Chap. 208 Deception

Chap. 208 Deception

Can you make it so that the green fire lizards don't see you? K'ndar asked Raventh.

Siena was buckling the old man and woman onto her gold dragon, Mirth, as quickly as she could.

I think, if I keep very quiet and don't move, they'll see Mirth and not me. Siskin is trying to keep them back but they're insistent. I think their masters are pushing them hard. So I will stop thinking right now. Don't answer.

That was hard to do, but K'ndar obeyed. He watched as his brown dragon moved away from Mirth and then lay down. He was too large to be covered by the meadow's grasses, but by laying down, he stopped looking like a brown dragon and more like..well, a brown lump.

He moved quickly to Mirth's side. Siena was about to mount when he said, softly, "Try to draw the greens attention to you. I'm hoping they don't notice Raventh. When you get airborne, I hope they'll only follow you until you go between. If they don't, I'll have Siskin follow them. Hopefully it will be back to their camp. Once they're out of sight, we will follow," he said.

"Okay. Mirth says she'll try to keep them focused on her. I'll be back as soon as I can," she said. "This is the right thing, K'ndar, but still, I want to be in on the kill."

He grinned.

"You might want to make yourself scarce, too, K'ndar. Maybe go into the hut?"

He thought fast. "Good idea, but there's nothing to keep them out. They may go right into the hut. I think I'll just drop down right here, the grass is tall enough to hide me," he said.

He stepped back to get out of Mirth's way and lay down in the grass. What an interesting view of a dragon, he thought.

Mirth, feeling Siena secure in the saddle, gathered herself to leap skyward.

"Hang on, folks," he called, "Mirth will jump and between can be scary but just hold tight."

The man nodded grimly. His wife looked scared but determined.

The great golden dragon leaped into the air, the down thrust of her giant wings buffeting him.

Mirth quickly gained altitude. K'ndar wondered, would she be able to evade detection completely?

No.

Two green fire lizards, followed by an indignant Siskin, burst out of the trees.

They swirled around in the clearing, one peeking into the hut. The other began to head for the meadow.

Mirth roared, startling everyone.

The greens stopped in midair, astonished at the sight of the rapidly rising Mirth. Then as one, they squeaked and followed her.

Siskin whirled, weeping in consternation, where was K'ndar?

"Siskin! To me, lad!!" K'ndar said, raising up onto an elbow.

The blue arrowed to him, his thoughts a maelstrom of confusion-and frustration at losing the green's focus.

"Well DONE, lad! Good Siskin! Clever lad, to keep them busy! I don't want them to see me or Raventh. When they come down, go with them. Send to us. I must be quiet now, I don't want them hearing me. Understand?

Siskin cheeped, appreciating the game. Then, unbidden, he launched skyward. Mirth had reached a safe altitude in which to go between. The green fire lizards were far below her. The dragon vanished.

I'll never get tired of seeing that, he thought, never. What an amazing creature. How lucky I am to have a dragon.

Then doubts hit. They're safely away, he thought. Did we do the right thing? Snatch them from their home? Well, if it wasn't the right thing, they could always return. But his gut said, no, they needed to be rescued.

The green fire lizards, circled in the vast sky overhead, defeated by Mirth's going between.

He felt strangely alone, as Raventh was keeping very quiet. He kept tight hold on his thoughts, to keep the greens from hearing them. It was difficult.

The greens dropped down to tree level and headed back the way they'd come.

Siskin followed.

They didn't see me. Mirth was smart. All they could see was her belly. They didn't notice the humans on her back. Now they're returning the way they came, Raventh said, in a smirking voice.

K'ndar laughed in his mind. He stood up, and as he did, noticed that the signaling pennant was still flying. I'd better take that down, he thought.

The hut was not much more than a room with a large bunk for two, a small wash basin made of wood on a large, hollowed out stump, an iron pot on a cookstove, a pitifully small bundle of firewood, and a bucket full of water. These people were dirt poor, he thought.

He and Raventh got the images from Siskin at the same moment.

Raiders. Heading towards the hut on horseback. The green fire lizards were now perched on one of the men's shoulders.

Siskin sent an image of one of the raiders pointing at him.

You see his images? Raventh asked.

I do. I don't think I have the time to...

He didn't. He heard hoofbeats on the narrow trail heading for the hut.

What to do. What to do. I don't have time to run out and jump on Raventh. I look like a dragonrider, he thought. I don't want them to know.

He tore off his riding jacket, with its dragonrider knot braid. Where to hide it?

Ah. Maybe. The stump, hope to the stars it's hollow.

It was. He removed the wash basin, and shoved his jacket and goggles as deep into the stump as he could. In the poor light of the hut, you wouldn't be able to see them if you didn't reach in.

He replaced the basin and, for good measure, ladled water into it.

He heard men's voices.

"They're daft, man, no dragon here," one said.

"They don't lie, boyo. And here's this bloody blue one, he's a wild 'un, I think. Get by, ya horny beast! Leave me girls alone!"

