The Dragon's Champion (8 page)

“You twist the
law, Lord Cedreau,” Lord Lokton countered. “The law does not
demand
restitution, it
allows
it. Furthermore, today’s festival is a rite of
passage. In this ceremony Erik becomes a man. The payment you ask for is not
equal with the offense against your son that you claim.”

“It is fair
payment,” Lord Cedreau countered.

“No,” Lord
Lokton replied. “My son broke Timon’s hand. Erik would’ve had to break
something else to justify denying this ceremony.”

Chuckles rippled
through the crowd.

“How dare you?”
Lord Cedreau roared. “My son is noble-born, yours is a cast-away, an orphan! He
is not worthy of the ceremony you are throwing for him now.”

“How dare I?”
Lord Lokton echoed. “No, sir, how dare
you
? How dare you crash Erik’s
Konn Deta! How dare you call my son a cast-away, and how dare you demand more
than a fair restitution before my entire household and all of these witnesses.
Your offense today is far worse than any offense Erik gave. You have insulted
my son, me, all of my house, and the law that you profess to uphold.”

“Watch your
words, Trenton Lokton, or we may be forced to end this feud by blood,” Lord
Cedreau growled.

“Is that a
challenge?” Lord Lokton hissed. “I don’t recall you ever coming close to
beating me in a duel at Kuldiga Academy, so perhaps you should choose your
words carefully.”

“I will summon
the magistrate, and he will settle this,” Lord Cedreau promised. “I wouldn’t be
surprised if he granted me a portion of your holdings for denying restitution
to my family.”

Another man
pushed through the crowd, followed by a large man with a hood drawn over his
head. The first man had gray hair and a full, gray beard. His skin was tanned
and leathery. He wore a simple, blue tunic with green trim and black trousers.
Over his shoulders he wore a long, flowing black cloak, clasped across the
front with a brooch in the shape of a golden eye. Erik knew at once who the man
was.

“I am already
here, Lord Cedreau,” the magistrate announced.

Lord Cedreau
stiffened and clenched his fists. “I see your wit is still sharp, Lord Lokton,”
Lord Cedreau said under his breath.

“Sharp enough
for the likes of you,” Lord Lokton replied sourly.

“As of right now
I see no cause for this intrusion, Lord Cedreau,” the magistrate said. “As you
know, Kuldiga Academy reports all incidents of injury directly to me.”

“I did not think
you would hear of this until Monday,” Lord Cedreau replied with the slightest
of bows.

“That was your
first error,” the magistrate replied. “Your second was to demand restitution
without the support of the local magistrate behind you.”

“The law allows
me to seek restitution without speaking with you,” Lord Cedreau replied
bitterly.

“True, but
tradition begs that you act prudently, first seeking the support of the
magistrate. If you had done that, this whole mess could have been avoided.”

“Who spoke to
you of the incident?” Lord Cedreau asked. “I have a right to know, so that I
may challenge the account the witness gave.”

“There are two
professors from Kuldiga Academy,” the magistrate replied. “The first is your
brother in law, Master Orres.” The magister pointed across the crowd and Master
Orres stepped out. He was in simple clothing, without sword or armor, but his
massive arms and stone-cold expression drew a gasp from the crowd.

“I gave my
account of the event last night. As I said then, I find Erik innocent of any
offense. It was a training accident, nothing more.”

“Lest you
question Master Orres’ opinion,” the magistrate began, “remember that Timon is
his nephew as well as your son.”

Lord Cedreau
scowled at Lord Lokton. The two locked eyes and seemed to be dueling with their
stares until the next witness came forward.

“I am the second
witness.” The hooded man behind the magistrate stepped forward. Erik knew the
strong, confident voice. It was Master Lepkin. As the hood was pulled back to
reveal Lepkin’s face, Lord Cedreau cheeks turned scarlet.

“I suppose I
should thank Mr. Stilwell for this.” Lord Cedreau spat on the ground near Lord
Lokton’s feet.

