Dragons Shining (9 page)

“Do you think they would really do that? It would be so un-sportsmanlike they could get disqualified completely.”

“I asked Dan and he said they would need a unanimous decision by the umpires, and since one of the umpires is from Dell’s Keep, it might just work.”

“Well thanks for the warning, Suzy. Have you told Tom?”

“Of course I have. He plans to bring it up before the game just so your team mates will watch out for it.”

Just then his mom came into the barn and stepped up beside Suzy.

“Did you tell him about what Dan said, Suzanne?”

“Yes, Mom, I told him.”

“So you are going to ride anyway, Owen? Knowing they intend to hurt you, maybe you should stay out of the game today! Think of your horse too.”

“Gander would never forgive me for not riding, Mom. He puts up with us just so he can”, Owen said with a laugh.

“It’s not a laughing matter, son. The Queen will be angry if you are hurt. I will just be very sad.”

“Well the King would think less of me if I don’t ride, mother. And so would I. I know you are always wise and cautious, and I do listen. But I will ride today, come what may.”

”Well at least I tried. Good luck, then, and I will pray that the Maker watches over you. Oh, make sure y’all win!” When that, she went back to the kitchen to make them something for lunch later.

“I better go help her. But before I go, what did she mean about the Queen?”

Thinking quickly, he said” I heard she is betting on us, and the King too”.

“Oh, I see. Well, see you for lunch”.

“I’ll be there. See you then.”

He finished up in the barn and was heading over to the pigpen with two heavy buckets of slop when he met Tom and Paw working on the pigpen gate.

Tom looked up and said, “Hey Owen, I guess you heard, huh?” He was well muscled now, soon to be a rock hard farmer like his Paw. He had gotten quite good with his sword too. He said it was only self-defense; otherwise Owen was bound to kill him at practice if he didn’t.

“Yep, I heard. Guess I better be careful.”

“I am surprised”, said Paw.

“How?”

“That the word careful can live in that hard head of yours.”

“Oh. You are right, Paw. Somehow it got lost in the last few years.”

“Come on Paw”, said Tom. “You can’t expect Owen to run from this. We will be looking for it and teach them a lesson.”

“No, I don’t expect either of you to run from it. Just don’t be foolish. That’s all I ask. Don’t be what they are either. This is darkness, come to the center of our town. Don’t give in to it.”

“Ok Paw”, they both said.

“Well, we are finished with the gate here. Go ahead and give them their lunch, Owen, and the both of you can have the rest of the day off. Rest up for the game later. Take the horses out and loosen them up a bit. That will take the nerves out. No sense everyone fretting all day. Don’t worry about tomorrow either. The plowing can wait some, till it rains and the ground softens up a little anyway.”

“Let’s go get the rest of the team after lunch, and ride easy on over to the river and back. How about it Owen?”

“Sounds good, Tom. I want to stop by Baird’s place on the way. You can get the guys and meet me there.”

“Ok, deal.”

Paw and Tom went to clean up while Owen slopped the pigs. That didn’t take long, so he made his way over to the house after cleaning up outside.

Owen went in the Kitchen where he piled his plate with the chicken and dumplings the girls had cooked up, and joined them all out on the porch to eat.

“It seems wrong not to have Sophie out here with us”, said Owen between bites. “I miss her.”

“It’s not wrong”, said Suzy. “A woman needs to be with her husband”.

“I know”, said Owen. “It’s only been two weeks since she married Heath. I just haven’t gotten used to her not being here.”

“We feel the same way, son”, and the other Hodgens all nodded.

“She will be at the game this afternoon with us, won’t she?” asked Suzy.

“You bet”, said Angie.

After lunch Tom and Owen walked over to the barn. Owen saddled up Gander and Tom saddled up his big Quarter Horse, Tiny. Tiny was not Tiny for a Quarter Horse. He was quite a brute, and agile even so. Gander was taller and faster and could jump higher, but not as agile.

“We can have a team meeting near the river, and come on back in time to suit up. It’s nothing for the Horses“.

They rode to the edge of town, where Owen split off toward Baird’s cabin.

“I will be waiting at Baird’s.”

“We won’t be long. See you in about half an hour.”

Owen trotted up to the cabin and tied Gander off to the porch.

Baird and Dafford came out to meet him.

“Big day huh. What are you doing out here today”, asked Dafford. “Unless you think you can whip me again today.”

“No, actually I wanted to speak with you two about the match.”

“You know I am an umpire, right?”  Baird asked.

“Tom told me. I’m glad because I was warned about a nasty ploy the Dell’s Keep team is planning.”

“Go on”, said Baird.

“We have heard from a very reliable source that they are planning to foul me and take me out of the game.”

“Hmmm. They have a judge too you know, but that sort of thing usually backfires. It’s not the way to win a match. And, you might get hurt.”

“That’s possible, master.”

“Remember a couple of things, Owen. If you bleed, it’s very dangerous. If your blood gets into another’s somehow, it will change them. Second, I want you to use whatever method you need to heal yourself and prevent that from happening if you are hurt. We will be leaving soon anyway, and you are far more important than this game.”

