ã€ŠDragon&#x27;s guardã€‹


 Petition

    Crack! Crack! The butt of the heavy bladed halberd smashed twice into the granite flagstones of the throne room. ¡®Hear ye, Hear ye! By the leave of his majesty Ryker the second, Dragon of these halls, I command you! Clear the court of food! The Lore Master comes!¡¯

    Having bellowed his command, the Preceptor of the Dragon Guard strode to the middle of the hall and scanned the court as if looking for anyone stupid enough to have smuggled in anything edible even though everyone in the room had been thoroughly searched before being allowed in. No-one was entirely sure why the restriction was enforced but objecting would mean being banned from the midsummer season at court. It was a ceremony that hadn¡¯t changed in living memory, but it marked the start of the busiest time in court life where awards were made, petitions heard and marriage contracts finalized.

    The king remained motionless in his throne as one of the enormous doors of the Dragon¡¯s gate, set in the southern wall of the throne room, creaked open wider, but crown prince Vann, on the king¡¯s right, straightened in his chair and surreptitiously tried to smooth out the wrinkles and creases in his blue linen tunic. On the other side, Princess Bria, the king¡¯s niece had let her curly brown hair fall around her face trying to conceal her ¡®bored with ceremony¡¯ expression.

    An old man in bright yellow robes appeared in the doorway that linked the Southern Hall and the Northern Palace, leaning on a wooden staff, clutched in his age-spotted left hand. His robes had a hood that tightly wrapped his head coming down to the bridge of his nose and blindfolding him. As he shuffled down the side aisle, the only sound that could be heard in the vast throne room was the clack, scrape, clack, scrape of the staff on the rough flagstones. Even with his eyes covered, the Lore Master didn¡¯t need a guide. When he reached the centre aisle, he paused on the blue carpet and waited for the Preceptor to fall in behind him, before making his way, very slowly, towards the western end of the court room where the king sat on his throne atop a massive dais. The throne itself was a magnificent seat, with intricate carving, inlays of precious stones and acres of gold leaf but somehow it still didn¡¯t dominate the room. It was eye-catching but a little lost on the huge platform.

    The Lore Master stopped at the bottom of the two steps up to the dais and bowed to the king, then turned and bowed to the crown prince before turning and bowing to princess Bria.

    The herald to the left of the princess had a voice to match the Preceptor ¡°The Lore Master of the Dragon guard approaches the throne. Will the King of the Isles hear his plea?¡±

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    The King nodded slightly. ¡®I will hear your petition, Lore Master.¡¯

    The Lore Master dipped his head and spoke. ¡®Sire, the Dragon guard has dwindled. One hundred years ago there were eighteen knights. I must, once again, petition you to increase our numbers. We are now too few even to maintain our ancient duties let alone the additional burden of dispensing law on the other islands laid on us two hundred years ago. With the unfortunate loss of Sir Blevin this winter, there are now only twelve guards and me left¡¯

    The king looked coolly at the Lore Master. ¡®I hear your request, Lore Master, as I have heard it every year. Your purpose is to fight dragons but there have been no dragons for a century. You provide guards for ceremonial occasions and you only need to investigate and dispense justice for serious crimes. I do not think you are overstretched.¡¯

    The Lore Master rubbed his free hand on the side of his yellow robe and the knuckles of the hand holding the staff whitened. ¡®Sire, the portents show that dragons, real winged fire-breathing dragons, will return and soon. Candidates must begin their training soon, or we are lost. A dozen men, however valiant, can¡¯t be expected to stand against a forty-foot reptile.¡¯

    The king sighed. ¡®Very well. I grant that Blevin, at least, should be replaced and that the order is weaker than in days gone by. I shall allow the Dragon guard to recruit and train new warriors so that the strength, tradition and lore of the order be maintained. The Dragon guard are not the strain on the royal purse that many of the court functionaries are.¡¯ He glowered across the dais to where the herald stood, resplendent in blue and gold tabard, before glancing back to the Preceptor in his battered pink armour.

    The court usual had a soft background noise, with fabric rustling and the occasional whisper but now was absolutely silent and still. The request hadn¡¯t been granted for over 100 years and everyone waited to see what would be next.

    Crown prince Vann raised his hand, breaking the frozen moment and a quiet murmuring started.

    The king turned to look at him ¡®Yes, son¡¯

    ¡®How does one get selected to join the guard?¡¯

    The king turned back to the Lore Master and raised an eyebrow. ¡®Well Lore Master? It¡¯s a fair question.¡¯

    The Lore Master who was frozen to the spot, completely blindsided by the king¡¯s decision, finally stuttered ¡®I I I ... Preceptor?¡¯

    The murmur grew.

    The Preceptor lifted his hand and the court fell silent, expecting him to make some announcement. But he didn¡¯t speak. His hand clicked open the throat latches of his helm and he took it off. The court¡¯s collective jaw dropped in shock. No-one had ever seen one of the guard take off a helm or even remove a gauntlet during any ceremony. The helm itself was curious because the front was solid, with no visor or eye slits. Like the Lore Master, the Preceptor appeared to have been blindfolded. Taking it off revealed a surprisingly young-looking man with olive skin and short brown hair.

    His green eyes swept the court and he grinned.

 Enlist

    The entire court was silent and still as the Preceptor spoke

    ¡®First four young nobles lined up at the gate can take the vigil, starting at noon; if any don¡¯t pass muster, the next in line may try.¡¯

    The movement was almost imperceptible at first, as the sons of the great houses started edging towards the side door. Becoming one of the Dragon Guard guaranteed immortality of a sort and every young man in the room had dreamed of joining at some point. The Duke of Farrenreed Isle, standing closest to the gate and realising what was about to happen, grabbed his wife and children before moving smartly towards the throne and, more importantly, away from the door. Within seconds the edging had become walking, then hurrying, then an avalanche. Within a minute, a melee had broken out on the south side of the throne room as the young men fought for the front of the line.

    The Lore Master scowled at the Preceptor. ¡®Possibly not the wisest thing you¡¯ve done today!¡¯

    The Preceptor scratched his head and grinned, ¡®That happened last time too.¡¯ He looked at the king. ¡®My apologies for destroying the decorum of your court.¡¯

    The king laughed. ¡®I look forwards to developments, things have been stagnating here for too long. This is the best thing to happen since the mid-winter celebrations. We¡¯ve been discussing fish taxes for the last month and that becomes tedious after the first day or so.¡¯

    Without taking his eyes off the battle royal going on in front of the doors to the Southern Hall, the Preceptor asked ¡®Did you find time to order reprisals for Blevin¡¯s death?¡¯

    The king coughed and glanced at princess Bria. ¡®Last week. The brothel was burned to the ground and the madam has been shipped over to Skarran, indentured for 10 years to work in the fish-gutting sheds.¡¯

    The Lore Master harrumphed ¡®Silly old fool shouldn¡¯t have gone anywhere near the place, let alone take his armour off.¡¯

    The Preceptor frowned slightly. ¡®We are not some order of monks, cloistered away from the world. We live in it and work in it and in the end, we are only human.¡¯

    The king shrugged. ¡®Blevin¡¯s frailties are immaterial. An attack on one of the Guard is treason and always has been. I just wish we had caught the killer. They would have been staked out on the shoreline for the gulls and rats. The only reason that the madam didn¡¯t suffer that fate was that we couldn¡¯t prove she had fore-knowledge of the plan but she did try to sell the armour. Is it undamaged?¡¯

    The Preceptor patted his own armour.  ¡®It¡¯s sound, Sire. The suits are incredibly tough but it¡¯s very pale now, even worse than this suit. We need to get some more dragon blood to recharge all the suits. At the rate they are fading, we may only have a decade or two left.¡¯

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    The king nodded ¡®and then the guards will be mortal again.¡¯

    He lowered his voice. ¡®I notice my son has ambitions to join you. If he makes it to the vigil, I¡¯ll wager you a thousand Dragon¡¯s Tears, that he doesn¡¯t make it through.¡¯

    The Preceptor¡¯s head whipped around, taking in the now empty space next to the king. ¡®Sire, that sounds suspiciously like a bribe. You know I don¡¯t have a thousand Tears if he fails the vigil or tests.¡¯

    The king chuckled. ¡®I could order you to take the bet¡¯

    The Preceptor frowned. ¡®You could try that of course, but then I¡¯d have to insist that the title ¡®Commander of the Dragon Guard¡¯ is not nominal and that you join in the daily training in the practice yard.¡¯

    The king winced. ¡®Very well, no bet then.¡¯

    The Preceptor finally took his eyes off the scrum and looked at the king. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t hurt you to put some time in the practice yard Sire. It¡¯s not just your ego that¡¯s getting bigger.¡¯

    The herald gasped; ¡®Preceptor! You should not speak to the monarch thus!¡¯

    The king flapped his hand at the herald. ¡®By tradition, the Preceptor is permitted to be blunt with the monarch. His duty is to protect the ruler from all threats, including from themselves. You should know that.¡¯

    The Preceptor grinned at the herald. ¡®That and the fact that I have a pretty decent claim to the throne, having been crown prince myself. You should know that too.¡¯

    The Lore Master stirred. ¡®Actually, you don¡¯t, you renounced any claim when you took the oath of fealty to the king on his coronation¡¯

    ¡®Lore Master, you¡¯re slipping. I acknowledged his claim should supersede mine and swore loyalty to him, as I have done to every monarch since my mother, queen Karaliene passed. To do otherwise would have meant civil war. I renounced nothing.¡¯

    ¡®You may not be Lore Master or Preceptor and maintain your place in succession. The tradition has served us well for the last three hundred years. I was blocked from taking the throne when my father passed two hundred years ago.¡¯

    ¡®Gloria was Queen, Lore Master and Preceptor.¡¯

    The Lore Master tapped his staff on the ground, seemingly quite agitated. ¡®And two centuries passed before we recovered from the bloodbath that befell the kingdom when Gloria was killed, mainly as a result of her centralising the power in her own hands. Do not cite Gloria to me as an example of anything.¡¯

    Princess Bria stared at the pair of them. ¡®Gloria was a guard? You said ¡®Nobles¡¯ not ¡®Noblemen.¡¯ Women can be guards!¡¯

    She turned to hurtle down the steps, but the Preceptor caught her by the green linen sleeve of her dress.  She struggled to escape his grip. ¡®Let go of me! I want to join.¡¯

    He pointed to the seething mass of young noblemen still fighting for the front of the line. ¡®Your highness, do you really want to try and fight through those idiots?

    The king looked at the Lore Master. ¡®Is this true that the Dragon Guard will admit women?

    The Lore Master froze ¡®Sire I must protest at even the idea. Women were admitted in rare circumstances only. I scarcely think that we need allow young ladies, with no training, admittance to the Southern Hall when there are so many keen young men.¡¯ He pointed to the scrum down by the oak doors into the Southern hall.

    ¡®Your Majesty.¡¯ The Preceptor came to attention. ¡®I formally request that we reopen the western barracks of the Southern Hall, traditional home for women in the Dragon Guard. Admitting them will significantly enhance our role as investigators and judges. Witnesses may well speak to them where they would not speak to us.¡¯

    The king nodded and steepled his fingers under his chin staring first at the Preceptor and then at the Loremaster. ¡®Granted Preceptor. Bria, go and get Lady Adelyn, Lady Camryn and Lady Nia. The four of you can stand vigil together.¡¯

    Princess Bria looked as though she had just found the jewel of the isles. ¡®I really may join the Dragon Guard?¡¯

 Selection

    The king looked at her and smiled. ¡®You may try and pass their tests and, if you pass, you may join with my blessing. Your mother would have been proud of you.  I will speak to the Dukes of Skarran, Blackrock and Benduil. I suggest you go quickly before my mind is changed.¡¯

    Bria turned and ran down the steps, heading for her friends and this time the Preceptor didn¡¯t try to stop her.

    The Preceptor looked over at the gate and sighed. ¡®I suppose I¡¯d better sort this mess out¡¯

    The king held up his hand and the Preceptor stopped.

    ¡®Your point about your investigations is well made. I will speak to the captain of the King¡¯s guard and select four promising recruits to join you. Commoners will tell commoners that which they would not tell a noble.¡¯

    The herald looked scandalised. ¡®Commoners, Sire?¡¯

    The king turned sideways and glared at the herald. ¡®Is that a problem?¡¯ The herald shrank back and shook his head. ¡®No sire, just a little ¡­ unconventional¡¯

    ¡®Then convey my ¡°unconventional¡± instruction to the captain of the guard. Four promising recruits to be in the throne room in full uniform in quick time.¡¯ The king saw the herald glance behind him. ¡®Don¡¯t look for a messenger boy. I¡¯m sending you. Now!¡¯

    The Preceptor put his helm back on and snapped the throat latches into place. ¡®Four noblemen, four noblewomen and four commoners. I don¡¯t think we could handle any more for a few months anyway.¡¯ He clapped the Lore Master on the shoulder. ¡®Why so dour. You got what you asked for and more than you could possibly have hoped.¡¯

    ¡®I never thought he was going to say yes and he¡¯s not the first king to admit commoners but he may live to regret letting women in.¡¯ His feet were still frozen to the spot but his left hand twitched and pulled at his robe betraying his agitation.

    The Preceptor snorted and bowed to the king. ¡®With your leave Sire.¡¯

    The king nodded. ¡®Carry on Preceptor.¡¯

    The Preceptor turned and marched back down the grey carpet that marked the central aisle of the throne room. As he reached the cross aisle that led to the melee and the doors to the Southern Hall, Duchess Farrenreed hurried up to him, putting out her hand. ¡®Please Preceptor. My son slipped away from me and is in there somewhere.¡¯

    The Preceptor shrugged. ¡®If he makes the front of the line, he can stand vigil¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s only twelve wailed the duchess.

    The Preceptor looked at her in shock and then back at the heaving mass of young men. ¡®NOBODY MOVE!¡¯

    A fart of light shot from the dais and hit the struggle freezing them in place for a moment

    He hurried over to the now mostly still heap and grabbed the first teenager. ¡®go and stand with your back to that pillar.¡¯ He indicated a pillar on the far side of the throne room that flanked the northern half of the cross aisle. ¡®Face this way.¡¯ He pulled a second boy to his feet. ¡®You go and stand in front of him. Face this way.¡¯ Within a couple of minutes, he had marshalled all the young men into a line that nearly crossed the hall.

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    He walked back to Duchess Farrenreed. ¡®Are you certain your son joined? These all look too old¡¯

    ¡®I took my eye off him for a moment when you were speaking to the king. I turned around to look for him, but he was gone. He¡¯s been obsessed with the Dragon Guard for years.¡¯

    The Preceptor eyed the double doors, one of which was still ajar. He strode over to it and looked inside the gloomy hall. There, pressed against the door that hadn¡¯t been opened was a blonde-haired boy dressed in the silver and blue colours of house Farrenreed.

