The Last Dragon: Book Three

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Damon

If Elizabeth was walking into a trap when the Gallant arrived in port, we needed to rush to Vin and rescue her. A quick estimation of time from when Kendra’s dragon had attacked the mage’s ships and the distance she had to sail, compared with the timeframe of us traveling on foot, provided a guess that she would arrive perhaps a day before us. Maybe more. We’d be too late.

Kendra said as she stood and looked east, “We have to hurry. She needs us.”

Flier began gathering the few items we’d brought with us as he offered a brief explanation to Slacker. “We are on a mission to help the King of Dire. His daughter is due to arrive by ship at the port of Vin in only two days, but she knows nothing about the new council ruling there, or that it seems there are no more kings anywhere in Kondor.”

Slacker exchanged a look with his men. “She is here to support the rightful king?”

“No,” Flier said, “That’s not true. She is here to negotiate a treaty with our kings or the present rulers. The king of Dire suspects there may be a replacement rule and wants to protect his kingdom from the same.”

The expression Slacker wore was not as friendly or welcoming as that of a few moments ago. “She will deal with the council?”

“Of course,” Flier paused in his packing and said, “There is more you should know. The King of Dire took ill and has been unable to rule, so a committee, a council, was set up by the mages to act in his stead. Kendra here ran all the mages out of Dire, and now the king has healed and has taken his rightful place, again.”

Slacker and several of his men turned and cast disbelieving looks at Kendra.

I said, “It’s true. The details can wait. We’re in a hurry.”

“The mages are behind it all,” Slacker spat. “I knew it.”

I couldn’t help myself from adding. “We don’t know all mages are involved, or how much they are. We know a little and assume much. Assumptions like that can be dangerous.”

Slacker still faced Kendra, and while he listened to me, his attention was on her. He said to Flier, “This young woman ran the mages out of Dire?”

“She did.” Flier didn’t add information.

For that, I was glad but saw Slacker and his men didn’t believe him. What Slacker saw was a young woman who moved like a princess. The fewer that knew of her new powers, the better. He said, “What you mean is that she ordered an army or something similar.”

“What I mean is that she did it alone, with a sword in her hand,” Flier snapped back, protecting Kendra and her reputation. I was proud of him.

A shrill whistle sounded in the distance, drawing the attention of all of us.

Every man in the camp leaped to his feet at the sound. One raced to the river and sprinted along the bank where the footing was good. He raced in the direction of the whistle. I asked, “What is it? And where’s he going?”

“Vin troops are approaching again, I suppose,” Slacker said. “We’ve avoided them for months, but they keep after us, sending one company after another. The runner will meet the lookout halfway and return with the information on the sighting so we can plan our response.”

*Run.* Anna’s voice rang in my head with a sense of urgency clear in the single word.

*Maybe it will come to that, but first we will hear them out. Do you want to leave these men here to die?*

*Is this the place you’ve chosen to die?* Anna scowled in my direction as she sent me the question.

Anna was scared, but her defiance and attitude were growing. She was transforming from a little girl to a young lady with ideas of her own—and it had happened within the few weeks we’d known her. Pride swelled in my chest as I said aloud to her, “We’ll talk later. Right now, we have to decide what to do.”

I didn’t miss the exchange of looks between her and Emma, and for the first time, I wondered if they were silently communicating too. If not, Emma had made an accurate guess as to what was going on between us and didn’t approve.

Kendra moved to my side and said quietly, “I’ve already called my pet to help us. It’s in the foothills not too far away. Now, we need to move away a little because I don’t want to talk in front of these men. Didn’t you see my signal earlier to talk in private?”

I had, but the right time hadn’t arrived until now. We moved a few steps to one side while the others prepared for battle. Kendra handed me back my sword as she accepted another from a rebel. She said, “This battle will delay us from reaching Vin if we take part. Your thoughts?”

I buckled the belt around my waist and adjusted my sword to ride comfortably as I gathered myself to disagree. “We are already a day late in arriving to help Elizabeth. The ship will reach port and Elizabeth will do what she’s going to do. We can’t change that. Reverse the situation and put us in Dire. Would you wish the foreigners to run away on their own business or help defend our king?”

“It isn’t the same thing. Okay, we need to have Slacker outline how this is going to go and then decide. We won’t enter a fight we’re going to lose, and we cannot stay here two or three days waiting for the attack when Elizabeth needs us.”

