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CHAPTER EIGHT

Kate's pleasant dream of slapping the cuffs on some miscreant as she slammed his face down on a table was disturbed by a high pitched voice that suddenly woke her. She rolled over and noticed it was still dark out. But the perky servant gal brought in a couple of candles to provide the needed light since the sun wasn't peeking through the glass in the dormers yet.

She rolled over and by the candle light was able to see a smile on the woman's face.

"I'll be right back and then we can get started."

"Started?" Kate wondered what was going to be started while it was still dark outside. She reached over and punched Rick in the side. "Get up. It's time to get started."

He sort of half sat up while rubbing his eyes. "Get what started?"

"Danged if I know." She crawled out from under his arm.

Just then the servant gal came back in with a bundle of something in her arms. The guard followed her in holding a bowl of water and some towels. Kate knew what those were for.

She and Rick dragged themselves away from their blankets and walked over to where the guard had set down the bowl of tepid water. They stood side by side as they washed up the best they could.

Kate thought if she had to stay many more days in this place without a decent shower she'd go crazy. Even a bath would be sufficient, but she assumed that those were something that was indulged maybe once a week… or less. She was getting to not like these medieval times much at all.

Both donned their jeans and shirts and turned to their guest.

The servant girl smiled at them. "I'm Marie, and I've been sent here to bring you some chain mail shirts and greaves for your protection." She blushed slightly. "Since I've been told you possibly don't have protective clothing like this where you're from, I'm to help you with getting them properly fitted and fastened.

Kate saw Marie pull two long shirts whose metal links gleamed in the light of the candles. She couldn't believe it. She was going to wear armor?

The servant went to Rick first, of course. She helped him slip his arms in the mail shirt, then went around the back and belted up the leather belt like fasteners. She also took a pair of metal greaves and strapped them over his shins.

Rick turned toward Kate and smirked at her. She just rolled her eyes.

Marie grabbed something else from the large package she brought in.

"It was decided that iron gauntlets would be too clumsy and uncomfortable for most of the trip, so instead Captain Geoffrey decided on these leather gloves." She handed them to Rick and pointed to a large ring on the side of his mail shirt. "You can tuck your gloves there when you aren't using them." She grinned. "And there's an iron cap available if you want it."

She then went back to the package and began pulling out another set of protective clothing.

Marie had an apologetic expression on her face. "Dame Beckett I'm afraid most of this stuff is going to be somewhat big for you. You are so slender, I imagine back home you have all your stuff custom made. We did the best we could. Much of this stuff is armor made for young boys."

Kate chuckled. "Not a problem Marie. We'll make do. Hopefully we won't even need any protection of this kind."

Marie smiled and went about dressing her as she had Rick. When she had finished, Kate was surprised that even though it was a bit large for her, it wasn't terribly uncomfortable.

"Just one more thing," Marie took Kate's hand and guided her over to a chair and indicated she should sit. "You have such beautiful hair, but so much of it. Something will have to be done about that."

Kate had panicky visions of Marie cutting off her long hair like a sheep being sheared.

"What are you going to do?"

Marie smiled at her. "It's called the Warrior's Braid." She produced a comb and began to untangle the bedhead that Kate was so prone to have.

"The few women knights, and several of the long haired men will often opt for it rather than a helmet which tends to block their peripheral vison." She begins by sectioning Kate's hair into three parts. She then carefully interweaved the hair into a three way braid which turned out to be chunkier that a normal braid.

Marie smiles when she's done. "You'll find that while your hair can't stop a strongly wielded, sharp sword. Hair bundled like this can offer protection against glancing or weak blows. It's not a helmet, but it's better than a naked neck."

Kate stood up, turned, and gave Marie a hug. "Thank you. I would never have thought of that."

Rick walked over and put his hand on Marie's shoulder. "Thank you for helping us get ready. Now we need one more favor." She gave him a questioning look. "Where are we supposed to go?"

Just then Geoffrey stuck his head into the room. "I'm here to take you down to the stables where our mounts are being readied, and some meat pies and tea are waiting to break your fast before we leave."