    ¡®Your mother is looking for you.¡¯ said the Preceptor.

    The lad stared up at him with some trepidation but refused to give in to fear ¡®I¡¯m at the front of the line. I want to join. This chance might not come again in my lifetime.¡¯

    The Lore Master appeared behind the Preceptor. ¡®Perhaps not one of your better days, Preceptor. you¡¯ve let women in, you started a brawl in the throne room and now you¡¯ve forgotten any kind of age limit¡¯

    The Preceptor ignored the Lore Master and looked down at the boy. ¡®Yes, you are at the front and, by rights, you should get your chance, but the training is long, hard and dangerous. Much too dangerous for a pup like you.

    ¡®I don¡¯t care about the danger, Sire. I want to be a guard.¡¯

    ¡®What is your name, boy?¡¯

    ¡®Jemryn Farrenreed, Sire¡¯

    ¡®Save Sire for the king, Jemryn. Address me as Preceptor. Now, let me discuss your options with your parents.¡¯

    The Lore Master tapped his staff on the ground in irritation. ¡®You don¡¯t have time for this. You¡¯ve got twelve vigils to arrange.¡¯

    The Preceptor straightened up and turned his gaze back to the Lore Master. ¡®Indeed, Lore Master. Thank-you for the timely reminder. I assume that you will be in the library should anyone require you¡¯

    It was a dismissal, but the Lore Master couldn¡¯t resist one last snipe. ¡°I will be in the solar, Preceptor, recharging, after wasting my power, rescuing you from your folly.¡¯  He brushed between the Preceptor and the boy, through the door and into the Southern Hall.

    The Preceptor turned to face the line of boys and came to attention before letting out a parade ground bellow that fairly rattled the windows. ¡®Knights of the Dragon Guard. Attend Me.¡¯

    The doors into the Southern Hall that had only been slightly ajar were abruptly dragged open and eleven knights marched in, fanning out to form an arc behind the Preceptor. Like the Preceptor, they carried heavy-bladed halberds and wore pale pink armour with blank faced visors.

    The Preceptor took a small pouch from one of the knights and opened it, wordlessly counting out wooden tokens. The court watched in silence as he walked past the first three in line and then handed a token to the next eleven lads, before returning to his position near the front of the line.

    ¡®You that received tokens have been unlucky. On another day you may have made the cut. Keep them safe. Should any candidate fail or fall, present them at the door and you may stand vigil. If the chance does not fall to you, you may keep the token or return it as you choose.¡¯ He turned to the knight at the left hand of the arc. ¡®Sir Henrik, do you take the candidates through to the hall and begin the vigil? I have another matter I must attend to.¡¯  With that, he marched over to the Duchess of Farrenreed and spoke quietly to her for a few moments, before leading the entire family through the doors, into the gloom of the southern hall and out of sight of the assembled courtiers.

    Once the Preceptor had left the court, Sir Henrik moved to take his place at the centre or the arc. ¡®With your leave, your majesty. Sir Leif. Your squad. Escort the first three noblemen through! Sir Lars. Your squad. Escort the guardsmen through.¡¯ He gestured to the guard captain standing quietly to one side with four young men in guard uniform. ¡®My squad. With me!¡¯ The knights spread out and put a hand on the shoulder of each of the candidates and gently pushed them towards the doors and the darkness.

 Jemryn

    ¡®Your graces, thank you for your patience. Please come and sit in the garden.¡¯ The Preceptor ushered the family out into the walled sun-lit garden. ¡®We must not disturb the silence of the vigil, but here we should be able to talk. I have sent word to the kitchens for refreshments.¡¯

    The duchess inclined her head and strolled down the path, breathing in the scents of all the different floral scents. ¡®Preceptor, this place has never failed to delight, the few times I¡¯ve been allowed to visit. The knights¡¯ gardening talents rival my own. This is the hidden gem of the palace. I am amazed you don¡¯t have half the court sitting out here. Does the king never think to hold an outdoor court here?¡¯

    The Preceptor laughed. ¡®Your grace flatters us. We keep it tidy but mostly it looks after itself. We ¡­ discourage visitors I suppose. No-one really wants to enter our gloomy lair so never discover the garden. Besides. Lars would scowl at anyone brave enough to walk on his grass and heaven help a courtier who attempted to pick a bloom.¡¯ He walked over to a bed containing tall white flowers, snapped off a spike and presented it to the duchess.

    ¡°Ah, Tuberose.¡± She brought it up to her nose and breathed in. ¡®Spice and seduction. You should bottle this.¡¯

    ¡®The apothecary does. He will be here in a day or two with his cutting knife and basket. We get a small return.¡¯ The Preceptor shrugged. ¡®We do what we can not to be a drain on the exchequer. This is the only place that they grow on the islands.¡¯

    The duchess narrowed her eyes. ¡®Perhaps I should handle the negotiations on your behalf. The perfume is scandalously expensive. He sells it to us at a tear a drachm.¡¯

    The Preceptor smiled faintly. ¡®Thankyou your grace, perhaps we could first discuss what you would charge us for your services? Please, take a seat. We must discuss today¡¯s turn of events.¡±

    The duchess took a seat on a stone bench in the centre of the garden but the duke moved to stand behind it. His steely grey eyes glinted in the sunlight and they were fixed on the Preceptor like some predator, waiting to strike. Jemryn¡¯s eyes were similar in colour to his father¡¯s and they too were fixed on the Preceptor but were filled with apprehension.

    The Preceptor sat down on another bench facing them, propped his halberd against the arm rest and took his helm off for the second time that day. ¡®Technically, your son¡¯s wit won him the right to stand vigil but he¡¯s too young.¡¯ Jemryn¡¯s face fell. ¡®As older child, I assume your daughter will inherit Farrenreed¡¯

    The duchess nodded and smile at her daughter who was staring at the crystal tree sculpture at the end of the garden. ¡®Indeed Preceptor. Already she shows promise in the commerce that underpins the island¡¯s economy.¡¯

    The duke grinned. ¡®Jemryn, alas, does not, being obsessed with history, music, art, puzzles and his martial skills.¡¯ He winked at Jemryn.

    Jemryn looked down at the grass and went red. His mother, seeing his embarrassment, tried to save him. ¡®Leave him alone Leander, He may not be cut out as a trader, but everyone may find their place.¡¯ She saw her daughter edging towards the crystal tree to have a better look. ¡®Skadi, come away from that tree. There are some odd rumours about its effects.¡¯

    The Preceptor smiled and shook his head. ¡®She may look. Most of the rumours are mindless chatter. She can¡¯t get close. Even the Lore Master can¡¯t approach and he frequently studies it. Watch!¡¯ He took another of the tokens from the pouch and threw it at the tree. It got to within a spear¡¯s length of the tree and then twitched sideways, smacking into the wall. ¡®If you find the token, you may try a throw yourself.¡¯

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    Skadi scampered over to the wall and, after a moment¡¯s scrabbling in the turf, came back with the token. She hurled the token at the tree as hard as she could and, as before, it twitched sideways, hitting the wall several paces from the tree.

    The duke grinned and said, ¡®Returning to Jemryn, I think the good preceptor may already have a place for him in mind.¡¯

    Inwardly, the Preceptor breathed a sigh of relief. The duke¡¯s legendary astuteness was going to make this easier than he had hoped. ¡®We have only accepted 3 young men from the front of the line. Anyone can swing a sword or an axe, but we need and encourage intelligence too. Jemryn is too young yet but he will grow. I would like to offer him the place of page. With eleven novitiates to train, we will need someone to help us run the day to day business of the guard, be it taking messages to and from the king, escorting visitors or any of the other myriad of minor tasks that we normally do ourselves. In return, we will teach him our lore and train him. When he is of an age, he can stand vigil and take the place he has won. Is that acceptable?¡¯

    Jemryn held his breath as he looked at his father. The duke looked at his wife and said, ¡®Your thoughts?¡¯ The duchess looked slightly stunned ¡®What if he changes his mind? When will he see his family?¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®We will release him, should he change his mind and he will get time off to visit his friends and family¡¯

    The duke held out his hand ¡®I will accept on his behalf. Once he reaches his majority, he may make his own decision about whether he wishes to carry on.¡¯

    The Preceptor gripped the duke¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡®I don¡¯t think we have a uniform or any training weapons small enough, but we can arrange that in due course.¡¯

    The duke shook his head. ¡®I will arrange it. With your leave, I will take Jemryn to gather a few things and have him measured for a tabard. He will be back here for the evening meal. Come Skadi!¡¯

    His daughter picked up the token one last time and held it out to the Preceptor but he shook his head.

    ¡®Keep it. Maybe one day you will want to stand vigil yourself ¡®He stood and picked up his halberd but left his helm on the bench. ¡®Thank-you for your wisdom, your graces. If you don¡¯t mind, I will let you out through the back door of the refectory, rather than go through the Southern Hall and disrupt the vigil. It¡¯s the usual route when we¡¯re not standing on ceremony. Jemryn may come back into the halls the same way.¡¯

    He led the way back into the refectory and over to a door in the eastern wall which led into a corridor that ran down to the main courtyard that sat between the palace and the citadel wall.

    *     *    *    *    *    *    *

    The Lore Master had made his way up through the two floors of the archives and into the solar that jutted above the roof of the Southern Hall. It was made from slender stone pillars with expensive glass windows facing south, east and west. In the centre was a chair and around the back wall hundreds of little mirrors on a frame, all arranged to focus the sunlight on the chair. He sat down in the chair and wound a little hand wheel that moved the frame along little rails set in the floor so that more of it caught the sun. When he was satisfied that as much light as possible was falling on him, he sat down and pulled over a little stand with a smoky crystal set into the top. He hunched over the fist-sized stone and after some minutes it began to glow. He peered into its depths and shrugged. The Southern Hall was still shielded and so was the garden. ¡®Blasted tree. It must be possible to bend its power to other purposes, or at least harvest it.¡¯ The Lore Master was certain that the crystal tree collected light to power all the ancient spells such as the ones that blocked scrying in the Southern Hall and the Garden.

    He watched the refectory until the Duke of Farrenreed and his family appeared from the garden and then let his vision follow them as they left the palace and headed out through the north gate towards Jarl Street with its mansions. As they passed through the gate, the duke stopped and looked back at the Palace, seeming to search for something.

    The Lore Master shivered a little, certain that the duke had felt his gaze. In all his years of watching, no-one had ever reacted like that. ¡¯Perhaps he has a talisman that alerts him. He trades far enough. A cool head though, not to be spooked.¡¯ he muttered to himself. ¡®Took long enough to trigger! He should ask for his money back.¡¯

 Vigil

    From the throne room, the Southern Hall appeared dark compared to the throne room which was lit by large windows, but it wasn¡¯t completely dark. High in the southern wall were tiny clerestory windows that allowed a few beams of light in, creating bright spots on the floor and on the pillars that seemed irregularly spread out across the space and reducing the darkness to gloom.

    Once the last of the candidates was through into the gloom., Sir Henrik turned and bowed. Over his shoulder Bria briefly saw the king who had moved down to the centre of the throne room. As he straightened up, he quietly shut the massive door, moving it easily despite its size. The click as it latched shut wasn¡¯t loud but the finality of it made the hair on the back of Bria¡¯s neck stand on end. Up to now it had been a game, but now, now all the fun had drained away, leaving her feeling small and rather scared.

    Bria was not the only candidate cowed by the moment. All stood just inside the hall, cowed by the moment, the isolation from the people they knew and not least by the presence of some of the most feared and legendary warriors in the isles.

    Sir Henrik came to attention. ¡®The vigil will be conducted in absolute silence. Should any speak, all candidates will fail and new ones be chosen. Stand with your back to a pillar facing your guide.¡¯ He indicated the double row of massive pillars that held up the roof. ¡®We will know when you are ready to move on.¡¯  The knights moved to take up places around the hall. As the candidates went to stand in the space their guide had chosen, they realised that the pillars curved inward on each side and that the knights had chosen strategically. No candidate could see another.

    Bria took her place in a niche that faced south where she could see the motes of dust shining in the beams coming through the high windows but watching them palled after only a few minutes and she let her eyes drop to the only other thing she could see. Her knight or was it her escort or her mentor. Her guide, that was it.

    She stood there, acutely aware that she was also being scrutinised by the man standing opposite her. Was he Sir Henrik? He was standing there completely motionless in his pale pink armour, although there were hints of a darker red in the seams and creases. Pink seemed an odd choice for warriors. She couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing it on a man at court before. Bria tried to focus on his halberd without taking her eyes off his face. It was made of common ash-wood and steel but polished until both parts shone. The blade looked heavier than the halberds the regular guards trained with. Would she need to train with one?

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    Her mind drifted off to the other candidates. Would Adelyn, Camryn and Nia make it through? How would Camryn cope with being quiet? Bria didn¡¯t think that Camryn had held her tongue for more than a minute in her entire life.

    Her mind drifted to the boys who had been chosen. Three of them were nobles. Well, all of them were nobles if they made it through and became knights. Had the king ever considered marrying her off to one of them to cement an alliance? Would she like them?

    Her mind came back to the knight in front of her. She had trained with the castle arms mistress in archery, knife-fighting and unarmed combat. All the nobility were expected to be able to protect themselves to a certain extent, but the Dragon Guard represented a whole new level of skill. Would they teach her other weapons?

    She looked back at the beams of light and noticed they had moved around as the morning changed into afternoon. She realised that she had been standing for nearly three hours. Her back was twinging and her bladder had decided to make its presence felt. Her stomach wasn¡¯t overly happy either. The petition was the start of the mid-summer festival and she had always been on the other side of the door before. When the doors closed, servants would bring in tables and load them with food. The first feast of mid-summer was underway and she was missing it.

    Bria re-focussed on the bottom half of the knight''s face to try and take her mind off her bladder. What she could see of his nose suggested that it had been broken at some stage. Would she get hers broken? Dragon¡¯s fire, she needed the privy. She¡¯d been standing here for ages. What did they want her to do, embarrass herself? What were they expecting? What were they waiting for? What was the point of this?¡¯ Her eyes narrowed.

    Actually, what is the point of standing here? Any fool could stand in silence, well maybe not Camryn, but maybe it was up to her to decide when the vigil was over. The knights were known to be strategists, capable of not only fighting but making good decisions with the information at hand. She thought about it for a few more minutes. She had proved that she could wait in silence and stillness an uncomfortable position for a protracted period of time. Maybe now she needed to seize the initiative now and¡­

    ¡­ The knight raised his finger to his lips and then pointed to the wooden door in the south wall that led to the refectory. Bria¡¯s mind reeled. Was he some sort of mind reader?

