The Last Dragon: Book Four

CHAPTER ELEVEN

We woke with the rising sun, neither refreshed or eager to face the day. However, this day would determine our future. That foreknowledge bore down on me.

Kendra woke but only her eyes moved. Her jaw was as if locked shut. The blankets around her were a warm, safe cocoon she didn’t wish to emerge from. My descriptive sense of her actions impressed me. Further, I suspected they were right.

Both horses turned to face me with accusing stares. Yes, they could carry us again today and no, I didn’t have any grain or fresh grass to feed them. It might be a good idea to find food for them before trekking into the Brownlands with an army chasing after us. The horses were sturdy and used to little feed but starving them was another matter. Fortunately, they had eaten well yesterday.

I removed their hobbles and led them to a few wisps of dried grass. Then I reached out to Anna. I found her sleeping mind again and left her alone.

Kendra was up and moving around. She pulled a small round of bread from her saddlebags and tore it in half. I got the bigger piece. She handed me another cloth bag filled with nuts, dried fruit and corn, and shredded dried meat. A year from now and it would taste as good and carry a person for a day on only a handful.

That was no idle boast. The armies of the world used similar foods for the soldiers on the march. They were light to carry, lasted a long time, and provided all a man needed, if not all he wanted. All soldiers complain about their food and so that should be discounted.

Kendra said, “Anna is still asleep, I guess. Why don’t we sneak closer and find a perch to sit on and watch the army? Maybe that will give us a plan.”

I liked the idea. A morning watching them from the top of a hillside might reveal something useful. We traveled east parallel to the southern bank of the lake. There were no cabins, homes, farms, and even the number of boats upon the water were few. With the lakes and river supplying most of the farms with the means to carry crops to market, there should be more to support the population of Dagger.

At a broken ridge, Kendra climbed down from her horse and moved to the top where she could observe the shore. I found a position beside her while staking the horses out of sight.

The river had flowed past since time began. A thousand years ago, some said, it was dammed, and the lakes created. Since then, massive trees had grown, farmers tilled fields, irrigation waterways to supply water to crops dug, and generations of families were raised.

The trees remained, lush and green as they watered from the lake and flourished from constant sun. Within sight were the remains of three stone fireplaces, the centers of three defunct farms. Blackened and charred remains of the homes stood like the bones of dead animals. The outlines of the fields of previous crops were easy to read.

Kendra said, “People lived here. Raised families. Now, there is only destruction.”

“Those farms were not burned more than a few years ago,” I added. “Maybe more recently.”

“Are both shores like this?”

I searched to our left, and then to our right. Not a farm or home in sight. I said, “A city, any city, requires the support of surrounding farmers, hunters, craftsmen, and a hundred other occupations. Without them, a city starves.”

Kendra’s eyes were tearing up. “The people . . .”

“They have gone or died. All the farmers.”

“Dagger must import all of its food. Why? There is all this unused farmland and water.”

“Control,” my voice said coldly. “Whoever controls the food controls the population. If all the food arrives at the port of Dagger, the officials decide who eats and who does not. That would be the Council of Nine.”

Kendra said, “Do you think they destroyed all the farms along the lakes on purpose?”

My gaze returned to the blackened husks of what had been farms not long ago, and out to the lake at the lack of fishing boats and shrugged. It seemed to be true, but perhaps as we moved along the shoreline things would be different. It was possible that only this section had been burned, perhaps by raiders of some sort. However, an instinct about the methods of the Young Mage told me different.

I said, “Let’s move closer and down by the lake where we can see the army better.”

We slipped into the shallow trough behind a hill and moved parallel to the water, climbing to the top of the hill a few times to peer over. Finally, we were in position. The troops were encamped far enough away that we could see them but with care, they wouldn’t see us. We uprooted two small, thorny bushes that were the color of the sand, and moved them slowly to the top where they would allow us to see past them, but to any soldier looking in our direction, there would only be the bushes.

There were fewer soldiers than expected. That was bad, in my instant opinion. I had expected more, Anna had detailed more, so the unit must have split up into at least two squads, and maybe more. They could better watch the entire shore in that way and prevent our friends from reaching safety. They probably had messengers ready to ride to the others if the boat came into view, or whistles to alarm.

“What do you think?” Kendra asked. “Any ideas?”

“I like yours. The one about getting them ashore by using a distraction and all of us heading south, with your dragon protecting our backs.”

“How do we get them safely ashore?”

“I haven’t figured that out. Otherwise, it’s a good plan.”

We remained prone behind our bushes and watched the camp wake up to greet the morning fog. As men emerged from the tents, I estimated there were only twenty, or so. But if the boat came into view, the messengers would ride and another forty, sixty, or a hundred would arrive. Twenty were few enough for us to perhaps defeat if we could make sure none escaped to bring others. That was only two-to-one odds—but even with that amusing slant, the fact remained that we’d only get one chance.

