KIRDAI: Spark & Dagger

Acknowledgements:

The author wishes to thank all those who participated in the creation of this work.

A full list of names is available on the author's website.

Cover art by Stig Anders Klemp Johansen: klemp@broadpark.no

Maps by Kay Murky and Johansen: info@kaymurky.com

Photoshop map brushes : StarRaven.deviantart.com

Disclaimer

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, places and characters are the product of the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or existing fictional characters, is entirely coincidental.

Glossary

For more maps, character list, background and an Onlash/English word list:

http://www.kaymurky.com

Map of Ranmor Continent

Prologue

(Gharrikar, Onlashia)

(Midsummer, Year 349 After Ranmor Alliance - AA)

It's not difficult for a young dragon to balance back on his tail while trying to dislodge a fishbone from between his back teeth with a talon. But it takes intense concentration to do that, while eavesdropping, and at the same time keep an eye out for siblings bent on revenge.

Nine year old Kirosh had perfected the art of multi-tasking.

The fishbone irritated him, although not to the extent that it needed urgent attention. But it did give him an excuse to linger where he was. Any observing adults would only assume that he was preoccupied with the procedure. He also had to keep an eye out for his sisters. The three of them were likely to try and ambush him in retaliation for a nasty prank he had pulled on them earlier in the day. But he had to remain close if he wanted to overhear what his mother and grandmother discussed. They were discussing him, and therefore he felt no guilt about listening to their conversation.

Anu and Anu-nu sat among the other adults in the front part of the Cavern, quietly talking. Their soft hisses, clicks and trills barely reached him where he balanced in the middle of the entrance to the private tunnels, straining to hear them.

… a soul bond, and the mark is still there. His mother's soft voice was hard to hear from that distance. Anu-nu had a deeper voice, slightly harsher, which also carried further.

Tell me exactly what happened, daughter.

About ten nights ago Roshi broadcasted intense fear, and it woke me. His mother turned her head slightly to look at him, and Kirosh dug more diligently after the errant fishbone. I thought it was just sleep-horrors, but when I opened my eyes he was surrounded by mage fire.

Were the others hurt? Anu-nu interrupted.

No. He sleeps separate from them since his first flight.

His grandmother hummed thoughtfully, deep in her throat, while she listened as her daughter continued. I shouted at him and the fire disappeared as he woke up. But he was so upset… more so than with a normal sleep horror. Eventually I managed to calm him and he slept peacefully after that.

Mother still looked at him. He had now dislodged the bone, but he kept on digging between his teeth, eyes first lidded as if in concentration. We know he has mage gift, so I didn't worry about the fires. But after a couple of days I realized that he was not talking about, or with his soul partner anymore. I asked him what happened and he told me his partner was gone! Since that night I haven't been able to touch his thoughts with mine either. Unless he mind-touches me deliberately, first, I cannot hear him. That is why I called you, Anu. I do not have the experience to deal with this.

You did right. Anu-nu also turned towards him, raising her voice. Kirosh-tan-Dargalcki.

Something in the way his grandmother said his full name demanded immediate obedience. He dropped forward onto his knuckles, walked over to her and again sat back on his haunches, lifting his head to look up at her. Anu-nu?

Kirosh was bigger than the others of his birth-set; the cavern-cousins who had been birthed the same season as him. Anu again was four times as big as him, but Anu-nu was huge. If she spread her wing, his mother would fit underneath without crouching. Anu-nu was old, one of the Elders. To be respected and obeyed without question.

Pay attention. Kirosh found her rasping voice intensely compelling. I need to find out what happened that night. Keep looking into my eyes… don't look away…

The mage lights illuminating the cavern reflected in starry sparks on her night black armour, but Kirosh did not notice it as her hypnotic gaze swallowed him. The black slitted pupils had expanded; the irises forming golden frames to the mirrors of her eyes. Kirosh found himself spinning, spinning… back into the dream he had tried so hard to forget.

He had drifted off to sleep in his cosy nest of soft bolsters after saying goodnight to his mind-friend Diri; gently slipping into the dreams that they shared. Dreams of riding together on the winds, diving in the ocean, flying over mountains neither had yet seen

Then a dragon screamed. Shouting and the clang of steel on steel intruded into the dreams. Diri/Roshi woke up, confused. His mother/not his mother had come into the room. Quick. Quick. Come. Fear emanated from her, making him afraid too. He tried not to whimper as she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down the passage. Another dragon screamed, and mother/not mother faltered. She was crying, but started to run again, dragging him down the back stairs towards the yard.

Panicking, he sent his mind searching for his father/not his father, and found… emptiness. His throat closed. Smoke, fear and an enormous sense of loss threatened to overpower him.

Someone waited on the last landing of the stairs. He knew the man as his uncle's life-mate, but he could not remember the man's name! The man had been in the act of sheathing his bloody sword, and more blood ran from a couple of deep slashes on his arm and chest.

Have you got the pack?

At the question the man nodded at a large bundle lying on the landing, but kept looking over his shoulder down the last flight of stairs.

His mother/not his mother bent over Diri/Roshi, grabbing him by the shoulders, forcing him to look up at her. I love you. Her voice broke. With my life, I love you. Know that, when you remember. And remember all we have taught you… She moved her hands from his shoulders, cupped his face and kissed him once on the forehead. Then he felt the power from her hands surging through him as she swept them over his head, his face, then his arms…

And Diri was gone. Just Roshi remained, swirling in the smoke and fire… searching…until his mother's voice woke him.