“You mean I will not make the final match?”

“Perhaps, but we must get you up to Dragon Mount very soon. Maybe we can return in time, but if not, I think this team can win against the North without you anyway. The match today will be by far the hardest, and they do need you.”

“The rest of the team will be here in about fifteen minutes”

“Well come on in and get some tea. I want to show you something.”

Inside, hot tea had just perked over the wood stove. They sat around Baird’s kitchen table sipping it.

“What did you want to show me?”

Baird put down his tea and showed Owen the big Emerald ring on his right hand. “This is a spirit Jewel. Do you remember what that is?”

“Yes, I remember the spell. You said I could not use such a puny stone, but it sure looks magnificent to me.”

“No, you would need a Ruby and one bigger than this. Anyway I want you to know that if I am killed; my spirit will be transferred to this ring. If you take it and keep it, then I will still be able to see through your eyes if you permit, and speak with you mentally.”

“That’s creepy”, said Dafford.

“Creepy but useful”, said Owen.

“The dark one has been killing captured Elves, Humans and Dwarves by sucking out and discarding the spirit in their bodies, leaving the husk to be inhabited by a spirit from Hell. I am sure the Maker has taken these displaced souls into his care. You will see these abominations and you will fight them. They are powerful enemies, many of whom will be Malaga. To get me out of the jewel, you will need to rip out and discard one of these Demon spirits. Pick wisely, and I will then inhabit that body just like the Demon did, but much, much better.”

“Do I have that power, Baird?”

“The power to rip a soul out of it’s body? Scary huh? Yes, Owen you will find that power, in a very limited fashion. A healthy soul in its own body is the Maker’s territory. Anyway, that would be most difficult and the price would be very high. This you must not even try because it would stain you in His eyes. Also, you can fight the Dark one for control of these Demons. It is not something to be taken lightly, and it can lead to darkness if used without discretion. It can be a powerful weapon, however. Be afraid to use it, but use it you must. Remember these souls will go to Hell, or you perhaps can command them to do your bidding for a while first. Judge well because this is gray.”

“I do not want that kind of power, Baird. I am not a god to be commanding souls, Demon or otherwise.”

“Nevertheless, Owen, Belaros is already using the worst abomination of this power against us. The Maker has given you this gift to use wisely and oppose Belaros. I have seen it in you. Another thing: Kragon, the last Dragon King had a sword that gave him the same power in a limited fashion. Znost, the old dragon has it, I believe. You could use it as a focus, a magnifier.”

“It drove Kragon to madness, Baird.”

“Yes, and Satan punished him for a thousand years. You are not Kragon.”

“No, I am Not.”

“You need to meet Briana. She will keep you straight”, Baird said with a smile. “Your team is here.”

“I can sense them”, said Owen, standing. “We are going to have a meeting at the river side. See you at the game”.

Owen left the cottage and trotted Gander to the end of the lane. The five riders approached, moving easily down the path.

There was Heath, the Captain of the team “Fable’s Arch Dragons” and the Lead, on his white stallion Fire Ball. His main focus was to get possession of the toroid initially and then pass it to a runner or assist. Owen and Sam were the two Runners. The Runners main focus was getting the ring to the end post, being the most adroit, the fastest and best at clearing the obstacles.

Tom and Bobby were Assists. They were strong and agile and focused on assisting the Lead and the Runners, and always scored the most take a ways on defense. They could also act as goalies. Yet they had found that ploy was not as successful as free riding.

On defense the team members matched their counterparts and focused on preventing an opposing score.

There were two backup riders, Han and Ester. These were both older, well seasoned riders that could function anywhere in the team as seconds. Sometimes they would substitute for a tired team member, or an injured one.

“Good afternoon, Owen”, said Heath as he approached.

“Hello Heath. Hi guys. Go Dragons!”

“Hurrah!”

“This was a good idea”, said Heath as they walked the horses on the one mile journey to the river bank.

“It was actually father who said we need to take the edge off.”

“Common sense Hodgens. That’s what my dad says”.

They didn’t speak much on the way, and they soon arrived at the little park near the Great Aconda River. No one else was present at the park because most people were going to the game. They put the horses into the coral and cleaned the feeders. No one wanted a sick horse today. There was some grass, so the horses contented themselves with that.

The team sat around at the large picnic table, and Heath opened the meeting. “I guess we are here to discuss the information Suzy brought back to us. You have all been told by now. Have you anything to say Owen?”

“I will ride as hard as every, yet be on the lookout. They might try to sandwich me against the wall, or trip me up over a jump I expect. Some kind of foul with two or three on one designed to injure Gander or myself. If you guys see them ganging up on me, try to help yes, but we are in the game to win. Don’t all of you pile in, Heath; I think you should stay out of it. Who knows, you might get a score out of the fray. If I have the toroid when it happens, I will send it toward our post. They will be short handed then.”