Dragon Lord

by Avril Sabine

  “Then we have to get you out of here,” Fen said.

  “Haven’t you been listening? I can’t. Blood trackers and this spell.”

  “There has to be a way out of this mess. Surely they can’t keep you in here always.” Fen looked around desperately.

  “Only for the next three days. But then it’ll be too late. My agreement will be taken and the blood oath given in my name by my father. A wizard can make it binding because by law my father can speak for me,” Edana said.

  “That’s wrong. There has to be some way around it.”

  “There is.”

  Fen repeated River’s words.

  “Impossible,” Edana argued.

  “Nothing is impossible. All I need is your oath to never reveal my secrets.”

  “Yes. Of course. I’d be willing to say or do anything to get out of this wedding,” Edana promised when Fen told her River’s words.

  “Your oath that you will not give away my secrets. Freely given with no strings attached.”

  “Yes,” Edana said solemnly when Fen explained.

  “Yes. I keep your secrets already,” Fen said.

  “Then quickly pack what you wish to take. I will explain when we leave here.”

  Edana stood framed in the doorway a moment longer after Fen had given her River’s message. With a single nod she came to a decision. She turned and rushed around her room, gathered items and stuffed them into a couple of bags. That done, she came back to the doorway.

  “Now what?” Edana asked.

  “Fen. Take your hand and reach out for Edana. Take her by the hand and pull her out of her room. Edana. Relax. Do not try and help. Let Fen pull you through.”

  Fen explained before he reached forward. His whole arm felt like a million stinging insects were attacking all at once. Ignoring them, he took Edana’s hand she held out. He pulled her forward and she yelped. She tried to pull back

  “Relax. It cannot harm you. You will be fine in seconds.”

  “I heard him,” Edana exclaimed as she relaxed. She let Fen pull her through onto the balcony. “I’m out. I’m finally out.”

  A dragon paw reached over the edge of the roof. “Quickly take hold and let me pull you up.”

  They could hear shouting from inside the house. Edana reached out and took hold of River’s paw and let him pull her onto the roof along with the bags she held. River’s paw appeared again and this time Fen was pulled onto the roof. He disappeared just in time. Edana’s door was flung open and Adalric strode in with one of his servants. They heard him bellow Edana’s name while they waited on the roof.

  He strode onto the balcony. Turning back to the room he called to his servant. “Fetch a blood tracker. She won’t be far. She shouldn’t have been able to get out of here at all. Wait till I get my hands on that useless wizard.”

  The moment Adalric had gone inside, Fen and Edana stood up.

  “Hop on. We must leave.”

  Fen showed Edana how to climb on and clambered up behind her. He put his arms around her waist so he could hold onto the rope since Edana held her bags. As soon as they were ready, River took off. Edana squealed at the sudden movement.

  “This is amazing,” Edana yelled after several minutes.

  “I know,” Fen replied, his mouth near her ear.

  It seemed like no time before River landed and asked them to hop off. They were along the river not far from the cottage where Fen had raised River.

  “What now? They can still send blood trackers.” Edana dropped her bags to the ground.

  “They will send them after you. But they will not find you. Do you swear on your own life never to reveal this secret I shall share with you? It will be as binding an oath as that of a blood oath given before a wizard.”

  “Yes,” Edana replied.

  When River turned towards him, Fen also answered, “Yes.”

  “Fen, take a knife and make a cut on Edana’s hand. Shallow and small will be fine.”

  “What? No!” Edana drew her hands behind her back.

  “This or the wedding.”

  Edana looked worriedly between Fen and River. She reluctantly held out her hand.

  Fen held her hand firmly with his left, the knife poised above it in his right. “Don’t move or the cut will be worse.”

  Edana closed her eyes. “Hurry up and get it over with. A nick is bad enough. But a cut sounds painful.”

  “It will not be painful for long.”

  Fen ran the knife across Edana’s palm and ignored her sudden gasp. He watched the dark stain appear. In the dim moonlight the colour couldn’t be seen.

