The Dragon Ring Ch. 01

One

First a word in praise of my Editor; meathead96, who has done a hero's job in correcting my punctuation and grammar

It is set in a world where a day is twenty six hours, the sun bluer, years longer and the seasons less harsh.

All characters are older than eighteen earth years.

*

I was startled awake by the master's dragonlet. It's keening cry piercing my head like a knife. Jumping out of bed I rushed down to my master's study, where the creature was kept. As I approached the window where it was perched, I saw the raiders in the fields outside the castle walls. I looked to the main gate and saw that they had overwhelmed the guards on night patrol. How they had done it was beyond my knowledge. I ran to my master's bedchamber to awaken him. Unfortunately he was already up, almost colliding with me at the chambers entrance. He told me to go to the king and protect him. I ran down the stairs of our tower three steps at a time.

Our soldiers, Surprised and unarmoured, were emerging from their barracks to meet the surging wave of invaders. I dodged my way through the skirmishes, alarmed at how many of our men were already fallen on the battlefield. Making it to the kitchen's entrance, well away from the assault on the main door, I pelted up the servants stairs. I entered the King's chambers only to find that it was full of raiders, looting the king's chests and cupboards.

As they saw me, I created the illusion that I was an old crone in servant's rags, who scuttled away at a wave of a sword. I raced up the next level, changing my guise to that of an upstairs maid. Through the open door of the bedchamber I could hear screams, and the sound of a man laughing. Crouching I peeked through the door.

There were three raiders there; one stood with his back to me unbuckling his belt, the two others were knelt upon the bed holding the struggling Princess down. I looked around the door into the rest of the room, it was empty.

There by the main door was a fallen defender, bow still in hand and his arrows scattered from the quiver. I looked back to the bed, the thin wiry one had his feet on hers pinning them to the ground while he was letting his trousers drop, I looked to where the arrows lay and focused my mind, seeing its elements, it's iron wood and feather. I looked from the arrow to the man, tracing the path it must take. Then narrowing my eyes on the arrow, I created the image of it flying into his buttocks.

The arrow I had selected rose slowly from the ground as I exerted my will, then flew swiftly to pierce the muscle of his thigh. He screamed and clawed at it, releasing her feet. The other two were startled and distracted from the struggling Princess as they saw their companion topple.

As they scrambled from the bed. I selected another arrow. Focusing on the nearer man, I loosed the arrow at him, seeing it lodge in his leather jerkin. They were on their feet and drawing their swords as the naked Princess sat up still screaming.

The fat one gave her a back handed blow, which sent her sprawling back across the bed as they made their way to the main door.

As they peered cautiously round the door, the thin one was grasping the ankle of the Princess, pulling her from the bed.

As the two disappeared beyond the door I rushed over and slammed it shut, dropping the crossbar into place. The Princess was kicking furiously at the hand that gripped her ankle, as I rushed to help her free herself. Pulling the man's dagger from its sheath at his shoulder, I plunged it into his belly, leaving him screaming wildly.

The main door gave a crack as the two outside tried to force it open.

The thin man released her, clutching at the dagger still stuck in his stomach.

I grabbed the Princess's arm and pulled her to the servant's door.

"Girl wait! I need my clothes." She still seemed disorientated.

The main door gave another crack as the thuds of the bodies hitting it forced it in, bending the crossbar.

I shut my eyes briefly and she was clothed in a sleeping shift.

"Come; that door will not hold them for long." I ordered pulling her once more to the open door before us.

"Wait." She resisted.

"Come if you value your life," I shouted, and she allowed herself to be dragged out and down the servant's stairs.

We made it down the stairs and I paused at the door to the servant's hall. There were raiders in here, raping the servant girls and causing mayhem. I changed my appearance to that of the wiry man I had slain upstairs. The Princess looked in amazement.

"Magician," she uttered as I dragged her into the servants hall. I strode purposely across the hall, still with the princess in tow, and straight into the storerooms, where yet more raiders lingered, searching through the chaos of broken racks and bottles for remnants of the wine and beer once stored there.

