The Caged Dragon (Cycle of Dragons Book 1)

by Dan Michaelson

  I agreed, smiling slightly.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Joran asked. “You’ve got this strange smirk. I haven’t seen that look from you in… well, quite a while.”

  I grunted. “There isn’t any look.”

  “Are you going to tell me what you are hiding from me, then?”

  “What makes you think I’m hiding anything from you?”

  “I told you. It’s that look you’re giving me.”

  I turned to the window, watching the fading storm. “I'm pretty sure I can find the path again.”

  “Even though the rain would’ve washed it away?”

  “I marked the trees,” I said, pulling my knife out.

  Joran’s eyes widened slightly. “You marked them?” He glanced over to the doorway leading back to the kitchen. Bernt had slipped away, leaving Tara sitting and staring at her hands. And Sophie, who had crawled up to the fire, holding her hands out toward the heat. “If you marked the trees then we could follow the path.”

  “We could.”

  Joran looked at me askance for a moment. “Why would you do that?”

  I shook my head. “I guess I was curious.”

  “You know, there was a time when you probably would’ve followed the path without paying any attention to the weather.” He arched a brow at me, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Is that what happened to you? Were you not paying attention to the weather?”

  “I was ,” I told him. “I knew the storm was coming, and that I didn’t have too long. I just wanted to try to see how far the path went.”

  “How far did it go?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t take enough time to explore.”

  “We’ll have to go back.”

  “We’ll have to wait for the ground to dry out. It was pretty bad out there.”

  “I figured that. I was surprised that you came here.”

  “The road washed away,” I said. “And there were parts of the plains that flooded. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything quite like that.”

  He looked back to the window, staring out into the darkness. I turned to Tara, watching her. “What’s wrong with your sister?”

  “Nothing,” Joran said.

  “Something’s off.”

  “She’s been spending too much time in the city.”

  “Your mother lets her go?”

  “Lets her? She doesn’t really give much of a choice in the matter. She disappears, and only comes back late at night. They’ve punished her, but she doesn’t stop. My mother has a soft spot for it. It’s like she wants to encourage it. My father doesn’t really know what to do about it, and the way that he dotes on Sophie doesn’t really help, either.”

  “I suppose every family has challenges,” I said.

  Joran watched me. “Do you think your sister needs help?”

  I frowned at him. “I’m sure she doesn’t need your help.”

  He started to laugh. “I could stop by. We do have that fence to finish.”

  “I’ve mostly finished the fence,” I told him.

  “Then I could help you with something else. There have to be other chores you need my assistance with. We need to make it something manly, though. Something Alison can watch me doing.”

  “Anything she watches you doing isn’t going to be that manly. If she wants to watch someone doing manly things, all she has to do is watch me.”

  “You’re disgusting,” Joran said.

  “You’re the one who’s trying to weasel in on my sister.”

  “I would think you would be thrilled to have me interested in your sister.”

  “She needs to get away from the farm,” I said. More than anything, I felt I needed to help Alison with that. “She needs to live a better life than the one she has now.” I swallowed. When she left, it would only be me taking care of the others.

  “What about you?” Joran asked the question with an earnestness on his face that was rare for him. “I know you’re concerned about Alison. And as much as I make jokes about it, I understand.” He glanced over to where Tara sat near the fire. “But what about you? You’re just as trapped on the farm as your sister.”

  “I’m not trapped,” I said, more forcefully than I intended. “Why would I leave?”

  “Because…” He took a deep breath, shaking his head. “I don’t know. Because I remember when you were determined to go to the capital. When you wanted to enroll in the Academy.”

  “That was a long time ago.”

  “It was only a few years ago,” Joran said. “Fine. But that was before.”

  Neither of us needed for me to say what it was like before. Both of us knew. I lived with it day after day and Joran lived with the memory of his role, however incidental.

  “You could sell the farm,” he said. “I’ve heard my parents talking about it. I know there are people who would take it over. You sit on prime land.”

  I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, finally shaking my head. That was what Alison had been talking about as well. Maybe that would be for the best. “I could never sell it. The farm has been in my family for generations. It was my great-grandfather’s, then my grandfather’s. My father’s. And now it’s mine , I guess.”

  “It was supposed to be Thenis’s,” he said.

  “Yeah? Well, it can’t be Thenis’s. Not anymore.”

  I leaned forward, staring out the window as lightning flashed again. When it did, I could have sworn I saw a dragon flying. It was a taunt, a reminder of what I had once dreamed of, and the way those dreams had been changed. I decided long ago I needed to alter my dreams, so that I could maintain my sanity, and find whatever measure of happiness might be available to me.

  6

  Morning came too quickly for me. I wasn’t fully rested. By the time I awoke, sunlight shone in through the windows of Joran’s house. It was a comforting warmth, and the fire in the hearth had burned down to little more than embers. A faint crackling remained. Sophie had slept in front of the hearth, curled up around the stone. There was something innocent and sweet about the way she lay there. Tara had stayed for a little while longer before she, too, had disappeared, leaving only Joran and me. We had talked until late in the night, reminding me of when we were younger. Those had been the days when the two of us sat and talked about dreams and wishes and the way that we thought that our lives might end up. Unfortunately, those had never come to pass, at least not the way we had intended.

