The Dragon' Son (3 page)

Keegan elbowed Torry. “You are the embodiment of excitement already!”

“Oh, but I also want to follow in the footsteps of a great man. Mother says it’s only proper. You must become that great man, Keegan, just like your father and grandfather.” Torry sighed wistfully, “I would have given my life to be Gilbowen's squire.”

Keegan rolled his eyes. “My grandfather was a great man, and I am sure I would be much more fond of him if I would have had the chance to meet him. But his greatness did not last, and his reputation did not pass down to his children or grandchildren. Besides, I do not aspire to be like my grandfather,” Keegan said with a glance up at the sky.

Torry rolled his eyes with a huff. “Oh, yes, you want to be like Bowen the Great,” he mocked.

“And why not? Bowen has always been my favorite hero of legend!” Keegan said with emphasis. “Legend says Bowen killed five dragons in one night, battled a giant red dragon twice, tried to kill a dark sorcerer, then lead the people of the fallen mountain city to safety… all in a fortnight!” Keegan sighed, “Who does not want to be like Bowen the Great?”

Torry stopped Keegan in his tracks at the edge of the village. “The tales also say that the Wovlen people had been rich and powerful before the rise of the giant red dragon and that they had been a great nation. How silly does that sound?” Torry crossed his arms.

Keegan shrugged and looked down. “I know. It’s silly.”

“Really, Keegan, all of the legends are different, and most of them seem to make Bowen the Great larger than life. It is silly to aspire to be an imaginary person!” Torry said.

“But some of it might be true!” Keegan protested.

Torry sighed and shook his head, “My dear friend, how am I going to make a great dragon slayer of renown out of you if you are frolicking in a world of fantasy?”

Both boys were silent until Torry clapped Keegan on the arm. “Come on! We’re late!” he joked with a wink. Keegan looked toward the meadow to see that most of the other children were already gathered there. He grinned, and both boys bolted for the assembly of youngsters.

When they came to the group of children, a very tall boy with unruly brown hair greeted them. “Well, we were almost to believe that the two of you were not going to come play,” the tall boy teased with a large smile and a twinkle in his eye.

“Oh, Saul, we would never! Miss playing ball?” Torry hopped on one foot in a circle to express his excitement.

The tall boy laughed. “Okay. Pick a team. But make sure that you and Keegan don't get on the same team! The two of you together are unconquerable!”

Torry glanced at Keegan and winked with a grin. Just then, a young girl with long, brown braids trotted up to Keegan and pulled on his shirt. “Oh, Keegan, won't you come play with my team? Please say yes!” She looked up at Keegan and fluttered her eyes pleadingly. Keegan shrugged and nodded his head in answer.

“Yay! Keegan is going to join our team,” she sang as she skipped off to her group.

“I knew she would do that,” Keegan whispered to Torry with a roll of his eyes.

“Well, everyone knows how sweet Brainna is on you,” Torry snickered. “I will join Saul's team. Don't cry when I whip your tail!” he added as he hurried to his team.

The two groups separated, and the tall boy, Saul, stepped between them with a ball held in the crook of his arm. He waited until the two groups became quiet, then he spoke up. “All of you know the rules, and you know what I'll do if they’re broken. Let’s make this a fun game for all.” He set the ball down on the ground and waited as another boy from the opposing team came forward. They stood face to face with the ball between them, and they placed their hands behind their back. Saul counted to three. They both kicked at the ball until one of them sent it toward his team, then everyone began to kick and fight for the ball all across the field with loud shouts and screams of delight.

About an hour into the game, Keegan paused when he saw a dark form lingering in the shadow of the trees near the forest. He tripped on someone's boot and fell to the ground with a grunt. He bounced back up to his feet, but instead of going back to the game, he stopped and stared at the dark form.

It was a stranger dressed in a concealing black cloak, sitting on a horse near the border of the forest, appearing to watch the nearby farmers work in the fields. Something about this stranger made Keegan’s gut twist into knots. He froze where he stood and watched the stranger intently, unsure of what to do about the discomfort he felt.

The stranger’s horse seemed quite uncomfortable with being so near the woods. His ears were laid back, his tail swished from side to side, and he stomped his back feet nervously. The horse glanced at the dark trees behind him and paused with both ears erect. His dark, glistening eyes stared intently at something in the trees. He raised his tail slightly then snorted and laid his ears back as he raised his head. The horse jumped away from the trees with a shriek and charged toward the playing children, all to the stranger's complete surprise.

All of the children were quite aware of the stranger now and watched in stunned silence as he lost his seat on his horse and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Saul and Torry ran to help the groaning man as soon as the horse was clear. The rest of the children slowly followed them, leaving the ball behind.

Keegan hesitated a moment then darted for the frightened horse that hurried by him with a snort and raised tail. “Whoa! Whoa!” Keegan called as he hurried after the horse. The horse slowed his pace and trotted in a circle, unsure of what he was doing or who was calling him.

“Whoa! Easy, boy!” Keegan said loudly but gently as he closed the distance between him and the frightened creature. The horse paused and turned to face Keegan with large, alert eyes. His sides heaved in and out, nostrils flaring and muscles quivering, ready to turn and run if Keegan made a wrong move.

Keegan walked slowly and cautiously up to the black steed, whispering to him as he did. He caught hold of the leather reins when he was in range and walked the nervous animal in several circles as he spoke kind, soft words to calm him. When the horse had calmed down, Keegan lead him to the group that had gathered around the fallen rider. He arrived just in time to see Torry and Saul both help the dazed man sit up.

