Chap. 207 Green Spies

Chap. 207 Green spies

They were winging their way across the southeastern quadrant of Lord Dorn's hold.

While it was not the size of Toric's vast holding, still, Dorn's lands went for a very long way.

"K'ndar," Siena called from across the gap between their two dragons, "Why did Mirth tell me you can't drink wine? I made up that excuse to Lord Dorn," she called.

"Thank you for that. It's probably easier to talk when we're not flying, but to be brief, I'm allergic to alcohol," he called back.

"Really. How odd. I don't believe I've ever heard of such a thing. It's a pity, as Dorn's wine is very good," she said. "Oh, look, there's a pennant."

He'd seen it at the same moment. "That's a signal for us," he said.

Do you see a spot to land? he asked Raventh.

I do. There's a small hut and then just to the south there's an open meadow. See the people waving at us?

Just barely. Your eyesight is far better than mine.

They circled over the hut. It was in a treeline bordering a small meadow.

"Are your beasts tied up?" he called down to the two people below. Most livestock was afraid of dragons and would bolt at their sight.

"No need to worry about that, dragonrider, we have none. Land in the meadow yonder," he pointed to the meadow a few dragon lengths from their hut.

The two, an older couple, approached the dragons. They stopped, awed at Mirth's size.

They introduced themselves, then the man said, "I tell you, ma'am, this is the first time I've ever seen a queen dragon. We don't get dragonriders here often, but I've seen the bronzes. She is much larger."

Siena smiled. "She is, indeed," she said, proud of her gold dragon.

"Is that a fire lizard?" the man asked.

Siskin, perched on K'ndar's shoulder, arched his neck.

"It is, sir," K'ndar said.

"I've heard of them but never seen one. They don't live around here," the man said.

The woman, tugged on his sleeve and whispered into his ear, too shy to speak to the dragonriders.

"Aye," he said, nodding, then turned to them, "My woman would like to know if you'd like some klah? We've not much here but we do welcome you."

Without checking with Siena, K'ndar shook his head. Even so, the woman, without a word, left to enter their tiny hut.

"No, thank you, we've a lot of territory to sweep. You've a signal for us?"

"Aye, I'm certain you're busy. We have a bundle of klah bark, it's our tithe to Lord Dorn. It's not much, sorry to say. Ordinarily, we'd take it to the Hold, it's our only time we actually leave this cothold, you see, but now we're stuck afoot, and it's a long walk," he said.

Before he could respond, Siskin suddenly chittered and left his shoulder to rise high in the sky. Distracted by the blue's actions, K'ndar had to drag his attention back to the couple.

Siena stepped in. "We'll be glad to take it to the Hold, sir, but what do you mean, 'left afoot'?" she asked.

Siskin dropped from the sky to enter the trees. He was silent. As he flew, he sent back images of the forest. What was he doing? Why?

Torn, K'ndar wanted to pay attention to the images Siskin was sending back, wanted to ask Raventh what was going on, but had to deal with the cotholders.

The woman returned and handed him a small bundle of klah bark, neatly tied up and ready for transport.

They both did something odd. They turned and looked around themselves, as if wary of evesdroppers.

Siskin is hunting something. It's not prey. He says 'other fire lizards'.

What?

"Is something wrong here?" Siena asked, sharply aware of the couple's obvious nervousness.

"We have to be quiet, you see. The raiders. They seem to have ears everywhere," the man said.

K'ndar was suddenly all atingle.

"Raiders?" he said, softly.

"Aye. Don't know their names, but they come by here on a regular basis, wanting something. They call it 'tribute'. So far all they've done is take things, like my ax, first time, then my runner beast (horse), they even took our canine a few months back. They say if we don't give them what they want, we'll be killed and none will know. We're poor people, ma'am, don't have much but each other but that means nothing to them. We're obliged to tithe to Lord Dorn but now we're tithing to them, too. I must be very careful, sir, they're bad men."

Siena was growing angry.

"What do they look like? How many?"

The man paled.

"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I daren't say a thing. It's like they've ears in the trees, I don't know how they keep track of what we say and do, but they know. They prob'ly know you're here."

Siskin sent back an image of a pair of fire lizards flying through the trees.

Fire lizards are coming Mirth said to Siena.

Siskin is with strange fire lizards Raventh said.

See them? K'ndar asked.

No. Siskin is talking to them. He's sending to me as well. He's stopped them.

Do they see you? or us?

No. They're not close enough, I don't think. I will tell Siskin to keep them away. The humans are afraid of them.

The man was looking at them with an odd face.

K'ndar shoved the visions aside for a moment.

"I'm sorry, sir, I was listening to my dragon. He tells me my fire lizard has sighted some fire lizards. I think that's how the raiders keep track of your actions."

The woman went ashen.

"I knew it were something like that. We'd never see people watching us, but then they'd come and say they had eyes and ears in the forest," she said, softly.

They're using fire lizards to spy on them Mirth said.

They are Raventh agreed.

Very softly, Siena said, "These raiders...did you ever see a fire lizard with them?"

They both shook their heads.

"Do you have any idea where they are coming from? Are they roaming around, or do they have a camp nearby?"