Rick put his hand to his stomach. "Gawd, after what we ate last night I won't be able to eat for a week."

Kate reached over and pinched his ear. "I'll remember that."

Geoffrey just shook his head. He'd never seen a man and a woman who weren't married interact with each other like Sir Richard and Lady Katherine did. If he was a betting man, he'd put money on them winding up as husband and wife sooner rather than later.

Geoffrey led them through the hallways and corridors of the castle until they finally made it outside and found themselves in what had to be the stable. Kate looked for the two horses that Sadie from the church in Green Meadows had lent to them, but she didn't see them anywhere in sight.

Zolitorus was pacing around stuffing a meat pie in his face. He wore no protection of any kind, but he didn't seem concerned. Kate grabbed some tea and walked over to the wizard.

"So, I see you aren't wearing body protection." She smirked. "Are you invulnerable or something?"

He smiled, then chuckled. "Oh no. I'm as vulnerable as any of you." He slipped his hand into the lining of his long coat and pulled out what appeared to be a stick. It was about eighteen inches long and colors constantly swirled along its length.

"I have all the protection and weapons that I could ever need right here." He waved the stick around."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Are you telling me that you carry a magic wand around in your coat?"

He looked perplexed. "Don't the wizards in your realm use wands?"

Kate smirked again. "Magic doesn't actually exist in our world."

Zolitorus raised a brow and returned her smirk. "So then, how did you get here?"

Kate opened her mouth, then shut it and frowned. She glared at him and walked away with his laughter ringing in her ears."

Geoffrey stuck his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle like noise. Everyone wandered over to where he was standing.

"Okay," he started. "I managed to get some information from my moles and spies. Most of the rumors seem to come out of the grasslands to the east. Many contradict each other, but those that seem to speak of a dragon seem to point to a small village about a day's ride from here."

Rick and Kate locked eyes. Rick interrupted. "Does this village have a name?"

Geoffrey gave Rick a knowing look. "Yes, it was Green Meadows."

"But Green Meadows was empty." Kate gestured toward the east. "There was only one person left in the place when we stopped there."

Geoffrey nodded. "I remember you mentioning that. Is Green Meadows where you landed when you went through the mirror portal?"

Rick shook his head. "No, I went through the mirror a good half a day's walk to the north before coming upon the village."

Geoffrey pursed his lips. "Tell me how you got here again."

Rick took a breath. "We were attending a festival back in York. We walked the grounds and at one end of the place we ran across the mirror. It was just sticking up out of the ground. I went up close to it to investigate when I tripped over a large unnoticed stone and fell through the mirror."

Kate jumped in. "When I saw what happened. I leapt through the mirror. I looked around a bit and saw Rick limping away from me. In those few seconds he was a good hundred yards away from me already."

Rick picked up the narrative. "By the time she got to where I was, the mirror was out of sight. We assumed that mirror was in some way moving away from us."

"Or we were moving away from it." Kate added. "All we knew was that the mirror was already out of sight."

Rick resumed. "Kate helped me with my sprained ankle and we walked to the edge of a forested area where we heard the sound of a large stream. After checking the lay of the land, we decided to follow the flow downstream rather than upstream thinking we'd be more likely to come across people in that direction."

Geoffrey nodded. "So, I'd say our best chance to find some clue as to where this dragon might be would be to backtrack your trail and hope we run across signs that might lead us toward the dragon."

Everyone stood and stared at each other for a few silent moments. Kate broke the silence.

"The village wasn't completely empty. There was one older woman who was left behind to care for the church after everyone else had left."

"Yeah, she seemed to know more than she was saying. Some of the things she'd mention were kind of cryptic. It was she who mentioned a dragon in the first place." Rick nodded. "We sort of ignored it since we don't have dragons in York."

Zolitorus snorted. "You don't seem to have much in York."

Kate chuckled. "If you only knew."

Geoffrey ignored them. "Okay then, it seems like our best chance to find something is to head east toward Green Meadows and see what we come across."