    The knight pointed again and Bria stepped out of the niche. As she looked around she could see several of the other knights all standing to attention, as hers had done, but she realised that she would be able to leave the hall and none of the other candidates would see her go. They had chosen very carefully and every candidate had a route to the door that couldn''t be seen by anyone else. For a featureless hall there were a lot of hiding places and opportunities for sneaking. She would have to remember that.

    She tiptoed across to the door and slipped through the narrow gap between the door and the frame that the knight had opened for her, into the velvety darkness beyond.

 Mid-summers eve

    As soon as Bria went through the doorway, she realised that the velvety blackness was in fact a heavy black woollen curtain. As she stumbled into it in surprise, the door shut behind her and the knight pulled the fabric out of the way, letting her see a well-lit room with tables and benches. Of course they had curtained the doorway. A sudden flood of light would tell the other candidates that someone had solved the riddle.

    The knight held up his hand. ¡®I am Sir Henrik. The jakes are down there¡¯ he whispered pointing to much smaller doors at the far end of the refectory. ¡®When you are ready, meet the Preceptor in the garden¡¯ he pointed west to another door set between the mullioned windows that overlooked a courtyard garden. ¡®I have other duties to attend but you have made a good beginning. I will see you at the evening meal.¡¯ He nodded to her before strolling off on silent feet down towards the door in the eastern wall that the Farrenreeds had used earlier

    A few minutes later Bria found herself nervously opening the garden door and stepping onto a flagstone path that led to a patio with a couple of tables and benches

    The Preceptor looked up and smiled. ¡®Come and sit. You have done well.¡¯ As she nervously took a seat opposite him, he continued. You may speak now, Bria. In case you were wondering, no, we¡¯re not telepathic, but we do have a very good idea of what is going on inside your head during the vigil and we value people with the wit to reassess situations when they¡¯re under pressure. We can¡¯t easily simulate a dragon attack or a war, but we can test you to see whether you can think. You are nervous and understandably so. It may make you feel a little more comfortable to know that I am also nervous. Taking on responsibility for eleven young people is hard enough. Vann is heir and you are second in line so there is extra pressure to keep you safe. I am also sensitive to magic. No doubt if I studied, I could learn to wield it more than the smattering I already have. This morning something broke. A spell I mean. This whole kingdom is, or was, stagnating. That stagnation was centred on the capital. If you were to go to Farrenreed, you would hear new music brought in by traders. Here, no-one ever looks for new music. If anyone sang a new song, it would be ignored and forgotten. Yesterday I would have gone through the formulas of the petition and never dreamed of asking for women to join. Today something broke, or at least started to unravel and I felt as though subtle pressure was lifted off me. I think the time will catch up with the city now and probably quite quickly. I tell you this because with change comes risk and I believe that you and Vann are most at risk. I will tell him this too, but perhaps don¡¯t speak of it to others. Do you have any questions for me¡¯

    Bria swallowed nervously but couldn¡¯t speak.

    The Preceptor nodded and smiled again. You probably have many but you can¡¯t quite call them to mind or find the words right now. No matter. You will find your feet soon enough. I will give everyone an outline of the next few days after we have eaten¡¯

    Footsteps sounded and both of them looked around. Camryn walked down the path towards her and plumped down onto the bench

    ¡®Bah. I so wanted to be first!¡¯ she laughed. Then she looked at the Preceptor and her mouth turned into a silent O of horror. The Preceptor frowned ¡®It is permitted to speak in the garden, but you were told to be silent. Perhaps you should treat this as a lesson. Now you may speak child.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry sir. I heard voices and I thought it was alright. Will I fail? Will everyone fail?¡¯

    ¡®No child, no-one will fail yet. We value intelligence but the impetuous have no place here and will be weeded out. Now, the pair of you can start to layout an evening meal for all of us. The weather is beautiful so we will eat out here. Before you go though, Sir Henrik!¡¯

    Sir Henrik had stepped through the door and held out two plain grey tunics. ¡®Change into these. We don¡¯t need to ruin your finery¡¯

    Over the next two hours, Vann, Nia, Adelyn and the other two young noblemen, Davorin and Hrafn, arrived in the refectory, were given grey tunics and put to work with the other two girls, quietly moving tables and benches out into the garden before being sent down to the palace kitchens to retrieve trays of bread, vegetables and cold meat. The trays were set out down the length of the tables and covered with cloth to keep the flies away. When Jemryn arrived, he was set to retrieving jugs of ale from the palace cellars and spacing them out down the table.

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    By the time the sun had set, the tables had been set and three of the guardsmen had joined them.

    ¡®Must be the drill, Preceptor¡¯ said Sir Henrik. ¡®They¡¯ve already spent a lot of time standing at post.¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®Let''s not stand on ceremony tonight. Fill your plates and introduce yourselves to those around you whilst you eat.¡¯

    The knights helped themselves to food and filled leather jacks with ale, but the candidates sat still in huddles. The girls together, the three noble lads and the three very self-conscious guards as far from everyone else as they could get.

    Sir Henrik sighed looking at the clusters. ¡®This won¡¯t do. We¡¯re going to be a close-knit team and that starts now. Sir Leif, move down to the end and separate the guards. Sir Bern, move up a space. Bria, go and sit between Sir Bern and Sir Anders and tell them your life story. Be prepared to snooze when Anders tells you his. Davorin, go and sit opposite Sir Leif. Vann, sit between the Preceptor and me.¡¯

    Vann moved down next to Sir Henrik and began to fill his plate and then stopped. ¡®Sir Henrik. Do we need to take food to the Lore Master, or will he be joining us?¡¯

    ¡®No, lad. The Lore Master doesn¡¯t eat that I know of and we must keep our food away from him. It¡¯s an ancient curse. You will learn more when you study our lore.¡¯ Vann looked puzzled. ¡®How does he survive if he doesn¡¯t eat?¡¯

    Sir Henrik smiled. ¡®The Lore Master is a puzzle to us all beyond any reasoning. Things we expect him to know, he doesn¡¯t, or says he doesn¡¯t but sometimes he astonishes us with his knowledge of court gossip and current events.¡¯

    Vann looked down the table and saw that the other candidates were sitting amongst the knights and either eating, talking or listening. The guardsmen were looking uncomfortable but the nobles, better versed in the art of small talk, seemed more relaxed. Sir Henrik saw Vann¡¯s glance towards the guardsmen. ¡®Best not to push too hard lad. You¡¯ve all been uprooted. Acknowledge the problem but work at it in little pieces. Just make them feel welcome. It¡¯s not something you can fix in one evening meal but well observed.¡¯

    When the Preceptor had cleared his plate, he leant back from the table and stretched. ¡®Doesn¡¯t Lars hold the record for the longest recorded vigil?¡¯

    Sir Bern put down his jack and wiped his mouth ¡®He does, but it will be tough to beat. He passed with a quarter of the clock before midnight. It¡¯s not a record he¡¯ll regret being beaten.¡¯

    A few minutes later the palace bells sounded eight times and not long after, a single set of footsteps were heard on the path as Sir Lars joined them.

    ¡®Still the record holder then Lars?¡¯ called out Sir Anders as the knight joined them. ¡®Where¡¯s the last candidate?¡¯ asked Vann. Sir Lars raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. ¡®Jakes, but he passed. He¡¯ll be here.¡¯ A couple of minutes passed before more footsteps were heard and the last guardsman appeared. Sir Lars waved him to an empty space before sitting down and filling his jack.

    The Preceptor stood. ¡®Now that we¡¯re all here I will say a few words. You, all of you, will be given tasks. Candidates, you must learn our lore and how to fight. You must also learn the law of the isles. Once your mentors believe you¡¯re ready, you¡¯ll be accompanying them when they go to dispense the king¡¯s justice. Knights, you know your tasks, but training so many with so few of us will be hard. Please be patient. Jemryn here is our page. He will fetch and carry, take messages and so on. He can¡¯t do it all so we will all have to take our turn on cleaning detail, whether that be sweeping the hall floor or carrying dishes to and from the palace kitchen. He looked at the last guardsman to arrive. Ragni is it?¡¯ The guardsman nodded; his mouth still full. ¡®You finish eating but don¡¯t stuff yourself too fast. Lars, finish drinking and start eating. Jemryn, would you go to the guard¡¯s quartermaster and ask for twelve bedrolls? Take this token. The rest of you clear around those two and get things back to where they belong.¡¯

    By the time Ragni and Sir Lars had cleared their plates, all the rest of the tables and benches were back in the refectory, the trays and jugs were on their way back to the kitchens and Jemryn had got back accompanied by four of the quartermaster¡¯s staff carrying bedrolls.

    The Preceptor cleared his throat ¡®Sir Bern, Sir Anders, first watch. Sir Leif, Sir Bjarne, second watch. Sir Lars and I will take the last watch. Candidates, pick up a bedroll before you leave. Sir Henrik, do you take the men to the barracks and get them settled in. Ladies. Follow me.¡¯

 Mid-summerâ€™s night

    As Sir Henrik marshalled the young men out into the Southern Hall and down to the eastern end where the double doors to the men¡¯s barracks stood, the girls followed the Preceptor to other end of the hall. Set in the wall were the heaviest set of doors seen anywhere in the palace. Massive baulks of timber were held together with iron straps that had been riveted right through the door.

    The Preceptor stopped in front of them. ¡®Ladies. This is the traditional entrance to Gloria¡¯s hall. Men may not enter. In fact, we can¡¯t even touch the doors.¡¯ He put his hand out towards one of the rings, but strain as he might, he couldn¡¯t quite grasp it. ¡®I have never been in. As far as I know, no-one has been in since the time of Gloria.¡¯

    ¡®We might find the lost jewel of the isles or suits of dragon armour or magic swords¡¯ said Camryn excitedly.

    ¡®Anything¡¯s possible, although magic swords are unlikely¡¯ replied the Preceptor. ¡®There¡¯s probably nothing but dust but do keep your eyes open for armour. It will probably be in a better state than anything we currently have. Should you find books or scrolls, don¡¯t touch them. They¡¯ll be fragile. The Lore Master can teach you how to handle them without destroying them. I advise you to sleep near the door until you¡¯ve had the leisure to explore. There will be two of us on duty in the hall all night so come back out if you have any problems.¡¯

    The four girls looked at each other, silently daring the others to take a lead or to be the first to chicken out. Bria was the first to summon the nerve to move. ¡®Come on, we knew there were going to be challenges and that we would have to show some steel.¡¯ She grabbed the nearest ring, pulling hard, and the door open slowly, revealing nothing but darkness.

    The Preceptor lifted a couple of lanterns from hooks the wall, put is finger inside one and it flared into life and passed it to Camryn and before doing the same to the other and handing it to Nia. The girls looked at him in astonishment. He laughed. ¡®Tis but a cantrip. Go-on then.¡¯ The girls cautiously stepped through the doorway, their footsteps slightly muffled as soon as they crossed the threshold by the thick layer of dust on the floor. As they moved away from the door, it silently swung shut behind them. Adelyn shot back to the door and pushed, As before it opened, still surprisingly smooth for such an ancient piece of work. As soon as Adelyn stepped back across the threshold, it started to swing shut again. Adelyn pushed it open again and again it closed itself when she was back in the hall. She shrugged and turned back to the other girls. ''I suppose its not the last curiosity we''re going to run into. what next?''

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    Bria pointed. ¡®Look at the light.¡¯ Sure enough, away to their right, there was a tiny pinprick of light near the floor some distance away. They moved closer and found a shallow flight of steps leading up. All the steps were a couple of paces deep, but the top step was seven or eight paces to the wall. ¡®Listen¡¯ whispered Nia, ¡®I can hear the court.¡¯ They went up the steps and the sound of the court musicians could be heard playing a popular air. Bria whispered back ¡®If we can hear them, they will be able to hear us. The light must be coming under a hidden door at the top of the dais. It¡¯s probably been badly plastered over and a bit has been chipped off. The walls are shocking towards the back of the dais where no-one ever goes''. She ran her hand over the wall. ¡®I can feel the wood and metal. Bring the lantern.¡±

    Nia lifted her lantern close to the wall and they could see a set of double doors very similar to the ones they had just passed through.

    Camryn lifted her hands towards the steel rings but Bria grabbed her arm. ¡®The other doors were enchanted, what if these are¡¯ she hissed ¡®And we won¡¯t be thanked for an avalanche of plaster in the throne room either. Let¡¯s bed down here¡¯ She dragged her bedroll about, sweeping the worst of the dust off the top step.

    Adelyn dropped her bedroll and gave it a practiced kick, spilling it out across the stone before muttering ¡®This is the first time I¡¯ve camped out indoors. Well come on then.¡¯ Bria and Camryn copied her but had to finish unrolling their bedding with their hands. Nia managed to hoof hers down the steps and bounce it down into the thicker dust on the floor at the bottom of the steps, drawing giggles from the others. She went to pick it up and Camryn called ¡®shake the dust off down there, don¡¯t bring it all up here.¡¯

    ¡®Who is there?¡¯ A soft voice sounded from further down in the darkness.

 Awakened

    The girls looked at each other in shock.

    ¡®I heard your voices. I think you woke me. Please bring your light.¡¯

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ said Camryn, nervously.

    There was a pause. ¡®My name is Rosa, I think. It¡¯s been such a long time since anyone used it. Please bring the light.¡¯

    Bria picked up one of the lanterns and Adelyn picked up the other and the three girls cautiously went down the steps to where Nia was frozen in terror. ¡®I¡¯m not sure I want to be a knight anymore¡¯ she whimpered.

    ¡®What is this talk of knights?¡¯ came the voice. ¡®Only men can be knights. You are rightly called Valkyrs. Or at least, you will be if you ever find any courage.¡¯

    Bria punched Nia¡¯s shoulder ¡®Come on, stop grizzling, we knew it was going to be different and exciting.¡¯ She held the lantern higher and started walking through the dust towards the voice. When Adelyn started to follow, Nia and Camryn kept up, rather than be left alone in the darkness.

    ¡®I see your lights. Come, come.¡¯

    After fifty or sixty paces, they could see an assortment of furniture, bookcases arranged in a square around a table with a dozen plain chairs tucked under it down each side on the northern side of the hall. At the head of the table with its back toward the wall was an oak chair with a high back and wide arms. The woman sitting on the chair was ancient with grey straggly hair and deep creases in her face, but even in the dim light of the lanterns they could see that she had blue eyes, not the least faded by age.

    ¡®Welcome, welcome. I am Rosa and you are?

