Dragon Clan #3: Fleet's Story

by LeRoy Clary

  Fleet said, “Good morning.”

  “You have questions?” The old man asked, getting right to it.

  “Not so many. At least not questions people here can answer.”

  “But you can perhaps find them in Fleming.”

  “Yes.”

  “There is some concern about that,” Sawyer said. “We have people who realize that you are not the most social person, nor the most perceptive in some social situations. You will stand out as an outsider and stranger in Fleming. If taken prisoner by the king’s men, you know of our location.”

  Fleet poured more water and waited.

  Sawyer did too, then finally continued speaking, but only when it became obvious Fleet was not going to volunteer information. “With torture, everyone can be made to talk.”

  Tension grew. Fleet waited again.

  “It might be better if you returned home, some say.”

  “You want me to speak, so let me. I was sent here to warn your people. But there is more to the task I was assigned. You can tell the people who want me to return home that I refuse. I am following the instructions of the council of my family.”

  “I understand your determination, but perhaps your family at Bear Mountain should know what you have already found out, and then they can decide what you will do?”

  “No. Sawyer, I believe you and your family feel safe here. I’ve been watching and learning from you. You are all comfortable here. That is a mistake for many reasons. You have good lives, but discovery will change all that. One pair of eyes will end your life here, but you have not prepared a way out of your dead-end valley. An escape route. If a hundred of the king’s men march in here today, you all die.”

  Sawyer’s eyes narrowed, and he appeared ready to speak, but Fleet went on. “These people you call ‘others’ are related to us in some manner. We just don’t know how. But I do know this. When I traveled with Raymer before winter, he bonded with a black dragon. I sat in an inn near Castle Warrington and watched Raymer lay in bed on his back. His eyes were closed yet he saw everything the dragon did as if he flew with it, from our inn to the castle.”

  Fleet was unused to speaking for so long, or so intently. He drew a few breaths before continuing. “Raymer watched the army of King Ember preparing to attack the castle, and he directed the dragon to attack the army. It attacked when and where he wanted, and in the end, the dragon saved the castle and kingdom. That is why the Earl and his oldest son supports us. That dragon and Raymer saved their kingdom.”

  Sawyer said, “We have heard portions of the story and are grateful to Raymer, but I fail to see how that affects us in the issue of you returning home instead of risking our lives.”

  “My father taught me that strangers are enemies until proven otherwise. Now, out of nowhere, we have strangers. Allow me to ask you a question or two. How do you know that none of those you call the ‘others’ have bonded with a green? If one has, can that person watch the ground as a dragon flies overhead? And if he can, has any dragon flown over the drylands in the last year or two? And lastly, do the others know of the existence of you, your family, this village, and the location?”

  Sawyer looked off into the distance, a stunned expression telling of why he kept quiet.

  Fleet said, “So you risk discovery from strangers without knowing their affiliation or intentions, yet you wish to restrict a messenger who came in peace to warn you? A member of your own clan. You would restrict me on the odd chance that I might fail, but there may be an army heading in this direction today because the ‘others’ sold their information to the king.”

  “You are making a lot of unknown assumptions that paint us in a grievous and dangerous light, son. You need to calm down and accept what our council recommends. We will meet later today and discuss your words.”

  Fleet stood, hands at his sides, fingers curled. He almost shook in anger. “No, I am Bear Mountain Clan, and I follow what my council tells me. The problem I see is similar to what your people distrust me for. Your family is located closest to Fleming, and if trouble comes from the ‘others’, this will be the first clan village to die. But there are many here in this village who know of my Bear Mountain village. If tortured, how many of your people will tell them about my family? And we become the second village to die.”

  Sawyer’s eyes told the story. Fleet had convinced him, at least to a degree. Despite what the drylands Council might wish, the old man had shifted sides during Fleet’s tirade. He said, “We will speak to the council at midday, and we will meet alone with them, you and I. Your vision is far clearer than ours. I believe you are right in the assessment that we are complacent and have created a dangerous situation for our family.”

