He’d again singled out the items that stood out above all else. Worse, I saw no way to obtain that information, especially while on a ship. For certain, the mages were not talking, the dragon couldn’t, and the best we could do was to cobble together crude guesses. However, there was one more set of facts that we did know. “The mages are killing our kings and replacing them with appointed councils. That also must factor in our search for information.”
He smiled for the first time in days. “That could be the thread we can pick at to unravel this tapestry of lies, deceit, and betrayal.”
“Well put. Why the smile?”
“Until today, I doubted you. Underestimated you in every way. My perception of you was one of an insipid young princess who was only concerned with the curl of her hair and the color of the gown she wore. Forgive me. I was wrong.”
Again, I looked at his smile and found it genuine. “I resented my father for hiring you behind my back.”
“I resented following around and caring for a wealthy girl who was sent on a mission more suited for a seasoned politician. Instead, I find it concealed behind the innocent young face a clever, intelligent woman ready to defend her kingdom.”
Nice words, but not completely true. I lifted my chin to accept my failings gracefully. “That is not who stood before you two days ago.”
He turned back to the sea, as if something out there drew his eyes, as it did for all who travel by sea. He said softly, “Not to contradict my princess, but it was true two days ago. You just hadn’t freed the lion within you, yet.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Damon
We gathered together a few steps away from our prisoners and held what amounted to a family council. Since I’d recently been a prisoner, I identified with them. Flier did most of the talking, Emma and Anna remained quiet, willing to accept whatever we decided to do. Kendra seemed in a hurry to both depart and to reach Vin. As for me, I just wanted to get out of the desert sun that reflected off the water and the sand and seemed to suck all moisture from us, no matter how much or often we drank.
Flier turned to face our prisoners, and he cut the bindings from them as he spoke for all to hear, “Listen well. We are fighting against the council and the new rulers; however, it is something we must do alone. If you attempt to follow us, you will die. So that you understand it is no idle boast, I have arranged to have a true-dragon land on the bank of the river in full view of you tonight. If you go near or attempt to follow us, it will make a meal of you.”
The former stableman scowled. “Since when can you call a dragon to do your bidding? I have heard nothing of you training to be a mage.”
Flier shrugged as if he was controlling the dragon, which I appreciated. Instead of saying Kendra’s name, or that Anna communicated with it, he took full responsibility. Our former prisoners would spread the tale to others of the desert that Flier had forecast the appearance of the dragon, thereby further complicating the story. With each telling, it would become a little less believable.
All three girls had already placed their silly-looking reed hats on their heads, and I might have laughed at how they appeared, but we were all standing directly in the sun, and their faces, necks, and shoulders were in the shade. I felt the sweat and heat on my face, not all from the sun as I know how silly I’d look as I placed mine on my head and tied the chinstrap.
As we walked away, I managed to glance behind a few times without being too obvious. The three men were lucky we hadn’t killed them, and they knew it, although two had severe headaches from being struck with rocks. To increase the odds of our survival, we should have killed and buried them or at least left them tied to trees. They probably talked briefly of following us, but the ring of truth in Flier’s tone about the dragon held them back. All in sight behind was the seemingly endless flat of the desert and the river disappearing into the dense growth at the edges.
Fortunately, we had all the sluggish brown water we wished to drink. Unfortunately, we had nothing to eat. Little Anna complained first, then Emma joined in for a while, but after seeing the expression on my face, both shut up.
Flier walked well ahead, increasing the distance between us after warning me he should be there as a scout to search for more bandits, robbers, killers, or anyone else who might want to cause us harm. Our pace lagged, we stumbled, and still, we hesitated to drink any water.
Kendra said there must be a waterhole, well, spring, or clean pond ahead, but if it was there, we hadn’t reached it when I made my choice again. I went to the river’s edge, knelt and scooped the surface water clear of sticks, grasses, and insects. After a brief inspection, I tasted it, just the smallest amount. There was a slight earthy taste, but despite its brown appearance, it was wet and went down smoothly. I could grow to like it if I didn’t have to look at it.
All three girls followed my lead. Although they had all tasted the river water, they wanted to know my opinion, as if they would refuse to drink more of it if I refused. Despite the heat and exhaustion, there were little giggles and even laughter as they took turns and I made up my mind to tease them at the next place we paused, perhaps by pretending to be poisoned. No, that would be cruel. Instead, I could pretend to chew my drink because the water was so thick.
Kendra said on a more serious note, “The dragon is going to swoop down and pass right over us in a few moments. I wonder at the reactions of those behind us. Maybe they will believe?”
I said, “My reaction is to run and duck. Is it going to land on the ground and protect our backs as Flier suggested?”
She shook her head. “I think that’s a little extreme, now. Dragons don’t like to land out in the open where they can be attacked. But you can never tell, so it is going to pass low over that place where we left them and land just long enough for them to get a good look at her. Then the dragon will fly into the mountains and hunt for a deer or goat. It’s very hungry after all that flying.”
“Do you have any idea of what happened to the ships?”
“Not like images or anything. Her response was to fly there as I asked, then my dragon was attacked by at least ten Wyvern. They came at her from all sides, and she was both scared and angry. Five or six Wyvern were outright killed, and she was still scared when she attacked the first ship.”
I said, “You keep calling it her. And you said my dragon.”
“Shut up and listen and wipe that silly grin off your face. She clawed at the first Wyvern, and the mages used spells to call down lightning and created red smoke to hide their ships in. They made other images appear in the sky that seemed to attack her, but finally, she attacked and ripped boards loose from the hull of the first ship with her claws and flew off.”
“The other ship?”
“She learned how to best attack from the first. She flew low and fast to the second and landed on the stern of the ship with her great weight. It was forced down into the water and started to flood, and the dragon went down with it. She felt timbers break and water rushed in before the mages could fight against her. It only took a few instants to sink the rear of the ship; then the rest followed as she flew away. The mage-storm stopped.”
I didn’t want to correct or criticize her in front of the girls but did want to make a point of my own. “If she didn’t send you images in your head, and you couldn’t see through her eyes, how do you know what happened in such detail?”