Chapter Two: King Orrik's Men.
Where have they gone
the old night-flyers,
fire-foes,
haunters of the heights?
Where have they gone
the ancient kyn of dragons?
-Kragish Skald.
"Dragon-Girl! Come out! Bring your dragons too!" King Orrik's men climbed the hill to Kael's hideaway cave.
"Dragon-Girl! Show yourself!" Kael stood in the shadows, waiting, for just the right moment to come out. She
could just barely make out the company. At least 20 men, a few horses, but none rode them, they were supply horses.
Kael nocked an arrow in her long bow, loosed her sword. Now, she was ready. For just about anything.
"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaael!" Mirym's voice reached her ears. They'd gone to Granmyr's? In search of her, no doubt.
So, as bait, they take Mirym? Gods have mercy.
Kael stepped out into the light of the noon sun.
"Let 'er go. She didn't do anything. Let Mirym go."
"Not till you give us some dragons." the head man yelled back.
"They have run from me! I can not make them come. Even now they may be dead, or close to." she almost revealed
that one of them was already badly wounded.
"Well, if this is not enough to tempt you then maybe, this is." he gestured to one of his men. Two babies were
brought out. Aryanna and Lyska. Kael's two twin daughters, and a young boy a few years older then Lyf. Owyn, Kael's only son.
"All of them, captives. Call down dragons for us, and they are set free, unharmed. Yet." Kael was stuck. Her husband,
daughter, and draclings were in one direction, and her sister, her two daughters and her only son were in the opposite direction.
Kael was stuck in the middle. She could neither betray her spouse and child, but she couldn't betray her sibling and her children.
And she couldn't betray the dragons.
"Mama!" Owyn's voice rang out in the silence. She knew Kitt could handle taking care of the draclings, but she didn't know
if he could handle it with Lyf in tow as well.
"Auntie Mirym, Auntie Mirym, it's Mama! Didn't they say, that as soon as I found Mama they'd let us go? Didn't they! They did! I remember!"
"Owyn, no, they-oh yes, they did. They promised, that when we found Mama for them, they'd let us go unharmed. No one said
anything about making Mama call down dragons, then setting us free. 'If and when you find Kael, we'll let you go, unharmed. We promise
by the love for our King.' they said. That's what they said. So. How 'bout that promise. Wynter?" the head man, lowered his hood revealing,
not a man's face, but a woman's.
"We did promise, in the hope that you would forget. Syan, release them. We are sorry, Kael, if you do not, or can not, as you say,
call the dragons for us, we shall leave you. Syan, I said release them!" Syan remained motionless.
"You defy me? Well." she dismounted and slapped him hard. "Release them now before the next blood on my sword is yours."
she remounted as Syan released Mirym and Owyn. The one holding Aryanna and Lyska, carried them up to Kael with Mirym and Owyn.
"Thank you." Mirym and Owyn hugged Kael while Kael held Aryanna and Lyska.
"We take our leave! Good luck!" Wynter leaned over to her men and said something too softly for Kael to hear. Then she trotted up the hill to Kael.
"Kael, there is another symbol of the friends of dragons. The sign of the dove. I, and my men, have one. We are allies in the
King's army. Allies that will serve you well. I am sorry if I startled you the first time. Mirym, Owyn and your daughters knew that we were on your side.
"We trick Mama!" Owyn laughed.
"Yes, I guess that's what it was. If you ever need help, call a dove and send it to Wynter with a note tied to it's leg. All it need say is your
name or any of your family, yes, I know about Lyf and Kitt, and were you are approximately. I will come. Not to worry. Do you want me to return any of these?"
"Er, yes, Mirym, if you could take Aryanna and Lyska with you back to Granmyr, Owyn can come with me. I let Lyf come. And she's 2 years younger the he is. Would you?"
"Of course. I don't think Arya and Lyska should be out on adventures just yet."
"Okay then, Mirym, come." Mirym took Aryanna and Lyska back from Kael and went with Wynter. Kael and Owyn waved good bye until Wynter's party was out of sight.
"Okay, Owyn, we have to go find Da and sis."
"Okay. Let's go!" they set off towards where Kael had seen them leave.
An hour later, Kael and Owyn still had not gotten anywhere.
"KAEL!" Kael and Owyn spun around, Kael with and arrow nocked and ready.
"Kael, it's only me and Lyf. Something's wrong with the little one. Lyf says it's Synge."
"Synge! Where! Take Owyn. Where's Synge?"
"Follow Mama." Lyf came up and tugged on her pants leg. "Follow Mama" she started to run off. And Kael followed. As they ran, the
chattering of birds grew louder and louder.
"Almost there. Here." they got to a clearing. There was Synge, leaning against a tree in the middle.
SYNGE!
hurt she said weakly. Kael ran over to her.
lie down, relax, it's okay. Everything will be okay, relax it's okay. she got out the bandages and the medicine for Synge's wound.
