Sea Dragon (Dragon Knights Book 9) (20 page)

“And you?” Paton challenged.

Seth sighed. “Yes, all right. And me. But it was Sir Hrardorr who befriended her first. They’ve been fishing companions for weeks now.”

“Amazing,” Gerard muttered, shaking his head.

When silence fell for a moment, Seth tried to get them back on track. “What about the pirate fleet? How do we get the information to Sir Jiffrey and Sir Benrik? As leaders of this Lair, they need to know, but I don’t think they’ll give much credence to my words.” Since he wasn’t a knight. That last bit didn’t need to be spoken. They all knew Seth wasn’t taken seriously by many of the knights in this Lair. It was sore spot the family did its best to ignore.

“Where is Mistress Livia now?” Paton asked, as if skeptical of Seth’s claims.

It was so damned typical. Ever since he’d given up warrior training to become a healer, Paton had doubted his every move. Well, Seth would prove he was telling the truth.

“Give me a moment,” Seth said, then refocused his thoughts toward Livia.
“Where are you now, Livia? I think they’re going to want you to come up to the Lair to make the report yourself. Can you do that? Should I come down and get you?”

“I thought so,”
she sent back.
“I’m already on my way. I should be arriving at the lower entrance in about ten minutes.”

“You’re a treasure,”
Seth sent to her, not bothering to censor his words.
“I’ll come down and meet you.”

“All right. See you in a bit.”

Seth brought his attention back to his fathers as he stood. “She’s already on her way. Bright girl, is Livia. She thought you’d want her up here, so she started walking probably even before she contacted me. She’ll be at the lower entrance in about ten minutes. I’m going to go down and meet her.”

“Bring her back here. We’ll have Jif or Ben—or both—up here by then,” Gerard told him.

Seth made to move past, heading for the door, but Paton’s hand on his arm stopped him. He looked down to meet the blue eyes so like his own.

“Good work, lad,” Paton said quietly but with conviction behind his words.

“Thanks, Dad.” So often Seth had seen only despair in Paton’s eyes when he looked at him. This moment was special.

Paton let go, and Seth went on his way to meet up with Livia.

He was so impatient to see her he left the lower doors behind and met her on the road, sweeping her into his arms for a quick kiss before the final bend in the road. Nobody could see them, but there was no time to tarry. There was a threat to the town, and the Lair needed to know.

“My fathers are corralling one or both of the lead knights,” he told her as they walked briskly along. “I’m to take you to the great hall to meet them.”

“Thank you, Seth.” Livia wasn’t the least bit out of breath from her quick trip up from town, but she did look a bit anxious. “I wasn’t sure how to approach them.”

“To be honest, neither was I, but my fathers are wing leaders. They knew what to do,” he admitted.

“It’s good to have friends—and relatives—in high places, sometimes,” she quipped.

He smiled as he led her through the main entrance that led from the road to Dragonscove into the base of the mountain. Stairs and ramps would take them upward. He was able to take her past the guards, right up to the great hall, with little fanfare and only a few odd looks from some of the knights who weren’t otherwise occupied.

“Mistress Livia O’Dare, this is my sire, Sir Paton.” Seth made the introduction after finding only Paton left at the table in the great hall. Paton bowed politely over Livia’s hand while Seth watched impatiently. When the pleasantries were done, he had to ask. “Where is everybody?”

“On their way,” Paton said with a calming gesture. “Please, be seated, mistress. My son is remiss, keeping you on your feet after your journey up from town.”

Livia smiled politely, but Seth could see she was a bit impatient with the delay. So was he, for that matter. It was at that point he realized that her anxiety had communicated itself to him somehow.
Strange.

“Seth tells us you can bespeak dragons,” Paton started right in once Livia was seated.

“Father…” Seth said warningly, but Paton paid him no mind. Why was Seth not surprised?

“It’s all right, Seth,” Livia told him, reaching out to cover his hand with hers on the tabletop.

Seth felt the contact all the way to his toes. She’d touched him. In public. It was almost like she was staking a claim. Or, at the very least, letting anyone who cared to look that they were more than mere acquaintances. Seth felt so proud he was afraid the buttons on his shirt would burst.

