Dragon Clan #6: Anna's Story

CHAPTER SIX

When James didn’t appear after a while, Anna and Thief went back onto the road and walked with a few others leaving the Summer Palace. Two wagons passed, neither offering rides, but she probably would have refused. Riding in them required sharing information with the drivers.

Two days later, Anna paused as they walked behind two of the King’s soldiers going the in the same direction. She looked at the sky. Then behind.

Thief turned a full circle, searching for the reason before asking, “Why stop?”

“Just a feeling,” she said cryptically suppressing a grin. She had just felt the slightest touch of a nearby dragon on her back for the first time in days. Nearby was not the precise word to use to describe the distance, since it might take her a full day to walk to it. But a dragon could cover that same distance in part of a morning.

Not that Anna would relax, but knowing that if she needed it, the dragon would come. Or would it? There were not many dragons in the world, and the one she sensed was probably Raymer’s, which told her she would not be making the long trek to search for him at The Raging Mountains family. She only had to convince him to accompany her, and he’d be at Castle Warrington.

She didn’t spend much time on how she would convince him. Raymer was something of a wild card in the deck of the Dragon Clan, as were most who bonded with a dragon, at least that’s what rumors told. She didn’t know why. Perhaps dragons liked their sense of freedom or the travel that most bonded Clansmen enjoyed. Few of them remained with their villages. Maybe it was just their different mindset that the dragons enjoyed.

She believed she had a similar mindset. Had any woman ever bonded with a dragon? The event of bonding was so rare that she only knew of two alive today, and the few in the past she knew of had all been men. But did that mean it couldn’t happen? Anna didn’t like that idea. If there were to be a third bonding—it would be her.

“We go?”

Glancing at Thief, she realized she had been standing there for too long. The soldiers were now far ahead, almost out of sight. Thief had stood watch over her and waited far longer than she intended. She was beginning to take her new friend for granted, and that needed to stop.

A day later, Castle Warrington drew into sight. It occupied the ridge above a river, looking out over a wide valley containing at least a hundred farms. A single road, the same one they’d been following since leaving the Summer Palace, carried them closer until it merged with another road that ran parallel to the river.

Castle Warrington also looked out over a harbor, but from the floor of the valley, Anna hadn’t seen the ocean, yet. The castle was made of heavy gray stone with few banners, flags or decorations. From the distance, Anna found it more functional and military than the Summer Palace.

A high wall surrounded Castle Warrington. Obviously, this wall they approached, was built to defend the city if attacked from the river or valley. Without seeing the rest, she suspected the west side would protect an attack from the sea. It was a fortress intended for war, or by its very presence, preventing war. Only the most determined army would dare attack it.

“They watch,” Thief said, in his first attempt to speak all morning.

Her eyes followed him to the top of the gray wall where soldiers marched, but at the corner were two standing and speaking, their eyes on the road. Nothing or nobody would get past them.

Anna said, “Listen, when we get to the gate, let me do the talking.”

Thief turned to her and rolled his eyes, drawing a chuckle from her.

The pair of guards waited at a small doorway cut into the large gate able to accommodate wagons coming and going at the same time. However, it stood closed, and only the small doorway to one side granted access to those on foot.

The guard holding a quill and scroll half-smiled a greeting and demanded, “Your business?”

Anna had long ago decided to keep any association with Raymer to herself. She spoke as if it pained her to say each word. “We are here to visit with our family.”

The guard made a notation, then lifted his head to speak directly to her. “The family name?”

She didn’t have an answer. Thinking quickly, she said, “Is that any business of yours?”

The guard made a motion with his left hand, and four more guards appeared from inside the door, all carrying spears. They snapped to attention. The guard repeated, “Family name?”

“Oh, alright. We’re here to see my grandmother. She fell, and we came to help.”

“Her name?”

The guard wouldn’t let up, and she had no answer, but wouldn’t allow him to upset her. She sneered, “Grandma Emma.”

His eyes raised, “She is a citizen of Castle Warrington?”

“Well, what do you think?” she snapped, stepping to the side to pass by him.

The guard casually moved with her, blocking her. He said, “Her full name, family relationship, and husband?”

Anna sneered, trying to look convincing. “I don’t know.”

“Occupation?”

“She cooks and cleans her house. What are you trying to do? Keep me from seeing my grandmother? You don’t want her climbing your walls.”

The guard shifted his eyes to Thief. “Your name, occupation, and what is your business here?”

“Thief.”

The guards snapped to attention, spears raised to the ready position.

Anna leaped forward and shouted, “No, he’s not a thief. That’s his name.” They didn’t stand down. She continued, telling the story of the stolen mule and they relaxed slightly.

The same guard said, “Your occupation, sir?”

Thief looked at him as if he spoke another language.

“What do you do for a living? Farmer? Shepard? Tradesman?”

“Watch her,” Thief said, indicating Anna.

His answer was truthful. Thief did watch over her, and she provided for him. She said, “Thief is slow to speak,” she winked, “but we take care of each other.”

It was a good answer and one she expected to win over the guards. However, the one asking the questions didn’t relent. He spoke from the side of his mouth, “Take them into custody.”