I watched Slacker giving orders to his men in short bursts and with encouragement. We didn’t know how well they would fight. That worried us. It was clear they knew how to obey, and Slacker knew how to command, so that helped calm my worries but going into battle with unknown fighters should be avoided. The runner returned from the river and breathlessly told us there were at least forty of them marching up the bank in our direction.

I glanced at Kendra. Forty. It was time for our small group to depart and avoid the coming conflict. Ten or twelve against forty are poor odds. No, that was not strictly true. A dozen men in Slacker’s unit, plus Flier, Kendra, me, and a dragon evened up the odds a little if we remained, but we’d still be sorely outnumbered.

Slacker’s plan consisted of fighting and withdrawing, fighting and withdrawing again, eventually to where they had hidden water caches in the desert evened the odds more. Besides, we couldn’t leave Flier’s friends to fight alone. They’d taken us in and fed us. We owed them.

Kendra drew in a deep breath, tested the edge of the heavy sword she held and looked sheepishly at me. “We can’t run off. You know that. It isn’t like us.”

Anna said, “Why don’t I get a sword?”

Emma echoed the question.

Even the soldiers laughed. One of them pointed to the ridge with the funnels to climb up. “Can you two run?”

They nodded.

He continued, “First, there will be fighting out here in the open. A few arrows and such. Then our men will rush up there on the ridge and wait. Behind those piles of rocks, you’ll be safe, but there will come a time when we tell you to run again. See that tall mountain right behind us? The one with the pointed peak? You’ll run for that, understand? No matter what happens, you run in that direction. We’ll find you.”

“Won’t they chase us?” Anna asked, her eyes alight with excitement.

“Not at first. They will have wounded to care for, and we’ve set a few traps along the way to slow them. Besides, the King’s Army does only what it is told, so they will wait for the officer to give all the orders.”

“But, they will chase us?” Anna persisted.

“By then, we’ll be far away. We’re prepared for this.”

*Really?* Anna queried me. She clearly had her doubts.

I shrugged. The information was strong sounding, but probably overly optimistic. I considered what to do for a moment. With what little we knew as facts, it was unlikely our small group could travel to Vin without the help and support of the rebels. We’d probably run into two or three more patrols and without help, they would either kill or capture us. However, if we helped the rebels, they might help us reach Vin. Besides, Flier would wish us to help Slacker and his friends. Together we’d be a stronger group than alone.

At a quick guess, there were fifteen of us to fight forty. We held the stronger and fortified positions to fight from—and we had a dragon on the way to help us. We also had a back door to escape into the desert and the hidden caches of water and food. After the initial battle, we would melt into the desert and try to draw our enemies along behind us, where they would quickly drink the water they carried with them. The desert heat would do the rest.

“We will help them.” My voice had emerged cold and clipped, allowing for no argument, if there would have been any. To my relief, Kendra nodded agreement and Flier punched me on my shoulder instead of hugging me.

Slacker said, “Our plan is to hide and use our bows as a surprise attack. We’ll do it when they are in range, all at once. We have shelters to hide behind until they get close. We’ll stand and fire as many arrows as possible, then at my order turn and run to the ridge.”

Once there, we’ll take up positions behind the rocks and use more arrows to slow them down and hopefully hit a few. Even wounding them will help because some will stay with the wounded and reduce the numbers free to chase after us. I’ll have men with great-swords to prevent them from advancing up the ramps. Lastly, we will run into the desert and disappear. Help any of our wounded. We can split up if that seems right, but you new people will always stay with one of mine. Near sundown, we’ll join up at the first water.”

“If they are already there?” Kendra asked?

“There are two more a short distance away, well hidden. Our escape into the desert is the most dangerous part, especially if we have wounded, but it can’t be helped. We’ll move slower, and they may catch up with us.”

Kendra said, “I think I can help us out with that.”

I grinned at the thought of the dragon appearing out of the sky, but before we could explain, a shout came from behind. The army of Vin was moving in ranks along the bank of the river, jogging two across.

“Stupid to run and enter a battle winded and fatigued,” Flier said, echoing the thought of all of us. Moving closer while using the scant cover would have been smarter.