“Are you
insinuating that the magistrate would fail to be objective?” Lord Lokton asked.

“Mr. Stilwell is
the magistrate’s cousin,” Lord Cedreau replied.

“But he does not
control me,” the magistrate countered. “I say again, I find that no offense was
given to House Cedreau, and therefore your claims to restitution are erroneous.
Furthermore, considering the timing and manner of your demands, House Cedreau
has insulted House Lokton most grievously, and is hereby found liable for
damages to Lord Lokton’s honor.”

“This is an
outrage!” Lord Cedreau shouted.

“Watch
yourself
, Lord Cedreau,” the magistrate warned. “Remember
that the power of the court is with me at all times. Wherever I am is therefore
a court of the kingdom and you must respect me and my proclamations. If you
challenge me, or have one more outburst, there are knights present who are more
than capable of arresting you.”

Master Lepkin
took a couple steps forward and pushed the side of his cloak back to reveal his
famous, black sword. Erik also watched Mr. Stilwell, Master Orres, and a
handful of others step forward, effectively surrounding Lord Cedreau and his
two sons. Erik watched the standoff nervously, but it only lasted a second or
two before Lord Cedreau gave a great, sweeping bow to the magistrate.

“I am always at
the service of the kingdom,” Lord Cedreau announced. Erik was sure he detected
sarcasm in the statement.

“Then stand firm
and receive what is coming to you,” the magistrate ordered. “Lord Lokton, as we
are on your land, and the offense by House Cedreau is of such a personal nature,
I will allow you to decide the appropriate restitution from the following
choices that I find reasonable.”

Lord Lokton
bowed his head and waited, while Lord Cedreau stood up straight, face red and
jaw clenched.

“You may ask for
one of the following: fourteen horses of good stock, seven acres of grassland
from House Cedreau’s holdings that border House Lokton’s lands on the east, or
a one time payment of fourteen thousand gold pieces, plus seven steel ingots to
be used as you see fit.”

The crowd was
quiet as Lord Lokton mulled the decision in his mind. The options were fair,
but he knew that Lord Cedreau would never understand that. Any one of the
options would likely push Lord Cedreau into a deeper wrath than Lord Lokton had
ever seen. On the other hand, he could not allow House Cedreau to insult his
son, his only heir, without consequence. He had to hold Lord Cedreau
accountable.

“If it will
please the magistrate, may I propose a slight alteration?” Lord Lokton asked.

“What is it you
wish to propose?” the magistrate asked.

“Perhaps we
could allow Erik to choose one horse out of House Cedreau’s herds. My son does
not yet have a horse, and we all know that House Cedreau breeds the finest war
horses in the entire realm. This would be payment enough. Then after the
restitution is paid, I would invite Lord Cedreau, and his elder son to
participate in the boar hunt this afternoon.”

“If that is all
that House Lokton requires, then it is well with me. What say you, Lord
Cedreau?” the magistrate asked.

Erik could see
the indignation all over Lord Cedreau’s face. The man’s fists were curled tight
and the veins in his forehead pulsed. He turned back to face Erik’s adopted
father, but he was silent for a long time. Finally, Lord Cedreau uncurled his
fists and stuck out his hand.

“I will return
home and prepare the horses,” he said bitterly.

“Then it is
settled,” the magistrate declared. “Lord Cedreau will go immediately and
prepare all of his horses to show to Erik. After the Konn Deta is finished, I
will accompany Lord Lokton and verify that restitution has been made.”

Lord Cedreau
turned on his heel and stormed away through the quick-parting crowd. His sons
almost had to run to keep pace with him.

Lord Lokton
calmly walked back to stand next to Erik. “Now,” Lord Lokton said loudly.
“Where was I?” Instantly the tension in the air was gone and the crowd laughed
together. “Demetrius, bring me the sword.” Lord Lokton placed his right hand
back on Erik’s head.