They had traveled long enough that the sun was high in the sky. The mail shirts proved to be more uncomfortable than Kate had expected. Mostly because under the bright sunshine they were hot. She found herself sweating. But since no one else was complaining, she didn't want to seem like the weak link by bitching how hot it was.

"We should be fairly close to where there's a pool just a few yards off the trail." Rick waved off toward the south.

They were coming upon the area where there were a few larger boulders near the trail. It was the place where the highway man had tried to rob them. Little had he known who he was dealing with, and that neither Rick nor Kate had much beyond the old horses and a few coins that he could steal.

Kate had earlier mentioned the family with the wagon that they had passed by, but Geoffrey was not aware of any specific isolated farms anywhere nearby but he knew that some settlers preferred to stake out their own place and not be close to any outlying villages.

The four horsemen were suddenly startled by a lone individual who stepped out from behind the few boulders off to the one side of the trail. He planted himself in the middle of the dusty trail and held up his hand.

"You are commanded to stop. Go no farther. You are ordered to turn about and return from whence you came."

He was tall and quite skinny. He looked a lot like a better dressed scarecrow. He had no weapons, nor did he wear any armor. He seemed completely harmless. Yet his voice projected an authorative baritone and he showed little or no emotion.

Geoffrey edged his horse to the front. "I am Sir Geoffrey and we travel on the business of His Majesty King Zachariah of Rock Ridge Castle, the grand city Avoria, and all the lands included in his beneficent kingdom." Geoffrey glared at the man. "I suggest you move aside my man, lest we be forced to remove you."

He matched Geoffrey's glare. "You have been warned. Your fate will be on your own heads."

Rick brought his horse up next to Geoffrey's. "Who is it who commands you to give travelers such an order?"

"You have been warned." He turned and walked back behind the few boulders and just sat down on the dirt. Apparently he was planted there just to warn off the next group of travelers."

Geoffrey just shook his head and kicked his horse into motion.

It wasn't too long after their "warning" that Kate pointed off to the south.

"Over there is water. We can refill our bottles." She pointed toward the cluster of small twisted and gnarled trees which surrounded the small pool of clear water.

They all moved their horses in that direction. In no time they were surrounding the pool and the horses all moved in mass toward one end of the pool where they all began to drink their fill and munch on the stunted grass around the pool.

Kate and Rick, after dismounting took their bottles and refilled them with the clear, cool water after drinking their fill. While they were doing that, Geoffrey and Zolitorus kept a keen watch.

When Rick and Kate had finished with their thirst they took the short watch while the other two filled their water bottles and slaked their thirst.

Once they all had their water needs dealt with they left the horses to rest for a bit while the four of them sat around the pool to discuss the ominous warning, while keeping one eye checking around them for any indication of others.

Geoffrey looked to Rick. "Richard, when you came from this area, did you have any interaction with any group that might feel they have a reason to warn other's away?"

He shook his head. "No, as I said earlier, there was no one in Green Meadows except the gal at the church who helped us."

Kate had a strange expression on her face.

"You know, we never actually saw anyone but Sadie in the Village, but it's not like we went around and looked for anyone. We just took Sadie's word for it."

Zolitorus nodded. "So you are saying that it's possible that the woman you met might have been directed to get the two of you out of the village."

"Yeah maybe, she could have been forced to direct any travelers away." Kate exclaimed. "And maybe it would be a way to get the word out that Green Meadows was empty. She made a point of telling us how to get to Avoria and Rock Ridge Castle." She frowned. "We became the carriers of the misinformation they wanted spread. If that is actually what happened. I would still rather believe she was alone. I hope nothing bad had happened to her."

Rick nodded. "A possible situation. But it might just be as the woman said. That everyone left the town when they felt they were in danger." His brow furrowed in concern. "I'd hate to think that something might have happened to Sadie when some opposing group, perhaps led by a dragon, decided to take over the village and surrounding area."

Geoffrey looked at both of them. "And are using the village as a staging ground for whatever plan hey might have."

Zolitorus looked between the others. "So, if what you say is true. What are we going to do?" I'm good, but if they have an army being assembled in that village I don't think that even I could overcome an army by myself."

