Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol. III

attack.

“I think . . . they simply want to know a little about the future emperor.”

“I shall have them shot from the treesss,” snarled the Green Dragon. From his tone, he had still not come to grips with the realization that the Seekers had settled around the camp without his notice.

“Don’t!” admonished Cabe. “I . . . I think we won’t have any trouble from them if we simply let them be.”

“Seekers?” The very idea of allowing the caravan and, especially, Kyl to remain surrounded by the bird folk went against the draconian monarch’s notions of safety.

Cabe could hardly blame him. Still, he had no desire to start a conflict with the ancient race. Although only a vestige of their former might, the Seekers, once rulers of the land, were still a cunning and deadly foe when stirred. For now, it was simple curiosity that drove them.

Then, as silently as they had come, the Seekers departed.

Only the warlock and the drake lord noticed their withdrawal. The reptilian knight glanced down at his human companion. “Why did they leave?”

Why, indeed? “They must have discovered what they wanted to know.”

“Peaceful intentionsss or not, I am putting the guardsss on alert, friend Cabe! If even one of the bird people returns, I will have it destroyed!”

With that said, the Dragon King whirled about and stalked away.

The mage watched him vanish into the night, silently hoping that there would be no further incident. Then, ignoring the still curious glances of the servants nearby, Cabe turned and headed toward his own tent. It would be wise, he concluded, to make a few additions to the spells he and the drake lord had cast. Stronger yet more subtle ones. There would be no repeat of the surprise visit. Next time-though in truth he hoped there would be no next time-he would be alerted to the avians’ presence long before they became a threat.

Even still, Cabe knew he would sleep lightly this night. Very lightly.

To the weary mage’s relief, the night passed with no return of the bird folk. Cabe had not slept well, not trusting that his newly cast defensive spells would be sufficient for the cunning avians. The nagging lack of confidence was something he had often fallen victim to in the past, and the warlock was quite aware that Aurim had inherited the tendency to doubt himself from his father. That, more than anything else, was why his son’s spells went awry. Cabe hoped that one day Aurim, at least, would overcome the doubts. It was looking more and more as if he never would.

The caravan was ready to move on in an astonishingly short time, no doubt thanks in great part to the Green Dragon’s threatening encouragement. He did not see the silent night as any sign the Seekers had meant no harm. To him, it meant that the avians intended something more monstrous later in the journey. The drake lord wanted to make as much progress as possible before that happened.

Cabe did not argue with him, deciding they were all best served by taking no chances. If circumstances called for him to step between the bird folk and the Dragon King, then so be it. He hoped it would not come to that.

The weather stayed clear, allowing them to cover much ground. There was little trouble, save an argument between a human rider and one of the drake warriors the Green Dragon had brought with him. It was the opinion of the human that his counterpart’s reptilian steed was eying the horse with too much eagerness. Separating the two succeeded for a time in ending the matter, but when the accused riding drake started fighting for control with his master, his definite intention being to accost one of the other horses, the Dragon King had the drake warrior ride off and feed his mount. He was also warned that if the beast still hungered when the two returned, it would be its own master it was fed.

That this was the only incident of friction between the human and drake folk was encouraging. Even though the humans for the most part had originally come from settlements located in the lands of the Green Dragon, they had never mingled much with the drake race. Cabe’s tiny kingdom had brought the two races closer together than in any part of the Dragonrealm with the possible exception of Irillian by the Sea. There, however, humans were second to their reptilian counterparts. They were treated well, but the divisions still remained. Such was not the case at the Manor. The warlock hoped that he would one day see the rest of the Dragonrealm follow their example. Even he had been amazed that the two races could work so well together.

Evening came none too soon for the mage, who wondered whether he had grown a little soft over the past few years. For the most part, he had traveled by means of either his own sorcery or the swiftness of Darkhorse. Cabe could not recall the last time he had gone on an extended journey with only true horse for transportation. He had forgotten how uncomfortable a saddle could be after two days of riding.

Thinking of Darkhorse, the saddle-worn mage wondered where the eternal was. The shadow steed was not yet late, but Cabe still feared that some other hidden trap had caught Darkhorse unprepared.

He was carefully dismounting when Grath joined him. “Master Bedlam. Can I be of any assistance?”

“Thank you, no. I’m fine.”

Someone came to take the reins of his horse. Cabe gladly gave them up. Beside him, the young drake continued to wait.

“Might I speak to you for just a moment, Master Bedlam?”

The Green Dragon and Kyl had already started walking away. Cabe, seeing that he was not needed at the moment, nodded to his companion. “What do you want?”

Grath looked almost embarrassed. “The closer we come to Talak, the more uneasy I become. I do not mean that I fear danger, not with you, Lord Green, and soon Darkhorse to protect the caravan, but rather . . . rather I am fearful of the coming confrontation with His Majesty, King Melicard.”

“Kyl’s been well-rehearsed. He’ll do fine.” At least, Cabe added to himself, I hope so.

“It is not Kyl I am worried about. He has been trained from birth for such things. No, I fear my own lack of experience will tell. If I commit an error, it will reflect upon Kyl . . . upon all drakesss . . .”

Worried as he had been about the dragon heir’s performance, Cabe had not really considered the pressures on Grath. He had always been of the assumption that Grath was capable of doing what had to be done. When was the last time he and the others had considered the situation from the younger drake’s point of view?

“Grath,” he finally said, trying to choose his words for best result, “you’ll do fine. I’ve watched you. Gwendolyn and Lord Green have watched you. We probably haven’t told you lately how proud we are of your efforts. You complement Kyl perfectly. He couldn’t have a finer counselor.”

“If my clutch had been first,” Grath said, referring to his hatching, “I would have been the heir. Yet, although I am not, I am still to fulfill a role of great importance. That is why I have always strived to know all that there is to know. If I give wrong advice to Kyl, it could cause catastrophe.” The drake looked down. “To be worthy of giving counsel to the Dragon Emperor, I have striven for knowledge as if I am the heir himself, but . . . but I ssstill . . .”

Cabe put a hand on Grath’s arm. “You would be as good an emperor as Kyl, Grath! When the meeting between your brother and Melicard commences, you’ll do just fine. Kyl would have no other beside him. He’s said so many times, remember?”

“Yesss . . .”

“We’re all weary from the day’s ride, so-”

A familiar presence touched the warlock’s thoughts. Grath, noticing his expression, tensed and glanced around.

“Ho there, Cabe! Hello, young Grath!”

Standing where nothing but the creeping darkness of the coming night had been before, was the irrepressible shadow steed. Darkhorse dipped his head in further greeting, then trotted silently toward the duo.

“You made it!” Cabe fairly shouted. Then, collecting himself, he said more quietly, “It’s good to see you safe.”

“So I noticed! Ha!”