in near Kahshect.