  River moved closer. He held out both his paws. One was above Edana’s hand, the other, claws out, was beside it. “Do not let her move her hand. It will be a fight,” River said to Fen.

  “I’m ready,” Fen said.

  “I’m not. I don’t even know what you’re planning,” Edana protested.

  There was a sudden blur of movement and River used his own claw to cut through the thinner skin between his paw and the start of his leg scales. There was a shimmer of light and then a drop of blood.

  Edana screamed as it hit her open cut. “It’s burning.”

  She tried to pull away but Fen wouldn’t let her.

  Another drop descended and Edana tried to fight Fen. She pulled with her captured hand, her other tried to push him away, her nails scratched at him in her desperation to escape. Another drop hit her palm and she renewed her efforts.

  “You’re killing me,” she half screamed, half sobbed.

  Another drop of blood descended and then River licked his paw, the gash seeming to seal. He bent forward and licked Edana’s palm and her wound also sealed.

  “She can move her hand now,” River told Fen.

  He slowly released his hold on her and let her gently drop to the ground. Edana held her palm against her chest and sobbed. Fen knelt beside her and tried to hold her in comfort. She pushed at him. A shudder went through her body and she screamed again. Fen’s arms went round her and he drew her close.

  “What did you do to her?” Fen demanded.

  “She will be fine. In a few moments she will be exhausted, but out of pain,” River explained.

  “Tell us both what you’ve done.” Fen flinched as Edana’s body convulsed. He tightened his grip on her. Minutes later she seemed to relax, then went limp as if her body had no bones in it. “River.”

  “A grey dragon cannot be tracked. My blood has mixed with hers. She now cannot be tracked with her old blood. It has been altered.”

  “I’m safe?” Edana whispered.

  “As safe as any human is.”

  “I need to sleep.” Edana yawned.

  “How are we to get her home? She can’t hold on while she’s this exhausted,” Fen said.

  “Lay her stretched out flat on the ground. Gather her bags and climb on. I will take you home.”

  Fen did as River told him, still worried about Edana. He trusted River to tell him the truth, but he was worried River had misjudged the amount of blood or something.

  As River took to the air, he gently grabbed Edana in his front paws and let her hang limply in the air as they flew back to the training area of Carson Dragon Stables. He landed gently, careful with how he laid Edana on the ground. Fen slid off River’s back and dropped the bags as he rushed to where Edana lay.

  He looked back at River. “She’s not moving.”

  “She will sleep deep and long. She will wake for lunch. Make sure there is much for her to eat. She will be starving.”

  Fen lifted Edana and carried her out of the training area. He strode towards the house and the weight of her seemed to grow greater the longer he carried her. He had to put her down to open the door, but he didn’t want too many people to know she was there. After he’d caught his breath, he lifted her again.

  Soon he had Edana in one of the guest bedrooms. He laid her in the bed and pulled more blankets from a trunk at the foot of the bed. He didn’t think
he could move Edana again to get at the blankets she now lay on. Once she was covered, he fetched her bags. He found them at the back door he had entered the house by.

  “River?” Fen sent his thought out.

  “I have returned to my pen. Sleep well.”

  “Thank you,” Fen thought to River.

  “I owe you both my life.”

  “I owe you as much,” Fen thought back.

  When River didn’t reply, Fen gathered Edana’s bags and took them to the guest room. As he stepped out of the guest room and shut the door, a noise behind him made him spin to face it.

  “Anything you should be telling me?” Hanun asked.

  “Not a thing. But if your brother should come knocking on your door, tell him you haven’t seen your niece.”

  Hanun chuckled. “Oh, this I have to see. What a coup. How fitting.”

  “Don’t you go pestering our guest tomorrow. She’ll probably wake late. It’s been an exhausting night.”

  Hanun continued to grin. “You tell our guest she may stay as long as she likes. I hope he does come.” He rubbed his hands together. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what happened.”