Safely at the back of the store I sought the ladder to the stables, climbing up to the granary where the equinininys feed was kept. The place looked deserted, I scouted round, even the stable hands that slept here had gone. The safest place was atop the haystack, pushing her in front of me we climbed to the top.

I relaxed, releasing the stress inside me. At the same time I inadvertently let the illusion of her clothes, and my disguise as a raider, slip from my mind. A mistake no novice should make. She cried out and I rudely thrust my hand across her mouth.

"Quiet," I hissed in her ear, "You'll have them upon us."

She looked imperiously at me, her hands covering her breasts and private parts.

I quickly recreated her shift. She stepped back and slapped me hard across the face.

"That is for looking at me naked," she snarled.

I was stunned. I had rescued her from certain desecration and probable death, and all that was important to her was her dignity?

"Why have you dragged me here, hiding like raticus from the kitchen scattercat?" she pouted.

"Look you out on the courtyard," I said pointedly. "Your father's forces are defeated and the keep is taken."

"No matter," she said. "Prince Hallit will ransom me."

"Prince Hallit will not hear of this in days," I whispered hoarsely, "And will not care for a bride who has been despoiled by the hands of these invaders."

She looked at me silently, a look of fear creeping into her eyes.

I left her and scaled the wall into the loft. There I spied out the land.

The moon was high in the sky casting its light over the scene. All around our soldiers lay dead or dying. The angle of the greater moon showed that there was but six hours of darkness left.

The loft had a hoist that let down outside the outer walls. Peering through the hatch, a studied view revealed no raiders to be seen.

I retreated back down to the Princess who was huddled sulking in the corner, knees drawn up, hands clasping her ankles.

"I am cold here. Get me some warm clothes."

I looked at her in the gloom of the stables, feeling still the sting of her blow. Dutifully I crawled across to her, creating a cloak and passing it to her.

"I am going to investigate the kitchens and see if I can liberate some food and drink," I said. "We need to make good our escape before the morn."

She scowled at me and I left her there.

The storeroom was in near darkness, a single guttering candle lighting the scene. Spoilt food littered the ground, nearly tripping me twice, as my eyes gained their night vision.

The bakery held several loaves and I stuffed these into a flour sack. Rummaging further, I found the soldiers field rations; dried strips of meat, hard biscuits and cheese. These too went into the sack. The wine racks were mostly fallen and empty but for broken bottles, but in the corner I found several stone flagons of cider. I doubled back to the bakery and retrieved another flour sack, returning to bag four of the flagons, and a bottle of plum brandy, that had miraculously survived being tossed among them.

Back in the stables I left my booty against the hay. Then donning the illusion of a scattercat, I made my way cautiously into the courtyard. I wandered round the bodies, collecting a few coins from the purses and a fine woollen cloak from the captain, before scuttling back.

Donning the cloak, I hauled the load up to the loft before going back to collect the Princess.

She was in a foul mood. "Where have you been, what took you so long?"

I hushed her; the look on her face would have withered a serving girl at twenty paces.

"We must ascend to the loft." I informed her, "From there we may escape to the Equinininyshoe woods."

I turned to go but she called me back.

"Boy, help me up." I proffered my hand and she stiffly stood.

I had a fine view of her slim form as, hands on her ass cheeks, I pushed her into clambering up the slatted wall into the loft.

She chastised me once more. "You shall not touch me without permission."

I merely smiled at her and made my way over to the hoist. I lifted the rope from the runner and spun the pulley, listening for creaks. Fortunately they kept it well greased and it made barely a sound.

"Right," I said. "I shall lower you first then the sacks then I shall descend."

She pulled her imaginary cloak tighter; the wind blowing through the hatch had a chill to it.

The outside wall was in darkness, the moon having descended to a quarter of the sky now. All was in our favour. I pulled the rope up and made a loop for her to stand in.

"Put your right foot in there and grip the rope tightly." I instructed her. Taking her weight as she complied I swung her out off the platform.

I lowered her slowly, waiting for her to free herself as she touched ground with her left foot. The sacks followed swiftly on.

She stood there dumbly as I waited for her to untie them. I had to prompt her with a loud whisper before she grumblingly obeyed. I tied the rope to one of the beams and finally slipped down hand over hand to join her.

