dragon archives 04 - dance with a dragon (2 page)

“Well, because he’s –”

At his words, Lydia, with an insight that went beyond her years, smacked her brother on the arm.

“Shh,” she said loudly, her finger over her lips as she glared at Zach. She turned to Peggy. “Papa can be scary looking sometimes.”

Peggy stared at Lydia for a moment as the color rose in her cheeks, before turning and brushing nonexistent crumbs from the table.

“I’m not scared of your father,” Peggy whispered, “although he can be quite, er, stern at times. I do wish he wouldn’t let the dragon near the castle, though.”

“But the dragon is …” Zach began, and Anna quickly intervened.

“Zach,” she said, “I have a surprise for you.” The boy looked at his aunt eagerly.

“What su’p’ise?” he said.

“If you are very good, I will ask Cook to bake you a honeyed apple.”

“Me too?” Lydia asked.

“Yes, you too,” Anna said with a smile. She knelt down between the two chairs, watching for a moment until Peggy’s back was turned before speaking again, her voice low.

“Do you remember what your Papa said about keeping secrets?” she said. Zach and Lydia both nodded. “Nurse must never know that your Papa is a dragon. All right?” Lydia stared at her in silence as Zach nodded. “You can only have a baked apple if you keep the secret.” Again both children nodded. “Good,” Anna said with a smile. She rose to her feet, and watched as Peggy poured warm milk into wooden cups and placed them on the table, before turning and leaving the room, confident that the importance of keeping the family secret had been impressed on Zach, at least for now.

Descending the stairs, Anna crossed the low hall, where the servants slept, and exited the castle into the warmth of a late spring day. She skirted the courtyard and headed into the gardens, pausing at a large spreading oak. They had celebrated the twins’ fourth birthday beneath the shade of the tree just a few days before. A quilt had been spread over the new grass, and Cook had made honeyed cakes and sticky buns, served with warm milk, straight from the cowshed. The twins had polished off the treats, complaining later that their stomachs ached.

Anna smiled at the memory. It was hard to believe four years had passed since the twins were born – and more than five since she and Keira had been abducted by Jack, a rogue dragon seeking vengeance against Aaron, the Dragon Master. Jack had been killed in the resulting fray, and Keira had been grievously injured, saved only because Aaron had insisted she drink his blood a few days before. And then there had been Max. Anna closed her eyes, and pushed the memory away. She had not seen Max since the day he left the dragon domain, and although he often crept into her thoughts, bringing with him a tangle of yearning, regret and shame, she was determined to put him from her mind and get on with her life.

Anna leaned back against the tree and lifted her face to the sunlight, the new leaves painting a pattern of shadows against her skin. The sounds of the castle rose in a hum behind her, while closer at hand, birds twittered in the trees. It was calm and serene, but her soul was anything but serene. She took a deep breath, then pushed herself away from the knobbly trunk, annoyed at the disquiet she felt. She loved living at Storbrook, being with her sister, and helping with her young niece and nephew, but there were times when she felt like Storbrook was a cord wrapped around her neck, slowly choking her. It wasn’t Aaron and Keira’s fault, of course, but there were times when all she wanted was a life of her own. She sighed and turned back towards the castle, waving at Garrick, the castle groundsman, as he led a horse across the courtyard. He waved back with a smile, his eyes lifting to watch her as she walked. The smile turned to a grimace when he stepped into a pile of muck that had not been cleaned away, and Anna snorted back a laugh as she continued towards the doorway. She had friends and family – surely that should be enough?

Chapter 2

Anna adjusted herself in her saddle, leaning back as the horse picked its way down the steep path that led through the mountains to the village where she had grown up. Garrick rode a few feet ahead of her, and she watched his back as he rolled easily with the movement of his mount. A year younger than her, he had filled out from the gangly youth she first met almost six years ago when she moved to Storbrook. His sandy-colored hair had darkened to brown, and his blue eyes creased at the corners when he smiled.

