Hatch (The Dragons Of Laton) (26 page)

She shoved a roll of clean cloth into his hands and barked instructions on keeping the wound clean and bandaged. Before he could leave, she made him promise to return every day to let her examine the stitches until they were removed. Boris nodded his head obediently, and she shooed them both out of her tent.

Boris muttered to himself as they walked back, and Ammon decided not to ask questions. It seemed he was just as confounded by women as Ammon was.

Kyle had breakfast waiting for them in the king’s tent, and Erik’s eyes widened in concern at the sight of the fresh stitches in Boris’ face. “Theo told me what happened. Are you alright?”

With a half smile, Boris sat down and picked up his fork. “Don’t worry. It isn’t as bad as it looks.” He winced as he attempted to chew a few bites, then reluctantly pushed his plate away. “Anyway, Ammon has been exploring again, and I think you should hear what he’s found this time.”

Erik peered over his cup at Ammon and raised an eyebrow. “Exploring again, eh? You seem to be very much like Boris and his brother were when they were your age; always looking for mischief and usually finding more trouble than they could handle! Well, what sort of treasure have you found this time?”

Ammon glanced at Boris. It was hard to believe the man ever did anything to break the rules or found something he couldn’t handle. Turning back to Erik, he cleared his throat and described everything he’d seen in detail. When he was done, the king pointed his fork at Boris.

“I think you should take some men and investigate these ruins as soon as possible. If the wall by the river is that thin, you may be able to make a hole big enough to walk through wearing all your armor. I’d like you to take Ammon and Fulgid with you, as they seem pretty adept at finding things. Besides, despite how small he is, having Fulgid would be helpful.”

He turned his fork towards Ammon and continued. “I’ve noticed none of the other hatchlings seem anywhere near as mature as Fulgid is. His reaction to that cooking girl shows his perception of a threat is as acute as a full-grown dragon. Ammon, make sure you pay attention to how Fulgid is feeling, he won’t lead you astray.”

Ammon nodded and Erik dropped the fork on his plate and frowned. “I’ll deal with the assassin myself.”

Ammon cleared his throat. “Sire, uh, what will happen to her?”

A long silence filled the tent. Finally the king spoke; his voice hard as steel. “The penalty for attempted assassination is death.”

Ammon felt the blood drain from his face, and his stomach felt like he’d been punched. “Is that really necessary? Couldn’t she be punished another way?”

Erik sighed and looked up at Boris who was studying the contents of his mug. “According to Theo, they found several more knives on her, including several high quality throwing spikes. She is undoubtedly a professional assassin and given another chance, she would not hesitate in the least to kill you, or me, or anyone. It would be dangerous to keep her alive, Ammon.”

Ammon slumped in the chair. “But she didn’t kill me!”

Erik studied Ammon thoughtfully. “I suppose the crime was committed against you, therefore you should have some say in the matter. Without the luxury of a prison to hold her, the only other option I have is to put her under constant supervision. I think I know of one place we can put her where she can be watched day and night and perhaps work off some small portion of her penance.”

Boris frowned. “What do you have in mind?”

Erik smirked as he picked up his fork again and stabbed at a sausage on his plate. “We’ve had two hundred dragons confined to this one area for weeks and not a single wheelbarrow in the whole camp. When you consider that each pile is as big as a full-grown man, and all we have are a few small shovels? I think we can keep that young lady busy moving manure for quite some time. Besides, in an open field surrounded by dragons she could hardly leave without them noticing.”

Boris laughed and slapped the table with his hand so hard his plate jumped. “Aye, now that just might be a fate worse than death!”

***

Ammon flipped open the flap to his tent and walked inside. Fulgid was stretched out on the cot with his head on the pillow and bits of shredded cloth still clinging to his body. With a deep sigh Ammon flopped down beside him and began to idly pick away at the threads wedged between his scales.

“You were right Fulgid. I don’t know how you knew, but you were right.”

Fulgid curled his head around and placed it on Ammon’s lap. Large amber eyes peered up sympathetically. Ammon pulled him onto his lap the rest of the way and scratched his ears.

“I just don’t understand why all this is happening to me? I never asked for any of it! All I ever wanted was to live a quiet, peaceful life.”

The dragon’s nose gently touched his. Ammon smiled and nodded. “Yes, with you.”

A feeling of joy rippled across the bubble nestled deep within his consciousness, and Fulgid yawned contently before sliding off his lap and rolling onto the pillow.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Erik wants us to show some of the knights the ruins.”

He pulled out the glittering armored vest from under the bed and held it up. The edge of each scale had been carefully wrapped in leather then sewn in an overlapping pattern over a heavy cloth. There had only been enough scales to make a vest, but the next time Fulgid shed he should have enough for a full suit of armor. Then it would be practically impervious to arrows or knives unless one managed to slip past the stitching.

He slipped the vest over his head and pulled it down into place. “Well, dragon, ready to go exploring?”

Fulgid hopped to the floor and waited as Ammon belted on his new scabbard and slid the dull gray sword into place. He stepped out of the tent and into the sunshine where Boris and Theo were waiting with two other knights.