"I have no idea, sir. They show up about once a week. They're patrolling. Once they said this was their hold, now, and we're obliged to provide for them. They show up, search the hut, pester us for something, no matter how little we have, then leave. They always say, "we're watching you," the man said.

"They enjoy scaring us," the woman said, scornfully, "Makes them feel like big men."

"Have they..." Siena started, wondering if she should continue. Sometimes there were things that women kept to themselves. But it was important to know.

"Have they ever touched you, assaulted you?" she looked at the woman.

The women both knew what she meant. Rape?

"No, ma'am, not a finger, thank the stars," she said, "but...but they way they look at me, it's their way of saying, it could happen, just try them."

"I'd kill them all with my bare hands they ever do that," the man said, suddenly catching on.

He looked at the tree tops, wondering if fire lizards were in them.

"Please, dragonriders, I'm sorry, but would you please leave now?" the man said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid of them. I am. I haven't a weapon to my name, never needed one til these raiders showed up," he said. The woman was wringing her hands.

K'ndar was still juggling the visions Siskin was sending. He was perched in a tree somewhere, flirting with what appeared to be two green fire lizards.

That's my lad, he sent to Siskin, thought, keep 'em busy for the moment.

Siskin sent a happy note back.

"My fire lizard is keeping them, um, entertained for the moment. They're two greens. A green fire lizard is smaller than the rest, faster, and in this forest, they blend right in with the leaves. No wonder you haven't seen them," he said.

Siena said, "I will take this tithe, sir, but I will also let Lord Dorn know why it's so small. I will also tell him you've had a horse I mean runner beast stolen."

"And a canine, ma'am, she were..." the woman began to cry softly, "She's a pet, you know, not worth a knuckle as a working dog but she kept us safe from tunnel snakes. I miss her so," she said.

The man put his arm around her and held her tightly.

The idea of a bunch of raiders terrorizing and stealing from these people pissed him off.

K'ndar said, " Sir, would you want us to take you to Lord Dorn's Hold? You'll be safer there."

The man stopped, thinking. The woman began nodding her head.

He looked at her.

"I...I think so. All we have is this hut, now that the canine and runner beast are gone."

K'ndar, thinking hard, said, "If you would be willing to wait for a while, we're going to try and track the fire lizards back to where the raiders are living. Then we'll come back and take you to the Hold. So if you have something that you want to take with you, have it packed," he said.

"We...uh, we've never been on a dragon before," the man said.

K'ndar smiled. "It's like riding a horse, I mean runner beast. If you have jackets, wear them, it can get cold up there," he said.

Siskin says the greens are coming. He can't hold them back any longer. They're being told to come see the hut Raventh said.

The blue fire lizard is returning. Two green fire lizards are ahead of him. They are coming here Mirth said.

Siena suddenly had a premonition. Always trust your gut, her mother had told her, and she'd never ignored it.

"K'ndar, I think it might be wise to take them now. Mirth told me the green fire lizards are coming," she said.

K'ndar nodded, feeling his stomach tighten. "You're right. Sir, if you don't mind, we're going to take you NOW. Gather your things and we'll take you to Lord Dorn's Hold. Once the green fire lizards see us here, the raiders will know," he said.

"Aye, thank you, sir. We won't be but a moment, we've not much," he said.

The two left to gather their few things.

Plans began to swirl in K'ndar's head.

"Ma'am, I think we need to split up. Can Mirth take two passengers?"

Siena looked at him. "What? Why? What are you thinking?"

"Once the greens see our dragons, they'll go back and report. I'm sure the raiders will bolt. I want to find these bastards. If you would take these folks to Lord Dorn's hold, I will have Siskin follow the greens back to the raiders den," he said.

"That's, well, maybe we could just hide the couple, I want to find the raiders, too," she said, wanting in on the hunt.

"Ma'am, it won't take you but a moment to go between and drop them off," he said.

"Nay, K'ndar, I'll have to explain why," Siena argued. "That will take time, and I want to find these raiders," she said.

K'ndar, for the first time in his career, took on the role he'd had thrust upon him. Where he got the courage, he reflected much later, he had no idea.

No. Raventh can't take two more and Mirth can. We can't let these vermin escape.

"Ma'am. You made me Sweep Leader. I don't know how long it will take to find them. I don't know what will happen if and when I do. These people can't be left on their own, the fire lizards will follow us and if we 'hide them" somewhere, the greens will surely tell their owners. If there are raiders in the area, they'll possibly hurt and kill them, now that their cover is blown. Please, Ma'am, take the people to Lord Dorn's Hold and explain, if necessary, and then come back. If you can, too, bring other dragons. Call out the Weyrlings if you have to. Raventh will broadcast the coordinates. These raiders are armed and dangerous. I have no doubt you're not afraid, but..I am. For you. For these folks. For me. But we don't get a chance like this to track the bastards down more than once. We have to split up. Please?"

Siena opened her mouth to protest, then realized K'ndar was right. She had, after all, designated him as boss. And she admired that he was doing exactly as she'd ordered. You might not admit it or want it, K'ndar, but you do have leadership qualities, she thought.

"Yes, Sweep Leader," she said.