Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) (26 page)

She bank left lifting on a thermal wind that took her higher into the clouded morning sky. She was due back soon but wanted to enjoy herself for one last moment before returning home to make her report. Bedler would be unaffected by what the humans were doing. Walls were easily broken—especially by her. She opened her great jaws and released a powerful blast of air that would have torn a hole in solid rock. Not meeting any resistance, it created an enormous boom that was heard, as well as felt, by the workers far below. Laughing to herself, anxious for the game, she banked again and flew back to Raven’s Eye Peak where Bedler and Resdin would be waiting for her.

*     *     *

Dor tried to steady his horse as it pranced about nervously jerking its head, its eyes rolling back in fright. The loud boom had startled all of the mounts but the others had been able to calm theirs much quicker. He was still getting used to sitting on a horse let alone controlling its fears. All eyes had turned skyward and work had completely stopped. Everyone had heard the loud noise and many claimed to have even felt it in their chests. A few had dropped to their knees voicing prayers under their breath while expecting the sky to collapse and the world to suddenly end.

Dor had seen the tiny speck above them and watched it for a short while as it had circled lazily about in and out of the clouds. It was too far away to make out any definite form but he felt certain that it must have been rather large. A sudden chill ran up his spine as he thought back to the dragon that had taken Thane. Never in his worst nightmares had he ever imagined such a creature. And now Thane was gone.
Most likely dead
, he told himself, though a small piece of him still denied it.

Finally steadying his horse his gaze returned to the sky above but he could not find the speck again. There were many clouds drifting about so it could have easily disappeared behind one and been hidden from view, but he felt certain that wherever it had gone, it was an ill omen.

The familiar ringing of hammer on stone and men’s voices soon picked up again and in some short moments all work continued. Jack had allowed Dor to ride with him two days ago out of the city and over to the mountains to inspect the work that was being done to block Nomad’s Pass. Dor and Jack both knew that it was only a matter of time before the whole troll nation and their new goblin companions surged out of the mountains and attacked. They just hoped that this would be enough to keep them back. Still, without more help from Calandra the effort seemed almost useless.

“Still no word from the Capital?” Jack asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to break the silence that had fallen on the small group since their arrival.

Colonel Braxton shook his head. “Nothing.”

Jack sighed heavily. “It’s too long
Myles, you know it as well as I. Something must be done.”

Braxton turned on his friend, his face betraying his frustration and anger. “And what would you have me do more than I have already done?”

Jack took his friend’s anger in stride. He knew that it wasn’t directed at him, but also knew that Myles was loyal to his post, and therefore his king. He wouldn’t move without Dagan’s word. “We must quit the city. You must begin to evacuate.”

Dor watched the exchange, knowing all too well what they faced and how close to the edge they were to complete annihilation should the goblin and troll forces attack before they were ready. Even then, he had his doubts as to how effective their defenses would be. They needed more numbers on their side.

Braxton watched the work for a long moment as it progressed at the pass. The wall was growing but it was taking too much time. It would hold for a while but eventually it would fall and if Jack’s number estimates were even half correct, they would quickly be overrun. Without Calandra, they were fated to be massacred.

Finally, he let out a long breath, as if in defeat, and dropped his head. “You are right, my friend. We have been abandoned here to our fate. We must make of it what we can.”

Jack nodded, sympathizing with him. Both knew that the king was a complete and useless idiot, but the colonel was sworn to his duty and he would die fulfilling it. Jack only hoped that that would not be the price this time.

*     *     *

Kornok landed gracefully, in spite of her enormous girth, in the large courtyard near the top of the peak. Resdin was there, waiting for her as he often did when she returned from her scouting missions. She could smell the desire within him and it brought a slight smile to her scaled face. She knew that Resdin was a handsome man for a human, a small resonance of what she once was, but she figured he would be more satisfying now going down her throat than he would at being a lover. Yet, his weak human lusts may turn out to be useful to her still. He might be the key to getting Bedler to make her leader of her kin. She could always eat him later if he proved useless, so she tolerated his advances and never directly discouraged him. One thing she knew for certain was that a man left hungry was more easily controlled and manipulated than one whose appetite was satiated.

Stretching her massive gray wings to either side she brushed the large talons that tipped them against the courtyard walls before pulling them back in and tucking them up against her sleek back. Like her siblings, she was massive. Her arms and legs were large and muscular, covered in protective scales that layered down to large, razor sharp claws the size of short swords. Her chest was covered in long plate scales that protected her underbelly from anything a mere human might shoot at her. Her head was slim and pointed fanning out behind her ears into spiked, bony protrusions that protected her neck. Yawning, she flashed her rows of teeth that tore through flesh and crushed through bone with the ease of a hot knife slicing into butter. Her whole body spoke of death and destruction.

She eyed Resdin for a moment feeling the slightest growling in her stomach as she contemplated again how he might taste before quickly dismissing the thought. Soon enough she would feast on the flesh of men instead of being forced to pick off the occasional goblin or troll that strayed too far from the main camp. Their meat was generally tough and less satisfying than that of a tender human but at least they kept her belly full, especially the large trolls.

“Why do you keep me in agony, my dear lady,” Resdin’s voice echoed across the yard. “Retake your human form that I might feast on your beauty.”

Kornok felt her stomach turn. His disgusting compliments might weaken the knees of any human woman but to her they were just tasteless words revealing the weaknesses of the speaker. But, swallowing her disgust, her form began to change. She hated taking the form of the pitiful human woman, but knew it was the only way to get what she wanted out of Resdin, and, of course, she couldn’t enter the keep otherwise.