Anu-nu leaned down to touch her nose to his forehead, breaking the hypnotic trance. Roshi? Anu-nu's voice was soft. Have you spoken to Diri since then?

He did not want to speak yet, but respect forced him to and he felt embarrassed when his voice shook. No, but he's alive. Something prevents me from speaking to him though, or hearing his thoughts.

His mother moved beside him, mantling her wing to pull him close to her warmth. Both Anu and Anu-nu kept sending thoughts and feelings of reassurance to him, and finally the shivering stopped.

Go to sleep now, youngling. His mother touched her nose gently to his neck, nudging him towards the sleeping caves.

As he slowly moved away, he heard them resuming their soft conversation.

Shields, Anu?

Yes daughter. I do not blame the human mother. If it was you, or one of your sibs, and we were in a similar situation, I would wrap the tightest shields I could around you. She had to protect her child.

Kirosh hesitated just out of view to hear if they said anything further, but he could only hear other conversations. Then he thought to listen with his mind, instead of with his ears.

{: …very strong shields. :} Anu-nu's mind-voice had a less grating sound than her vocal voice. It always reminded him of the big waterfall behind the caverns. {: That's why you don't hear the youngling's thoughts anymore. When she set those shields on her son, Roshi was mind-linked to him. She must have extended some of that shielding to cover him as well. :}

{: Can you break those shields, Anu? :}

{: Yes, but I would rather not. I might inadvertently weaken the shields on the human child. Roshi is growing fast and his mind even faster. If those dream fires materialized as mage fire around him, his gift is very strong. Those shields should contain the gift as well, which for now might be a good thing. :}

She paused, as if going into deeper, private thought, then carried on, {: No, better leave them there. When the time is right he will learn to break them and build them back up himself. But the bond with the human soul is still there. It's fragile, but protected by one of those shields. The human mother must have been aware of it, as you were, and when she cast the shields, she must have taken that into consideration. :}

Anu and Anu-nu stayed silent after that, both deep in private thoughts that he could not reach without making them aware that he had been eavesdropping. Kirosh quietly moved further into the tunnels to the smaller cave he shared with his mother and siblings, not even noticing that his sisters had managed to steal half of his bedding. He simply curled up, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep to meet Diri in the one place they still could join.

He did not tell them how he knew his soul friend was still alive. They had not asked.

* * * * * * * * *

(Clent, Amery, Brasjewa)

(Midsummer, 349 AA)

The little ship's captain led them up from the harbour as soon as they landed - the men carrying a stretcher with a mortally wounded man, he with a child in his arms. Once the guards of Amery Castle recognized the wounded man's face in the torchlight, they sent messengers running; one to wake the duke, the other to fetch the castle physician.

Denton, 14th Duke of Amery Isle, arrived in his dressing gown, two steps ahead of the physician. The young man's wounds were not extensive but aggressively inflamed, and his skin a putrid shade of yellow under the sheen of perspiration caused by the high fever.

The physician shook his head sadly after examining the patient. Poisoned blades. It's amazing that he is still alive, Your Grace. The physician spoke calmly, though sadness permeated his voice. By rights he should have passed on before they even managed to get him on the ship. It's a miracle he survived the journey here. He could not look the duke in the eye. I'm sorry. I doubt even a healer mage could save him now. He's already slipping away.

The duke looked down at the trembling hand he held between both of his own, then again at the white face of his son. The young man's eyelids fluttered for a moment before he opened his pain filled eyes.

Father. The duke leaned over the bed to hear the whisper. …the boy… son… the words were barely audible.

What boy? The duke asked, but his son obviously did not hear him anymore.

Father… please… his brown eyes were black pools in the white face; the sweat soaked straw coloured hair plastered to his forehead. Please… son… take… keep safe…

I'll do it. The duke held tight onto that trembling hand, and as if the confirmation was the one thing the young man had been waiting for, he closed his eyes, and with a sigh breathed his last.

Some time later the duke faced the ship's captain in one of the receiving rooms.

What happened, Captain? Grief made the older man's voice gruff, but his eyes were steady and dry. Only the white of his knuckles betrayed his stress as he clutched the large, long canvas wrapped bundle the captain had just handed him.

We are not sure, your Grace. From what we could gather from other refugees, the foreign embassies were attacked first when the Essians invaded Koltran. Your son and the boy were brought to us by some of the Valterni guards. They said that when they evacuated their embassy, they found him trying to fight his way through the attackers on the road outside. The child ran along beside him, dragging that bundle. They recognized your son as Brasjewan, and helped him to get down to us at the harbour.

The captain took a quick gulp from the cup of wine he had been given, before he continued. Apparently even the dragons were at first going berserk inside their embassy grounds, and then the whole place went up in fire. All we could see of Embassy Hill from the harbour was flames. The Valterni brought them to us, knowing that we would set sail to get out of there the moment we got the news of what had happened. No need to hang around in unfriendly waters! I even hired a Koltranian mage to try and get here faster. The old fellow was only too happy to get out of there. With the mage winds, we managed it in ten days, instead of the twenty two which is the best we could usually expect.

The man said the last a bit diffidently, because His Grace of Amery was well known for the fact that he was not overly fond of mages or mage craft. Duke Denton was one of the few nobles who did not have a mage among his own household staff.