I handed her the lighter sack with the food in it and she looked at me blankly.

"Carry it... it contains what little food I could find."

A look of anger clouded her face.

"You carry it! I don't do menial tasks. That's for servants." she stated.

"There are no servants here and, if you do not carry the food, you shall go hungry," I said plainly.

She still refused the sack I proffered. I growled at her before setting off along the wall.

After a few moments she called to me.

"Boy. Could you conjure me some shoes, the stones on the path are hurting my feet."

I looked back at her in the gloom, gingerly walking on her toes as she tried to avoid the sharp flints that made up the track. I took pity and conjured up a pair of stout boots directly onto her feet.

Safely into the edge woods I saw the first flush of sunrise colour the sky.

Our foot marks were clearly visible in the meadow dew where we had crossed. I comforted myself, knowing that the rising sun would soon obliterate them.

We pressed on in deeper, me looking for a tall dense conifer, where we could pass the day in safety. The sun was fully up and my charge was complaining again before I found a suitable tree.

"In here," I said gruffly as I carefully parted the lower branches, taking care not to damage them and leave a tell tale clue as to our presence.

She followed. I perched my cloak and sacks on one of the sturdier branches and climbed a few steps up the tree. I motioned her to come closer and reached out my hand to help her ascend.

"Why are we stopping here?" she asked.

"We are going to hide out for the day in case they are still searching for us," I answered.

Her cloak flapped open as she reached up to take my hand, giving me a first good look at her figure as the shift outlined her breasts and hips. My look gave me away as she snatched her hand back and firmly wrapped the cloak about her.

"Sorry." I murmured as I visualised something more practical. A grooms thick trousers and heavy shirt flashed into being, matching the boots.

She continued to scowl as we climbed mid way up the tree to a convenient fork. I left her there while I made a further two trips, bringing up the food and drink along with my cloak.

Her mood was still no better when I sat astraddle one of the branches and fished out one of the flagons, taking a long pull of its sweet contents.

She held her hand out expectantly, as I wiped the dribbles from my chin with the back of my hand.

"I said you would starve if you didn't help carry the sacks," I reminded her.

Her eyes blazed.

"You forget I am a Princess, it is not for me to do these menial tasks," she responded, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"It is for you to do as I ask," I stated. "If we are to survive the hard days ahead we must work together and share the tasks."

She clamped her teeth together and turned, almost falling from the branch she was perched on. I almost dropped the cider as I grabbed for her arm.

"Don't do that again," I cried, as she grabbed my hand to steady herself. Her face was whitened with fright as she clung tightly to my hand, "You will give me apoplexy if you die here still in my charge."

I smiled at her as she calmed down.

Freeing my hand I stoppered the jug, passing it over to her.

Passing the jug back after taking a small drink, she squeezed her way round the trunk. Placing her hand on my shoulder, she eased her legs down to straddle the branch. She was facing me with her back to the tree.

A bird to the left squawked in alarm. I placed my fingers to my lips and hers to hush any query she might make.

Sitting in silence for the next ten minutes whilst we strained our ears as to what disturbed the bird. We heard voices in the distance and later an equinininy whinny close to us.

We stayed silent for the next half hour but heard nothing more.

She leant forward and whispered in my ear,

"I need to toilet."

"You'll have to do it here... gently against the tree so's it don't splash and make a noise," I whispered back.

"Wh...," she squealed as I clamped my hand over her mouth. She looked at me indignantly,

"I'll close my eyes, "I said in hushed tones and shut them tight, placing my hands over them in good faith.

Her clothes vanished as I dropped the illusion and I heard another "Eek." Then a complaint, "You should have let me turn round first."

I returned her clothes and watched as she hugged the branch, moving closer to me. Reaching out for my hand to steady herself, she swung her legs over and around. I let her clothes dissolve again.

With her foot on one of the lower branches, using it for leverage, she pulled her body close to the trunk. I heard the flow begin. The soft sound of it gushing finally ended and, eyes still closed, I gave her a second or two to move away, before reclothing her.

She looked over her shoulder at me, she was faintly blushing, her cheeks a pastel pink.

