Sawyer held his hands up for quiet, and from further questions shouted at Gray. Then Sawyer asked if there was more to share.
Gray continued, telling them of Bear, the owner of the Red Bear Inn, and of Shailer, the bookstore owner. He told them of how they supported him, and that Kelby was being sent to Shrewsbury to pass on information about the others.
“Why would they care?” Sawyer asked.
All movement and voices halted. Gray said, “I didn’t ask. But, Bear identified me as clan from the first and worked to help me. I believe they are helping us for reasons of their own. The man I went to see, Caldor, came to me and lied. He said he did not know the man I met on the road, but I’d seen them together. Bear warned me that Caldor was not our friend.”
Sawyer stroked his beard before stating, “One man’s word against another?”
“No there was another. Prater. He met me on the road and escorted me into town. He tried to make friends, but something didn’t feel right. Later, I saw him meeting with Caldor, but then he denied it. He also broke into my room at the inn and searched it.”
“Did they catch him in the act? If not, how do they know who it was? It could have been a common thief, right?”
“No. I left several coppers where a thief would find them. They were not taken from my room.”
“Then how do you know your room entered?”
Gray already tired of the questions but held his temper. “First was the candle holder. The holder for the finger was turned so a right-handed person could not use it. I had used it the night before, so it had to be moved. There were a few other things, too.”
Instead of arguing, Sawyer nodded. “Smart of you to notice.”
“Bear had one of his people check it out. He found a ladder on the roof next door and marks where it had rubbed the wall of the inn. Then the person entered only to my room. No other. That was on the morning of the first full day I was in Fleming.”
Sawyer said, “You are now expected in Shrewsbury?”
“Yes. I promised. Besides, I want to get a look at the peninsula where the greens might roost. I should say, where I think they roost. If they do, it points to Shrewsbury as the logical place for the others to depart from their ship.”
“Why do you believe the King is involved?”
The skepticism was there. As well it should be. Gray had withheld one critical piece of information that had convinced him. He crossed his arms and raised his voice slightly. “Shailer acquired the shipping manifests for the Lady Marion, a large cargo ship. It does not carry much cargo each voyage, and according to the manifests, no passengers. Shailer determined that the ship had a new owner as of three years ago when it began sailing between the four ports it sails today.”
The people waited. Gray did, too. He let the information sink in, as well as the timeline. Then he continued. “Carrying no passengers, and the limited cargo on the manifests, the Lady Marion has failed to make a profit on a single voyage in three years.”
That got everyone thinking. Sawyer said, “The obvious conclusion is that the ship operates for other than profit.”
Gray inserted, “Who can afford three years of losses? It is owned by a company with the name Ember Shipping.”
Several in the crowd nodded their agreement. Sawyer stood, turned to address all, and said, “I believe this is the most critical time in our history. The information Gray has brought to us may save the Dragon Clan from extinction, but only if we act. I want volunteers for runners to carry this information far and wide. Every family of the Dragon Clan must be aware of it.”
Several hands went up into the air.
Sawyer continued, “The information is so important that I want two runners sent to each of the other families, and they will not travel together. If one is captured, the other may get through. Then those families will send out runners to others. Our council will meet to decide what we must do to avert this threat.”
Emma, the oldest on the council, said, “Do you think we are reacting too quickly and strong? After all, a young man’s room was searched, and a man we do not know has a wild theory that involves the King and a rogue ship. Perhaps we should all take a deep breath and relax.”
Sawyer was still on his feet. “No! I see now what is happening and how they intend to bring on another war against us. Gray has told us enough. I can answer the question we sent him to solve. That is, why did the others help Raymer escape the dungeon at the Summer Palace?”
Gray, as well as everyone else, remained silent. I didn’t tell him why.
Sawyer continued, “It’s so obvious. They didn’t ‘help’ Raymer escape. They ordered a dragon to land in the middle of a busy market and set fire to it. The dragon collapsed a dungeon wall like it was made of paper right before them. The dragon made it ‘look’ like it helped Raymer escape, but what was really accomplished was that after so many years of peaceful coexistence between the Dragon Clan and ordinary people of the kingdom, the peace was shattered, and the dragon attack blamed on us. Fear and rage are back. Hundreds watched a green dragon attack and helped one of the Dragon Clan escape while it destroyed much of their castle, killing and injuring hundreds.”
Gray felt his face turn red as his fingers curled into fists. He glanced at the people of his family and saw the same tense expressions he wore. Sawyer had figured it out.
The Dragon Clan was going to war.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was near dark when the final questions were asked, and Gray answered. Nearly all had remained to the end. Normally, council meetings were a social time and most departed as it grew boring. This time was different.
The questions flew at Gray one after another, and the answers tended to support the conclusion Sawyer had made. The dinner meal was skipped as Tessa took Sawyer’s place on the podium. She asked for the volunteer runners to meet with her near the dock, where she would pass out assignments and instructions. She wanted them to depart before sunrise.
Sawyer stood again and said, “Gray has done a service to all of us. Now he needs to rest so he can leave again. I suggest that he also leave early, so while I know most of you would like to congratulate or compliment him, I ask you to save it for his next return. The council does have need of a little of his time to settle a few minor issues in private.”
In other words, go home. Gray tried to anticipate the ‘minor issues’ he spoke of, but nothing came to mind.
The entire council did not stay. Gray must have missed some signal that made all but Emma, Sawyer, and Tessa remained before she departed to dispatch the runners. The four of them huddled around a small fire to talk.
Sawyer took charge, as normal. “First, thank you from all of us. Now, to other issues. Stinson is dead. Perhaps because of injuries, you caused when you struck him, perhaps because of his own actions. However, he was not your responsibility. He was ours. We chose to send him, with our hopes in your hands, but the reality is that if any is to be held responsible, it is me.”
When Tessa and Emma started to object, he shushed them, as if they were wayward children. He continued, “You will leave tomorrow, but will not travel alone.”
“What?” Gray blurted out.