The Dragon Bond

Chapter 40

"Stay away from me," Lyrine said, seething with anger.

James stood in the doorway, looking down at the floor to avoid making eye contact with Lyrine. Nira was asleep on the bed next to her, oblivious to her parent's situation.

"I'm sorry Lyrine. I was wrong. I shouldn't have done what I did. I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me," James muttered.

Lyrine shook her head, her eyes wide and red.

"You strangled me," she said.

James nodded.

"I did. And I shouldn't have. You said you were going to take Nira, and I lost my patience," he agreed.

Lyrine stood up. Slowly she walked up to James, her eyes locked on his. Then, with great accuracy, she slapped James across the face with the back of her hand.

"You will never lay a hand on me again. You may be the King, but I am the mother of your daughter, and you will show me respect and treat me with dignity," she asserted.

James rubbed his cheek, dulling the stinging pain. But he was not angry with Lyrine, but rather angry with himself. He looked at Nira as she slept happily, buried in her blanket. He nearly broke down but managed to keep his composure.

"I know you're afraid," he began, "but I have faith in our men to defend our walls. The dragons fire can burn at its hottest, but it will never find its way into the cellars. Our walls are made of stone, and stone doesn't burn. Their army is made of blacksmiths, fishermen and farmers, among other things. They are not soldiers. They will never breach our walls. You will be safe, and I assure you that bringing the fight here will reduce the number of men we lose."

Lyrine scoffed at him, sitting down again.

"Then what am I to make of the remnants of the great war? Castles and houses melted into nothing by dragon fire. Holes in cliffs created by dragons melting their way through the rocks to create their dens where they saw fit. You believe our brick walls will keep them out?" she snapped.

"No," James started, "the dragons of our enemy are young. Very young. Even the largest of them is still very young and immature. They are nowhere near capable of melting solid stone. They've attacked us before and did minimal damage. The dragons responsible for melting steel and cracking rock were larger than the largest whale ever seen. Their teeth dwarfed the longest sword. Their wings could destroy trees with the down draft from each flap. The dragons we face today are babies. They will pose little threat to our walls. They are only as good as to kill foot soldiers. Nothing more."

Lyrine looked over at the wall, on which hung the great dragon's tooth, transformed into a sword with a dragon bone hilt. James saw where she was looking and pulled the sword from its stand.

"This is the tooth of a dragon capable of melting our walls to the ground. The teeth of their largest dragon can barely match a small dagger in size. You will be safe here. But, if you abandon your home, you will almost certainly never return. Don't be irrational. It could cost you and our daughter your lives," James explained.

He held the sword out in front of him, the lanterns light reflecting off the smooth surface. At a glance, one would think it was made of steel. James examined it for another moment, then hung it back on the wall before turning to look out the window.

"Many people will die here. That's something I'll have to come to terms with. I don't think there's anything more I can do other than wait, and hope with all I have that our men can survive," said James.

Lyrine laid back.

"Let's hope so," she replied.