Dragon Defense (Heirs to the Throne Book 3) (28 page)

Lauryn almost laughed but felt Tamarind’s fragility.  “I’ll be your sister, but I won’t be Salizar’s wife.  I made that very clear.”

Marasuta rode into Havenshire castle, followed by Samurai.  Ronda rode at his side.  Donovan greeted his friends with enthusiasm.  The old soldier glared down at him from his stocky horse. 

“Why did you not send for me?”  Marasuta’s words were an accusation.  “Had the wolves not sent word, we’d sit out the entire war without knowing about the fire in the skies.”

Donovan swallowed the lump in his throat.  “There wasn’t time old friend.  We barely had time to prepare.”

“Am I not a valued warrior?”

“I value your knowledge and expertise.”  Donovan looked embarrassed. “I’m very glad to see you here.”

Marasuta nodded. “It’s well you remember those who serve with honor.”

“I’d never forget, Marasuta.  Come hear what we face.”

Marasuta slid from his horse and motioned to the troops.  The soldiers moved as one unit toward the guards’ quarters, while Marasuta followed Donovan inside.

Donovan gazed at Marasuta.  He wasn’t entirely truthful with his friend.  He failed to send for Marasuta because there was little the Samurai could do in a modern conflict.  Marasuta’s sharp gaze met his and Donovan sighed. 

“I’ve much to tell you, old friend, and I seek your advice.  Drako is plunged into a war of technology and we don’t know how old skills might fare against spacer weapons.”

Marasuta nodded.  “I’ve put much thought into the problem, Donovan.  Regardless of the weapons we face, wit and skill put us at an advantage.  Remember the things that they’ve forgotten and make use of your assets.”

“I’m glad to see you.”  Donovan smiled.  “Thanks for coming.”

“The duty of a warrior is to serve, regardless of the type of war.”  Marasuta bowed and Donovan realized his hair was more white than black now.  The warrior’s body still moved with suppleness and assurance.

“Good.  Lauryn was kidnapped.  Andrew needs help with the rescue and asks your Samurai to meet him at the spaceport.  They want to create an unforgettable welcome for the desert riders.”

Marasuta grinned.  “We’ll ride like the wind through the night.  I know that Andrew loves Lauryn and would give his life for her.”

Donovan’s surprised expression made Marasuta’s eyes twinkle.  “A father does not always know these things.  We’ll pack supplies and be off within the hour.”

*****

Felesia, Jordan, and Andrew mounted dragons and flew to the spaceport.  Shariel and Brandon immediately asked questions about the fireworks in the sky.  They told a quiet audience the story of Maggie saving Asbohar from destruction, and then Andrew explained about Lauryn’s abduction. 

He said, “We plan to give the desert riders a surprise when they enter the spaceport.”

Shariel cringed at the idea of desert riders so near her family. 

Andrew noticed her worried expression and said, “Donovan’s sending Marasuta and his Samurai to help surprise the desert riders.  He wants to establish a military base at the spaceport.  Do you think the dragons will carry humans into battle?  Donovan said they can be our air force.”

Shariel glanced at her brothers and sisters.  Duncan nodded and his determined expression made her realize her family wanted to help.  Perhaps Jarrack’s children would be valuable to Drako’s defense.

“Count on my family to join your air force but we need more dragons to ride.”

The next morning Shariel and Brandon prepared to travel to the dragon cliffs north of Brandon’s seaport domain, while Andrew organized Lauryn’s rescue.  Shariel hoped she could coax a clutch of dragons to follow them back to the spaceport.  Each child needed a personal mount to train properly.

They hefted packs onto their shoulders and left the caves together.  Jordan and Felesia stood next to Blaze and Dazzle.  “What’s this?” Shariel fingered the leather straps across Dazzle’s chest.

Jordan beamed with pride.  “Last night Andrew designed a new saddle.  Hauling extra weight puts too much strain on dragon wings and feels uncomfortable to the rider.  The saddle is similar to ones used on horses.  By distributing the weight along the upper body, a dragon soars and conserves energy.”