She poured out some of the thick blue paste onto Synge's cut then quickly wrapped it in bandages. Synge relaxed and fell asleep. Embyr and Pyro already had.
"Kael? Lyf?" Kitt and Owyn came, panting and stumbling. The birds had quieted or at least most had left. But there was one that the whole time had
remained quiet, still, and staring. It had stared down at Kael the entire time she tended to Synge's wound. Now it swooped down to Kael and landed on a branch.
This time Kael stared at it, and it stared back.
It was a gyrfalcon.
"You're that Shiva bird, aren't you? Byrn sent you to follow and watch me." Kael said.
"It's been following us for a while. Lyf will talk with it sometimes."
"Mama, is it bad for me to talk to draclings and birds?"
"No, I don't think it is. Just, don't try to be them. That's when you get lost."
"Okay. Da don't like it though."
"And I don't but I suppose, I really can't object, can I?"
"Not really."
"So what happened?" Kael told of what had happened.
"Well, quite an adventure you've had."
"Indeed. And all over 3 little draclings."
"No. Not any more. I found a little hole of draclings."
"Where Lyf?"
"Follow me."
"Come on, everyone." Kael, Kitt, and Owyn followed Lyf to a small stump by a stream. The stump was hollowed out, and several pairs of eyes looked up.
"Oh dear."
hungry! they all seemed to be saying. A blue-green female climbed up.
Skorch she said. Then, a smaller red male came up beside her.
Smoak he told Kael. Finally, a fairly small dracling came up. This one, was young enough, it's first skin hadn't come off yet, but an orangish
green is what it looked like so it was assumed, a female.
Kindle there seemed to be three groups of draclings. Large, medium and small. The large ones, were obviously,
the eldest of the hatching, and it ranged down from that. Medium, middle aged, the small, the youngest. Skorch, Smoak, and Kindle, seemed to be the "leaders"
among the three groups.
"Lyf, just how many are here?" before 5 year old could answer, all the draclings filed out of the hollow. There were four in each group,
making a total of 12. Plus the three they already had, and Skorch, Smoak, and Kindle, there were 18.
"Eighteen draclings and thousands of miles to go. Oh god. What more do I need?" her question was answered in moment. The jingle of horses'
harnesses, and shouts of men gave away the fact that the real version of King Orrik's men were hot on their trail.
"Oh-h-h-h...." Kael couldn't think of a swear or an oath that would fit this situation.
Where have they gone
the old night-flyers,
fire-foes,
haunters of the heights?
Where have they gone
the ancient kyn of dragons?
-Kragish Skald.
"Dragon-Girl! Come out! Bring your dragons too!" King Orrik's men climbed the hill to Kael's hideaway cave.
"Dragon-Girl! Show yourself!" Kael stood in the shadows, waiting, for just the right moment to come out. She
could just barely make out the company. At least 20 men, a few horses, but none rode them, they were supply horses.
Kael nocked an arrow in her long bow, loosed her sword. Now, she was ready. For just about anything.
"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaael!" Mirym's voice reached her ears. They'd gone to Granmyr's? In search of her, no doubt.
So, as bait, they take Mirym? Gods have mercy.
Kael stepped out into the light of the noon sun.
"Let 'er go. She didn't do anything. Let Mirym go."
"Not till you give us some dragons." the head man yelled back.
"They have run from me! I can not make them come. Even now they may be dead, or close to." she almost revealed
that one of them was already badly wounded.
"Well, if this is not enough to tempt you then maybe, this is." he gestured to one of his men. Two babies were
brought out. Aryanna and Lyska. Kael's two twin daughters, and a young boy a few years older then Lyf. Owyn, Kael's only son.
"All of them, captives. Call down dragons for us, and they are set free, unharmed. Yet." Kael was stuck. Her husband,
daughter, and draclings were in one direction, and her sister, her two daughters and her only son were in the opposite direction.
Kael was stuck in the middle. She could neither betray her spouse and child, but she couldn't betray her sibling and her children.
And she couldn't betray the dragons.
"Mama!" Owyn's voice rang out in the silence. She knew Kitt could handle taking care of the draclings, but she didn't know
if he could handle it with Lyf in tow as well.
"Auntie Mirym, Auntie Mirym, it's Mama! Didn't they say, that as soon as I found Mama they'd let us go? Didn't they! They did! I remember!"
"Owyn, no, they-oh yes, they did. They promised, that when we found Mama for them, they'd let us go unharmed. No one said
anything about making Mama call down dragons, then setting us free. 'If and when you find Kael, we'll let you go, unharmed. We promise
by the love for our King.' they said. That's what they said. So. How 'bout that promise. Wynter?" the head man, lowered his hood revealing,
not a man's face, but a woman's.