Everyone else either just shook their heads or rolled their eyes. Rick stood up and paced back and forth for a minute. Kate knew that something was going on in that creative mind of his.

"The problem is," he began. "We still have to go there. We have to find out what exactly is happening in that village. What size of an army do they have? Is there really a dragon leading them, or are they just using those rumors to keep people away? Because the more I think about it, the more likely it seems that our opponents are now there."

Geoffrey solemnly nodded his head. "Sir Richard is correct. We must find out, to the best of our ability, what the King and the kingdom have to prepare for." He looked around at the pool and the surrounding stunted foliage. "How far till we get to the village?"

Rick looked to Kate. "It took us about two thirds of the morning to get here from the village," she answered.

Geoffrey nodded. He had a plan and Kate was sure she wouldn't like it.

"Okay, there's some cover here, so I think you should hunker down here. I'll go on ahead and check out the village. Estimate their strength, and see if there actually is a dragon there. If I'm not back by the time the moon rises to a quarter of the sky's dome, take off and get back to Avoria and Castle Rock Ridge as fast as you can and fill King Zachariah in on all we've seen and heard on the trail."

Kate was frowning. None of this seemed to make much sense to her, but what did she know about medieval tactics?

"Are we assuming that this the beginning of an invasion?" She wondered out loud. "Or could this just be a land grab?"

Geoffrey shrugged. "That's why I have to go there and check it out."

Rick hadn't sat back down yet and had continued his pacing. "No," he shook his head. "If you don't come back we won't have any information to report if we three just high tail it back to the castle."

Kate smiled at him. "We all have to go. That way we quadruple our chance that someone will be able to beat their security and get back to the castle and warn the King of the problem."

Zolitorus gave Geoffrey a sympathetic smile. "Our guests from York are correct Captain. The odds of getting the crucial information and then getting it home are best if we all go."

Rick slid down next to Kate. She laid her head on his shoulder. "This is really a bad idea, isn't it?"

He nodded and turned and kissed her head. "But it's the best one we've got."

She held his hand. "I wonder if anyone at home has missed us yet."

Rick chuckled. "You're kidding, right? Espo and Ryan have had to tie their own shoelaces for the last couple of days. Of course they've missed us."

She giggled into his neck. "They'll have to get some slip ons."

Geoffrey stood up and stared at the quartet. "Okay, I will agree with that plan. But if I designate one or all of you to take off at any time, I'll expect you to go and do your damnest to get back to the King with what we found out."

He began to walk toward the horses. "Let's go."

As expected the sun had set and the moon was climbing over the horizon before they reached the outskirts of the village of Green Meadows. They were able to see some guard posts on several of the streets and at the edges of where buildings stood. What passed for a security patrol was noisy and looked not all that competent.

The four of them were behind a small copse of trees at the farthest corner of the village. They could see smoke coming from many of the chimneys, and there were several campfires off the southern edge of the town.

Geoffrey gathered them in close. "From the looks of it. Most of the men milling around are members of various mercenary groups that wander the lands looking to get paid to fight on one side or the other." He allowed himself a slight smile. "The good thing is… most mercs are mercs because they aren't disciplined, and generally not great fighters. But it does look like they have a lot of them."

Zolitorus sat back on his heels. "Should we sneak back out now, and get word back to the King?"

Geoffrey shook his head. "As long as we're here we need to find out if there is a dragon at the head of this rag tag army."

"How will we be able to do that?" Zolitorus asked of the Captain.

"Well," he began. "I guess we'd need to find a nice large building where the dragon could easily be comfortable, and inconspicuous from the outside."

Kate looked at Rick. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"The church," they said in unison.

Rick pointed out the large building at the far end of the village. The two gable ends stood another story above all the rest of the single story buildings in town. Atop each of those gable ends was a simple but sturdy wooden cross.

Geoffrey nodded. "Okay, you all stay here out of sight while I sneak down and take a peek into that church."

