Dragon! Book Two: "Revenge"

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Tad had held up ten fingers, one for each mental voice he heard. Gareth was back the beginning. Only ten people in total, unless Ann’s guess about not being able to communicate with them was correct. Neither of the two choices struck him as desirable.

Ann still faced him, her posture telling him she waited for a response. He said, “We have to go see for ourselves.”

“We may not like it.”

“Meaning?” Gareth demanded.

She shrugged, “Meaning that right now there only appears to be two answers, and you’re not going to like either of them. If there is a third, it may be worse.”

“What do we do?”

“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” Ann shrugged and stood as if the issue was not a priority for her. She shook out her hair and began unrolling blankets and spreading supplies on them. A remarkably large pile of firewood had been gathered while he had been thinking and speaking. A few droplets of rain fell, and the heavy clouds promised more. A hot fire would be needed to warm and dry them. Of course, as the temperature fell the rain might turn to snow.

Maybe she didn’t understand the problem. Or, more likely, she did understand and was more pragmatic in her thinking process. She knew the issues, and possible options, including accepting that there may be an option neither of them had yet considered.

Instead of helping, Gareth allowed his mind to open slightly and found a tendril of inquiry waiting for him. At the slightest touch, the identity made itself known. It was Belcher—waiting. Gareth searched for the other voice, the piggy-backed one, as Tad described it. He couldn’t identify it.

*Gareth, we should talk.*

His first impulse was to shut down the communication. Instead, he said in his most reasonable and nonjudgmental tone, “What subject would that be?”

*The future. OUR future.*

Belcher had changed his usual tone to one oily and slick, his thoughts overly sweet and indicating unstated promises and close friendships. It was a new tactic. Again, Gareth compared it to a child offering another child false friendship if they could share a sweet. He almost expected Belcher to offer a life-long friendship. But all the same, Belcher was talking, and maybe Gareth could learn something useful. He held up his index finger and let it remain in the air, telling Tad and Ann he needed quiet while he talked.

“What do you think the future might be?” Gareth kept his tone civil.

*You and me. We rule like kings. Equals.*

“What do you mean, we ‘rule’? Explain that to me, please.”

There was a pause as if Belcher was trying to think of an answer Gareth might like in advance of speaking. *Equals. Like partners.*

“I get that part. What about ‘ruling’?”

*We live in a big castle and when we want something people will bring it to us.*

The response revealed far more information than Gareth expected. Belcher did not understand what ruling meant in the sense of a leader. There were times when the King had the most difficult job in the kingdom and worked the hardest for his people. Belcher’s answer revealed that he understood none of that. It also revealed he knew nothing of caring for those he ruled. It was all about Belcher and his comfort, and if he thought he could convince Gareth that they would share equally in their rule, he was mistaken. At the first disagreement, or before, Belcher would try to kill him. It was as simple as that.

But there was no sense in making the boy angrier—at least not without a purpose. Gareth said, “Listen, I’ll consider your kind offer, but right now I have to do some things.”

He didn’t wait for Belcher to agree or not, Gareth cut the connection and closed it down. Tad was watching him intently, and he realized he still held his finger in the air. “Sorry, I was talking.”

“I know. I heard.”

That was again unexpected. Gareth flinched and decided he had to learn to be more aware of Tad. This was the fifth or sixth time Tad had heard what he should not have. “All of it?”

“Yes. Did you feel the other boy?”

Hesitating, Gareth shook his head. There had only been Belcher speaking.

“The boy Belcher used to make his voice stronger so it would go over the mountains. You could hear sort of an echo when he spoke. It was there all the time. I could feel him hurting but not talking. I think Belcher was hurting him.”

“Hurting him, how?”

“I don’t know. He wanted to cry but was scared Belcher would not like that. He was trying hard not to cry.”

Gareth said, “You got all that during our conversation?”

“You were listening to the words. I heard it all. I don’t know how to say it.”

Ann stepped closer. “I know how to say it. We’re all tired. We eat and then we sleep beside a warm fire. All of us needs to watch the fire tonight because building one in the morning with wet wood will be impossible.”

Gareth was about to protest and tell her he knew as much about keeping a fire going as she when he realized that although she looked at him, she was speaking to Tad. A clever way of teaching. As usual, he was impressed with the woman. No, not as usual. He couldn’t think of a time when he had not been impressed with her.

“I’ll try to wake up and watch it,” Gareth said. “Each time I roll over or hear a strange animal I’ll toss a few pieces of wood on the fire.”

“Me too,” Tad agreed.