We spent several more silent hours camped up the tree, consuming a loaf of bread and a healthy portion of the cheese, washed down liberally with the cider.

She was more than slightly drunk when I deemed it safe to come down out the tree. With the sun overhead I reasoned the search had long passed us, and in all probability, the searchers returned home for refreshment.

I helped her down carefully leaving her sitting at the trunk, still concealed by the low hanging branches.

To be safe I cast the illusion that she was a part of the trunk.

I climbed twice more to retrieve our remaining food and drink.

Rousing her I donned the guise of a senior friar of the order of Mother; a gray habit with a brown hood and a green sash about my waist.

As to the Princess, I made her a novitiate; with an all white robe and a green sash. Her appearance was of a callow overweight youth, such as might be a younger son of a noble family.

I gave her the food sack to carry and, to my delight she made no complaint.

Her spirit was somewhat brighter, and some of her inhibitions gone, as she enquired about me and my past.

I told her that my mother had died birthing me and of my father I knew not. The wizard had recognised a spark in me and taken me into his care, when I was but one year old. From my tenth birthday he had trained me in the art of magic, making me his apprentice at the legal age of twelve.

I had mastered illusion, gift of the Father, and at the age of eighteen, I had become an adept. Ready to venture forth as a journeyman and learn more of the world, before returning for further training in the more esoteric arts of controlling the physical world, gift of the Mother.

My master had already given me some training in the differing mental skills, in private, after matins on a Sunday. But I lacked the practiced concentration to exercise the skill fully.

We had headed north all the while and had come to a small stream. As I kneeled to drink an equinininyman emerged from the trees on the other side.

From the side of my mouth I spat the words, "Say nothing."

I faced the advancing rider.

"May the holy family bless you," I intoned.

"Father," the rider acknowledged.

"I follow the mother," I replied holding up the sash, "May she bless you with her bounty."

"I seek a young girl, lost in the woods. Have you seen her in your wanderings?"

"Alas no," came my answer.

From the woods behind him a ragged line of men materialised.

"She may have a companion."

"I have seen no one since morning, up in the high fields we saw men on the road below."

"And your companion?"

"We have travelled together; he has seen what I have seen."

"What brings you to this place?"

"I am leading this noviciate on a meditation into the wonders of the Mother."

"Where are you from?"

"From the monastery up beyond the high gate pass.... My son you look troubled, have you need of confession?"

"Thank you, no, I have more pressing needs.... Where do you go now?"

"We head up to the ridge, to sit between the Father and Mother and admire the wondrous beauty of the world."

"Go in peace," he said.

"May the family protect you," I intoned in response, making the sign of the four circles contained in the larger one.

He wheeled his mount and crossed downstream from me, followed by the line of men.

I bent to drink and listened to the noise fade into the woods behind us. When I had drunk my fill we resumed our trek north, keeping a keen ear for sounds of pursuit.

It was nearly half an hour later that I considered we were safe.

We paused to take a rest on a fallen log. I brought out a loaf and more of our cheese and we ate in silence.

Aware of our near scrape, I was still scanning the woods around us, as we ate, in case we had been trailed. We finished up the food with a swig of the cider.

After tidying up I motioned her to continue our journey. In another ten minutes we exited the woods and started up the incline towards the ridge.

She broke our silence.

"Where exactly are we headed?" she asked.

"Up over the ridge and down into the Laarngstoc valley," I replied, "then down to the Slith River, maybe catching a boat down to Boughtnock, then follow the road down to Yipell and your precious Prince. If we're lucky we may do it in two weeks, if not...." I let my voice trail off. She looked at me; her face reflecting her fears of the trip ahead.

"How long will they keep looking?"

"As long as you are alive you are a risk to them. You are the legitimate heir to the kingdom, and can prove it to the grand council."

"So they will be looking for us every step we take." she sighed.

I felt sorry for her with that sad frightened look on her face. I wanted to give her more comfort than words alone could provide.

"We will make it! You have my word on that."

The journey up and over the saddle of the ridge was uneventful, the long gradual slope easy to climb. We rested briefly on the crest before starting the descent.