Rick put his hand on the Captain's shoulder. "No, we'll go." Kate had placed herself right next to him. "We've been in the church so we know the basic lay out, and have a better chance to sneak around and have a look around."

Geoffrey gave them a scowl. "Don't dawdle. Get in and get out. And meet us back here." He looked around. "This seems to be about the most ignored corner of whole area." He put his hand on Rick's shoulder this time. To hold him back for a moment. "Remember, in and out."

Rick took Kate's hand and they began their circuitous path around the edge of the village, a significant distance away from any campfires or walking sentries. While only one would have been needed to check out the church, neither even gave it a thought to not going together.

They had two things in their favor. The moon was still pretty low, and only a quarter crescent. And these mercs were not exactly crack soldiers. It appeared that drinking and telling raunchy tales passed the time for most of them.

It took them awhile to make the big loop around the village, but they finally found themselves within fifty yards of the church. Both were surprised that there weren't any guards around it.

Rick smirked, which was lost in the darkness. "Probably don't need a guard if there's a dragon in there, cozying to the large fireplace in the main room." She nodded in response.

They slowly and quietly moved closer to the building when the noise of a door being opened caught their attention. They ducked down as low as they could and hoped whoever came out of the door didn't notice them.

Both were astounded when they saw a short, plump older woman stepping away from the imposing building. She lifted her head as if she was smelling something that had been left out too long.

Kate called out in a loud whisper. "Sadie?"

The woman whipped her head in the direction of the sound she heard. She squinted as if trying to focus her eyes.

"It's us, Richard and Katherine." Rick called out in a slightly louder whisper.

The elder woman who'd helped them when they first came into the world waddled over to where Rick and Kate were kneeling.

"Saint's alive. It is you two. What in everything that's holy are you two doing here?"

Rick shook his head. "The question is what are you doing here trapped with a bunch of mercenaries?"

"Well, you see it was like this…" Kate put her fingers over the woman's lips.

"Not now. We need to get you away from here." She pointed back the way she and Rick had come. "Our friends are waiting for us at the far end of the village, outside all the camps. You'll be able to tell us everything we'll need to know."

Sadie looked a bit frightened as she looked around. Then she took a deep breath and nodded.

Rick and Kate each took a hand and together they hustled the woman who'd helped them when they first got there around the perimeter of the camp. They were lucky that the mercs were a lazy bunch. Never did anyone notice them creeping through the night.

It didn't take them more than a couple extra minutes to get back to where Geoffrey and Zolitorus were waiting. Both seemed surprised to see them so soon and with someone else in tow.

Geoffrey frowned at them, but waited for their explanation.

Kate was grinning. "Guys, this is Sadie. She is the woman who helped Richard and I when we first got here. She was caretaking the church and let us in and helped us. She gave us a warm room to sleep in and some food in the morning." She turned toward the woman. "Oh, and the horses are fine. They are currently stabled with all the King's horses." Kate smiled at her.

Kate hugged the older woman. "I'm so glad to see you unharmed."

Sadie chuckled. "Well there's a very good reason for that."

Rick cocked his head. "Why is that?"

Sadie stepped a few extra yards back from them. Suddenly her form began to appear to liquefy, then it seemed to solidify again, but it was bigger, and growing more so by the second. Until after only a few heartbeats, where their friend Sadie had been standing was now occupied by a huge beast over twenty feet long from the head to the thick imposing tail.

The creature looked something like a T-Rex only with a smaller head which could convey more expressions. Rick couldn't help thinking that she looked a lot like Godzilla with large leathery wings.

"I take it no one told you that dragons were shape-shifters." Then a loud burst of laughter came out of the large mouth rimmed with many sharp teeth.

Kate looked at the space where their first friend in this land had turned into the creature they had been trying to find.

"How is it possible that someone the size of an old woman can transform into something so monstrously large!" Kate stumbled a couple steps back.

She swore the creature smiled. "Magic."

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All Readers are Appreciated, Review if wish

A/N: Ta Da! The big reveal has been delivered. Now what will happen to our plucky quartet? Since there are still some chapters left, I guess I can tell you that they don't get eaten… (at least not yet).