“Very clever but how does it work?”  Shariel scrutinized the contraption. 

“Leather straps cross over the dragon’s body and connect to the saddle, which sits behind the strong shoulder muscles.” 

Brandon said, “Let’s try it.”

“It’s easy.”  Jordan said, “Dazzle, lift.”  The dragon courteously extended her talon and Jordan helped Shariel step onto the large knuckle. Dazzle raised her claw to shoulder height and Shariel climbed into the saddle.  “You see?  There’s nothing to it.”

“Not if you have perfect balance and no fear of falling,” Brandon complained.

Jordan frowned.  “Don’t knock our work unless you’re prepared to design a better saddle.  We worked all night to make it ready for your trip.”

“Okay, I’ll try it.”  Brandon approached the other dragon.  “Blaze, lift.”  The great beast cocked his head at Brandon and white rippled up his wings.

Shariel said, “You’re upsetting him.  Project calm and confidence in your thoughts.”

“I thought they only heard telepaths,” Brandon said as he stroked the dragon’s neck.  “Sorry, Blaze, I know you won’t drop me.”  He climbed onto the offered talon, and Blaze lifted until Brandon reached the new saddle.  “Where do I hold on?”

Jordan said, “Andrew designed reins.  They’re draped down the side of his neck.”

Brandon found two strips of leather tied to the dragon’s sleek neck.  “These?  They don’t guide the dragon?”

“No, we guide with our minds.  Hold the reins for security.”

Brandon frowned. “I’d rather grab a solid saddle horn.  I’m not much for riding, so let’s go before I change my mind.”

The saddle proved comfortable and the dragons flew unhampered. Blaze and Dazzle stretched their filmy wings and banked into a gust of warm air.  Wind whipped Brandon’s sun-streaked hair as an updraft lifted the dragons’ large bodies.   

The dragons tipped their wings and circled until another thermal pushed them to maximum height.  Blaze tucked his legs against his smooth belly and stretched his neck into the wind.  He glided effortlessly across invisible air currents. Brandon leaned against the muscular neck to avoid a strong slipstream.  The dragons lost altitude until another thermal lifted their bodies but they seldom pumped their wings.  Brandon realized that carrying weight over a long distance forced the great beasts to consume more energy.  Brandon enjoyed riding on Blaze and Jordan’s saddle felt more comfortable.  He examined the great wings closely. 

The wings were covered by tiny iridescent scales that shifted with each new color.  When sunlight streamed across the wing, a dizzy display of color rippled over the surface.  He felt mesmerized by the sparkling scales.  Blaze shifted color patterns to communicate with Dazzle, and Brandon recognized Dazzle’s answer in her color patterns.

Could ships use colored lights to signal across the water like dragons?  Perhaps sailors could learn to speak with the dragons with the signal lights.  Brandon smiled.  He felt jealous of Jordan’s mental contact with the dragons, but he might figure out a way to speak with the great beasts himself.  Brandon took out a pad and sketched color patterns the dragons used. 

*****

Riding dragons proved more enjoyable than Shariel imagined.  She glanced at Brandon and saw his eyes sparkle.  She remembered warnings Jordan delivered with such a serious face.  Brandon didn’t look dangerous.  In her presence he acted polite and helpful, like a true gentleman and thought he’d look handsome at the helm of a ship. 

Shariel blushed and forced herself to focus on the scenery.  The landscape looked rich and green from this distance.  Lush mountains rose gently along the horizon, and she wondered where her old village was located.  Straining her eyes she failed to recognize land marks and decided they must make maps from the air. 

Hours slipped by like minutes.  Faster than riding horseback, flying felt more comfortable than bumping atop a saddle.  She let her mind absorb the myriad colors the dragons used to communicate and got a sense of their meaning.  She saw mental pictures of feelings, some filled with joy, but others filled with possible danger.  Projecting images of her own to the dragons, they saw pictures of dragons flying over mountains.  Soon the dragons sent back an image of the sea cliffs and knew exactly how their home looked.

