Destroyers and the Dragons

Page 40

     "Does it bother you Destroyer?" she asks quietly.

     "It makes me glad the upstart no longer lives," I say shaking my head. "He would have breed his own army that way and it would have destroyed the kingdom."

     "You are correct," she says rising from the ground. "Take my father and dump it with my sisters body." I watch this young one and see a bit of myself in her and begin to wonder how many other gentle born females are a little tougher than they appear. "I will travel in six months time to pledge our loyalty at the castle. I need time to straighten out my affairs here."

     "That is fine," Evergreen says. I peel out of my helmet and begin to work on healing all the wounded. I start with our men first and find my needle and thread. I clean the wounds with alcohol and stitch the flesh back together. Wash the needle and then start again. My fingers are numb with pain and stiff when Evergreen plucks the needle from my fingers. "Go rest," he commands.

     "Others need my attention," I mumble rubbing my eyes.

     "They are being attended," he says turning me to see the clan girl and several of her women working needle and thread like me.

    "Fine wake me if you need me," I say trying to ease the cramped muscles in my hand. Evergreen drags me back to our tent where he peels me out of my armor and washes the blood from my face, neck, and hands. He then lays me down on a cot and covers me up before climbing in next to me.

     "You don't have to stay with me," I mumble already drifting away.

     "I thought I'd lost you last night," he whispers in my ear. "When you didn't show up right away. I thought you hadn't survived, or you'd been captured and we'd storm the keep to find that bastard holding you at sword point, or I'd trip over a body and glance down to see you." Evergreen pulls me against him. "It was the worst two hours of my life."

     "I'm sorry," I mumble against his chest as I fall asleep. I wake with a start, pulling the knife from under the pillow. I find the clan girl from the keep studying us as we sleep.

     "Peace," she says watching with her onyx eyes. "I was told to wait here until you two awoke." I elbow Evergreen and throw off the covers. I quickly pull on my sword and sheath the knife.

     "How long have you waited?" I ask as Evergreen rubs his eyes.

     "I have sat on this stool for two hours past the rising of the sun," she says. "I believe formal introductions were skipped yesterday. I am Lark of the Mountain clan ruler now of the clan." She holds out her hand to me I grasp it in a warriors grasp.

     "I am Destroyer of the plains," I say.

     "She is my War councilor," Evergreen says pulling up a stool. "What is it that we need to discuss?" he asks.

     "What to do with your wounded?" Lark says.

     "If they are well enough to ride they can travel with us, if not they will need to stay at your keep and when well returned to my castle," Evergreen says. He pulls out a pouch of coins from a chest and hands them to Lark. "These should cover the cost of the extra mouths." I watch as Lark palms the pouch and then smiles.  

    "You are most gracious King Evergreen. You Destroyer are a master planner.