  Fleet sat and took a deep breath of relief.

  The old man also sat in silence until he said, “For one who speaks so little you said a lot.”

  “Do you mind if I wander around the village?”

  “No, not at all. I think you’ll find us friendly and welcoming. I know many of our villagers would like to have a few words with you and ask about what you’ve seen and what it’s like where you live. Some know people in common. Enjoy yourself. Especially when you accidentally run into Wren, and I’m sure you will find her sooner or later.”

  Fleet stood and turned away before the old man saw his reaction or reddening cheeks. He had indeed been going to search for the girl from the evening before. He walked down the hillside, watching the activity and noticing people watched him.

  A young woman smiled, and when he smiled back, she tentatively came to his side and walked with him a few steps. She said, “You are a watcher?”

  “I am.”

  “I’m the newest one for our family. Do you have a viewpoint where you watch from?”

  “No, not one place, but we do have several places where we watch from. Like you dammed your valley, we have done a similar thing between a river and rockslide. Any intruders coming from that direction are funneled to one area, as if by accident or nature. There they find a good campsite with firewood stored in a lean-to, and the river is nearby with fish and good water.”

  “I’d think you would deter them, not welcome them.”

  Fleet headed for the edge of the lake where it seemed most people gathered. “Our idea is to control them. We can see them from a distance and prepare a night to remember for them.”

  “You attack at night?” Anna asked, sounding excited as only the very young can be.

  “No. We scare them. We have fake footprints of monsters that we sink in the mud near where they sleep. Or we surround their campsite with feathers as if a monster devoured the birds at night, or we hang little dolls made of straw from branches next to where they sleep. Sometimes we slip them into their bedrolls. They are easy enough to toss from the concealment of a shrub.”

  She was laughing. “What else?”

  “Well, some of us make strange noises. Snuffling or growls in the night. They wake and are ready to run home. But before the noises, we leave a mystery. Once we used a bear claw to dig a hole on their back trail where no hole had been. In the hole, we placed several items stolen from their camp during the night. We watched their reaction when they found that and my guess is that they are still running.”

  “So they go home and tell of the strange things that happen. They probably make the stories even more exciting, and people stay away from there. But what if they wake and find you in their camp stealing stuff?”

  Fleet found an empty bench near the lake and sat, inviting the young woman to sit with him. “We don’t go into their camp. Too dangerous. But we’ve planted bushes at the campsite to hide us and from them. We use long poles with hooks to reach in and pull clothing or a shoe to us. Then we hang it on a branch for them to find.”

  “My name’s Anna. We just wait and watch. If anyone comes near, we race back here and notify our warriors. They slip out into the dry lands and kill them if they must, but we try not to. The bodies disappear. It sounds gruesome, but we have n
ot done that for years and years.”

  “I see why. It will draw attention if many people go missing.”

  “I’ve heard that they took some dead bodies further off, and left them where they’d intentionally be found. The army thinks they died of thirst, not at our hands.”

  Fleet said, “I can see that happening. Good plan. Say, you don’t happen to know where Wren might be, do you?”

  Anna giggled. “She sent me to find out if you wanted to talk to her.”

  Fleet watched as she waved to someone unseen, and Wren appeared from behind the corner of a house. Anna suddenly had pressing business and left the two of them alone. They spent the morning with her escorting him around.

  A small boy raced up to them near noon. “They want you at the council meeting.”

  Fleet walked that way, and Wren said she had work to do. Under the trees were five of the six on the council. Only Tessa was missing. Sawyer already sat in his usual stop on the dais. He motioned for Fleet to join him and he called the meeting to order with a wave of his hand.

  “Fleet’s family sends him to us with a warning. He has brought to our attention further areas of concern, and I beg of you all to not be angry with he who carries a message. We are entrusted to protect our family first. It appears that we have failed on several accounts.”