  I stretched, twisting in place. My body was stiff and achy from the way I had slept with my head leaning against the window, staring out into the darkness. “You’re awake.”

  I turned to see Tara sitting at a table in the back of the home. A lantern rested on the table, dimmed to a pale orange light, and a book was spread open in front of her. She set down a pen. I wonder what she’d been writing, and smiled at the idea of her keeping a journal. I remember when she was younger, chasing Joran and I around when we went out exploring along the edge of the forest, or hunting in the Holden Hills that were far to the north of here. She rarely caught us.

  I got to my feet and twisted again, stretching out stiffened muscles. Everything seemed a little bit off, but I thought if I could stretch enough that I could undo that stiffness. “I didn’t mean to sleep quite so long.”

  “You weren’t the only one,” she said, nodding over to Sophie. Sophie rolled toward us, though her mouth was open, and drool streamed down one cheek. She shivered slightly, as if dreaming. “I think she’s chasing something in her dreams,” Tara said.

  I smiled, taking a seat at the table across from her.

  She looked up at me, her dark eyes regarding me for a long moment. “I’m glad you didn’t get caught in the storm,” she said.

  “You and me both,” I muttered. I rubbed my eyes, and she forced a smile.

  “I looked outside this morning,” Tara said.

  “And?”

  “And the flooding is pretty severe. Worse than anything I’ve
seen in quite a while.”

  “I’m sure it will dry quickly.” I had to hope so. We’d had a rough wet season. To have a bad dry season as well meant the crops wouldn’t thrive.

  She pressed her lips together, frowning. “Probably. This time of year, the rains don’t linger quite as long.”

  “We need to get planting as well,” I said.

  “Are you still planting crops?”

  “Not to sell,” I said. At least, not to sell much of it. Most of our income came from our livestock and from some of the crafts that my mother made. Alison too. She had a deft hand with weaving, and she could skillfully put together fabrics that others could not. They usually fetched a high price when we went to Berestal, which made her time worthwhile.

  “Dad wants to get our crop in soon too. Mostly corn, but some potatoes.”

  “You don’t seem that excited about it.”

  She flicked her gaze over to Sophie. “I’m not excited about it. I don’t want to be involved in it. I don’t want to be a farmer.”

  “You sound like Alison.”

  “Alison doesn’t like the farm life?”

  “I don’t know if it’s a matter of her not liking it so much as it’s a matter of her feeling trapped,” I shared.

  Tara glanced down at the book, as she scratched a quick note before looking back up at me. “I’m surprised she would feel that way.”

  “I don’t think she always did.”

  “It’s been a while since I visited her. Maybe I should go with you and see her.”

  “I’m sure she would appreciate the distraction,” I said.

  I probably shouldn’t share that with Tara. I didn’t know whether or not Alison would care. Though she and Tara had once been friends , now they were merely acquaintances. Joran and I had stayed close, despite the distance that formed between our families.

  “She wants to go into the city to see the caravan that came through.”

  “What caravan?”

  “There were about a dozen wagons that came by our house the other day. They were painted in the king’s colors.”

  Tara leaned forward and frowned. “The king has never come to Berestal.”

  “I don’t think it’s the king himself,” I said. There was a bright intensity in her eyes. “More likely than not, it was just…” I shook my head, frowning. “I suppose I don’t know… ”

  “When are you going?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. We haven’t decided that yet. I think Alison needs me to take her into the city,” I said.

  Tara turned her attention back to the book. “I wish Joran would show an interest in me.”

  I looked to the back of the home. Everything was quiet there, though every so often I could hear somebody snoring. I didn’t know if that was Joran or his father. “Joran pays attention to you.”

  “Not that much,” she said. “I’m not angry about it. He has his own interests, much like Sophie ,” she said, nodding to Sophie as she snuggled up near the fire. She curled up even more with her head resting on one of her arms. “My father doesn’t understand me, either.”

  “It sounds like your mother does,” I said.

  She watched me for a moment. “She does. Should she not?”

  “I wasn’t saying it to upset you.”

  “What were you saying it for, then?”

  I took a deep breath. There was a time when Tara wouldn’t have gotten so upset with me, but that was when she was younger and she was a different person then. Now…

  Now I realized I didn’t know her nearly as well as I once did.

  “Will you let Joran know I needed to get back? And will you give your parents my thanks for their hospitality?”

  Tara nodded and turned her attention back to her journal, ignoring me.

  I stopped at the door and pulled it open, looking out. The day was cool, with a slight breeze, carrying the smell of the damp earth. It carried an edge that suggested that there was something more within the air.

  I closed the door, stepping outside. Once I started walking away from the house, my boots became submerged in mud, making it difficult for me to walk quickly.

