The Dragon' Son (16 page)

As Keegan finished placing the last item on Ardor’s back, he heard the sound of rushing wind. There was a flash of light and the sound of roaring fire followed by a thud behind him. He turned and found a well-cooked portion of a deer. The smell of the cooked meat and burnt hair stung his nose but made his belly growl with hunger.

He knelt next to the venison and pulled out his knife to start cutting strips. He paused for a moment and looked at the dagger. He turned it around and around in his hand as he remembered when he received this dagger. The happy memory made him smile for a moment. He ran his finger over the gold “K” etched into the leather on the handle and noted how it had never faded, never chipped, and how even the leather seemed to stay new.

A shadow passed over Keegan, distracting him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see Pharrgon flying in circles overhead. He smiled and began cutting the meat, placing it into a bag while stuffing some in his mouth at the same time.

When he had gotten all of the meat that he would need, he kicked dirt into the dwindling fire, tied the bag of venison onto Ardor, and hopped up onto him, turning him toward the road. Pharrgon completed a circle and swooped down, skimming the tops of the trees, before soaring back up into the air. Ardor whinnied and began following the dragon at a lively canter that soon turned into a strong gallop.

The trees went by Keegan in a blur. The wind made his eyes water, but he breathed it in deeply, savoring its sweet morning smell. Ardor followed the path that they had taken the evening before when they left the road to make camp with Pharrgon. When the road came into sight, Keegan turned Ardor back. He did not feel like taking the road just yet. He liked riding under the cover of the trees.

Pharrgon’s dark shadow slowly passed over Keegan and Ardor again as they galloped. Ardor whinnied and began to gallop faster, the trees beginning to whiz by as energy surged into both horse and rider. Pharrgon passed over again, and Ardor answered with a whinny, again gaining more speed than ever.

Keegan lent forward, allowing Ardor’s white mane to flow into his face, no longer feeling a need to guide the golden horse. Ardor was on the chase now. Pharrgon’s shadow traveled a little ahead of them and seemed to stop.

Ardor whinnied and thrust his head forward, gaining momentum with every stride and growing closer to the dragon’s shadow. Soon Keegan and Ardor were directly under Pharrgon. Ardor whinnied triumphantly and, with a new burst of energy, surged forward, gradually leaving the dragon’s shadow behind.

Presently, there was a slight drop off in the trees where the road curved. Beyond the road, the ground began to slope downward toward the valley. Keegan knew how Ardor was when racing a dragon, so he braced himself with a smile, knowing that the golden horse would not stop for this drop off.

Ardor saw the drop off and snorted indignantly then plunged forward. He came to the drop off and jumped. They sailed through the air, over the dirt road, and to the other side of it. Ardor landed in the soft forest earth with a thud and continued with his galloping, never losing a hoof beat, dodging trees skillfully all the while.

Pharrgon flew over them with an impressed, throaty whistle that made Keegan smile proudly. They zipped through the trees until they came to a sharp incline where the road curved again. Ardor charged up the slope, tail raised, and pounded onto the road. He turned with it and began to gallop down in at full speed, flinging some of its packed earth behind him as he did. His rapid breathing was in time with his hoof beats, making Keegan’s ride as near to flying as one could come on the back of a horse.

Soon, Ardor and Keegan went flying over a hill. Keegan saw a crossroads ahead of them, marking the halfway point to the city of Elinralis. Pharrgon flew over them again, this time a little more slowly, and Ardor gradually lessened his pace. When they reached the crossroads, Ardor was in a steady trot, and both horse and rider were short of breath.

Keegan slid off of Ardor’s back to the ground, the hard earth feeling foreign and harsh to his feet. He leaned on his knees to regain his breath. Pharrgon glided through the air toward them then pulled up and hovered overhead.

“I see Lake Anuran in the distance. If the cave is not taken up with residents on the West shore, then I shall stay there,” Pharrgon said in his deep, smooth voice. Keegan waved his hand at Pharrgon, lacking breath to acknowledge the dragon.

