Dragon! Book Two: "Revenge"

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Ann still held Tad in her arms as she looked at Gareth in the moonlight. “Do you have any idea of what that is?”

“He wants me to charge into that valley ready to fight him. He’s waiting, his traps set. I doubt if I’d last the morning if I went there.”

“So what will you do? Sail back to your little island and hide? Join your family hoping for the best?”

Gareth shrugged, but a sly smile escaped. He jutted his chin at the mountains. “You’re right. There is no place around here to hide. He’ll seek me out no matter where I go.”

“Then what will you do? Abandon us?”

His smile grew more intense, but behind it was a touch of cynical intensity. “Remember that pass through the mountains you told me about? The one he came through?”

“Of course.”

“Belcher came from there.”

“I know that,” her voice grew more frustrated with each word.

“We have no idea of what’s across that pass. We know he came from there and that he brought at least four other boys with sensitive powers with him. I wonder why he crossed the mountains and came here. What happened over there that made him undertake a dangerous and hard trip?”

Ann obviously had never thought of the idea. Her jaw went slack, and her eyes held that far-off look that indicates deep concentration. Ann pulled herself back and said, “What good will that do? I mean going there.”

Gareth shrugged but maintained a sly smile he didn’t try to hide. “You know what? I don’t know what good it will do. But if Belcher is left unchecked our whole world loses. No, loses is not the right word. It dies, along with thousands of good people and it may not end there.”

“Why? Why is Belcher so determined to ruin everything?”

“The answer may lie across that pass.”

Ann said, “I have to ask. Are you sure you’re not just running away?”

“Am I scared? For my family and me? The simple answer is yes I am. Look, if I go to that valley and try to fight him, I’ll lose. He wants me there. Hell, he has almost forced me to attack him.”

“What changed?”

“He came to me when I went after Ramos, but you already know that. When I asked him why he acted this way, he answered. But his answer was coated in his fury, the kind of unreasonable unfounded anger of a young child. He wanted to kill Ramos because I ‘ruined’ him and because Ramos ‘likes’ me.”

“Likes you? What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure, but we’ll take Ramos with us and maybe find out.”

Ann looked at Tad, then away. “You’re assuming I’m going with you.”

“I don’t expect you’re going to back out when it gets hard. Yes, I’m depending on you.”

She pulled her blanket around her shoulders and turned away, ending anything else he might still want to say. Gareth looked up at the stars while thinking.

He almost missed her whisper. “We need to get an early start to cross that pass.”

Gareth woke hours later feeling no more rested than when he’d fallen asleep. It was still dark, but Ann was up and moving around quietly. She was gathering her things and rolling her blanket. She was not building a fire, which was telling. She wanted to depart. Gareth stood on sore and stiff legs. His head felt bloated, and his confidence that had been so high last night was suddenly lower than his knees.

She grunted at him in greeting. Gareth grunted back as he woke Ramos. He reached out with his mental tendril tethered to Ramos and questioned. The boy was sleepy and hungry. Below those basic needs were others. He found warmth and security, or the analogies of each. Underlying the fear and confusion came those new responses.

Pulling back, Gareth felt even more confused. He had not said a kind word to Ramos since his capture and certainly had never communicated any love or respect. It was confusing. He watched Ann mix her medicine with water.

Tad was awake and moving slowly, like all small boys when they wake before dawn and are prompted by adults to hurry. The sky was becoming lighter although there was no sign of the sun as yet.

Ann said, “We need food and clothing. It will be cold in the mountains.”

“It’ll take days to go back and gather what we need. But I have an idea,” Gareth said but explained no further. He’d need to request the help of the Brotherhood later, or the help of one Brother he thought of as a friend.

Before departing, Gareth closed his eyes and allowed his mind to seek out the world, or what he knew of it. In the din of thousands of people thinking, he found humor, peace, love, irritation, and anger. But little hate, fear, or murderous thoughts. Even among the criminal aspects of society there was more good than not.

However, in his short foray into the masses, he did identify a wife who contemplated poisoning a husband who beat her. Did he have the right to share her secret thoughts with others? Should he? Did he have the right?

That had been the subject discussed most often with his father. The fine line where actions should be taken, and where they should not. If he asked the husband or one like him, they would say he should warn them. If he asked wives who were beaten by their husbands, he would receive a very different answer. Which was right? Was there a right? Yet doing nothing was a choice, too.

“Gareth, are you going to sit there all day long?”

He opened his eyes to find Ann packed and ready to move. Gareth held up an index finger and closed his eyes again. This time, he searched for the Brother he wanted to speak with but found nothing. He was still sleeping, and although Gareth could wake him, he refrained.

Neither of the boys complained about being hungry. The fish last night had filled them but before long, as all growing boys do, they would complain. The last of the food they brought with them was nearly gone.

He said, “Strangely, I’m looking forward to this.”