Most of the time the young lord was delirious from the poison, which neither our physician nor the mage recognized. He was able tell us who he was, though, and that you would pay for his passage. But when he was feverish he kept on muttering that he must get the boy and the bundle to safety. The captain drained the wine from the cup, frowning a bit. As for the boy, he never said a word. If you told him to do something, he did it. The rest of the time, he just sat next to the young lord, as if he had no mind.

This boy, the duke frowned and looked around the room. Where is he?

We sent him up to the nursery, your Grace. The steward spoke up from where he had been standing at the door. The child was tired, hungry, and in desperate need of a bath. Let me take that bundle as well, and I will place it in your study.

The duke nodded. As usual, his people had acted without instructions, the way he had trained them. Think and act, explain later.

Good then. Captain, I thank you for your service to me and my family. He reached out and shook the hand of the captain, surprising the man. I will see that you are compensated for it, and for the expense of hiring the mage. Give your reckoning to my steward, and he will settle with you.

His mind numb with grief for his son, Denton found himself going up staircases and along passages until he reached the nursery tower. Slight sounds penetrated the quiet stillness of the night, and following them he found two nursemaids busy scrubbing the child in front of a fireplace.

At first they were not aware of his presence. Still half asleep over their chore, they clucked sympathetically as they washed grime out of the long black hair and off the thin white skin, revealing half healed scars and bruises faded to yellow. But the child turned his head the moment the duke had appeared in the doorway and looked at him with an intense blue stare. Finally the nursemaids also became aware of his presence and got up awkwardly to curtsy.

The duke stepped forward and acknowledged their greetings with a wave of his hand, took the child's chin in his hand, and studied the small face. The fine boned, almost fragile features belonged to a child that at most could have five or six years of age.

What is your name, boy?

The child stared back at him, frowning, as if he had to think hard about it. Dai.

Dai? Not a Brasjewan name, but then again, he did not know who the child's mother had been. How old are you, Dai?

The boy did not answer, just looked at him silently.

Pardon, Your Grace, the older of the two nursemaids said respectfully, but with a note of authority in her voice. The child is very tired, and possibly still traumatized. He should rest.

Yes. The duke sighed, leaned forward and patted the boy gently on the head. Rest. We all should rest. I promised my son I will take care of you, Dai, and I will.

At the door he stopped, and looked back, frowning. Tomorrow, see that he gets a haircut.

* * * * * * * * * *

Chapter One

(Clent, Amery, Brasjewa)

(Autumn, Year 359 After Alliance)

The messenger and his mount approached the island of Amery from the west. Below them the waves crashed violently against the jagged grey rock of the shore, as if trying to reach the smoother stone walls of the huge castle complex sitting above the almost vertical cliffs.

Through the breaks in the morning mist they could see the city of Clent sprawled far below the castle and around the bay. The ships in the harbour and the uniformly dull white buildings appeared toy sized, while the citizens scurried along the major roadways and the wharves like so many ants. On the sloping hills behind the city the wagons collecting the last of the harvest crept along the roadways towards the huge silos and warehouses that would supply the island's needs during the winter months.

Slowly the messenger pair circled the ramparts as they waited to be sure that the guards had noticed them, before spiralling down towards the courtyard of the castle proper.

No need to surprise anyone today

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dai looked up, following the gaze of the others around him. Among the racing clouds a dark form circled slowly down, too large to be any bird he had ever seen. Surreptitiously he rubbed his shoulder where Krin had managed to break through his defence, adding another bruise to the ones already there. Although younger than him, the youngest son of the duke had outgrown Dai two years previously and delighted in demonstrating his physical superiority.

Uncle Thoma, who taught the youngsters of the castle, had pointed out to Dai that it might be because Krin felt intellectually inferior to him. But Dai knew better. Krin simply was a bully, and that was that. Not that Dai blamed him. His young uncle just mirrored the behaviour of the men around him.

Then all thoughts of Krin disappeared as the dark shape dipped below the clouds and the sleek lines and wide wings of the dragon became visible. Around Dai the reactions varied; some dropped their wooden practice swords to the ground and ran for cover, while others stood transfixed, mouths agape. Alarmed shouts were interspersed with cursing.

Someone seemed to have had the presence of mind to call the duke from the weapons shed.

Clear the yard! Duke Denton's voice rose above the noise. Lower your bows, archers! This is not how we treat guests!

His unruffled appearance calmed the men. They were prompt to follow his orders, but a big circle of spectators formed around the open space as they watched the dragon glide down towards the ground and land where the duke stood waiting.

Dai could forget trying to see past the press of bodies. He pushed his way out of the small crowd and climbed up onto one of the mounting blocks next to the smithy. From there he had a clear view, as the move had put his head just above those of the crowd now forming a wide circle around the dragon. The rider had dismounted in the time that it had taken him to move, and stood next to the large beast that had brought him, waiting as the Duke approached.

The shoulder of the crouching beast slightly overreached the head of the rider, who in turn towered over the duke. The triangular head that rose on the long supple neck was itself almost as big as the man. A shaft of morning sunlight pierced the clouds and turned the scaly armour of the beast into a kaleidoscope of jewel-bright copper glints.

The interchange between the messenger and the duke took only a few moments. The rider agilely ran up the extended foreleg of the dragon and grabbed hold of the straps of the harness to pull himself up against the bulk of the large body and into saddle. He had barely strapped himself into the saddle when the dragon extended its massive wings and lifted its head skyward. Everyone scattered out of the way again as it crouched lower, getting ready to launch itself into the air.

