Dragon Clan #2: Raymer's Story

CHAPTER TWENTY

The dragon relayed its anger by announcing its presence with another screech that must have alerted the tower guards. Uniformed men ran or shouted. Others appeared, many holding weapons. As the dragon swept low over the west wall, the streets and squares of the castle were locations of chaos. The entire castle had erupted like an ant pile kicked by a child.

The dragon reared its head back and prepared to spit at the running figures.

Raymer shouted out loud, “No!”

He must also have ‘shouted’ in his mind. Confused, the dragon flew higher and passed completely over the castle without killing anyone. Farms and fields spread below, but even there he saw men running for shelter from the beast overhead. The dragon screamed again, a long piercing sound that drew the attention of all.

The river. Fly back to the river. Raymer fought to regain some control of the situation. He wanted to attack the castle and draw in the army, but he didn’t want to kill innocent people. The dragon ignored his first requests, but as they turned to demands, he started a high, wide turn. Raymer complimented the dragon for it, trying to calm it.

The dragon flew to the river, and Raymer managed to get it flying in the direction of the castle again. The west wall was almost an extension of the cliff. Bare walls rose, and there were few windows. He told the dragon, Attack the wall. Spit at it.

The dragon unleashed, flew at the wall and Raymer heard five of the hollow pock noises dragons made when they spit. Black splattered on the tan colored walls, but nothing happened other than a hazy smoke drifting upwards. It would leave a stain, but that was all. The dragon flew past the rampart again, and fewer people were in sight. Those few he saw were either hiding and peeking from cover or attempting to hide.

Raymer watched through the eyes of the dragon as if he watched through his own. He didn’t take the time to think about how odd it was, or a hundred other questions. Instead, he watched for an open flame, one without people too near. One touch to the dragon spit, and it’d turn into a ball of fire.

He couldn’t find a flame that fit his needs, a place where nobody would get hurt. However, since a dragon had pushed in the wall of the dungeon, he searched where a wall might be weak. Against one inside wall surrounding the castle, Raymer saw it rise three stories high. A wall that high was probably weaker than others.

There. He pointed the dragon at the inside of the wall and to his surprise felt no hesitation. The dragon turned and flew where he looked. Only a few people were on the rampart near there, and they fled in panic as the dragon dropped from the sky.

Raymer felt it land with a solid thud. Without pausing, the dragon threw itself against the stone wall, chest first. The wall shook, and a few massive blocks toppled. The dragon rammed it again, and an entire section of wall collapsed. A torch lay in the rubble, the flame flickering then catching fire to a piece of nearby wood that may have been the leg of a chair.

At the same time, a pain sharp and fierce struck. Raymer wailed as the dragon wailed. The dragon spun, finding a spear sticking out of a leg. The thrower of the spear was a frightened soldier only ten paces away, with nowhere to go. He was trapped in a corner.

The dragon drew its head back, ready to snap him in half with a mouthful of jagged teeth. The man stood no chance. But instead of cowering, he attacked by charging the dragon with his fists. He was frightened, but brave.

Do not spit on him or bite him. Raymer glanced beyond the soldier and saw others wielding spears heading in their direction. Fly away. Go now.

The dragon took a few steps at the weaponless soldier and leaped over his head, wings flapping. Raymer looked at the torch and told the dragon, Spit at that.

The dragon turned its head and emitted one pock sound. A flash of black entered, and vanished from his vision in an instant. The torch ignited in an orange ball of flame.

Raymer found himself sitting up in bed, the men in the room asking a dozen questions at once. Ander held onto his upper arm and shaking him.

“You screamed,” Fleet said.

Ander looked scared. “What’s happening?”

Raymer shouted, “We’re attacking the castle. Let me lay down and leave me alone. I’m fine.”

Raymer touched the dragon’s mind again. He saw that the dragon had in a very short time, flown away from the castle, across the river, where there were fields of corn and grain. A small farm lay directly below, a cabin with smoke rising from a chimney.

Fly low over that house. Scream when we get close.

The dragon spun, losing altitude in the process and flying right at the farmhouse. It screeched, and a man and woman appeared in the doorway. They ran back inside. Raymer cursed himself for what he was about to do. Fly low and rip off the roof.

