Five Kingdoms: Book 05 - Fierce Loyalty Read online

  “Ah, that may be the best water I’ve ever tasted,” he said. “Is there more?” Eustice poured more into the cup from a small pitcher.

  “How long was I asleep?”

  Eustice held his fingers close together, almost in a pinching motion. “Not long?” Eustice nodded.

  “That’s good. Is Mansel okay?”

  Eustice nodded again.

  “We’re sailing again, huh? Any sign of the sea monster?”

  This time Eustice shook his head to say no.

  “I want to go up and see the damage for myself,” Zollin said.

  Eustice helped Zollin to his feet and after a moment he felt strong enough to walk. He was tired, but it felt good to stretching his muscles. He drank some more water then went out on the deck while Eustice stayed behind to fix his breakfast.

  Zollin was surprised to see that the deck had been cleared from all the debris and there were two large sails up on the mast he had repaired. There were several sailors lying out in the sunshine on makeshift pallets. Most had thick globs of what appeared to be grease on their wounds. Zollin went straight to the sailor who was checking on the wounded men.

  “What happened?” Zollin asked.

  “Burns mostly,” said the sailor, who was the ship surgeon’s helper. “A few broken bones. Lady Roleena got the worst of it, and those poor souls we lost overboard. I’ve never seen a dragon before. We’d all be dead if it weren’t for you.”

  “That dragon probably attacked because of me,” Zollin admitted. “It’s the not the first time we’ve run into each other. What do you mean Lady Roleena got the worst of it?”

  “Shattered her leg when one of the blocks fell from the rigging. It’s a shame, really. The surgeon had to amputate. Not sure if she’ll make it or not.”

  Zollin’s blood ran cold.

  “Where is she?” he demanded.

  “She’s below, in the sick bay. The healer didn’t want her moved.”

  “Show me,” Zollin said.

  “Alright,” the sailor said, “this way.”

  He led Zollin to the stairwell opposite the entrance to the passenger deck. Zollin looked up at the command deck as they passed it, noticing the captain’s unveiled look of disgust. He ignored it and followed the sailor down into the dark interior of the ship. They moved past several storerooms and finally came to a closed door that Zollin knew was the sick bay. The smell was horrid—a mixture of human waste and putrefied flesh that made Zollin want to vomit.

  “She’s inside,” the sailor said. “The surgeon should be with her.”

  It was hot on the cargo deck, which was below the water line and had very little ventilation. Zollin opened the door, breathing though his mouth to avoid the horrid stench of the sick bay. The room was quiet and dim, with only a single lantern giving any light to the room. The healer was asleep on a small bunk, and on a table stained with blood lay Lady Roleena. She was naked, with only a thin sheet covering her body. Zollin approached her side, feeling sick at the sight of her. Her skin was very white and covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Her lips were almost completely blue and the stump of her left leg, which ended right above the knee, was bleeding through the bandage and staining the sheet.

  Zollin let his magic flow into her and was appalled to discover her organs shutting down. The shock of the amputation had been too much for her and her mind had retreated from the pain. His first order of business was to stop the bleeding in her leg. He knew he could re-attach the limb, although it would take a great deal of time.

  “Healer!” he said sharply. “Wake up!”

  The older sailor stirred and looked up.

  “What?” he asked irritably. “You aren’t supposed to be in here.”

  “What did you do with her leg?” Zollin asked.

  “We threw it overboard,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  “Damn!” Zollin said. “I could have saved her leg. Now she’ll be crippled.”

  “She won’t live, I’m afraid,” the healer said. “I had to amputate, there was no other way to save her life, but she fought us every step of the way. She has a strong constitution, but I wasn’t able to stop the bleeding in time, I’m afraid.”

  “That much is obvious,” Zollin said angrily. “I need water, wine, and food. Send for Eustice—he’s in my cabin but he doesn’t speak. Tell him what I need. He’ll see to it.”

  “What are you planning to do?” the healer asked.