Erik watched
Demetrius approach. He wore a new, clean smith’s apron over his brown tunic and
trousers. On his feet he wore leather boots with beads sewn onto the sides in
the shape of a hammer. It was the only time Erik had ever seen the blacksmith
without soot on him. Even his hands were clean.

Then Erik saw
what Demetrius held.

Erik couldn’t
see the sword because it was wrapped in a green cloth. Erik knew that it was
customary to wrap the Boar Sword in a cloak bearing the family colors and coat
of arms or sigil on it. Erik understood the significance and was almost too
excited to wait for his adopted father to give it to him. He was almost a man
of House Lokton. A nobleman as sure as if he had been born to Lord and Lady
Lokton.

“Erik Lokton,”
Lord Lokton began as he took the bundle in his left hand. “As you knelt, you
were a boy, but now it is time for you to stand with men. I give you your
cloak, so that you may officiate in the affairs of House Lokton. All who look
upon you will now know who you are.” Lord Lokton paused. Raisa came forward,
unwrapped
the cloak, and placed it on Erik’s shoulders.

The crowd
cheered. Lady Lokton took Erik’s right hand and slid a gold ring with a large
emerald onto his finger. “I give you this ring, so you may remember your place
in House Lokton. The emerald in the middle of the gold band represents you,
just as you are between those who came before, and those who are yet to come.
If you look through the gem, you will see a golden lion. This symbolizes the
nobility within you, and serves as a reminder of your duties.” Raisa then bent
down and kissed Erik’s hand. She backed away as the crowd sucked in a breath.

“As a man of
house Lokton,” Lord Lokton began. “Your duties are to your family, your
holdings, and your king. You will learn your responsibilities in that order.
Therefore it is fitting that as you become a man, you will receive your first
Boar Sword. This symbolizes that you will take it upon yourself to care for
your family. You will provide food, shelter, and clothing. The cloak and ring
symbolize your duties to your holdings. Care for the people on your land.
Defend them and preside over them.” Lord Lokton took his hand from Erik’s head.
He grabbed the hilt of the Boar Sword and thrust the point into the dirt in
front of Erik. “Rise,” Lord Lokton instructed.

“I cannot,” Erik
said, concentrating hard to remember his scripted part. “My cloak hangs loose,
and without a brooch it will fall.”

Lord Lokton
pulled a brooch from his pocket and held it briefly for all to see. “As the
cloak can not stay in place on your shoulders without a brooch, House Lokton
can not stand in its place without fulfilling its duty to the kingdom. Uphold
the law, and House Lokton will flourish. Forsake the law, and House Lokton will
fall as an unclasped cloak in the wind.”

Lord Lokton bent
down and connected the cloak with the brooch. “This brooch represents your
pledge to complete your training at Kuldiga Academy, and to one day become a
knight in the Order of Kelteshteg, willing to serve and protect the kingdom.”
Lord Lokton rose to his feet and backed away three steps. “Rise,” he
instructed. “Rise and pull your sword.”

Erik stood and
reached for his sword. As his hand went out, the brooch snapped and the cloak
fell to the ground. The crowd gasped. Erik reached back with his left hand and
caught the left corner of his cloak. He looked back to Lord Lokton, who stood
still as stone. Erik could hear the crowd murmuring behind him.

“This is an ill
omen,” Demetrius whispered.

Erik stood
peering through the slightly open door, listening intently to his father and
others as they discussed the Konn Deta.

“The cape fell
before the boy even grabbed his sword. I tell you, it’s a bad omen!” Demetrius
shouted.

“Sometimes
things just fall, Demetrius,” Lord Lokton replied. “It doesn’t always have to
be a sign or an omen.”

“Still, it is
unusual that the brooch snapped in two,” Mr. Stilwell added. “Things like that
do not just happen.”

“Especially not
during Konn Deta ceremonies,” Demetrius agreed.

“If this is an
omen, Lord Lokton, you know it can only mean one thing,” Master Orres said.

“House Lokton
makes its own destiny,” Lord Lokton replied. “I will not tuck my tail because a
piece of cloth fell.” Lord Lokton waved everyone away.

