Dragon Clan #2: Raymer's Story

CHAPTER NINE

The three of them huddled together and cast wary looks at each other. They waited to see if the dragon returned. It didn’t, but the painful cries and wails of several men still drifted down the hillside to them. Others shouted orders or responded to questions yelled from one to another, but none of it made sense to the three listeners.

Quint’s head darted to hear each chirp of a bird or the chirp of a chipmunk. His arms were flexed, and his stance said he was ready to leap in any direction. He growled, “The dragon attacked one area of the hilltop. I think we can work our way around the side of this hill and see what happened to them if we stay under cover and move slow.”

Ander said, “Or, we can just move away until we are far enough away where we can run.”

“We can’t do that,” Raymer said. “We have to know what happened up there, and to whom. Are those the king’s men waiting up there for us? If so, how did they get ahead of us?”

The expression on Ander’s face and the set of his body told his story. He did not want to go up the hillside. “Maybe it had nothing to do with us.”

Raymer asked softly, “We have to know. You’re the one who wants to be a great explorer and hero.”

“Maybe they didn’t follow us,” Ander said. “Maybe they used messengers to run to all camps of the king’s soldiers.”

“Maybe,” Raymer said. “If so, we need to know that too. But most of all, we need to know if they were searching for us or someone else.”

“Let’s just assume they are after us, and move on,” Ander said.

“Listen, there are other reasons to go up there. What if they have dogs to follow our trail?” Quint said. “Until we are truly free we have to know everything.”

Raymer said, “Okay. We know the King wants our heads. And what if there is another reason they’re up there? We need to know that too. It can decide our plans.”

“They’re probably just an innocent group of people hunting for deer and the dragon attacked them. Nothing to do with us,” Ander argued.

Standing, Raymer said, “Then it will not hurt to go up there, right? But that dragon acted to me as if it was protecting me. I heard its anger in my thoughts.”

“What does that mean?” Ander asked.

“I really don’t know. But that makes it no less true. The dragon was angry and protective. That’s all I can explain because it’s all I know.”

Quint shrugged as if accepting the explanation. “You and that dragon have never met?”

“I don’t think it was the one that knocked the dungeon wall at the palace down, but no, I’ve never met it.”

Quint mused before speaking. “Logical to assume it’s the same one. I’ve only seen four or five dragons in my lifetime, and several of those sightings may have been the same animal.”

“If we’re going up there, okay. Let’s get this over with,” Ander said. “One of you two lead. You have more experience. I’ll follow you both.”

Quint moved off, keeping his back bent to disguise the shape of his body from any prying eyes. The others did the same.

Instead of going directly ahead as they had been, Quint took them far to their left, then where the underbrush grew thickest he turned up the hill, keeping under cover and moving slow. They moved uphill silently. Raymer’s hands begged for a better long range weapon, like a bow, but held the staff ready.

They kept watching on their right. The dragon had attacked a slope lower than the one they climbed. Quint chose well. He led them up the hill where they could watch down on where whoever had been attacked from a higher elevation.

Glancing back, he could see Ander was tired. He had probably never done a day’s work in his life and never exercised. On the other hand, if they needed someone to determine the best tasting imported fish, wine, or sausage, Ander would be the one to ask. Raymer almost smiled at the idea.

Ander’s expensive trousers were torn, and several seams ripped. His boots, while much better than Raymer and Quint’s bare feet, were falling apart and soon he’d be without them. Raymer touched the sandals hanging on the thong around his neck. They were almost dry, but for now, his feet were not sore. He didn’t want to delay reaching their vantage.

Quint raised his arm. All three pulled to a stop. A thick stand of twisted berry vines lay a hundred steps ahead, on the downward slope. Shrubs grew thick protecting them from being seen from below. He pointed. “There.”

They moved as one, quickly and bent at the waist. Once positioned behind the vines, they angled for places to watch below. They were higher than the tallest trees, a few hundred paces away. Below lay a clearing filled with tent after tent, at least, thirty of them. King Ember’s blue and gold colors were displayed on battle flags, as were ribbons and the uniforms the men wore.