From his vantage point on the mounting block Dai had a clear view. He sucked his breath in at the sheer beauty and grace of the dragon. Unbidden, from a memory hidden deep within his mind, the words of the greeting came forth.

{: Te torn vishii arrava! :}

The dragon's head whipped in his direction, the huge amber eyes with the catlike pupils wide as it searched the crowd.

{: Nar'a ket?! :}

The dragon's mental 'voice' exploded inside Dai's head with such a force that he blacked out for a moment, lost his balance, and fell backwards - fortunately into the water trough kept next to the smithy for the horses' use. As those around him had backed up in panic when the dragon had swung its head towards them, others also got a drenching. Once he came to his senses sufficiently to drag himself out, and assist the old fellow who had been pushed in next to him, the dragon had disappeared behind the clouds.

Fortunately all those who had been around him were servants and soldiers, not any of the Family, so he did not mind the friendly and gentle teasing he received. A few even went so far as to admit their own fear. Careful not to be seen Dai went up to his room to change into dry clothing. He could not think about what happened. About where those words had came from, or how he knew that he had wished for the dragon to fly with good winds, and that the dragon in turn had asked who he was.

In fact, he could not think at all. His head throbbed as if someone had bashed it in with a cudgel, but although he gingerly explored his scalp with his fingertips, he could find no cut or bruise. The ache also did not originate at any point on his skull, but rather directly behind his eyes.

Deciding to skip lunch, the thought of which now made him feel nauseous, he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, willing the pain away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dragon left the cliffs of Amery behind him and swooped low over the waves, aiming for the shores of King's Island. His partner relaxed and leant forward to pat the shoulder of his friend with affection.

{: I'm glad that's over. :} Mirko mind-spoke to Jarlin. {: They said that Amery is a bleak place, and indeed it's so. That old duke seemed like a dour fellow, but at least he did not let his people shoot at us, like some of the others! :}

He only got a mental grunt in response.

{: What's wrong? And come to think of it, who were you shouting at back there? I thought for a moment you were going to attack those people. When you shouted I could not sense the words, and the next thing you were out of there like an arrow. :} The man put his hand up to feel his neck. {: I think you gave me whiplash. :}

(:I'm sorry. :} Jarlin's mental tone was contrite. {: But did you not hear him?:}

{: Hear whom? :}

{: There was someone back there, :} and now the dragon sounded puzzled, {: someone who spoke to me… directly, if you did not hear it. It takes a strong mind to do that, if one is not bonded. :}

Mirko was now intrigued. Theirs was a new pairing. Most of the first season had been spent getting to know each other, and learning how to speak mind to mind. Now in their second season of training, they were still learning to function as a junior fighting team. Occasionally bonded pairs meshed into a team almost instantly, but that happened mostly among the mage talented. Among the general warrior classes, as they themselves were, it seldom happened like that

{: So what did this one say to you? :} Mikro was not only curious; he actually felt slightly threatened.

{: He wished me to fly with good winds, the old formal greeting. :}. Jarlin's discomfort was obvious. {: It was unexpected, and when I asked, 'who are you?', his mind presence disappeared. Between you and me, I got scared. What with all that's going on right now, I thought we'd just better get out of there, as fast as we could. I'll report it to one of the elders when we get back. :}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ger said that dragons are only beasts, like horses or cattle.

There was an unusual silence in the school room, situated close to the top of one of the six turrets of the ducal castle. Twenty two young faces of various ages now faced the front of the room where the old man who served as their teacher sat on the edge of his desk, their expressions eager and interested.

The speaker had been Krin, youngest son of the current duke of Amery Isle, who at fifteen spent more time in the stables than at his chores or books. It was therefore not unusual for him to quote the stable master. In fact, Ger said that until such a day as he hears one talking with his own ears, he will not believe that they can. Without even taking a breath after his last statement, Krin asked, Have you ever seen a dragon before today, Uncle Thoma?

Dai wanted to respond to that, but he lacked any direct evidence to the contrary, and did not want to attract needless attention to himself. Instead he watched as Thoma carefully closed the old leather bound volume he had been reading from. With a resigned sigh the old man put the book down on the desk, obviously knowing, as Dai did, that they had not taken anything in he had tried to teach them that day.

Yes I have, Krin, several times. They have been our Allies during times of war for the last three hundred and fifty years; which you would know if you had taken any notice of your history lessons.

The old man grinned, making him look a lot younger than his sixty odd years. Those were good times. The Onlashians know how to have fun.

So, it's true then, that either the dragons, or their riders, are magicians as well? This time it was Mari, fourteen year old daughter of the castle's custodian, who spoke up.

Thoma just shook his head. I don't know which, Mari. That the Onlashians have mages is true. His face turned a bit bleak as he continued, Without them, and the work of the mages trained in Koltran, we would have surely lost every battle against the Southerners.

At that moment the huge gong in the courtyard of the castle boomed its deep bass tone, announcing the evening meal. Anything else he would have said would have been drowned by the commotion of scraping chair legs on wooden floors, and the loud young voices of his charges as they rushed to be first at the door.

Dai followed slower, first having tidied up where he had been working with the little ones. Since there was nothing the old man could teach him anymore, Dai had been helping with the little ones' reading and letters, and teaching himself from books in the library. He was only happy to have something to do, some way of repaying the old man for the attention lavished on him over the years. Making sure that everything was tidy after the children had left was just another small way of doing that.

Even so he still managed to get to the big hall just as those on serving duty dumped the laden platters onto the tables at the bottom end of the cavern sized room. As usual, he slipped into a space on one of the benches where the retainers sat.

