Snow Dragon, page 18
“It’s almost time for our meeting,” Lilly reminded them after greeting Shilayla’s return with genuine warmth. “I’ve been thinking of a route to the council chamber that is large enough for you, milady,” she said to the dragon. “If you’ll both follow me, I’ll take you around to the west entrance.”
While Lilly led them through the castle via hallways tall enough for Shilayla to pass comfortably, Luc and his heartmate spoke silently of what she had seen. They’d been in communication for some time already before she had landed, but Luc hadn’t spoken of the dire news she brought to Lilly yet. Better she hear it along with her King. Nevertheless, Luc knew his expression had to be stormy. Luckily, Lilly was too preoccupied ferrying them through the hallways to notice.
When they arrived at the council chamber, a place had been cleared for Shilayla to sit in the middle of the floor, with narrow tables around her in a U-shape. Luc was pleased by the King’s—or perhaps his steward’s—thoughtfulness. The arrangement would make it much easier for Shilayla to participate. Luc knew, once the assembled strategists heard what she had to report, she would be the focus of attention until they had learned all she could tell them.
“Lady Shilayla, welcome back to our court,” Alric began formally. “Please tell us what you have discovered?”
“Your Majesty,” Shilayla began in her silent speech, speaking to all those who could hear her in the room. “First, I must explain that it is very rare for people to be able to hear me speak. I know that you can, as can Lilly and Luc, of course, but may I ask…” She turned her head to look at the other men in the room. “Can you hear me, Captain? General?”
To Luc’s surprise, both men nodded. Jimnel spoke first. “It is a strange thing to hear a dragon speak, but I can.”
“As can I,” General Brighton agreed. “Though, I will confess, I am also able to communicate with virkin, the small creatures in Elderland that fly. Of course, I do not compare you, milady, with such tiny beings, but I have been told that it is a rare skill to be able to communicate with them, and perhaps, that is related in some way.”
Shilayla tilted her head and bowed it slightly in acknowledgment. “I am glad to be able to speak plainly rather than through my heartmate for the news I bear is grave.” She turned back to address the King. “King Alric, there is a mercenary army gathering in the wasteland. They hide in some of the ice caverns I was sent to explore, and many of the merc companies are openly camping on the land. Their campfires stretched far into the distance when I spied them last night, and this morning, it was clear from above, that many have been living and training there for some time. They’ve established encampments with pathways connecting them to food and water sources. Almost like small towns with operating smithies, taverns and other support structures. From above, the paths that have been ground down to bare dirt in many cases look to be months old. The foundations of roads and cart tracks.”
“How far back did your accounting clerk check the road fee records?” Alric asked the general crisply.
“Only a season.” General Brighton’s expression darkened. “I will have him go farther back in the records, My Liege, and I apologize for not realizing this could have been going on for a lot longer than I thought.”
Alric held up a calming hand. “Do not berate yourself, General. None of us thought this kind of thing could happen under our very noses. I’m sure there is plenty of blame to go around, starting and ending with me. I’m supposed to be able to foresee problems before they get this advanced.”
“Not if your sight is being interfered with, sire,” Lilly said softly. “I saw how it affected the seers under the Veil. If the same kind of thing has been sent against you—and I believe it must have been more subtle or you would have sensed it as you sensed what was sent against those under the Veil—then you are not to blame.”
“You are kind to say so, Lilly,” Alric replied, “but I am ultimately responsible for what happens in the kingdom. Otherwise, what good is having a King at all?” Alric shook his head and chuckled wryly. “Regardless of blame, we need to come up with a plan for how to fix this. I have foreseen my city overrun, and I do not like it one bit. We must stop it. We will stop it.”
The door to the council chamber opened, and Zallra walked in. “Forgive me, Your Majesty,” she said almost at once. “I was delayed meeting with my brethren in the city, and I bring news.”
“Be welcome, Lady Zallra,” Alric replied graciously. “Tell me what you have learned.”
“King Alric, the news is grave,” she began, walking to stand beside Shilayla to face the King and his council. “The Jinn have already evacuated the city for the most part. Families and people with no fighting skills have left their homes and businesses to others who may be of some help to us in the coming trials. It is not commonly known outside the Jinn Brotherhood, but we have fighting companies made up of loyal Jinn fighters. They train together and travel separately wherever we need them to go. The elders who watch over your city requested cadres of fighters be moved in quietly over the past year or so, and they have taken the places of our non-combatant brethren.” Zallra nodded to both the captain and the general. “It is a great secret among our people, but as our Queen has said many times, the time for secrets is at an end. Our fighters are seasoned by going out among the best of the merc companies and learning their craft. They retire to bring back that knowledge and skill to our people while the younger fighters go out to learn the same way. There are even a few mercenary companies made up wholly of our brethren, though few would realize it. Even now, some of them are gathered in the wasteland, biding their time and sending back as much information as they dare to the spymaster based in your city.”
“More and more, I believe I need to meet this spymaster of yours, milady,” Alric said in a tone filled with irony.