To the untrained eye, it probably appeared impressive, the men in identical blue uniforms side by side, their feet striking the ground at the same time, parallel columns charging right at us. In other circumstances, I’d have laughed.

Slacker called for the first defensive positions and men rushed ahead to predetermined places. I turned to Anna. “Take your sister up that ramp and get behind a boulder. Do not look out. Arrows are going to fly, and one may hit you.”

Emma said, “That is going to be hard, I mean, not looking. Will there be yelling and screaming?”

I appreciated her insight, despite her age. “Yes. It will be hard, I know. I doubt if the first wave will take long and then we’ll be up there with you.”

“What if you’re killed?” Anna asked.

“Then Kendra and Flier will help you escape but understand this: Slacker designed this battle plan in a way that none of us gets hurt. Now, time is short, get up there.”

Emma spun and ran. Anna followed a couple of steps, turned and rushed back to me. She hugged my thighs for one squeeze, then followed. I moved to the side of one of Slackers men. He was too young in my opinion but held a bow and fistful of arrows to go with his wide, scared eyes.

I placed a calming hand on his shoulder and said, “Follow your orders and know that we may have a few more surprises for them. While I had never used the bow I held, a familiar circumstance for me lately, when I strung it and tested the pull, it was neither too weak nor too strong. It held no ornamentation. The bow was a military weapon built for the masses. I fitted my first arrow to the string.

There were others I stuck point-first in the dry sand beside my left foot, where my groping hand would find them when needed without taking my eyes away from the charging enemy. I watched the soldiers approach through a screen of heavy brush, and the officer at their head drew my attention.

It struck me that he probably knew precisely where we were. That told me he had his spies and scouts. If he knew that, he knew the strength of Slacker’s unit and with forty men he should overwhelm the position quickly. He counted on that, and also that Slacker’s men would see the orderly, well-disciplined army and realize the rebels were a rag-tag force, poorly trained and outnumbered four to one. He expected them to break and flee before the first arrow flew.

He may have been right at other times, or other places. Today, he was in for a surprise. “Steady,” I whispered to the boy at my side, but loud enough for others nearby to hear my calm voice. Fifty paces down the row, Flier repeated my instructions to others.

The head of the column was within the range of a long shot by an arrow, but the archer would miss. Distance and wind shift the intended course of an arrow by ten or more steps. Only a lucky shot would strike, and that would warn them. I wanted to remind Slacker to order his men to wait.

I heard him say nothing, but not a single arrow from our side flew. His men were well trained. At this point, the enemy thought they knew where we were, but it was not certain. I heard someone in their group calling cadence. One-two, one-two. Double-time. Hard to maintain for any distance through the soft sand. Several had broken pace. All looked winded.

They were close enough to see their relieved faces as we didn’t resist. They also exchanged wary looks. The column had turned away from the river and now headed right at us but found no resistance or even the sight of us. The cadence caller’s voice sounded louder as if he too was relieved.

Slacker stood behind the base of a huge willow tree, bow in his left hand. He slowly raised a fist and held it in position. I placed tension on my arrow and watched the column approach. Suspecting that our men would aim at the first in line, I decided to let my arrow fly a little higher and strike somewhere in the middle. Why waste five arrows to kill one enemy?

Slacker waited. And waited. The boy at my side was turning whiter with each step the cadence caller made.

Then, Slacker’s fist fell as he shouted, “Now!”

To my satisfaction, neither of the first two in the lines fell. At least three arrows missed as they went wide, victims of the crosswind. Not mine. It did not miss, thanks to my use of magic. My second arrow flew higher and dropped one of the nearest soldiers, but not the one I’d aimed at. He spun away with someone else’s arrow that struck him in his shoulder as mine passed by and struck the second in line right in the center of his chest.

I counted seven arrows had reached their marks before the column broke and the soldiers dived for cover. Despite their training in effective and precision marching, when the arrows flew, they wanted the protection of hillocks, boulders, bushes, or even a fallen comrade.

The officer rallied his men, and a few arrows flew in our directions, although none came near my end of the line. I let a few more arrows of mine loose and knew all had missed. My magic could veer an arrow to one side, but it couldn’t make them go around corners or boulders the soldiers hid behind. Then, they darted forward, a few at a time. If they got close enough, our retreat was endangered.

Slacker shouted, “Fall back.”