He had the right to sit at the table with the younger family members, just below the one on the dais where the more senior members of the ducal family sat, but he did that only occasionally. Here, with the soldiers and the workers, he was much more at ease. Over the years they had also become used to him too, forgetting that he was part of The Family, and they spoke over his head about things he would not have heard if he sat at the top of the hall.

Head bowed as if in concentration on the food piled on his plate, Dai was unaware of the taste of the rich stew of meat and vegetables as his ears strained to pick up the conversations going on around him.

… but I said to him that there's no way that horse would win any races… Next to him one of the stable hands waved his knife in the air as he talked. It was not the information he was after, so Dai turned his attention to the conversation on the other side of him.

…not since the battle of Lowrin ten years ago. But I tell you, there's nothing to top the sight of a wing of flaming dragons swooping down on your enemy, just when you think you're going to breathe your last. Dai identified the voice as that of Nolly, one of the older soldiers who had served the duke since he had been a young man. A quick sideways glance confirmed that, and he settled in to listen to the rest of the conversation.

But are you sure that the Onlashians would get involved this time? Was it not just because their embassy was burnt down, and the dragons and their riders killed, that they got involved last time? Nolly's conversation partner was one of the new recruits

Don't be a dimwit. The old man took a swallow of his cider, and then continued in the tone of a teacher imparting something to a very slow student. The Essians have started raiding across their borders again. They have sent out ships to attack the smaller islands close to them, again. The Valterni king's spies found out the Essians are building up troop strength along all their borders. It is obvious that the Essian King is getting ready to go to war. And from the sound of it, he does not plan to make it short and sweet this time.

The man took another swallow from his mug, and Dai stole a sideways look to see him shaking his head thoughtfully. Nope, my boy, Nolly addressed the younger man again. This time, it'll involve all of us, and according to treaty, that includes the Onlashians as well, unless they break treaty, and they are not the type to do it. Soon enough, you'll see enough dragons to satisfy anybody's curiosity.

But why now?

From next to Dai the Home Farm manager spoke up. This is the last of the warm years. Next summer everyone will plant double or triple what they usually do, to see us through three years of almost constant winter up here. Remember now? That's why we have more silos and storehouses than we actually need. The southern lands will also be colder in summer, though they'll be able to plant at least some crops, not like us, whose fields will be frozen solid for three years.

Nolly nodded, and lifted his mug of ale in salute to the farmer. "Listen to him, Lad. He knows what he is talking about.

The farmer touched his mug to that of Nolly, and took a sip before he turned again to the younger man. The Essians are able to get imports from the southern continent, but if they can get to our stores and our crops before the winter years, they'll have even more, and then, by the time the melt year is past, famine would have totally demoralized us and they would come in and take over. If we can hold them off now, we'd be strong after the melt, and old Noritliss would have to think twice about a total invasion.

The younger man still looked unconvinced. "But they will never get as far as our islands before the first of the winter years. Valtern and Dongjit are even between mainland Brasjewa and them. Why should we get involved?

Nolly looked at the younger with obvious disdain. Several reasons; one is the treaty. We're bound by honour to help defend our allies. Secondly, Valtern's the biggest water-grain producer on this continent. All the water-grain we use is imported from there, and that's a third of the grain consumed on this island. And lastly, if they overrun those two countries, once the melt-off's gone, when our supplies and morale are at their lowest, they'll be knocking on our door. And then, when our people should be planting, we'll be fighting a war over our crop fields!

Dai stopped listening as the conversation turned from there to the different possible places and times the Essians might attack first. Silently he finished his meal, then got up and helped clear the tables. It was not part of his chores, but it had become a habit. At first, once he had moved out of the nursery area, he did it to stay out of the way of the more aggressive of the youngsters. Later, he had done it for the reward of the extra few sweet pastries the kitchen staff gave him for his help, and lately, it was just something he automatically did.

He was not even completely aware of what he was doing, his mind too busy turning over what he had heard rumoured that day. War. War with the Essians. He was no longer too young to go and fight, that he knew, although he had no idea exactly how old he was. Not that he wanted to fight in any war.

But to see the dragons breathing flame…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dai found Thoma at his desk in the back of the castle library, the half-eaten plate of food balanced on a stack of leather-bound books. Thoma seldom ate in the dining hall anymore, preferring to have his meals brought to him, as his arthritis made it difficult for him to manage all the stairs of the castle. What the old man lacked in the ability to move though, he made up for in the agility of his mind.

Welcome, Dai. The greeting held just a hint of laughter as the old man looked up at the youngster's approach. That messenger reminded me of what you asked me last week and I found the book I thought I had seen, though it's not really a book. He patted a dusty leather bag lying on the desk. It's an old scroll. So, I will not let you take it with you, but you are welcome to look at it here.

With a slight smile of thanks, Dai carefully lifted the bag and carried it over to one of the smaller desks set around the large, musty room. He had to go back for a candle to light the oil lamp, and then again to return the candle to its place beside Thoma's desk. Finally he could lift the old scroll out of its protective leather bag, taking care as he unrolled it. The writing on the parchment was faded, and the illustrations crude and childlike, but he could make out the words and the shapes sufficiently to follow what was written.

An hour later Dai's neck hurt, his eyes burned, and his frustration was mounting. The information was sketchy speculation; folklore, not fact. He rolled the scroll up again, returned it to the bag and blew the lamp out.

