Dragons Shining (18 page)

“What I came to tell you though is that just before the storm a scouting party spotted a very large party of Orcs, several Trolls and some smaller vermin heading North across the moors. We think they were in a bad spot for the storm, but those creatures are tough. There was a Wyrm with them, and a Rider. This storm will last another day I am afraid. After that we will go after them. I was hoping you would join us, to handle that Wyrm at least.”

“We must, Owen. They are going after your kin in the North.”

“Of course, Garth. We will help.”

Annette eyes opened wide.

“Thank you Owen.” He looked at Annette and Owen. “
Let her go!”
echoed in his mind. He rose and went to find his war leaders.

Zaron saw him go, and joined them. “I guess you heard. Did he ask?”

“He did not need to ask, Zaron. I can’t speak for my men, but if I fight, I know they will.”

“They would follow you in this?”

“They would join me in death if I ask. It’s a heavy burden.”

“To get heavier by far, Dragon Lord. Come let me show you and your men to your quarters and to the baths.” He went off to collect Rolph and the others.

“I will see you later Owen”, Annette said fetchingly. He watched her till the crowd swallowed her.

“These raider women are something else”, said Ender, smiling. He watched Owen watching Annette.

“She is a mage”.

“Oh, that too huh”, he laughed.

Purdy, Rolph, Tamaris and Zaron, arrived and they went to find the baths and bunkroom.

The baths were communal. The men’s and woman’s separate though. The water was hot and there was soap. They enjoyed their first full bath in a week.

In the bath, Owen told them about his agreement with Garth. He was pleased and honored that each of them volunteered to fight buy his side. It worried him too.

They were then led to private quarters in only bathrobes. “We will wash your clothes and bring them to you,” Zaron had told them.

But it was Annette who came to him later, not his clothes. She approached him in her revealing bathrobe. He removed his glamour and closed his connection to Baird.

She let the robe fall to the floor. Her naked form was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“I have never had a woman, Annette.”

“Nor I a man.”

She removed his robe and ran her fingers across his lithe body making him tingle with pleasure. She trembled as his hands traced her beauty. They drowned in each other’s eyes, kissed long and deeply. They made love, tentatively at first, then again with more passion, and again.

She stayed with him all that night and late into the morning. They gave each other a time of ecstasy they would remember all of their lives.

The magi half elf child who would lead and protect her nomad people for ages to come was conceived that night, and also four nomad heroes by the other legendary guests.

“I must go now, Owen, and you must prepare. I am forbidden from joining you in this fight.”

“The last thing I want is to have you there, Annette.”

“I know.” She kissed him one last time and left.

He placed the glamour once more.

Owen found his clothes outside the door. He took another quick bath and met the others. He could tell just buy looking at them it had been a good night all around. They dressed and headed to the food line.

Annette met Zaron as they had planned. “I hope you enjoyed that.”

“More than you could possibly imagine, old man.”

“Now don’t get that way, Annette. You know you can’t keep him.”

“I have the memory, Zaron. No one can take that from me. I have conceived, a female.”

“Then the prophecy is unfolding. This is best for our people.”

“Is it best for a daughter who can never have a child, Zaron?”

“She will know why, Annette. You know why as well. The vampire blood cannot be weakened further without dire consequences. You must take care of that before she is born. You knew that and went ahead with this anyway. You are committed. Are you strong enough, girl?”

“I hope so.”

“Know this then. If a child is born of this child it will be a ravenous killer. Owen will be forced to deal with it. Do you want him to have to kill his own grandchild?”

She looked away as a tear rolled down her cheek. “No. It would stain him forever.”

They were almost to the horses when Owen remembered to open his connection to Baird.

“You know that was pre-arranged, don’t you boy?”

“It doesn’t matter, Baird. What we had last night was real, whatever the reason for it.”

“She will conceive. You know a mage can control that. It is their prophecy that a half Elf Queen will lead them safely for an age, after the dark years.”

“Then good. These are a good people in spite of their bad reputation. I hope my daughter will protect them for an age to come. As for last night, pre-arranged or not, the love was real. I would do it over again.”

“You have a golden heart, Owen. I hope you can keep it.”

Owen disabled the wards, and most of the energy came back to him. He pulled the swords from his pack and stored the excess energy in the rubies.

“Baird, these gems are brimming with energy.”

“A valuable gift indeed, Owen. You must ask the Elf queen in person about this. A hundred Elf Masters could not have done this in a month’s time.”

“I will remember to ask. Another thing. I have an idea. The halter that holds the swords was made by the Elf master, and it can change within reason, right?

“Quite allot. It could fit a troll, or even a dragon. More than that, and material and energy would need to be infused. The spells will seek it.”

“Then theoretically I could supply material and energy and morph it into say, dragon armor?”

