Chapter 5

Dayton rode along quietly moving from the front to the rear of the group, listening to their discussions and speculation about what they might find. As would be expected, the younger men were eager to run into bandits, or even an entire army, so that they might prove themselves on the field of battle. The older men said little, and rode somberly. They had seen death, been involved in battles, and did not race toward either with enthusiasm. If called upon to fight and kill, they would do so, and do it well, but they preferred the peace that had fallen upon the land since the death of King Lothan’s father 28 years earlier and his concerted effort to form alliances with neighboring countries for trade and profit, as opposed to gaining wealth through battle and conquest.

Skeptical at first, his soldiers learned that the King’s desire for peace did not mean he was foolish enough to believe an army was not needed. He kept his army strong, protecting the trade routes from roadside bandits, provided them with the arms, uniforms and strong steeds upon which to ride. He even offered them an opportunity to take wives, raise children and live in their own small homes. This was unheard of in other kingdoms. He built a small village for the soldiers and their families. The small gardens laid out behind each home were tended by the wives and children and they were even allowed to keep the proceeds for themselves to either eat or sell, as they chose.

The men liked Perseus as a leader. He trained hard with them, treated them fairly and exhibited many of the same characteristics as the King. Although they would have preferred to make this trip with the King in the lead, they were not dissatisfied with Perseus. He was just unproven on a field of battle. The older men traveled together, speaking low when they did speak, and when the topic of Perseus came up, one of them looked around and realized that more than two thirds of the soldiers with them were under the age of 30. At least young men tended to race into battle unheedful of the danger – they all felt as if they are invincible. A good quality in a soldier, but not so much in a leader, he thought. Soon the talk moved to Dayton and what kind of leader he would turn out to be. The older men decided it was too soon to make that determination. At least they had seen Perseus perform during military training. Dayton had never taken training seriously, preferring to watch his brother and tend to the dragons. Everyone knew he was disappointed that Gemna had not bonded with him, even though they did not really understand what it was between a bonded dragon and its master that was such a big deal. It was an animal, you could train it and ride it and it fought well in battles. To the foot or cavalry officer, there was nothing else to consider.

Even as this muted conversation drew to a close a shadow passed overhead and they all looked up. Gemna was circling above and Perseus was pointing to the northeast. As the column approached a split in the road, it turned to follow the direction he was pointing, finding yet another trail through the dense woods, though even smaller than the one they had been following.

They stopped in a small clearing for lunch and to rest the animals and then took up the trail again. Periodically, Perseus would point them in another direction whenever choices in the trails were presented. They knew they were traveling in the most direct route possible given then terrain. Even though they might have been able to travel further in open terrain, the dense forest began to turn dark in the late afternoon. Even though he was high above where the sun was clearly shining, Perseus sensed that the trail was getting hard to see and called a halt to the day’s trek as they neared a small clearing suitable for camp. A collective sigh could be heard from the weary travelers as they entered the clearing.

Chapter 4

It was still dusky, on the cusp of sunrise, yet the castle was a stir with life. Dew covered the ground and steam accompanied every breath, every word spoken. The horses and mules stood by, stomping their feet and puffing up their bellies as their master’s went to strap on sturdy saddles and load bearing rigs. There was a sense of excitement in the air and this added to their restlessness.

Barcus approached the mare being saddled by Dayton. She was a fine three-year old filly; one of the fastest in the realm. He watched with approval as Dayton gave her belly a little nudge with his knee. As she blew out the air she was holding, he cinched the saddle tight. Her name was Spite. Odd to most, but Barcus knew the story behind the name. She was a tough horse to train and ride, but Dayton, even though he was only 14 at the time of her breaking, kept telling her over and over that he was going to ride her in spite of herself. She would come to love him in spite of herself. He would be her master, in spite of herself. Barcus smiled. Spite still pushed the boy but he never flinched or gave an inch. And the two of them loved to race….

King Lothan, Queen Zenia and Perseus stood conferring in the doorway of the courtyard. She then entered the kitchen and soon came out with a handful of staff, all carrying bags full of food and drink which was passed amongst the hunting party. The mules were laden with sleeping bags, cookware and extra food to sustain the group for about five days. They would be able to hunt along the way for any meat they might need. Queen Zenia gave Dayton a hug and without a word, moved back to stand by her husband who had moved to the center of the courtyard.

He tilted his head back and raised a horn to his lips. It was made of a special type of gourd found only in this valley. He gave two powerful blows and lowered the horn to his side. He then addressed the group.

“Everyone has already been briefed on what Perseus and I observed yesterday during our hunt. The Kindale farm has been ravaged and we know not of their fate. I fear this may not be the only farm you will find has been attacked. Your first priority is the safety of the search party. Your second is the safety and rescue of all who may need it. You are not to engage an enemy unless you are attacked yourselves.”

