(Dragonkin) Dragon Rider (12 page)

   When the group had ridden from sight, Falendor made his way down the stairs of the tower, and back into his private office. He sat at his desk, and pulled out three sheets of the official parchment of his realm. When the letters were finished, and sealed with the regent's ring, Falendor called for his courier.

   "Take these to the other regents, and hurry." He said to the man when he arrived.

   "Do you wish me to take them, or do you wish them taken to all of the other regents at the same time?" The courier asked.

   "I wish them taken at the same time, but I want you personally, to hand this one to Belorin in Grimmen."

   "I will see to it sir." The courier said, as he saluted and turned to leave.

   "And do not speak to anyone of this." Falendor added, as the courier neared the door.

   "Yes sir." The courier replied, and walked from the office, and down the hall.

   Something about the warrior made Falendor almost sorry he had to call the council together. He found that he liked the man, but more than that, he respected him. He fought for the people of a land he knew nothing about, and asked nothing for himself in return. He was kind and respectful to those around him, and those he met, but he was cold and deadly to anyone who prayed on the weak. He inspired men to be better warriors, and better men, without having them fear him. He brought out the part of Falendor that remembered the dreams of his youth, and the adventures of the warrior he wanted so bad. His father of course, could not allow the future regent to join the army. The people of Argnon and his servants in the castle, talked about only the warrior since the fair, and even his wife and oldest daughter talked of nothing else. Everyone walked around with smiles for the first time in years, and even his youngest children were excited. Yes he found he liked the man, very much indeed.

   The council of regents was held in Corlindum, the city across the great road from Glansford. People came and went from the city, but only when the regents met, was the city really inhabited. Servants from all of the realms were responsible for the upkeep of the capital, but they did not stay in the city. They traveled to it from Brinden, which was a town to the east, and did their jobs before returning. When the regents were to meet, the city came alive with people from all over. Goods began rolling in, and shops began to open in the market district, while servants from each of the realms prepared their masters houses.

   Falendor waited for word to arrive concerning the summons to the council of regents. He also waited for the warrior to return with the key he wanted so bad, but could not hope to have acquired in the past. The council would summon the warrior as well, but the box with the key would be in his possession when they did. He ruled the most land, but had the smallest population of all of the other realms. He did not have the income from taxes like the other regents, but he was trying to bring in more people by opening the old dragon rider lands.

   The brigand problem was becoming serious enough to bring up in the council again, and he felt it was their problem as well. The outlaws would not stay in the west for long, and to the east was the only place for them to go. He lost too many men to the bandits in the last nine months, but the problem had already been building for several years. Bandits waited along the road once in a while, but lately, things had begun to change. They seemed to be a lot more organized in the last nine months, than in all the years before combined.

   Eight days after the warrior departed, the regent stood on the ramparts and he watched as Captain Brannor rode out with thirty or his best men, and turned south. He did not know so many of his forces were in Argnon at the same time, and wondered why they were. The patrols must have returned from the north, and the investigation into these small groups of men. They must have discovered some information on the mystery, but he had heard nothing.

   Falendor walked to his office, intending to summon his messenger. He wanted to find out why a report had not been sent to him, and where the messenger who had it, was. When he arrived, the man was waiting outside the door for him.

   "You have a report for me?" Falendor asked the messenger.

   "Yes sir." The man replied.

   "Well spit it out man, I have not got all day."

   "The patrol has returned from the north. They reported seeing these groups of men that traveled at night only, but could never find any of them to interrogate."

   "What of the other patrols?" Falendor asked impatiently.

   "The patrol returned from the west, and found signs of bandits along the great road, and along the smaller western road."

   "Yes, yes, anything else?"

   "A messenger came from Captain Brannor, they are going to clean out a nest of brigands in the south.

   "Is that all?" The regent asked, annoyed that the captain would leave so abruptly.

   "Yes sir it is." The messenger said.

   "Thank you, you may go." Falendor said, as he entered his office and went to his desk.

   It was no more than ten minuets before the door opened, and Saesic entered the office. He was mad again, and Falendor was not in the mood for him, or his petty problems. The realm was in trouble, and all that his son cared about was his own comfort and safety. He wished his son were more like the warrior, and less like the spoiled brat that he was.