Erik backed away
from the door just as Demetrius shoved it open. The large, muscular blacksmith
looked down at Erik contemptuously. Erik locked stares with him, unsure what to
say or do. Then Mr. Stilwell came up from behind and pushed Demetrius onward.

“Come on, we
have duties to tend to,” Mr. Stilwell said.

Demetrius pushed
Erik aside with a sweep of his massive arm and then walked by. Mr. Stilwell
raised a curious eyebrow at Erik for a moment, and then he followed after
Demetrius. Next, Master Orres exited the room and walked past Erik without
so
much as a glance in his direction. He was followed by Sir
Duvall, another one of the knights in Lord Lokton’s service. Finally, Lord
Lokton came out. He smiled at Erik, but Erik could see the concern in his
adopted father’s eyes.

“I didn’t mean
for the cloak to fall,” Erik said.

“Never mind
about that,” Lord Lokton replied. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“The bad omen
that Demetrius spoke of, it’s me isn’t it?”

Lord Lokton
rustled Erik’s hair and then grabbed the boy’s shoulder. “Demetrius takes
things too seriously. Don’t you pay any mind to his talk of
omens.
”
Lord Lokton turned Erik around and gently pushed him as he began to walk down
the hall. “Besides, we have bigger fish to fry today. There will be a hunt, and
you do not yet have a horse to ride.”

“I do have a
horse,” Erik replied without thinking. “You gave me the paint named Sky,
remember?”

Lord Lokton
chuckled softly. “Yes, you do own the paint horse, but now you are a man. You
should have a man’s horse. Lord Cedreau has the finest stock of warhorses in
the kingdom. House Cedreau has worked for generations to perfect their breeding
program. They use only the best bloodlines to produce warhorses without equal.
The horses are strong and without fear. They are also so loyal to their master
that if the master is unhorsed in battle, the horse will fight and protect its
fallen master.”

“Wow, I don’t
think Sky would do that for me,” Erik said.

“No,” Lord
Lokton agreed, “but Sky was bred for other purposes.”

“How will I know
which horse to choose?” Erik asked.

“That is
something you will have to feel inside you,” Lord Lokton replied. “Come, we
should be on our way.”

*****

“House Cedreau
wishes to welcome House Lokton, and other distinguished guests,” Lord Cedreau
greeted as he exited the manor.

“Lord Cedreau,
we thank you for your hospitality,” Lord Lokton replied.

Erik noted that
both men seemed to be merely going through the motions. There was no sincerity
in either’s words.

“I have gathered
the horses for Erik to choose from,” Lord Cedreau announced. “Please, follow me
to the west corral.”

“I trust you
gathered
all
of the horses,” the magistrate said.

“Of course.”
Lord Cedreau bristled. “Save only the horses
that already have riders. As you know, our horses are loyal to one master for
their entire lives.”

“That is well,”
Lord Lokton said knowingly. “We expected only those horses without masters.”

Lord Cedreau
nodded shrewdly and led them all to the west corral. Erik was astonished at the
size of it. At first he saw only a small, fenced in area around a large barn,
but as they walked closer Erik realized that the fence extended down a gently
sloping hill for several acres beyond the barn. Inside the fence were hundreds
of strong, majestic horses.

“We sell our
horses to knights throughout the kingdom,” Lord Cedreau stated. “I am certain
that Erik will find one that is suitable for him.”

“How do I know
if a horse already has a rider?” Erik asked. Lord Cedreau sneered at him and
Erik felt stupid for asking.

“Horses with
masters have a set of colored beads woven into their mane, just behind the left
ear,” Lord Cedreau replied. “But don’t concern yourself with that. All of the
horses in the west corral are available. All of the horses that already have
masters are in the small corral over there.” Lord Cedreau pointed to another
corral on the north side of the manor. It was only a fraction of the size of
the west corral and Erik noted that there were only thirty or forty horses
there. “Please, don’t be shy. Go and select a horse,” Lord Cedreau said.