“Depends on the armor I would say. Star metal would require a handy supply, as would steel or alloy. On the other hand there is plenty of grass in the mores, and especially the savannah. Very tightly woven and prepared grass can stop a heavy blow, by absorption and spreading. You can harden the texture and strength of the grass, and you can fire ward it. Remember?  Here is an image of the weave. I have seen warriors in the waste with this type of armor. The harness itself, grown to fit you, could anchor it. Good thinking, Owen.

Zaron showed up with several raiders, carrying five sets of their studded leather armor.

As the others donned their gear, Owen made a decision. He was finished with deception. If these men were going to fight for him, he wanted them to know.

“Hey guys, listen up”

“Go ahead Owen”, said Rolph.

“You all know I can change into a dragon, right?”

Nods.

“Well there is something else you need know. Now rather than later.”

Zaron knew what was coming. Owen had the attention of everyone in the great room when he removed his and Gander’s glamour. There were gasps from the nomads. At least he had kept his eyes a secret. They were golden and large, yet not his real eyes.

“Yes. I was born an Elf; yet I have lived as one of you for almost sixteen years. And I will fight with you, as all elves will, against the slavery the Dark Prince would bring. This is what I was born to do.”

“What you look like does not change who you are, My Lord”, said Ender. Owen’s men nodded in agreement.

He saw Garth standing in the background fiddling holding his armor and crown. “Will you have me as an Elf, Great Khan of the Nomads?”

Garth stepped forward. “We will fight as brothers, Owen, for now we truly are.” The Nomads cheered at that.

Garth knew about him and Annette, of course.

“Their mores are different from what you have been exposed to, Owen. There is no slur upon you or Annette here. Garth can claim brotherhood though, and so can you.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Brothers we are.” The Nomads cheered again. The tie was agreed upon.

Garth returned to his preparations and Owen stepped behind Gander, seeking some privacy. He removed his clothes first, and then donned the Nomad armor and the ensorcelled sword harness. He cast a complex spell and
spoke
the command words out loud. The Nomad armor was absorbed into the harness and flowed into an armless and upper side less suit of ensorcelled and steel fiber reinforced leather appearing material that covered his legs completely up to his hips and then V strapped over his wide shoulders and chest, with snap flaps front and rear. The energy draw was slight, so he didn’t bother with the rubies. He packed his clothes and mounted Gander bareback without a bit or halter. Even the Nomads used a bit and sometimes a halter.
“I will be leaving you unfettered, boy”.
Gander nodded and made his happy purr. They would be leaving the mules and other gear, hopefully to return for them.

Owen rode up next to Rolph. “Give me your hand, Rolph.” He took Rolph’s hand with his right, and leaned over to touch Rolph’s horse with his left. He placed a potent ward upon them. The draw was heavy and he accessed the Rubies, his Blood Stones.  He repeated the ward on Ender, Purdy, Tamaris and their warhorses. The draw was heavy, yet the Rubies held much more. Owen saw Zaron do the same for Garth, and his generals. Zaron’s emerald was mounted on the tip of his staff, and dripped with energy.

Garth rode over to Owen. “Only two other tribes are within reach and will join us before we strike. We can only surprise them if the Wyrm is taken out first. Zaron has notified both Paul and Kirkland by messenger bird, so if we fail at least Paul will be warned.”

“We will not fail. Let me know when to fly. I would like to save as much energy as I can, and ride until then. Oh. I will need savannah grass, so let me know if the moors are neigh. I will fly then.”

Garth showed him the signal he would use. “Go with the Maker, young Dragon Lord.”

“May the Maker watch over you, Great Khan.”

Owen’s party managed to keep together behind Garth and his three Generals. Zaron rode at Owen’s left side. Women and children lined the handrails above and passageway edges, silently watching. He saw Annette on one of the first level balconies, and they locked eyes.
“The Maker watches over you, Owen, and I pray for your safe return.”

“I will return to you once more on the morrow, Annette, I promise.”

He saw Zaron watching him.
“She understands the danger?”

“Yes, Owen. It will be taken care of. Your daughter will be the last of her line.”

Once out of the Haven, the Nomads rode fast and hard, keeping to the soggy low ground that quickly turned to mud. In a few places they had to go up and over because the runoff had accumulated into deep water. Gander had no trouble with the mud.
“You could climb a tree with those, perhaps”.
Gander cocked his head, thinking about it, and Owen laughed out loud.

After two hours of this, Garth signaled Owen. He rode partially up the side of a grassy hill, signaling his men to proceed on. He hopped off of Gander, commanding him to
“Stick with our friends and protect them!”
He
changed
, and this time spoke the spell to stretch his harness construct so that it covered only his main dragon body, underbelly, back, chest and neck. The passing Nomads watched in fascination as they galloped by. Owen
spoke
an even more complex spell, this time in a sing song chant that took nearly a minute. A whirlwind surrounded him, and grass was sucked into a vortex and transformed into hard, fireproof fibers that began weaving through an outer layer of perforated material attached to the harness. The complicated magic drew heavily upon the Blood Stones.