Found what you were looking for? Thoma's face was open and friendly, and for once Dai forgot his usual reticence.

No. Do you perhaps have anything else? As he saw Thoma gaze along the shelves of books that lined the walls, Dai quickly carried on. I looked there before. There's just more like this. Nothing specific, just stories people have made up to explain things they know nothing about.

What exactly is it that you wanted to know about dragons?

Dai shrugged, and sighed. I don't know. Everything, I suppose. What are they, mammals or reptiles? What do they eat? How often? How old do they get?

I suppose then, Thoma smiled as he spoke, gripping the young man comfortingly on the shoulder, we'll just have to find a dragon to ask, right?

Dai smiled slightly, despite his frustration. Sure, I'll just wave one down when it flies past.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several hours later Dai lay awake in the small room he called his own. It was in one of the turrets of the castle, away from the main living areas. He had discovered the little unused storeroom about the time when those of his own approximate age group moved out of the nursery. He had hesitantly asked if he could have that room, instead of a larger one on the level occupied by the family members. Once the castle steward had realized that it was really what he wanted, he received total cooperation.

A sturdy bed had been found, bedding and cushions, a chest for his clothing, and a warm rug for the wooden floor. The housekeeper had clucked about the bare walls and window shutters, and had brought up some wall hangings and window drapes to make the little room cosy.

Dai enjoyed the room. Not only was it far from the intimidation games of the young bucks of the family, but it also overlooked the courtyard where he could see the comings and goings of the castle, and further away, the distant horizon of the ocean. And just above his bedroom was a room he had also annexed, which gave him enough privacy to do the exercises he had previously done at night after the little ones were asleep. He could not remember why he did the exercises. It was just something he did.

As far back as he could remember he would get up after he was sure everyone was sleeping, find a quiet place, close his eyes, and slowly go through the warm up routines of stretching and bending. By the time he started the fluid movements of the proper exercises, he was already in half trance. Once done, he always felt at peace and able to sleep. Once he had his own space, he also did the exercises in the mornings as well, finding that it gave him a quietness of mind that helped him face the bustle of a normal day at the castle.

Below him he could now hear the last of the kitchen staff going off to their homes. Above him, through the open shutters, he could see two moons peeking through the clouds. One of the castle cats peacefully purred as it kneaded its paws in the woollen blanket that covered Dai's body against the autumn breeze.

If he closed his eyes, maybe the dreams would come again, and just maybe, this time, he would remember them more clearly. The little he remembered was of flying; flying on his own on the back of a night-black dragon… flying on the back of a big blue dragon, sitting in front of his father and looking over his shoulder into the laughing face of the man…

The only problem was that the man in the dream never looked like the portrait of Duke Denton's second son, Tiber, which hung in the great hall. The man they said was his father.

If only he could remember.

Sometime during the night Dai was woken by a commotion in the courtyard. Dragging the bedding around him, he went to lean out of the window to look. He was just in time to see the Duke, his eldest son Kersin, Thoma, and the duke's personal guard assisted onto the backs of two dragons. The two beasts were even larger than the messenger of the previous day.

In the torchlight of the courtyard he could not make out much detail of shape or colour. As he watched one of the dragons spread its wings. With a mighty jump and a strong downward beat of those massive wings, it took to the air. The downdraft caused by that first downbeat of wings immediately extinguished every torch in the courtyard. The second dragon's departure was only felt by the wind created by its passage.

* * * * * * * * * *

Chapter Two

(Clent, Amery, Brasjewa)

(Autumn, 359AA)

He had grown.

His well worn boots hurt his toes, and the legs of his trousers and sleeves of his tunic seemed to have shrunk. Dai winced as he took a couple of steps away from the bed, and he tried to remember when last he had needed to get new boots. He could not recall to whom to go regarding new clothing, as he had grown so slowly over the years that it had been at least two winters ago that he had last needed new clothing.

Dai was in luck though, as he when he made his way to the dining hall for the morning meal, he nearly ran into the back of the Duchess.

Dai. She gripped his arm in greeting. You've not been eating with us lately. Would you care to sit with me this morning? With your grandfather gone, I could do with a bit of company. Not waiting for his response she turned away and marched into the hall, fully expecting him to follow, which of course he did.

Lady Nellane, Duchess of Amery, was much younger than her husband, being his third wife. Though not pretty, she was an energetic, no-nonsense person. She was an extremely competent manageress of her husband's castle and people, and in the five years she had been at Amery had seen to it that everything ran like well oiled clockwork. Those who did not appreciate being forced out of idleness or being told what to do by a woman called her hard and bossy, but Dai had doubts about that. She had a knack of finding people just when they were shirking their responsibilities.

The duchess did not mete out punishment, nor did she report these matters to her husband. But between her and the castle's steward, Balwin, she made sure that those who tried to shirk their daily duties ended up doing a little bit more than they were originally supposed to do. It was a good deterrent.

And mostly, she had a calming influence on the Duke. She had been a spinster in her thirties when he had married her, and had not presented him with any children. That was not a problem, as he still had three living sons of the five his first wife had given birth to, as well as two daughters and a son from his second wife.

Dai tried to ignore the curious looks from those at the other tables as he took the chair usually occupied by the heir. He hated the feel of those eyes on him, and kept his own downcast, politely answering when spoken too, but eating little. As the duchess rose at the end of her meal, he remembered to ask her about the clothing issue, and promptly found himself bustled towards the part of the castle complex where the workrooms and storerooms were.