This is wonderful!
she thought and sent the picture into Brandon’s mind without thinking.  At his shocked expression she shouted, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to force an image into your mind.”

He shook his head and grinned.  “It’s fantastic to see how the cliffs look from a dragon’s height.  Send me more pictures as they share them, please.” 

During the rest of the flight they shared pictures from the dragons, and Shariel sent comments of her own.  It was easy to hear Brandon’s unshielded thoughts and let him know she heard him. 

He grinned like an excited boy. 
Can you turn me into a telepath?

No.  My gift is control, so I can force my thoughts into your mind.

How do you hear me?

She answered the question with reluctance. 
I hear everyone.  Usually, I don’t pay attention to what people think. But you’re trying to talk with me, so I listen.

Brandon’s face blanched and Shariel dreaded the condemnation she expected.  It surprised her when he thought,
That must be difficult for you.  People are afraid of Jarrack and must fear his children.

Yes.  They believe we’re evil.

Not me! 

I know.
Shariel smiled and Brandon felt relieved. 

*****

As they reached the dragon cliffs, Shariel felt excited to see so many dragons.  Youngsters flew circles around Blaze and Dazzle, craning their necks to examine the strange creatures riding on their backs. 

Shariel heard no aggressive thoughts, so she relaxed.

Blaze and Dazzle shouted excitement with vibrant wing displays, and Shariel shared the vivid pictures from different minds with Brandon.  His fist pump prompted squawks from a nearby youngster.

The large dragons shared pictures of the strange boat filled with people.  Blaze bugled with pride at his aerobatic maneuver and shared his view of plucking the boat from the tiny balcony surrounded by rocky cliffs.  His wings swirled with purple and red.

Dazzle sent feelings with her pictures.  She enjoyed the sensation of human hands stroking her neck and eye ridges and starbursts of green shot through her wings. 

Shariel sent feelings of welcome to the new dragons.  She showed them the faces of eager children waiting at the spaceport.  Several young dragons crowed and flew happy figure-eights around the large adults. 

She thought,
Do young dragons feel bored with ordinary life at the seashore?  Would they enjoy more adventure?
 

Waves of red and blue rippled through dragon wings, answering her mental question.  She and Brandon laughed at the dragon antics.  Soon the adult dragons turned away from the sea cliffs and flew inland.  A dozen new dragons joined them.  Adults along the sea cliffs didn’t object, so Shariel felt excited.  Her siblings would soon meet new friends.   

The youngsters enjoyed their adventure, crowing with pleasure and flashing new color patterns.  When hunger prompted them to hunt, Shariel asked Dazzle to drop them off on a mountain cliff.  She sat with Brandon and watched the dragons hunt. 

The dragons spotted a herd of huskers, fierce giant boars with long curved tusks.  The grisly creatures were feared by ground predators, but dragons were no ordinary hunters.  Watching the hunt spawned respect for cunning draconic teamwork.  They stalked the prey overhead to choose a target. 

Aware of danger, the dominant bull drove the herd into thick forest to avoid aerial attack.  Undaunted, the dragons landed, folded their wings, and pursued on foot.  The dragons crashed headlong through the forest, toppling mature trees like twigs. 

Huskers scattered in panic at the dragons’ teamwork.  They cornered their target and drove it into a clearing.  They formed a circle and used talons and beaks to strike the boar.  It charged thrashing its sharp tusks in defiance. 

Heedless of the fate of their cousin, the dominate bull gathered the herd and stampeded down the valley.  The dragons lifted a carcass from the valley floor and landed on the ridge. They allowed their human guests to carve out hefty chunks of meat before feeding.  The humans roasted their meat over a small fire, much to the distress of the dragons.  Shariel sent mental reassurance to the beasts, who glared at the dancing flames until the fire became glowing coals.

“I guess they hate fire.”  Brandon mused.

“Would you get near a blaze if your wings were formed of thin material?”

Brandon shook his head.  “I’d choose wings of heavier stuff, like sailcloth.”