  “Not all of it. But I can tell you the blood trackers can’t find her now and she’s managed to escape before a betrothal was signed.”

  “Even better.”

  Fen looked at Hanun sternly. “I hope you’re not going to go on like that around our guest. I’m sure she’d like to think she was here more for her company than her ability to further your revenge.”

  “Of course not. Not a peep when she wakes. But I can celebrate tonight.” With that, Hanun went whistling down the corridor.

  Fen slumped against the wall. It seemed like a long way to his room. He sighed and gathered together his last bit of energy. Leaning against the wall wouldn’t get him there any sooner.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  By the time Edana woke, Adalric had already been and bellowed on their doorstep and demanded to know where his daughter was. He’d found out about her visits and had run out of other places to look. He left after issuing numerous threats.

  “How are you feeling?” Hanun asked Edana as she joined them at the table for lunch.

  “Like I slept for a year. I hope you don’t mind me staying here.”

  “Of course not. That man who calls himself your father was here earlier. Humph. Throwing his weight around and carrying on.”

  “I didn’t mean to bring trouble to your door,” Edana said.

  Hanun shook his head. “It’s been there since my birth. Enough of this. How is River? Ready for the Halfday races? They’re going to be big. There’s some out of town dragons entered in the experienced races held in the morning. Everyone will be there to see who takes first in their events.”

  “What is everyone saying? Has anyone seen them race before?” Fen asked.

  “There’s going to be a lot betting on them to win from the talk,” Hanun said.

  “That must be why my father’s been angrier than usual. He doesn’t like to lose. He also doesn’t like it when people think he might lose.”

  There was noise outside, what sounded like a fight, before the dining room door was flung open. Hanun and Fen had risen to their feet at the first sound. Edana rose to her feet when she saw her father burst into the room.

  “I knew it,” Adalric bellowed. “Return my daughter at once. Someone fetch a guard. This man stole my daughter.”

  One of the men who entered the room behind Adalric turned and strode from the room. Three others stood behind him and blocked the door so Hanun’s servants couldn’t enter.

  “Can you prove she’s your daughter?” Fen asked. “Do you have blood proof?”

  Adalric turned to glare at Fen. “To think I offered you space at my stables. You’re no better than him.” He gestured towards Hanun.

  Before Hanun could speak, Fen stepped forward. “Only for your own advantage. How long would I have owned my dragon had I taken you up on your offer? Enough of that. Prove this is your daughter and you can take her.”

  Adalric turned to another of his men. “Ask my wife to send the birth blood. Have a wizard sent for. I’ll prove before the guard this girl’s my daughter.” Adalric glared at them all, Edana included.

  Silence filled the room as they waited, none of them interested in talking to each other. The silence was eventually broken by a scuffle outside the dining room and one of Hanun’s servants called out, “Master, there’s a letter from the competition arena.” The man waved the letter above his head, still blocked from entering by Adalric’s men.

  “Read it out,” Adalric ordered.

  The servant looked towards Hanun. Fen answered for him. “Go ahead. Read it. We’ve nothing to hide.”

  “Yes, sir.” The servant opened the letter. “After reviewing your dragon’s races to date we have decided he is now of a standard to join the experienced level. This promotion will be in effect next Halfday competition.”

  “Huh! Now you’ll see what real competition is. If I don’t have a dragon in the experienced level races, Bastian does. There’s no way you can win. We’ll see who’s laughing at the end of the races,” Adalric gloated.

  “River will still win,” Edana said fiercely.

  “It won’t matter. You won’t be there to see him win. You’ll be locked in your room until your wedding day,” Adalric warned.

  A guard was ushered into the room. “Lords, you called for a guard?”

  “This girl is my daughter. They’ve stolen her from me,” Adalric pointed towards Edana.

  “Do you now call this man father?” Fen asked Edana.

  “No.”

  “My lord,” the guard protested. “I can’t take a girl from a home without proof.”