    ¡®I am Princess Bria, and these are my friends, Camryn, Adelyn and Nia. May I ask you what you are?¡¯ she paused and blushed. ¡®Forgive me, that was not how I meant it to sound. I mean what is your role and how long have you been here?¡¯

    The old lady nodded. ¡®Apology asked, forgiveness received. I am Rosa, or did I tell you that already? I have been asleep, I think. For so long, so long.¡¯ She lapsed into silence.

    After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Nia shuffled her feet and the old lady¡¯s gaze focussed on her. ¡®Ah yes, now it is I who must seek pardon. I was chasing my wits I think.¡¯

    ¡®Apology asked, forgiveness received¡¯ said Camryn and the old lady burst out laughing. ¡®Now child, you have a wit. Sit, sit, but carefully. Perhaps the chairs will hold, perhaps they won¡¯t. They are very old. Put the lanterns on the top of the bookcases that we might have light and we will talk.¡¯

    ¡®Will we always have to have lanterns in here, Rosa?¡¯ asked Nia.

    ¡®Bless you child. no. When the sun rises, rock crystal pipes will bring light. Well, they used to. Perhaps they are broken. I have been asleep for so long. The light gems will work too, in time, but we must be careful with them.¡¯

    ¡®Speaking of sleeping¡¯ said Adelyn ¡®Would you be very offended if we brought our bedrolls and slept. We have training in the morning and it¡¯s already been a long day. We can continue this when the Preceptor gives us some free time.¡¯

    Camryn twitched a bit at Adelyn¡¯s words. ¡®We know nothing about her. She could be a lich or a ghoul and feast on our brains while we sleep. We should leave and find the Preceptor.¡¯

    Rosa pealed with laughter. ¡®Old tales and you have an imagination child, liches and ghouls have never walked the land that I knew. I am sure four brave girls can defeat one old woman who is too weak even to stand up¡¯

    Adelyn shrugged and said ¡®The Preceptor can¡¯t enter and neither can anyone else. We¡¯re a bit lacking in heroines who could sort this out for us. We need to be the heroines¡¯

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    The old lady nodded again. ¡®You speak sense child. Yes, yes, you must sleep. It has been so long, a few more hours will not be measured. Leave one lantern lit that I may have light and write and that you will too if you wake. If it grows dim, I will light the other. In the morning we will talk more.¡¯

    The girls retraced their steps and picked up their bedrolls. When they got back to Rosa, they did as she suggested and put both lanterns on the top of one of the bookcases leaving one lit and put the other out to save its fuel.

    When Bria woke, Rosa was still in her chair, but the other lantern was now lit. Bria looked at it in sleep-muddled confusion. The old lady was too small to have reached down the lantern and lit it and surely not spry enough to have dragged a chair over and climbed on it. Rosa saw her looking and said ¡®we all have our secrets, my dear. Now, I judge that the sun is rising and that the crystal pipes have been covered outside. A night¡¯s thinking has brought clarity if not daylight in here. Wake your friends and we will talk a little and then you must go and greet the outside world.¡¯

    Bria prodded Camryn and the others awake, and they sat up somewhat confused.

    ¡®Well, my little valkyrs. It seems that you have survived the night with no brains eaten. Such as you have¡± Rosa smiled a wry smile at Camryn and she smiled back a little nervously. ¡®I have written a letter for your Preceptor. I think it best if you don¡¯t mention me to anyone else just yet. If I know military men, I suspect he is organising an army of cleaners and lady carpenters to make the place habitable, but I¡¯ve suggested that he doesn¡¯t.¡¯ Rosa indicated the letter. ¡®Instead, I¡¯ve asked that he has the pools in the glades of the queen dredged and cleaned so that some light may filter in ¨C the crystal pipes came up under pools of water, I now remember ¨C I drew him a map. He may have many questions; answer him honestly but out of earshot of any other. Now, go and refresh yourselves, train and bring me back news of the world.¡¯

    Bria took the letter and looked at it and then at Rosa. ¡®Are you the Lore Mistress?¡¯

    Rosa cackled with delight ¡®You could describe me so, Oh indeed! Still, best you do not mention me to anyone, least of all that sly old rogue that you call the Lore Master. Him I must think upon.¡¯

    ¡®Before we go, Lore Mistress,¡¯ asked Nia nervously ¡®are there any other surprises down here?¡¯

    ¡®Just Rosa¡¯ replied the Lore Mistress.

    Adelyn wrinkled her forehead thinking about this. ¡®Do you mean we are to call you Rosa, or do you mean that you are the only surprising thing in the women¡¯s barracks?¡¯

    Rosa¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡®Both. There is certainly no-one more surprising or surprised than me here at the moment. And this part of the complex is rightly called the Lady¡¯s Hall. There are bunks and training rooms on the other side as well as an armoury. The armour should be in good repair but most likely the rest has been ravaged by time.¡¯

    Camryn¡¯s face fell ¡®So no lost Jewel of the Isles or piles of golden tears or magic swords then?¡¯

    ¡®And why would you be wanting to find such things. Making magic swords was the craft of the forest weavers and an unreliable lot they were; you can¡¯t eat gold and finding the Jewel of the Isles would only bring you sorrow. No children, leave such treasures to idiots and dreamers. You master the lore and yourselves and your names will be legend soon enough. Now go out and learn what you may from this Preceptor. If one of you could sneak back with more lamp oil or candles so that I may have a little light, I will be grateful.¡¯

    ¡®Should we bring you food and drink too?¡¯ asked Bria.

    ¡®Thoughtful, child, but no. I seem not to need it and I divine that care is taken to keep it away from the Lore Master. He and I seem similar so I shall avoid it for now.¡¯

    Bria bowed to the old woman and turned away. ¡®Nia, would you see to lights for Rosa. Adelyn, would you see if we can find some beds that we can carry between us. Camryn and I will find brushes and shovels and see if we can spend some time fighting the dust.¡¯

    A few minutes later, the girls found themselves in the Southern Hall. Yesterday it had seemed gloomy but after a night in the darkness, it seemed well lit by the light coming in through the narrow windows in the top half of the southern and eastern walls.

    Sir Henrik was standing by the doors into the throne room. ¡®Good morning ladies, you survived the night then. The Preceptor is in the refectory. He will give you duties for the day. Please tell him that I have gone to roust the sluggards from their pits.¡¯ Adelyn looked at him blankly. ¡®I¡¯m going to wake those sleepy-headed boys and make them get up¡¯ explained Sir Henrik. ¡®Oh¡¯ said Adelyn, ¡®I thought it was some knightly duty that we would have to learn.¡¯ Sir Henrik pulled a face, ¡®More of a daily chore, but not one you¡¯ll be faced with.¡¯

    As he turned his back and started towards the eastern doors, Nia lifted a couple of unlit lanterns from their hooks in the pillar alcoves and skipped back through the western doors. Within two minutes she was back with a grin on her face. ¡®Hark at you with your new-found courage.¡¯ said Camryn. ¡®Pilfered the lights and fled into the darkness on your own.¡¯

    Nia reddened a little. ¡®Come on, we don¡¯t want to keep the Preceptor waiting.¡¯

    They trooped into the refectory and once they were inside, Bria turned and shut the door.

    ¡®Now, why would you do that?¡¯ mused the Preceptor, ¡®unless you had something to discuss for my ears only?¡¯

 Breakfast

    Not to discuss, Preceptor¡¯ said Bria and passed him the letter. He untied the string holding the piece of ancient parchment in a roll and read for a couple of minutes. ¡®I see things have changed faster more than I thought. I will re-read this and reflect later. Valkyrs eh! I haven¡¯t heard that word in centuries and even then, only in stories. What do you need?¡¯

    ¡®Proper beds, cleaning tools and lamps¡¯ said Adelyn promptly. Nia shuffled nervously and said, ¡®and two more lanterns for the Southern Hall.¡¯

    ¡®Lamps and lanterns will not be a problem, no more than the other requests which were already in hand. You will have to tell me more of this¡­¡¯ the Preceptor stopped as Jemryn cautiously opened the door. ¡®Are the others on their way Jemryn?¡¯ He stood up. ¡®Ladies, do you go down to the kitchen and bring up the food the cooks have put out for us. The sluggards can return the favour by clearing and sweeping the refectory while you make a start on your errands in the women¡¯s barracks. Jemryn. Go with them but eat in the kitchen, not as punishment but for the sake of speed. When you get back, I will have messages for you to take.¡¯

    By the time Bria and the others got back to the refectory carrying a basket of cutlery and three trays of food, the young men and the knights had arrived. The Preceptor caught Sir Henrik¡¯s eye and the knights stepped back to stand against the northern wall. Vann put his hand on the back of a chair and was about to sit down when the Preceptor cleared his throat and Vann whipped his hand back as though it had been stung. ¡®It is not a competition and you are not late. However, on the morrow, four of you will be here first and prepare the refectory. Vann, Ragni, each pick one of your peers and you will clean today and fetch tomorrow. You others will take your turn. Now eat but go not over. Training will begin shortly, and we do not want vomiting.¡¯

    The food sent up by the kitchen was simple. There was fruit, long loaves of warm fresh bread, butter churned the day before, sharp cheese, cold thinly sliced beef and six large jugs of small beer had been spread out down the long refectory table. As the candidates moved to sit down, Sir Henrik called ¡®Age before beauty. Everyone stand back.¡¯ The knights placed themselves at intervals down the table forcing all the candidates to spread out and breaking up the three little teams before they could even start to form.

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    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®Carry on Sir Henrik. I have other matters I must attend to this morning. Ah Jemryn. Have you eaten sufficient?¡¯ Jemryn, who had just come through the door very carefully, nodded, not taking his eyes off the tall, elegant jug on the tray he was carrying. ¡®The cooks sent this up for you Sire... Preceptor¡¯ he said. ¡®It smells strange¡¯

    The Preceptor relieved Jemryn of the tray. ¡®It¡¯s coffee from Lulnun lad. Privileges of rank. Now, I believe your parents stayed here in their town house last night. Please would you tell your mother that, at her leisure, I would be glad of her advice.¡¯ He carried the coffee jug over to a side table and then left through the door into the Southern Hall, returning a few minutes later with a writing case and settled down next to his coffee and started scratching away with a quill.

    The palace bell tolled seven times and Sir Henrik clapped his hands. ¡®You have had enough time. Finish up and we will make a start. Vann, your pick¡¯

    ¡®Tepani, sir.¡¯ replied Vann indicating one of the guardsmen

    ¡®Very good, Ragni?¡¯

    ¡®Um. Lord Hrafn sir.¡¯ said Ragni.

    ¡®Address the knights as sir and the Preceptor as Preceptor, no other titles amongst us here. It would be a wedge in the team before we even start and even as a Dragon Guard trainee, you are now probably equal in rank to the second son of a duke¡¯

    Vann, Ragni, Hrafn and Tepani started loading what was left of the food and utensils back onto the trays. On Sir Henrik¡¯s instructions, they left the now half-full jugs of beer and the leather jacks on the table but took the rest back to the kitchen. Once the four boys were back from the kitchen, they filed into the Southern Hall and closed the heavy door behind them, leaving the refectory with only the scratch of the Preceptor¡¯s quill to break the silence.

    ¡®Pay attention.¡¯ Sir Bern barked. ¡®The Preceptor runs the guard. Sir Henrick is his second in command. I run the training. All of you are reasonably fit and we have reviewed your training records. Yes, we do keep records on most notable people in the city, just in case we need to raise a militia so that we can assign squads and commanders¡¯ He thumped his halberd into the floor. ¡®This has become a symbol of our office, but we use it because its an extremely effective weapon. You can attack horsemen, penetrate a dragon¡¯s hide and pull burning thatch from a cottage, all with this tool. That said, we will train you with and against every weapon that we know of. Maces, flails, swords bows, spears, everything. The first, and simplest weapon is the staff¡¯. He pointed to a corner of hall next to the boy¡¯s barracks where Sir Bjarne had just set down a barrel ¡¯Each of you fetch one, and we will begin.¡¯

 Errands

    Jemryn knocked on the door of his parents¡¯ house. The door opened and his mother¡¯s maid answered the door. ¡®It¡¯s one o¡¯ them dragin knights, your grace¡¯ she called and winked at Jemryn.

    ¡®Announce him then, if you would¡¯ came his mother¡¯s voice.

    ¡®Page Jemryn Farrenreed to see you, your grace¡¯ said the maid as she opened the door wide to let him in.

    ¡®Jemryn!¡¯ squeaked his mother ¡® Have they sent you away already? Have you eaten? What are you doing here?¡¯

    ¡®No, yes, and I have a message, Mother, in that order. The Preceptor asked if you would call on him, at your leisure, to give him some advice.¡¯ replied Jemryn.

    His mother looked baffled. ¡®Why would the Preceptor want my advice?¡¯

    ¡®He didn¡¯t tell me that, but I think it¡¯s to do with the lady candidates¡¯ said Jemryn. ¡®They were talking to him in the refectory with the door shut before breakfast and he had a very old piece of parchment in his hand when I went in. I know that men can¡¯t go into the ladies barracks. He couldn¡¯t even touch the latch last night.¡¯

    ¡®If he thinks I¡¯m going into some dark smelly barracks to solve a problem for him, then he can think again.¡¯ Duchess Farrenreed scowled at the thought.

    ¡®Is that the answer I should take back to him, mother?¡¯ asked Jemryn.

    His mother looked shocked. ¡®Certainly not. Please tell him I will call on him early this afternoon.¡¯

    ¡®Yes mother. I shall tell him now¡¯ Jemryn bowed and left.

    The Preceptor was still writing when Jemryn got back to the refectory.

    ¡®And your mother¡¯s response was?¡¯ asked the Preceptor without looking up.

    ¡®How did you know it was me?¡¯ said Jemryn, amazed that the Preceptor could tell it was him without looking.

    ¡®Not many people come in here, boy, unless bidden, you came through the rear door, not the door from the Southern Hall and your footsteps were light and quick suggesting a child.¡¯ The Preceptor turned to him ¡®and the answer to my question?¡¯

    ¡®My mother will call on you in the early afternoon today, sir¡¯

    The Preceptor looked at him. ¡®Did you give her any clues as to the matter at hand?¡¯

    Jemryn blushed. ¡®I told her I thought it was to do with the ladies. The door was shut this morning and when I came in, you were talking to them and you had a very old piece of parchment in your hand that probably came from their barracks. And I said that you couldn¡¯t enter their barracks¡¯

    The Preceptor grinned appreciatively ¡®Good observation and astute reasoning, boy. Say nought of this to anyone else. The enchantment on the doors is known to any who has studied the history of the palace, but the old parchment could perhaps be a problem should it become known. Do tell me if anything else occurs to that astute mind of yours. Now, I seem to have more missives for you. One for the king ¨C give it to him and him alone. One for the steward but give it to any of his staff and one for the armourer.¡¯

    Jemryn took the folded, sealed sheets and turned to go before turning back to the Preceptor.