Though dangerously beautiful as a dragon, she was striking as a woman. Long, dark hair cascaded down her slender back rustling gently against the gray velvet dress that matched the color of her dragon scales and hugged every curve of her body. Her skin was pale, setting off her midnight black eyes. Her facial features angled sharply creating an exotic beauty that culminated in the perfect shape of her lips that she kept painted black to match her eyes—and her heart. To behold her was to wish for death so that one more moment would not pass without possessing her.

Resdin’s eyes spoke volumes from his heart; a heart that had been twisted for long years toward satisfying his every lust and black desire. “I must have you,” he whispered, reaching out a hand for her as she approached from the center of the courtyard. “Why do you torture me so?”

She
laughed, its sound harsh and spiteful. “You torture yourself,” she said, her voice silk running over stone. Taking his hand and brushing her lips against his ear, she whispered. “You’ve never seen nor felt the torture I’m capable of, dear Resdin. But someday, I promise, you will.”

Resdin felt his knees giving under him to feel her so close, letting her warm breath seep into his skin. He could have stayed like that for an eternity and not felt the loss of anything, but his revelry was quickly ended.

Releasing his hand and stepping away, Kornok’s tone suddenly turned to ice and actually cooled the air around them. “Enough of this. Where is the old man?”

“Right here,” Bedler’s voice echoed down from the balcony above. “Resdin, cease your foolishness and bring her to me. We have much to talk about. Soon we will let ourselves be known again.

*     *     *

Dor leaned back in the chair next to Tam’s bed and watched her breathe, lost in his thoughts of the past and trying to gain some focus on the future. He scratched the top of his head where his hair was quickly beginning to fill in again. After two weeks of growth, the prickly stubble he once had was now becoming soft creating a small carpet of black over his extremely light head. He welcomed its return, yearning for the normalcy he felt it would bring with it and anxious to have his life back to how it had been before. Of course, nothing would be the same anymore now that Thane was gone. His best friend was lost.

Tam stirred, stretching the best she could against the ropes that still held her fast. Opening an eye she saw Dor and smiled warmly at him. Suddenly, he felt better, though he had no idea why. The cobwebs of the dark past seemed to melt away on the curved lips of one Chufa girl.

“Good morning,” Tam yawned, pressing again against her restraints as she twisted into another stretch.

“How did you sleep?” he asked, while picking up the steaming bowl that was resting on the floor next to him.

“Well enough,” she said and then pulled slightly on the ropes. “That is if you discount being tied up and not being able to roll over.” Her eyes turned dark and sad. “I wish I could just be free of them for a short moment.”

Dor stiffened. He wished the same thing for her but was still nursing a few bruises from the last time he had fallen to her pleading and charms.

Tam laughed hoarsely. “Why do you look that way? I’m not asking you to take them off.” She laughed again, but this time it seemed
forced. “Though the thought of being free certainly is a tempting one.”

Dor dropped his eyes to the bowl in his hand and stared at it dumbly not wanting to see her pleading face. Then, as if suddenly realizing that the bowl contained her breakfast, he scooped up a spoonful of mush. It was all the healers allowed her to eat. “Here,” he said lifting the spoon, “I have your breakfast.”

Tam sighed. “Mush again? Isn’t there anything else I can have?”

He shook his head. He’d been feeding her ever since she’d been waking long enough to eat and she always asked the same question. He figured it should have worn him to anger by now but the cute little pout she made with her mouth always made him feel strange inside. Not angry, not even upset, just…strange.

“You know the rules,” he finally said, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable with himself—and with her. “Kat and Bren still think its best you have this. They think it will help you…” he stopped. He didn’t know how to say it. How do you gently say something like ‘it will help you not have another maniacal episode’? He couldn’t think of any other way to say it and was about to just blurt it out when she rescued him—or more like took him from one uncomfortable situation to another.

“Kat and Bren,” she huffed. “Is there anything else you can talk about besides those two?”

He shrugged pushing the spoonful of mush into her mouth.

“You watch out for that Kat girl, Dor,” Tam warned, slopping the mush around in her mouth before forcing it down. “She’s had her eyes on you for a time. And the way she treats me when you’re not around, well.”

Dor suddenly felt his face get warm, figuring it must be from the steaming mush, but feeling even more uncomfortable all the same. “I…I…she…well, I think you’re just not quite yourself yet.”

Tam took another bite and then rested her head back onto her pillow. “You’re right about that,” she said, completely letting go of what they were just talking about. She’d been like that. Her mind never stayed on the same thing for very long. Bren said that it was a side effect of the
dranlok
. “Do you think much about, Thane?” she suddenly asked.

He looked into the bowl of mush and moved it around with the spoon. “All the time,” he sighed.

Tam’s eyes suddenly glazed and got distant. “So do I. I miss him. He always made me laugh. Of anyone, he always made me feel like a real person.”

Dor suddenly felt even stranger than before. He was confused. It was like Tam’s words were making him angry with Thane.
But, why? How could he be angry with Thane? He didn’t like the way her voice sounded either when she spoke of him. The way she said his name was much softer and warmer than the way she said his. “Haven’t I always been nice to you, too?” he asked and then regretted the question. Of course he hadn’t been. She’d always been a terrible nag. He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been more than happy to see her leave, until now, anyway. He didn’t know if it was because of her situation but he suddenly felt sorry for how he’d always treated her.