The Dragon Keeper Page 2

  “Good evening,” said Aldric.

  “And to you as well.”

  Lito made his way back to the city with appropriate haste to ensure he was inside the walls before dusk. It wasn’t a long distance, though he had further still before he reached his lodging house.

  Now that he was safe from any meandering trolls (really, the Corancians could use improvement in their defenses if rogue trolls appeared now and again) he decided to find supper at the nearest tavern.

  After his meal, he moved by the fire to work on his sketch. The evening progressed, as did his drawings. After the supper crowd passed three men sat at the table nearest the fire and began to speak in a rather obscure dialect used along the Marnachin coast. It was challenging to make out the words for speakers of royal standard Marnachin and most likely incomprehensible to Corancians. Lito’s maternal grandparents had been from the coast, and as such he had some experience with the dialect.

  By the time he was satisfied with his drawing the three had moved on. A pity, but an artist’s priority must be his art. Lito packed his sketches and went outside. He’d use the privy and then return to his lodgings.

  Even in the privy he considered his art, idly considering how he would mix the appropriate colors to paint dragons. It was only when he once again heard the coastal Marnachin being spoken that he found reason to think of something else.

  “All is in readiness for the new moon.”

  “And the others?”

  “Make the same report. It is fortunate that the Corancian king fails to realize how much his rural subjects loathe dragons.”

  It took Lito a moment to decipher the last word. Once he determined it was “dragons” his interest was piqued. His interest in the creatures extended beyond the professional.

  “So much the better for us.”

  “It’s splendid how few questions the rural folk ask once you pledge to eradicate dragons.”

  Eradicate dragons? That sounded alarming. Lito stayed in the privy after he was done, suffering the unlovely odor in order to hear more.

  “You’re certain we have enough hogs?”

  “We have plenty of hogs. Stop worrying.”

  “We’re not likely to get another chance at this. We need to get all of the dragons poisoned as soon as possible.”

  “Everything is in place. Only let us hope this troll is captured before the new moon.”

  “To our success, gentlemen.”

  It seemed wise to remain in the privy after the group walked away, lest they realize they’d been overheard. Of course, they wouldn’t expect to be overheard by anyone who could understand them, not in this part of the city.

  The eradication of dragons. Having just seen the splendid creatures for himself Lito couldn’t see it as a desirable prospect. Dragons had fascinated him since his boyhood, and personal experience only made him appreciate them more. Something had to be done to prevent the slaughter.

  However, this was a Marnachin scheme, large enough to warrant royal involvement. If popular rumors were to be believed the king himself was too cautious for this bold strategy, which amounted to a declaration of war. Perhaps his wretched younger brother was behind this plot, or the daughter who always sought his attention. It hardly mattered, really. Corancian defenses relied heavily upon dragons. Every castle, fortress, and garrison had a clan around which all other strategies were formed, and without dragons the Corancians might fall to Marnachin armies.

  There would certainly be war. Only the scale of the conflict was in question. Besides dragons, Lito imagined that hundreds, probably thousands of men would die, and more still would be wounded for life, all so some territory might be exchanged between rich kings.

  As a subject of the Marnachin king, Lito’s duty in stumbling upon a secret military plot was clearly to keep quiet. Moreover, his patroness was the king’s cousin, who would surely not appreciate disloyalty. And yet his silence would doom scores of dragons to death by poison—a coward’s choice—and so many of his countrymen would be killed or maimed. Why, he wondered, was it considered more patriotic to start a war than to prevent one with all its human suffering?

  Nevertheless, to alert Corancia to the scheme, saving lives both human and dragon, was tantamount to signing his own warrant of exile. What a miserable predicament he’d placed himself in.

  ****

  Sleep eluded Lito for much of the night. He spent hours staring into the darkness, replaying the conversation he’d heard in his mind. He imagined dragons poisoned until none remained, men with arrows through their hearts or limbs sliced off by swords, and mourning widows and children. He envisioned himself an exile, cut off from his home and everything he’d ever known. Try as he might, he could think of no way to prevent one undesirable future without ensuring the other.

  Finally, in the silence he concluded that his own future concerned merely a single life. Lito had no remaining family to concern himself over, so the consequences would fall on him alone. He would miss his homeland, his friends, and the routines to which he was accustomed, but could not in good conscience prioritize his own happiness over the continued existence of so many others. If he took no action, many more lives would end. Dragons and men too numerous to count would die because Lito was too selfish, too concerned with his own wellbeing, to save them. He did not wish to live with such a burden, so in the end his choice was clear. That decided, he finally slipped into a fitful sleep.

  In the morning, he breakfasted quickly and set out to find Aldric. Perhaps if he was fortunate, the dragon keeper might be able to keep Lito’s name a secret, and in any case Lito had no other contacts who might prevent the dragons’ demise.

  Aldric was nowhere to be seen. Lito sat to wait in the same spot as the previous day, thinking that the dragon keeper would be along at some point. His attempts at sketching dragons in the meantime were less than successful, so he drew the dragon house, which was not at all complicated and nearly impossible to do badly.