He was a man of few words, and did not seem to notice the glances that were frequently thrown his way by the young maids at Storbrook or in the village. When Anna had returned with Keira and Aaron after the troubles with Jack, it was Garrick who teased her out of her doldrums, dragging her through the forest while he trapped rabbits and hunted deer. He was an excellent marksman, and often it was his skill that placed meat on the tables at Storbrook. He had taught her about birds, pointing out the secret places where the hidden nests of robins and sparrows could be found, then dragging her away so the birds would not be anxious. He made her lie still for hours on end as they watched a spider spin her web, until finally Anna’s fidgeting grew too much for even him to ignore. They swam in the river, and lay on the rocks in the sun afterwards, and once, he had kissed her on the forehead, then turned away in embarrassment. There had been a few moments of awkward silence, before he jumped into the deep pool formed by the river, drenching her from head to toe, and she had yelled at him while he laughed. Later, when she thought about it, she decided that it had been a brotherly kiss, and meant nothing more. She was relieved at this conclusion, although she did not think to wonder why. As the years went by, she sought him out while he mucked in the stables or chopped wood behind the shed. He would stop and smile at her, and occasionally tease her into helping him. She smiled now at the memories. Garrick was a good friend – probably better than she deserved.

It was over thirty miles to the village from Storbrook, but they made it in good time, reaching the outskirts of the village before noon. Garrick turned to face Anna. “I’ll fetch you from your parents, shall I?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, I’ll meet you at the churchyard. I don’t plan to visit for long, since I have a list of purchases I want to make in the village.” Garrick nodded, then turned away, taking the path to the village smith, while Anna took the path that led to her old home. She made this trip every few weeks, sometimes with Garrick, other times with Thomas, Aaron’s steward. Keira would often accompany her as well, bringing the children along, and then Aaron would carry them all on his back. But Aaron had urgent matters to attend to this day, and it was too far for the children to travel the distance on horseback in one day, so they had remained behind. Anna did not mind. She knew she was quite safe with Garrick, and his silence gave her time alone with her thoughts as they rode down the mountain.

Richard and Jenny Carver lived in a small house at the edge of the village. Richard was a Master Craftsman, and his wooden wares were sold in many of the surrounding towns and villages, gracing the tables of poor and wealthy alike. He was also the village reeve, employed in the service of Lord Warren to represent the people of the village as well as serve the lord’s interests. The previous reeve, Matthew Hobbes, had been intent on killing the Storbrook dragon, a foolish mistake which had almost cost him his life, and left him with a serious injury. Richard had also been injured – not by the dragon, but by another villager who had accidentally impaled him with a pitchfork. It was the dragon’s blood, spilt over his wounds, that saved Richard’s life, an action that had won Richard’s undying gratitude. He looked up through the doorway of his workshop as Anna approached, and with a wide smile hurried out to greet her.

“Are you here alone?” he asked, glancing behind her, and Anna could hear the slight regret in his tone. He loved his daughters, but it was Aaron that he revered.

“Yes, just me,” she replied lightly. She hooked her arm around Richard’s and led him towards the house. “Aaron and Keira send their regards, of course,” she said as they crossed over the threshold. Jenny was sitting near the fire when Anna entered the small parlor at the front of the house. The passing years had not been kind to Jenny, and she looked far older than her forty-eight years. She smiled at Anna, but her eyes were dull, lined with black rings, while the skin sagged around her cheekbones.

“Anna, you have come to visit. How lovely.”

“Yes, Mother,” Anna said, dragging a stool towards her parent and taking her frail hands. “How are you doing today?”

“Not well, Anna, not well. I believe I’m not long for this world.” Anna glanced at Richard, and he smiled sadly.

“Dame Lamb came to see your mother this morning,” he explained. “She says there is nothing more to be done.”

Anna turned back to Jenny, who was already patting her hand. “We are all marked for death, daughter,” she said. “I have many regrets in life, but at least I know one daughter has a secure future, even if he is not the man I would have chosen. Now if I can just see
you
married, I could be at peace, ready to meet my Maker.”

“Well, Mother,” she replied, “it may be that God has seen fit to leave me a spinster. There are few men as worthy as Father, or Aaron, so I am quite content to remain in the unmarried state.” She saw the dismay in Jenny’s face, but was saved from reproach by the announcement that dinner was served.

