Silver Dragon (4 page)

Chapter
3

"I can't believe you enjoy this," Caitlyn complained.

Alto breathed through her tirade. The walk to Portland had been similar, but she'd still been in shock and hadn't started noticing how her tortured body reacted to the long walk until the second day. He'd hoped the horses he acquired in Portland would make for easier, or at least quieter, travel. She'd dashed his hopes a little over an hour into it with complaints of how the saddle hurt and how she couldn't get comfortable on her horse.

"We've been riding for a week now; your body should be used to it," he said. He grimaced as soon as the words were out.

"I don't like riding
. I never have," Caitlyn reminded him. "It's indecent, too, straddling a horse in a dress!"

"If we'd have walked it would have taken three times as long," Alto tried to explain.

She huffed in disapproval. "I think we could have stayed in Portland."

"Aye, you could have, but I don't have money enough to let you live there long
," he said. "And where do you think they'll look for us next?"

Caitlyn rode in silence, aside from the occasional muted cry when her horse stepped in a puddle or found another way to unbalance her. Finally, as the sun began to dip low in the western sky
, she turned to him and said, "I'm sorry I'm such a baby."

"A baby?" Alto asked her. "You're only a year behind me."

"I don't mean that. I mean my whining and complaining. I keep thinking about the things Kressa and I were doing or the things I want to talk to Juell about or what I want to teach Harvest as she grows up. Then there's Edwin and what a little troublemaker he is, always bothering Juell and Harvest. Darren was working so hard helping Father with the chores that I was helping him do some of his old chores. We'd figured out a way to make it work and to help each other out. We'd never gotten along so well before."

Alto realized Caitlyn had fallen silent after a few moments. He risked a glance at her and saw her tears reflecting the fading
sunlight on her ruddy cheeks. He looked away, knowing he should respect her privacy. He would have wanted to be left alone to deal with his feelings; he figured she wanted the same thing.

"Then I remember they're gone," Caitlyn said in a strangled voice. She took a deep breath and continued, proving
to Alto that she didn't want to be left alone about it after all. "It's not just that they’re gone, it's that I keep seeing them. I keep seeing what happened to them. Alto, it was so terrible!"

"I know," he snapped. "I know it was bad and I know it was my fault. Okay? You don't have to keep telling me. I know what happened. I'm not going to forget. Not ever." Alto snapped his reins and pushed his horse faster, riding out ahead of his sister. She fell silent behind him.

The sun set on them as they rode but Alto pushed on. Another night of listening to her sob herself to sleep was more than he could bear. They were gone, all of them—why couldn't she accept it and move on? He saw the lights in the distance of Holgasford. They could make it before the gates were shut for the nights. It was winter; the days were shorter and the gates stayed open past sunset because of that.

They reached the timber walls of the city as the guards were turning people away in preparation to close the gates.
"Ho there, let us through!" Alto cried out.

"Gates are closing for the night
. Come back in the morning," a guard cried out without looking up from the door he was pushing.

"I seek Jarl Teorfyr and Lady Patrina," Alto said, hoping that would gain him entrance. "The
jarl has returned from the north, hasn't he?"

The guard faltered and looked up. He turned and grabbed a torch from another guard and held it up high so he could see Alto. "Hold the gates!" he cried out.

With the torchlight shining down on the guard, Alto recognized him as the same man who had spoken to him when he'd entered the city with Winter. He offered a tired smile and waved to him.

"How is it you come by the southern gate?"
the guard asked.

Alto tilted his head at the strange question. "I came from the
Kingdom."

"Last I knew
, you was in the north with the jarl."

Alto nodded. "I was, but we were separated. I returned to my home and have brought my sister with me."

"Well, you look like you," the guard took a step forward and said.

"That's fitting, since I am me. You
know who I am, what's the problem?"

"Heard you was killed in the north," the guard said.

"I heard that, too," Alto said. "But as you can see, I'm still here."

The guard stared at him a minute longer
and then broke into a grin and nodded. He gestured for Alto and Caitlyn to come through. "That's good news," he admitted. "There's going to be a lot of people happy to see you."

"A lot of people? I don't know about that," Alto mumbled.

The guard ignored him and turned to the others. "Spread the word, Alto's alive! He's headed to see the jarl."

"What's going on?" Caitlyn hissed at him as a runner took off down the road towards the raised center of the city. "Why do these people know you?"

Alto held up his hands. "I don't know," he admitted. "Come on, let's go."

"Where?"

"To see the jarl," Alto said.

The guard shook Alto's hand and clapped him on the back as they passed him. When Alto dismounted and helped Caitlyn off her mount
, a stable boy ran out, grinning from ear to ear, and took the reins of their horses. Alto tossed him a coin, causing the boy to gawk and trip over himself in his rush to take their horses to the stables.

Alto led his sister through the town, threading his arm through hers in what he thought was a proper manner.
As they walked, other people stopped and stared while others whispered. A few waved at them and Alto caught more than one girl giggling and looking away.

"What's going on?" Caitlyn asked. "I don't like this, all these people looking and pointing."

"I still don't know," Alto said.

When they climbed the final ramp to the
jarl's hall, a group of soldiers was standing ready. They saluted and cheered, to the dismay and confusion of the two travelers. The doors into the hall were thrown open, inviting them in.

"Alto?" Caitlyn whispered.

"It's okay, I know these people."

"This is strange!"

Alto offered her a smile. It was strange, but it was nice, too. He did know the Kelgryn and he liked them. It seemed they liked him, too. But his reception last time hadn't been like this. He wondered what had changed. He led her into the hall and walked down the length until he saw the jarl and his wife leading a throng of people.