  “Save her life,” Zollin said. “Now, do what I tell you.”

  “I don’t think she needs your sorcery,” he said.

  “Shut up and get out,” Zollin said angrily.

  The ship’s healer looked stern, but he did as he was told. It took nearly an hour to stop the bleeding. Zollin took his time mending the nerve endings and reforming the bone. By the time he stopped, he had mended the end of Roleena’s leg so that there was no scar, and he hoped no pain. She was still unconscious, so he took some time to eat the food Eustice had prepared him. He drank some wine for its rejuvenating effects, but he mostly drank water. His body was still sore, as if he’d worked strenuously for days without rest, but his magic seemed as strong as ever.

  His next task was to increase Roleena’s blood supply. He didn’t create blood for her—instead, he sped up her body’s natural blood making process. Then he coaxed her organs back to health. There was nothing specifically wrong with them, other than a lack of oxygen from the blood loss. Finally, he gently nudged her mind. It took several moments, but finally she woke up.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked her.

  “I had the worst dream,” she said.

  “It wasn’t a dream.”

  Her face grew stern and her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she sat up on the table, holding the sheet up to cover her body.

  “What did you do to me?” she asked.

  “You were injured,” he explained. “Your leg was shattered and the ship’s healer amputated.”

  “No,” she said simply, as if her denial could change reality.

  She reached a shaking hand down and pulled back the bloody sheet. The end of her leg was smooth skin.

  “You did this to me,” she said, almost hissing.

  “Yes, I did all I could to fix the damage. You lost a lot of blood.”

  He was caught completely off guard by the slap, which landed hard across his jaw, making his

  eyes water and his ear ring a little. He staggered a few steps, looking up in surprise and trying to dampen his anger.

  “I’ll kill you,” she hissed. “I’ll take everything you love and make you watch it die. You’ll beg me to end it, but I won’t. I’ll make you suffer.”

  “You’ve lost your mind,” Zollin said, backing away.

  “I curse you.” She spat the words as if they were bile. “I curse you and your descendants to the fifth generation.”

  “You’re insane,” Zollin said as he backed slowly away from her. “I helped you. You were dying.”

  “I’ll kill you, Zollin Quinnson,” she screamed as he left the sick bay, her voice echoing through the dark cargo hold of the ship. “I’ll kill you and everything you love.”

  Her voice echoed in his mind long after he left her in the bowels of the ship.

  Chapter 11

  Brianna couldn’t help but love the feeling of flying with her pride of dragons. They were playful and fun. She would sometimes leap from one dragon to another, flipping and gliding through the air as effortlessly as a leaf floating on a gust of wind. Selix—the biggest dragon—and Ferno had little trouble carrying Brianna. She was lighter than most humans her size anyway, but they were large, and incredibly strong creatures. Gyia could carry her for short distances, but Tig and Torc, even though they were the size of large horses, could not handle her weight. Instead, the two smaller dragons spun and frolicked through the air with her.

  They had left the mountains and flown mostly at night. Brianna could see at night almost
as well as she could in the daylight, but the dark skies helped hide her pride. She didn’t want to frighten anyone or cause her pride to be injured by fearful humans. Their scales were hardening more and more every day, even though they were avoiding sunlight and sleeping through most of the days. Still, a well-aimed arrow or spear could penetrate their skin, which meant they were vulnerable, so she used caution despite her overwhelming desire to find Zollin again.

  The second day of their journey she had left her pride and used the gold she had collected deep in the mountain to purchase clothes and food. She now had thick woolen clothes to keep her warm high in the air, and she was eating fruits and vegetables again, which she relished after weeks of eating nothing but meat.

  They didn’t hurry, and it took three days to reach Felson. They watched the city from high in the air. Her dragons were curious and they flooded her mind with questions. They had seen small villages on their journey, but Felson was the first community of real size. Felson was a central city in Yelsia, and although the city had no walls or keep, it did have a very tall watchtower, and an entire legion of cavalry was stationed just outside the city. There was also a ring of tents, wagons, makeshift shelters, and huts that had been erected by refugees from many of the northern villages who had been forced to flee their homes by the large black dragon Bartoom, before the mighty beast had abandoned Brianna and flown south to answer the magical call ringing in its head.

