The Last Dragon: Book Two

CHAPTER TWELVE

F inding a map was easier than expected. The sailor I asked, told me there was a map with the ports of call for the Gallant hanging on the starboard side of the passenger lounge. I’d have known that if someone had told me there was a passenger lounge. A small sign on the outside of the door informed me it was only for first class passengers. Since I’d rented the new cabin, that would now include me.

I opened the door and entered a wood-paneled room filled with leather sofas, padded chairs, small tables, and food on a sideboard. A glance revealed two kinds of nuts in bowls, purple and white grapes, crackers, and smoked fish. There were small kegs of wine and ale. The room was surrounded on three sides by small windows, but so many of them they almost appeared as one continuous view.

Above the food hung a large framed map on the wall. Someone had used a pen to mark a dashed line between the four ports the Gallant served. I quickly found the Port of Mercia up the river, and followed the dashes to Trager, then along the coastline to Vin and finally to Dagger. A dashed line then returned to Mercia.

The route had taken us from the port out to sea and across it, nearly to the land opposite. A small indication said, “Day One.” It took a full day to sail across. However, a dragon could fly much faster, and while it looked like a fair distance, it didn’t appear impossible. Part of the way across was a cluster of small islands. If needed, the dragon could have rested on one of them.

Following the route on the map again, the Gallant would sail for three days to the west and south, then follow the coastline, but it would probably be out of sight if the markings were accurate. Trager, Vin, and Dagger were all located along the same coast. The dragon could simply parallel our course on dry land if it was trying to remain with Kendra as we suspected.

“Going to Trager, are you?” a gruff voice asked from beside me as he glanced at where my finger touched the map.

A man of perhaps fifty held a plate piled high with slices of smoked fish and crackers. He nodded to my finger and the half-moon Bay of Trager on the map. I said, “No. Well, yes, with the ship, but that’s not our final destination, I mean. We’re going on to Dagger.” I was careful to pronounce it with the Dag portion said softly and ger harder.

He asked, “Even been there? To either?”

“No, I’m trying to learn all I can about them.”

“Name’s Bandy. Grab some fish and a mug of sour ale and let’s talk.”

Bandy settled at the end of one of the small sofas, facing a chair with a table between us large enough to hold our drinks, but we balanced the snacks on our laps. He said, “I do a bit of trading, so know the locals like my own. What can I tell you?”

“Well, since we go there first, what’s with Trager? I heard it has had several fires.”

He stuffed a whole slice of fish into his mouth and chewed. A swig of ale and he said, “Plenty of nearby mountains covered with trees for timber for lumber. Built the whole damned place of wood, they did. Narrow streets, wooden shingle roofs, hot summers to dry out the wood, and cold, dry winters, so lots of fireplaces sending up sparks.”

“I see.”

“Not by the tail of any crowing rooster, you don’t.” He ate again, his eyes angry. “City went for hundreds of years without burning, not like the last few, anyhow. People were careful. Helped each other when there was a fire. Men were trained on what to do, and there were supplies.”

“What happened?” My puzzlement was obvious, but I didn’t care.

“Politics, some say. Others blame it on the Wyverns. There are even tales they spat fire and burned it. First, the Wyverns arrived, then the fires started. Before, they had been rare, the Wyverns and fires.”

A heaviness settled on my chest. Wyverns, mages, kings losing their thrones or dying, unknown committees of rulers. The story was repeating a pattern, and his tale confirming what I’d heard from a sailor. The details were slightly different, but the story the same.

“The king?”

“There is one if you can call him that. He’s the unseen man in the high castle. Rumor says he’s drunk and womanizing all day, every day, but most of us suspect he’s long dead.”

“But doesn’t he make the rules? Enforce the laws?”

“The laws come down to the people from his ministers. As the number of jobs diminishes, men and women sign on with the crown’s recruiters to work the mines. Can’t say as I’ve ever seen any return.”

“You leave a lot unsaid,” I told him.

