Faring’s right. Somebody’s always paying, and they pay a lot. Who and why? “Do you have any ideas about why?”
“Nope. Doesn’t make a damn lick of sense.”
“You said, damn, again. Your Da frowns on cursing.”
“Things are changing fast around our place. He drinks too much to hear how I talk.”
The path carried them higher into the mountains, up above the maples and oak of the valley to where more pine and fir grew. The smell of the air seemed scented. The heavy underbrush thinned. Their route climbed steep areas where the footing became rocky and unsure. They watched their feet and looked for obstacles on the path instead of talking. Near sunrise, Faring said, “Well, we’re getting close to the top. I guess your stash of supplies is hidden around here?”
Ignoring the question, Gareth found a bare spot of ground covered in pine needles. He fell heavily to the ground and sucked in the air that didn’t seem to be enough to satisfy his demands. “We’re here. Let’s take a rest and talk before it gets light.”
Faring sat and panted. “Talk? I need air to talk.”
“Later this morning the teachers will check on me when I don’t leave my hut. Then they’ll probably rush up here as fast as they can because they won’t find me in my usual places. So, we need to have everything in order and be ready to go at first light.”
Faring leaned closer and said, “Okay, tell me about your stupid plan so I can tell you why it won’t work, and then we can both go home.”
Gareth suppressed his smile. “We watch the dragon fly off for her morning hunt like she’s did every time we saw her. All the tales say dragons do that. The rope will be in place at the top of the peak and tied off to a sturdy tree or boulder. You’ll coat me in soda and water and I’ll wear the apron and gloves. The rope is already coated with soda. I did that a few days ago.”
Faring settled himself, rolling his eyes but listening. He waited, and when Gareth didn’t continue he said, “Oh come on. There must be more.”
“Well, I’ll wrap my feet in rags soaked with soda and water. I brought plenty of rags, and water in jars, and stored them over there,” he jabbed a thumb at a stand of small pines. “Then you lower me down a cliff on the rope. I’ll go fast. I’ll run across the rocks covered with dragon slime wearing the rags soaked in soda protect my feet. Climb in and grab an egg. Run back to the rope and you’ll pull me back up. Down and up before the dragon even eats her breakfast.”
“I take back what I said about your plan,” said Faring. “There is no plan. It’s just stupid ideas one after the other.”
“I intentionally left it simple so it can adjust as we go. Strict plans never work.”
“Great, unless you slip and fall, or the acid eats your skin off, or your shoes. Maybe the dragon returns early and buries you in slime knee high. And you think I can pull you up? I can go on with more bad examples if you want.”
He’s right. Gareth stood and paced, pulling himself together and steeling his nerves. The whole idea seemed doomed now that they were on top of the mountain. Sure, there were plenty of tales of people stealing eggs, but there were also tales of talking rabbits and giants ten feet tall. He had never met anyone in person who had stolen an egg. The old men drinking at the inn loved the attention of other patrons and usually exaggerated their stories or tall tales. I can’t stop now. “Faring, all I really need from you is help by pulling me up. Steady me. Me and the egg.”
“That I can do. But I won’t go down the cliff with you, and if she eats you, I’ll run for home and leave what’s left of you.”
“Just wait at the top with more soda ready to throw on me if I’m acid burned, and help pull me and my egg up. That’s all I ask.”
“You still think we can sell an egg and get gold?”
Gareth nodded, but said, “Yes, I can leave the valley and sell the egg and then get the gold to you. But, just grabbing the egg’s only half the problem. There’s still going to be a dragon that’ll kill anybody she finds around here when she discovers her egg is missing. She is going to be plenty mad. I have to get out of here fast. You just hide and let her search for me. While she’s chasing me, you get away.”
“How about buying a few magic beans from me, too? You want some of those? Because you don’t know beans about dragons.”
Gareth replied, “I don’t know all about dragons, but some of what I’ve heard is sure to be true. I do know she can fly about a hundred times as fast as I can run because I’ve seen her do it.”
“How’re you getting away? All the way down the mountain with her chasing you?”
Gareth laughed softly, “Luck. And speed.”
Faring stuttered. “W-what?”
“Just making a joke. I’ll be gone long before she returns.”
“When that old dragon lands in her nest, and sees an egg’s gone, she’ll smell your scent. Dragons can’t see too good up close, but they can smell. She’s gonna flap those big old wings and go high and start flying around in big circles, looking and sniffing for you. Then she’ll head right for you.”
Gareth drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Faring always had a way of seeing things he didn’t. It had been a mistake not to include him in the planning. The vague plan he worked out now seemed weak and full of holes. Maybe he should put it off and return later. Or never. No, you have to do this. One way or another he would leave Dun Mare today. “I run for the river as fast as possible and wash off as much smell as possible. It’s all downhill. I just need a good head start. When she gets tired of looking for me in a day or two, I take off down the valley and sell the egg.”
“You can’t get rid of that much stink in the river just by washing yourself. Besides, the river is even farther away than the tannery. That’s where you need to head.”
“Why?”
“Two good reasons, and one other reason maybe not so good. First, the place already smells like soda and tanned skins and other smelly chemicals, like you’re gonna smell with soda all over you. What you do is conceal your smell beneath the others.” He held up one finger, and then another. “Second, you can hide inside there. Solid stone walls and slate roof. If you stay under cover inside, even a dragon can’t find you or spit at you without tearing the whole building down.”
“You said there’s a third reason, too.”
“Well, the last is not so good, like I said. It’s sort of like fighting fire with fire. When you get in there, you gather a bunch of mugs and jars around you from the storeroom. Fill them with the acid we left at the bottom of the vats or in any in of the red jars, and if the dragon comes calling, you throw your acid at her before she spits hers at you.”
Gareth nodded in understanding. “Will the acid at the tannery hurt a dragon?”
“Don’t know. Different kind of acid, so I think it might. Anyhow, who’s stupid enough to get close enough to try defeating a dragon in an acid fight besides you?”
“Just me, I guess,” Gareth said, his excitement now tinged with terror. He sat on trembling hands. “I like your plan better than mine. It’s a long way back to the tannery, but it's downhill, and if I run the whole way, maybe I’ll make it.”
“As for me, I think your chances are about the same as free ale being refused by thirsty drunks. I’m saying you’re goin’ to get ate. Give up this stupid idea while you can.”