Torin the dragon rider (TOME 12 of the TIAMAT'S WARS SERIE)

Apricots

"Wow!" (me)

Beth laughed. "All those soldiers. These walls...these cracks..."

"DADDY?? DADDY? What's that for???"

Ragul smiled, "These are loopholes., murder holes.. The archers take shelter here..."

"And there? what is that?"

"A walkway."

"Why is it made of wood and the rest of it of stone?"

Beth: "I know! It's when a tower is taken or a section. We burn or blow the pin and the attackers fall!"

"Great!" and all excited I flapped my wings... "

"GRRR, I'm the ugly dragon and I'm going to roast the city!"

Beth: "Hahaha... look at you... you look like a chicken.!"

"So... kot. kot kot! "

and the five of us go chicken around our dads..

Iolo: "Kids, be careful not to hit anyone, security is strict now..."

The remark was heard by one of the guards dressed in black. It was not an insult or a provocation but the chief crouched down towards me: "You... the kid who runs... Listen carefully to your daddy because children and adults are punished severely now. You wouldn't want your daddy to get a lashing because you did something stupid, would you?"

I didn't know what to say... I was afraid

"sorry sir..."

Guard: "I like that better!"

Then he looked up at Ragul. "Ah, Sire Ragul! Your son is obedient...That's good.."

Iolo and Ragul held hands with us. and we went further.

"Be careful, children...did you see?...any excuse is good for punishment."

I had learned the lesson well, and more importantly, I had seen the mini crossbow on his belt and the long sword and chain mail under his black clothes.

There was the symbol of Blackthorne, the chief advisor to Lord British, elected Regent pending the death of the former King.

Further on, there was the nobles' quarter and the stalls were immediately more beautiful.

Iolo: "come on, I invite you... we're going to the Troll's Hole, I have friends there"

And, seeing the terrace occupied with tables outside and inside, we saw another character like Iolo, but with brown hair.

Dupré: "EEhhh! Iolo!!!! Ragul!!. Come and sit down... "

And we invited ourselves to the table. Dad and Berth explained to me how to behave, how to recognize the nobles, who often wore clothes with gold or silver borders and the number of lilies sewn on their collars and sleeves.

Like the military, this was how they recognized their rank. From Baron on, one had to be wary. These greedy people for the most part sought by all means to attract the favors of the nobles higher in the hierarchy.

An accident happened quickly. I thus discovered other dangers, more subtle than the great predators, with even more devastating effects, with the panoply of punishments, ranging from fines to the pillory and from the dungeon to the galleys and the supreme punishment, the Great Widow, or guillotine.

Lord British had abolished these ignoble punishments, the galleys and the life sentences that made no sense, but replaced them with punishments whose purpose was to put the criminal back on the path of the eight virtues.