  The mother and juvenile dragons landed in the field, too far for Lito to make out many details. In the morning sunlight, they shone a lighter color than the previous evening, almost as though they wore suits of armor. While the mother sat and watched, her offspring frolicked around, making the occasional rumbling noise.

  How anyone could please themselves by killing such winsome creatures Lito did not know, though of course he hadn’t the slightest inclination to warring and conquest. He passed time sketching dragons flying over fields of men, all quite alive and well. Living men and dragons would be the reward for his own treason.

  By midmorning the dragons retreated to their house, where Lito presumed the rest of the clan had been since before he arrived, and he completed a detailed sketch of the entire vista before him. The dragons took up only a small amount of the paper, and he found depicting the landscape relaxed him.

  At last he spied Aldric ambling down the road, and, abandoning his artwork, Lito hurried to meet the dragon keeper.

  “I have overheard a horrifying plot,” he said without preamble. The situation was severe enough to dispense with the usual social niceties.

  “Does it involve dragons?”

  “It involves the eradication of all dragons.”

  This got him the dragon keeper’s full attention. “Tell me everything.”

  “I happened to hear three men speaking an uncommon dialect of Marnachin, one with which I am moderately acquainted. In that part of the city I’m sure they didn’t expect anyone would understand them.” He left out the undignified detail that he was in the privy. “They spoke of everything being ready for the full moon, of the Corancian king not understanding how his rural subjects loathe dragons. One of them fretted over the question of whether they have enough hogs, and another stressed the importance of poisoning all dragons as soon as possible.”

  Whatever happened, Lito would live with the knowledge that he was a traitor. It was not an appealing prospect, but the death of all dragons appealed even less.

  Ch
apter Three

  Aldric called the steward away from his meeting, which the steward didn’t appreciate. “This had better be important, Aldric.”

  “It is. This is Lito, an artist from Marnachi.” Lito nodded respectfully. “He has heard of a plot to kill our dragons.”

  This earned them the steward’s full attention. “Explain.”

  “Yesterday night, I found myself in the northern part of the city so as not to be eaten by a troll,” began Lito. That was not the critical aspect of his story and thus a poor place to begin. “I overheard a conversation held in an uncommon dialect of my native Marnachin tongue. They spoke of all being in readiness for the new moon, and how much the rural subjects of your king loathe dragons. Evidently, these rural folk asked few questions when Marnachins pledged to eliminate dragons.”

  “Eliminate dragons?” The steward frowned and gestured for his assistant. “Ready the messengers. Lito, please continue.”

  “They spoke of having enough pigs and the need to poison dragons quickly. I presume they mean to poison swine with an agent that will not kill the beasts immediately.”

  “Thus offering easy prey for the dragons. Dragons like swine nearly as well as mutton,” Aldric explained.

  “And leaving Corancia ill-defended.” The steward paled as he realized the magnitude of the threat. “What else did they say?”

  “They hope the troll will be captured before the new moon. Nothing further.”

  “Aldric, you’re authorized to spare no expense or manpower protecting the dragons under your charge. I will report this to His Majesty and send messengers at once.” He turned to Lito. “You will be amply rewarded.”

  “Living dragons will be reward enough,” said Lito.

  “You shouldn’t stay in your lodgings in case of retaliation. Aldric, see that he’s somewhere safer.”

  “I will.”

  “And return at four bells to discuss our strategy.” With that, the steward raced off, as harried as Aldric had ever seen him.

  Retaliation hadn’t crossed Aldric’s mind. He turned to Lito. “You’re risking a great deal, aren’t you?” Clearly the man’s appreciation for dragons was profound.

  “I doubt I’ll be returning to Marnachi any time soon. My patroness is aware of my affinity for dragons, and she is a suspicious woman.”

  Aldric considered this as they walked back from whence they came. Lito would undoubtedly receive a generous reward from the king, but he would be an exile. To a man who loved his home and family it was an astonishing sacrifice, and it spawned great respect for the artist.

  “I will send my older nephews with a cart,” Aldric said. “They will be able to drive your bags to my cottage.”

  This earned him a surprised glance. “You’re moving me in with you?”

  “Until somewhere more suitable can be found. I have an extra room.” The dragon keeper’s cottage was built for a man with a family and thus larger than Aldric required, and he didn’t have time to make any other arrangements. His priority must be protecting the dragon clan.

  Lito didn’t protest further, instead asking, “Do you cook your own meals?”

  “Breakfast and supper. My sister cooks my bread and midday meals.” She insisted on doing this since he was paying for her eldest son to attend school.

  They walked in silence for a bit. Aldric used the time to consider how he might save the dragons. Obviously, any swine in the area must be slaughtered immediately and houses searched for poison. Doubtless the steward would arrange this with the army. That was important, but another tactic was needed lest poisoned swine escape the patrols.

  Dragons were very fond of pork, second only to mutton. Mutton. Yes, that might do. If enough sheep were provided the dragons would happily consume those until their stomachs could hold no pigs.

  “This way.” He turned along the road to his brother’s home while calculating how many head of sheep he’d need for his plan.

  Lito asked, “Where are we going?”

  “My elder brother’s house.”