The sun was setting and the fire now burning cheerfully. They huddled close, and Tad began asking questions about the stars. Where are they in the day, is the moon a bigger star, and what are they made of? One question after another, most of which Gareth couldn’t answer. In the middle of the one-sided conversation, Blackie reached out to comfort himself with a last touch of Gareth’s mind before it went to sleep.

Tad said in response, “Goodnight, Blackie.”

Blackie seemed to accept the communication as normal, almost as if the two communicated more often, and Gareth realized maybe they did. The dragon and his grandson accepted their communication in ways he didn’t yet understand, despite his age. How long had that been going on? It appeared the relationship was not recent, yet he’d had no idea.

After Tad had fallen asleep, Gareth lay awake lost in deep thought. Tad was far more special than he’d known, and his potential was unlimited. If Belcher became aware of Tad, he would be jealous and vengeful, if not outright fearful. Gareth had to keep the boy a secret from him.

“Are you awake?”

Ann’s question surprised him. “Yes.”

“Can you sense Tad and assure he’s asleep?”

“He is.”

Her voice was low and soft, coming from the shadows under a tree on the other side of the fire. She said, “You’re worried. I can’t even comprehend all that must be on your mind, but you have to control yourself with the boy. He takes on your worries and problems as if they are his own. When the two of us were talking . . . Well, it was like talking directly to you.”

“I haven’t tried to influence him, other than what a grandfather should.”

“Not on purpose, but I suspect he’s in your mind more than you realize. Correct me if you wish, but Tad’s more powerful than you were at his age.”

Gareth had decided when they started this journey together that he either had to trust her or leave her behind. Trusting her meant few secrets, and those he shared would remain between them. Since she had no immediate family, he had also decided to speak to Sara about Ann living with the family after this was all over. She was a good woman, and her presence would enhance their family no matter where they chose to live after the emergency.

Emergency. The word had sprung into his mind. He’d never thought of it as an emergency, but in truth it was. Belcher changed everything, and now Tad was threatening to do the same. He looked up at the stars as he laid on his back and thought, but Ann required an answer.

“At his age, I was barely aware of my powers. However, I was restricted to a small village high in the mountains. I suspect many of my powers were restricted by the mountains, although I’ve never thought of it before now. The Brotherhood knew, I’m sure.”

“So his powers may be because he is allowed to use them instead of being held back.”

“Yes, I think you’re right. Even at his age he has more developed abilities than me. He seems to have ‘listening’ abilities far beyond mine, as well as a better fundamental understanding. Did you know he talks to Blackie?”

“I thought only you could do that.”

“Me too. I just found out tonight when they said good-night to each other.”

“Nobody else can talk to your dragon?”

“Maybe since they lived together on Bitters Island and Blackie was aware of him since birth they developed a relationship. I don’t know. Maybe because he is my grandson he shares some common mental links. Words are failing me.”

“I think I understand.”

Gareth took the time to watch the sky as a streak of white drew his attention. He muttered the required prayer for the fallen without conscious thought. He didn’t really believe a brave warrior had just died, but the action reminded him of those who had passed in his life, which brought him back to thinking about his father and Ramos. A change of subject was needed.

“I have a question for you. I have seen almost no vermin or insects on our trip. Not a single mosquito bite.”

“That is a statement, not a question. But you’re right. I am so used to running them off that I don’t even think about it anymore. Is that a problem for you?”

“Only if you cannot teach me to do it. I’ve known about it for years, but never tried to learn.”

Ann shrugged, “I cannot do what you do. You cannot do what I can with animals.”

“I talk to Blackie.”

“You’re bonded. He imprinted on you when he hatched. You cannot speak to, or influence, other animals, like the rats and bats at the ship.”

“It is a handy ability.”

“More so for farmers, who most of the Sisterhood is married to. We’re valuable on a farm, although many of the men think they are great at what they do and never realize it is their wives who are making the animals graze in the right pastures.”

Gareth said, “They live their whole lives a lie?”

“We do not consider it a lie to help our spouse as he tries to provide for the family. The man is out in the wet, cold, heat and dealing with unruly oxen and sheep that wander away. Sisters provide assistance, the same as if they cook a nice meal that their husband and family enjoys. Does she have to share her recipes with him? We are also good hunters. We consider it part of the marriage.”

While thinking about her explanation he dozed. Waking later, he found the fire low and tossed on smaller sticks to catch first, then larger. In the light of the expanding flames, he noticed the glint in Ann’s eyes as she watched him. He ignored her and went back to his blankets while wondering if he had awoken her or if she was lying awake all night.

He was not the only one worried at what the next day would bring. With all that dwelled on his mind he fell asleep again, this time not waking until dawn. Ann was already feeding the fire and Tad was still sleeping soundly.

“Good morning,” she said softly. “This is the day we get answers, and I’m excited and scared at the same time.”