“And suggest you do the same if you should decide to go ashore. Keep your mouth shut, don’t carry any valuables or a fat purse, and be back on this deck by sundown. Now, I have an appointment with my pillow for the first of my naps today.”

I held up my hand to stall him. “Can we talk about Vin and Dagger at another time?”

“Gossip? Of course, but it would be nice if you’d share a story or two with me in return. Nothing like gossip going both ways, know what I mean?”

He left me sitting there.

A woman wagged her finger to draw my attention. When I noticed her, she scowled and said, “I wouldn’t put too much credence in what Mr. Bandy says, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

“Why is that?”

“He doesn’t even live there. I don’t think he’s been ashore in Trager for three or four years. My husband sits on the Trager city council, and half his job is trying to prevent vicious rumors like Mr. Bandy spreads. Trager is a wonderful home, and yes, there are problems, but where are there none?”

“I see,” my voice answered while my mind decided which person to believe. It didn’t take long, if only because I didn’t like her haughty manners.

The map on the wall drew my attention again as she strutted away. Thinking back, we’d been told it would take five days sailing to reach Trager, six more to Vin, and another three to Dagger. I’d heard a ship sails at about the same speed a person or horse walks, but there are differences. Ships do not have curves in the road, nor hills to climb. For the most part, ships sail in straight lines, and they don’t stop for eating, sleeping, and detours. They don’t sail fast, but they do it all day, evening, night, and morning. At a guess, a ship travels four times as far in a day as a man walking along a road, maybe a little more if you include stops to speak to other travelers, eat, ask directions, and rest.

So, to get a better perspective, I multiplied each day of shipboard travel by four. Using that as a guideline, it would take about twenty days to walk to Trager, assuming I could walk over water. The idea was silly, but the comparison gave me a better understanding of nautical distances. We’d traveled from one end of Dire to the other in five or six days, the most travel I had ever done. Since boarding the ship the day before, we’d already traveled that far again.

The dashes on the map indicating our route had us near the shoreline. Even though I couldn’t see it, somewhere on that shore was Kendra’s dragon, as I’d started calling it in my mind. I knew that because my mind asked questions like an open book lying on the table. I needed to turn a mental page and go on to the next. I did.

Examining the map intently, I noticed again that Trager sat on a huge, round bay with mountains to the north that reached the end of the map. However, tracing the line upriver indicated that the large river went inland to the foot of the mountains. There two rivers converged in a Y. One flowed along the base of the mountain range, but the other went up between the mountains, where several smaller rivers joined it here and there. But the main river continued deep into the mountains.

My eye moved up higher on the map a little and found the beginnings of another river that flowed south until it met with another and another. The space on the map between the heads of the two rivers was small. One flowed north to Trager, the other south. Although there were few designations on the map, I knew a mountain pass when I saw one.

Most of the way to the top of the map sat the small city-village of Vin and at the top of the map, the capital, called Dagger, a name with a built-in warning. The map was confusing, at first, because Dagger, the city furthest south, was at the top. Modern maps have standardized with north at the top, so I assumed the map was a copy of an old one.

A glance out the windows of the salon revealed the front of the ship and most of the main deck. My sister and the two girls were up and walking. Getting a little exercise and staying out of the damp, moldy cabin with the two filthy canvas hammocks, was my estimation. A wise choice for people who didn’t know of the other cabin.

I felt the need for a nap. The constant, but gentle movement of the ship treated me like a child’s cradle. A spacious cabin awaited. Another glance out the window and I knew the cabin would never be mine. There was room in it for three people, all female, to live comfortably. The hammock without a pair of women hanging in my face all night was the best I’d get.

My dilemma was simple. Sure, I could sneak off and nap, but sooner or later Kendra would suspect something amiss, and that would be my downfall. She could always tell when I lied, either by active words or by omission. Catching me in such a lie would cause her wrath to descend upon me like a black blanket over my head on a moonless night.