   "Where did Brannor go with all of our men?" Saesic asked his father angrily.

   "South, to take care of some highwaymen." Falendor replied,

   "What will happen to us if the castle is attacked? We would all be slaughtered is what." Saesic asked, and answered his question at the same time.

   "We still have forty men in the garrison, so I do not see how you are in any danger." The regent said, growing tired of the game his son was playing.

   "Do you plan to let the men who were conscripted go home still?" Saesic asked.

   "Yes, if the warrior keeps his part of the agreement." Falendor replied. "So, now we will get to what he really wants." The regent thought.

   "How can you just let some stranger come in here and order you around like that, you are supposed to be the regent?" Saesic said, and looked at his father with cold eyes and a false grin.

   "No one orders me around in my realm, but I keep my word, and I expect others to do the same." Falendor answered his son with passion, but it was as fake as the questions his son asked.

   "What is so important about this box, that you would deplete our army to obtain it? We could use the extra troops in our forces." Saesic asked in a milder tone, however, Falendor heard the anger in it still.

   "That is a private matter, and you do not need to know about it." He said, baiting his son.

   This was what his son really wanted to know, and the regent wondered why. It would benefit him as much as anyone else, but Saesic cared little about how to run a kingdom, and more about his own pursuits.

   "It seems odd that a little box could turn you into a childish boy, who allows his kingdom to suffer from it. Surly your family has a right to know why, father." Saesic said, as he spit out the last word with contempt.

   "When I think the time is right, I will tell everyone in the family at the same time, what is in the box, and why I want it." The regent said. "You may go."

   Falendor changed from being a father, to being the regent as he spoke, and Saesic knew it. Saesic grew angrier by the way his father could dismiss him, as he stomped from the office.

   Falendor thought about the conversation with his son. It was very strange for him to act the way he did, but he figured it was just the way spoiled sons were. He acted like that a lot lately, and he was growing worse with the passing of each week. Rebellion against your parents should have ended when he reached his eighteenth year, but he was well into his twenties, and still he did not change for the better.

   Chrisanna walked through the castle, and daydreamed about the handsome warrior that sat so close to her at the banquet. When she thought about how he kissed her hand, she blushed, and would look around to see if anyone noticed. Dancing her way down the halls, she stopped at the castle entrance to the stables. It was a big wooden door with iron hinges, and iron bands around it to make it stronger. On booth sides of the doorway on the inside, a banner hung to announce that this was the door to the stables.

   When she was a girl, she would climb behind the banner on the right side of the door. There was an old window, which was stoned up many years ago, behind the banner. She would sit there and pretend that she was with her father on his trips, and listen to the servants talk, unseen.

   For some reason she climbed into her childhood hiding spot, and sat there and thought about the warrior. That was when the door opened, and her brother came through. She could not see them, but she heard them speak.

   " I need the horse in my usual spot tonight." Her brother said

   " It will be there waiting." The man replied.

   She did not know who the other man was, but she was sure she had never heard his voice before.

   "My father will pay for his stupidity, and you will be rewarded well when I am the regent."

   "Thank you sir, I will see to your horse now, but I will not lead him from the castle until the night has taken hold of the land, and no one is about." The strange voice said, and walked back into the stables, closing the door behind him.

   "I may not have to kill that man after all." Her brother said to no one. "He knows when to shut up, and leave."

   Chrisanna waited for a long time before climbing from her hiding place. She was clearly shaken by what she had heard, but moved through the castle gaily, like she had only minutes before. Saesic eyed her suspiciously as she passed him a few minutes later, but he did that to everyone. She just smiled at him, and danced on down the hall. When she was out of her brother's sight, she ran to her room, and locked the door.

   The courier from Magdrin arrived at midday, four days after Captain Brannor and his men rode south. Thadric had heard about the man in dragon armor, and was alarmed. He was also having brigand problems, which he wanted to discuss at the council, and he was just waiting for the royal steward and stenographer to send the summons to all of the regents, making it official.

   The royal steward represented the empire in all things, but in the last two hundred years or more, the steward mattered less and less. Now he was just a formality the regents used to assert their authority.

