Hatch (The Dragons Of Laton) (42 page)

El stopped with one foot on the rung of the ladder and hung her head. “What is it you want Ammon?”

Derek moved aside and let him by. He groped for something to say. “I…I just wanted to…can we talk?”

El started climbing the ladder again. “There is nothing to talk about, Ammon.”

Stunned, Ammon’s head spun. Nothing to talk about? They’d been married a month and had only seen each other once the whole time! How could she say that? “El, what is wrong? Why won’t you talk to me? What did I do?”

El climbed out of the Nest and stood up with her back to Ammon as she straightened her skirt. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

She started to walk away when Derek blurted out sadly, “You two don’t like each other anymore?”

El visibly stiffened. She turned and spoke to Derek without looking at Ammon. “
Like
has nothing to do with it.
Like
has nothing to do with
us
!”

Dumbstruck, Ammon stood speechless as El turned and hurried away. Derek leapt out of the Nest and yelled to Ammon. “I’ll bring her back! I’ll bring her back so you can talk and like each other again!”

Ammon shook his head. “NO!” Slowly he climbed out of the Nest. Derek, looking confused, stood a few paces away with one of his large hands gently grasping El by the arm.

“Let her go, Derek. I said before that I would not force her to do anything against her wishes. I won’t change that now.”

El’s eyes flickered at him for an instant, but otherwise she remained motionless. Ammon walked past them both without looking at their faces and Fulgid followed slowly behind, his amber eyes peered sadly over his shoulder at El until he passed through the door.

Ammon followed the stairs all the way down to the Hold. Theo and Boris were sitting at a table with Stalwart who was just filling a mug out of a steaming pot. Ammon pulled back a chair and Stalwart placed it in front of him. He peered into the cup briefly before taking a long swallow of the dark, rank liquid. “How long before we can leave?”

The three men exchanged glances and Boris slowly put his mug down on the table. “Leave?”

Ammon repeated himself. “How long before we can leave? Tirate will only strengthen his position while we’re gone. Now that we have calentar, the
Gaul dragons have a fighting chance against his arsenal and we can retake the city before winter.” He was in the mood for a fight, and Tirate was the perfect person to take it out on.

Boris smoothed his moustache with his thumb and forefinger. “Well, Ellis started flying again yesterday for the first time. He’s stiff, but he can fly. My arm and leg are healing but not nearly as fast. I’d be no match for anyone skilled with a sword. I could advise, but Theo would have to lead the fight. Otherwise, the only thing that is stopping us is the collapsed tunnel. Using the dragons, we could clear it in a few days I expect, but I’d be willing to bet Tirate has his men waiting on the other side to pick us off one by one as we came out. We’d never get our heads out of the tunnel long enough to use the dragon fire.”

Ammon drained the cup and slammed it on the table with a thump. “I have a plan.”

Chapter 13

The Kings Right

Stalwart’s face clouded with frustration. “But sire, the DoTarian dragons should assist in your war…”

A wave of Ammon’s hand cut him off. “As far as I’m concerned,
Gaul is a separate country from DoTaria. If any of the DoTarian knights wish to help, we’d gladly accept, but it must be voluntary.”

Boris nodded in agreement and held up his mug for a refill. “No offense, Stalwart, but this isn’t your war.”

Stalwart sighed as he poured more of the harsh black brew into each of their cups. “I will call another Gathering so you can speak with the knights as soon as possible, but as for me, I am Captain of the Guard and it is my duty to protect my king. I will accompany you, of that you can be sure.”

Before he excused himself, Ammon sent one of the pages to have Erik meet him in his chambers and then followed Fulgid up the stairs. Erik met them in the hallway, and Ammon wasted no time as he described his intentions while they walked into his chambers.

He listened intently and when Ammon was finished, Erik sank into a chair and looked up at Ammon with a hard stare. “It’s bold, it’s daring, and I don’t like it. There is far too much that could go wrong, but if anyone can do it, it would be you and that little dragon of yours.

Ammon, this crown was given…no…thrust upon you, and as its bearer you do have the right to begin this war. Tirate’s actions certainly justify it, but just remember that war always has a high price and someone has to pay it. It might be you, or your friends, or it might be the dragons…inevitably, someone always pays.”

Ammon studied Erik’s penetrating blue eyes. The man had been the King of Gaul for most of his life and knew the weight of the crown. Still, Tirate was likely wreaking havoc in Gaul, and as king, it was Ammon’s duty to protect and free his people. It had to be done. It was just a matter of when and how.

There was a soft knock at the door before a page entered to notify them the Gathering in the Hall was ready. Ammon looked in the mirror and adjusted his sword and golden vest before purposefully striding into the Hall. To his surprise, El was standing beside the throne, and she eyed him coolly as he approached.

He grunted softly under his breath. “What are you doing here?”

She sniffed at him. “You called a Gathering. I’m required, as queen, to attend.”