    ¡®Go-on Jemryn. Tell me! I did ask.¡¯ The Preceptor looked amused.

    ¡®Dragons fly, don¡¯t they?¡¯ Jemryn asked cautiously. ¡®If they come back, how will you get them to land so that you can fight them? The outer wall has old ballistae but they are all broken and bows wouldn¡¯t be much use against scales.¡¯

    The Preceptor thought for a moment. ¡®Dragon wings aren¡¯t scaled and are quite thin. Enough arrows will force them down. To add to that, many dragons don¡¯t breathe fire unless they are on the ground although I¡¯m told that some can. Your observation of the state of the ballistae is well made. Unfortunately, a program of refurbishment might cause some alarm amongst the local. They¡¯ll think that a dragon attack is imminent, an invasion is nigh or that there¡¯s a revolt on its way.¡¯

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    Jemryn¡¯s face fell. ¡®But if there is a dragon attack, the ballistae will be needed.¡¯

    The Preceptor smiled. ¡®They are too big and slow. By the time the soldiers have got it aimed, the dragon has moved.¡¯

    Jemryn thought for a moment. ¡®What about a polybolos? They are small and fast but more powerful than a bow.¡¯

    The Preceptor looked stunned ¡®A what?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s in one of my tactics and warfare books. My Father got it from a trader who said it came from Areetan. It¡¯s like a small ballista but it can fire in any direction and nearly as quickly as an archer. In the book, it was small enough to be mounted in a cart and fired. You could keep them in the guard towers and bring them out when the dragons came. No-one needs know. Well, the guards would, but they¡¯d need to practice anyway.¡¯

    The Preceptor looked at Jemryn. ¡®Lad I¡¯d like to borrow that book. I take it that it¡¯s in Castle Farrenreed? What¡¯s it called?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, Si ¡­ Preceptor. It¡¯s called ¡°Siege, the theory of defence¡± and it¡¯s in my father¡¯s library. I can get it next time I go home.¡¯

    The Preceptor laughed. ¡®I think I need it sooner than that. I will speak to your mother. There will be messengers who can bring it within a few weeks. Now please deliver those letters, unless you have any further thunderbolts you care to fling at me.¡¯

    ¡®Yes Preceptor, I mean no Preceptor.¡¯ A bit flustered, Jemryn gathered the letters and hurried back towards the door.

    As he went down the corridor, he wondered where he ought to go first. The steward could be anywhere so Jemryn decided to leave him till last. The armourer¡¯s workshop was in the Iron Master¡¯s square and furthest away, but he was almost certain that the armourer would be there so Jemryn crossed the inner courtyard heading for the main gate. The guards watched him as he passed through the barbican but said nothing.

    Within a few minutes Jemryn had made it to the baking hot noisy hell that was the armoury. ¡®Yes boy?¡¯ bellowed a huge bear of a man in a leather apron. ¡®best be here on business. This is no place for lollygagging.¡¯

    Jemryn swallowed, more than a little intimidated. ¡®I¡¯ve a message from the Preceptor to the armourer, sir.¡¯

    ¡®That would be me¡¯ said the bear. ¡®Let¡¯s hear it.¡¯ Wordlessly Jemryn passed over the folded sheet destined for the armourer who turned it over in his hand. ¡®Old goat likes to twit me. Can you read boy?¡¯

    ¡®Yes sir¡¯. replied Jemryn. The armourer passed the letter back.

    ¡®Tell me what it says! Never did get the hang of letters.¡¯

    Jemryn broke the seal and opened the letter. Inside was a set of sketches of weapons with tallies beside them. As soon as he looked down, his eyes suddenly started itching and watering.

    ¡®Dragon using your eyes, boy? Just keep them shut a minute, it¡¯ll pass.¡¯ The armourer sounded sympathetic. Jemryn did as he was bid and within a minute his eyes had stopped itching.

    ¡®Did a dragon really use my eyes?¡¯ Jemryn wanted to know.

    The armourer shrugged. ¡®Dunno know, boy. Seen it a few times, heard of it many times and folks here allus called it that. Might be true, might be a slur on dragons.¡¯

    Jemryn passed the letter back. ¡®There¡¯s just pictures inside with tallies next to them sir¡¯

    The armourer looked at the sheet. ¡®Be it true that four lasses signed up, boy?¡¯ Jemryn nodded.

    ¡®Cat got your tongue boy? No matter. Now I¡¯m thinking that there¡¯s eleven halberds marked here but they might be heavy for a lass. When you get back, tell your Preceptor, I¡¯ll make him seven and we¡¯ll get our heads together over an ale and see what might suit them better.¡¯

    ¡®Yes sir.¡¯ Jemryn turned back towards the gate but the armourer stopped him. ¡®If you have trouble getting back through the gate, come back here and I¡¯ll set them wall props straight.¡¯

    ¡®Wall props?¡¯ said Jemryn thoroughly puzzled.

    ¡®Ah boy! Without them there guards pushing their shoulders against the walls all day, castle would fall over. Well known fact that. Off you go.¡¯ As Jemryn left, the armourer followed him to the door of the workshop and scowled at the guards. The corporal of the squad saw him watching and just waved Jemryn through.

    Jemryn, relieved to be back inside the gates, trotted across the square to the main door to the northern hall and promptly had his way blocked by two burly guards. ¡®Can¡¯t just skip through here boy. Got to be recognised or have papers.¡¯

    Jemryn swallowed nervously. ¡®I¡¯m carrying letters from the Preceptor to the king and the steward, sir.¡¯

    The older of the two guards looked at him cautiously. ¡®You the duke of Farrenreed¡¯s boy what was made a dragon guard page?¡¯

    ¡®Yes sir¡¯ Jemryn replied, still nervous.

    ¡®Well, I never heard of such a thing before. No matter. The king is in the solar and the steward said he was heading to the undercroft to count barrels. Check the contents more like. He¡¯ll be there a while. You know the undercroft?¡¯ Jemryn nodded, revising his plans to find the steward last, and turned back towards the entrance to the Southern Hall. The quickest route was down through the kitchens.

    As he crossed the yard, a couple of the older boys who hadn¡¯t made it to the head of the line spotted him and moved to intercept him, cornering him before he could reach the relative safety of the hallway. ¡®What you got there, page boy?¡¯ sneered the oldest. ¡®Think you can sneak to the front and then parade around like you own the place, do you boy?¡¯

    ¡®Stay calm, help is coming.¡¯ A rainbow thought echoed in his head.

 Voices

    Jemryn was so shocked by the voice that he forgot to be scared and stared at the largest of the older boys

    ¡®I¡¯m running errands for the Preceptor. You make me late and you¡¯ll be answering to him. In fact, here he is now.¡¯ Jemryn pointed towards the main gate. The bullies whipped round to look and Jemryn was off like a hare into the kitchen.

    ¡®Oh well played¡¯ the thought rang in his head.

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ panted Jemryn as he shot through the doorway and down the corridor to the kitchen.

    ¡®Don¡¯t say it, think it! You are alone, and people will think you are mad, talking to yourself.¡¯

    ¡®Alright¡¯, thought Jemryn, furiously. ¡®Who are you?¡¯

    ¡®Oh my, what a fierce little rabbit. I¡¯m a friend and I will help you. I think it best if you don¡¯t discuss our conversations for now¡¯

    Jemryn stopped just outside the kitchens. ¡®What do you want in return?¡¯ he thought.

    ¡®Typical Farrenreed. Always thinking about cost and gain. I want information and I will share knowledge and offer advice. Mostly I will use your eyes and ears but say nothing. Do we have a deal boy? Walk through the kitchen while you compose your reply. Standing still and staring is nearly as bad as talking to yourself.¡¯

    ¡®Can I stop you from being in my mind?¡¯ thought Jemryn as he started walking through the kitchen.

    ¡®With practice perhaps, but if you wish a break, you just have to say, and I will withdraw for a while.¡¯

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ wondered Jemryn. He was through the kitchen now and descending the steps into the cellars and the undercroft.

    ¡®My name would mean nothing to you. All will become clear in time.¡¯

    Jemryn¡¯s mind felt empty. ¡®Are you still there?¡¯ he thought back but there was no reply.

    As he moved further through the cellars, he could hear voices and moments later saw the steward and the master brewer dipping a row of barrels to measure the contents. The master brewer saw him before the steward and grabbed his arm faster than Jemryn could dodge. ¡®Thought you would sneak down here and help yourself to more, did you boy?¡¯

    ¡®No sir. I have a letter for the steward from the Preceptor and was told he was here in the undercroft.¡¯ He held out the parchment to the steward, astonished at his own boldness. ¡®If you¡¯re looking for people pilfering beer, you might smell the breath of the boys in the inner courtyard. They seemed quite drunk and belligerent¡¯

    Jemryn felt the alien mind return, now shaking with mirth ¡®Oh rabbit. Remind me not to cross you!¡¯

    He looked at the master brewer. ¡®If you could let me go sir. I must deliver this last letter to the king.¡¯

    The steward looked up from the letter. ¡®Yes yes, let him go. Boy, tell the Preceptor I will deliver what he asks as soon as maybe but it may take a few days.¡¯

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    The other man looked at Jemryn and shrugged then let his arm go. ¡®My apologies boy for any unfairness. I¡¯ll look for culprits as you suggest.¡¯ As Jemryn turned and trotted away, the master brewer called after him ¡®Get yourself a tabard. Folks would know when you¡¯re on official business then.¡¯

    When Jemryn got back through the kitchen, he saw Vann standing in the doorway to the courtyard and holding the quarterstaff he had been practicing with.

    ¡®You alright Jem? I had a sudden feeling you were in trouble¡¯

    ¡®I was trapped by a couple of the older boys, your highness, but I managed to run away. I have to get a letter to the king and the boys are still out there and I¡¯m not sure the guards will let me in.¡¯

    ¡®Outside court, call me Vann.¡¯ He held out his hand. ¡®Give me the letter and I¡¯ll take it to my father.¡¯

    ¡®I can¡¯t¡¯ wailed Jemryn. ¡®The Preceptor told me to give it to the king myself and he¡¯s in the solar.¡¯ Vann grinned. ¡®Fair enough. Come on, let¡¯s go and find him.¡¯ As they crossed the courtyard, the bullies decided that the crown prince was a little more than they wanted to tangle with and fled through the gate into the city. The guards just saluted Vann as they approached the door.

    ¡®Where is the guard captain?¡¯ asked Vann.

    The older guard, who had stopped Jemryn before, shuffled his feet. ¡®Inspecting a new batch of horses in the outer city, your highness.¡¯

    Vann frowned. ¡®Very well. Jemryn here has royal permission to come and go as needed. Both this gate and the outer gate. That order will be made in writing to the captain shortly.¡¯

    The guard saluted. ¡®Yes Sir.¡¯

    As they disappeared up the spiral staircase to the solar, Vann grinned at Jemryn. ¡®No point in being crown prince if you can¡¯t throw your weight about occasionally.¡¯

    They got to the top of the stairs only to see more guards which made Jemryn¡¯s heart sink.

    ¡®Announce us please, Sergeant¡¯ ordered Vann.

    The guard with the three stripes on his arm saluted. ¡®Of course, your highness.¡¯ He knocked on the door then opened it. ¡®Crown Prince Vann and companion, your Majesty.¡¯ The sergeant stood to one side and let them through, shutting the door behind them.

    ¡®Ah Vann. What brings you here? I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you for a few days at least.¡¯ The king looked at Jemryn. ¡®And young Farrenreed. Got a letter for me, lad?¡¯ Jemryn nodded and held it out, completely awestruck at meeting the king.

    ¡®It was a strange feeling, father.¡¯ Vann was looking puzzled now. ¡®We were in the Southern Hall training and Sir Lars had said to take a break and suddenly I found myself thinking that Jem was in trouble and there I was sprinting down to the inner courtyard.¡¯

    ¡®Were you in trouble?¡¯ the king looked at Jemryn.

    ¡®Well sort of, Your Majesty. A couple of boys had cornered me, but I managed to duck past them. I can run quite quickly but getting past the guards to deliver letters is quite hard¡¯

    The king frowned. ¡®You need a uniform.¡¯

    Jemryn nodded ¡®The brewmaster suggested that too, Your Majesty and I think my father is having one made but it will take time.¡¯

    Vann cleared his throat. ¡®I told the guards that he should be allowed to come and go, as he needs and that there would be a written order to the guard captain.¡¯ He looked meaningfully at the parchment, quills and ink on his father¡¯s desk.

    The king snorted. ¡®What am I, your secretary?¡¯

    ¡®No father¡¯ said Vann hastily ¡®I will write it if I could make use of your desk for a moment.¡¯ He sat down in the seat opposite his father and quickly scrawled a few lines on a blank piece of parchment.

    ¡®Is it a writ of passage or did you make it an offence to hinder him in the course of his duties?¡¯ queried the king.

    ¡®Just a writ of passage. I can¡¯t pass laws¡¯ replied Vann.

    ¡®Hmph. The sergeant on duty is quite reliable.¡¯ said the king. ¡®Give the writ to him and he will make sure it gets to the captain. I will see to the other. Page to the Dragon Knight¡¯s is the first new office in the court for many years possibly hundreds of years and we have no laws to cover it.¡¯

    ¡®Thank you, father,¡¯ Vann stood up and bowed. ¡®With your leave sire.¡¯

    ¡®One of these days, I will get around to organising and enforcing a proper court protocol¡¯ grumbled the king. Jemryn bowed too, then turned and fled out of the solar. Vann grinned and followed him, handing the writ to the sergeant as he left.

    The king watched them go before opening the Preceptor¡¯s letter. As he read, his brow furrowed and when he had finished he let his hand drop, still holding it, and sat staring out across the city.

 Poleaxe

    The other candidates had been bemused when Vann suddenly sprinted out of the hall, and after a few more minutes, Sir Bern¡¯s voice rang out across the Southern Hall

    ¡®Let¡¯s take a break. Your concentration has gone and we don¡¯t need someone in the infirmary or worse on the first day. Thirsts will kill you too, so take a drink if you need it. The small beer from breakfast is still on the tables.¡¯

    Ragni glanced at the corridor from the refectory where Vann had disappeared ¡®Something has disagreed with him.¡¯ Some of the others laughed and the conversation turned to all the possible reasons Vann could have had for running out.

    Camryn nudged Bria and whispered ¡®we could take some lanterns and explore a bit for a few minutes.¡¯ Bria nodded and tapped Nia¡¯s arm ¡®let¡¯s go¡¯

    The four girls took a lantern each and slipped through the gap between the western doors. Rosa didn¡¯t react as they came in and as they drew nearer, the girls could see her eyes were shut. As quietly as possible, they made their way to the southern side of the hall where three darker rectangles looked like doorways.