The workrooms were a hive of activity, with the clacking of looms and general noises of industry forming a background for chatter. Everyone was busy, but nobody looked strained, or pressurized… another sign of the Duchess' good management.

The housekeeper swiftly appeared as if called, unlocking the big door that sealed off the end part of one passage. When she opened the first door, the smells of dye and leather wafted out. With the oil lamps lit, Dai could see bolts of various kinds of cloth, leather jackets, made up shirts, trousers, hose, under clothes, dresses, cloaks and some bits and pieces of apparel that he could not even begin to imagine the use for. There were even boots and the soft house shoes made up in various sizes.

The housekeeper produced a measuring string, clucking around him, calling the measures to Lady Nellane, who wrote them down on a slate. She pulled him around to measure his back, and stopped short.

What's this?

Dai jumped away from her, but not in time to prevent her from pulling the long, thick braid of black hair from its hiding place underneath his shirt. He could not move far, as he was held firmly in place by her grip on his hair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nellane looked up from the slate, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. When last did you have a haircut, child?

Even in the lamplight she could see his normally pale face turn ashen, and his soft reply was barely audible. Never.

Affronted, the housekeeper, still clutching the braid, reached for a pair of scissors that hung on a string next to the bolts of cloth. We can fix that right now. No young man should have hair like a maiden!

NO!

Dai pulled away sharply and pressed himself up against the shelves. The housekeeper stood frozen, stunned, one hand in the air where she had been holding onto his hair, the other halfway to the scissors. After a moment she shook her head, muttering softly to herself.

Where were we, Milady? she asked, bemused.

Nellane blinked a couple of times, shaking her head a little. She had felt the force that had stunned the housekeeper, but since it had not been directed at her, she was unaffected by it. If she had not had experience of the resident mage in her father's household, she would not have understood what had happened. From the look on the young man's face though, she doubted that he realized what he had done. In fact, he looked as confused as the housekeeper.

I'll finish off here, Anit. Nellane gently took the housekeeper by the shoulder and steered her towards the door. When we've finished, I'll bring the keys back to you. I'm sure you're needed in the kitchen.

Once the older woman's muttering was no longer audible, Nellane turned back to Dai. He had once again stuffed the braid down between his bony shoulder blades, and it simply looked as if his hair was neatly slicked back with a bit of grease, like some of the guards wore theirs.

Don't worry about it. She smiled at him and motioned for him to come forward as she picked up the measuring string the housekeeper had dropped. I'm not as narrow minded as Anit, in fact, I do know that it's accepted in the West for men to wear their hair long. As she talked she quickly finished taking his measurements, noting them down.

I assume that your mother was from the West?

I don't know, Dai muttered, not looking up.

Oh. Sensing his discomfort, Nellane turned her back on him and started removing pieces of clothing from the shelves, noting everything down as she piled it onto the work surface. Searching for a safe topic, she asked. So Dai, how old are you now?

His reply was even softer. I don't know.

That surprised her into disbelief. What do you mean 'you don't know'? When was your last aging celebration?

Whereas the young man had been ash white earlier, he was now flushing a fiery red.

I don't have an aging celebration. Nobody knows what date it's on.

Nellane shook her head in confusion. That's terrible.

Dai gave her one wild look, then, without a word, he turned on his heel and fled, ignoring her as she called him back.

Nellane quickly gathered the rest of the things together. Anit got her keys back, with an instruction to mark the clothes, boots and house shoes with his name, and then have one of the servants deliver the clothing directly to the duchess. From there she hurried to the big, sunny work room into which she had moved herself and Balwin once she had taken over the running of the castle.

The steward did not seem to mind that she kept an eye over certain areas that should have fallen under his management. In turn he assisted her with some of the duties she had taken on herself. He was only too grateful to have been moved from the dank little cubby-hole he had used as an office before her arrival.

If he was surprised at her request to see the records from ten years back, he did not show it, nor when she started skimming through some of the more recent records. After all, it was her right, and sometimes her duty, to do so

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A red haze filled Dai's sight, pulsing in harmony with the throbbing of the pain in his head. The dull headache of the previous two days had exploded into a demons' drumming contest that threatened to split his skull. Though he was already half blinded, the perspiration dripping into his eyes further added to his agony.

He had arrived last at the practice field, and the weapons master had not even given him a chance to explain. For his tardiness Dai had been issued with one of the smaller wooden practice swords, such as those used by the very youngest of the boys. As usual he was set to spar against Krin, who gleefully brandished his full size replica of a warrior's broad sword. Now all Dai could do was to use the shield to try and avoid getting battered into oblivion. Each time the wooden sword hit his shield, the gonglike sound threatened to shatter his sanity.

Vaguely he thought that it was a blessing that at least it was Krin he was facing, and not Efmin, one of the larger soldiers who had a reputation for his viciousness. Narlek often set someone against the soldier as punishment.

Once more he ducked and blocked, then danced out of the way, trying to ignore the insults the other youngster hurled at him. They had attracted an audience, the others in the practice grounds having formed a ring around them, and the weapons master had not said a word. This exercise in humiliation obviously was supposed to be a lesson against tardiness.

Tired yet, Dai? Krin barely perspired, not even bothering to protect himself with his shield, his grin a sneer of superiority. Maybe you should keep to your books, and stay away from the men. He lunged towards Dai, who quickly sidestepped and moved a few paces backwards towards the weapons shed. Too scared to face me, runt?