  The pride found a place to hide in a thick copse of trees and brush. The dragons didn’t like hiding and their curiosity was so strong that they had trouble staying behind, but Brianna insisted they stay hidden. She wasn’t sure what she would find in Felson, but she was hopeful that she could find out where Zollin might be. She also wanted to start rumors of her own pride, so that when she revealed her dragons they might have a chance to show that not all dragons were monsters.

  She was several miles from the city, so she left her pride well before dawn. Walking felt both good and strange. It was like she was crawling after the thrill of soaring through the air with her dragons, but stretching her muscles and feeling the strength in her legs was good as well. She got to the edge of the city an hour after sunup and it took nearly another hour to find her way back to the house of the one person she knew in Felson.

  Miriam’s home had not changed much, although Quinn had made a few minor repairs. He was outside, gathering his tools and supplies in a small wagon, to which Miriam was hitching a large brown mare. Brianna saw them before they spotted her approaching and she was happy to see the easy way they worked together. Quinn had become like a father to Brianna since she had fled Tranaugh Shire with him and Zollin almost a year ago. She had been surprised to learn that Miriam had strong feelings for Quinn, but she was happy to see them together now. It made her yearn even more for Zollin and for the opportunity to have a life with him.

  When Quinn glanced up and saw her, he did a double take and then rushed to her, his arms open wide and a huge smile on his face.

  “Brianna!” he shouted as he ran.

  She felt a warm sense of love and acceptance flood over her. She couldn’t help but run to Quinn, even as tears sprung up in her eyes.

  “Look at you, girl,” Quinn said happily. “I’m so glad to see you. You look well. I mean, even better than well.”

  “I am well, Quinn,” Brianna said.

  “Miriam, it’s Brianna,” Quinn called over his shoulder, and then said in a quieter voice, “We thought you were dead.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Zollin said the dragon carried you off into the mountains. He’s heartsick over your loss.”

  “But I’m not lost,” she said as they walked back toward Miriam’s house and barn.

  “Well, he doesn’t know that. And he’s gone south. I suppose you heard about the invasion.”

  “Not really, just rumors. What happened?”

  “An army from Osla and Falxis invaded. It’s a long story, really. Why don’t we go inside? It looks like you could use a good meal—you’re little more than skin and bones.”

  They went in and Miriam fixed Brianna breakfast. She wasn’t that hungry, but she ate a little of her food while Quinn talked. He explained how he and Mansel had come under the witch’s spell in Lodenhime, and how the big warrior had thrown Quinn overboard in the Great Sea of Kings. Then he told how he had been rescued by a fishing boat, and raced across Baskla and Yelsia to Orrock in hopes of saving Zollin. He told her how he’d been almost killed by Mansel—who was still bewitched—and then healed by Zollin. How Mansel had come back to his senses after being grievously wounded himself, and how Zollin had learned to use lightning to fight the dragon when it attacked the city.

  Brianna shivered at the thought. She had never considered that lightning might be a danger to her pride, but just the thought of flying in a storm with thunder and lightning made her tremble. Then Quinn told of Zollin’s battle with Offendorl, and how they had defeated the invading army. Brianna was completely engrossed in the tale and didn’t even notice when Miriam refilled the small cup of wine in her hand.

  “Did Zollin kill him?”

  “No, the black dragon came and took him away,” Quinn said sadly. “Now Zollin has gone south to finish things with the Torr. Mansel is with him. He promised to return once the fighting was done.”

  “And you’re content to just wait here?” Brianna said.