  The expressions of the council members faces varied from support to outright anger. Fleet swallowed hard. His words were about to be thrown back at him, and he had little defense against skillful wordsmiths.

  Sawyer continued, “The appearance of the others, these people who have recently come here, may not place us in danger. May not. But we do not know for sure, and that is the problem. We have allowed an unknown presence into our secure home.”

  “They have caused us no problem,” a woman snapped.

  “Not yet,” another answered, drawing an angry look.

  Sawyer held up his hands to silence them. “We have already discussed this issue. To some extent we all agree to do nothing is as dangerous as Fleet suggests. If a bonded clan member of unknown origin can “see” through the eyes of a flying dragon, the location of our home is easily detected. These “others” as we call them, have had ample time to contact us, but have not.”

  Fleet kept his attention on the council. The woman who had first spoken was supported by a man. The others seemed to agree with Sawyer, at least so far. Whatever their ideas, Fleet decided there had been enough talk and he would definitely depart in the morning. With or without their permission, he would travel to Fleming. His jaw set, he listened as Sawyer continued.

  “We must know what is happening. We cannot depend on someone from another family to return to us with the knowledge we need, so the answer is simple. We will, with Fleet’s permission, send one of our own with him.”

  “I still don’t like it,” the woman with the sharp tongue said. The man at her side nodded in eager agreement.

  Sawyer continued as if she hadn’t interrupted and as if Fleet had agreed for an unknown person to accompany him to Fleming. “I will ask if anyone has a candidate in mind and we can discuss it before deciding.”

  “Don’t bother,” the angry woman spat. “We all know you want to send Tessa with him.”

  “I concede that I believe she is the best choice, but if there are others, we should discuss them and make a decision between us all. It is a council decision, after all.”

  The white-haired woman turned, looked directly at Fleet, and attracted their attention by her action. “I nominate Tessa.”

  “Agreed,” another woman said.

  The angry woman glanced at her male supporter and seemed to get his approval before speaking. “Me too, so we have a majority. Can we go about our duties now?”

  Sawyer’s lip curled in controlled anger, but not before Fleet saw it. The politics playing out were well beyond Fleet's comprehension, and he was glad they didn’t exist in his family where everyone got along so much better. Really? Am I so inexperienced that I never noticed?

  The old man stood and spread his arm, preventing anyone from leaving as he said in a stern voice, “No, it is not over. We have decided who to send, but nobody has yet asked if one of ours might accompany him.”

  The old woman with the white hair caught Fleet’s eye. “Would you be so kind? Tessa may be of considerable value. Her knowledge may help your family on Bear Mountain.”

  Fleet knew when he was being manipulated this flagrantly. However, he also knew the woman had managed to place him in a corner with a few words. If he wished to help his own family, he needed to allow Tessa to travel with him.

  I was going to ask for her anyhow. Fleet had already learned from Camilla that his social skills were not only minimal, but they were also dangerously lacking. The obvious solution had been asking Sawyer if Tessa could travel with him. Now that he felt pushed into a corner, the choice came slower.

  He said, “Tessa will be welcome. However, it is my quest, my duty to my family.”

  “She’s older and more experienced,” the angry woman snapped.

  “I am in charge. If that is a problem, I thank you for feeding and sheltering me, but I continue on alone.” He stood and allowed his voice to change to the formal manner of speaking. “Any of the drylands family will always be welcomed at Bear Mountain.”

  Fleet spun and walked away, intent on the gathering his belongings, filling his water jugs, and leaving before darkness fell. When he walked from the small house where he’d spent the night and left his bedroll and jugs, Tessa was waiting, wearing a full backpack and a smile. She must have spent the time while he was addressing the council packing. He’d wondered where she was.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Fleet took the time to examine Tessa in detail. She stood tall and slim, her hair as long in the front as the rest of her head, and when she let it hang loose, the long brown strands protected her face and neck from the burning sun. She wore baggy pants and a loose shirt. Her age was somewhere between thirty and forty, but he couldn’t pin it down closer.