The man shook his head then looked around with wide eyes at the group of children surrounding him. Thin, stringy black hair fell around his pale, angular face. From his left temple to his right cheek, a deep, jagged scar, like lightening, was etched across his face. His right eye was dark gray, and his left eye had a cataract, due to the scar that ran across it.

Keegan swallowed hard when the man’s eyes landed on him with a glare. The scar across the man's face made Keegan’s gut twist, and the intensity of the man's gray stare made the hair on the back of Keegan's neck stand on end. Evil was all over this man.

“Are you all right, sir?” Saul asked breaking the silence.

The man’s eyes flashed, and he looked away from Keegan. Without acknowledging Saul, the man jumped to his feet and jerked the horse’s reins out of Keegan’s hand. He swung onto the black steed, turned, and began galloping toward the west, kicking and cursing the horse as he went.

“Nice sort of fellow, isn’t he?” Saul said sarcastically, though the atmosphere was far from merry.

All the children were feeling uncomfortable now and began to disperse toward the village, except Keegan who stood looking after the black rider with a thoughtful expression and a cold chill slowly creeping up his spine.

“What is it, Keegan?” Torry asked.

Saul came up to Torry's side and shaded his eyes as he, too, watched the distant rider disappear into the distance.

“That man was… do you think that man was spying on our village?” Keegan looked at Torry with wide eyes. Torry was silent and looked down. He seemed to shudder, while Saul wore a thoughtful look on his face. “Well, I’m not sure what he was doing, but he sent a shiver down my back. Did you see his face?” Saul asked and looked down at Keegan. “He had that ugly scar going all the way across his face and a glare to match it.” Saul paused to study on his own words before shrugging. “He was bound to be up to no good.”

All three boys stood in silence for a moment until Torry sighed uneasily. “Well, anyway, he’s gone now, and it is near time for the evening meal,” he said hastily, trying to break the silence.

“You're right,” Keegan shrugged and turned around toward the village. He stopped short, though, when he noticed two riders coming from the east, and his heart began to overflow with joy as he recognized them.

“Is that your father and brother?” Torry asked slowly.

Keegan didn't answer. Instead, he bolted for the two riders, his body teaming with energy and his heart pounding. One of the riders quickened his horse's pace to a canter when he saw Keegan.

“Father! It’s you! You’re back!” Keegan cried and began to laugh as he ran through the field toward his father. Keegan’s father halted his horse, slid off its back, and caught Keegan in his arms, chuckling warmly as he embraced him.

The other rider, Keegan’s brother, came up alongside them and slid off his horse, grinning from ear to ear. “Hello, Keegan. I think you’ve grown another couple of thumbs,” he said with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

“Thank you, Braidden! I’ll be as tall as you or taller someday,” Keegan said with a very large smile as he looked at his brother.

“Perhaps,” Braidden replied with a wink, running his fingers through his cropped, wavy black hair, “but not too soon.”

“I hope that your mother is not exhausted from all the cooking she must have been doing in order to make you grow so tall in such a short time,” Keegan’s father said with a chuckle.

All three walked toward the village while Keegan recounted to his father and brother all that had happened during the month that they had been gone. His joy at the moment covered every pain or unhappy thought of the past, and it whisked away the thought and fear of the encounter with the scarred man in black.

After the evening meal, there was plenty of talk. Keegan’s father happily reported that he and Braidden had slain a dragon and seen a man called Walneff Felnost. Keegan and Alia had never met this Walneff Felnost but had heard stories of him. He was credited with being an odd person and a wise man that many even called Master. Keegan’s mother had spoken of Walneff with great fondness but only a few times. He wasn’t usually an object of great discussion with anyone. Keegan didn’t know why, nor did he much care. He preferred to know more about his father's adventures.

All too soon, the recount of the dragon hunt was over, but Keegan’s father and brother began to present gifts to the family, much to everyone’s surprise and delight. Keegan’s mother received a beautiful comb to put in her silky, dark red hair, which she promptly did. Alia, Keegan’s little sister, received a new doll and necklace, which made her brown eyes twinkle in sheer delight. Keegan was last but not least. Braidden gave Keegan a dagger. It was simple but very nice. The hilt was covered in red leather with a gold “K” etched beautifully into the scabbard and handle.

“Thank you, Braidden,” Keegan said with a shy smile.

“Don't act so modest. I know you'll brag to all the boys in the morning,” Braidden responded with a grin.

“Now, Keegan, I have a gift for you. I am sorry that I missed your birthday, but I think this should make up for it,” Keegan’s father said with a familiar twinkle in his bright blue eyes. “Now close your eyes.”

Keegan did as he was told with excitement bubbling inside him. He listened carefully but could not hear his father digging in the saddlebags for a gift. It sounded like he was reaching into his pocket.

Just then, Keegan heard his mother and sister both gasp. “Oh! It’s so pretty!” Alia exclaimed, followed by Mother hushing her.

“Give me your hand, Keegan,” his father ordered kindly.

Keegan stretched his hand forward, and he felt his father drop something cold, hard, and small into his hand.

“Now open your eyes,” his father instructed.

Keegan opened his eyes and gasped in awe when he saw his gift. In his hand was a beautiful silver ring. It had a bright, shining ruby embedded in the center, and two golden dragons on either side of the ruby seemed to be caressing it, making it the most stunning ring Keegan had ever seen.

“The dragon that your brother and I killed had that jewel,” Keegan’s father explained. “As we hunted the beast, we both noticed something very bright and beautiful on the side of its face. When we finally ended it, we found that it was this very jewel,” said his father, smiling.