He was a good man, once he came around, Kanin agreed. But when we first met him, I thought him quite mad.
Me too, Khollo admitted. I wish we’d had more time with him. Years and years to learn together and tell stories and rebuild the Keepers.
Ezraan is still with you, Kanin said gently. You carry him everywhere you go. You carry his memory, his teachings, some of his stories and knowledge. We will remember, and pass everything on. He will be immortalized by the new generation of Keepers that we train.
Khollo smiled sadly. I like the idea, but we have a long way to go still, Kanin. First we have to solve the problem of the vertaga, and who knows how long that will take? Then we have to clean out enough of the holds to house a few Keepers and find some human candidates . . . then there’s the matter of finding more dragon eggs! I don’t even know where we would begin to look. The northern mountains maybe, but I’d be stunned if any dragons still lived there or if any eggs had survived.
One thing at a time, Kanin rumbled. First, we must deal with the vertaga. The rest will eventually take care of itself.
Khollo nodded. You’re right. I only hope that –
The young warrior broke off as excited voices interrupted his thoughts. The voices were coming from the entrance to the underground levels. A moment later, Khollo recognized them as belonging to Sermas and Hern. The two cadets jogged up the steps and headed to the smithy, debating something furiously as they went.
The young ones seem to argue a good deal, Kanin observed.
Yes, Khollo agreed, smiling. They do. But they’re the best of friends, and they’re brave and loyal. We fought together on the roof when I was injured, you know. Hern nearly broke his head open when he got thrown by a vertaga and Sermas broke his arm trying to rescue me.
They did not do a very good job of protecting you, Kanin observed, sniffing at the armor that encased Khollo’s right side.
Khollo shrugged. We were outnumbered and overmatched. It was five or six vertaga against the three of us and my uncle, Ezraan’s brother.
Ezraan’s brother carries great sadness with him, Kanin murmured. Sorrow, and pain.
Yes, he always has, as long as I can remember anyway. But Janis is getting –
Khollo was interrupted again by Sermas and Hern, coming back from the smithy, clutching several sheaves of parchment and a few models of strange contraptions. They were still arguing furiously in lowered voices.
Kanin lowered his head to the ground again and blinked slowly. I think I will sleep some more. There is nothing else to do for the moment and whenever I’m awake the rest of the fortress is always on high alert. I do not want to be accidentally shot.
You won’t be, Khollo promised. But if you’re going to sleep again, let’s move down to our assigned battle station behind the fortress. Otherwise, when the vertaga get here, we’ll be in the wrong place and unable to move without being seen.
As you wish. Kanin stood slowly and stretched his wings, yawning cavernously. Khollo scrambled up the dragon’s foreleg and into the saddle, securing his legs only part of the way, knowing this flight would have none of the complex battle maneuvers that made the fighting straps necessary. Kanin beat his great wings slowly and they ascended over the fortress. Then the dragon wheeled abruptly and soared over the east wall, high into the blue sky, before gliding gently down towards the northern portion of the fortress.
Khollo immediately picked out the space Sermas had mentioned, close to the cliffs and a little to one side, near to the main flow of traffic but not close enough to disrupt it. Kanin landed lightly a few meters from the cliff edge, on a part of the ground composed mostly of one large, smooth rock. Kanin promptly turned in a circle, flaming the stone, and settled down, even before Khollo had slid down from his back. The young warrior dismounted, careful to avoid the near molten rock Kanin had flamed, and sat with his back against one of Kanin’s forelegs, sighing contentedly.
In the distance, Khollo could see the trap builders were still moving at a furious pace. Dirt was flying all along the northern wall, piling up in a long, low ridge. Khollo could see some men sharpening stakes. Others were carefully handing small clay jars to each other, placing them at intervals in the long trench that had been dug. Yet another group of men was swarming over the wall itself, tossing ropes back and forth. Khollo could not fathom what kinds of traps these men were building, but he was sure they were diabolical and foolproof.
Khollo leaned back and closed his eyes. The sun was pleasantly warm on his face, and Kanin made an excellent backrest. The dragon was already fast asleep, breathing deeply and emitting low, rumbling snores. Khollo dozed fitfully, occasionally waking long enough to check on the trap builders, then falling asleep again. In the late afternoon, he was gently shaken awake.
“Khollo, get up, we need to run something by you.”
Khollo opened one eye grumpily. Sermas and Hern were standing over him, looking anxious. The young warrior sighed. He had been enjoying his nap and the warmth of the sun. The sun had shifted now though and the little space by the cliff was not as comfortable as it had been. Khollo frowned and stretched, then got to his feet carefully, trying not to disturb Kanin.
“Let’s talk over here,” he muttered to the