  She remember the feeling she’d had when Zollin had given her the white alzerstone ring in the alley at Tranaugh Shire. From that point on she had lived in fear that he would leave her behind. When the wizards from the Torr attacked the village with their mercenaries, her new husband Todrek had begged her not to follow Zollin, but she couldn’t stand the thought of being left behind. Todrek had come with her, only to be struck down just outside Quinn’s cottage. It was a bittersweet memory. She had thought Todrek a good person, but she had not loved him. But now that feeling of being left behind rose up like a wave of nausea and she felt sick. She knew what she had to do now. If Offendorl had a dragon, she would bring her pride to protect Zollin.

  “I have to go,” she said, before Quinn could even answer her question.

  The truth was, he was having difficulty staying put and waiting on Zollin, but he was happy with Miriam. Their love had blossomed and grown. They were planning a wedding for when Zollin returned, but a part of Quinn felt like he was betraying his son. He knew there was little he could do for Zollin, but if his son was in danger, how could he sit back and do nothing?

  “Where are you off to?” Miriam asked.

  “I have to help Zollin.”

  “You can’t,” Miriam said. “He’s hundreds of leagues away by now. He may already be in Osla. Besides, even if you were with him, what could you do?”

  “I’m going,” Brianna said. “Thank you so much for the meal and the information.”

  “Brianna?” Quinn said. “I know how you feel, but if you leave you may end up in trouble yourself, long before you ever catch up to him. Besides, how do you know you could even find him? He could be anywhere.”

  “I’ll show you, if you don’t mind a detour from the city,” she said.

  Quinn looked at Miriam. “I guess we could,” he said.

  “I’ll hitch the horses to the carriage,” Miriam said.

  It took them an hour to ride back to the small copse of trees where Brianna had left her pride. She was tired, but excited to know that Zollin was on his way to Osla. She wasn’t sure how she was going to find him, but she was sure she could.

  Quinn reined in the horses when they approached the trees. He was on the bench seat with Miriam close beside him. There had been just enough room for Brianna on the far side.

  “Stay here,” she told them. “And keep your horses calm, they’re in no danger.”

  “What is she on about?” Miriam asked Quinn.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But there is definitely something different about her.” They watched her disappear into the shady
stand of trees, then the trees rustled and she reappeared leading two small dragons. They were dark blue, with large intelligent eyes. Then another dragon appeared. This one was long and slender, moving gracefully even on the ground.

  Brianna waited, watching Quinn and Miriam’s reaction. They were shocked, but not terrified. In fact, Miriam, who was an animal healer, seemed almost thrilled at the small group of dragons.

  “You okay?” Brianna called.

  “Yes, we’re alright,” Miriam called.

  “Speak for yourself,” Quinn said under his breath.

  “There are two more,” Brianna said. “They’re larger, but they won’t hurt you, I promise.” Ferno stepped out of the copse of trees. The sun glinted off his forest green scales as his powerful muscles rolled and flexed with each step. Then Selix appeared, moving to stand next to Brianna.

  “I can’t believe it,” Miriam said. Then she laughed a long, full laugh that made the carriage shake.

  Brianna knew her pride was surprised, but they all liked Miriam almost instantly. They knew she wasn’t laughing at them, but was delighted to see them. They were almost as happy to see other humans as she was to see them.

  “Are you sure this is safe?” Quinn called out to Brianna.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” she said. “This is my pride, Quinn. They chose to stay with me. You can come closer. They’re very curious.”

  The horses were nervous and Quinn moved them further away before setting the brake on the carriage and climbing out. He helped Miriam down and they approached the dragons together. Gyia, the slender, dark purple dragon, was the first to step forward. It lowered its narrow head and gazed deeply into Miriam’s eyes.

  Brianna watched as Miriam looked suddenly surprised.

  “Did… Did she just speak to me?” Miriam asked.

  “Yes,” Brianna said. “They communicate mostly through mental images, but you can use words with them too. Vocalization is difficult for them, but they’re learning,” she said as she patted Selix’s long neck.

  “What did it say?” Quinn asked.

  “She wanted to know if I’m a healer.”