  As he examined her, she returned the favor. Fleet imagined what she saw. He stood only a little taller, he was thin, and his hair was cut shorter and tied at the back. Still two years from twenty, his beard was growing full, but he kept trimmed shorter than many men.

  “I’m going with you,” she said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  She hesitated. “You didn’t tell me that you’re in charge or able to give me orders. Most would have made sure I understand that you’re the leader, and I will either obey or stay.”

  “You already know.”

  Tessa gave him a penetrating look as if reconsidering her opinion of him. “If we hurry, there is a shallow cave carved out of the sandstone where we can stay tonight. There is a seep nearby where we can refill our water. If that’s acceptable to you.”

  Fleet nodded, wanting to get onto a better footing with the woman, and then decided it would either happen or not.

  She held out a ceramic flask with a wide leather strap for carrying over his shoulder, the almost flat flask would ride effortlessly under his left arm. “One more is not much heavier than what you already carry. After tonight, there is no water until Fleming.”

  Fleet accepted the flask and slipped the strap over his shoulder. “Ready?”

  “I’ll lead if you don’t mind. Tonight we can talk.”

  “We can talk while we travel.”

  “Not if you’re going to keep up with me. You’re in charge only as long as you don’t put my life in danger, and we have a long way to go, and at a speed that will not permit talking.”

  Fleet clamped his mouth shut. She thinks she’s going to out-walk me? By the time he’s thought of a proper reply, she was several steps ahead. He followed, expecting to catch up right away. He didn’t. Then he decided she’d tire soon. She didn’t. Then he struggled to keep her in sight as they left the mouth of the valley and entered the desert floor and the soft sand.

  The waves of heat
made the ground shimmer. The sand made walking difficult, yet Tessa never slowed. Fleet refused to allow her to put any more distance between them and wished he’d have borrowed a hat from someone. He used his hand to brush his hair down over his forehead for minimal protection.

  Tessa veered to her right as they walked, never making an actual turn, but both crossing the dry lands to the far side as they headed west. She paused twice under stunted shrubs that provided sketchy shade. At each, she drank deeply.

  Fleet took only a sip. She noticed and held up her canteen. “Almost gone. In this heat, you need water or you’ll slow down.”

  “What if that trickle of water you know about is dry? Or the king’s men poisoned it?”

  She smiled and nodded, looking genuinely impressed at his words. “Neither of those has ever happened, but they might. When we arrive there, we will each have one untouched canteen remaining. There is a stream a half day’s walk further north. We’ll have enough water to reach it.”

  Fleet upended his first jar and let more than half of it quench his thirst. When he finished, she tossed him a roll of material. He unrolled a strip of cloth as wide as his hand and almost as long as he was tall.

  “Wrap that around your forehead and neck. Keep the sun off or you’ll blister. Use your arms swinging higher to help you walk in the sand.”

  He wrapped the material around several times, fumbling with it until she stepped closer and took it. She tossed it over his head and wrapped it once to cover his forehead, then the next wrap left a slit for his eyes but covered his nose and cheeks. She continued until she had his neck covered as well.

  Fleet knew he must look silly, but said through the cloth, “Let’s get moving.”

  The terrain became rockier, more than sandy, the sharp edged lava rocks made walking difficult. The sky remained cloudless, and the wind blew without pause. Fleet decided he hated the desert. Sand got into his eyes, in his shoes, and a dozen other places he didn’t want to think about. Once it reached those places, it stuck to his sweat covered body.

  He finished two more jugs of water and could have drunk five more. As the drylands turned from soft sand to hard rock, it also started to rise and fall, often in broken, jagged cracks. A snake watched them pass. A hawk or falcon flew above, but Fleet wondered if crows or buzzards had their eyes on them, too.