“Walking uphill for days while you’re hungry and freezing sounds like a good time to you?” Ann’s tone and sour words told him her opinion of his decision.

“I guess it’s the wonder of what is over the next hill. We have no idea. Since Blackie and I bonded I’ve known almost everything about where we live, who supports the King, who does not. I see and hear the world as a vast crowd with few secrets and help where I can. But things got out of balance so fast I’m scared to do much of anything.”

As they started walking on the road, the two boys walked ahead. Ann said, “Explain that if you will.”

“Balance is what I term the way the world works. A power-hungry king may throw off the balance, at least for a while. But for most things, if they are left alone the balance soon returns. Now and then a nudge is needed.”

Ann said, “If fishermen take too many fish from one part of the sea there are not enough fish for them the next year so they go somewhere else to fish. In time the fish return.”

“That’s a good way to look at it. In the long term, only a few things need to be changed because most will work themselves out.”

“But in your explanation you mentioned a power-hungry king.”

“Yes, there are times when steps need to be taken. But even then, the consequences have to be considered. For instance, if the power-hungry king is somehow removed from his position and replaced with the next in royal line, suppose that next person is weak and cares little for his people. In the larger consideration, which was better for the kingdom?”

The road climbed through a tunnel in the overhanging trees. Looking ahead, massive trees lined both sides of the dirt road, and the underbrush growing to the sides. Above the road spread the intertwined branches of trees from both sides. Little direct sunlight ever reached the road, but bright blue patches of sky could be seen through the few openings.

Peering ahead looked like a green tunnel without end, always rising. The slope was not yet steep, but already the calves of Gareth’s legs protested. The boys walked without complaining, although at a pace slower than Gareth would walk if he were alone. But he accepted it and adjusted.

A slight twinge in his mind drew his attention. He lowered his protection slightly and found the Brother he had wanted to speak with searching for him. He said out loud, “We have to pause here.”

Gareth sat on the bare dirt of the empty road and closed his eyes. The mental voice of the Brother filled his mind. “Brother, do you wish to speak with me?”

*I do, Gareth. As you requested, I found one of the Sisterhood early this morning on the road and passed on the message from Ann. She became very excited and rushed off to notify others.*

“The Brotherhood?”

*I have also passed on your request to them, but the response was initially more reserved.*

“Initially?”

*They are less accepting but willing to consider.*

“The King?”

*He too may be reluctant at first, but after the wailing, threats, and anger we all felt last night things may quickly change.*

Gareth had forgotten the fit of anger Belcher had broadcast while speaking to Gareth. All sensitives heard it, even those with the barest measure of talent. They might not know what they were feeling and hearing, but they knew it was unpleasant.

Gareth said, “I have to make a personal request of you. You may share the information with the Brotherhood so there will be no test of loyalties.”

*If I can be of service?*

“I need you to gather food for traveling, you know the kind I mean. I also require four heavy cloaks, three the size for small boys, and also warm blankets. Tie all of it in a single package and place it in the middle of a field or pasture. Can you do that for me?”

*Of course. Can you explain?”*

“My dragon will collect it and fly it to me.”

*The reason you require these things?*

“The voice you heard last night is that of a boy named Belcher. He thinks of himself as The Master. He came from across the mountains. I have to go there and try to find his roots.”

*You make me proud, Gareth. Instead of fighting and possibly losing your life in the battle you are seeking out information to use for his defeat. This makes all those days we sat in the shade at Dun Mare studying history worthwhile. I will go gather what you need.*

Gareth broke the connection and stood in one motion. He was ready to move. He also knew that Belcher would soon learn of his intentions. Belcher knew the general area where Gareth had been the night before, and he would be waiting for Gareth to charge into the valley where his father had lived. If not today, tomorrow.

When Gareth didn’t show, he’d wonder why. Either that, or he would begin picking at as many minds as he could find until he discovered one that provided the information Gareth had shared with the Brotherhood, Sisterhood, and King.

What would Belcher do then? That was the question. Would Belcher leave his fortified position and chase after Gareth? Would he remain in hiding and wait for Gareth to return? Or, would he go on a rampage and begin his conquest of the entire kingdom? There was no way to know the correct answer.

Ann said, “Are you ready to travel?”

“Yes. I want to move very fast in case Belcher decides to try catching us. Blackie will deliver cloaks and blankets later. And food.”

“Food?” Tad asked, a smile suddenly on his face. He winked at Ramos.

Gareth returned the smile but noticed Ramos looked happier, too. On impulse, he said, “Ramos, how are you doing this fine morning?”

A curt nod and the hint of a smile was more response than Gareth expected. They all walked a little faster. A while later the Brother imprinted an image of a large field of grass that was probably a farmer’s pasture that would be cut as hay soon. A bundle was located near the center.

Gareth contacted Blackie and passed on the image, along with instructions to fly it to the road they walked on. Blackie eagerly agreed. He was lonely and wanted to be near Gareth where he belonged.

