Dragons Shining (16 page)

“My swords have worked better for me than words, Owen. Such was my life on the ships as a lad. Pirates care nothing for words.”

“Well don’t belittle words, so Baird told me a thousand times. The wrong words could sink a ship, and the right ones save it.”

“Eye, Captain. Be those words slipped to a whore in a bar telling where we are or are not headed”, Ender said with a laugh.

“Let’s hope the right words were said or unsaid in the right or wrong places so Belaros knows not our plans”, said Owen.

Ender laughed again. “Right. Let’s hope he is completely confused.”

They returned to camp, where the men talked about past adventures, close calls and women.

Owen and Rolph were up before dawn. They struck their tent as Ender, Purdy and Tamaris stumbled out rubbing their eyes. They had a quick breakfast and coffee, heated over the glowing embers of last night’s fire.

“Is that your real name, Purdy? How could a big, ugly guy like you get a name like that?” asked Tamaris.

“Well I was downright pretty before this mean young wizard here turned me into this big ugly, mug so that name don’t make sense anymore. You watch it, or he’ll do you too.”

Ender and Rolph kept a straight face, and Owen put on a scowl.

“Really? No, you wouldn’t do that to me would you, Lord Owen?”

“What, he already did. You haven’t looked in a mirror lately, have you, Tamaris?” said Ender with a deadpan face.

“Huh. Hey Larry...”, said Tamaris as he jumped up and invaded one of the other tents.

They could hear “Hey what the hell; gimme that mirror back!”

”Now that’s down right mean, Ender”, said Purdy.

“You started it, you big lug”, said Ender.

Owen was rolling on the ground, speechless.

“You know he’s bound to get ya’ll back don’t you?” said Rolph.

“What’s wrong with you, Tamaris? Get out, darn it!”

Tamaris stomped back red faced. “Ok you guys. It will be pay back time when I’m on watch and you guys are all sleeping. Not till after you forget all about though. I need some more coffee.”

Not long after, they were heading north by northeast, beginning the long journey to Dragon Mount.

After three days travel in alternating forest and farmlands, avoiding all towns and villages, they faced the great open moors and savannah preceding the southern hill country. Owen had removed Gander’s glamour some time back.

“Gander looks better today, doesn’t he?” asked Rolph.

“That hunt last night was successful. He bagged a young female sow. I guess he does need meat every now and then, so I will let him hunt as soon as we make camp sometimes.”

“I wouldn’t want him hunting me”, said Tamaris.

“Nah. He wouldn’t get enough, so don’t worry about it.”

“You are right, Purdy. It’s you had better watch out”, Tamaris countered.

“What about that?” Asked Ender, pointing at the low, rolling grass covered hills as far as the eye could see.  “There are Lions and Wolves in the moors, and big ass snakes.”

“It’s the shortest way”, said Rolph. “And you forgot about the storms, the Buffalo and the other grazers. And the Datary Raiders like to hang out in this area.”

“The raiders do not obey kingdom laws, and stay here in this band of moors and savannah that stretches across much of the northern portion of the South, away from everyone else”, said Owen. “Baird told me they descended from outlaws that had been released when the ships landed here. 

“Oh joy”, said Purdy. “I hear the storms can get so bad, the wind pulls the tops off the grass and it can flay the skin right off your bones. If that doesn’t kill you then the Raiders might.”

“That’s why the animals here are so tough and smart. Make sure your leather suits are on top of the packs, and the wind covers for the horses are accessible. Gander is well adjusted to these conditions. His shield, double eye lids and tough hide will suffice nicely. The Raiders are more civilized than people think. They are suspicious and curious, yet will let you pass if you respect them.”

Baird had been quiet for so long that Owen started.

“What’s wrong, Owen?” Asked Rolph.

“Baird just reminded me to pull our wind coveralls, gloves and head gear and keep them in our saddlebags for now. We need to make sure we can get to the horse covers quickly. I think we need to cut some wood and bring it with us on a couple of slings as well. There is no wood out there. He says the raiders may see us, but if we respect them, they will let us past. I think that means don’t brandish weapons at them“.

They were well equipped with axes, and there was plenty of deadwood and downed trees available here on the forests edge. Before long they had slings behind each of the big pack mules, with some split wood stacked on it. They even had wheels intended for makeshift mining carts.

Owen cast a spell on the wheels to make them larger and stronger.  “
That took more energy than I thought it would,”
he said to Baird. He was dizzy even.

“Think about it. There was no blood to transmute, or free life energy to tap, so where did that extra steel come from? It came from the ground and from far away.  I should have warned you. Distance makes it harder. I am surprised it worked at all. Ask me next time, ok?”

“Hold on guys”, said Rolph. “Owen, are you ok?”

“Throw me an apple, would you. I’m out. I just need some energy. That wheel spell was a bad one.” He had thought several times about just changing, and flying the whole way. But he worried that he could not fly that far between rests, and he would be hunting the whole time as well. ”
I am not quite ready for that
”, he thought.