Before Anna could protest, two guards stepped forward. One took her upper arm in a vice-like grip and used his greater size to urge her forward. Another did the same with Thief. Inside the gate that led through the gray stone walls a small stone room, or cell waited. They were gently escorted inside where wooden benches hung from chains attached to the bare walls. Three windows, too high up on the wall to see through, and too small to fit through, offered the only light.

The oak door thumped shut. Anna walked four steps to the bench on the rear wall. No blanket, water, food, or other items, but one wooden bucket stood near the door. She could smell what it was for. She sat. Her bravado hadn’t done her any good, and may have contributed to her being here. A guilty glance in Thief’s direction made her feel worse.

She said, “Sorry. You can sit down.”

He sat, his eyes on one of the windows above. He cocked his head and listened, so she did too. A small bird sang a song, then repeated it. Thief tried to imitate it, and his whistle seemed to draw another bird. Soon there were at least three birds singing and then listening to Thief. One flitted into view and sat on the edge searching for the bird calling to it.

The incident was small but told more of Thief than she would ever explain with words. The smile she wore was unconscious. It was just a reflection of their growing relationship. He had no words of recriminations or anger tossed in her direction. He accepted and did his best to adjust to the situation. He had a lot to teach her.

She was still thinking along those lines when the door was thrown open, and a giant entered, so tall he ducked to clear the top of the door. His wide shoulders almost touched the sides. He wore a cape made of a blue material that almost floated when he moved, the color shifting in the bright sunlight. Anna had never seen any material like the cape, the colors, the aloof manner, or the man. He directed his gaze at her.

“My guards tell me you that you lied three times.”

Anna’s mouth opened, but no words escaped. Instead, she shook her head.

“I will not waste much of my time on this. Why are you trying to gain entrance into my castle?”

His attitude offended her, as well as triggering her defenses. She locked eyes and stood, allowing her sharp tone to put him in his place. “Your castle? You think this all belongs to you?”

“It does.”

The answer had come to his lips with the ring of truth and no hesitation, although she detected a twitch at the corner of his mouth that might indicate amusement. She drew in a breath. If he wanted a war of words, she would shred him. Anna took a step closer. “Well, I own the mountains. All of them. I forbid you to climb them or enter the forests on their slopes.”

“Be that as it may, you will not enter this castle until I allow it, and right now you may not leave this cell.”

“Well, be that as it may, you cannot stop me. Oh, you might keep me out today, but there are many gates and a wall, and you cannot watch them all. I’ll get inside, you can count on it.”

“And once inside, what will you do, or who will you see? The truth, this time, not some tale of an imaginary grandmother.”

He hadn’t become upset, but didn’t give the impression he intended to longer. Maybe telling him the truth or part of it, might allow her entrance, or freedom to leave. “I came to see a relative, a cousin, I think he is.”

“And this is your brother?” His hand motioned to Thief.

“No. He’s my friend and protector.”

“Protector?” The giant raised his eyebrows in question.

Anna glanced at Thief, who sat and watched each of them as they spoke without any sign of anger or intention to defend her. That would change if the man made an aggressive move toward her. She didn’t believe his massive size would slow Thief from trying. “We protect each other.”

With that answer, he nodded as if satisfied. “Your relative in this castle has a name?”

“Raymer.”

A slight smile and crinkle at the corners of his mouth warned her. He said, “I know of only one scoundrel with that horrible name. He’s an ugly sort, short, too. A full head smaller than me, and a face like a goat. Would that be him?”

Anna didn’t know what Raymer looked like, but that was not how she pictured him. Even the smile on the giant didn’t slow her words. “I don’t suppose you’ve thought about the words I’m going to use to describe you when I tell this story, have you? Because when I’m done, scoundrel and face like a goat will be mild.”

She drew a breath to continue, but he turned to the doorway and snapped, “Escort the man outside and treat him as a guest.”

Two guards entered and stood before Thief with respect. Anna motioned with her chin for him to go with them. The giant closed the door firmly and waited.

She didn’t back down. “Well?”

“Turn around.”

Not knowing what to expect, she turned. Moving faster than she believed a big man could, he reached out and gave her a small shove between her shoulder blades, while reaching for her shirttail with the other hand. He pulled the shirt free of her belt and lifted it.

She spun. The guards had removed her knife, of course, but they had missed the other at her thigh. Her hand slipped inside her pants and came out with the dagger. He’d seen her tattoo, she had no doubt. The King’s reward for any member of the Dragon Clan would buy several of the expensive capes he wore. She would be dead before the sun set today, but he would die sooner.

He backed to the door, hands held up defensively. “Before you attack, listen to me. I’m Quint, Raymer’s friend.”

“Quint? The son of the Earl?”

“See? I told you it was my castle, didn’t I?”

“Where is Raymer?”

“I’ll send for him. Better yet, why don’t you put that away and I’ll take you to him?”

Thinking back to the story she’d heard about Raymer escaping, he had been with a giant who was the son of the Earl. His name had been Quint. The dagger slipped from her fingers. She had threatened an Earl!

Quint picked up the dagger by the tip of the blade and flipped it into the air to that the bare iron handle landed in his palm. He examined the blade and reversed his grip. “My guards missed that?”

“Who would search the private areas of a twelve-year-old girl?”

“If you’re twelve, I’m a hundred. Put it away and come with me.”