We turned and ran for the ramp that took us up to the top of the head-high ridge. Emma and Anna were watching from there, just as I’d told them not to do. Slacker reached the top first and counted his men and us until he was satisfied we were all safely up there. Two men removed the blocks under the boulders poised at the ramp, and they rumbled into place, blocking it. He indicated with a wave of his arm where each should go to mount our second defense.

I still had eight arrows.

They advanced slowly and spread out. Until we revealed ourselves, they had no idea of where we were. As they moved from the bright sun to the dense shade under the trees, their eyes were temporarily blinded. Slacker called softly, keep your voices down and only fire when you have a clear shot. No misses.”

To my left, a rebel that had been kneeling stood up and drew his bow. In the same motion, he released the arrow he held ready, then dropped out of sight again, but not fast enough. I heard the grunt of the man as an arrow from our side struck his shoulder. Another stood, and a pair of our arrows took him. That made nine of them wounded or dead. Almost twenty-five percent of their force. A good officer would retreat and continue to battle another day.

Not this one. His young voice sounded strong as he urged his men closer. Two more were hit. The officer rallied them for a charge to overwhelm us. Slacker waved his arm for attention and motioned for us to fall back again, quietly. The attackers wouldn’t follow for a while because they didn’t know we were leaving, and their charge might not happen right away. All that gave us time to disappear into the desert.

We followed the others out into the emptiness and vastness of soft sand and spread out to confuse any pursuit. The sand prevented anything faster than a walk, and before we reached the first low hill, my thighs burned, and my breath came in short pants. Suddenly, a squad of Vin soldiers stood ahead of us. They had been hiding behind the sand hill we’d just climbed, waiting to trap us.

The young officer must have split his forces, and the men ahead were there to prevent us from retreating, thwarting our plan. They were close to us, a sword in the hand of each as they charged the few steps between us. There was no time for bows, so I pulled my blade and stepped ahead of Anna and Emma.

As always when working with magic, I whirled a little wind and made sure it lifted sand. Not that I always made mini-tornadoes, but in case I wanted to use magic, I had to make sure it was available—especially since Kendra had freed the dragon. Thinking of her dragon made me realize it couldn’t help us in close hand-to-hand fighting like what we faced.

Two uniformed men ran at me side-by-side. Confident of my skills, I used small-magic to tangle the feet of the one to my left, so I didn’t have to fight a pair at the same time. The other rushed ahead, and as his blade slashed in my direction, a deft twist of my wrist deflected it. It was a move I’d used in practice a thousand times and one that didn’t require any thought. Just reflex.

Ordinarily, I’d have then turned my wrist after the initial parry and use the other’s momentum to help me as I flicked my blade, not a full swing, but enough to make a wide slice of his upper body that couldn’t be avoided. The sharpness of my sword would cut an arm or chest, and it would cut deeply.

Not this time. As my blade touched his, a high-pitched keening sounded, loud and piercing. My sword vibrated in my hand. Not shaking, but a small movement so slight it was not seen but felt. The noise was so unexpected, the vibration to unusual, I paused, confused.

The soldier I’d crossed swords with did the same.

We wore the same confused expressions to anyone looking our way. We were stunned at the sensation, the sound, and each other. Instead of attempting to slash my blade across his body, I waited defensively but made no move to attack. He did the same.

The rest of the fighting took place off to my right, far enough away to ignore it. There were too many questions swirling around in my mind to kill this man because he might have the answers to some of them. I considered tripping him with magic, having a bee attack and fly inside his tunic, or temporarily blind him with a flash of light.

I declined all use of magic for the moment. In the placement of his feet, the way he clutched the sword, and his clumsy movements, I knew all I needed about his lack of skill. In contrast, I’d spend part of almost every day in Crestfallen under the watchful eye of the King’s Weapon-Master or one of his stern assistants. Since the sword was the weapon of choice among gentlemen, officers, and most soldiers, at least half my time had been under their instruction.

A flick of my wrist would probably flip the sword from the hand of my opponent, and in the space of a single breath, I could strike him three times with slashes of my blade. However, I didn’t want to harm or kill the man. I wanted to speak to him.

He stood as limp as a wilted daisy in the heat of summer. His shoulders slumped, his face was slack, his blade held low as he studied me as I studied him.