A tiny sound drew my attention. I had been alone in the salon, and someone had entered silently and crossed most of the room in my direction. Without conscious thought, my magic drew moisture from the surrounding air and spread a thin film over the wood floor behind me, then used ambient cold to freeze it.

The sound of a foot slipping and a body striking the floor came next. I turned. A man sat there rubbing his leg. He didn’t attempt standing. His fingers slid over the thin layer of ice, a puzzled expression turned to me. His eyes lifted to meet my cold stare. It was the stranger who had been trying to spy on us.

“Nicely played,” he drawled as if chagrined and amused simultaneously.

“You have been watching me. Now you tried to sneak up on me.”

“I have done those things, I admit.”

His simple, but elegant answer and admission took me by surprise. “Why?”

“Princess Elizabeth ordered me to protect you and your sister—without your knowledge and at all cost. Two problems arose from that. First, there are four of you, and I had to assume she also wanted the two girls watched. Second, you managed to spot my interest in you almost from the beginning. My reputed skills say I’m better than that.”

“It was an accident,” I said while holding out my hand to help him stand. “Damon.”

“I use many names. Today, let’s use Will, as in I will do a better job of watching over you than I have in keeping myself hidden.”

“Okay, Will, it is. Now, is it your duty to report to the princess?”

“Sadly, no. My orders instruct me to remain at a distance from her, and of course, watch over her, also. However, she is not aware of that being part of my commission.”

His story confused me. “I thought she hired you.”

Will smiled, “Yes. As well as her father.”

“I see. If he did that, does it mean his health has improved?” My question caused my breath to choke while waiting for an answer.

“He seems a young man, again. Full of fire and spit. And he is angry, which is why the princess has been dispatched on a secret diplomatic mission to Kondor. Depending on the outcome of her mission, Dire may be at war within days.”

My relieved breath whistled between pursed lips. The man served two masters but had confided more to me than he should have. I told him so.

His eyes darted around the empty room before he answered. “If I had not told you the whole truth you would have found holes in my explanation and not trusted me. My intent is to do exactly as the princess ordered, and the king’s instructions do not prevent me from accomplishing that, or both. It does not explain why a patch of ice is here on a warm day, in a location that caused my silent approach to be revealed.”

My eyes looked at him in a more appraising manner. He stood shorter than me but wider. We were within a few years of the same age, yet he acted with confidence beyond those years. Besides, neither Elizabeth nor the king would have hired him unless there was more to him than I saw. I ignored the questions about the ice and my magic. “Who are you?”

“Just a man humbly serving his crown.”

That was not the whole truth. “If I wore my sword, for which I’ve earned some reputation, and drew on you, what would be the outcome?”

“I would take it from you and spank your bottom with the flat of the blade.” His answer had been confident, immediate, and believable, despite my training. Few could compete with me, yet I believed him. It hadn’t sounded like a boast.

My lips curled into a grin. “And yet you cannot stand upon the deck of a ship in a calm sea?”

“Almost as if you had a hand in my downfall, Damon.”

His response was too quick. I acted confused. “My back was to you.”

“So, it was. Have you noticed any other cold places on the deck?”

“I can’t say I have. Now, is it your intention to skulk around for the entire voyage watching over us like a nanny and her charges?”

“It is.” He paused, then continued. “Ignore my attention. Don’t draw attention to me, but you can discuss this conversation with Kendra, and suggest that she seek me out if she senses any danger. Princess Elizabeth asked me to relay her pleasure that the two of you managed to book passage.”

“And she will wonder at the two girls. Tell her that their mother died in a storm and they have no relatives in Dire—a condition we couldn’t ignore. If she has any suggestions, we’d love to hear them.”

“I cannot approach her any more than you.” Will shrugged as two elderly men, each carrying a glass filled with amber ale, entered the salon while talking too loudly, and disagreeing on the speed of a racehorse. Each seemed ready to back up his beliefs with wagers of gold. Their red faces and veined noses told of years of distilled spirits. They ignored us. We ignored them, and each other.