Siskin was sending images of the two men on horseback. He was diving at them, trying to lure them away from the path to the hut.

One swatted at him fruitlessly. The two greens chortled and began to swirl over the man's head, thinking it a grand game.

"Bloody nuisances, these fire lizards," the man said.

"You just don't likes 'em, they can tell," the green's master laughed.

Two men on horseback emerged from the forest.

"You're right, I don't," the first one said. He reined his horse roughly to a halt, then yelled, "Hi! You in the hut, old man, come out!"

K'ndar froze.

"You, in the hut! I can see your shadow, get out here, now, both of you!"

The two men dismounted. The two green fire lizards launched from one of the rider's shoulders. Siskin began to tease them, enticing them into a game. They darted in and out of the sun dappled leaves.

K'ndar paused for a moment, then poked his head out.

"Aye?"

The men stopped, shocked.

"Who are you? C'mere, you, and identify yourself."

K'ndar, thinking quickly, said, "Eh?" He left the hut, blinking his eyes as if he'd just awakened. He shuffled towards them, noting the crossbows on their backs, short daggers at their sides, their clothing worn, their horses lathered. They'd ridden them hard. One kept his hand on the dagger, ready to throw it.

He memorized their faces. One tall and thin, the owner of the greens. The other, with the itchy dagger, was bulky and short, with scars on his face.

They approached him and stopped within arm's length.

"You, who are you? Where's the old man and woman?" Scar snapped.

"Uh...in forest?" K'ndar said.

"Aye, in the forest, you dumbskull, who are you?"

"Me?"

"YES, you twit! Your name?"

K'ndar looked skyward, as if the answer was in the clouds.

"LOUT! What's your name?" the short one yelled, and clouted K'ndar.

He fell over backwards, mastering his anger. He rubbed this head where the raider had hit him.

"Ow," he said.

The man made to hit him again. K'ndar threw his arms up to ward off the blow. Instead, the tall one grabbed the man's arm.

"Hold up, mate, can't you see he's an idiot? Don't got two wits to rub together," Tall said.

He put out his hand to help K'ndar up. K'ndar cringed, wondering if he dared take it.

"Come on, there, lout, let me help you up."

"No. No hit me. Afraid," he mumbled.

The two regarded him, Scar wanting to thrash him just on account of because.

Tall looked at him.

"You're not right in the head, aye?"

K'ndar took the opening. He nodded, looking sideways, making his eyes dart in confusion.

"Head. Hit head. Just baby. Can't think now," he said, making it look like an effort.

"Are you the old man's son?"

He shook his head.

"Hit head. Lost in forest. Man find me. No live here, live in forest."

Tall regarded him with what may have been sympathy.

"You were a baby. Your folks were holdless?"

K'ndar nodded.

"You wandered off, fell off something and hit your head? They left you?"

K'ndar shrugged. He pointed to his head. "Think hurts. Can't remember. Hard talk. Thread? Thread killed mum," he said, then rubbed his head again.

"What? That makes no sense, you fool," Scar said, threatening.

"Leave off, mate. He's an idiot. Don't go beating on him, you'll just shut him up," Tall said.

"Fine, " Scar said, "But we need to find out where those old people went. You, lout, where are the old man and woman?"

K'ndar shrugged.

"Did they go riding on a gold dragon?"

K'ndar gaped at him.

"Dragon?"

"Yes, you fool, a gold dragon. Did someone come here and take them away on a gold dragon?"

"Dint see dragon," K'ndar said.

Tall shook his head. "He's useless. I have a feeling the sunlight was in my green's eyes. Gold dragons don't sweep, they're too valuable. It was probably a bronze. I'd say it was on a sweep but just one? Usually they go in teams. Come on, leave this idiot, we'll come back next week," he said.

He looked down at K'ndar.

"The old man comes back, you tell him, he's late with his tithe. We'll be back for it. Understand?"

"Tithe," K'ndar repeated, desperately keeping his act together.

"Yes. Tithe. You tell him...if you can...we'll be back for the tithe. Tell him it's double now, because he's late. Understand?" he said.

The two remounted their horses.

""These yobs are so far out in the forest, I don't see why we even bother. It's not worth the time," Scar said. He roughly snatched up the reins. His horse flattened its ears, but it had learned to obey.

"You want to take that up with Karloch, you go right ahead. Me, I do as I'm told. Keeps cold steel out of my warm guts," Tall said.

K'ndar waited until he was sure they'd really left. Siskin was following them from a safe distance.

He retrieved his jacket and goggles. His head still rang from the clout Scar had dealt him.

He went out to the meadow where Raventh had lain, quiet as a stone.

The brown got to his feet and roused from nose to tail.

That went well K'ndar said, I'm surprised their horses didn't react.

I think they're used to fire lizards, so they're not afraid of dragons.

I'm really surprised the greens didn't find you.

I'm not. I don't think when I'm napping