“Come Mother,” Anna said, helping Jenny to her feet. “Let me help you to the table.”

Anna did not stay long after the meal was finished. She led Jenny to her room and helped her lie down on the bed. The fire had died down a little, and she stoked it back into flames before shutting the light from the windows and closing the door behind her. Richard had already returned to his workshop, but he lifted his head to give a distracted wave goodbye as she walked past.

Nothing in the village was a great distance apart, and it took Anna only a few minutes to reach the high street, with its collection of shops and services. It ran perpendicular to the churchyard, and Anna paused to tie her horse next to Garrick’s before continuing on her way. Someone called her name, and she turned, her heart sinking when she saw Sarah Draper hurrying towards her.

“Anna! How lovely to see you! You have become quite the stranger!” She hooked her arm around Anna’s, dragging her along the street. “I must confess, I am surprised to see that you are still alive and well.”

Anna pulled her arm free. “Why?”

Sarah laughed shrilly. “Well, you do live in the mountains with a dragon.”

“The dragon would never harm me.”

“It would if Aaron Drake allowed it to,” Sarah responded knowingly. “But I’m not really interested in hideous monsters. It is Garrick Flynn I want to hear about. Did I see him at the smith?” Anna shrugged. “He is so handsome,” Sarah continued. “I’m sure he would kiss a girl very prettily.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Anna said.

“He wouldn’t be able to resist
me
,” Sarah said, slyly. “I’m going to tell him you are delayed, and that you sent me to tell him.”

“No.” Anna was aghast. “Do what you will, but do not drag me into your affairs.”

“Oh, la,” Sarah said with a wave of her hand, before running lightly down the road, and disappearing around the corner. Anna watched her for a moment, then with a slight shrug of her shoulders, turned in the direction of the shops.

Anna took her time completing her purchases. She ordered new boots from the shoemaker, selecting the softest and most supple leather; she stopped by the parchmenter to pick up a roll of parchment; and she spent twenty minutes selecting a fine woolen worsted at the milliner to make a new gown. It had been dyed a soft blue, and Anna was sure the color would become her. She reached the end of the high street, where the cobbled paving petered into a muddy lane, before she turned around and headed back in the direction she had come. She had forgotten Sarah Draper and her plans to trap Garrick, but as she neared the end of the street, she was startled to see Sarah stomping towards her, scowling furiously. She glared at Anna as she walked past, but said nothing. Anna glanced towards the trees where the horses had been tied, and saw Garrick staring angrily after Sarah, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

“That woman is entirely lacking in propriety,” he growled as Anna drew near, “and refuses to even consider that her advances may not be welcome. She would have thrown me to the ground if given half a chance. Even so, I had to endure her touching and stroking me until I was forced to give the harshest putdown.”

“Am I correct in understanding,” Anna said with a grin, “that Sarah Draper is not the kind of woman you admire?”

Garrick’s angry gaze swung to Anna, until a reluctant grin tugged at his mouth. “No, Sarah Draper is not the kind of woman I admire.”

“Tell me, then,” Anna said playfully, “what kind of woman
do
you admire?”

The smile dropped from Garrick’s face, and he turned away to check the straps on Anna’s horse. “A woman who can engage in a good conversation without being coy. A woman with spirit and fortitude. A woman who knows how to endure trials and still be cheerful.”

Anna was silent, taken aback at the directness of his response, and she wished she hadn’t posed the question. Garrick moved to the horse’s head and checked the bit, before turning towards Anna, cupping his hands to boost her into the saddle. He did not meet her gaze, but when he placed his hand on her back to steady her, it lingered a moment longer than necessary. She saw a frown crease his brow before he turned away and mounted his own horse. He turned onto the path that wound behind the church and towards the forest at the foothills of the mountains. He did not speak as they crossed the open fields, but when they gained the shade of the trees, he drew his horse to a halt, forcing Anna, who was a step behind, to stop as well.

“Anna.” He paused.

“Do you think we will reach Storbrook before nightfall?” she said.

Garrick shook his head. “Probably not.” He was staring at her, and she looked away, suddenly uncomfortable.