Pharrgon made a churning sound in his throat then lowered his head and tucked his wings, sending his tail into the air. His massive body swooped down toward the ground for an instant. Then he unfurled his wings, creating a lift of air, and soared back up into the sky, flying north, gaining speed and altitude without flapping his wings once.

Keegan watched Pharrgon disappear into the distance, amazed by the dragon’s aerobic skills. When Pharrgon was out of sight, Keegan patted Ardor’s sweaty neck then stood up and began shuffling down the road on wobbly legs. He stopped, however, when he sensed the presence of another. He glanced back and saw an elderly man hobbling down the right side of the road toward them.

Keegan threw a glance toward the north to reassure himself that Pharrgon was out of sight, then he turned back to shuffle down the road with Ardor.

“Ho, there!” the elderly man called out in a surprisingly strong voice.

Keegan turned around and studied the old man as he approached. The elder had on a gray robe and a faded, once-green cloak with a hood concealing his face. From the deep hood, there protruded a long, thick beard that was silver on both sides and pearly white in the middle. He walked like he had a crooked leg, and in his left hand was a tall, intricately carved, gray staff, upon which he leaned. As he walked, Keegan noticed a curious point at the bottom of the old man’s robes that could only mean a concealed sword.

“May I help you?” Keegan asked, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“You may or you may not, as it is your decision. However, I would like some information, unless you should not give it to me,” the elder stated quickly and in a kind voice.

Keegan was slightly confused for a moment, but once he had thought through the old man’s words a second time, he understood that the elder had an inquiry. “What sort of information would you like to know?” he asked.

“Is this the road that leads to the city now called Elinralis?” The stranger pointed down the northward road that Keegan and Ardor had started to take before he arrived.

“Yes, it is,” Keegan nodded.

“Good, then I suppose that you would not be bothered by an old man traveling along with you to the city,” the elder stated in a “said and done” tone and started to move down the road.

Keegan studied the hobbling old man for a moment before speaking. “I am not going straight to the city,” he said, feeling sure that the old man would change his mind. “I will be stopping at a village not far from here for a few days.”

“The village of Temroth? Ah, yes, yes, of course. I will be obliged to stay in it for a few days myself. I will need the rest,” the elderly man replied. “But standing here trying to change my mind, young man, will not add speed to your arrival there.” And with that, the old man began to limp down the road at a lively pace.

Keegan was shocked at the old man’s bluntness, and he felt very unsure about the mysterious nature of the elder. A dozen questions raced through Keegan’s mind; the chief concern being how the old man knew that Temroth was down the road but not Elinralis.

Keegan looked at Ardor, who nudged him toward the walking old man, then began to follow the strange figure himself, leading Keegan along. Obviously, Ardor was not concerned. Keegan sighed and picked up his feet, deciding that the best way to get his questions answered was to go along with the old man.

Chapter 9: Promises

The shadows were beginning to grow dark and long when Keegan and the old man arrived in Temroth at mid-sunset. The old man had introduced himself as Walneff, a name that rang a bell in Keegan’s mind but the knowledge of why evaded him. They had talked and discussed many things as they traveled together, though Keegan felt like most of it was a personal lecture--he the pupil, and Walneff the tutor. They talked of legends, ancient tales, and prophecies, many of which connected to Wovlens and dragons, much to Keegan’s surprise. They spoke on the quality of swords, battle tactics, and strategies. Keegan learned that the old man had done much fighting in his younger years, even overseeing battles.

They also discussed the differences between right and wrong, which Keegan found to be a very controversial subject for him. How did one separate right from wrong? If a thief stole something, then it was wrong. However, if the thief stole to save his child, then did that make it right? The same went for murder, and it made Keegan question some of the things he had done, or purposed in his heart to do, and that made him very uncomfortable. Thankfully, Walneff seemed to know when to start and when to drop a conversation, and he dropped that one as soon as Keegan started to get flustered.