  I’d been gone long enough, and I needed to get back home before my mother decided to come out looking for me. I could only imagine what she’d done when she wasn’t able to find me the night before, especially with the storm that we’d had. Alison, too, would likely have been worried about me.

  What if they had come out looking for me?

  What if they thought I’d died?

  That worried me more than anything.

  I noticed some of the water already beginning to recede, though it was taking longer than it normally would after a rain. Picking my way along the ground, I headed toward the King’s Road. Normally, reaching the King’s Road from Joran’s place didn’t take that long, but it was taking me the better part of the morning. By the time I reached the road, my boots were completely covered in mud, and my lower half was saturated again.

  Once I reached the road, I started making better time. At one point, I paused, noticing a strange pawprint, and followed that along the road for a little while before it veered off. I didn’t recognize it, though it could just be that the animal had as much difficulty as I did traversing the flooding.

  By midafternoon, my home finally loomed into view. Smoke swirled from the chimney, drifting up and around as it gradually dissipated into the cool afternoon sky. There was no sign of movement outside, which meant I still had my chores to do for the day. I could hope my mother or sister would have gotten started without me, but doubted they had.

  When I reached the fence, I hurried through, and glanced over to the barn for a moment. The door was closed, but the storm must have caused a little damage, since a hole had formed near the base. I shook my head. One more thing that I would have to fix.

  Trudging up to the house, I peeled off my boots and started to peel off my pants when the door slammed open.

  Alison looked out at me. “Where have you been?” Her hair was pulled back and braided behind her head. A hint of dirt stained her cheeks. She wasn’t wearing her usual apron.

  “I got caught out in the storm,” I said. “I managed to make it to Joran’s home, but I couldn’t make it any further. There was too much flooding. The Sentar Valley flooded, sending a significant current downstream that washed out the road. I had to backtrack. I tried getting back, but couldn’t.”

  “Mom didn’t know where you went. She thought maybe you’d gone into the city.”

  There was an accusation in her words. “I told you I wouldn’t go without you.”

  “Then where did you go?”

  “One of our pigs was slaughtered. I tried to track down the wolf responsible for it.”

  “On your own?”

  “I should have told you where I’d gone, but I didn’t think it would lead me that far away.” And, if I was honest, I enjoyed the walk. Or had, until the storm. “It wouldn’t be the first time , Alison.” I peeled off my pants, standing there in my small clothes, water still dripping off me. I needed to rinse off, but I wasn’t sure I could do that inside, anyway. “Can you get me a towel?”

  “Fine, I’ll get you a towel, but then we’re going to talk about going into the city.”

  “I can’t go today,” I said.

  “I wasn’t saying today,” she snapped.

  She turned, heading into the house, slamming the door closed. I stood on the porch, waiting. I wasn’t about to go into the house dripping with water , though with her attitude, maybe I should. I was cold and wet and only wanted a towel.

  Alison was gone for a few moments before she returned, holding out a ratty towel. I took it, and pressed it against my damp legs trying to squeeze out the extra moisture. I wasn’t going to have the luxury of sitting by a hearth this time to dry off. “Did you catch the wolf?”

  “No,” I said.

  “You got caught out in the storm, and you didn’t even manage to get the critter you were after.
”

  I looked up at her, and I shook my head. “I told you I didn’t. There was the storm and—” I almost told her about the dragon, but with the way she watched me, I wasn’t sure if I should. “I got stuck. Nearly washed away.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “It wasn’t a good night.” She looked back toward the house. “When the storm came in, Dad kept trying to go out. He said he needed to close the barn.”

  “I closed the barn before I left.”

  “Mom and I told him that. We could see it from the window. The lightning was bright enough we could see practically everything. It was like daylight at times.”

  “I remember,” I said.

  “I can’t imagine what it was like to be out in that ,” she said.

  “It wasn’t fun,” I said.

  “How did you stand it?”

  “I didn’t have any choice.” I finished toweling off and then nodded to the door. “Can you grab me new pants?”

  “If you promise to bring me with you when you go into the city.”

  “Haven’t we already had this discussion?” I shook my head slowly. I was getting frustrated with her. “I promise to bring you with me to the city. Now, do you think you can grab me some pants?”

  She stared at me for a moment. Then she spun, storming inside and leaving me standing on the doorstep again. I was thankful that it was late enough that nobody was going to be heading past our home at this point. If they did, they would see me in my small clothes.

  When the door opened again, I started, “It’s about…” I looked over. “Dad.”

  He blinked for a moment, frowning at me. “Where are your pants, Ashan?”

  I looked past him. “I got caught out in the storm last night. Alison went to grab some pants for me.”

  “The storm? We had a storm?”

  I nodded. “There was. It was a bad one too. Quite a bit of flooding off the King’s Road, and the storm washed out a section of it.”

  “Well, storms like that happen. I remember the last one that came through and knocked out the King’s Road. It took us the better part of a week to rebuild it.”

  I frowned. “You had to rebuild the King’s Road?”