The Bond (Book 2) (46 page)

The morning was cool and clear and the sun shone strongly, giving everything outside the cafe window a preternatural clarity. Lord Eldin smiled. It was going to be a good day.

The passenger car demonstration that ended yesterday had been such a success, he hadn’t even been able to read the paper. All he’d read was the headline.

Dragons and Children: Like Oil and Water?

So promising. He’d put the paper away to read later. But he’d been too busy to do so.

Advance passenger bookings exceeded even his wildest
hopes. He had meetings with his partners and company managers all day and even into the night.
All that remained to guarantee the company’s future was to see to Baronel’s failure.

“Your order, sir?”

“A cup of coffee, if you would?”

“Very good.”

As the waiter left, Lord Eldin flipped open yesterday’s Delcimaar Daily News and read the article.

CAER BARONEL — After spending a few days here, this reporter has come to the conclusion that a more apt simile would be that dragons and children are like oil and vinegar. Because what at first sounds like an impossible combination turns out to mix quite well, with a little agitation.

Lord Eldin’s brows furrowed as he continued reading.

Living with dragons is painted as an easy and charming life in many tales of fancy. The reality is a little less so. As with any large animal or pet—though one must not make the mistake of thinking that dragons are mere animals or pets, for they most definitely are not—there is much to be done to raise and care for a dragon. Flight training, Magic Craft training, Animal Craft training, search patrols, grooming your dragon, cleaning up after it, maintaining riding gear, and more, are only some of the responsibilities of the dragonlinked, which these young people have named themselves.

There is romance and tension among the dragonlinked, as one would expect in any group of teens, but they are all supportive of each other in service to their purpose: combating those terrible beasts, the nahual. A purpose they take quite seriously, as does everyone in Caer Baronel.

So committed are they all that dragonlinked ranks have grown steadily, currently numbering five. In response, a settlement specifically for dragons, dragonlinked, and support staff, is under construction a few miles from the Caer. They have taken to calling it Dragon Hall.

Lord Eldin didn’t finish the article. Instead, he folded the paper and placed it on the table.

Dragon Hall.

What a fool he’d been! The submissions, both of them, were feints. He stood and ran for the door. With a glance around, he slowed to a quick walk. Other men ran, usually from him.

Baronel had played the game expertly. One application had been submitted because it was expected. Another was submitted by another person and in his wife’s name in a effort to appear secretive. Lord Eldin’s lips formed a thin line.
That application was meant to be found! It was all a ploy to throw interested parties off the real scent.

A glance at his pocket chronometer revealed there was half an hour before the meeting. He’d seen Baronel checking in to The Whispering Boughs yesterday afternoon, so the real meeting would likely not have occurred yet. It was probably today.

Stepping to the curb, he flagged down a carriage.

He needed to check on the business applications. Having been outmaneuvered once, he would leave nothing to chance.

Opening the carriage door, he lifted himself up on the mounting step and called to the driver, “The Bureau of Business Affairs. And be quick!”

+ + + + +

Aeron tugged the strap once more.

It is as secure as it will ever be.

He glanced at Anaya.
I know, love. I just can’t seem to stand still.
Looking around, he noted that he wasn’t the only one doing make-work. He took out the map and studied it again.

Hand-drawn, a hasty copy based on a beautiful map inside, it showed part of Delcimaar and the Bureau of Guilds. A large courtyard at the rear was circled. That was where they were to land. From there, large doors lead to hallways, which he was assured were big enough for dragon use. Those in turn would lead to the room where the meeting would take place.

Master Doronal had told them that the meeting rooms were large solaria designed to allow applicants to show off products, skills, and anything else the Council of Guilds felt they needed to see. The solarium where their meeting would take place was the largest one. It had been chosen in order to accommodate their five dragons.

The inside edge of the riding jacket collar scraped against his neck. Brand new—they had all brought along fresh, new gear for the all-important meeting—the leather was still stiff and rough. He rubbed the abrasive bit with his gloved thumb.

Willem walked up. “Nervous?”

“
I’ve only visited the water closet fifteen million times this morning.”

Willem chuckled. “From what Master Doronal said, it should be simple, really. Master Millinith will do all the work. We just have to stand there, silent.”

“Well, at least until our added demonstration.” Aeron frowned. “Do you still think it’s a good idea?”

“
I do. Now stop being so nervous. Here, for good luck.” Willem leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“
Celebrating already?” Sharrah had a brow raised.

Aeron cleared his throat. “No.”

“It was for luck.”

Cheddar smiled. “Well, I think we all hope for that.”

“Luck be damned,” Liara said. “We’re going to grab hold of our future ourselves.”

Renata turned to her. “I like that idea.”

Jessip, looking at Aeron, said, “We’re going to try.”

Fillion snorted. “Try? We’re going to
do
.”

Coatl chirped.

Aeron gripped Fillion’s shoulder. “That’s the spirit!” With an enormous grin, he said, “Alright, enough waiting. Mount up, dragonlinked. Let’s go and do!”

+ + + + +

“I’m sorry sir,” the clerk checked through several schedule books and lists, “but I don’t see—Oh. No wonder there’s no approval meeting. The application was withdrawn three days ago.”

Lord Eldin rubbed the space between his eyebrows where a dull, throbbing pain had begun. “And what of the meeting for Lady Rora’s company? It was scheduled directly after.”

A moment was spent scanning the lists. “That application was withdrawn as well.”