   Falendor had his call to council excepted, and the summons would arrive within two or three weeks. The warrior did not seem to matter as much to him anymore, and he had liked the man all along. The problems of the empire could use someone with his skills, and he planned to relay that to the other regents at the council. He did not know why, but he suspected the warrior would not need his help, but he was determined to give it anyway.

   The morning dawned bright and cool, as the day overcame the night in the never-ending battle between them for the skies. Men began making their way to the inns for their morning Blackbeer, as they prepared for the day. The garrison opened the gates for the day's business, and men began to exit their homes. Falendor watched from the tower, as the town came alive, and the garrison changed the guards. The Warrior would be returning from the chapel soon, and he would be one step closer to the throne. It was just a matter of time he thought, before he would become the king of the empire, and the richest man as well. The events that had been set in motion by the warrior's trip to the monastery, as well as the regent's request for a council, would change the empire forever, but it would not change in the way Falendor expected.

Chapter Ten

   The sight of the dragon stunned, Captain Brannor, and his men were on the verge of panic for several seconds after the beast landed. He watched as Menimeth dropped from the great dragon, and walking in his direction, came to a stop in front of him. Unable to find his voice, he just moved his mouth silently and for several seconds, while Menimeth stood looking at him with a smile. He did not know what to say to the first dragon rider in over five hundred years, and in the end, just sat there with his mouth open.

   "Hello Captain Brannor." Menimeth said after a few minutes. "Thank you for coming, and bringing your solders."

   Captain Brannor watched as the dragon laid his massive head at the feet of his master, and Menimeth looked down at his friend when he did.

   "You never cease to amaze me Menimeth." Captain Brannor said, as he looked from the dragon to the man. "I knew you were someone special, but I never suspected this."

   "I am not the special one here." Menimeth said, as he laid his hand on the dragon's head.

   "This changes everything my friend." The captain said. "You do know that, don't you?"

   "What could it change?" Menimeth asked. "I am no different than I was before, except I found my friend, and now we are together."

   "There are no other dragons with riders in the empire right now?" Captain Brannor asked the warrior.

   "No, we are the only ones in the empire." Danorathin told his master.

   "I am told we are the only ones in the empire." Menimeth said relaying his dragon's answer.

   "Then since you are the only dragon rider, you are also the king of the empire." He said.

   "Dismount!" He barked the order to his men as he dismounted, and turned to the dragon rider.

   "Long, live, the king." He shouted, and all his men repeated it.

   "Hold on a minute Captain, I'm not the king of anything, and I do not want to be." Menimeth said, as he held up his hands with his palms out.

   "You have no choice sire, it is the way of things here and you are the only dragon rider, so you are the king." Captain Brannor said, as he went to one knee and bowed before the dragon rider.

   All of the men in the road followed the captain's lead, and bowed before him as well. His friends from Alenvale joined the captain, and Litlorn also. Chanry also knelt, but was beside his master and looked up at him with wonder in his eyes.

   "Stand up." Menimeth pleaded with the men. "I cannot have you bowing to me like that, and even if I am to be the king, I am not the king yet. There must be some kind of confirmation process, for anyone to become the ruler of the empire."

   "The empire has been without its king for more than ten generations." Captain Brannor said, still on one knee. "You are here now, and we will follow you wherever you command."

   "You do not even know me, how can you say I am your king?" Menimeth asked.

   "Because you ride the dragon sire." Captain Brannor replied.

   Menimeth realized he would not persuade them with anything he could say, so he switched tactics.

   "If I am the king, you must do as I say, right?" Menimeth asked.

   "Yes sire."

   "Then I want everyone to stand." He said, and all of the men stood up.

   " What would you have us do, sire?" The captain asked.

   "For one thing, you can quit calling me sire." Menimeth replied. "You did not call me that before you knew about the dragon, and you cannot call me that now."

   "But we did not know you were the king then, now we do." Captain Brannor said.

   "No one else must know until I have had the time to learn the ways of a dragon rider." Menimeth said, and looked at all of the men before him. "You must all take an oath to keep silent about the dragon, for now."

   Menimeth waited until all of the men had taken the oath, then he turned and looked down at Chanry.

   "You must call me Meni whenever you speak to me." Menimeth said in a soft voice, and placed his hand on the boy's head. "And never say that I am the king until I say you can."