“I have set the meeting for this very night, Your Majesty,” Zallra said, bowing her head slightly. “The spymaster will meet with you, and you alone, for this first conference. If all goes well, they may be open to working with the others present here today, but caution has served our people well, and we are loath to be hasty.”
“Understood, milady. I will take the meeting with no expectations, but with high hopes that we can come to some understanding.” Alric set his jaw, and Luc found even more to respect about this King who did not assume all should go his way just because of his position.
Luc felt so strongly, he was inclined to speak up. “Your Majesty, my heartmate and I have discussed what we have learned as emissaries to your land and will recommend full cooperation and alliance with the warriors under the Veil.”
Shilayla nodded. “I have already sent word back to that effect, Your Majesty. I expect you will learn soon of the rest of the Council’s decision.”
Luc was surprised by Shi’s claim. He hadn’t known she could communicate over such a distance. Of course, there were things the dragons kept to themselves. Every once in a while, he stumbled over one of them. This just happened to be one of those times.
“Regardless of what they decide, Luc and I will stay and help. Even one dragon can have a great effect.” Shilayla pledged.
“Make that two dragons,” Zallra added her voice to Shilayla’s. “The Black Dragon Clan stands with you, King Alric. I have sent word for help from my kin, but it will take some time for them to get here. If trouble comes before that, however, know that I will not abandon you or your people. From all that I have seen and learned since coming here and talking with my brethren of other Clans in your city, this is a place worthy of preserving, and your rule a good one for your people. I would see it continue, if it is within my capabilities.”
Alric sat up straighter. He swallowed once before speaking, as if to tamp down the emotion filling him.
“Your words do me great honor,” Alric said slowly, in a strong voice. “A great honor I had not expected but cherish, nonetheless. Thank you, Lady Shilayla, Sir Lucassian and Lady Zallra. I value your confidence in me and my people, and I will work to see it is not misplaced.”
The war council went on most of the day, breaking only for meals. Alric retreated to his private rooms to eat out of sight while the others were shown to a smaller antechamber that had been laid with a buffet for them. Shilayla had hunted on her way back from her reconnaissance mission and was content to eat what she probably considered tidbits—whole melons and a basket of apples—that thoughtful servants had brought for her.
Lilly took careful note of all the information given, yet she was still surprised when the young clerk who had been gathering data for General Brighton was summoned to give his report on the new figures he’d been asked to find. The young man had gone beyond even the last two seasons to find that large mercenary groups had been traveling into the wasteland for more than a year. In addition, he’d tallied all other groups traveling into that area and surmised that the mercenaries could, indeed, have set up whole towns and support systems in the time they’d been gathering, which supported what Shilayla had seen.
By dinnertime, they had a rather depressing survey of what faced them. They also had the beginnings of a defensive plan, though it was rather grim. The kingdom simply didn’t have enough manpower in its own army to repel a group of seasoned veterans of that size. Shilayla admitted that she’d contacted the Veil dragons from the far reaches of the wasteland, which was much closer to her home than they were in the capital city. Her range did not extend far enough to get additional communications to those under the Veil without her traveling some distance northward.
Since she had already sent her view of the situation, there was little point in sending her away from the capital right now. Help would either come—or not—depending on what the Council of Elders decided. Luc was certain that, based on his opinion, which Shilayla had sent them along with her own, they would send something. Whether it was a few dragons or the entire Guard contingent, he had no way of knowing. They would not know what help was on the way until they got into communication distance with Shilayla, and they’d just have to deal with that, for now.
Alric left the room to seek his private dinner, leaving the others to seek sustenance with the court. The captain and general went to their respective commands while Zallra went back into the city to her Jinn brethren. Shilayla went flying to learn more about the lay of the land around the city, or so she claimed, leaving Luc and Lilly to put on brave faces while dining with the court. The last thing they wanted to do was alarm Alric’s nobles. So far, it seemed none of them knew about the threat of war. It had been decided to let that false notion persist. After all, if any of the nobility was in league with those who were plotting against Alric, they might show their hand if left to their own devices for a bit longer.
However, Alric had taken steps to call in people and herds from the farthest border regions under the guise of an early census. He wanted those most vulnerable away from the lands that would be the most likely to be overrun first. There was grumbling from the lords who ruled over those lands in Alric’s name, but the request wasn’t so out of the ordinary as to lead to suspicion or rebellion.
There was a new face at dinner, seated at Luc and Lilly’s table. Lord Orthan was a large man dressed in colorful silks that did not really suit him. Lilly knew of him through his sons, who had both trained with her father. The sons had been bullies when they arrived at her father’s hall for training and had left much the same way, though she liked to think they’d learned a bit of humility at her father’s hands. Lord Orthan made a point to monopolize Luc in conversation throughout the meal, asking all sorts of questions about his land and his people.
He might sound simply curious to most people, but Lilly felt a prickle of irritation when he asked leading questions that probed the military strength of those living under the Veil. Luc was too clever to reveal much of anything to the nobleman, Lilly was happy to note. Orthan might just be a nosey bore, but his manner annoyed her enough so that when dinner was over, she was relieved to be able to escape his presence.