“Thank you.” His initial suspicion confirmed, Lord Eldin made for the door.

Damn, damn, damn, DAMN!

Breathing slowly, trying to calm himself, he reviewed his options.

All may not yet be lost. If Baronel was launching a craft guild, then he’d still need a primary craft’s support as well as a secondary’s. The Council of Guilds that partook in business approval meetings also ran the guild approval meetings, so the effort Lord Eldin had expended on Animal Craft and Investigation Craft should still be in play.

The desire to work behind the scenes, through back rooms and secret channels, had worked in his favor. If he’d tried more direct approaches to stopping Baronel’s businesses, which turned out to be feints, all his work would have been for naught.

One foot on the carriage step, he looked at the driver. “The Bureau of Guilds.”

+ + + + +

Millinith took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Over the last week, she’d been instructed by Master Doronal, Master Canneth, and even Lord Baronel himself. Everything they knew about dragons, nahual, the purpose of the guild, ideas on its future, and what to expect from this meeting, had all been imparted to her. She felt she was ready to help Lord Baronel with this.

Where was he, anyway? The meeting was scheduled to start any moment. She’d expected him to be here.

Looking around the room did not reveal the tall man. A few people stood with her in the waiting area. Most, however, stood in lines, queues that moved ever so slowly. Clerks were everywhere. Some sat behind windows serving the queues, while others scuttled about this way and that with determined looks on their faces that seemed to say, ‘We’re on important errands. Do not disturb us.’

“Master Millinith?”

She turned around. “Yes?”

“Are you ready?”

“For the meeting? Yes.”

“This way, please.” The young woman lead her out into a hallway. They walked for what seemed like forever, through several turns and rooms, before the clerk stopped before a nondescript door. “You have the papers?”

Holding up the forms, Millinith said, “I do.”

Smiling, the clerk opened the door. “If you would follow me, please?”

Millinith was lead to a wood podium in the middle of a large, bright room. The ceiling, it must have been at least forty feet above her, was almost entirely made up of glass windows through which the morning’s light shone. On one side of the room, to her left, two large doors dominated. A quick glance behind revealed row upon row of wooden benches, over half of them filled with men and women, chatting and looking about, while before her, seated on a raised dais, was the Council of Guilds. Made up of men and women, representatives of the major guilds, the Council would decide the fate of the guild application. A few representatives glanced her way, and many whispered and chatted amongst themselves.

She looked to the right, at the door through which she had entered and through which the clerk now departed.

Where was Lord Baronel?

+ + + + +

As his good fortune would have it, Lord Eldin came across Baronel in the lobby of the Bureau of Guilds. The meeting hadn’t been missed.

“Hello, Baronel.”

The man turned to him, and with recognition came a large smile. “Eldin!” The smile faded as Baronel finally worked out the pieces. “It was you, wasn’t it?” He shook his head. “Even after all these years. I suppose I should have suspected when your son was so keen to join the investigation team. He’s been sending you information.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Gregor’s interest in the investigation, in dragons, was all him. I had nothing to do with that. Though I did ask him to keep me apprised of Aeron and Anaya’s progress. Which he did. For a time.”

“I suppose we have you to thank for the reporter, as well.” Baronel turned and headed for a hallway.

Lord Eldin followed.

“And his story led you here.”

“It was a clever ruse, Baronel, putting in two business applications. Who would have thought your real gambit was a more difficult path. Still, it won’t work, you know.”

A quick glance. “Oh?”

“Of course not. What makes you think Animal Craft will approve being primary for a craft guild when they wouldn’t do so for a business?”

Lifting a corner of his mouth in a half-smile, Baronel said, “What makes you think Animal Craft is our primary?”

+ + + + +

“Well that was easier than I expected.” Aeron tucked his gloves in his jacket pocket and dismounted.

There are many, many people in the city
. Anaya looked about the near-empty courtyard, and curiosity trickled through the link.

Yes there are. Luckily, not many are in this plaza.

“The map made it pretty simple.” Willem checked the straps holding the bundle to his saddle. “I’ll have to commend Master Doronal on his drawing skill.”

“It’s a good thing this courtyard is walled,” Gregor said. “Did you notice all the people that saw us fly in?”

“I did.” Liara walked over. “Many were running along the streets, trying to keep up.”

Aeron turned to what looked like a gate at the back of the courtyard. “I hope they have guards or something, to keep people from rushing in. I forget that not everyone is as accustomed to seeing dragons as we are at the Caer.”

A loud clank and the sound of some kind of mechanical action made everyone turn around. The two large doors they had set down near began to slowly slide away from each other.

They opened on a passage, which was indeed wide enough for dragons. In fact, it was so wide, two could walk through abreast. As the doors slid to a stop, the left one revealed two men. They stared at the dragons for a moment, then one stepped forward.

“If you would all please follow me?”

With a look at each other, the dragonlinked and dragons followed into the dim hallway, out of the sunlight.

+ + + + +

Lord Eldin sat next to Lord Baronel in one of the front benches and took in the room as he waited for the meeting to start.

Looking over the Council, he recognized the Investigation Craft representative on the far right. The sketch his agent had sent was a very good likeness. The representative sat staring forward, looking resolute. Good. The representative from Animal Craft was nowhere to be seen, however. She was probably sitting with those in the back row. And there was the Smith Craft representative. He sat second from the end on the left. He, too, had a determined look on his face. Lady Helena had taken care of that guild.