Will gathered a handful of food, as if that was his intention in entering the passenger lounge, and quietly slipped away without notice. I’d wager neither of the two men could identify him if asked, he blended in so well.

My thoughts of a nap fled. Kendra and the girls were walking near the door that led to the salon. I went down the narrow stairs and emerged almost beside them, drawing a questioning look from my sister.

“A cabin went unclaimed. I purchased it.”

Her face lit up. “Show us.”

A few minutes later they were giggling and cooing at the new cabin. Each girl had claimed one bed, leaving Kendra with none. That would soon get sorted out with two small bodies in one bed and Kendra in the other.

I, on the other hand, looked forward to swinging alone in my hammock, but in truth, that didn’t seem like such a bad outcome. I would have the tiny space for myself, the room above my face to breathe, and no other small body crowding me. I wouldn’t have to exit the cabin so another could use the chamber pot at night. No, it was not all bad.

We moved their belongings, and my weapons to the new cabin and I strung my hammock to nap the afternoon away and allow my mind to clear itself of the tangle of interconnecting thoughts confusing it. The idea that my magic worked again made me feel at peace and confident.

Also, having Elizabeth on the ship was reassuring, as was the furtive presence of Will. While she hadn’t spoken to us, I knew she would when the time was right. “I owe myself a nap. Any objections?”

Kendra smiled sweetly in the way that sisters often do when about to torment a brother. “No, go right ahead. I don’t mind watching over these two trouble-makers while you sleep your days away.” Her hand indicated Emma and Anna.

I tried to duplicate her simile. “I thought you might feel that way. Enjoy your spacious and dry bed while I swing in my damp hammock. Alone.”

“You don’t have to be alone. I’m sure Emma would enjoy a nap, too.”

Before she could convince me to allow the youngest to accompany me, I turned and retreated out the cabin door, down the passageway, and out into the fresh salt air. The breeze was brisk. The idea that there always seemed to be a breeze at sea occurred and was dismissed as too complicated to consider until later. I strolled the port-side deck all the way to the bow and back, saying hello to fellow travelers and watching for any who acted in a suspect manner.

There was nobody recognizable, despite that there were only about sixty travelers on the ship. The breeze whisked us along so fast I heard the sound of water rushing past the hull. The ship had very little movement, other than tipping to one side—but it remained tipped and sliced through the water like a sharp knife.

Making my way to the tiny bow-cabin reminded me of how dank, dark, and small the lower deck was. I ducked to avoid beams, and when I opened the door, rivulets of water trickled between the boards of the hull and dribbled into puddles at any obstruction. My fingernail raked off the surface of wood that had rotted while my other hand unhooked the lower hammock and strung it fore to aft.

While the dreary space could be cursed and deserved to be, in truth in a perverse way, I liked it. The hammock gently rocked me to sleep again. I could get used to sleeping in one. The gentle swishing of the water rushing past kept me asleep long after intended. When I woke, my mind felt refreshed, and I went up to the main deck and walked as I made small-talk with the other passengers. Later Kendra and the girls appeared, and we ate together.

By the third day, I was ready to leap over the side and swim for shore, just to have something different to do. The walks on the deck were about the same distance as across our apartment at Crestfallen Castle, without exiting the door. There was no intrigue, nobody to match wits with, and Elizabeth steadfastly ignored us. There were no books to read, no music to listen to, and the conversation with other passengers was shallow and dull.

Not that I longed for a fight with my sword or needed to practice using my new bow. I wished for a ride on my horse, a run in the hills, or a stroll along a mountain stream. Instead, I found myself huddled in my dank excuse for a cabin. If not for Emma and Anna, I might have thrown Kendra to the fishes and kept the other cabin for myself.

The girls kept my mind active with their constant questions and interest in the smallest details. Children had never interested me before. Others were generally rambunctious, self-centered, uneducated, and boring. The pair of orphaned girls were different. Not only did they look like us, but their antics were also intelligent and amusing, and I found myself looking forward to being with them again when we were apart for any length of time.