  “You’ll have it. I’ve sent for blood proof and a wizard,” Adalric said.

  The guard turned towards Hanun and Fen. “Are you satisfied with this? Do you need your own wizard brought in to confirm the test?”

  Fen shrugged. “We’ll see what his wizard says. It’ll depend on the honesty of the wizard. If he says her blood matches his daughter than we’ll bring in our own wizard.” Fen thought to River, “I hope you told the truth about the blood being unrecognisable.”

  “They will not compare. If the wizard says they do he lies.”

  “Honesty! My wizard is the most honest one around,” Adalric bellowed.

  “We’ll soon see,” Fen said.

  As they waited, Hanun moved to Fen’s side and muttered, “I hope you know what you’re doing, boy.”

  Fen gave him a smile. “I do. I definitely do.”

  “I hope so. Especially when I know the truth of the matter.”

  Fen laughed. “Prepare to be amazed, Hanun.”

  “What are you two plotting?” Adalric demanded.

  “I was wondering what we should spend out next lot of gold winnings on,” Fen said.

  “You have to win the race first. That won’t happen,” Adalric said.

  Before anyone could reply, the servant arrived with the birth blood followed by the wizard. The men moved out of the doorway to let them into the room. Adalric explained the problem to the wizard.

  “But that is your girl. Anyone can tell by looking at her. Surely everyone knows her look,” the wizard protested.

  “Never mind. Get this over with. I have more important things to do. I need to get ready for a betrothal ceremony,” Adalric growled.

  The wizard pulled a small silver bowl and a sharp instrument from within his robes. “Come here, mistress. I need some blood for the test.”

  Edana looked towards Fen. At his nod, she stepped forward and held out her hand. It was the one Fen had cut last night. There wasn’t even a scar left behind to remind her of what she’d endured.

  The wizard took her hand and beckoned one of Adalric’s men forward to hold the bowl. A quick prick from the sharp instrument, a sudden indrawn breath from Edana and a few drops of blood fell into the bowl. The wizard
let her hand go and Edana put her finger in her mouth to stop the blood from spilling.

  “Are you all satisfied the blood came from the correct girl?” the wizard asked.

  “Yes. Now get on with it.” Adalric urged him on with an impatient gesture.

  The wizard took the parchment with the birth blood on it. “Are you certain this is the blood you wish me to compare?”

  “Of course I am. Do we have to go through all this nonsense?” Adalric demanded.

  “Yes. All must be done correctly if we’re to have a confirmed answer.” The wizard turned to Fen and Hanun. “Are you happy with the proceedings so far?”

  “Continue,” Hanun said graciously.

  The wizard turned to the man who held the bowl and started his spell. Several minutes later he stopped chanting and looked from Adalric to Fen.

  “Well? Are you going to tell us the results?” Adalric demanded.

  “Yes. Get it over and done with. Tell him the blood doesn’t match,” Fen said.

  “Enough from you,” Adalric snapped. He turned to the wizard. “Speak up. The guard is waiting to hear the results.”

  The wizard shook his head. “My lord,” he faltered, unable to go on.

  “What?” Adalric bellowed.

  “The blood doesn’t match.” The words came out in a tumble and the wizard stepped back.

  “Do the test again. Better yet. Bring me another wizard. Someone has cheated,” Adalric yelled.

  “We could take it to the courts. Have the court wizard do the test,” the guard suggested. “There will still be a judge on duty. If there are other cases to be heard I am sure we can shuffle them around due to the urgency of this matter.”

  “Yes. I demand this be taken to the courts. I want a private audience. I want this dealt with now,” Adalric ordered.

  “Yes, my lord. Immediately,” the guard agreed. “I’ll meet you all there.” He looked towards Edana. “If all involved parties are not there within the hour guards will be sent out to fetch them back.”

  Edana stepped forward. “My blood.” She held her hand out to the wizard for the bowl. He gave it to her.

  “That doesn’t belong to her,” Adalric argued.