Silver Dragon (6 page)

"
More than three hundred years," the wizard went on. "Before these lands were civilized properly. Karthor's church put an end to that, though. They raised up an army and went after the dragon, led by a paladin, the highest of their order of knights. His name was Sir Gareth."

Alto turned to look at Kar and focused on him as he asked, "This knight killed the dragon?"

Kar shrugged. "The dragon killed him, but the church claims the dragon was wounded mortally and flew off into the mountains where it fell from the sky and died."

Kar could see where the crafty wizard was leading him. "You don't think it died. You think that dragon was Sarya, the same dragon we're dealing with today."

"The same dragon that demanded your capture and punishment."

Alto stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

"Patrina told me of the men who captured the two of you. She told me of the knight's interest in you. And I heard Caitlyn telling my son about what happened to her."

"You have no right!" Alto hissed at him.

Kar held up his hand. "Perhaps I do, perhaps I do not. But think on this: if I knew nothing of events that transpire because others did not want their pain shared, would I be able to provide such knowledge to Tristam or to you?"

"You work for Tristam, not me," he seethed. "Is he bidding you to do this?"

Kar sighed. "Calm yourself, boy! I'm not being bidden to do anything. I work for myself. As for Tristam and you, it's obvious who will lead the Blades when Tristam's time is over."

Alto stared at Kar, confused by the man's revelation. "What do you mean? Tristam's not that old
. Why would his time be over?"

"I didn't say it was!" Kar snapped. He looked to the heavens and muttered a curse on the
thick headedness of youth. "I said when it was over. He'd box my ears for saying it but I know he's saved away a small fortune over the years. Look at the way he's taken you under his wing. He means for you to take over when he's done. I can't help but wonder if he's thinking that's sooner, not later."

Alto frowned. His own company? He was too young for such honors. He shook his head to clear it. "I'm too young."

"Do you fancy yourself still a boy hiding behind his mother's legs?"

Alto scowled, answering the wizard's question.

"A man your age could be on his way to a handful of children already and be working his own land. You're young, yes, but you've proved your abilities."

"It doesn't matter," Alto dismissed the wizard's praise. "I'm leaving."

"What? Leaving? Why?"

"You know so much, wizard, you figure it out." Alto turned and strode with a purpose towards the stables. If Sarya could be hurt, she could be killed. He was no knight with an army behind him
; he was just a boy. A man, he corrected himself. He was a man who had done the impossible twice now. His father always told him that things came in threes.

"Where are you going?" Kar called after him. "The others will want to know. Patrina will want to know."

Alto stumbled at the mention of the lady. He turned and stared back at Kar. "I'm going someplace safe."

The torchlight outlined the wizard, rather than defined him. Alto couldn't see the puzzled look he was sure Kar wore. He turned and resumed his trek to the stables. He had to hurry now
; the meddlesome wizard would probably tell the others so they would try to stop him.

Alto waved to the guard
who saluted him when he entered the stables, and then walked past four stalls in the stables until he saw a horse that stopped him. Sebas was there, his stallion that he'd thought lost in the enchanted forest leagues to the south.

Alto unlatched the door and stepped in to the stall, smiling for the first time that he could remember. Sebas greeted him with a happy snort and a nuzzle.

"Come, my old friend, we've some riding to do and I don’t expect it will end well." Alto frowned as he realized what he was asking. Sebas was just a horse, not a unicorn like Winter. Still, he'd shown Alto love and deserved to be treated fairly. "We'll probably both end up chopped to bits or food for a dragon. I don't know if this means anything to you, but will you ride with me?"

Sebas whinnied and stomped his hoof. Alto grinned. It reminded him of Winter telling him to stop talking and get on with it. Perhaps there was more to horses than he'd realized?

"All right, but no complaining when things get tough," Alto said. He went to a wall and grabbed the blankets and his saddle off the hook, and then hurried to make Sebas ready. In a few minutes, his horse stood tall and tossed his head. Still smiling, Alto led Sebas out of the stall and out into the open. Kar was standing outside, smoking his pipe again.

"Still clearing your head?" Alto asked him.

Kar nodded. "Watching where you go to," he answered. "That way I can tell the others when they beat it out of me."

"Beat it out of you?"

Kar shrugged. "They just got you back. You think they'll stand idly by, not take it out on me for doing nothing to stop you?"

"Nothing you can do."

"I'm a wizard!" Kar spouted. "I can do countless things! I could mire your horse in mud or knock you senseless. Steal the air from your lungs until you pass out or leave you wrapped up in that spider webbing I used to stop that wasp. Don't doubt my talents, boy!"

"I thought you said I was a man?"

"Bah, boy or man, I'm old enough to be your grandfather! Stop turning my words on me or I'll just leave you a pile of smoking ash and be done with you."

Alto smirked at Kar's raving but it faded all too soon. "Don't follow me, Kar. Don't let any of them follow me, no matter what Patrina says."

"That girl has taken to you."

"I know."

"You're a fool."

"I know that too," Alto said.

"Maybe you should have joined the church instead of Karthor," Kar muttered.

Alto offered the wizard a smile and swung up on Sebas's back. He opened his mouth but found he didn't know what to say. He gave the wizard a nod and had it returned.

"Good luck, son," Kar offered.

Alto sighed and added, "Goodbye, Kar."

* * * *

"Where's Alto?" Namitus asked when he sat down at the table in the
jarl's hall where the other Blades were gathered. "I stopped by his room but he didn't answer."

"Haven't seen him yet," Karthor said. "Last I knew he went somewhere with the
jarl."