“No, you are not ready yet, Owen. On the horses it will take you four days to cross this, and after that comes the swamp. You will need to rent boats there to follow the deep water channel across.”

After eating the apple, Owen felt well enough to travel, and they started across the moors.

Before long they spotted a herd of gazelles that rose and moved away from the disturbance of horses and men. They came over a rise to a flat plain upon which a large heard of Buffalo grazed. Hunting had been good, so they wasted no time on the huge beasts as they rode through an avenue where the Buffalo separated to let them pass.

“Look there”, said Owen. He knew that a pair of lions was stalking a buffalo calf well over to their left. He could barely see a tawny difference in the color of the grass.  “Lets hurry and get past them or we might get caught in a stampede.” So they galloped past the herd just as the two huge female lions sprang. They had the young buffalo on the ground quickly and hissed at the mother, daring her to come closer. Instead, the whole herd thundered northeast, shaking the ground. The two lions watched them pass, in no apparent hurry to finish the still struggling young buffalo.

After seeing how big the lions were, they retrieved their weapons for quick access.

Owen sensed a different sort of bird overhead and looked up. A flock of dark gray Great Chitabion birds flew majestically overhead, headed north.  It was rare to see these birds so far south.  They had long, sharp spear like beaks and great, triangular leathery wings that spanned twenty feet or more. They had long legs with long ripping talons protruding from webbed feet.

They rode all that day, and made camp at dusk on the gentle slope of a hill. “We do not want a fire on top of the hill,” Rolph had pointed out.

There were dark clouds on the horizon. “That storm will hit tomorrow, after noon”, said Owen. “We should be ready.” He had kept up his habit of watching the terrain through the eyes of birds or eagles far above. It was they who had known the storm would hit tomorrow.

“
Stay close tonight, my friend”,
Owen instructed Gander, who snickered his understanding.

By now the routines were familiar, and they quickly set up the tents. They kept the horses and mules close on a staked tether that circled the camp. There was plenty of grass. Owen walked all around the camp area placing a ward this time. It would keep unwanted visitors from reaching them or the horses, and would alert him if activated. He was suddenly very hungry.

“I have not used wards before at our camps, but tonight we need them. It means that any mage in the area can see them, unfortunately. I don’t sense anyone for miles, though.”

“So the Lions can’t sneak in and snatch one of us, huh?” asked Tamaris.

“Not even the whole pride or a herd of Buffalo, Tamaris.” Ender, Purdy and Rolph were listening to this, and all four were visibly relieved.

“Let’s cook some venison tonight. I’m starving”.

“Magic does that to you, right?” asked Rolph.

“Only when there are no fresh enemy kills to tap, Rolph. I do best when they are dying nearby, and there is lots of blood.”

“Ewe. You could tap this energy from other animals, or even us, couldn’t you?”

“Yes. But I won’t unless invited to do so, and then only if there is very dire need. And there is no need, really. Food does a splendid job all by itself.”

“Ya hear that Purdy? You better get on that fire quick or Owen will do more than mess your face up!” Tamaris had not forgotten the ribbing he had endured.

“You are the one with all the yapping energy, Tamaris. “Owen, why don’t you slow him down some, and solve two problems at once?”

“You two should be married”, said Ender. “You bitch at each other enough.”

“Oh Tamaris, will you be my Bitch?”

Tamaris just walked off in disgust and started constructing the fire pit.

In the wee hours, Owen was wakened by a draw on his wards. He slipped out of the tent with his Elven swords handy. The horses had move closer to the tents and were whickering nervously. Gander stood close to the ward on the east side.

Owen threw more wood on the fire. Rolph was standing between the fire and the ward, looking into the darkness.

“Those aren’t lions”, he said as Owen approached. “I saw the big one test your ward with his nose just now.”

“Wolves. Big ones aren’t they. I see the leader. Let me see if I can contact him”.

“The savannah wolves are large and smart. I know that one. His pack is on top. I named him Tooth a few years back. He might remember. They have a pack mentality, so do not embarrass their leader.”

Owen strode up next to Gander, who issued a low note of warning at the wolves.
“Great Tooth, why do you pace our resting place?”

“Tooth? Smell Dragon, not wizard. Curious. Hungry. Horses good.”

“Dragon hungry. Wolves good.”

Owen sent an image of fire blasted wolves being devoured by a Vampire Dragon. Gander licked his chops.

The big wolf growled. “
Wizard gave.”

“Rolph, go fetch one of those salted deer haunches please. I think big boy here needs to save some face.”

The wolves paced, their read eyes gleaming, and Rolph returned with a meaty haunch.

Owen took it and stepped through the ward. The wolves back away from him, except for Tooth.

He threw the haunch and Tooth caught it with a mouth full of long, sharp teeth. He gazed at Owen for a moment, then turned and padded off into the darkness.

Rolph sighed as Owen stepped back through the ward. “That was dangerous, Owen.”

“Not really. They fear us, and won’t attack unless we goad them. Go get some rest, Rolph. I will take the next watch. I might as well. If the ward gets probed, I wake up anyway.”