Alto saw Patrina, Karthor, Namitus, Garrick, Tristam, and Kar among the
Kelgryn. First was the jarl, who met the surprised young man by grabbing his hand and pumping it before raising it into the air and turning him about. Alto saw a crowd of people had followed them and filled the hall behind him.

"Behold, my fellow
Kelgryn, our friend and ally has returned! I didn't believe the words when I heard them but I know better than to doubt my eyes. The wielder of Kevard's Blade has returned to us after bringing down a mountain on our enemies!"

The
Kelgryn took up a cheer and in moments, Alto was pulled away from Caitlyn and surrounded with full-grown men and women shaking his hand, clapping his back, and offering him tankards of potent Kelgryn ale that was soon spilt or lost. Alto felt at a loss as the impromptu festivities swirled around him.

At one point
, the swirling stopped long enough for Alto to find himself in front of the grinning jarl again. "Lord Teorfyr," Alto said, forcing himself to become an island amid the shifting sea of madness around him.

"You've done what couldn't be done, lad. Saved my daughter and thwarted my enemies. I'm in your debt, lad!"

Alto shook his head. "Never that, jarl. I've come because I need a favor."

The
jarl's grin faded at the solemn tone of Alto's words. He nodded. "After," he said. "Let the people have their hero. Seems every tide brings darker news these days. They could use a bit of relief."

"What news?"

"Merchants tell of a fleet that's far to the south that should be setting sail soon, if they've not done so already."

"A fleet? Of ships, right?"

Teorfyr chuckled. "Aye, what else would a fleet mean?"

Alto shrugged away his embarrassment. "I've never sailed," he admitted.

"We'll have to remedy that when time permits!"

Alto smiled without committing. Sailing was the least of his concerns. "
What's special about this fleet? Why would they give the Kelgryn troubles?"

"I wondered the same thing," Teorfyr said. "Your friend put it together when there was mention of the flag flown by the ships. A white field with a silver dragon on it."

Alto stiffened.

"I thought that might mean something to you," Teorfyr said. "That man in the mines, your friends said he claimed to be a
Knight of the Silver Dragon?"

Alto nodded and turned his head to search until he saw his sister. Karthor had sought his sister out and was keeping her company at a table.

"Alto? What's wrong, lad?" Teorfyr asked.

"How big is a fleet?" Alto asked
, without taking his eyes off his sister.

"I've heard this one numbers nearly fifty ships."

"That sounds like a lot."

"It's a large force," the
jarl admitted. "I've got more I can press into service, but the ships of the Kelgryn aren't like these ships. Ours are built for fishing and raiding, not for fighting. To the southeast, my brother can call up twice as many, but the ships at his command are like mine."

"They'll try to crush you between a hammer and
an anvil," Alto reasoned. "The armies in the north will sweep across and the armies from the sea will meet them in the middle."

"Have some faith in my people!" Teorfyr
defended.

"You've seen those trolls and ogres in the mines," Alto reminded him. "There are entire villages of them in the mountains. Goblins and men can be killed but those creatures are worth ten men a piece and they're sure to have hundreds. Maybe thousands. How can you stand against that?"

"We will stand." Teorfyr puffed out his chest.

Alto looked at him and nodded. "Does the
Kingdom know of this fleet?"

"I'm sure they do. There's no way of hiding such a thing.
I've sent a messenger to the Kingdom telling them of your encounters in the mountains as well."

"The
Kelgryn and the Kingdom will need to work together if you're going to survive this."

"Survive what? This army of monsters? It exists, I believe you, but I don't know what it is that they want."

Alto sighed. "I don't know either, but I plan to find out."

"A fine plan, lad, but let it wait for the morning. There's a party to be had tonight. I know Patrina's been beside herself but she's carried on beyond her years. She said she wanted you to be proud of her. Of course you was dead then, so there's no telling what she's thinking now."

"Better that she thought me dead," Alto said.

Teorfyr frowned. "That's not the way to be thinking! Come on
, lad, live while there's yet breath in your lungs."

Alto shook his head. "Not while there's others
who can't."

Teorfyr's brow furrowed. He sighed at length. "All right, to my office then and let's have it."

Alto nodded. He turned and saw Caitlyn's head bowed while Karthor held her hand in one of his and his holy pendant in the other. Alto smiled and sent a silent thank-you to the priest. He turned and followed Teorfyr out of the hall towards the jarl's office.

"Alto!" Patrina cried out as he strode towards the door that the
jarl stood waiting for him at.

Alto tried to ignore the
lady but she was having none of it. She caught up to him and grabbed his arm to stop him. "Alto, wait!"

Alto
turned and saw her smiling at him. She wore a pale blue dress this time that matched the blue ribbons tied in her hair. "Trina, I have to speak with your father," he said. He didn't want to talk to her. Not now. Or, perhaps, not ever. "Can we do this later?"

"Oh! Uh, yes, I guess so." Lady Patrina's smile faded. "I want to know how you escaped and what you did to the mountain. That was you, wasn't it?"

Alto nodded.

"I knew it!" She smiled again and hugged him. She backed away quickly. "Sorry, I couldn't stop myself. I'm really glad you're okay."

Alto nodded. "Thanks. I'm glad to be here, too. Now—your father?"

"Yes, go! Sorry. Come to me later, when you're done with him? I don't care how late it is. That's an order!" Patrina winked at him and turned away, releasing him to rush after Teorfyr.