"That boy doesn't miss a thing!" Tristam chuckled. "Ingratiating himself to the second most important man in this realm."

"I don't think that's what he was doing," Karthor offered.

Tristam waved the priest's defense away. "Whatever the case, he's got the
jarl's favor and that's a good thing. Good for him and good for us!"

Namitus chuckled. "I suspect Lady Patrina had as much to do with that as he did."

The others shared the rogue's mirth, save for Garrick. The barbarian ate heartily through the small talk, and then looked up when two new people entered the hallway. Lady Kenna walked beside Caitlyn, taking her to a table and even sitting beside her. A few moments later, Lady Patrina entered the hall. She wore a yellow and white dress that was more the Kingdom fashion than the simple dresses preferred by the Kelgryn.

"Uh oh," Namitus muttered.

"What's the matter?" Tristam followed the rogue's eyes to Patrina.

"Something's happened to Trina. The way she's acting and that dress, it's not like her."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know
; it's just too stuffy. Too royal for her," he tried to explain. "Too feminine."

"Why would she do that?" Mordrim asked through a mouthful of food. "She's looking as fine as a woman without a beard can look!"

Garrick coughed as he took a drink of ale, spraying it over the dwarf. Mordrim closed his eyes and reached up to wipe the liquid off, and then he glared at the barbarian. "You're disgusting," Garrick declared.

"You just spat on me!" Mordrim howled back. "You're the disgusting one!"

"Boys, settle down," Tristam warned before they grew too raucous.

"What did I miss?" Kar asked after he hurried across the room to join them at their table. A servant brought out a plate of food for Namitus but Kar snatched it from him. "Lucky for me, not breakfast!"

"Hey!" the rogue cried out.

"Funny, shouldn't you be the one with the quick fingers?" Kar teased.

While Namitus scowled Karthor spoke, "We were wondering where Alto was. Nobody's seen him since he left with the jarl last night. Unless you've seen him?"

Kar nodded and chewed the steaming food. He followed it with a quick swallow of water before saying, "I saw him."

"Where is he?" Tristam asked.

Kar shrugged and chewed his way through another mouthful.

"You just said you seen him," Tristam pushed.

"I said that and it's true, but that doesn’t mean I know where he is now."

Tristam growled and slammed his hand on the table. "Wizard, don't toy with me. Where's the man at?"

"Beat the table till you've broken it to splinters, I don't know where the lad is. I saw him last night when he was heading out to the stables. He rode off on Sebas and
bid me farewell. Said he was going someplace safe."

Kar kept eating while everyone else stared at him in open
-mouthed shock. Even Garrick lowered his fork back to his plate. Namitus spoke first, after turning to glance at Patrina again. "That explains it; they've had a falling out."

"You think a row with the princess would make him run away?" Kar chuckled.

"You got other ideas?" Tristam asked while glaring at the mage.

Kar shrugged. "Man like Alto doesn't run from trouble."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kar sighed. "I told you as much as I know. I—"

"Wait." Tristam stopped him and rose up. "Come with me. Let's get to the bottom of this."

"But, my food!" Kar whined.

"You're not wanting for a decent meal," Tristam said.

Kar frowned but rose up and followed Tristam. The other
Blades stood to follow, giving Namitus a chance to steal back his food and carry it with him while he took care to stay behind the others.

"Alto's gone," Tristam announced.

Patrina had looked everywhere save for the Blades of Leander as they approached. Now her eyes sought out Tristam's and locked on his. "What?"

"Already?" Caitlyn asked.

The eyes of everyone, even Lady Kenna, fell on the suddenly embarrassed farm girl. She wore a brown Kelgryn dress that seemed plain yet went well with her brown eyes. She glanced from one person to the next until she found herself staring at the barbarian, whose gaze seemed to tug the air from her lungs.

"I'm sorry, lass, I can't remember your name," Tristam said to snap her out of the spell Garrick had her under.

"Caitlyn," she mumbled as she worked hard to stare at her plate. "I'm Alto's sister."

"I knew that, just couldn't put a name to match your pretty face."

She glanced up at him, her cheeks glowing from the praise.

"Caitlyn, dear, don't let this charming stranger confuse you," Lady Kenna said while giving Tristam a sharp
-eyed look. "I suspect there's many things going on here that would do us all well to be brought to light." The lady's gaze shifted to her daughter.

"You thief!" Kar hissed when Namitus's chewing reached his ears and he turned around to see him.

"Kar!" Tristam barked, stopping the wizard from where he'd raised his hands to threaten to punish Namitus with a spell that would leave him sneezing and farting for hours.

The wizard turned back around and found himself to be the center of attention. "Yes, well, before my breakfast was so rudely taken
, I was telling how Alto had ridden off on his horse last night and bid me farewell. He claimed he was going someplace safe."

"I don't understand," Caitlyn admitted. "He said this was someplace safe."

"What's that, dear?" the lady of the hall asked.

"What, oh? Pardon
me, my lady, I was just thinking out loud."

"Well
, please do more of it," she encouraged.

Caitlyn glanced around and nodded. "Um, well, Alto said we had to come here because it was someplace safe. There were people here he trusted and he said I'd be safe here."

"This doesn't bode well," Jarl Teorfyr said as he strode into the hall and saw them gathered. He walked up to the table and looked around long enough to let his own smile fade. "What goes on?"

"Alto's gone," Lady Kenna told him.

The jarl frowned and then nodded.

"You knew?" Patrina gasped.

"No, not precisely. We talked last night some. I didn't expect him to move this quickly."