Dragon! Book Two: "Revenge"

CHAPTER THIRTY

The following morning Gareth had crept closer to the valley, careful to keep his mind blocked. All afternoon yesterday Belcher had issued threats again, one after another. He broadcast so many times people were reacting. Most lost sleep, but some got into fights. Tempers flared over small happenings. The entire kingdom was on edge. Squabbles turned into brawls, harsh words to fist fights.

Gareth waited for the right moment. But Belcher remained inside all day, ranting and threatening the entire day. He tried to draw Gareth out a dozen ways. Belcher said he was at the coast boarding a ship to Bitters Island. Then he said he was setting an ambush where the trail went over the mountains. He offered a truce, then another. After that he laughed about killing Ramos, trying to draw any response from Gareth.

As hard as it was, Gareth never responded. He’d told Blackie to eat his fill early, then he positioned the dragon where it could reach the valley quickly. But when Belcher never left the barn, Gareth pulled his blanket around his shoulders and slept.

The following day he was sore and miserable. Without a fire, the night had seemed longer and colder, the ache in his bones real. He again sent the dragon off to find a deer or goat or any other animal, but Gareth wanted it back in its position as fast as possible. Blackie was getting tired of sitting all day. Dragons enjoy flying, and the lack of exercise was making the animal resistive.

Gareth wanted Belcher in the open, in a place where he couldn’t run into trees or inside the barn for protection. On the dock had been perfect. Gareth started devising plans to draw Belcher out. Maybe if he went down there and stood on the end of the dock and invited Belcher to join him? No, Belcher would probably send his two boys to do his fighting.

He spent all morning thinking of various ways to make Belcher walk out on the dock alone, finding none that would work with any certainty. The problem was that he might only have one chance.

While thinking of a new method that involved leaving something Belcher might want on the dock, he heard a scream. Pulling his attention away from his thoughts, he focused on the barn. The door was thrown open, and one of the smaller boys stumbled outside and fell. Behind him stood Belcher, arms on hips and shouting angrily, although Gareth couldn’t make out the words.

Belcher grabbed the boy’s arm and pulled him to his feet. He shouted at him again and shoved. The boy stumbled out into the open area in front of the barn. The third boy emerged from the barn and stood, slack and helpless. Then another joined them.

The boy Belcher attacked half-stood and stumbled down the slope, nearer the lake. Belcher strode after, intent on striking him again. The other two did nothing to interfere, not even talking to one another. Belcher was totally in charge.

It was clear that Belcher was in a rage and boy he was beating terrified. The boy crawled to escape. He held up a protective arm, and Belcher must have directed a mental attack because the boy fell back without being physically struck.

Gareth shook himself. This is it. Belcher was in the open, almost to the lake, if not on the pier. He was in the open, and his attention focused on the boy.

“Now Blackie. Fly!”

Gareth watched as Belcher advanced on the boy a few more steps. Then he shifted to Blackie’s mind and eyes. Blackie was in the air rising higher with powerful strokes, pleased to be flying. He headed to the slot between the two mountains and as he flew ahead Gareth saw the sparkle of the lake ahead.

Gareth pulled back to his body and looked to Belcher standing over the other youth kicking him. On one hand he wanted to shout for Belcher to stop and rush down there to rescue the boy, but on the other hand, he wanted Belcher to stay distracted as Blackie approached.

Back in Blackie’s head again, Gareth felt the dragon’s lure to the excitement, and it flew between the peaks and over the summit where the two joined. Then it caught sight of the near edge of the lake and the two people.

“That one, the big one,” Gareth almost shouted inside Blackie’s head.

Gareth could have pulled away and allowed the dragon to complete the attack without him at that point, but no way was he going to do that. Gareth had to make sure it went right. The was his chance.

Blackie folded his wings partially back and started his dive, neck extended and toes curled. His elevation fell, but so did the slope below. The dragon stayed just high enough over the tops of the trees that his down strokes would clear. His eyes focused on the larger boy, the one standing and nothing else.

It would be over in a few heartbeats. Blackie approached from behind Belcher. Then, the boy on the ground screamed in terror and pointed. His finger told Belcher where to look.

Blackie spread his wings to slow, and as he did, his rear talons reached out to grab Belcher just as they had grabbed a thousand deer, goats, and sheep. The talons were spread, the feet extended, and as Blackie swept a powerful stroke to fly away, the talons wrapped around empty air as Belcher dived to one side.

In Blackie’s eyes, Gareth knew the dragon missed, but he’d lost his forward speed and had to flap his wings hard to remain in the air. Gareth pulled back into his own body to see what happened.

Belcher had either seen or sensed the dragon and had dived to the ground and rolled to the edge of the water. He scrambled into the water, diving and swimming in the direction of the dock.

Back in Blackie’s mind again, Gareth let the dragon recover without interference. Blackie had missed snagging wild game before and knew how to twist and turn to make another pass. Gareth’s good intentioned help would only slow the dragon.

After a turn, so quick Gareth believed Blackie might fall into the water, the dragon was again pointed at Belcher, who was nearing the dock. The dragon dived again, this time at the wooden dock, where he reached out with his mouth and tore a section free right in front of Belcher free and tossed it aside.

Blackie splashed down, his teeth snapping and slashing. Belcher turned, but Blackie’s mouth closed on him

“No,” Gareth shouted.

But Blackie was too busy to listen. Dragons don’t like water, at least they don’t like swimming, but the water was shallow, and Blackie was wading ashore in water that came no higher than his hips, Belcher held in his mouth. Alive.