Their smiles welcomed and warmed me as their eyes lit up at my approach. Still, I wondered about dozens of items, not the least of which was that they didn’t seem to miss their parents. Perhaps that was unfair for me to say, but it was the truth. I couldn’t speak their language, nor them mine, but I would have expected sadness, tears, or wailing from children their age.

By the fourth day, even the girls were weary of the dull routine and bland food, too. Their language skills had expanded to vocabularies of hundreds of common words, most of which identified items or mattered when eating. The girls ate portions exceeding the size mine, yet they remained thin as willow switches.

They walked with me after our dinners, which had become my favorite part of the day. The sun sat low, the shadows long, and the air turned cooler. We were sailing to the Brown Lands, no matter the name of the kingdoms. There were fewer mountains, larger deserts, and the heat of the day had us hiding in our cabins, the chill of the night huddled under covers.

My dark little hole was located below the waterline of the ship and remained cool through the afternoon heat. However, in the late afternoon or early evening, the dry air and breeze attracted all the passengers to the open decks. We gathered on the main deck, most of us hugging a rail and looking out at the endless sea. Now and then a bird flew past. Or a larger fish leaped and drew our attention. That was the extent of the excitement while sailing.

Kendra said, “I could get used to this—if the food was edible, a band played my favorite music, a few friends accompanied me, and I owned a trunk of books. No, a few dozen close friends would have to be here to help, too. Not just a few.”

She had a point. I hadn’t slept so well in years, nor so much. The constant motion of the ship, the calls of the sailors, and the fluffing sounds of the sails kept me in a state of perpetually wanting to nap. I was not sleepy, but my mind told me I should take the opportunity.

I said to her, “You’d soon get bored.”

“Not if the few dozen friends I spoke of were handsome, young, and male. Of course, all you’d need is one little girl with wild red hair that refuses to be tamed or combed to fill your days.” She made a face where she wrinkled her nose at me, and the girls laughed as if they knew what was going on.

Perhaps they did. “We are due to dock early in the morning.”

She looked at me with a tired expression this time. “And you believe that we need to be told that, so we can all go ashore and have a splendid time in Trager. Trust me, we will be ready long before you.”

I returned her steady gaze. “Then, it is settled. We are all leaving the ship?”

“Why would there be any question about that? The girls cannot stay here alone. We have shopping to do, food to buy, and hats. We need hats to keep the hot sun off our faces.” Kendra said in an almost desperate tone, her words coming in a torrent.

“We will have most of a day, almost until dark to shop. From conversations with other passengers, the city does not sound inviting. It’s constructed of wood. Old wood that is dry and easily burned. Parts of the city have caught fire in recent years and have not been rebuilt.”

“We will avoid those areas.”

“The political climate is one of strife and conflict. An internal war, from what they say.” It wasn’t as if I wanted her to stay aboard, but the excitement of shopping had to be quelled. We were not going to Trager for pleasure. The danger was real and pervasive.

“Carry your sword,” she advised me.

She would carry her new blades hidden in her sleeves. Although she hadn’t had much time to practice throwing them, they were a surprise to attackers and might provide a few extra seconds of time. If they struck their targets as planned, they might reduce any odds by two.

The idea of planning a trip ashore in a military fashion would sound outlandish if discussed out loud in my home kingdom of Dire. In Trager, it seemed prudent. “I’ve spent several mornings and afternoons in the salon listening to conversations and even joining in a few. I played blocks at the gambling table a few times as an excuse to talk.”

“Win?” she asked, more out of curiosity than for any coins that may have changed hands.

“No. Winners are freer with their conversation, so I intentionally lost.”

“Of course. Did you use magic to manipulate the game?”

Again, I nodded.

“Good. Now, why did you continue playing? Boredom or because you learned something interesting?”

My response was slow. “Boredom, for sure. But Trager is whispered about, never spoken aloud without a glance around to see who might be listening. There are hints the fires were not natural occurrences.”

Her eyes narrowed as she considered what I’d not said. “Mages?”

“Yes. Again, mages.”