"We did promise, in the hope that you would forget. Syan, release them. We are sorry, Kael, if you do not, or can not, as you say,
call the dragons for us, we shall leave you. Syan, I said release them!" Syan remained motionless.
"You defy me? Well." she dismounted and slapped him hard. "Release them now before the next blood on my sword is yours."
she remounted as Syan released Mirym and Owyn. The one holding Aryanna and Lyska, carried them up to Kael with Mirym and Owyn.
"Thank you." Mirym and Owyn hugged Kael while Kael held Aryanna and Lyska.
"We take our leave! Good luck!" Wynter leaned over to her men and said something too softly for Kael to hear. Then she trotted up the hill to Kael.
"Kael, there is another symbol of the friends of dragons. The sign of the dove. I, and my men, have one. We are allies in the
King's army. Allies that will serve you well. I am sorry if I startled you the first time. Mirym, Owyn and your daughters knew that we were on your side.
"We trick Mama!" Owyn laughed.
"Yes, I guess that's what it was. If you ever need help, call a dove and send it to Wynter with a note tied to it's leg. All it need say is your
name or any of your family, yes, I know about Lyf and Kitt, and were you are approximately. I will come. Not to worry. Do you want me to return any of these?"
"Er, yes, Mirym, if you could take Aryanna and Lyska with you back to Granmyr, Owyn can come with me. I let Lyf come. And she's 2 years younger the he is. Would you?"
"Of course. I don't think Arya and Lyska should be out on adventures just yet."
"Okay then, Mirym, come." Mirym took Aryanna and Lyska back from Kael and went with Wynter. Kael and Owyn waved good bye until Wynter's party was out of sight.
"Okay, Owyn, we have to go find Da and sis."
"Okay. Let's go!" they set off towards where Kael had seen them leave.
An hour later, Kael and Owyn still had not gotten anywhere.
"KAEL!" Kael and Owyn spun around, Kael with and arrow nocked and ready.
"Kael, it's only me and Lyf. Something's wrong with the little one. Lyf says it's Synge."
"Synge! Where! Take Owyn. Where's Synge?"
"Follow Mama." Lyf came up and tugged on her pants leg. "Follow Mama" she started to run off. And Kael followed. As they ran, the
chattering of birds grew louder and louder.
"Almost there. Here." they got to a clearing. There was Synge, leaning against a tree in the middle.
SYNGE!
hurt she said weakly. Kael ran over to her.
lie down, relax, it's okay. Everything will be okay, relax it's okay. she got out the bandages and the medicine for Synge's wound.
She poured out some of the thick blue paste onto Synge's cut then quickly wrapped it in bandages. Synge relaxed and fell asleep. Embyr and Pyro already had.
"Kael? Lyf?" Kitt and Owyn came, panting and stumbling. The birds had quieted or at least most had left. But there was one that the whole time had
remained quiet, still, and staring. It had stared down at Kael the entire time she tended to Synge's wound. Now it swooped down to Kael and landed on a branch.
This time Kael stared at it, and it stared back.
It was a gyrfalcon.
"You're that Shiva bird, aren't you? Byrn sent you to follow and watch me." Kael said.
"It's been following us for a while. Lyf will talk with it sometimes."
"Mama, is it bad for me to talk to draclings and birds?"
"No, I don't think it is. Just, don't try to be them. That's when you get lost."
"Okay. Da don't like it though."
"And I don't but I suppose, I really can't object, can I?"
"Not really."
"So what happened?" Kael told of what had happened.
"Well, quite an adventure you've had."
"Indeed. And all over 3 little draclings."
"No. Not any more. I found a little hole of draclings."
"Where Lyf?"
"Follow me."
"Come on, everyone." Kael, Kitt, and Owyn followed Lyf to a small stump by a stream. The stump was hollowed out, and several pairs of eyes looked up.
"Oh dear."
hungry! they all seemed to be saying. A blue-green female climbed up.
Skorch she said. Then, a smaller red male came up beside her.
Smoak he told Kael. Finally, a fairly small dracling came up. This one, was young enough, it's first skin hadn't come off yet, but an orangish
green is what it looked like so it was assumed, a female.
Kindle there seemed to be three groups of draclings. Large, medium and small. The large ones, were obviously,
the eldest of the hatching, and it ranged down from that. Medium, middle aged, the small, the youngest. Skorch, Smoak, and Kindle, seemed to be the "leaders"
among the three groups.
"Lyf, just how many are here?" before 5 year old could answer, all the draclings filed out of the hollow. There were four in each group,
making a total of 12. Plus the three they already had, and Skorch, Smoak, and Kindle, there were 18.
"Eighteen draclings and thousands of miles to go. Oh god. What more do I need?" her question was answered in moment. The jingle of horses'
harnesses, and shouts of men gave away the fact that the real version of King Orrik's men were hot on their trail.
"Oh-h-h-h...." Kael couldn't think of a swear or an oath that would fit this situation.