Leverre cleared his throat and gave dal Sason a nod. “As you know, the Order is exploring ancient knowledge to help us progress more quickly. Our researchers uncovered information that indicated there were a number of locations that might contain objects or further information that would aid us. It was on one of these exploratory missions that we first encountered the dragon.”
“Encountered?” Guillot said.
“We roused it while exploring a large cavern in a mountain not far from here,” Leverre said. “It killed all of my men, Banneret dal Villerauvais. It ate them. I can assure you I’m no stranger to loss caused by this beast. I want revenge on it just as much as you do.”
Guillot sank back into his chair and thought for a moment, trying to push away his anger so he could think clearly. “What were you looking for?” Guillot said.
“That’s not important,” Leverre said. “It was simply something the Order’s researchers thought might aid us.”
Why would the Prince Bishop send men to a remote part of the country looking for an object if it was unimportant? Gill wondered. That could wait until another time, however.
“Fine,” he said. “So you think this cave is where the beast lives?”
“I have no reason to think otherwise,” Leverre said.
“Are you actually able to track it?” Guillot said.
“Possibly,” Leverre said. “We haven’t tried. We thought heading back to the cave would be the best way to start.”
“Finally, we agree on something,” Guillot said. “That covers the where, leaving us with the how. Anything on that subject that you’ve chosen not to share with me?” He glared at Leverre and dal Sason, but neither gave anything away.
“We’re just as much in the dark on that as you are, Gill,” dal Sason said. “That’s why you were brought in. The king was hoping that there’s still something about having been a Chevalier of the Silver Circle that will aid us. The initiation ceremony was said to have turned great swordsmen into great dragonslayers.”
“When it was carried out by mages,” Guillot said. “Not a bunch of drunken degenerates.”
“There was still something of the mystical about it, though, was there not?” dal Sason said. “The Prince Bishop seems quite certain of that.”
“He can be certain of whatever he likes,” Guillot said. “It doesn’t change anything. It was all a load of chanting, oath swearing, and drinking.”
“Still, we’ll take every little thing that we can,” dal Sason said. “I don’t understand the ins and outs of it, but there’s the chance that some magic may still have been attached to the ceremony. If that doesn’t make a difference, then we still have the greatest swordsman Mirabaya has ever produced in our arsenal. The rest of us aren’t too bad either.”
Guillot humphed. “You have to get close to use a sword. I can’t see anyone getting close enough without getting eaten. There’s a reason we use special long swords for boar hunting and spears to hunt belek.”
“The simple fact of the matter is this, Gill,” dal Sason said. “The king wanted to send a regiment to kill this beast. It took the Prince Bishop considerable effort to talk him around to sending a smaller group to investigate first. If we can kill it, wonderful. If not, we’re to learn as much as we can and report back so that if and when the king does send a regiment, they are not lambs to the slaughter. Now that the people of Mirabay know about the beast, how do you think they would react to the news that it had destroyed a regiment of the king’s finest soldiers?”
Dal Sason paused, but Guillot didn’t need time to allow the idea to settle in, so he finished the point for him. “There would be panic, then riots,” Guillot said. “The worst fear of every king. Aside from assassination, I suppose.” It was the second time that evening he was forced to admit that dal Sason was correct. Whatever else about him, he had brains and knew how to use them.
“Right now, this dragon reaching Mirabay is the king’s worst fear,” dal Sason said. “Everyone wants to stop it, and stop it fast. Preferably before it kills anyone else.”
The food arrived and conversation stopped as the innkeeper and the re-tasked stable boy set plates of steaming stew onto the table.
“Beef, slow cooked with wine, potatoes, and vegetables,” the innkeeper said. “I hope you enjoy.”
“I’m sure we will,” dal Sason said.
“Have you heard any strange stories lately?” Guillot asked.
“What do you mean?” the innkeeper said.
“Anything unusual. Livestock being killed, buildings being burned. Anything like that.”
“Now that you mention it,” the innkeeper said, “Lord Montpareil rode out yesterday for Castle Brienne. The usual resupply wagons were overdue and he decided to find out what the problem was. The stores here were in danger of spoiling. We do most of our trade with the castle.”
“When do you expect him back?” Guillot said.
The innkeeper shrugged. “Tomorrow? The day after. Soon I hope. The supplies won’t last much longer, and we don’t get paid if they’re spoiled before they get to the castle.”
“Thanks,” Guillot said.
The innkeeper left them to their food, which they all attacked for several minutes before the conversation restarted.
“Where’s Castle Brienne?” Leverre said.
Guillot shrugged. “It’s one of the border pass forts. I’m not exactly sure where—I’ve never been.”
“Do you think the dragon has attacked it?” dal Sason said.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Guillot said. “It’s interesting that the innkeeper didn’t say anything about the dragon, though. Or anything that might refer to it. Sounds like it hasn’t made it this far yet, and neither has word of it.”
“It means the beast’s trail of destruction isn’t as extensive as it might have been,” Leverre said.
“There aren’t many villages out here,” Gill said. “News travels slowly. It could be days before anyone here knows what’s happened at Villerauvais.”
“Hopefully we’ll be able to make sure it doesn’t happen anywhere else. I’m going to turn in for the night,” dal Sason said. “We should start early, I expect we’ve quite a bit of travelling to do to reach your mountain cave, Commander Leverre.”
Guillot nodded, rose, and called for the innkeeper to lead them to their rooms. An early night would have been welcome, but he had a couple of hours of the positions to complete before he could put his head down.
CHAPTER 24
“I have to admit,” dal Drezony said, “that I’m very curious to see what you’re capable of. I’ve never seen the Prince Bishop speak in quite so animated a way about any new recruit.”
After a visit to the Order’s quartermaster to get the uniforms she would need for her training and packing the garments away in her room, she went to the refectory for supper. As soon as Solène entered the long hall, lined from end to end by three rows of communal tables, dal Drezony had called her over. Solène had spent the better part of her adult life trying to be invisible, and being singled out as soon as she entered a room, with so many other people there, bothered her. The questioning made it even worse, but the smell of the food was enough to convince her it was worth staying.
She shrugged in response to dal Drezony. For her, being noticed had always meant trouble, but she realised that was something she was going to have to get over. Forgettable was the impression she had always sought to get across. Except for Trelain, where she had started to think she could make a life and a business. She could never forget where that had gotten her.