Now they were in the town square of Temroth. It was quiet as the blue of darkness fell over the little village, casting shadows over the veiled stands and the closed shutters of the local shops.

“Ah, Keegan,” Walneff spoke with a sigh, “I have enjoyed our time together. Perhaps I have been able to make you start using your mind just a tiny bit, no?” The old man chuckled deep inside his hood, which he had never removed the whole time.

“Our conversations have been rousing, to say the least,” he replied with a quiet laugh.

“Ah, yes…well now.” The old man looked around. “This is where we separate. Have a goodnight.” And with that, he turned toward a narrow street and began to shuffle away.

His abruptness surprised Keegan. “Wait, do you have a place to stay?” Keegan asked, thinking of nothing else to say. Walneff paused and looked back at Keegan. Though all Keegan could see were two gleaming lights deep in the dark recesses of the old man’s large hood, he sensed a smile growing on Walneff’s face.

“Yes. I do have a place to stay,” the old man replied. He stood staring at Keegan, as if waiting for Keegan to speak what was in his mind.

Keegan sighed. “Will we meet again? My friends are just outside of the town on a little farm. They would be delighted with your company.”

Walneff let out a long, drawn out chuckle, the dark recesses of his hood turning away from Keegan as he laughed in a sad way. “Do not assume that your friends would enjoy my company.” He looked back at Keegan and waved his hand dismissively. “We shall meet again, young Keegan. Though not as soon as you think.” He turned away and again began to shuffle down the street. “However, it will be sooner than you would like!” And with those final words, he continued to chuckle to himself until he disappeared into the darkness of the tiny street, leaving Keegan and Ardor standing alone in the middle of the tiny town square.

Keegan was somewhat confused by the old man’s last words, but he had been confused by much of what the old man had said to him. He stroked Ardor with a shrug. “Well, I believe that was the most interesting acquaintance I have ever made.” Ardor nudged Keegan with a nicker. “I am glad you agree,” Keegan laughed as he moved to the golden horse’s shoulder.

Ardor raised his head as Keegan gripped his mane and flipped up on to him. He looked back as his rider got situated. Keegan patted Ardor then clicked to him. With a bounce in his mane, Ardor began walking out of the square and toward the other end of the tiny town.

Once they were outside of town and the darkening road was stretched out before them, Ardor curled his neck and picked up speed, moving into a lively trot. Now that they were in the valley and not the mountains, the trees had thinned considerably. This made visibility easier with the fading light. The sun’s rays had completely disappeared by the time Keegan spotted a small light in the distance that brought a smile to his face.

“Almost there, Ardor. Almost home,” he said, patting the horse’s neck. Ardor bobbed his head and maintained his pace. He deviated from the road and onto a path that lead up to a small house and barn in the distance that was surrounded by farm fields. A slender shadow moved between the barn and house, holding a bucket and a lantern. It paused and turned toward the horse and rider, raising the lantern to illuminate the lovely face of a girl. She studied the two for a moment, and then a smile broke across her face. She hauled the bucket up to the house and dropped it. She flung the door open and poked her head inside.

“Father! Keegan has come!” she yelled.

Keegan chuckled when a young boy burst out of the door, nearly knocking the young lady down.

“Arden! Watch yourself!” the young lady scolded.

The lad helped to steady her. “I am sorry, Sister,” he said then spun around and charged for Keegan and Ardor, obvious excitement and pleasure glowing on his face. Ardor slowed to a walk and finally a stop when the boy ran up to him.

Keegan slid off of Ardor with a smile and roughed up the boy’s hair. “Arden, I think you have grown,” he said, measuring the boy’s height compared to his with his hand.

Arden stood straight and tall with a smile. “Yes, I have! Susun says that I am going to eat the house down if I keep growing like I have been.”

Keegan studied the boy’s eyes for a moment, feeling a strange but good feeling come over him as he looked at the intense diamond blue eyes. Something different had changed about the boy since he had last seen him.