Lowering his practice sword and moving his shield away from his body, Krin laughed at him. All you can do is run. See, here I am, come get me.

Dai blinked to try and focus. Nausea started clutching at his stomach as the pain in his head intensified, while Krin's taunting voice and the laughter of the watching men roared in his ears.

You are not good enough to be here with us, runt! Why do you think my father has not yet even acknowledged you legally as his grandson? A little bastard runt, that's what you are. Your mother was probably a harbour whore, to produce a little runt like you.

It was nothing that Dai had not heard before, either hissed at him by Krin, or whispered in the servants' areas when they did not realize he was nearby and listening. In the past, he had shrugged it off. Not this time, though. He closed his eyes for a moment.

Your mother was a slut, and you are a slut's bastard.

From deep within his hidden memories, he heard a voice clearly echoing in his mind.

Remember, Diri, the size of your weapon does not matter, nor even if you have a weapon. Neither does the size of your opponent matter. What matters is what you do with what is available to you.

The red mist before his eyes thickened and shimmered for a moment, and then the world around him took on an intense, red filtered clarity. The pain, the discomfort, everything faded away to leave his mind intently focused on one thing.

Kill.

Dai slowly lowered his own shield and locked eyes with Krin, circling him. The younger, but much more solidly built boy was still laughing, turning where he stood in order to follow Dai's movement.

Dai loosened the shield from his arm. He bent his knees and threw the shield at Krin's legs. It missed, but it did force Krin to back towards the shed, slightly unbalanced.

With speed and agility he had not shown on the weapons practice field before, Dai flung himself forward, underneath Krin's shield arm. His momentum pushed his opponent up against the shed wall. Dai hit hard down with the hilt of his own smaller weapon onto the wrist of the hand holding the wooden sword.

From the moment he had thrown the shield, to where he had Krin pinned against the shed wall with the point of his smaller weapon pushing up hard under the youngster's chin, had taken no more than a few heartbeats. If he could have thought anything coherent at that point, he would not have believed it himself. He also would have been surprised to note that he was actually looking Krin in the eye, without having to look up.

I may or may not be a bastard. The words were grated out from between teeth clenched together as he fought the nausea and the pain. That does not change what you are though. Right now, you are dead.

Dai dropped his hand and pushed himself away from where Krin stood against the weapons shed, gaping like a stranded fish. The world tilted for a moment as the clarity of his vision once disintegrated into a red haze, and he stumbled slightly before he could orientate himself. He walked past the weapons master and dropped the little sparring sword on the pile just inside the shed before he turned and left the practice field. The ring of spectators silently parted, opening a way for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dai's feet took him to the bathing rooms under the kitchens, where water pipes running over the hearths and ovens heated the water for the showers and the big soaking pool on the men's side, as well as the tubs on the women's side. Nobody else would be using the baths at this time of day. It was only midmorning, and the youngsters from the family that were on the practice fields still had to deal with archery and horsemanship.

Swiftly Dai undressed and washed himself with the bar of strong soap, even undoing his hair and scrubbing out the grease. Once the water ran clear he let go of the chain that had allowed the water to cascade over him and stepped down to float in the tepid water of the pool.

Slowly the pain and tension ebbed away.

What had he done?

He had been extremely rude to the duchess. He had exposed himself to further intimidation by besting Krin… and for what? Just because he was angry? Why was he angry?

Where did his obsession about keeping his hair from being cut come from? And just how had he managed to avoid it all these years? What had happened that had prevented old Anit from cutting off his braid?

The questions the duchess had asked were the same questions he asked himself when he lay at night in his bed. The whispers about his legitimacy and origins had been around as long as he could remember. Why suddenly now did everything upset him so?

And what had happened to him when he had faced Krin? It had seemed as if something outside of him had taken over. That clear, red hot rage was something he had never experienced before.

Drifting in the water he closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind as he did when exercising, eventually slipping into a light trance. High windows set in the wall just above ground level brought dim light into the basement bathing room, and the soft light against his eyelids swirled in a golden web, eventually resolving into images as he moved into a waking dream.

Soft yellow lamplight pooled over the two people who stood at the foot of the big bed where he snuggled amongst the pillows. The woman was dressed in rich amber velvet, her dark auburn hair braided and wrapped around her head like a crown, framing the delicate bone structure of her face. She was busy brushing out the mass of night black hair spilling over the blue velvet clad shoulders of the man standing with his back to her, the leather thong to bind his braid wrapped around her wrist.

You should apologize to Lord Gentali, Onquilan. Her voice was rich and soft, but held a note of steel in it. I understand your anger, but you didn't need to insult the other guests of our host. She put the brush down and swiftly braided the thick mass into a long rope that reached down below the man's waist, wrapping the thong around the end and tying it off. Even if you were right in everything you said it was still rude.

The man turned, put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. As usual, you're right, Drangurlan, and acting as my conscience. He sighed as he looked up and turned his hawk featured face towards Dai. Your anu is a wise woman, Son. Learn from my mistakes. And if you ever do find that you've been rude, or you were in the wrong, always go and make it right.

The sound of the noon gong broke harshly into the dream, bringing Dai swiftly back to the present. Soon the bathing rooms would fill with those coming to clean up before the midday meal and he did not want to be caught down here by Krin or any of the others. He pulled himself out of the water and reached for the clothes he had discarded, then noticed the stains of perspiration on them and changed his mind. Grabbing one of the large drying sheets stacked on the benches along the wall, he wrapped himself in it, covering