The dragon made another pass, colliding with the roof so hard part of the house collapsed. A man and woman emerged screaming in terror, racing for the shelter of the barn. When they were clear, Raymer ordered Spit on it. Spit on the house.

The house ignited and balls of flames erupted, the rising dark and evil smoke. Raymer felt regret but locked his mind on attracting the army to massacre he wanted to prevent. He also promised to repay the farmer for the house. It would be taken care of as soon as he met with Quint.

Fly back to the castle. Raymer waited for the dragon to turn. The spears were a threat when the dragon was on the ground, and arrows when it flew too low. His next attack needed to protect the dragon more than he had.

His mind flashed red. Pain shot through Raymer so hard he felt dizzy. He realized it was not his pain, but the dragon’s. He’d forgotten about the spear. The dragon turned its head and looked at its front shoulder where the haft of a spear hung.

Land anywhere it looks safe, Raymer ordered. The dragon immediately slowed and circled a pasture containing a dozen cows and a few horses. The animals fled to the far reaches near the fence and watched with terrified eyes.

The dragon landed on all four feet. However, the front left nearly collapsed in pain. The dragon reached down with an angry snap and found the spear. The dragon grabbed it with its teeth and yanked the spear free, then screamed in pain, again. Blood ran freely, but already the wound felt better. The dragon twisted its head, and a long tongue flicked out and licked.

Look around. Make sure we’re alone.

The dragon lifted its head and carefully examined the area beyond the pasture. All looked well. The dragon went back to licking its wound.

Raymer released the mental grip on the dragon and looked through his own eyes. He saw the ceiling of the room at the inn. The old man Henry, Ander, and Fleet were all standing beside the bed, a worried expression on their faces. He smiled.

“The dragon took a spear in the leg, but it’ll be fine. We attacked the castle and drew attention. We started one fire there and then we burned a small house down between the castle and King Ember’s men. I have to go back, soon.”

Fleet said, “Have you done enough damage to draw the entire army to the castle?”

“No. The only thing I can think of is to keep attacking and hope that the army responds.”

“The dragon attack will only need the palace forces to defend against you. It will not draw in the army, will it?” Fleet asked. “You may have to kill and hurt many people to draw the armies in from their assignments.”

Ander said, “You once told me that word travels the backroads faster than we could move so we had to stay hidden. What if you locate the invading army and begin attacking it? Won’t people between the army and castle flee to the castle for protection?”

Raymer sat up and touched Ander’s arm. “That’s it!”

“Drink this,” the old man placed a mug of ale in his hands.

Once the mug was empty, Raymer closed his eyes and laid back down. The mental touch of the dragon came easier each time. He found the creature still cleaning the wound, but in good spirits—as much as he could determine for a dragon.

The flight had been long, and the dragon was hungry. Cows stood in frozen fear in the far corner of the pasture. Take one, Raymer ordered.

The barn and farmhouse further away had not shown any sign of people, although they were probably huddled inside. It would be another debt Quint would have to pay.

The dragon became alert at his suggestion. It spotted one closer than the others. The cow stood at twenty steps away, by the way, Raymer measured distance. He expected the dragon to ease closer and spring.

It did not. Raymer felt the dragon muscles tense. The dragon shot across the pasture to the cow in a single movement, its head far out in front of its body on the long neck, teeth slashing. The cow was down.

Raymer pulled himself away from the sickening tearing of the first bite.

He opened his eyes at the inn. “The dragon is eating a cow. Quint will have to repay people for the damage we’re doing to innocent bystanders.”

Ander said, “I do not believe that will be a problem. His father, the Earl, will not only pay the costs, but I’m sure he will reward you as well. If the situation were reversed, my father would gladly do those things.”

“When I reach the mind of the dragon again we are going to search for King Ember’s army. Any ideas?”

Of all people, it was Henry who nodded. “I used to be in the army long ago, but things don’t change much, I’m thinking. Ander told me how they’re sneaking up on the castle and taking prisoners, all spread out to remain hidden. That works well to a point, but there’s a place where they have agreed to meet. A place and a time.”

“I don’t understand,” Raymer said.

“They‘re all spread out, man. If they attack without massing and timing, the attack will take place over two or three days, with small groups fighting as they arrive on the scene. No coordination. The Earl’s Palace forces will easily turn them back.”