“Your spirits
seemed to have lifted, Lord Cedreau,” the magistrate commented as Erik slipped
through the corral fence and slowly walked among the horses.

“Yes, well,
let’s just say that I’ve had some time to cool down a bit,” Lord Cedreau
replied.

Erik could hear
them talking, but he chose to tune them out. He had seen enough of Lord
Cedreau’s behavior to know that his current gestures were anything but genuine.
No doubt he had some plan already in motion to pay back House Lokton for the
slight he received at the Konn Deta. Erik was just thankful that Lord Cedreau
had not seen what happened with the cloak.

A large,
chestnut colored horse snorted and hoofed the ground. The horse’s behavior was
enough to bring Erik’s mind back to the task at hand. He checked the chestnut
horse first. He admired the coloring of the large beast. The head was light
chestnut with a diamond shaped area of white between the eyes. The rest of the
massive body was darker brown, save for the white feathering on the back of the
legs.

“That’s a fine
horse,” Lord Cedreau called out.

Erik nodded and
kept walking through the herd. He studied each horse as he walked. He noted not
only each horses color, but also its size, conformation, and how it reacted to
him. Some of the horses shied away, others watched him and stood still like
four-legged sentinels, but most seemed indifferent to him. He walked among the
animals for close to an hour before returning to his father.

“Did you find
one you like?” Lord Lokton asked.

Erik noticed
that his father and the magistrate were standing much farther from Lord Cedreau
than when he left them.

“I can’t
decide,” Erik replied with a shrug.

“Are you saying
that my horses aren’t good enough for you, boy?” Lord Cedreau quipped. A pair
of stable hands snickered.

Erik didn’t miss
a beat. “On the contrary, Lord Cedreau,” he replied. “It is more that they are
all of such quality that it is hard to decide between them.” Erik watched how
his words disarmed Lord Cedreau’s anger and replaced it with a hint of pride.

“Well then, just
pick any of them, boy, they are all fine animals,” Lord Cedreau said.

Lord Lokton
bristled and turned to address Lord Cedreau, but Erik beat him to it.

“Lord Cedreau,
with respect, it is customary to call me Master Lokton, as I have passed
through my Konn Deta. The ring on my finger should remind all who see it of
that fact.”

“Well said,” the
magistrate whispered to no one in particular.

Lord Cedreau
glowered at Erik, but the young man stood tall and returned the glare with
unflinching confidence. “My apologies, Master Lokton, it must have slipped my
mind.” The words were dripping with venom, but Erik did not balk. He turned
back to Lord Lokton, who was beaming ear to ear with a proud grin.

“You do need to
choose a horse, Master Lokton,” the magistrate insisted.

Erik nodded and
looked back at the horses in the corral. His eyes fell back upon the chestnut
stallion with the diamond on its forehead. He was about to choose it, but was
stopped by a commotion in the other corral.

All of the
horses were snorting and baying. One horse in particular was making a lot of
noise. Erik quickly followed Lord Cedreau and the stable hands as they ran over
to the other corral. As they got closer he saw a great, solid black stallion
rearing back on its hind legs and pawing the air with its front hooves.

“What spooked
it?” Lord Cedreau asked.

“I’m not sure,”
one of the stable hands replied.

Erik watched the
two stable hands try to calm the horse, but their presence only seemed to
further agitate it.

Erik climbed up
on the fence to get a better look. Lord Lokton put his hand on Erik’s shoulder,
but Erik shrugged it off and hopped into the corral. He cautiously approached
the horse, ignoring everyone’s shouted warnings. Erik walked closer, not even
flinching as the giant horse kicked one of the stable hands and sent him flying
through the air.

“Easy boy,” Erik
coaxed. The horse reared again and came down hard on its front legs. Dust
erupted around Erik, but he paid no mind. Something inside told him that he was
safe. There was a connection between him and the horse. Erik looked the horse
in the eye for a moment and then, unafraid, reached out with his hand. The horse
snorted and then dropped its head to Erik’s hand. Erik petted the horse behind
the ear and then realized that there were no beads.