Kendra said, “They might have squads of twenty spaced out all along the shoreline, ten or twenty of them. There is no way to sneak ashore.”

That made my recent analysis worse. She might be right. Probably was. The lake was the last one on the river before entering the city of Dagger, so the troops hadn’t had to travel far from the city. For all we knew, there were five thousand troops along the north shore and another five along the south.

My mind kept returning to those soldiers directly in front of us. Assuming the squads posted on either side were at the limits of sight to each other, which seemed reasonable, if we could silence the twenty men in front of us long enough for the boat to slip ashore, we might succeed.

It was still early, the sun barely up. Wisps of mist hung in the low areas and out on the lake. It would burn off before long but for now, it concealed what might lie out there, which was the boat with our friends.

The anticipated nearby squads were out of sight, but not necessarily out of hearing. We had to capture twenty men, quickly and quietly. I told my sister my thoughts.

“It can’t be done,” she said with conviction.

I was not convinced. The only mage-quality magic I’d learned so far was to make a rainstorm. That might be our answer. The sound of pelting rain would drive the soldiers inside their tents, the rain and thunder would conceal stray noises from the boat, and it would conceal a boat rowing ashore from the eyes of the squads on either side of the storm.

“I have an idea,” I said.

I reached out with my mind. *Anna, are you awake?*

*Yes, I was going to contact you. We are getting tired of floating around in this boat and they are probably bringing more boats to attack us today, according to Will. We have to do something soon.*

*How close to the southern shore are you?*

*We can see the land, just barely. There is a lot of fog.*

*Talk to Will. If you see Kendra’s dragon above, you would know where to row, right where we are.*

*What about the army?*

*A rainstorm will hide you. Row as fast as possible directly into the storm when I tell you to and aim for where the dragon will be. Start now. Tell everyone what we’re planning and be ready to leap from the boat and run together into the desert the instant it is ashore. And do it quietly. Take as little as possible. We’ll meet you and show you the way.*

I turned to Kendra. “Call your dragon and have it circle above us. Small circles.”

Without questions or unnecessary conversation, her concentration focused elsewhere and when her eyes snapped back to look at me, she said, “It is nearby. Just a short while until it arrives.”

“Okay, here’s the plan. The boat will row for where the dragon is, so have it circle above us like a beacon. I am going to create a rainstorm to hide us and the noise they’re going to make. The storm will hide the boat and the other soldiers, at least most of them, will go inside their tents to stay dry. You and I have to quietly take care of any that do not. Since I’ll be holding the storm in place, that means you.”

She nodded. “Good so far. That will also keep the other soldiers up and down the lake from seeing or hearing us. Now, what about those below?”

“I don’t know. We have to figure that out.”

She scowled at me. Deservedly so. “What are our options?”

“The soldiers will go into their tents to get out of the storm. Most of them. I was thinking we could enter the tents one at a time and kill them.” My voice choked near the end.

“Could you do that? I mean, really. Neither of us can do that.”

“Probably not. But it is for the sake of our friends. What else can we do?”

Kendra gave it some thought, and a smile appeared. Not much, but enough to encourage me. She said, “What would happen if you spread the storm out along the coast to rain on this camp and as far to either side as possible? Instead of a circular storm, can you make it long and skinny?”

“I think so. Yes, I’m sure of it. I don’t know how far out it will go, but I can do it.”

She said, “Good. Now, what do you think will happen if my dragon lands on the beach like we talked about, but it lands in the center of the army camp and screams just before the boat arrives?”

I pictured men running from their tents in whatever direction was the quickest to get away. Some would end up in the water, others the desert, and all between. Kendra and I could handle any that came too near us. Will and his group would handle any others.

I said, “Our people will have to come ashore armed and ready to fight—and ready to rush into the desert as fast as possible. The army will regroup quickly and be after us.”

“The dragon will fly to a place right behind us and slow them down.”

“I need to inform Anna.”

“When are we going to do this?” She sounded anxious and out of breath.

“As soon as your dragon arrives.” I reached out to Anna. *How is the rowing? Adjust your direction as soon as you see the dragon.*

A moment passed. Then she said, *We’re on our way. What is the rest of the plan?*

*There will be a storm. It won’t be much to row through, but you won’t be able to talk to me. Row through it, it shouldn’t be far. Reach the shore and get out and run as a group away from the water. The dragon will protect your back, but you have to get as far away as fast as possible. And, oh yes, the dragon will land in an army camp on the beach and let out a few screams. Be ready to fight any soldiers coming your way.*

*How will we know where to go?*

*As I said, the dragon will direct you to find us on the beach,* I told her, keeping any sense of irritation from the communication. She was scared. I was scared. Repeating a little just made sure we understood each other. *Don’t bother to take but one water-bottle each. Take nothing that will slow you down.*

I looked at Kendra. Her eyes flicked to the sky and I knew the dragon had arrived. Mine went to the lake. A small dot had appeared. I said, “I need quiet to build a storm before they’re spotted.”