“Oh. Well you don’t have to stay, this won’t take long.” Ammon abruptly turned his back on her and faced the crowded room. He raised his hand in the same manner Sasha had done and the mummer of voices in the Hall faded. “Knights of DoTaria, as many of you know, the knights of Gaul and I were forced to flee from an invading band of cutthroats and mercenaries armed with dragon-killing weapons that, until now, we had no defense against. With the use of the calentar, we will return to battle against that army as soon as the tunnel is cleared. There is a small passageway just big enough to allow my dragon and I to pass through. I intend to sneak through and create enough of a diversion to make them think we’re attacking from behind. The tunnel exit will then be left essentially unguarded, and the Gaul dragons can clear out the remaining debris and join the fight.

Captain Stalwart has asked that I include the DoTarian Knights in this battle, but I have refused his offer.”

A rumble of voices echoed across the Hall, and El hissed behind him in a harsh voice. “Are you insane?”

He ignored her and raised his hand again for silence. “This is not your war, therefore I will only accept help from those who volunteer. If you wish to accompany us, please speak with Captain Stalwart as soon as possible. We begin clearing the tunnel tomorrow. Thank you.”

Ammon turned on his heel and walked quickly back to his chambers with Fulgid close behind. At the doorway to his quarters he informed the page that he did not wish to be disturbed. Inside his sitting room he sat in one of the overstuffed chairs with Fulgid on his lap and scratched the little dragon’s ears while he contemplating his next move. He knew it was risky, but he just had to keep Tirate’s men busy long enough for the others to break through the tunnel.

None of the other hatchlings were small enough to fit through the crevice and none could match Fulgid’s ability to throw flames. Aside from that, Fulgid could move so quickly Tirate’s men would think they were being attacked by a large force on multiple fronts, and that would increase the likelihood they would turn their attention away from the tunnel.

Tonight, he and Fulgid would sneak out and make a quick pass through the crevice to make sure it was still open and to get a good look at the defenses in case there were any surprises. If anyone knew, they’d insist on sending an escort with him and he would rather not put anyone else in danger. It was one thing to take part in a war as part of an army, but quite another to be alone in the middle of an enemy camp. Besides, he had Fulgid to watch over him.

There was a knock on the door, but he ignored it. He had told the pageboy he didn’t want to be disturbed and he meant it! When he heard the door open, he annoyingly snapped at the page. “I said I don’t wish to be disturbed! Send them away!”

The door slammed shut and El’s shrill, angry voice made Fulgid’s head pop up from his lap. “So what are you trying to do, get yourself killed?”

Ammon put his hand to his forehead and tried to force his voice to be calm. This was not what he needed right now. “No, I’m just doing what needs to be done.”

She hissed angrily. “So putting yourself in danger needs to be done?”

Ammon felt the last of his patience evaporate. “I have an entire country on the other side of that mountain that needs me to take care of it. That’s where my home is and I intend to go back there as soon as I can. I would think you’d be happy! I’m saving you the trouble of having to run and hide every time you see me walk down the hall! I’ll be gone for awhile, maybe a very long while.”

It was quiet for a moment before El said softly. “Maybe forever.”

Ammon nodded. “Maybe. Either way I’m doing you a favor. Now that our Houses have…merged…you can stay here in Laton as queen and run things with the full power of both Houses. As for me,
Gaul is far away. Once it’s freed from Tirate, I’ll probably just stay there.”

El came around from behind the chair to where Ammon could see her and shook a finger at him. “You could get killed!”

Ammon looked up from his lap where Fulgid lay with his ears back. Calmly he shrugged his shoulders. “That doesn’t really affect you. You’re still the queen, and if I die you can live your life anyway you choose.”

El suddenly scooped up a small vase from the table next to her and launched it through the air. It sailed just past Ammon’s head and smashed violently on the floor behind him. Stunned, Ammon turned to stare at the broken shards of pottery scattered over the floor. “What’d you do that for?”

El’s face was red and she shook with rage. “Because you’re thick as a brick! You think I want you to go?”

Fulgid slipped from Ammon’s lap and sauntered into the bedroom. Ammon would have followed after him but El had moved closer and now loomed over him. He couldn’t rise from the chair without pushing her aside. As he looked up her dark brown eyes glittered dangerously. “Uh, well, yes! Yes, I do think that!”

He never saw it coming, but he heard the slap as his ears rang and it felt as if his jaw had come unhinged. El put her hands on each arm of the chair and put her face close to Ammon’s.

“Now tell me again! Do you still think I want you to go?”

Confused, Ammon rubbed his jaw, and from the corner of his eye, he could see Fulgid curling up on the bed. This didn’t make sense! It wasn’t long ago that Liah had tried to stab him and Fulgid nearly killed her. Yet here El had thrown a vase at his head and slapped him hard enough to rattle his teeth, and the little dragon was falling asleep! El moved her face just inches away from his.

“You know what El? I honestly don’t know what you want, but I know what I see! You’ve avoided me like a bad stench since we married! None of what has happened is my fault! I’m just as stuck as you are! You want to get away from me, and I’m making it possible. What else do you want from me?”