“I want this
horse,” Erik said to the magistrate.

“That horse is
spoken for,” Lord Cedreau barked.

“There are no
beads in his mane,” Erik replied.

“Who is the
horse’s master?” the magistrate asked.

“He belongs to
my son,” Lord Cedreau boomed.

“Has this horse
been ridden by your son?” the magistrate asked.

Lord Cedreau
jabbed the air hard with his finger, pointing at the horse as he fumed. “This
horse was bred and trained specifically for Timon,” Lord Cedreau growled. “He
is spoken for. Master Erik can choose from the other horses, but not this one.”

“Answer my
question,” the magistrate demanded. “Has this horse been ridden?”

Veins throbbed
in Lord Cedreau’s forehead. Erik swore that the man was going to explode on the
spot. “No,” Lord Cedreau growled at last. “He has not yet been ridden.”

“Then Master
Erik has the right to choose this horse,” the magistrate declared.

“Lord Lokton,
tell your son to choose another horse,” Lord Cedreau insisted.

Lord Lokton
shook his head. “The deal was that my son could choose any horse that did not
yet have a master. As this horse does not have one yet, although he may be
intended for your son, Master Erik has the right to choose him. Speak with him
if you wish to make a new arrangement.”

Lord Cedreau
clenched his jaw tight. Erik could tell that Lord Cedreau wanted to say
something else to his adopted father. Something very unkind by the looks of it,
but Lord Cedreau didn’t say anything more. He stared at Lord Lokton for a long
while, throwing daggers with his cold eyes, before finally turning to him. Lord
Cedreau grabbed the top rail of the fence, exhaled heavily and took a new
breath before speaking to him. “Perhaps I could persuade you to choose a
different horse? I could even throw in something else to sweeten the deal, what
do you say?”

Erik thought for
a moment. He didn’t want to cause more bad blood between his adopted father and
Lord Cedreau, but he also felt that this horse was choosing him as much as he
was choosing it. He turned back to the horse and looked into the deep, brown
eyes. The horse gently nudged Erik with its massive head. “I choose this
horse.”

“I will not
forget this, Lord Lokton,” Lord Cedreau growled. “As soon as the horse is
ready, I want all of you off my land, and don’t you ever come back.” There was
harshness to his words that Erik had not detected before. Erik looked to his
adopted father, wondering what his response would be.

Lord Lokton
smiled slyly. “So, am I to understand that you will not be joining the hunt
today?”

Lord Cedreau
spat on the ground and stormed off.

“Get your horse
son,” Lord Lokton said, turning to him. “It’s time to go home.”

Erik moved his
saddle from the paint horse to his new horse. He had to loosen the strap all
the way to the last notch to reach around the horse’s massive body, and even
then the saddle didn’t quite fit right.

“We’ll need a
new saddle,” Erik said.

“We have one in
the stable at home that should fit,” Lord Lokton replied. “What’re you going to
call him?”

Erik jumped into
the saddle and grabbed the reins.
“Goliath.”
Erik
gently tapped his heels into the horse’s side and Goliath trotted obediently
around the corral.

“Seems to be obedient
now,” the magistrate commented as he watched Erik ride the horse.

“Apparently it
just needed the right master,” Lord Lokton agreed with a nod.

After a few
minutes Lord Lokton opened the corral door and Erik rode out. Erik pulled on
the reins and stopped Goliath while he waited for his adopted father and the
magistrate to mount their own horses.

“I’ll pull Sky
along with me,” Lord Lokton said. He held a guide rope in his left hand and led
the paint horse down the road. “You can go ahead if you like, son.”

“Do you think
the saddle will hold if I let him run?” Erik asked.

Lord Lokton came
up beside and yanked on the saddle a few times. “We’ll put the bigger saddle on
for the hunt, but this should hold if you want to let loose a little. Just keep
an eye on it, and don’t go too fast.”