Boris whistled at the sight of the vest as it sparkled in the light. “Boy, you’ll be visible for miles in that getup!”

Ammon smiled down at Fulgid sitting at his feet. “Yeah, but I’ll be the safest one there!”

Boris touched his bandaged face and grinned. “Aye, that’s probably true. At least against maidens with bad intentions!” He slapped Ammon’s shoulder playfully and nodded to the two other knights. “This is Chanel and Cen, they’ll be accompanying us. Now, show me this tunnel of yours. I wish to see a city!”

Ammon lead the way down to the riverbank and pointed to where the
Olog River plunged violently through the large hole in the mountain wall. Boris looked at the river for a moment and spoke softly to Ammon.

“Men have rode this river and fallen through that opening never to return. No dragon has ever been able to fly high enough to make it over the mountains before the cold turned them back. It has always been said that beyond these mountains is the end of the world, the natural boundary at the edge of creation. It has been many years since I’ve adventured outside of
Gaul. I’m looking forward to seeing this new world.”

Ammon watched the river rush past. He doubted anyone could survive those waters to make it to the other side. Yet someone had built a city there, a city that now lay in ruins. Who were they and what happened to them? As his curiosity grew a twinge of excitement tightened in his stomach. The sooner they got there, the sooner they’d find out.

Boris ran his hand along the stone leading down to the river’s edge, occasionally thumping it with his fist. He thought for a moment, then picked up a good-sized rock and heaved it at the wall. It struck hard, and a hollow crunch sounded as a small hole appeared. A few more tosses and the rock went clear through.

Boris examined the hole with interest. “Look at the marks on the stone. See how smooth it is at the bottom compared to higher up? The level of water must have been much higher at one time. Over the years the river must have changed course, and as the river shifted, the spring floods knocked down and covered the tunnel entrance until nothing could be seen. Looking at it now, there is no indication of a tunnel on the other side, just the appearance of a sheer face of solid rock.”

He picked up another stone and used it as a hammer to widen the opening until they could step through. Once inside he whistled as he looked around.

“Someone made this tunnel! See the chisel marks? And it’s big enough for a dragon to crawl through, although it’d be a bit tight for Ellis.”

Ammon nodded as he looked at the marks on the stone in wonder. They hadn’t been visible in the candlelight. “The whole tunnel is this size or bigger all the way out to the other side to where the opening caved in.”

Boris slapped him on the shoulder with a grin. “Well, let’s go see it! Lead the way!”

They lit their lanterns and followed Ammon up the tunnel with Fulgid bounding just ahead of them. Within hours they reached the other end, and Fulgid perched himself on a boulder and watched while Ammon and the others took turns clearing the exit. Once they had removed enough rocks around the opening that they could all climb out, the little dragon scampered out first.

Once more, Ammon stood on the grass of the hillside looking down at the ruins of the city in amazement. The others were strangely quiet, cautiously checking their armor and swords before beginning their descent into the city with Fulgid frolicking ahead of them. As they walked, Boris gave instructions to each of them to follow once they entered the ruins. He and Ammon would take the lead, choosing the path through the city. Chanel and Cen would follow behind them and watch the rooftops and windows for movements. Theo would bring up the rear in case they were followed. Boris wanted Ammon to pay particular attention to Fulgid, as he’d likely be their first warning of any danger. With firm grips on the hilts of their swords, Ammon and the four men followed the golden dragon through the decayed city’s gates.

***

Tirate gritted his teeth as he watched his men struggle against the current as they floated the barges down the Olog. He already lost two men to the river and a third had been left behind on the riverbank with a broken leg. Transporting the heavy crossbows down the river was risky, but it was faster than having it carried across the harsh terrain of the wasteland. He watched as his men on the riverbanks eased the barges downstream using long ropes and pulleys. He had to get into position before Erik’s dragons had time to react.

The scouts had located a clearing up ahead large enough for them to unload the smaller, portable weapons, and from there it was only a two-day march to Erik’s pitiful camp. The dragons couldn’t escape over the mountains and with his crossbows lining the river and dispersed throughout the woods, Erik was neatly trapped between Tirate’s hammer and the anvil of the mountains.

He smiled and felt the skin stretch across his face as the new scars slowly healed. It was time to remove those beastly dragons from the world altogether. With any luck, they’d all be extinct in less than a week. Just the thought of what was to come made him giddy. If his assassin hadn’t already taken care of his dear Uncle Erik and the boy, then his new weapons surely would. His laughter echoed into the trees and was swallowed by the roar of the mighty
Olog River.

***

Derek reluctantly plucked an arrow from his quiver and laid it across his longbow. As much as he hated killing, he was a skilled archer with an uncanny ability to move his massive body silently through the thickest woods. Although he preferred eating fruits and vegetables, the camp would benefit greatly from the wild boar he’d been tracking since yesterday. The boar had made a well-worn path that crisscrossed all over this area, and now Derek could hear the distant sounds of movement coming from down the path. Patiently he waited. Eventually it would show itself and start rooting for grubs under the tree stump twenty paces away. Derek checked the tension of the bowstring. His aim had to be good, very good. A wounded boar was not something he wanted to deal with; they were dangerous enough as it was.