  “For your nephews.”

  “Yes.”

  Two sheep each for the adults and juveniles, plus another per hatchling, made thirty. He’d make it an even three dozen in case any dragons were especially ravenous, as they sometimes were. It wouldn’t be cheap, but it was likely to work while search parties took care of the deadly swine.

  “So the position of dragon keeper does not pass to the oldest son?” asked Lito.

  “No. It is not a hereditary role, though it is often assumed by a family member. My grandfather was Dragon Keeper before me.” Since Lito’s fascination with dragons had compelled him to reveal the plot, Aldric found himself more willing to entertain the artist’s questions. Or at least he resolved to answer multitudes of them once the dragons were no longer in danger.

  His nephews were in a field hunting rabbits with their slingshots. They didn’t need the rabbits to eat, as his older brother was a senior groomsman in the royal stables and not impoverished, so Aldric had no compunctions about stopping the hunt.

  “Fred, Boden, I need your help urgently.” Though not eager to abandon their prey, they were good boys and they ran over. Aldric decided to reward their helpfulness. “There’s a half-penny it in for each of you.”

  Now eager, Fred asked, “What do you need?”

  “This is Lito. He will be my guest, and his bags need to be moved from his lodgings.”

  “We’ll hitch the horses to the cart,” said Boden. “Then we can go.”

  “Very good. Thank you. You can come over for the half-pennies just before breakfast tomorrow.” He turned to Lito. “I will see you this evening. Please make yourself comfortable.”

  He was several minutes’ walk away when he realized that he’d been short in a way that could be construed as rude. It wasn’t his intention, but he was focusing on the dragons and in any event social niceties weren’t his greatest strength. He’d apologize later. Right now, he had dragons to save.

  ****

  He arrived home expecting to find his houseguest and finding no one. It was nearing dusk, but if Lito wanted to risk being eaten by a troll that was his own business. Aldric set about preparing a simple meal, which was the only kind of meal he knew how to cook.

  It wasn’t long before Lito arrived with his ever-present satchel of drawing supplies. “I hope you had no trouble relocating,” said Aldric.

  “None at all. Your nephews were quite helpful.”

  “They’re good boys.”

  “And impressive drivers for such a young age.”

  “Their father is a royal groomsman, so they’re well used to horses. Now, please forgive me if I’ve been rude. I’m preoccupied.”

  “Naturally, and in any event, you haven’t been rude. Perhaps not the most socially delicate, but not inhospitable. I appreciate you taking me as a guest.”

  “It wouldn’t do to leave you open to retaliation.” How exactly such things as reprisals for treason worked Aldric did not know. He did know that having a handsome man share his home would be frustrating, as time spent in close quarters with attractive men was generally a sexual experience for him.

  “No. I’d not thought of retaliation, in truth. Exile, naturally, and I decided it was an acceptable price to pay for preventing the extinction of dragons and war. Reprisals, well, do you think I’ll be quite safe here?”

  “You noticed that the cottage is very near the dragon fence.”

  “Yes.”

  “The dragons wouldn’t take kindly to any attack or intruders this close to the heart of their territory.”

  “What if they are all away?”

  “They are never all away. At least one remains, and if necessary the others can arrive quite quickly.”

  “They can communicate?” This information delighted Lito.

  “Certainly. You’ve heard some of their rumbling, haven’t you?”

  “Yes. Can you understand them?”

  “I can identify a few calls, like
a mother chiding her young. Have you seen a dog that can hear something humans cannot?”

  “I’m familiar with the occurrence.”

  “Dragons can hear sounds that we cannot, and they produce them as well. When males fight for dominance they appear to be roaring, and yet no sound comes out. The rest of the clan then arrives to watch the fight.”

  “Fascinating,” said Lito. “They’re such marvelous creatures. I desperately wish to see you save them.”

  “Search parties are looking for conspirators across the kingdom, and of course slaughtering swine by the dozens. The compensation will cost the treasury a great deal.” He supposed pork would be expensive or unavailable for some time.

  “Your king might consider compensating for the loss of livestock to dragons,” said Lito. “It might help the rural folk look more kindly upon dragons.”

  “It’s worth a thought.” It was also beyond the realm of Aldric’s influence, so he continued outlining their preparations. “Tomorrow when the dragons awaken for the evening they will find more than enough sheep inside their fence to satisfy them. A dragon will always eat mutton first if given half a chance.”

  “And yet they hunt in the woods.”

  “They fear the dragon traps that are outside the woods. I do not suppose we will save every dragon, but we can feed our clan sheep while the king’s troops do their part.”

  He served dinner. The meal consisted of fish atop a plate of greens, along with fresh bread and butter.

  Lito examined the greens. “What are these?”

  “I’m not certain. There’s a woman down the road who grows her own greens and picks wild varieties. I purchase whatever she has.” They filled his plate and tasted pleasant, which satisfied Aldric. He didn’t need to identify each leaf.

  “Thank you for hosting me. It’s most generous of you.”

  “You’re welcome. If you don’t plan to return to Marnachi, I’m sure you’ll be able to find suitable accommodations once you receive your reward.”