   "Yes sir, Meni." Chanry said with a smile.

   "The regents will never accept me as their king the way things are now, and I will not be responsible for a civil war." Menimeth said where everyone could hear him. "The good of the empire must come first."

   "We will all do as you command, and no one from these ranks will betray you." Captain Brannor said, as he turned to the solders behind him. "Right men."

   All of the solders spoke at the same time, and in a loud voice, said.

   "Yes sir."

   Menimeth was not expecting this kind of reception when he arrived on Danorathin in the road that morning. Surprise yes, you are the king, no. He just wanted some help killing bandits, and he did not see why he had to be the king to get it. Just because he had a dragon, was not a good enough reason for people to bow down to him, and he thought it was all very silly.

   "Have your men rest by the road, and bring your second in command with you to the camp. We have some plans to make, and bandits to kill." Menimeth said to Captain Brannor, and turned to walk to the camp

   The solders walked their horses off to the side of the road, and let them graze on the green grass that grew there. Menimeth, Captain Brannor and his Lieutenant, as well as the companions, went into the camp to plan their attack of the monastery. Two hours later the company moved on to the south, and made another camp well out of sight of the road. They were less than two miles from the monastery, and close to the stream that led to the waterfall.

   The next morning, the five companions made their way to the waterfall before daylight, and waited. Danorathin stayed with Captain Brannor, and was to give the signal for him to attack when the time came. They were to move forward silently and attack from outside the monastery, and Chanry was to guard the camp and keep the bandits out. The men did not treat him like a child, and he took his job seriously, so Menimeth did not worry about him as long as the two solders were also in the camp guarding the horses.

   It was getting late when the relief watch arrived to replace the night guards at the waterfall, and the two night watchmen were grumbling loudly as they walked back to the monastery and their breakfast. When they were out of sight and over the hill, Menimeth and Kyler took careful aim, and dropped both of the new guards at the same time. Both men were dead, so they dragged them into the waterfall with them, and left them there, out of sight.

   The tunnel was rough-cut and narrow, but opened into a small chamber just behind the waterfall. Menimeth waited until everyone was safely inside, before moving on into the tunnel on the other side of the small chamber, and all of the men followed him one at a time. The tunnel continued on in a straight line for several feet, and ended in a room that looked like it was part of the dungeon. Menimeth removed the torch from its holder on the sidewall, and the wall across the room from the tunnel, opened up into the main dungeon like the informant had said it would.

   They needed to clear the dungeon of brigands without raising the alarm, or the plan might fail. The information that they had received from the informant was that only six men would be in the dungeon in the mornings. Menimeth took Kyler and went one direction, and Javen, Feran, and Litlorn went the other. Menimeth had Da'Thinagul in his hand, and it glowed faintly as the two men made their way through the dungeon. It put off just enough light to guide them through the darkness of the dungeon, and they soon came to a place where the outlaws could be heard. There was a light coming from a side passage ahead of them, and it grew brighter as they crept closer to the intersection.

   A tall slim outlaw in dirty clothes walked around the corner at the same time that Menimeth reached it, and stopped short with a surprised look on his face. He tried to yell out to his companions to warn them of the intruders, but found that he could not speak to do so. Da'Thinagul had flashed up from Menimeth's side, and he had thrust it through the outlaw's throat, severing his vocal cords, and ending his life.

   His companions came rushing around the corner to see what had happened, and found themselves fighting for their lives. The men were seasoned fighters, but did not last long against the superior skills of the dragon rider. Menimeth knew there were no more outlaws ahead, because the dust on the floor was a guide to where the brigands had been, and where they had not, and he turned to retrace his steps. There were no more footprints in the dust that continued on from where they had found the outlaws, and so he knew there was no need to continue in that direction.

   The five friends met at the stairs leading up into the chapel, and the six brigands were all they had found in the dungeon, so their information was still accurate as far as Menimeth could tell. Menimeth expected to find no more than four men in the chapel, five if Mareston was with them still, when they reached to top of the stairs. Only two men faced them when they entered the chapel, and though they were not caught off guard, the fight was over quickly. Menimeth told Danorathin that they were in place, and to give the signal to attack, as he and the men that were with him moved to the doors and prepared to engage the outlaws.