    Bria led the way into the one at the left-hand end. The remains of bunks were down each wall and in the centre of the room was the ruins of a table with chairs around it. ¡®Looks like a barracks and refectory all in one¡¯ said Adelyn. ¡®Let¡¯s try the next one.¡¯

    They trooped out of the barracks and went through the centre doorway before stopping in amazement. The armour stands weren¡¯t doing a great job of holding up the armour anymore but scattered down each side of the room were gauntlets, helms, greaves and enough other armour to make nearly a dozen suits. Even in the dim light of the lanterns they could see that it was much darker than the armour that the Preceptor and other knights wore. ¡®Let¡¯s check the next one¡¯ squeaked Camryn. She shot out of the door closely followed by the others.

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    The next room was as full of dust and decay as the previous two. This one too had a table down the centre but in much better condition. Resting on the table was a poleaxe. The wooden haft was shorter than the halberds used by the knights and pitted and split where time had done its work, but the head gleamed in the lantern light. Camryn rushed over and ran her hands over the weapon. ¡®The head has been covered in wax.¡¯

    Bria picked it up by the handle which was still strong enough to take the weapon¡¯s weight. ¡®Let¡¯s go and show the others. Sir Bern will want us back at practice shortly.¡¯

    They left the room and hurried back to the Southern Hall, carrying the poleaxe. Everyone else was standing near the door to the refectory but clustered around as the girls came rushing over. ¡®Look what we¡¯ve found¡¯ said Bria excitedly.

    Ragni caught the weapon just below the head and rubbed some of the wax off the blade. ¡®Good steel. My Da¡¯s a blacksmith.¡¯ He pointed at the fluke on the back of the axe. ¡®Those are usually round, but this one has been indented and the three edges sharpened. It would be light and fast but a brute to forge.¡¯ He looked at his hand. ¡®My fingers are burning!¡¯ He shuddered for a moment and then collapsed to the floor in a boneless heap.

    The recruits stood in shock for a moment and then Adelyn screamed.

    Sir Henrik pushed his way through the group and put his hand gently on Ragni¡¯s neck. Then he stood and shook his head. ¡®He¡¯s dead. Drop that pole axe. Anyone who touched any part of it go and scrub. RUN! Sir Lars, get gauntlets and get this in a forge. Don¡¯t melt it but burn off whatever is on it¡¯

    Bria let go of the handle and the poleaxe clanked to the floor. ¡®Just me and Camryn touched it.¡¯ She looked around. ¡®Where¡¯s Camryn?¡¯

 Poison

    Sir Henrik grabbed Bria as she turned to go back to the dark doorway. ¡°Wash, NOW!¡± and pushed her towards the refectory.

    Nia and Adelyn sprinted for the door. As they got through the doorway, they saw a lantern standing beside the doors to the side room with a dark crumpled shape near it.

    ¡®No¡¯ shrieked Adelyn. As they pelted across the floor, Rosa stood up from where she had been crouched over Camryn. She looked exhausted.

    ¡®I have done what I can and she will live but she will need time and quiet to recover. She must have only brushed her hand over it. Did any other touch the waxed head?¡¯ She looked at Nia who shook her head. ¡®Bria just touched the handle but Ragni flaked some of the wax off and touched the steel. He¡¯s dead!¡¯

    Rosa nodded. ¡®The valkyrs were the last line of defence against marauders. They guarded inside the castle, not outside and they weren¡¯t playing silly games of honour. They were here to protect any younglings sheltering here. Anything and anyone powerful enough to make it this far was taken down just as fast as maybe. The heads were coated with the most potent toxins that could be found. Over the years the venom has seeped through the wax. Where is the weapon now?¡¯

    ¡®Sir Henrik sent it to the forge to have the wax and poison burnt off¡¯ said Adelyn. Rosa looked thoughtful. ¡®Nia, best you run after them and tell them to use a fire away from the city. The poison is made to take down dragons and there will be much still under the wax. The fumes will kill too.¡¯

    Nia ran back to the door and bellowed ¡®Don¡¯t burn the axe¡¯ which stopped Sir Lars in his tracks as he was about to walk through the refectory door. ¡®With your leave, Preceptor. Can we talk in the garden?¡¯

    The Preceptor looked up. ¡®Aye lass. I¡¯m sure you have good reason but make haste.¡¯ He looked strained but not as shocked as the young recruits. ¡®Lars, put it on the floor and stand over it.¡¯ He followed Nia out into the garden and sat down heavily on a bench. ¡®Well lass, have we lost Camryn too?¡¯

    Nia shook her head. ¡®No Preceptor. Rosa says she will recover, but she will need time. She also said that the fumes would be deadly if you burn the poison in the city so make a bonfire out in the countryside.¡¯

    The Preceptor rubbed his eyes. ¡®Sage advice. Did you find anything else? Did she say why such a dire weapon was there in the first place?¡¯

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    Nia nodded. ¡®Rosa said that the valkyrs were the last line of defence and played for keeps. Any marauders who faced them went down fast and stayed down. We did find some armour that looked darker than yours.¡¯

    The Preceptor smiled at that. ¡®That is good to know. Check with Rosa that it''s safe and suit up. you will go with Sir Lars and be a voice of caution.¡¯ He sighed. ¡®half a day¡¯s training and we¡¯re already putting you in armour.¡¯ He stood up. ¡®Let¡¯s be about our tasks. I will see to horses and provisions.¡¯

    Nia trailed after him back into the refectory where Vann and Jemryn were standing in shock staring at the poleaxe.

    ¡®Ah. There you both are. Jemryn. Tell the stable master we need two horses for a few days and then ask the kitchen for provisions for a four-day ride. Vann. Do you go and learn what you may about Ragni¡¯s family? I will go to them.¡¯

    Vann raised his hand tentatively. ¡®The older boys have been trying to bully Jem.¡¯

    The Preceptor scowled at the news but Sir Lars, still standing over the axe bellowed ¡®Bern! Get in here and guard this infernal weapon. I will stop any bullying. Come boy. Point them out to me.¡¯ He stomped off down the corridor toward the courtyard. To Jemryn¡¯s consternation and delight, he had picked up Vann¡¯s metal shod quarterstaff and was mashing one end into the ground with every pace, striking sparks as he went. As he disappeared from view, Jemryn realised that he was supposed to be going too and sprinted after him.

    ¡®Go Nia, check the armour wi.. just check the armour and suit up and bring your bedroll back.¡¯ The Preceptor gave her a small shove in the back.

    As she passed through the Southern Hall, she saw that someone had straightened Ragni out and covered him with a blanket. She carried on through the double doors and saw that Bria and Adelyn had made a crude stretcher out of their bedrolls and what looked like a couple of the stronger pieces of the furniture in the bunk room. They were gently lifting Camryn onto it when she arrived.

    ¡®The girls told me of your friend. I am truly sorry child. If I were not so addle-witted, I would have remembered the venom¡¯ said Rosa as she approached.

    ¡®Thankyou. The Preceptor told me to check the armour with you and, if it were safe, to put it on and go with Sir Lars to oversee the burning of the poleaxe¡¯ replied Nia.

    Rosa nodded. ¡®The armour will be fine. In the long chest under my table are some of Gloria¡¯s poleaxes. Take one. It will never have been treated with anything noxious and should serve as a tent prop at least, if it rains.¡¯

    Nia¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡®I can use Gloria¡¯s personal weapon?¡¯

    Rosa shrugged. ¡®She wouldn¡¯t stand for such nonsense as a personal weapon. Valkyrs do what they must, however they can. They were gifted to her by a suitor and were only ever carried as ceremonial weapons, which was not often but they were forged by the delvers in the far north and will be more than adequate. I doubt Gloria ever handled them except when she received them. Armour first girl. Your padding from practice will serve as a gambeson.¡¯ She shooed Nia into the armoury before turning back to Camryn and the other girls. ¡®Get her back to her parents and tell them sunlight, fresh air, boiled water, good food and rest. She will be back here before you know it, hale and impetuous as ever.¡¯

 Armour

    As Bria and Adelyn carried the stretcher out of the main doors, Nia came back out of the armoury with armfuls of plate armour which she dumped on Rosa¡¯s table.

    ¡®Made from dragon scales and soaked in dragon¡¯s blood.¡¯ Rosa picked up a dark red vambrace and held it out to Nia. ¡®Hold your arm out girl. No, the other one! My old fingers will suffice for now, but you may need to get someone else to do up and then to tighten the straps. It might fizz a bit whilst it gets to know you.¡¯

    Nia slowly lifted up her left arm looking at her in horror. ¡®Fizz? Gets to know me?¡¯

    Rosa shrugged again. ¡®You know, sting, itch, smart a little. You will be fine.¡¯ She clamped the vambrace around Nia¡¯s forearm and Nia shrieked.

    ¡®You said a bit!¡¯

    Rosa chuckled. ¡®Those men have either forgotten to tell you or the spells are running down. All the guards used to be entertained by novices putting on armour for the first time¡¯

    Within about quarter of an hour she had covered Nia in red armour, picking the darkest of each of the required pieces. Nia was hopping up and down trying to scratch herself and swat herself at the same time and whenever she stood still for a moment Rosa would clap another piece into place.

    ¡®Why are they sticking to me. I thought you said straps. Ow ow ow¡¯

    ¡®They will try to cling to you but they would get knocked off in a fight. Bria can help you with straps in a bit¡¯ She sandwiched Nia between the backplate and the breast plate, drawing even louder shrieks

    By the time Rosa had covered her top half in armour, Nia was trying to to use the corner of a bookcase as a scratching post. Rosa took advantage of her momentary stillness and jammed a helm on her head which prompted more yowls of protest. The helm seemed to be the key though and within a couple of minutes Nia had stopped trying to scratch. She turned her head experimentally. ¡®I can see in the dark.¡¯ She put her hands up to her face. ¡®There are no eye slits and I can see.¡¯

    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t be much use against dragon fire if they boiled your eyeballs with their first breath, now would it.¡¯ Rosa collapsed back down in her chair. ¡®You can put the rest on¡¯

    Nia started putting on the tassets and grieves on her legs followed by the sabatons and doing up what straps she could reach, before finally sliding her hands into the gauntlets.

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    ¡®Am I going to get very hot in this?¡¯

    ¡®Silly girl. That armour is for fighting dragons. It¡¯s tough and it will heal you but its most important job is to protect you from heat. You can stand in a blacksmith¡¯s forge and come out unscathed. Get the poleaxe and get along now.¡¯

    Nia bent down and prised the long chest open. Inside were long cloth-wrapped bundles. She picked up the top one and pulled the fragile coverings off to reveal a gleaming master work, as good as the day it was made. The polished ash handle and the gold patterns inlaid into the blade, beak and languets gleamed. She jumped as Rosa spoke, just behind her. ¡®Stop gawping girl and get out there. It¡¯s just a weapon and you have a job to do. Try running to the door, without tripping.¡¯

    Nia did as she was bid stopping only to scoop up her bedroll. Running in full armour with a five-foot weapon proved every bit as tricky as she thought it would. She stumbled a few times but managed to get through the gap between the doors without embarrassing herself.

    ¡®Dragon¡¯s fire. Look at you girl. Gloria has returned!¡¯ Sir Anders was the only person in the hall who wasn¡¯t speechless at her appearance.

    And then a sharp voice came from the small door to the archives. ¡®Not Gloria nor any part of her. Just a maid in a costume. Your experiment going well, Preceptor?¡¯

    Jemryn started to open his mouth but the voice rang in his mind ¡®Keep still, rabbit. The time is not yet.¡¯

    ¡®Lore master, your appearance is timely.¡¯ The Preceptor spoke from the door to the refectory. ¡®We need knowledge of the poisons that the valkyrs used and how they may be countered.¡¯

    The Lore Master frowned. ¡®They were reputed to be swift and permanent, soaking through the skin and stopping the heart. I never heard of anyone recovering.¡¯

    The Preceptor shrugged ¡®Perhaps they weakened with time. We have one very sick recruit who may survive with the right care. Uncover what you may and bring me an update in two hours.¡¯

    The Lore Master¡¯s frown deepened. ¡®May I take samples of the poison?¡¯

    The Preceptor thought for a moment ¡®No. The research is more important. I¡¯ll arrange for samples and deliver them to you. Any harm that¡¯s caused by the samples will be on your head.¡¯

    After the Lore Master had disappeared back inside the archive, the Preceptor turned to Nia. ¡®Anders wasn¡¯t so far wrong. You look the part and you will grow into it.¡¯ He smiled. ¡®You are going to be the talk of the whole city when you ride out. Lars is back from causing terror and pain in a whole generation of boys, but you will top that in tonight¡¯s gossip. Go and grab your supplies and find a place suitable to burn off that poison. I suggest a beach where the wind blows out to sea¡¯

    ¡®Is Camryn..?¡¯ stuttered Nia

    ¡®Her breathing has improved already. We have every hope she will recover. Bria and Adelyn have taken her to the infirmary. Some of the young recruits have taken Ragni there too. Your task will be to put that weapon beyond any use. But I see you need some adjustments on those straps. Bria and Adelyn can help and you can reassure yourself that Camryn is still alive.¡¯ He caught Nia¡¯s shoulders and spun her to face the refectory door, then gave her a gentle shove in her back to get her started.

 Tears

    ¡®Henrik¡¯ he called.  ¡®I must go and return Ragni to his family. You have command ¡®til I get back. I will be leaving as soon as the Loremaster reports back and will be gone for the rest of the day and probably tomorrow¡¯

    Jemryn put up his hand. ¡®Preceptor. My mother will be here soon. She said she would call on you in the early afternoon.¡¯ The Preceptor¡¯s shoulders sank. ¡®any other messages for me?¡¯

    ¡®Yes Preceptor¡¯ replied Jemryn. ¡®The armourer will make you seven halberds and meet you for an ale to discuss weapons for Bria and the others. He doubts they will be effective with the halberds.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s actually what he said?¡¯ the Preceptor raised one eyebrow.

    ¡®No Preceptor¡¯ said Jemryn. ¡®He called you an old goat and said the halberds would be a mite heavy for the lasses. I was trying not to say that though!¡¯

    In spite of the tragic circumstances, Sir Anders nearly choked trying to stop himself from laughing and the trainees smirked but the rest of the knights managed to cover their mouths with their hands.

