His people would be freed somehow.
Caught up in his worries, Stone didn’t notice the massive shape above him, not until suddenly a cage of talons snatched him up and a deep chuckle threatened his eardrums.
“Caught you! I caught you! Murk will be so jealous. Cadrio will call me clever and reward me!”
Even as Stone struggled, he wondered what the dragon meant. What did the human, Cadrio, want of him? The gargoyle tried to pry himself free, but the dragon easily held him fast.
“I could crush you, but Cadrio wants you. Be still and you’ll suffer little, gnat!”
The dragon soared past the clouds that marked the flying citadel, his destination clearly the remains of what had once been the port of Norwych. Stone watched with a sinking heart as they neared the harbor where the sinister ships of the leviathan’s master had anchored. A few minutes later Eclipse settled on the already flattened ruins of a large building near the docks, startling a pair of guards in the process.
“Cadrio!” the dragon rumbled. “I must speak with Cadrio!”
One of the guards hurried away. A few anxious moments later, another armored human came trotting toward them. “What is it, Murk? The general has much to deal with and desires no interruptions!”
The black dragon hissed. “I am not Murk. I am Eclipse! I must speak with Cadrio. I have a prize for him.”
At that moment another huge shape descended upon the dark port. Stone didn’t have to see the creature up close to know it was Eclipse’s twin. The other dragon settled down on a spot near his brother, then glared at the imprisoned gargoyle.
“You found him!” Murk said, sulking.
“Who did you find?” the officer demanded. “What’s this about?”
“Never mind, Timinion.” A lanky figure joined them, almost seeming to materialize out of the dark. Stone knew the voice too well. “I know who they have.”
General Cadrio took an oil lamp from one of the sentries and brought it so close to Eclipse’s prisoner that the flames hurt the gargoyle’s eyes. The monstrous face of the human filled Stone’s vision.
The gargoyle tried to look his fiercest. “Maaaster will strike you down for taking one of hisss servants!”
“Not bad. You certainly talk more civilized than that buffoon, Crag. Aaah, I see you don’t like him. You also don’t like Valkyn much, do you? That’s something I’ve noticed, too. In fact, I would venture to say that you hate him, eh?”
“Valkyn is maaaster!”
Cadrio gave him a mocking smile. “But what if Valkyn were no longer master? What if you served another who treated you better? A master who would raise you up over all the other gargoyles, especially Crag? Wouldn’t that be worth something? I can offer you your proper place as leader of both flocks, Stone, if you cooperate with me. Do you understand?”
The pupilless eyes narrowed. Stone understood. Cadrio planned his own betrayal of Valkyn.
“I know you’re clever, Stone. Think about it. If you help me gain access to Atriun, I will kill him. He cares nothing about you, whereas I know your value. You would make an excellent ally!”
Ally. A word not well translated into the gargoyle tongue, but Stone had heard it used by Valkyn when dealing with this very human. Ally. A creature who one worked with until ready to betray him. Cadrio intended to betray his ally, the wizard, just as the wizard had hinted that he would dispose of the human if necessary.
Ally. Yes, Stone could see Cadrio as an ally … temporarily.
“Will help you,” he returned, trying not to sound too eager. The humans could fight among themselves, preferably destroy one another. All that mattered was that Stone’s flock would be free again.
“Tell me what I need to know, then,” the general urged. “There must be a time when Valkyn is vulnerable. Surely when he attacks Gwynned, he’ll drain his strength. I have the means to reach Atriun-” he indicated the dragons “-but I need to know when!”
When? The winged creature knew exactly when. “Not have to wait for Gwynned.”
Cadrio’s eyes widened in eagerness. “No? When, then?”
Stone couldn’t help a slight smile, but he doubted that the human could read his visage. Only Valkyn seemed adept at reading such a gargoyle’s emotions. “When the clouds thin …”
Chapter 9
Storming the Castle
At dawn Castle Atriun began to move.
The first indication to those below came as the clouds shifted to the northwest, even though the wind blew in the opposite direction. Some of the storm clouds drifted off, leaving the flying citadel somewhat visible. Atriun moved faster and faster as it went, quickly leaving Norwych behind.
The ships of General Cadrio departed soon afterward, trying as best they could to keep pace. Aboard the Harpy, the commander pondered the future. He had planned to wait until after Gwynned to deal with the wizard, but now, if the gargoyle was correct, a new and better path lay open, one that would hasten the shifting of matters to a more palatable state.
“The southern shore of Northern Ergoth,” he whispered to himself. “He’ll have to do it then, before Gwynned.”
“Aaah, my general! I trust I find you in good spirits?”
Cadrio bit back his startlement and forced himself to turn slowly to the figure now standing just behind him. “Valkyn! I thought you were busy!”
“I can spare the time. I want to make certain that everything is prepared.”
With Valkyn’s back to several of Cadrio’s men, a daring notion suddenly occurred to the general, one that would make it unnecessary to wait any longer. Why trust the gargoyle when Cadrio could deal with the damned wizard now? Several times during his illustrious career the general had taken sudden initiatives like this, always with rewarding results. Surely fate now had dealt him the high card once more.
“I’ve tried to assure that everything will be ready,” the general returned, making certain to keep his gaze on the mage’s. Cadrio’s left hand slipped down, just barely grazing the hilt of his sword. The action happened so quickly Valkyn surely would not notice it, but others, trained by the commander, certainly would.
Out of the corner of his eye, General Cadrio noticed Timinion reach cautiously for his blade. Zander, too, started to reach for his weapon. Good! Both men were familiar with the signal, one that Cadrio had utilized for various reasons over the years. Rebellious officers and foolish adversaries had fallen to the swords of his men in the past, and Valkyn would be no different. How pleasant it would be to see that smile wiped off the black mage’s face.
Without the wizard, it would be child’s play to use the dragons to seize the citadel. The gargoyles would offer little resistance. Stone’s creatures would no doubt turn on their rivals. The shadowy servant he had seen in the tower had looked fairly harmless. He was simply there to obey orders.
“You gave us little time,” General Cadrio went on, never breaking eye contact, “but the ships are all in order, and we’ll be at the rendezvous soon after you.”
“I expected nothing else but timeliness from you,” Valkyn remarked, ever smiling. “I knew you would serve well.”
“Serve well? We’re allies, Valkyn.”
The dark wizard’s gloved hands formed a steeple. “Of course we are, my general, but at this juncture, one of us must guide, and since I can see the greater picture from my citadel, naturally the burden must fall to me. I leave the tactics of ground warfare to you, with only a few simple suggestions, eh?”
Timinion took a step forward, being careful to move in silence. Zander paused, his hand no longer on his sword. Cadrio understood why. Better only one assassin. Two men risked making too much noise. Besides, Timinion now stood but two or three steps from Valkyn.
“What sort of suggestions?” Cadrio asked.
“Just a few directions, a few recommendations of troop movement that I think will better your chances. I know you’ll follow them to the letter, won’t you, my general?”