Gareth could feel Belcher wriggling and pounding on the mouth of Blackie and was briefly tempted to order the dragon to bite down, but didn’t. He didn’t want to be any part of killing the boy, and he didn’t want word of a dragon eating a person to circulate.

One glance ahead revealed that the other three boys had fled into the barn. The beach and grass outside the barn were empty. Once on land, Blackie’s long neck turned and carried Belcher near his hind foot, where the talons encircled the boy. With a feeling of accomplishment, the dragon flapped his wings and flew low and fast over the water.

Gareth stayed with the dragon, almost wishing to leave long enough to shout for joy. But his job was not yet completed.

He told Blackie, “Over the pass. You know where.”

The dragon flew higher and higher, heading east, where the mountains pass lay. It would take most of the rest of the day to cross it, but Blackie wouldn’t stop.

Gareth reached out to the Brother. “I have good news.”

*Tell me.*

“Belcher is no longer a threat. Tell the general to bring his men to me. I have three boys for him to gather and turn over to you.”

*I hear Belcher in my mind. He’s screaming, can’t you hear him?*

“I have him blocked out. But it will cease very soon. I have to go now but will explain all to you later.”

Gareth broke the link and touched Blackie’s mind again. The dragon was flying high and fast. Gareth pulled back to his body and drew in a relieved breath to steel himself for his next job. He reached out and found Tad’s mind.

“Yes, Grandpa?”

“I will need your help after sundown. Tell your mother, please.”

“What will you need?”

“You know how you helped me talk across the mountains? I need the same to talk to Blackie tonight. Can you do that?”

Tad was more than willing. Blackie would be fine for a while. Gareth would touch his mind now and then, and he gave Blackie permission to bite a little harder if Belcher kept kicking and hitting Blackie on the lips and mouth. A little more pressure and Belcher would understand. Or, Blackie could drop him. That idea would dawn on Belcher, soon.

Gareth stood and stretched sore and stiff muscles. Now came a task he looked forward to, even if it didn’t initially turn out the way he’d like. He reached out and found three terrified boys hiding in the barn. He could probably go in there and round them up, but it would scare them so much he didn’t know what the consequences might be.

If he couldn’t convince them to come out, the army could round them up when it arrived, but he wanted to try, first. He decided to tell them a story. The story of his intentions. He touched their minds and revolted at the fear they lived with. The second time he went to them softer, and in a gentle tone told them Belcher was in the mouth of a great black dragon.

All three shivered, believing they were next. Gareth almost laughed at how badly he’s accomplished the first part of his explanation. So he walked down to the open door of the barn and shouted, hoping for a better explanation as he called, “In the village where you all lived, no mental thoughts can escape because of the mountains surrounding it. That is where I’m sending Belcher with my dragon.”

“Belcher knows how to cross the mountains again.” One called.

Another shouted, “What’s to keep him there?”

“Blackie.”

“Your dragon?”

“Yes. He’ll live in that desert while Belcher is alive. Once Belcher finds that each time he leaves those buildings down there, Blackie will grab him and fly him back again, Belcher will remain in the valley.

None had moved or shown themselves. Gareth sensed at least one was preparing to run. The boy who had shouted second did so again, “Belcher has others do all his work. He will torture our mothers and make them slaves.”

“Belcher can live back there or not, but he will be alone. I’ve sent everyone else away; all of them. He’ll have to grow his own food and raise the animals, but if he does not, and dies, that cannot be my fault. He has food, shelter and glowing water.”

There were no more shouts from the barn. The one who was going to flee had calmed. Finally, there were whispers, and then a new voice called out, “You promise he won’t make us hurt anymore?”

Gareth called softer, “We know that none of this was your fault. I have arranged new homes for you, places where you will be healed, fed, and have warm beds.”

A boy of about six stepped into view, holding the broken handle of a rake or hoe ready to defend himself. “Why should we believe you?”

“Because the three of you and me are alike.” Gareth held out his empty hands to show them. “I want you to touch my mind. In there I cannot lie, as you already know.”

“You’re going to let us inside?” the boy asked as if puzzled that Gareth would allow it. While in there they could attack him.

They could try. Gareth locked and hid a portion of his mind, then reached out and invited the boy to touch his mind. Instantly Gareth felt the clumsy intrusion, the groping, and questioning, and then he felt the boy retreat.

“He’s telling the truth,” the boy said, letting the handle fall to the floor.

Two others stepped into sight. One of them said, “Belcher?”

Gareth reached out to Blackie and forwarded the image to all three boys. They exchanged looks. One fell to his knees and cried. Gareth spent the afternoon cleaning wounds and reassuring the boys all would be well as he wished he’d have kept Ann with him to help. He shared the little food he had but found a hoard inside the barn reserved for Belcher and they made a feast of it.

Gareth touched the mind of the Brother who was arriving with the troops. He’d warn the boys, but already there was a trust building between them. To the Brother, he said, “I have one more task I’d like to ask of you.”

*One may always ask, even if it is not granted.*

Just like the answers when he was a child. Gareth laughed before continuing, “I want the mountain pass closed off for a hundred years. I also want any other passes closed off. There will be three more.”

*I suggest that you ask the Sisterhood to do that. They are warriors who live in the forests and love to travel to new lands. They will embrace it, I’m sure.*

He was right. Ann might even take part. She knew where to look for the trails leading to the other civilizations out there. She might even wish to visit them. Gareth wanted that pass closed for a hundred years, he’d decided. Especially to young women who might have babies who would grow into the Sisterhood or Brotherhood. No more glowing water to drink for unsuspecting mothers would guarantee that.

And no more Belchers. The End.