“Hrardorr warned me what would happen once my secret came out. I suspect I’ll be popular with the single knights after this.” She gave a long-suffering sigh that was both playful and genuine.

“Seth tells us you’re acquainted with one pair already—Sir Gowan and Lady Genlitha?”

Seth rolled his eyes. Paton was about as subtle as dragon fire.

“Yes, I’ve been flying with Lady Genlitha. She is very sweet.”

“Sweet?” Paton tried to hide his bark of laughter with a cough, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. “Forgive me. We’ve been training with Gowan and Genlitha for the past few weeks, and she is formidable. A cunning flyer and a wicked fighter. I never would have applied the term
sweet
to her, though I have nothing but the greatest respect for her.”

“Nevertheless,” Livia insisted, “she is exceedingly sweet-tempered and kind.”

Paton was saved from crafting a response by the arrival into the great hall of Sir Jiffrey, accompanied by Gerard. Both walked quickly over to the table in the corner where Livia waited. Seth rose and made the introductions, wondering privately why Sir Jiffrey’s partner hadn’t also come.

“He is aloft,”
said a dragonish voice in his head that he knew well. It was the female dragon who had been as a mother to him, Alirya, partner to Paton.
“When they land, he’ll most likely join you, depending on what your lady has to say.”
Seth heard the unspoken speculation in Alirya’s voice and knew questions would be coming.
“Do you believe her story is as urgent as she claims?”

“Livia is not a woman given to flights of fancy. If she is concerned, then there is definitely something to be concerned about.”
Seth defended Livia to the dragon, knowing he was probably damning himself by doing so.

Now the dragons would know for certain he had some sort of feelings for Livia, and they’d no doubt be asking him all about it at their earliest convenience.

Well, then. So be it.

Sir Jiffrey had been exchanging greetings with Livia while Seth was communicating with Lady Alirya. Finally, they were down to the crux of the matter. All were seated around the table, and Livia leaned forward, imparting her news.

“Two of our fleet made port today,” she was telling Jiffrey. “As a matter of course, arriving captains make routine reports to either my father or myself, if my father is on a voyage. I have been receiving these reports for many years, and I can tell you, I’ve never heard two more alarming accounts in all that time.” She paused to take a breath and scan the faces of those gathered.

Seth could see she still hadn’t convinced the older men, but she would. He knew Livia well enough—trusted her judgment enough—to know that she wouldn’t raise a false alarm. He would sit back in silent support unless she needed him. This was her show, and he knew she wouldn’t welcome his interference unless there was no other way to make the older men listen.

“What is the report, and from where?” Paton asked quietly when nobody else posed the obvious question.

“First to report was Captain Andrews. He does the eastern trade route that includes Ouray, Penilula, Sabatos and Zealanta. He first heard reports of a large fleet massing east of Zealanta, but didn’t think anything of it until he heard more in Ouray. Sightings of a large force, made up mostly of known pirates and heavily armed warships, was confirmed by at least three captains he has known for many years. Tales fill the seaside taverns and are spreading up and down the coast in that land. Captain Andrews is an older man of solid character. He believes the most reliable count is something in the realm of fifty to one hundred ships. Of that, he believes about three quarters have multiple cannons, and some are kitted out with catapults. Whether or not they have any of the diamond-bladed weaponry we’ve heard is the bane of dragonkind, he does not know.”

Now they were listening, Seth saw. All three older men leaned forward and had looks of grave concentration on their faces. None interrupted Livia with objections or questions. Not yet.

“An hour later, Captain Illers of the
Sonova
came tearing into my office in a lather. He has just come from Ouray. His ship left a day after Captain Andrews, and he’s been chasing the wind to get here as quickly as possible. Word came to Ouray that the pirate fleet had attacked Listerna, which is just down the coast from Ouray as the crow flies. Fears are that, after Listerna is sacked, Ouray might be next. Whoever was ready to sail took off with all possible haste. The port emptied in record time. Captain Illers had reports direct from messengers sent from Listerna to warn the other coast cities. I have a copy of the missive sent out by Listerna’s governor to all its allies. I had our scribes make up several copies and sent them to all the prominent businessmen in town, as well as the Dragonscove town council. And this copy…” She pulled a rolled parchment out of her pocket and handed it across the table to Sir Jiffrey. “This one is for the Lair. If we are soon to come under attack, I think the town council is going to want to know what support we might count on from your knights and dragons.”