This was met by some quiet grumbling from within the ranks. Many knew the Kindales and would seek revenge if they were, in fact, murdered.

“I need information before I will allow any action to be taken. We must find out what we are up against. Is it a random robbery? A gang of thieves? Are they organized or not? Or is it an army with far greater intentions then to just rob a few farms?”

Suddenly everyone looked up as two shadows passed overhead. Within a few seconds the two dragons gently settled on the ground on the space which had been left open for them. Perseus approached Gemna and began to saddle her. She looked around and saw Dayton standing next to Spite. This actually made her happy as it meant he would be coming along. She tolerated Spite, though she thought the animal should treat Dayton with more respect than she did. But even Gemna could see the joy the two of them felt when they were racing across the valley together.

Once Gemna was saddled, Perseus gathered up his weapons and food bags and placed them on the back of the saddle and strapped them in. He then gave his mother a hug and mounted the Dragon. This was the cue and everyone else mounted their horses, ready to be off.

Perseus nodded to his father and said, “Father, we will not let you know. I know I speak for everyone here when I say that we will find out what has happened and should we find anyone needing assistance, they will be taken care of. And, we will try not to get into any fights, but we will not run from any that come our way.”

“Here. Here,” was heard from within the group.

King Lothan smiled. “Be off then. And be careful. All of you.”

Gemna rose into the air at the nudge of Perseus’ knee, soaring up and circling the castle as the hunting party streamed from the gates onto the road. With a short glance down to see that all had made it onto the road, Perseus turned her to the north and let her fly. He would act as scout, surveying the ground for the easiest paths for the horses and mules and keeping a sharp eye out for any danger that might befall the hunting party. This would be more difficult once they entered the forest, but he would concentrate on finding ways through the forest that were less dense, not only for their ease of passage, but also for the extra security he could provide.

King Lothan turned to his Queen. “We have raised two very special sons. I am very proud of both of them.” She nodded. Worry creased her brow, but she was also very proud of them.

A young man in his early twenties approached the King. “Sire, I was told I could not join the party because you had something special for me?”

King Lothan beckoned him into the castle. “Yes, Torin. I have a very important task for you that may be dangerous, if you will accept it.”

“Gladly, Sire,” he said somewhat breathlessly as excitement immediately coursed through his veins.

“I must get a message to King Eldon. You cannot go straight north as has the hunting party. You will have to go east and then turn north through the mountain pass. It will be a cold and hard trip, but you should be able to safely pass that way. Regardless, you are to remain alert and avoid people whenever possible in case they are involved in this business. I understand your mount is a mountain bred horse capable of the trip?” he asked.

“Yes, Sire. He is quite capable, as am I. Thank you for this opportunity.”

They entered King Lothan’s chambers where he handed Torin a sealed courier bag.

Chapter 3 Continued

Later that evening the men of the family sat down to a dinner of freshly baked quail, gently seasoned with lemon, pepper and parsley, and a variety of vegetables. Without mother there, the vegetables went mostly uneaten. Dinner conversation was lively, centering on the day’s hunt and the antics of the dragons. Dayton loved the stories and couldn’t wait until he was old enough to have his own dragon so he could participate in the hunts. Of course, had Mother been here, the telling of the hunt might have included fewer curse words, but it still would have been told with skill and excitement. But it was after dinner had been eaten and his father was ready to retire to the courtyard to smoke his pipe that the conversation turned serious.
Father sat in his favorite chair; the boys sprawled on long wooden benches now covered with soft, down cushions placed there by the servants. His expression change was enough to quiet the boys.
“Today we traveled to the edge of our kingdom on the north. It had been awhile since I had visited there. We found signs of looting and poaching. The Kindale family is gone from their farm, which has gone to weed. Their stock is gone as well. The home had been ransacked with Mary Kindale’s pottery plates smashed upon the floor. This leads me to believe that their leaving was not of their own making, nor was it a planned departure. My fear is that we will find the Kindale’s still at the farm………” His voice trailed off. It took Dayton a moment to realize what he was saying.
“But father, what about Maria, Jacob and James?”
“Ah, yes,” said his father.
Dayton looked at Perseus. Even he was as somber as Dayton had ever seen him.
“We circled the farm after we had checked out the home,” said Perseus. “But we couldn’t find any sign of them. It is possible they fled into the woods, but given the condition of the farm, this happened more than a few weeks ago, perhaps as long as a month. Had they been able to flee, they would have had time to get here to ask for help.”
“What do we do now?” asked Dayton. “Will you be mounting a search party, Father? If so, I would like to help. Jacob, although not a friend, was a nice enough boy who could have been my friend when he got a little older.”
King Lothan looked at his son. “I think it would be good for you to participate in the search, though I fear what we will find. I plan to call for a meeting of the community elders in two days to discuss this matter and find out what they know or have heard. What concerns me most is that I had to find this out myself. It means that no travelers from the North have come to our kingdom in quite a while, bringing news of the Elderon Kingdom. “
“Do you think it was them, Father?” asked Perseus.
“No. King Elden is a noble man. I plan also to send a messenger to him to find out what he knows. I am hoping it is a random band of thugs, easily dealt with once we find them.”
“I volunteer to be that messenger Father,” stated Perseus, stung that he might have falsely accused King Elden of attacking the Kindale farm.
“I will need you and Gemna to assist in the search,”stated the King, his voice changing to command mode. “You will search from the air, while your brother and a platoon of soldiers handle the ground sweep.”
He looked at Dayton. “You will be under the command of Barcus, who will place in charge of the search party. Do everything he tells you, and I mean everything!”
Dayton nodded his head. “Yes , Father. I will. I promise.”
“Hello…..” came a call from the hall. “Where is everyone?”
Father and the boys all rose as Queen Zenia entered the room. She was beautiful, even with the cloak she was wearing covered with dust from the trail and her hair, once neatly swept to the top of her head, now hanging slightly to the side. Dayton grinned.
“I must look the fright judging from your faces. It was a rough day and a long ride back in the dark,” she smiled. “But it was a wonderful day! Megana Harper had twins! Imagine my surprise. We delivered the first, a feisty little girl and didn’t even realize there was a second until a few minutes later when poor Megana began to labor all over again. A healthy baby boy followed about ten minutes later. I’ve never delivered twins before,” she laughed. “I was beside myself with worry and joy at the same time.”
“Excellent!” stated Lothan. “I was wondering if you were going to be staying in the village, when you missed dinner.”
“Andromeda decided to stay behind to help for a day or two. She was quite the trooper during the delivery. She did an excellent job for a young woman of only 14. I thought about sending a messenger, but decided to make the trip, even in the dark, to get home to my men.” She gently touched Lothan’s face and then turned and opened her arms to both boys, who moved in close for a hug.
“How was the hunt? Dinner? Is any left? I am starving!” she said as she began removing her cloak. Silence met her. She turned and looked at the now somber faces.
“Boys, I think it is time you turned in. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Be ready to depart right after breakfast. I will brief your Mother while she has some supper, ” stated Lothan.
Without hesitation, both boys began to leave the room. “Goodnight mother,” echoed from both of them.
“What has happened?” they heard her say as they began working their way up the stairs to their rooms.

Chapter 3

She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. It hurt him to know that the two of them would not be bonded and he knew she was fond of him as well. His brother, being the older of them was privileged to ride her and although he certainly enjoyed the experience, he would never feel the same sense of wonder that Dayton did the one time he was allowed to fly upon her back. His brother looked upon her as a means of transportation, a right by birth. Dayton knew this saddened the sapphire, who had never been blessed with a bonding.

“Dayton,” his father said. “Why do you race about startling everyone? You sent Gemna into the air so quickly, you brother almost fell off!”

“Sorry, father. Sorry Perseus. Sorry Gemna.” Dayton reached out to touch her forehead just as Perseus was stepping down. She had already knelt and his hand was reaching for her horn as he slid from her back. Distracted by Dayton, she turned her head to receive his touch and Perseus slid from her back, bounced off her leg and ended up sprawling in the courtyard.

“Dayton, you dragon’s rear end!” he roared. “Leave her alone! And leave me alone!” Perseus sprang to his feet, brushing dust from his riding clothes. Gemna blew out her nose, “hurrumph,” and then turned to Perseus, nudging him in contrition. She was obviously sorry for what had occurred.

“I know it wasn’t your fault, Perseus. Dayton could drive the devil to distraction. But please, let’s not do that again.” He tapped her nose gently and turned to pull his riding rig and hunting bag from her back. He held the later up.

“Look Dayton. We have fresh quail for dinner. It was a good hunting trip. We must have caught at least 20 of them!”

Dayton eyed the small bag in his brother’s hand. No more than 2 birds could rest there. He looked at his father, who also carried a bag with no more than 3 or 4 birds. Seeing his look, his father laughed, “Well Gemna and Warlock couldn’t wait for us to return and cook them. They prefer them really fresh. They may have had a few for themselves during the hunt and on the way back. “

Warlock bobbed his head and sniffed at the bag. King Lothan held it away from him. “No you don’t, you thief. We barely have enough to feed us now after a full day of hunting.”

Once the riding rigs were removed from the two dragons, they bobbed their heads at the humans and took flight again, heading to their lair in the mountains far above the valley and the castle. Dayton’s father threw his arm around his shoulder and directed him out of the courtyard, handing his prey to one of the servants, who after collecting both bags, scurried off to the kitchen.

“Where is your mother and your sister?” he asked.

“They are in the village. The Harpers are having another baby. She said that since it was their fifth, it shouldn’t take long.”

“Good for them!” his father stated. “Children are the future of our kingdom. We saw some disturbing things on our hunt today of which we will speak after dinner. For now, let me get cleaned up. “

As he passed them, Perseus reached out and smacked Dayton on the back of the head, then took off up the stairs, Dayton in hot pursuit. King Lothan shook his head and smiling, headed to his quarters.

Chapter 2 continues

A posting from "William" who graciously has offered to assist in this effort:

Her talons barely touched the ground when she saw him run to the courtyard, grinning broadly but showing no teeth. She swept her long, slender wings to the rear and with a gentle push she was off the ground and rising into the blue sky, circling over the courtyard below. Her hazel eyes swept the horizon and returned to the figure on the ground.

She was a magnificent creature, not large or small but somewhere between. Her color was a piercing saphire that was easily distinguished from the sky that surrounded her, although as she gained great height she became harder to spot against the sun. She used the sun to shield her approach as her color was no camouflage at all.

She was on her second human, a strange species to be sure, but that was her destiny. She had lived a long time and longed for a relationship like the Black had with his human. She was almost too high to see from the ground before her rider could question her uncharacteristic whimsical behavior. "We were on the ground, what on earth are you doing?" he asked, truly astonished that she had taken flight again without a hint of notice. Again she scanned the horizon with those sharp eyes. She was going to be sure that no harm would come to them, to him, not before she had the chance to again gain the sky to sound the alarm and act. No, there was no danger there, not within sight, not for awhile. She looked back to the ground and with the graceful movement of a dancer, she stood on one wing and with a pirouette, spiraled to the ground, touching gently down again, not raising a hint of a breeze with her powerful wings.

There he was, now standing with his hands on his hips looking at her, all eyes looking at her as if to ask, "What in the world was that all about?" No one would know. She wouldn't let them know. Not now.

Chapter 2

Dayton watched as his father slide from the back of the black dragon. To assist him, the black knelt on one knee and turned his head so his rider could grasp one of the protruding horns as leverage as he stepped down. The black touched his head to Dayton's father, gently pushing against his chest. They seemed to commune for a moment and in fact that is just what they were doing. Man and beast shared a special telepathic link which only was seen between a dragon and one human. Some dragons lived through three human lifetimes before they found the one with whom they were destined to link. This did not mean that one couldn't communicate with a dragon. They were exceptionally bright creatures and responded to spoken commands or hand signals. They didn't really communicate through a language, rather when bonded with a human, the two felt a strong connection and shared more of an empathic link. Dayton's father told him once that he had to guard his thoughts and emotions sometimes because of the link. Many years ealier, shortly after linking with the black, he had become angry with a villager who was abusing his children, making even a five year old toil in the dirt, pulling weeds. This was bad enough, but Dayton's father witnessed the farmer take a whip to one of the children, roughly nine years of age, for dropping a bucket of corn he had just harvested and was carrying back to the farmhouse. It was over in an instant. Dayton's father felt the anger, thought how it would serve the farmer right if he was to feel the weight of the whip, and before the thought had time to fully formulate in his mind, the black had whipped his tail and thrown the farmer nearly 20 feet against the side of a shed. The farmer suffered a broken arm and had the skin from his back nearly ripped from his body as the black's sharp barbs penetrated his clothing, hooked into skin and then ripped free as the farmer flew out of reach.

Chapter 1: The Story Begins

Dayton raised his head and listened. The birds safely caged on the roof had just begun raising a ruckus. This meant one of two things. A cat was prowling nearby, or they had sighted another kind of predator. He grabbed his field glass and raced to the roof. He glanced at the birds which continued to squawk and flutter about the cage. He scanned the horizon, turning in a semi-circle, but saw nothing. Raising his field glass, he made another scan. He had to scan slower with the field glasses. They didn't cover as much territory as a general scan, and items moved too quickly past the small viewing area. But there. From the east. He could just make out a figure. No, two figures. One larger than the other.

His excitement grew. He struggled to hold the field glass still and focus in. Yes. There they were. A large black and a smaller saphire dragon. He looked long and hard, trying to pick out the figures upon their backs. There they were.

Quickly, he grabbed a nearby rope and yanked upon it. He gave it two good tugs, sending a pealing ringing sound throughout the area. He turned and raced downstairs, taking the steps two and three at a time, grabbing the railing and leaping for six and seven steps when possible. Even at this, as quick as he was, he still barely made it to the courtyard before the two majestic dragons settled gently to the ground, their wings stirring up the dust which forever plagued the staff responsible for keeping the courtyard clean.