“A company,” Quint whispered. “Four to a tent. A hundred men.”

Raymer said, “No horses. That’s odd. Not even mounts for the officers.”

They lay on their stomachs watching and detailing what they saw. No cooking fires, despite the appearance that the soldiers had camped for several days. The paths worn between the tents were well defined, even at a distance. Men carried a wounded soldier on a makeshift stretcher. Three others were lined up on the ground side by side, unmoving. A chilling scream drew their attention to a soldier holding his limp arm with his other hand. He shouted to the others.

There were more men who appeared in agony, wounded by the acid the dragon spit. They made their way to the same tent, which must house the unit’s doctor. Several men were being ordered to spread out in the meadow, armed with bows and arrows drawn. A sergeant shouted that if they bunched up, they made an easy target for the dragon. That was all it took for them to leap to obey. They spread out, each taking a defensive position and holding long bows ready.

Ander whispered, “Now that I see them, something comes to mind. The parties at the Summer Place for the last ten-day have been women-rich.”

“Why do I care?” Quint asked without turning to look at him.

“Because of the lack of officers attending them. Now that I think about it, there were very few officers anywhere in the palace. Not in the halls, dining rooms, or libraries. Well, there were a few older ones, I guess, but they were too old for field operations.”

Quint said, “You can stop talking anytime.”

As if he hadn’t heard Quint, Ander continued. “Seeing those men down there makes me ask, where were all the young officers?”

Raymer said, “Have you ever seen them all disappear like that before?”

“Never.”

Even Quint turned to examine Ander. “You think it has something to do with the men down there?”

Ander said, “If you’re asking me as part of our three-person team, I suggest we capture one of them and torture him for information about their mission. To me, they look like they’re hiding. No fires for cooking and no horses for officers.”

“Then this has nothing to do with our escape,” Quint said. “From the condition of their campsite, they’ve been here for days, so it’s no concern of ours. Time we move on.”

“Not so fast, boys,” a new voice whispered, the voice coming from right behind them.

They spun to face a withered old man, tangled gray hair hanging to his shoulders, and a toothy smile displaying one missing front tooth. He said softly, “Hope you don’t mind me listening in on your conversation.”

“Who’re you?” Quint snarled, startled.

“Someone who thinks a lot like you, only when I decided to take the high vantage to watch them soldier boys, I went higher up the hillside. Imagine my surprise when you three come up here and plop yourselves down right in front of me.”

Raymer spoke before Quint’s temper took hold of him. “You’re watching them, too?”

“Yep, for two days, now. Came to a lot of the same conclusions as you prisoners.”

The prisoners comment had been intentional. It let them know that the old man recognized the tattered remnants they wore. Despite spending a night in the river, they were still stained so dark, they would never be clean again.

“What conclusions?” Ander asked.

“Ah, the royal speaks, again. You were right, son. About ten days ago small groups of soldiers arrived in these hills and found camps. Cold camps. No horses. Every few days they pick up and move west again, but only after sending out scouts to make sure nobody sees them.”

Quint narrowed his eyes, and his voice softened, much like a snake acts before striking. “There are others?”

“Yep, and more coming. Just about every soldier the King has seemed to be heading this way, in small companies. They’re taking any people living around these parts into custody and keeping them in a dead end valley called Big John’s Gulch.”

“Why?” Raymer asked.

“So they can’t spread the word about the soldiers moving ‘til whatever is happening is done.”

Raymer sensed the old man knew more. “Where are they headed?”

The old man turned to face Quint. “Don’t know for sure, but I suspect they’re going to pay your folks a visit.”

“You know me?” Quint asked.

“Know of you, to be more accurate. The kingdom of Northwood puts out reward posters for information about a lost man matching your description for most of a year, now. Handsome reward, too. Not many men fit the description.”

“Reward posters?” Raymer asked.

“They want information about a missing diplomat. That’d be your friend, here, unless I see things wrong.”

Quint paused as if considering the details of the conversation and he finally put them together. “The whole army is making its way north of Bear Mountain? They’re planning a sneak attack on Northwood?”