Ann, Gareth, and the two boys continued their trek while Gareth watched for a place where a dragon the size of Blackie could safely land and take off again. By mid-morning the trees that had been so large and plentiful changed to smaller trees, more pine, fir, and cedar. Then suddenly they were walking almost in the open. There were still trees, but they were thinner and smaller.

The road they followed had narrowed to a path that barely allowed them to walk two across. Grass, flowers, and small shrubs grew on it as if very few feet passed this way. If left alone a year or two it would disappear into the forest. Gareth hadn’t seen the print of a horse, mule, or man since early morning.

He touched Blackie’s mind briefly and found him flying high and easy, a bundle gripped in his rear claws. Gareth looked through the dragon’s eyes and looked at the jagged mountains directly ahead. He could not tell where the pass was located, but Blackie could sense Gareth and fly to him. In the instant, he was with Blackie he hadn’t watched where he walked and almost fell.

Ann caught him. She said, “Are you with us or somewhere else?”

“I’m back.”

“You know we can stop when you need to do that.”

He was twenty years older than her, but she still treated him like a twenty-year-old as would everyone he’d meet for the rest of his life. She would grow older and still treat him the same way, but he would never experience the same with others, except in his imagination. Oddly, the turn of events last night had invigorated him.

In his heart, he’d known that charging into a confrontation with Belcher had been foolish and dangerous. Only his stubbornness and the lack of an alternative plan kept him heading for the valley. The idea of crossing the mountains gave him new hope and if nothing else, it was not what Belcher wanted, so he had to be the better choice.

Ann said, “What will we find over there?”

“Do you know anyone who has ever crossed those mountains?”

“Nobody. I didn’t even know of the pass until you mentioned it. I’d heard a rumor or two, but that was it.”

They trudged ahead, all of them getting hungry and tired as they trudged onward. The roadbed had turned from packed dirt to a rocky path strewn with fallen trees, large rocks, and holes large enough to swallow a foot and part of a leg. The thinner air made breathing harder, and the chill was notably colder despite the bright sunlight.

Gareth tensed as he felt the approach of Blackie. The dragon was still too far away to see, but Gareth decided to watch the others for their reactions if any. First, Tad began looking up. A short time later Ramos tilted his head as if confused. Ann didn’t react at all.

“Fly ahead of us and drop the package you’re carrying. No, wait.” Gareth had the image of the contents scattered all over the road as the strings the bound it burst. “Land on the road ahead where it looks safe, and wait for us.”

Blackie didn’t respond in words. Dragons were far too stupid to speak, but he did generate positive feelings that Gareth understood. Gareth also understood that his dragon often misunderstood the most basic instructions, and he would have to keep a close eye to make sure the delivery was made as he wanted.

It was not Blackie’s fault. The creature was incapable of complex directions, and even simple ones were often misunderstood or ignored. The way to get a dragon to do as you wished was to offer food or other rewards, much like you would do to a growing puppy. Gareth would tell it that a delicious goat was the reward. Blackie loved eating goat over all other animals.

Gareth could also offer affection, which was what he now did. Blackie wanted to be near him. They had been apart the last few days unlike any since their bonding and Blackie was confused and wanted Gareth’s attention.

A long dry stick lying beside the road drew his attention. He picked it up and used it as a staff, but his intention was to scratch places on Blackie’s skin that were hard to reach. Ann cast a look but then ignored him, using her energy to suck in gasps of the thin, cold mountain air, but she never complained.

Tad was now actively searching the sky for Blackie, which was not unexpected since the dragon had been close by him since long before his birth. However, Ramos showed signs of being agitated and fearful. He also looked at the sky several times, but the tension in his body said he was ready to flee.

Gareth said, loud enough for all to hear, “Blackie will fly over us soon. He will land ahead on the road, and he has supplies, including food. There’s no reason to be scared.”

Ann, still walking at his side nodded. Tad said, “I know.”

Ramos pulled to a stop, causing them all to halt. He turned and spotted the black dot in the sky that was Blackie. The boy was near panic.

Gareth reached out with his mind, issuing calming, safe emotions. When Ramos began to feel serene, Gareth changed his thoughts to welcoming and friendly. When the dragon was flying over them, the feelings were happy anticipation. Ramos watched and smiled.

It was not often that Gareth could change the basic ways of someone’s thinking, not that he’d tried very often. In the young mind of Ramos, he found a hidden kindness and affection for animals that is usually present only in farmers and animal trainers.

Gareth was congratulating himself when the mind of Belcher struck like the waves on a tropical beach before a storm. Huge waves of mental power attacked one after the other, waves without words, but filled with hate and anger. Closing down his mind prevented harm from Belcher, but also caused him to use part of his energy to partially pull back from Ramos and Tad.

A single thought exploded in his mind.

*You’re crossing the mountains!*