    The Preceptor scowled. ¡®Go to the kitchens and get some sweet pastries and cold drinks for your mother.¡¯ He pointed to one of the guard recruits. ¡®Heikki, go and fetch a clean stoppered vial and scalpel from the infirmary so that the Lore Master can have his sample as safely as maybe. When the duchess arrives, I will be in the refectory. Once all is straight, get back to training. I will leave tomorrow.¡¯

    Nia cautiously peer around the door of the of the side room where Camryn had been put into a bed. Camryn was lying still, completely unconscious, but the rise and fall of the blanket covering her showed she was still alive. Bria and Adeline were sitting on the side of the bed watching her, but turned their heads when the door moved and their mouths dropped open in shock.

    ¡®You¡¯re wearing armour.¡¯ hissed Adeline.

    ¡®Yes I ¡­¡¯

    ¡®Ladies. If you don¡¯t mind!¡¯ Duchess Vaalea, an imposing blonde woman had marched through the infirmary door and was heading towards them. ¡®I will see to the care of my daughter. I will send you news when I have some.¡¯ She pointed back the way she had come. ¡®Out!  Now!¡¯

    *  *  *  *  *  *  *

    It wasn¡¯t soon that the duchess arrived. It was over an hour later; Nia and Sir Lars had ridden out with the poisoned weapon and the rest of the recruits were back in the Southern Hall drilling with quarterstaffs. Jemryn was sitting and twiddling his thumbs in the corner of the refectory when she arrived and jumped to his feet as she walked in.

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    ¡®Preceptor, you wished to speak to me¡¯

    ¡®Ah your grace, good of you to find time to come.¡¯

    Jemryn¡¯s mother looked at him for a moment before answering. ¡®If the rumours are true, it¡¯s not my time that is scarce at the moment. I hear two of the recruits have been killed.¡¯

    The Preceptor looked sombre. ¡®Unfortunately, one of the recruits has died and another is ill, but we are hoping for her full recovery.¡¯

    The duchess gave him a hard look. ¡®And Gloria¡¯s return?¡¯

    The Preceptor smiled faintly. ¡®That¡¯s Lady Nia in armour she found in the women¡¯s barracks. Not yet quite as fierce as Gloria was reputed to be.¡¯

    ¡®And where do I fit into this pretty pickle?¡¯ the duchess wanted to know ¡®I¡¯ll not be going into some dark hole that hasn¡¯t been investigated for centuries and yes I do know about the legends and the enchantment.¡¯

    ¡®Your grace is ahead of me¡¯ The Preceptor inclined his head. ¡®But I actually want your advice on matters horticultural. Let us go through to the garden. Jemryn, please come with us¡¯

    The duchess blinked in surprise but followed the Preceptor out into the garden.

    The Preceptor closed the doors behind them and led the way to the benches in the centre of the garden.

    ¡®Have you heard of the queen¡¯s tears?¡¯ he asked.

    She nodded. ¡®That was a garden on the mountainside above here with pools of water that were reputedly bottomless. They were filled in fifty years ago or more, after two royal children were found drowned.¡¯

    ¡®We need those pools back.¡¯ said the Preceptor. ¡®They were the windows for the women¡¯s barracks. It would look very odd if the Dragon¡¯s guard took up gardening but your expertise in horticulture is well known. It would also sit better if you were to petition the king to restore the gardens, rather than the guard.¡¯

    ¡®He may not agree to the project.¡¯ The duchess sounded doubtful.

    ¡®I think you¡¯ll find the king amenable to the suggestion.¡¯ The Preceptor looked at her carefully, trying to judge whether this approach was going to work. ¡®As you know, the Dragon¡¯s guard is not a wealthy order, but I have been assured that certain assets could be made available to pay for the work.¡¯

    The duchess narrowed her eyes. ¡®What sort of assets? I would need to assess them before I could agree. I should say that Farrenreed don¡¯t deal in knowledge or information. This back water has so little of either that it¡¯s not worth trading in.¡¯

    The Preceptor laughed. ¡®Your husband is not the only shrewd trader in your household it would seem.¡¯ He put his hand inside his breastplate and pulled out the parchment that Jemryn had seen before breakfast and unfolded it. At the bottom of the letter was a seal with a single blue crystal pushed into it.

    The duchess¡¯ mouth dropped open. ¡®Is that a diamond?¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®I think it about a carat. This should be enough to get the work underway. Yes?¡¯

    ¡®Oh indeed, underway and done. Preceptor.¡¯ The Duchess reached out and plucked the diamond from the seal. ¡®I will have it assayed today, and should it be good, I will see the king tomorrow.¡¯

    She stood to leave and Jemryn blurted out ¡®Preceptor, the book!¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded to Jemryn ¡®Your son tells me of a book in Farrenreed that details some new innovations in siege warfare. As a student of martial arts myself, I would be grateful if you could loan it to me for a short while. At your convenience of course.¡¯

    The duchess shrugged. ¡®It was an asset to be traded, but Jemryn was fascinated so we kept it. I will send for it. A courier leaves tomorrow and will bring the book on his return; he will be back in a week.¡¯

 Return

    The next morning, the boys served breakfast, but the Preceptor wasn¡¯t there. Sir Berne and the other knights had drilled them hard all the previous afternoon and into the evening, until the light failed, to try and keep their minds off the death of Ragni. Rosa had said almost nothing to Bria and Adelyn but had given them a tearful hug when they came to settle down for the night.

    For the next two days Sir Berne didn¡¯t slacken the pace. They trained with quarterstaffs and wooden bladed halberds until they were practically falling over with exhaustion.

    Bria, Adelyn and Jemryn were setting the table for the evening meal on the second day when the Preceptor returned.

    He plumped down onto one of the benches. ¡®Are Nia and Lars back yet?¡¯

    ¡®No Preceptor¡¯ said Bria as she put a jug of chilled ale and a leather jack down in front of him. ¡®They were heading for the north-eastern coast because there¡¯s usually an offshore breeze. They won¡¯t be back until tomorrow evening at the earliest.¡¯ She hesitated for a second.

    The Preceptor divined her unspoken question ¡®Ragni¡¯s funeral was a simple ceremony. His parents were distraught, as you might expect. He had been sending most of his wages home to cover his sister¡¯s dowry as his father is too old to work the smithy now. I came from the king just now and he will give them a pension.¡¯

    ¡®And the dowry?¡¯ Bria wanted to know.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t ask. I thought perhaps the knights and recruits might cover that.¡¯ the Preceptor replied. ¡®How is Camryn?¡¯

    ¡®The duchess sent a message this afternoon¡¯ Said Bria. ¡¯She¡¯s awake but very weak. We can go and visit her tomorrow for a few minutes. The duchess sent a message for you, too! Sir Henrik has it.¡±

    The Preceptor sighed. ¡®As good as we could hope then. The duchess is ¡­ formidable, and I don¡¯t think she will be entirely happy, possibly with reason. Jemryn, do you have any secrets to tell me?¡¯

    Jemryn looked startled. ¡®Um no, I mean yes or maybe. When I talked to the armourer, my eyes started to itch and water. He said it was a dragon using my eyes but that it might be a folk tale. If a dragon can use other people¡¯s eyes, how can anyone fight them or even keep a secret from them?¡¯

    The Preceptor frowned ¡®Dragons may indeed do such things, but there are other creatures that can do the same, including some humans and this is an old palace with hidden secrets, as we have found to our cost. What were you looking at?¡¯

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    ¡®Your letter, sir¡¯ replied Jemryn. ¡®The armourer can¡¯t read.¡¯

    ¡®Not many commoners can.¡¯ Replied the Preceptor. ¡®We¡¯ve tried several times to start schools in the city, but they¡¯ve never really taken hold. The other islands have had better success. In answer to your question, the Southern Hall and the garden are warded against interference, as are our helms. It¡¯s difficult enough to fight dragons without them meddling in your thoughts whilst you do it. The Lore master is a gifted mage and may know more of shields and scrying.¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s a real mage!¡¯ breathed Jemryn.

    ¡®Oh yes¡¯ The Preceptor smiled. ¡®Good luck getting a spell out of him though.¡¯

    At that point the boys trooped in, so the conversation stopped, and the usual bustle of the evening meal began.

    As they were about to sit down, a tiny glowing dragon flitted through the door, carrying a scrap of paper. All the recruits watched it in astonishment as it zoomed down the centre of the table and dropped the scrap in front of the Preceptor before vanishing.

    ¡®Jemryn, I take it back about getting a spell out of the Lore Master.¡¯ The Preceptor picked up the scrap of paper and read it. ¡®There is food out so he may not enter. Please do not stand upon ceremony. Begin eating and I will be back shortly¡¯

    The recruits had barely filled their plates before the Preceptor was back with a face like thunder.

    ¡®Sir Henrik, do you organise tonight¡¯s duties? Include one recruit in each watch. I must go and see the King. Bria, walk with me and finish eating when you may. All of you stay here in the refectory until we return.¡¯

    Bria stood up and looked regretfully at her barely started plate of food before turning and following the Preceptor into the garden.

    ¡®Why the garden Preceptor? I thought we were going to the king.¡¯

    ¡®The garden is shielded against scrying, as is the Southern Hall. None can enter the garden without getting past all the knights and the candidates, not to mention Jemryn, who is turning into a one-man spy service. The Southern Hall may not be quite so secure against listeners from the shadows. And I have cause to be wary. Vann¡¯ sudden urge to rush out to Jemryn¡¯s rescue the other day was ¡­ odd. The Southern Hall should be safe. Jemryn¡¯s dragon-eye itch was not unheard of but an unusual coincidence. My own sudden impetuous request women to join the guard. Something or somethings are perhaps taking an interest. And now the LoreMaster¡¯

    ¡®The Loremaster?¡¯ queried Bria.

    The Preceptor¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡®The Lore Master said that he had found no mention of how the poison was made but suggested that fitting Camryn with armour might hasten her recovery. It¡¯s possible but I think it would be a disaster. The armour is steeped in dragon¡¯s blood and the poison was intended to combat dragons.¡¯

    Bria blinked as she absorbed the information. ¡®Why would the Lore Master suggest such a thing then?¡¯

    The Preceptor looked over to the closed door to the archives. ¡®It may be a simple mistake or perhaps something has subtly tampered with his mind. The suggestion has a beguiling logic to it and I have no proofs, only suspicions. Do you go and check the suggestion with Rosa? If she tells you no, then you and Adelyn take turns at staying with Camryn until Nia¡¯s armour is safely back in the ladies¡¯ barracks.¡¯

    He looked at her. ¡®Can you also ask her about old spells and whether they might recently have failed?¡¯

 Dust

    ¡®He said what?¡¯

    ¡®He suggested that fitting Camryn with armour might hasten her recovery, but the Preceptor thought it might be a mistake and to check with you¡¯ repeated Bria

    ¡®Yes, yes child, I heard what you said the first time¡¯ said Rosa testily. ¡®I was just surprised that the boy is that much of an idiot. The armour will restore most injuries and afflictions, but the Preceptor is correct. The poison will react with dragon¡¯s blood ¨C explosively so.¡¯ She thought for a moment ¡®Tell Adeline to¡­ Ah, I cannot order. I suggest that you go to Adeline and ask her to guard Camryn for now and not let anyone in armour near her. Tell the Preceptor my suggestion when you see him. Come back when you have eaten¡¯

    Bria hurried out of the room and back into the refectory. She whispered in Adelyn¡¯s ear who grabbed her plate and headed down the corridor. The boys and the knights looked at her and eventually Sir Anders broke the silence ¡®Whats happening?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not allowed to say¡¯ said Bria plopping back down in her place in front of her food ¡®but don¡¯t go visiting Camryn until the Preceptor says you can.¡¯

    Sir Anders opened his mouth to say something but Sir Henrik held up his hand. ¡®She can¡¯t say so don¡¯t plague her¡¯ He looked at Bria. ¡®Now is a hard time for everyone, but you¡¯re doing well. Keep as you are. Do you have anything else to be doing next?¡¯

    Bria nodded, her mouth full of fresh bread.

    ¡®Lads you will be doing more of the clearing and laying for the next day or so, but we will pitch in. Bria, you and Adelyn train when you have the freedom. You will need to explain everything to the Preceptor when you see him.¡¯

    By the time Bria had finished eating, the table had been cleared around her and Sir Bern¡¯s voice calling the cadence of a halberd drill could be heard ringing around the Southern Hall. She got up and took the remaining plates back to the kitchen before heading back to the Lady¡¯s hall.

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    ¡®Tell me what was said and what happened¡¯

    ¡®Jemryn was talking about his eyes itching and talked about it being a dragon borrowing his eye¡¯s

    ¡®It¡¯s possible, some magic can do such things go on¡¯

    ¡®And the Preceptor said Jemryn would have to ask the LoreMaster because he¡¯s a real mage but good luck getting a spell out of him, but then a tiny dragon of light flew in with a scrap of paper¡¯

    ¡®Hmm! a messenger spell. Not much of a drain but showy¡¯

    ¡®The Preceptor went out to speak to him because we had food on the table and came back a few minutes later and was quite angry. He said to ask you about the armour and about any old spells that might have been disrupted recently.¡¯

    Rosa folded her hands in her lap and sat still and silent for what seemed like an age. Then she whispered something too faintly for Bria to hear and made a shaping gesture with her hands towards one of the lanterns.

    The all around light from the lantern seemed to twist and writhe before settling into a long bright beam.

    ¡®Take the lantern child and shine it on the roof. See if you can see the crystal roof¡¯

    Bria swung the lantern this way and that and before long had found the sheets of crystal that made up the centre of the roof further into the cave.

    ¡®Now bring the lantern beam down¡¯

    Bria tilted the lantern down and there much further into the cave was a cluster of halberds tied together at the top forming a tripod, which supported something hanging underneath.

    ¡®Ah yes ¨C it¡¯s pitch. It drips very slowly you know. I remember a spell circle in diamond dust that I drew long ago and in enough time, the pitch would drip and spread, disrupting the workings of the spell. Get a broom girl.¡¯

    Bria picked up one of the brooms they they had been using on the dust nearer the entrance. ¡®Is it safe?¡¯

    ¡®Hmph. I suppose one disaster this week is enough. Give me the broom and stand near the door with the lantern. Close the door and shut your eyes. Tightly mind! No peaking!¡¯

    Bria did as she was bid and listened to the shuffle of Rosa¡¯s feet as she made her way down the cave.

    The sudden popping sound wasn¡¯t as startling as the sudden glow she could see through her eyelids.

    ¡®You can look again now¡¯

    Disappointingly the hall wasn¡¯t any different.

    ¡®It was an old but powerful spell to stop progress, centred on this hall. It has been that that kept me alive all these long years. I expect some of the effect leaked and was what made life so dull for you.¡¯

    ¡®Why did you need it?¡¯

    ¡®Ah child, I can¡¯t remember. I caught some of the power as it unwound completely. But I will need more access to get better still. Go and see Camryn while I think on how we can accomplish that¡¯

 Home

    The next day, Bria had her breakfast in the refectory and trained with the other recruits in the morning but disappeared off to the infirmary at the mid-day break with Adelyn returning to take her place for the afternoon. The recruits were just laying out the evening meal when Nia, resplendent in her red armour walked in, followed by Sir Lars.