Orthan tried to waylay Luc by inviting him to an after-dinner gathering, but Luc declined and followed Lilly out of the great hall. They had both agreed to stand watch with the Castle Guard as the King met with the Jinn spymaster.
And so it was, sometime later that, under cover of darkness, Lilly stood at Alric’s side in the garden. There were only two small lanterns, mostly shuttered, and they were in the area where the Jinn visitor would stand. The light would be on the spymaster, not on the Blind King. Alric did not need the light, and if there was trouble, the only light in the dark garden would be on the visitor. There were guards stationed all around, though none were where they could see the Jinn spymaster or hear the conversation.
Lilly was tasked, as she had been many times before, with her King’s safety. She had never been solely responsible before, but she felt up to the task, especially knowing that a full squad of King’s guards were within shouting distance and would come on the double should anyone speak above conversational tones. Shilayla was lounging within the bower structure and would stay there during the meeting. Should something go amiss, she would be first on-scene to protect the King.
Luc was with the guardsmen, on the other side of the tall hedges. Only Lilly stood within the meeting space, and she would leave, as well, when Zallra gave her the signal. This first meeting had to be as private as possible, but the Jinn had agreed to the dragon’s presence, and Zallra would be there, as well. Lilly wanted to stay, but Alric had assured her that he would be all right. Whether that was just wishful thinking on his part or a true vision of the future, she wasn’t sure. She hoped it was the latter, of course.
When Zallra entered the area of the garden chosen for this meeting, she caught Lilly’s eye and nodded. Lilly knew she had to go, but she spared a moment to alert Alric to her departure.
“My Liege, Lady Zallra is returned and has given me the signal. I will retreat to stand behind the bushes. All you have to do is call out, and we will come running. And you can communicate with Shilayla silently, should you have need. She is reclining within the bower to your left.” The Jinn had offered no objection to a dragon learning the identity of the spymaster, oddly enough.
Alric reached for Lilly’s hand and squeezed her fingers gently. “I know, Lilly. And I thank you for your concern, but all will be well. Go now, and do not fear.”
He let go of her hand, and she left, her heart heavy. She didn’t like leaving him so vulnerable. He was more than her King. He was her friend. He had been her friend from childhood, and it was hard for her to allow him to put himself in danger of any kind, but she respected him too much to go against his wishes. She retreated to the opening in the hedge and ducked around the edge of the dense shrubbery.
Luc was waiting there for her, and she went to stand next to him, facing away from where the meeting would take place, as agreed. Although she strained her ears to hear what transpired, she could not hear much. There were only low murmurs of voices that she could not identify—not even to say if the speakers were male or female.
Minutes went by as Lilly practically held her breath, but eventually, Alric raised his voice—not in alarm, but in request. He commanded Jimnel to join them and the Captain of the Guard went, as ordered. More murmuring and words Lilly could not hear passed, and then, it was over.
Alric summoned Lilly to tell her to dismiss the Guard. She found neither Jimnel nor the spymaster still present when she attended her King. Only Zallra remained, and Shilayla hadn’t moved and looked as if she was truly asleep. Alric told Lilly that Zallra and he would go in together and that the Guard need not remain any longer.
Lilly watched the dragon-woman and her King walk away together and then shook her head and went to do Alric’s bidding. Apparently, the meeting had been a success, but he was playing his cards close to his vest, for now. That was his prerogative, of course. He was the King, after all.
She dismissed the rest of the guards and found Luc had followed her. She wasn’t displeased by his presence at all. Far from it. She liked that he had sought her out and stayed to see her safely returned to the castle.
“How do you feel about taking a stroll through the dark gardens with me?” he asked, his eyes gleaming playfully in the dusky night.
“I believe I would enjoy that,” she replied, feeling like a coquette for the first time in her life. There was something about Luc that brought out her flirtatious side.
“Shilayla told me the meeting was a success, but more than that, she will not disclose,” Luc spoke softly as they began their stroll around the deserted gardens.
The last of the guardsmen had taken the lanterns with them, but the moon was out, and there was enough light to see where they were going. The hedges stood tall around them, making sharp angles with the paving that had been put in for Alric’s safety. The walkways were kept meticulously flat, with no protruding stones that could trip up the Blind King. Likewise, any dirt, leaves or other obstacles were kept clear of the pathways by a team of gardeners who checked every path twice a day—more often when seeds, nuts or leaves fell from the trees onto the paths.
“I confess I was surprised when Lady Zallra allowed your heartmate to witness the meeting, but I suspect the dragons know how to keep secrets better than most people,” Lilly mused.
“You can say that again,” Luc agreed. “Our heartmates are dear to us, but we all know that there are things they will not share with us. The elders say that is probably for the best and trust the wisdom of the dragons to know what to tell us, and when.”
They passed one of the bakers coming from the kitchen garden, who had a basket full of rosemary in his arms. Lilly knew there would be rosemary loaves at breakfast, which were among her favorites. She smiled at the baker, and he nodded back as he went on his way. Luc turned them away from the castle, toward the deeper parts of the garden, where Lilly knew they wouldn’t be disturbed at this time of night.