“Gone beyond planning, if you’re asking me.”

“I have to get word to my father,” Quint said.

“Not gonna happen,” the old man said. “I’ve been scouting around for days and barely managed to avoid them. They ain’t great woodsmen, but there’s too many of them. Best to settle down and wait for this to pass.”

“I’ll get through.”

“Three, maybe four days ago, you might have. Now there are troops on nearly high point, watchin’. They know it takes only one to get through and warn Northwood, then the invasion might fail.”

“There must be another way.”

“Nope. You got to go all the way down to the bottom of the Raging Mountains for another way through. That’d take twelve, or fourteen days at least. And nobody’s going over them. You just ran out of choices.”

Quint settled back on his heels. After a time, he said, “Listen to me and remember this well. My mother’s first pet was a pig she called Chubby. When this is over, you go to Northwood, to the Warrington Castle and tell them of this encounter. Tell them King Embers burned the treaty I carried and ordered me to the dungeons. Speak to my family and tell them of my mother’s pig. You’ll get the reward.”

The old man spat near Quint’s foot. “You’re still talking like you’re gonna try sneaking past all these men. I’m telling you I can’t do it, so you sure as hell can’t.”

He gathered his few things and turned to Raymer. “Sorry to deprive you of my grand company, but I have to do this. You two stay put until the army is gone, and make your way to Northwood. You’ll be treated well.”

“You can’t go alone,” Ander said.

“It’s my family. I have to go.”

Much the same feeling as when a dragon flew past struck Raymer. Instead of a sharp pain on his back, he felt it in his stomach. Family. Quint was going to risk his life for his family, just as Raymer risked his for his clan.

Where do loyalties lie? He saw a possible solution, but there were a hundred considerations. As much as the old man had helped them, Raymer didn’t wish to risk his family any more than Quint did, but he had to make choices. Worse, he had to make the right ones.

He turned to the old man and reached out his hand to shake. “We appreciate your warnings and help, but need to be on our way. What are your plans?”

“When you boys leave I’ll slip off to somewhere safe so you can’t tell them about me when they catch and torture you for information. Then I’ll make my way to Castle Warrington to earn myself that reward.” He stood and nodded to the others before moving up the hillside and disappearing into the dense brush.

Quint said, “You two are not going with me. You heard the man. Wait and head west in a few weeks if you don’t mind. My Earl needs to know how this all happened.”

“He said you can’t get through because of all the soldiers,” Ander said.

“Maybe only one man can. I don’t have any choice, but I have to try.”

Raymer said, “He’s right. He couldn’t live with himself if his family is killed and he didn’t try to help, let alone, all the other people who may die.”

Quint reached out to shake Raymer’s hand.

Raymer shook his head. “You aren’t the only one with a family to protect. I was captured while on my way to locate more of the Dragon Clan near here.

In his usual manner, Quint said, “How does that affect me?”

“The clan I was sent to find lives on the south slopes of Bear Mountain. Despite what everyone says, there is another way.”

Quint held still and finally said, “You’re sure?”

“Of course not. But I’ll tell you what I am sure of. I’m sure that if you go where the army is traveling you’ll be caught for sure.”

“Tell me about the other route. I’ve never heard of it.”

“Nobody has. The Dragon Clan lives there. Several families used to, and I was going to meet with them. There are many factions of the clan. Young ones move from group to group until we find a mate.”

Ander said, “They live there in secret?”

“They have to. Otherwise, your King sends men to kill us all.”

“What about other kings?” Ander asked.

“Some treat us better than others, but nobody really likes us. Some tolerate us, or owe us favors for helping them in some way.”

Quint said, “You two can talk about old times later. Raymer, you believe these people are living there? I have never heard of them, but if there is another passage, I need to know.”

“It makes little difference. If they are living there, we ask for horses and their help. If not, we travel on foot as fast as possible to your people and warn them. Maybe we can locate horses on the way. At least, we will not run into a company of troops who recognize our clothes and probably kill us on sight.”

Ander looked from one to the other and said, “Raymer, you’re willing to put your family in danger to help Quint?”