Claret that had been forced to help take Westland. Now the ring Gerard had taken into the Nethers had caused him to seek out the Silver Skull’s hiding place and deliver it to the Dragon Queen on a platter. He should have killed Shaella when he had the chance. He hoped to gain the opportunity. If it arose again he would not hesitate.
“If you expect to have even half a chance to succeed at any of this then you will have to work together,” Lord Gregory said.
“I agree,” Oarly said with a harsh tug on Hyden’s sleeve.
“The Princess is being held somewhere in Lakeside Castle,” Raspaar said, trying to get things moving in the right direction. “We have a ship scheduled to deliver horses to Portsmouth in a few days. We can get you there, or maybe let you off in a sturdy rower near Lake Bottom.” He glanced at Lord Gregory for support.
“I’ll not enjoy being in a rowboat again,” said Oarly.
“You’re not going with us,” Hyden told him. “You’ll stick out like a broken toe in Westlad.”
“She is in Pael’s tower,” Mikahl said directly to Hyden, ignoring the others. “With the sword, and the bright horse, I think I can easily get Rosa free and away. It’s finding Phen and the skull that will be the issue.”
“If you find the skull, you’ll find Phenilous,” Oarly said. He wanted to go after the boy with Hyden, but he knew the wizard was right.
“How do you know she is in Pael’s tower?” Lord Gregory asked Mikahl.
“My father tells me every night in my dreams,” Mikahl answered before thinking of how crazy the explanation sounded.
“You can’t rely on a dream,” Lord Gregory said coolly.
“If there’s anything in this life that I trust, it is Mikahl’s instincts,” said Hyden Hawk. “If we can get there, then Talon can help me find Phen and the skull. Without a doubt he can confirm Princess Rosa’s presence in the tower. We might even be able to get a message to her.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Lord Gregory nodded to everyone. “There are arrow slits in Pael’s roost.”
“If Phen wasn’t so foolishly brave,” Oarly added, “we would have the ring to help find the skull, and only one hostage to worry about.”
“Phen is capable,” Hyden defended, more to reassure himself than for any other reason. “He probably already has the skull, and the collar, and is flying with Rosa toward Xwarda on the dragon’s back.”
“I wish it were true,” Oarly said.
“Aye,” Hyden and Mikahl said in unison, causing Oarly and Prince Raspaar to give them a strange look.
“So where will you want to leave the ship?” the Prince finally asked.
“There is a way into the dungeon through the wall that faces Lion Lake,” Lord Gregory told them. “And also there’s a way through the temple in the northeastern…”
“That will only get us inside the wall,” Mikahl cut off the Lion Lord. “We need inside the castle itself. Do you know how to get from the dungeons up to the main halls?”
“King Balton showed me the way once. His dungeon was a barren place. I can try to make a map for you, but I have literally died and come back to life since then. It’s been years.” Lord Gregory stopped speaking and studied a point somewhere in space. The others were waiting on him to continue. Eventually he sighed away the memory and did so. “Maybe I should go with you. I spent twice as many years as Mikahl in that castle, and people I know and trust might still be around to help us gather information.”
“No,” Mikahl said flatly. “I’d rather be chewed up and swallowed by a dragon than face Lady Trella if something happened to you again.”
“He’s right,” Hyden agreed. “If Mikahl and I need to get out of Westland in a hurry, we can manage it.” He found his hand was fondling the dragon’s tear medallion under his shirt as he spoke. “I’ll not risk the happiness of your lady on it.”
“You can’t expect the rest of us to sit around and do nothing while you two risk your lives and the future of the realm,” Gregory said, indicating the sword at Mikahl’s hip. “It’s a blatant waste of experience.”
“I do not expect either you or Master Oarly to sit around and do nothing,” Mikahl told Lord Gregory, putting a hint of kingly authority in his voice. “There’s plenty to be done in Wildermont. There are ships sitting idle at the dock here. If you can find a water mage to propel you up the Leif Greyn River through the marsh channels, you can get there in a week unnoticed. Lady Trella will be safe enough there, as will you. King Jarrek could use your wisdom. Eventually, General Spyra will need to be relieved of his reign over Dreen. I can think of no one more suited to the task then you, Lord Gregory.”
“What about me?” asked Oarly.
“What better place for a dwarf than the ore-rich mountains of Wildermont?” Mikahl said. “You can help King Jarrek with the slaves he has freed, and the others that Lord Northall is purchasing. It will take leadership to get the mines and forges running again.”
“In all of this, nothing has been said about what to do with Queen Shaella and her new dragon,” Lord Gregory said.
“Not true,” Mikahl said, with a stern look at Hyden. “The great wizard Sir Hyden Hawk has already sworn to fix the follies of his family. If there is one thing in this life I know I can depend on, it’s Hyden Skyler keeping his word.”
Had it been anyone else speaking to him in such a manner, Hyden would have probably throttled them. Mikahl was just trying to get under his skin and motivate him for what was to come. The tactless reminder of his oath was not intended as an insult. A dozen sharp remarks came to mind for Hyden to reply, but he chose to keep them to himself. He locked gazes with the High King, and with a nod of determination he said the only thing that was left to be said: “Aye!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Phen wasn’t sure what he expected. Being a smart, well-read boy of fourteen years he obviously hoped to find adventure. The glory of success motivated him almost as much as his sense of duty. He felt that he had to stay with the Silver Skull. He had to make sure that the Dragon Queen didn’t get it. Hyden needed it. The consequences of his actions were all but forgotten when he slipped the ring on his finger and disappeared.
Twice now he could have snatched the artifact and thrown it overboard. It would have sunk to the bottom of the sea, as simple as that. But Hyden needed the skull to get into the Nethers. He had admitted his true reasons for needing the skull to Phen one night on the Seawander. Phen knew that he would have to wait until the zard ship docked somewhere before he could get it ashore. It was the only way, save for one: the dragon collar.
If he could get that, he could put it on and have the dragon attack the ship. He could get the skull and have the dragon fly him back to the Seawander. That is exactly what Hyden would do, he knew. The only problem with that plan was the wizard, Flick. Flick refused to take the device from his neck. Since he was invisible, Phen wanted to try to pick it off while Flick slept, but he couldn’t get past the complex magical lock the cautious wizard placed on the door to his cabin each night.
Phen was left with little to do other than hide, listen, and starve. He tried not to let the gruesome death of Brady steal his resolve. He kept his mind occupied by reviewing the spells he had memorized. The growing emptiness in his belly consumed his thoughts the rest of the time.
He eventually quelled his hunger with a brief and daring foray to the galley. There, a fat, grouchy, but luckily lazy zard-man was assisted by an even lazier young human cook. After getting his belly full that first time, Phen’s visits to the galley became regular events. He was glad that there were humans on the ship. Other than meat, humans and zard-men shared completely different tastes. The zard even ate their meat raw and didn’t mind if it started to rot and grow maggots. They ate beetle stew, and pickled spiders. Once, the captain let the ship drift in a school of eels. The zard dove from the ship and swam through the school with spears. They ate the eyes and the guts of the fish they brought back and left the white meat for the men. Phen had been so sickened from watching the lizards feast that he almost vomited. The sound of his retching nearly got him caught. If it hadn’t been for the ship’s lyna he would have been rooted out and thrown overboard, or stewed for the captain.
The zard ship, like any other ship, picked up rats where it docked and took on cargo. Zard food drew things on to the ship that were worse than rats. No typical cat could manage to keep the vermin from a zard ship. The