    ¡®Report, Lars¡¯ came the Preceptor¡¯s voice from where he was sitting at the side table he used as a desk.

    ¡®We travelled north-east, found a flat rock, made a fire and burnt it. Any poison in the smoke will only trouble the pirate isles.¡¯ Came back the reply.

    ¡®Laconic!¡¯ said the Preceptor. ¡®Nia, your report?¡¯

    ¡®We travelled to the rocky outcrops north of Gades where there is usually an offshore breeze. Preceptor. We found a large flat top-rock big enough to support a decent sized bonfire and gathered driftwood to make it. Once the fire was well alight, I pushed the poleaxe into the fire and we kept it burning until we ran out of wood. The poleaxe was in the fire for about three hours. When the fire had died down, I flicked the head into a rock-pool, using my poleaxe, to cool it. Once it was cool, we threaded a loop of rope through the eye in the axe blade and took it out along one of the rocky promontories there and dropped it in the deepest water we could find. I didn¡¯t think we needed to keep it for the pattern as we have these to copy.¡¯ She held out the poleaxe she was carrying.

    ¡®Very good, Nia. Go and get your armour off and then eat. You will be pleased to know that Camryn is recovering. Visit her later¡¯

    Nia nodded and headed over to the Lady¡¯s Hall.

    ¡®Nia, you have returned. Unscathed, I hope?¡¯ Rosa stood up and gave her a hug. ¡®Let me unlace you and we will stack the pieces on the table for now. We will have to get some new armour stands but there is no hurry, I think¡¯ Surprisingly deft fingers unlaced Nia¡¯s armour and dropped it carelessly on the table.

    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t Gloria wince to see good armour treated so.¡¯ Nia was slightly apprehensive about Rosa casually flinging the armour onto the table.

    ¡®Gloria wore every bit of this at one time or another.¡¯ Rosa sounded amused. ¡®She would say ¡°If it breaks from so little rough use, the better it is gone.¡± And she would be right. Don¡¯t fret, child. See, even the table is undinted. Now, get you back to your friends; spend the night with Camryn and bring me more light in the morning.¡¯ She smiled at Nia and sat back down on her chair. ¡®Go child. Go and eat.¡¯ She flapped her hands at Nia.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Nia bowed. ¡®Yes, oh wise one¡¯ and grinned and then she turned to leave.

    ¡®Flannel impresses me not, child¡¯ laughed Rosa behind her. ¡®Don¡¯t forget, new lamps in the morning if you would.¡¯

    After a hasty meal and wash, Nia and the other girls spent the remainder of the evening in the infirmary with Camryn who was awake and bored, but she still couldn¡¯t stand without turning dizzy.

    ¡®My parents are shipping me home tomorrow to our estates in Blackrock for the summer¡¯ she said gloomily. ¡®I¡¯m going to miss all the fun and I¡¯ll be months behind in training.¡¯

    ¡®Does the Preceptor know?¡¯ asked Bria.

    Camryn looked miserable. ¡®It was his suggestion.¡¯

    Adelyn squeezed her hand. ¡®It¡¯s only for the summer. You¡¯ll have years to catch us up.¡¯

    At that moment, the physician walked down the room, collecting empty beakers and telling patients to settle down for the night. Camryn¡¯s bed had been moved into a larger room and the other three girls had been given beds around it. Nia was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. ¡®A fine guard she¡¯ll make tonight¡¯ whispered Camryn and the other two giggled.

    ¡®Hush¡¯ came a bellow from the other end of the infirmary.

    The next morning, the girls said goodbye to Camryn who was due to be shipped off home to Blackrock before trooping down to the kitchen to pick up the breakfast food.

    When they arrived at the refectory with the baskets, Sir Bern and Sir Anders were fully suited in armour and in deep conversation with the Preceptor which stopped abruptly as soon as they saw the girls.

    ¡®Heading to Benduil to investigate reports of wrecking¡¯ said Sir Bern. ¡®Someone has been luring ships onto the rocks with false lights.¡¯ He snagged a warm bread roll out of one of the baskets and left down the corridor followed by Sir Lars.

    ¡®Lights¡¯ said Nia. ¡®I need to...¡¯

    ¡®Yes¡¯ interrupted the Preceptor. ¡®You will need more lights in the western hall. The steward has delivered camp beds for you as well as brooms, mops and buckets to clean up the dust. Bring out anything that is ruined beyond use and the boys can dispose of it. . Take proper precautions before you touch anything.¡¯ He shot a warning look at the girls and they nodded. ¡®Take lights through now. Your hands will be full later.¡¯

    Over the next few days, the three girls spent every minute away from training breaking up the old furniture in the barracks and carrying out it to the door, where the boys collected it and took it down to the bakehouse wood store. Once the old barrack room had been swept clean, four camp beds assembled down either side of the room and chests brought in for their clothes. Over the next few weeks, the central meeting room and the armoury got the same treatment. New armour stands were brought in and the red armour was put on them, ready for use.  The old table that the poisoned poleaxe had rested on, had ropes thrown around its legs and it was dragged down to the main doors where it was loaded onto a cart and sent under regular guard escort to be burned on the same rocky promontory that had had the poleaxe burned on.

    Every little change made the Lady¡¯s Hall seem a little more homelike and seemed to breathe new life into Rosa. She was still a very old woman but she seemed to be getting slightly younger.

 Herald

    One morning, Bria awoke to a new sort of light filtering in through the doorway. Intrigued, she threw back the covers and slipped out into the main hall. A thin ribbon of light snaked down inside the wall from the ceiling to the floor.

    ¡®Work has started to clear the pools¡¯ said Rosa. She looked younger in the cleaner white light. ¡®When they are all cleared, the entire wall will light up on bright sunny days.

    Bria looked around at the hall, now able to absorb the magnitude of the place. ¡®How far back does this place go? We¡¯re less than halfway down it.¡¯ She peered into the darkness.

    ¡®Go not exploring.¡¯ Rosa¡¯s voice was sharper than usual ¡®Much is still to be uncovered and I would not have more of you come to harm.¡¯

    Bria looked at her in surprise.

    ¡®Child, it is not safe. Not every possible horror has been destroyed by the burning of that axe.¡¯ Rosa¡¯s voice was gentler. ¡®I am not strong enough to rescue you if ill befalls you and the men may not enter here.¡¯

    Bria looked worried. ¡®Could there be monsters down there.¡¯ She peered into the darkness.

    Rosa laughed. ¡®No child. You will find monsters the other side of the door, none in here, but consider; The poison was brewed in here. You would not want to stumble across a barrel of it.¡¯

    Bria looked relieved at the news on monsters. ¡®Good point, well made. I shan¡¯t explore beyond this point without your sanction. I¡¯m sure Adelyn and Nia will see sense, but we might need to tie Camryn up when she gets back to stop her gallivanting down there.¡¯

    ¡®Indeed child. Now wake your friends and go and eat. I believe the good Preceptor has arranged a lesson with the Lore Master for you this morning. Learn what you may and come back to share with me.¡¯

    Once Bria had woken the other two, Rosa shooed them out of the Lady¡¯s hall and they hurried down to the kitchen to retrieve the morning meal.

    Once breakfast was over, the Preceptor stood. ¡®We cannot just train our bodies, we must also train our minds. The Lore Master was to start teaching you our lore this morning, but he is ¡°indisposed¡±. Luckily the heralds were free and instead we will have a session on the laws, traditions and customs of the island so that you may pass judgement fairly when you sit in session around the islands.¡¯

    Sir Anders¡¯ face fell. ¡®Permission to go and shovel out the stables instead?¡¯

    The Preceptor chuckled. ¡®No! If I grant that, there will be no knights here this morning and there will be no knights and no recruits in the second session. It is tedious but necessary and the stable hands would be out of a job.¡¯

    Vann put up his hand. ¡®Why is the Lore Master indisposed.¡¯

    The Preceptor¡¯s face twitched ever so slightly. ¡®Apparently, he visited the king earlier today, most concerned that the Duchess of Farrenreed had started to refurbish the Queen¡¯s tears. He is particularly worried about re-excavation of the cascade of pools that form the centrepiece and give the garden its name. He was the one that found two royal children drowned many years ago and he doesn¡¯t want the same fate to befall anyone else¡¯

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    Vann looked puzzled. ¡®That seems fair.¡¯

    The Preceptor¡¯s face twitched again. ¡®It seems that the king disregarded his advice and dismissed him when he tried to insist, along with a threat to banish him from the court and the islands should he impede the duchess in any way.¡¯

    Vann looked incensed ¡®But people died. The gardens were dangerous. They were my family.¡¯

    The Preceptor focussed on Vann. ¡®They were my family too and I knew them. The Duchess knows what she is doing and has given assurances that she will make sure the garden is safe. She is not slavishly following the old design. Ornamental railings have been commissioned and will be installed before the cascade is refilled.¡¯

    Bria raised her hand, but the Preceptor frowned at her. ¡®There will be no more discussion on this subject. There will be a session on our lore the day after tomorrow. After the midday meal today, there will be no training for the rest of the afternoon. It is good to take a break and maintain contact with our families and friends.¡¯ He paused and looked at them. ¡®Nia, please retrieve your poleaxe for me. Jemryn, you and I will go and visit the armourer and then you are excused for the rest of the day.¡¯

    By the time the breakfast things had been cleared away, a herald had arrived. He was a tall silver-haired man and his blue and gold uniform stood out amongst the grey tunics of the recruits and the pink armour of the knights.

    The lesson was every bit as boring as Sir Anders had predicted. The knights and recruits spent the entire lesson reciting lists of wergild prices and fines for every offence imaginable from severing a freeman¡¯s toe to running over a duke¡¯s hound with a cart. Eventually the palace clock chimed twelve and Sir Henrik jumped to his feet. ¡®I would like to extend my thanks and that of my comrades for this morning¡¯s session. It¡¯s been a while and I didn¡¯t remember quite the level of excitement that studying law could bring.¡¯

    The herald laughed. ¡®I know it¡¯s boring. It¡¯s no better for me leading the sessions. Perhaps it would be more instructive to visit a law-court next week as observers.¡¯

    Sir Bjarne¡¯s face was incredulous. ¡®What¡¯s changed? No herald ever has tried to make a session less boring.¡¯ The recruits were nearly as stunned, but only because Sir Bjarne was the only knight who spoke less than Sir Lars. That was the most words any of them had heard him string together.

    Sir Henrik, spotting a row brewing, intervened. ¡®I will organise it and we shall discuss the judgments and the law behind each back here afterwards. Will you stay to eat?¡¯

    It was the herald¡¯s turn to look incredulous. ¡®Something has changed indeed. I would be happy to stay.¡¯

    The recruits knew what was expected and trooped off to the kitchen to fetch the midday meal while the knights turned the room from a classroom back to a refectory. The meal was quite a convivial affair, mostly because everyone was glad the law lesson was over and partly because the herald was actually a very good story-teller and spent the entire meal recounting the story of a woman who owned two inns. When she died, it was discovered that she had kept a husband in both of them and both men laid claim to the entire estate, He had been called in to settle the argument.

    Once the food had been cleared away, the knights went and sat in the garden with the remains of the ale and their jacks. The recruits looked at each other with a ¡®what do we do now?¡¯ expression on their faces.

    Vann glanced through the window into the garden and saw Sir Henrik and the Preceptor talking but covertly watching them. ¡®This is a test.¡¯ He whispered. ¡®This is to make sure that we don¡¯t fracture back into little groups. Let¡¯s go down into the town and have a wander. We can visit our families this evening.¡¯

    Adeline looked at him. ¡®It could get a bit ¡­ rough.¡¯ She said timidly.

    Nia stared at her.  ¡®Hark at you. Do you need some warmer socks? There are ten of us and most of the lads have been training for a while already. We can take staves from the barrel in the armoury.¡¯ She stopped, aware that nine jaws had dropped open.

    When Bria managed to get hers closed, she said ¡®If that¡¯s what the armour does to you, I want some now.¡¯

    Nia grinned evilly. ¡®Just let me know when you plan to put it on so that I can watch. Come on, daylights a-wasting. Let¡¯s go and see if there are acrobats in the Minstrels¡¯ square.¡¯

 Thief

    They trooped into the Southern Hall and each grabbed a quarterstaff from the barrel of staves, before making their way back to the refectory Sir Henrik and the other knights were still there, but the Preceptor had left. They made their war down to the little courtyard where Jemryn had met the bullies and Vann said ¡®wait here¡¯ before disappearing in the direction of the royal apartments. He came back a few minutes later, tucking a small coin purse inside his tunic. ¡®Money for food or whatever¡¯ he grinned.

    The guards on the gates saluted Vann and Bria as they passed through, but after that, they were pretty much ignored. Quarterstaffs were fairly tame compared to the hammers and hooks carried by the local tradesmen and there were plenty of guards working for traders that wore chain and carried axes or even swords. As they merged with the bustle of the city outside the gates they saw the Preceptor sitting at a table outside an inn talking to a huge man in a leather apron. The inn was made of thin wooden planks nailed to upright timbers with a thatch of reeds, as were most of the buildings beyond the palace wall.  Even the tables in front of the inn were better made than the building itself, although not by much. On the table in front of the Preceptor was Nia¡¯s poleaxe and the inevitable leather jacks. He was watching the gate and nodded as they came through, beckoning them over. ¡®Quarterstaffs, a good choice. Nia, Lars tells me you drilled relentlessly with this thing every time you stopped whilst you were on that trip. Karhu here thinks it¡¯s still too heavy for you. Do you care to prove him wrong?¡¯

    Nia looked at the Preceptor carefully, then handed her staff to Bria before picking up the poleaxe. As it started to spin in her hands, an empty circle rapidly formed around her. She worked through the forms that all the other students recognised but with a grace and speed that they hadn¡¯t expected from her. The demonstration came to an abrupt end when she brought the spike down hard and nailed the bottom of Karhu¡¯s drinking jack to the table with about two inches of spike sticking out of the underside of the table. There was applause and cheering from many of the bystanders and for the second time in less than an hour she was aware of the open mouths of the other recruits. She shrugged. ¡®It¡¯s better balanced than the staves and guides you through the moves.¡¯

    Karhu stood up, grasped the haft of the weapon just below the head and wrenched it free of the table. As it came free, there were even more cheers as a gush of ale emptied his jack all over the dirt under the table. ¡®Next time lass, don¡¯t get it stuck. Swing it as prettily as you might but it¡¯s little use wearing a table.¡¯ He looked at the Preceptor ