Dragons of Kings (Upon Dragon's Breath Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Ryland waved a hand out to the north, to the mountains. “There are wild pastures on the other side of the ridge, and lakes that have small, but very tasty fish.”

  Fish? Jaydra’s delight bled into me and I had to smile.

  Nothing more could be to Jaydra’s liking. I told her to go find dinner, and I nodded my thanks to Ryland. Jaydra flew north, disappearing over the mountain ridge. Ryland let out what sounded like a relieved sigh.

  Studying him, I didn’t think Ryland was as nice as Bower, but he was taller and he didn’t strike me as an enemy. He had made no move to search us for weapons and he had at least treated Jaydra with some respect in terms of offering her dinner.

  Ryland stepped back and waved for us to follow him. “Come, you must be tired from your travels. Dine with us in our great hall.”

  I glanced at Bower to see what he thought of this suggestion. But Bower was already strolling after Ryland, looking around as if he wanted to see everything at once, gawking like he’d never seen so much as a building.

  Ryland led the way deeper into the settlement, leading his pony and pointing out various parts of their settlement. They grew oats in one field, had a watermill to grind their own flour, and bred cows and goats for both hides and milk.

  The huts grew a little larger, and several seemed to be barns for the animals. Chickens scratched in the dirt for insects or bits of grain, and we came at last to a larger, open space in the middle of the settlement. Here, large boulders sheltered some of the buildings while tall trees with wide trunks and protective canopies of branches stood between the huts. It seemed that Ryland’s acceptance of us had calmed everyone, for those who had watched us earlier turned away to return to their daily life. Even Nerys had departed, taking her two friends with the bows away.

  Many of those who lived her wore strange patterns that seemed to be drawn onto their arms or legs. I glimpsed blue whirls and dots. I also noticed quite a few of the men and women had weapons close to their hut doors.

  Ryland paused outside a barn to unsaddle his pony, take off his bridle and toss it some hay and make sure it had a bucket of water. I respected the fact that he chose to look after his steed himself and not hand her over to another as I had seen in some of the villages of the Middle Kingdom during my time there.

  Ryland led us to one of the larger buildings, a round structure with an arched lintel of wood over double doors. Bower pointed to the arch which boasted images of dragons and tall stone towers carved into the dark wood. “That’s just like the pictures of the old academy that I’ve seen. This Three-Rivers clan must have been founded by some of the Dragon Riders of old.”

  Ryland turned around to look directly at Bower for what seemed to be the first time. “You come from the Dragon Academy?”

  Bower frowned and shook his head. “Yes. No. I mean…. I come from the city that once housed the Dragon Academy. From Torvald. But it’s…well, the old ruins are considered haunted and the king’s laws forbid anyone from ever going there. But I’ve seen the towers from afar.”

  Ryland stopped in the doorway just outside the large building. He tipped his head to one side and seemed to be studying Bower as if searching for something. In turn, Bower stared back at Ryland and I was reminded of the way young dragons sometimes square up against each other as if to test each other’s strength and skills.

  At last, Ryland gave a nod and turned to go inside the building, saying, “Our stories tell us the old academy was destroyed…”

  Bower followed Ryland into the large building and I followed Bower. The building looked far grander inside than out—from the outside it seemed only round, river rock stacked high with the wooden doors and carved lintel. Inside the ceiling soared high, all the way up to the roof in an arch. Long tables lined either side of the room, with carved chairs and benches. Two stone hearths boasted huge fires that warmed the room. I was almost too hot in my leather tunic and I pulled at the neck. The floors looked to be made of planks of wood, polished smooth over the ages. Shields and banners decorated the walls with splashes of colors, and I thought these must be the shields for each family.

  Bower glanced around, then let out a long breath and stared down at the wooden floor. “By Hacon Maddox when he took the throne, and now Enric rules the kingdom with his Iron Guard to enforce obedience to every law, no matter how harsh or unfair.”

  “Metal men!” Ryland grimaced and spat on the floor. I was shocked he would treat a good floor so poorly. But Ryland said, “Too well do we know them. We know what they do to our dragons if they ever manage to catch one, and we know what they do to us if they ever come upon our scouts or hunters.” He pulled a face and waved to the doorway. “That is why we have the bridge. We built it so it would fail under their weight. But one day, we will find a way to defeat them.”

  Bower looked up, his eyes bright now and I knew he was about to talk about our quest to find an army to battle Enric. But I did not yet want to reveal why we were here. Nudging Bower with an elbow, I stepped forward and said, “War Chief Ryland, we are parched and hungry from our journey. Why do we not share our stories after we sit and drink and eat?”

  Bower’s mouth snapped closed. He frowned almost as if I had taken a toy from him, but when I stared at him, he seemed to understand that I didn’t quite trust these people of the Three-Rivers clan.

  Smiling, Ryland swept me a bow. “But of course. Come and let me find you seats and then we will dine.

  Edging closer to me, Bower asked, “Why did you interrupt?”

  I lowered my voice and told him, “Because I want to find out first why these people seem to hide their dragons—or if they are hiding other dangerous secrets from us.”

  10

  The Boy-King

  Saffron seemed to dislike the Three-River clan people, but I found nothing to dislike. They seated us in the hall, brought food and drink, and the hall soon filled until it was noisy and bustling. It seemed as if the entire Three-Rivers clan wanted to come see the travelers who had arrived with a dragon. Inside the building, the hearth fire and wall torches were lit. Meat was brought in to roast in the two huge hearths, and barrels of honey mead were uncorked. Toasts had to be made, bread and meat were served on wooden planks and soon laughter and shouts started to shake the rafters.

  Saffron wouldn’t let me talk to Ryland about why we had come, but instead kept asking him questions—but she couldn’t get him to talk about the clan’s dragons.

  For my part, I drank only as much as I knew I could handle, sipping from a wooden cup given to me. I was happy, however, to fill my belly with cuts of the rich, dark meat and roasted vegetables offered. I also kept studying the shields pinned to the walls and looking at the dragons carved into the posts that held up the vaulted roof. Everywhere I looked I seemed to see carving of dragons, but Saffron was right. We’d yet to see a live dragon.

  How could these people be descended from Dragon Riders if they had no dragons? It was a puzzle.

  When Ryland turned away to call for more food and drink, I nudged Saffron and pointed to the carvings. “They at least know what dragons look like. They got the images they carved right.”

  She frowned, her sandy eyebrows pulling tight. She pointed to the carving nearest us. “But what is going on there?”

  Glancing over, I saw a long, slim dragon being held down by what looked like chains and smaller humans. “I am sure that it is just one of their legends.”

  She parted her lips to tell me what she thought of such a legend, but the banging of a wooden cup on the table cut off her words. Ryland stood and raised his mug. The hall fell quiet, and a pang of jealousy twisted in my stomach. How could he so easily command everyone’s attention?

  This was what I had to learn to do if I was to be a king. But, glancing around at the packed hall, I didn’t know how I was to start being a king to these people. The faces around me seemed hardened by the elements, they almost looked as strong as if they’d been hewn from the very rocks of the mountains. How was I to
convince them to let me lead them to a war that might mean the death of every man, woman and child?

  I was almost relieved now that Saffron had stopped me earlier from talking to Ryland about our quest here.

  Voice raised, Ryland called out, “Three-Rivers clan, we have two new friends with us today. They have travelled from afar and come to us with a dragon!”

  A rousing chorus of roars and thumps of booted feet on the floor burst from the crowd.

  Ryland held up his hand and the hall grew quiet again. “They have come to us at a time when the metal men from the south are pressing ever northward into our lands. The king and his metal men seek to destroy our way of life and steal away our heritage. But these two new friends will help us, I am sure, with our liberation of the Middle Kingdom from the tyrant of the Maddox clan!”

  More cheers rose up. I glanced around. So these people wanted to liberate the Middle Kingdom. I knew now they must be descended from the Dragon Riders of Torvald.

  Lifting his cup, Ryland shouted, “The hour is near when we will be able to strike back for all of the wrongs done to us. We will take back the dragon city once entrusted to us.”

  As others shouted, I wanted to pull Ryland aside and ask him how his people came to the three rivers. Had they flown here? What stories might he have about the original Dragon Riders who fled Torvald so many generations ago?

  Before I could ask him, Saffron shouted over the noise of the crowd. “You may have come from the dragon city, but the throne is not yours to claim, war chief.” Saffron stood up and faced Ryland, almost seeming to pit her slender frame and small stature against his immense height and broad shoulders.

  She faced the others in the hall and lifted her voice. “I am Saffron of the Western Isles and I flew here on the back of my den-sister, the dragon Jaydra, daughter of Zenema.” She waved at me. “I have come with my companion Bower of Torvald.”

  “Why are you bringing this up now?” I muttered.

  Waving a hand at me to keep silent, Saffron addressed the others in the hall. “The Hermit of the Western Isles named this place a sanctuary for the enemies of King Enric. He thought we would find allies in our fight to free the Middle Kingdom and the world from Enric’s tyranny.”

  Around us, heads nodded, but Saffron scowled at the crowd. “But I am not so certain you are dragon-friends. You do not share your homes with dragons. I do not see dragon dens nearby. You do not give out the names of your dragons. Well, I tell you now—Bower is a true dragon-friend. The great den-mother Zenema calls him the True King of Torvald. It is to him the dragons will respond and fight against King Enric!”

  A moment of stunned silence held the room. I curled my fists tight on the table and muttered to Saffron, “This was not yet the time to tell them.”

  She glanced down at me. “I won’t sit here and let them talk of a dragon city when they will not even speak of their dragons.”

  Pressing my lips tight, I knew I should have told Saffron to keep her silence. Her cheeks had reddened and not just from wine, but from the anger pulsing inside her. Even I could feel the spark of her magic starting to stir and it left me uneasy. I did not want her doing anything rash—but she had already done that.

  Ryland stared at me, the look in his eyes not so much considering as it was doubtful. I decided he must be wondering how could I be a king. I had not arrived with an army of nobles, nor did I come with rich clothes or a crown.

  My face burned and a knot tightened in my chest.

  Around us the low hum of talk started and then titters of laughter rose. My face burned hot and my guts twisted. I looked over to see Saffron’s eyes starting to get a dangerous glint. I stood and put a hand on her shoulder, but she shook off my touch.

  Someone shouted, “Dragons will come to him? Ha! Dragons don’t answer to nobody.”

  The comment stirred more jeering laughs and more rude comments.

  Hand falling to her knife hilt, Saffron shouted, “What do any of you know of dragons?”

  She was right—these people did not seem to be at all close to their dragons.

  Had all the stories I’d ever read of the Dragon Riders been wrong? The tales written down had spoken of how humans and dragons lived in glorious harmony. They were companions, close friends even, who shared everything. But the Three-Rives clan seemed to view dragons as beasts, they kept their ponies and mountain goats closer than they did their dragons.

  Ryland put down his drinking mug and lifted both hands as if to call for quiet in the hall. Slowly, the chatter and laughter subsided, but I could still hear people shifting uneasily in their seats and mutters of how no one would follow a boy-king.

  Ryland spoke up. “These two strangers do have special gifts, for they did come to us with a dragon that appears to answer their every whim.”

  “Jaydra doesn’t take orders!” Saffron retorted, her words sharp and angry.

  Ryland put a hint of steel behind his voice. “Whatever anyone believes of dragons or of you, one thing is clear to anyone with eyes. You are no more than a young woman and this Bower who travels with you is no more than a boy.”

  A flash of rage curled inside me and I stood. “How dare you name me a boy? I might not be as strong as you, or as tall as of yet. However, I have already battled Enric himself. And I helped defend an entire island. I have proven myself ready to fight for justice and for the Middle Kingdom. Can you claim the same?”