She took my proffered sword and nodded. If any of the soldiers came our way, she would use it to protect me. I couldn’t break concentration, or the storm would cease, and the entire plan fails. I said, “Just before the boat lands, have the dragon land in the middle of the camp.”

Without waiting for her to agree, I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes. To date, I’d only made very small rainstorms, lacking lightning and thunder. However, each time it got easier, even when filling the water jugs, it was like learning any other skill. If I had learned to play a song well on a lute, I could learn to play other songs, if not as well, and they would be recognizable.

I began with the camp, where not all the soldiers were yet awake, many were still sleeping. The fog on the surface of the water, and the lake itself made it easy to draw moisture to fill my needs. It began small, just enough to cover the ring of tents. Like mental putty, I drew part of the storm along the shore to the east, then leaving that securely in place, pulled more storm to the west. The storm was now several hundred paces long, but only fifty paces deep from the shore.

I drew more storm to the east and when I felt a mental barrier ahead, I shifted to the west again and did the same. I tried expanding to the east again and found it unsettling as the entire storm might collapse, so I paused. It was as large in either direction as I could make it.

I concentrated harder and increased both the size and number of raindrops. I felt the dampness in the air around me and my confidence grew. I gathered power and forced it together into a tight ball and squeezed until sweat ran down my forehead and my underarms were soaked.

The power I’d gathered exploded. Light flashed and could be seen right through my closed eyelids, worse than turning my head to the sun on a clear day. Immediately after, the explosion of sound struck like a physical blow.

“A little less, if you please,” Kendra said.

My ears were ringing so much her voice barely carried to me. I reformed the edges of the rainstorm where my attention had wavered, then drew more power for another bolt of lightning. This time, I used far less, and the results were minuscule in comparison.

That provided me a baseline. I again formed the ball of power to create lightning and built it larger. A jagged streak of lightning reached down and struck a tree at the edge of the army camp. The tree burst into flames that were quickly extinguished by the rain.

Several soldiers ran from their tents to observe the smoldering tree just before Kendra’s dragon landed. My mind was holding together the storm, keeping the rain forming and falling, and at the same time, creating more lightning, but through all that, I heard a few screams from men in full panic. I couldn’t help taking a peek.

Then, the dragon landed and screeched a higher pitched sound that penetrated to my bones. I shivered in fear and felt sorry for the soldiers. They were only doing their duty and didn’t deserve to die, which was why I couldn’t have entered their tents and killed them.

If one attacked me, that was different.

*We’re here,* Anna’s voice shouted in my head blasted away other thoughts.

*Run,* I told her.

*This storm is slowing us down.*

Without responding, I decreased the rainfall and created no more lightning. I muttered to Kendra, “They are ashore.”

“Tell me when they reach sunshine.”

“You should see them, soon,” I said.

I relayed that message to Anna, just in case Kendra couldn’t see them. A short time later, she said, *Sun ahead. We’re running as fast as we can.*

“They are in the sunshine,” I told Kendra.

“Stop the rain. I’ll take it from here.”

The rain quit, and my mind felt like a baby bird must feel on its first flight. The weight of the concentration evaporated like the water on the ground around us. I was mentally used up. Dizzy. The ground shifted and I knew better than to attempt standing.

Movement caught my eye, and the dragon had taken flight. It reached above the level of the treetops and flew low along the shoreline, dipping now and then to shriek and roar at soldiers in other nearby camps.

It made a wide turn over the water and flew back, skimming the trees. As I looked over the top of the hill again, men were running, hiding, huddling behind tree trunks, and one swimming. The long rowboat was ashore, but nobody was paying any attention to it. My dizziness eased.

With each scream of the dragon, I felt the fear in the tiny hairs along my neck and on my arms. My instinct was to run, as the others were.

“Come on,” I hissed at Kendra.

I intended to leap on the horses and ride away—but there were no horses where we’d left them, and none in sight. The tracks indicated they had charged away at full gallop, probably with either the sighting of the dragon or that first boom of thunder.

We ran. We went into the desert, keeping the sun on our left side. When our legs tired in the soft sand, we fast-walked. I turned to look behind us and found the dragon still sweeping back and forth, keeping itself between us and the soldiers that probably had no intention of following us yet.

Their officers would. As soon as they could reorganize their men, they would be after us.

As if to mock me, ahead grew a swirling mass of clouds so dark they were almost black and reached up as high as I could see. Lightning flickered in a dozen places.

A mage was behind us—and displaying his power.

I forced a wind to blow. The black clouds dispersed slightly, the lightning ceased. The clouds reformed.

I paused in my running. Did he want to impress me? I drew in a deep breath and forced air to concentrate inside the middle of the black clouds, along with all the energy I could muster and hold. Then, my anger turned to rage, and I gather more of each, before releasing it all at once.

The explosion and burst of air made it seem like pitch exploding in a campfire, only on a larger scale. The black cloud was no more.