“We will have to review this information and confirm our readiness,” Jiffrey said, scanning the document with a frown.

“As I thought. Which is why I came directly here to give you some time to examine the facts as far as we know them, before the town council comes calling.” Livia nodded, and Seth could see she’d surprised Jiffrey with her level-headed actions.

Seth wanted to gloat, but he just sat back and watched her in action. He loved this competent, businesslike side to Livia. Then again, he loved all her moods and facets.

And that was a dangerous train of thought.

“I’ve sent out two ships. Some of our fastest, not our largest. They are only lightly armed. Their task is reconnaissance. They will make frequent stops along the coast and return with all speed, but even that is going to take days. I was hoping…” Livia’s voice dropped to a deceptively innocent tone. “Maybe some of your scouts could fly out a little farther than usual and pay particular attention to the coastline?”

Jiffrey looked up at her sharply. Seth could see the wheels turning in his mind as he, no doubt, talked things over with his partners—both the dragons and the knight who shared responsibility of running this Lair with him. Jiffrey might be sitting at the table, but the other three were listening through him and conversing with him, Seth knew.

“We can do that immediately,” Jiffrey confirmed after a few moments. “Gowan and Genlitha are scouting in the east today with first wing. We’re sending them farther out toward Ouray. It should take them about an hour to get there from their current location.” Jiffrey stood abruptly from the table. “Perhaps you would like to refresh yourself here, Mistress Livia? I would like to send word back to Dragonscove with you, if you are amenable, since I have no doubt you have a network that far exceeds our own among the local business owners.”

“I would be honored to help in any way I can,” Livia replied demurely.

Paton and Gerard rose as well. “Perhaps Mistress Livia would like to visit with your mother while we wait for word,” Gerard suggested rather overtly before going after Jiffrey.

Livia giggled softly, and Seth knew she understood what was going on. Suddenly, he wasn’t embarrassed. A shared joke with the woman who had starred in so many of his dreams was a treasure.

“We’re going with Jif,” Paton paused to say. Gerard was already halfway across the room, not letting any grass grow under his feet, as usual. “Tell your mother we’ll probably be late for dinner, and not to worry. We’re just doing the planning now, nothing dangerous.”

That was classic Paton, always putting others’ worries before himself.

“I’ll tell her,” Seth promised. And now, they’d
have to
go to his parents’ suite. He reached out to shake his father’s hand. “And don’t think I didn’t see what you did there.”

Paton winked, smiling at them both, then followed after his fighting partner in double time.

Seth held out his hand to Livia. She rose, taking it, and smiled at him.

“Mistress Livia, now that we have no real choice in the matter, would you like to meet my mother?”

She grinned up at him, making him feel like the king of all he surveyed.

“As a matter of fact, I believe I would like very much to meet your mother. The question is…” she leaned closer, conspiratorially, “…is she going to want to meet me?”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

All Seth could really do was sit back and watch as Livia and his mother, Enid, got to know each other. Livia was understandably tense, given the news she’d come here to impart, yet his mother did her magic and set Livia at ease. Enid had that way about her. She was unruffle-able. No matter what happened, she took things in stride and was able to convey that feeling of peace to everyone around her.

Currently, she was pouring tea for Livia and Seth around the family table. Seth tried not to squirm when his mother insisted on relating anecdotes from his childhood. Luckily, Livia seemed to think his mother’s stories were cute.

They started talking about the market in town and various changes that had been made in the past few years. Seth’s mother didn’t go down into Dragonscove much anymore, but she went with a group of her female friends—mostly other Lair wives—every now and again.

“I grew up here, you know,” Enid told Livia. “The town has changed a great deal since I was a girl. It was much smaller then. Just a fishing village, really. Now it’s a small city with industry and craftsmen that weren’t here before. Your father seems to have had a lot to do with that, Livia.”