The Dragons Queen Saga

Part 17: The Dragon Council

Vlad noticed the distance between Dresden and Jukie, and was respectful enough not to inquire about it. Whenever he and Dresden were in situations together, now with Freida joining them at meals and sometimes walking to the marketplace, Vlad noticed Dresden's withdrawal. It concerned him, but men don't speak about personal matters of the heart with one another.

Dresden spoke to more people in the Western province over the course of the next several days than he had in the entire month he'd been at the inn. He learned that Baylin had frequented the area for many years off and on, and there were stories that a Dragon lurked in the Western woods which the Western province referred to as the Dead Forest. No children were allowed to play near there, and many of the adults feared the place as well since no game could be found there, and birds would rarely sing or fly near the forest. Many of the townsfolk told Dresden that the woods had been quiet for about a year now, but only a week ago, a worker in the Queen's fields reported seeing deer fleeing the forest, heading for the coast.

"This is very unusual behavior for deer." The man said as Dresden listened carefully. "My friend wasn't drunk and I believed him when he told me what he saw." Dresden was at the inn. Jukie was working the bar again tonight, but paid no attention to him as they'd agreed. Vlad came over to Dresden's table where he had an old farm hand recounting stories of the forest for him.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me." Dresden shook the man's hand and went to his room. Vlad watched him go, then began talking to the farm hand that Dresden had been speaking to.

"What was he asking you just now?" Vlad asked casually.

"He wanted to know about the forest. You know, the Dead Forest. He just wanted to know if I had seen anything unusual over there. I haven't, not in a long time, but my friend has, just last week. It's a bad place. You don't think he would go there, do you?" The farm hand looked up at Vlad with concern in his eyes.

"I'm sure Dresden can handle himself just fine. Don't worry my friend. He is new here and must just be curious." Vlad smiled amiably taking the pressure off the conversation. He went immediately to Dresden's room and knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" Dresden called out.

"It's Vlad. May I come in?"

Vlad had never come to his room before. Dresden stopped gathering his belongings that were accumulating on the bed to answer the door. When Vlad saw all of the clothes and the sword sitting on the mattress, he closed the door quickly behind him.
"Where are you off to then? You still have another two weeks paid up here you know?" Vlad wrung his hands nervously; he didn't want to see Dresden leave, especially to the Dead Forest. It was a known cursed place, and the people avoided it for good reason. There was a moment of awkward silence between them. Vlad was hoping that they would become friends. Dresden had hoped that Vlad wouldn't ask where he was going, or for how long. It would be difficult to explain what he planned to do next.

Vlad broke the silence first. "If you need to go, I understand. How does this sound my friend? I will hold your room for however long you need. No one comes to my inn anyways. You have two weeks left paid. If you want to return, you can stay here for the rest of the time you have paid for and I will cook for you when you get back. Perhaps we can talk then about your journey and what is so important that you cannot talk to your friend about it." Vlad sounded a little hurt. He didn't know what else to say.

Dresden nodded. He also wasn't sure what to say. Vlad had indeed become a friend, as much of a friend as he could expect to have in his situation. How would Vlad feel if he knew the truth? Dresden guessed he knew the answer to that. His kind were not welcomed and certainly wouldn't be considered a friend.