Raymer said, “You think they will meet somewhere, join into one large army, and then attack?”

“The officers know the place. It has to be recognizable for them to see from a distance, and yet be close to the castle. And water. It has to have water for the men. They can only carry so much, and it’s probably gone by now.” Henry abruptly stopped talking, as if he realized he’d said too much when he was not part of the group. He was only an old man who had been drinking ale in the same inn.

Ander put an arm around his shoulder and winked at Raymer. “That's what you needed?”

“Quint has another debt to repay,” Raymer said while looking at a beaming Henry. “I have a landmark to look for.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, son. I’ve been to Castle Warrington a dozen times. Look for a needle. A needle of rock standing near as high as the castle walls. It can be seen from far off. Find it along a smaller river to the east of the castle. There're trees filling the narrow valley that’ll help hide the men. That’s where you’ll find them unless I’m way off my thinking, which I may be.”

Raymer touched minds again. The dragon had finished most of the cow and picked a few strips of muscle from a bone. Other bones, part of the skin, and blood lay at the dragon’s feet. But the dragon felt full and the wound on the leg no longer hurt.

We fly now, Raymer said.

With a shock, he realized his choice of words. He’d said, we. Not you. We.

It made a difference. It was no longer a dragon and he a man. The bonding was complete. They were now one.

The emotions were so deep he missed the takeoff. The dragon was rising into the air. Raymer asked it to fly higher. He wanted to see more of the landscape ahead. The old man, Henry, was smart. He had been in the army and knew how they operated. His suggestions were the best information Raymer had to work with.

They flew east, away from the castle and the rising smoke. Ahead lay a wide valley with farms. Crops, pastures, hay, and dense forest where building materials and firewood would be obtained. As far as he could see. Off to the right, he saw hills and a slightly different color of vegetation. But no soldiers.

Turn that way, he ordered. The dragon turned and within a short time, the vegetation became more distinct. A low ridge lay ahead and on the other side a more rugged, narrow valley filled with small trees. They flew closer, but there was no sign of the needle of rock Henry spoke of.

The dragon turned to follow the valley. They still saw no needle or anything remotely like it. Raymer estimated the distance to the castle for a man walking and decided it was a full day’s journey. Too far away to prepare an attack. If it were him, he’d want something much closer so the men wouldn’t be worn out by walking for a full day.

Turn around, he ordered. As the dragon made a wide swing, Raymer spotted movement below. Perhaps a dozen men dashed across a meadow, in the direction of the castle. The dragon flew on. He then saw two men walking, pausing and looking up and then ducking for cover, too late. Ahead he found a string of men following each other where the brush grew thick. They were easy to see from above.

Then he spotted the needle. Far ahead, it stood alongside a river exactly as Henry had foretold. In the forest and underbrush below were hundreds of men. Probably thousands, all heading in the same direction. The dragon flew directly to the needle.

At the base of the stone, column were cold camps. Already there were troops in clusters, waiting for others to arrive and then they would make their final assault. If the sneak attack worked like planned, the invaders would probably walk through the city gates late at night, almost unchallenged. Northwood wouldn’t know it was being invaded until it was conquered.

He looked into the distance and found the castle. Earlier they had flown past the needle before knowing to look for it. That’s why he hadn’t seen it when they fled the castle and burned the farmstead.

The problem still became a matter of trying to alert the castle to the danger lurking in the forest. Quint wouldn’t arrive for at least two days, and the army was massing for the attack.

The dragon couldn’t write a note or talk to the Earl. How could it convey the concept that an army was invading Northwood, not just a dragon attack?

Raymer thought about it over and over as the dragon flew back in the direction of the castle. Sure, it could attack the castle again, but to those inside, their only problem was a rogue dragon. They had only to wait until it moved on. The Earl would not call out his entire army because of a dragon attack.

The dragon attacking the castle again would only result in more people injured or killed. He gently ordered the dragon to fly past the castle low enough to cause concern, but not so low arrows could reach it.

My only option is to attack King Ember’s army and hope to draw the attention of the Earl’s men. Turn back to the needle.

Raymer felt a flash of confusion in his mind. Of course, the dragon didn’t understand the concept of a needle. Make a turn. I’ll tell you where to go.