  Ryland waved off my words as if they were of no real importance. “You bring a dragon with you, for which we are all deeply thankful. But you must understand, the Three-Rivers clan has been working with dragons for longer than you have walked the land. We were given this sacred mission from the last of the Dragon Riders after they fled their Dragon Academy. This is our holy war.”

  Murmurs of agreement rose from the crowd.

  Their war.

  I gritted my teeth. I thought of how my father had been taken by the Iron Guard, and how I had been driven from my house by them, held captive by Enric in the king’s dungeons. I thought of those I knew killed by Enric—and how he had almost torched his own city to drive out the rebel Salamanders.

  “The people of Torvald would not agree with you,” I told Ryland. “But I understand that you must take the heritage given to you by the noble Dragon Riders of old. I, too, take my heritage seriously, for I have the blood of the Flamma-Torvalds in me. Yes, Saffron and I look to be no more than two vagabond youths, flying in from the wild, but I tell you now, what of the stories of Agathea of House Flamma? Was she not a youth when she had to face dark times and learn to be more than just a girl who rode dragons?”

  A few heads nodded, but Ryland was frowning as were others.

  Shaking his head, Ryland said, “The hour is getting late and we have had too much excitement for one day. Let us take to our beds. Our visitors are welcome to sleep here in our hall, and tomorrow we meet again with clear heads.” Ryland looked me over as if measuring my words against the sight of me. I knew myself to be tall and lanky—and dressed more in rags. But while I might not look a king, I hoped I at least had sounded like one. Whispers filled the hall, but Ryland held up a hand and they quieted and Ryland said, “If Bower really is a true dragon king, the test will prove such a thing. If he proves himself, we must follow for long have we sworn such a thing.” Ryland looked directly at me. “If you fail, your dragon and Saffron are still welcome additions to the power of ours as we plan our next move against the usurper king and his metal men.”

  More tests.

  My heart sank. Would anyone ever be able to just look at me or hear my words and believe me? Dragons wanted me to prove myself, and now the Three-Rivers clan needed me to do something before they would recognize me as a king. Would this be another test to broker a peace? Or would the test be worse? From the way Ryland had spoken, it sounded as if this test might well end with me dead.

  Saffron tugged at my sleeve and turned to the entrance. “Come, Bower. I’ll not eat a scrap more with these people.�
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  She strode for the door, and I followed her outside.

  Arms crossed against the chill of the night air, she seemed to be seething as she paused by the double doors, waiting for me.

  Ryland had followed us out. As voices and shouts rose up in the hall again, Ryland called to us, “Friends, please!”

  Saffron turned on him. “How dare you call us friends after mocking us?”

  Ryland raised his hands in a placating gesture. It was too dark outside to see his expression, but I thought from his wide-legged stance that he was only trying to calm Saffron. He must feel the energy pouring from her as I could.

  Hunching a shoulder against the night, I wondered if we should leave this clan to their own war and try searching for others who might help us.

  But Ryland lowered his hands and looked from Saffron to me and back again. “I ask you to understand. Our clan is very different from the people of the city. We have been at war for a long time, since before even the mad King Enric came to the throne. Once long ago, our clan lived in terror of the wild dragons that roamed our mountains. The dragon riders came and showed us how to tame them. But…of late, it is as if a dark spell has been thrown over the land. Our dragons started to turn on us, and we have had to be sterner and stronger with our dragons if they were going to obey us.”

  Saffron frowned and turned away, but I asked, “What do you mean stern and strong?”

  Ryland glanced at me and shook his head. “I do not know how you got your island dragon to perform its tricks. Our dragons would as soon tear one of us apart as it would to smash one of the metal men!” Ryland waved a hand at me. “So you see, it appears a joke to us when you say that this mere…slip of a youth boy here could make our dragons seem tame. Our dragons are fighters—and they will fight him.”

  It was my turn to shake my head. “Why is it you do not have any of the Salamanders with you? You knew their symbol—the flame within. If they’ve been here, I don’t understand how the noble link between human and dragon could go so wrong. Dragons are not merely beasts, but should be your allies and friends.”