“I don’t doubt it, princess.” Kaiten finally put Loren down on the ground. “We Beastmen believe dragons to be like gods. They are ancient, with magic we cannot understand. My father used to tell me tales of dragons, and whenever he would speak of their magic, he would always stress that theirs was a magic of life.”
“A magic of life? In what way?”
“Where dragons live, nature prospers.” Kaiten shrugged his shoulders, winced when he realized one was sore, and massaged it with his hand. “That is what my father would say. I believe he meant plants and crops would grow, animals would be plentiful. Things like that.”
Loren did not reply. She looked curiously back at Lind, who rumbled again, deep in his chest. The dragon slowly closed his eyes and looked away, curling his wings and tail closer to his body to rest.
The princess sighed, her hands on her hips.
Behind her, the crowd was surging forward, wary of the dragon but excited to greet their savior. Standing off to the side, beaming with pride, were the Warmaster and Spymaster. The princess had saved them all on her own. The queen mother would be amused to hear the tales of her daughter’s adventures, and would probably scold them for having let the situation get so out of hand when it did. Sairus and Isran shared a look, and winced at the thought.
The townsfolk of Sagna came, clamoring to see the princess. Men and women spoke over one another, with farmers and merchants trying to hand Loren a gift or a tribute. Magic stones with glowing veins were thrust into her hands, along with an ornately forged decorative dagger, a basket of fruit, and cheap but glittery bangles. The princess laughed good-naturedly, but Kaiten quickly saw how overwhelmed she was getting. The girl still wore the roughspun prison robes from the dungeons, some bits of it were hanging by frayed threads. The Beastman prince laughed loudly, the sound booming in his chest in a way that reminded Loren of the prince’s late father, and kindly told the crowd to move backwards and give the princess some space. She had a rough day.
Being escorted back across the Kilrough Mountains was a bizarre experience. The Warmaster and Spymaster insisted on escorting the prince and princess, along with their friends, personally. They were each given horses, much to Kae’s disappointment, and told to ride alongside the battalion of Aldoran soldiers. The journey home was much more slow going, as everyone was wounded and exhausted. Warmaster Sairus attempted to rally the troops and boost their morale to get the line moving quicker down the path, but after a few minutes of quickened marching, their pace slowed again. The panther Beastman could only sigh and lead the troops at the front of the line beside Sypmaster Isran.
“We take the path west from Sagna and onto Hardwick, my lady.” Warmaster Sairus explained as he pulled his horse up beside Loren’s. The princess had been given a spare Aldoran surcoat to replace her ragged prison clothes. It was too long and ended half way down her shins, but the cloth was of her family’s colors and that brought some bit of joy back to her. “We passed this way on the journey towards Sagna.”
“Thank you again for your swift action, Warmaster. Spymaster.” Loren said, smiling and nodding to the men. They smiled back, a fondness in their eyes behind layers of formality for the young princess they had raised and protected since she was a girl. “I dread what would have happened to me if you did not arrive when you did, or if you did not believe Kaiten’s tale.”
“I’ve heard many things, horrible things, about the Red Sisters of Sagna, my lady.” Isran said. The Spymaster’s hood was down, exposing long dark hair and a scar above his sharp, shrewd eyes. A coarse stubble was sprouting on his chin, the beginnings of a beard. “As soon as we heard what had happened, and where it had happened, we could not simply stay behind the steady walls of Markholme. Your father burned with a desire to come to your aid, my lady, but he had to stay at your mother’s side. We are honored that the king put such faith in us.”
Loren couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m sure he did. I can imagine what he looked like, pulling a sword out from his belt and waving it around, red in the face from screaming orders.” The princess sighed, a melancholy smile on her face. “I hope they are alright.”
The two Masters shared a look. Warmaster Sairus spoke. “They are well, my lady, but as you know, the queen…”
“Yes, I know. I came all this way for an antidote, and we did retrieve it.” The princess sighed. “I only hope she can hold on till we get there.”
“It should only take us another few days, my lady.” Spymaster Isran said, looking to the sky. “We will reach Hardwick within a few hours, rest and resupply at the Aldoran outpost there, along with getting fresh horses. Most of the men need medical care as well.”
“Please have the men seen to immediately. They fought well in Sagna, and deserve some well needed rest.” Loren said, and the Masters nodded. Warmaster Sairus kicked his horse into a trot, leading the way and attempting to rally the troops again.
The Spymaster held the reins of his horse a fraction tighter and made to follow the Warmaster to the front, when he suddenly looked back to Loren, a concerned and confused expression on his face. “My lady, if I may.”
“Yes, Spymaster? What troubles you?”
Spymaster Isran turned his sharp gaze on the princess. His expression did not change, but his eyes always looked like they