   A mighty roar sounded from the north, and men started yelling and running around in panic within the monastery. Menimeth and his companions burst from the chapel, and attacked the outlaws within the walls, sending them into an even worse panic. That was when the Captain and his men began pouring through the gaps, and the brigands turned to flee from the carnage that awaited them. Several of the bandits were down with arrows in them, and at least fifteen of them were dead or dying by the vicious attack mounted from the chapel.

   It looked like it was all but over, when a large force of outlaws came running up the road to defend the monastery. Menimeth noticed how even while running, they did not break ranks, and prepared to attack their foes as a unit. Only trained solders used this form of disciplined assault, and he was sure now that the bandits were not bandits at all, but solders instead.

   "I have a plan to break their spirits and their lines." He said to Captain Brannor, as they met in the courtyard of the chapel. "Have your men be prepared to attack the brigands before they reach the walls, you will know when the time is right."

   The brigand force was getting closer, and they were no longer running, but preparing to retake the monastery. They were advancing in straight lines, and in an assault formation, with their captain yelling orders as they did. Litlorn counted fifty, plus another eight who fled the monastery, only to join the advancing men. Twenty-five outlaws were dead or wounded in the initial assault, and not one of Captain Brannor's men was even injured in the fight. The captain positioned his men by the gaps in the walls, to allow them to get to the enemy quickly, when the time came to attack the approaching outlaws.

   When it happened, it happened fast. Danorathin came in low over the treetops with his rider, and crashed into the rear of the advancing forces. Litlorn bolted through the gap that he stood beside, and attacked the outlaws boldly as the dragon wreaked havoc in the rear of their ranks. The rest of the men that waited behind the walls followed the elf, but before they could even reached the brigands, they turned and fled to the east. Menimeth had dropped from Danorathin's back when the dragon landed, and in among the startled bandits. The men that were unlucky enough to turn and face him were quickly dispatched, and several brigands lay dead at the feet of the dragon rider within seconds. The dragon crushed four of the outlaws when he landed, and another six who jumped out of the way of his body, but not his claws.

   Captain Brannor and his men began to give chase, but Menimeth called them back.

   "Get your horses and chase them the right way. Do not let any escape, and bring me some back alive if you can." He said. "I will be

here waiting for you when you return."

   "Please follow them and help them if they need it, but stay out of sight otherwise my friend. And keep me informed of their progress." Menimeth told his dragon.

   "Yes sir, Meni." The dragon replied, as he rose into the air.

   Javen rode with Captain Brannor, but the rest of the companions stayed with their, leader, as they called him, at the chapel. Chanry came to the monastery when they moved the camp inside the walls, and followed his master everywhere he went.

   Captain Brannor led the solders from the monastery, as they followed the fleeing outlaws east. Javen rode beside him, and learned everything he could from the captain as they rode. When one or more of the brigands tried to break away from the main group, they were captured, killed, or herded back into the larger band of fleeing outlaws again.

   The first two days the outlaws moved as a group. They believed their numbers would keep them from being attacked by the pursuers, and they began to slow down. On the third morning after the chase had begun, Captain Brannor sent five men with bows to each of the brigand's flanks, because they had been keeping their sentries close to the camp at night, and the camp was slower to rise each morning.

   Captain Brannor stepped out into the open at dawn, and with a similar move to the one Menimeth had used on the ribbon at the fair, but much slower, killed two of the night watchmen at the edge of the camp. The rest of his men opened up on the camp from three sides, and the outlaws were fleeing once again. There were sixty-three outlaws in the brigand camp when the attack began that morning, and eight of the brigands were dead or dying, while three more were wounded badly enough that they would not make it through the night.

   One brigand had an arrow in his side, and one in each leg, but with luck, he may survive. The only other outlaw that was still in the brigand camp was hanging from the branch of the tree he had been climbing when the attack began. He was just a few feet from the ground, and he had an arrow protruding from his left butt cheek, but he was otherwise unharmed. He was cursing when they got him down from the limb in which he hung, and the outlaw yelled when the arrow was pulled out, while those of Captain Brannor's men that were still in the camp, laughed loudly.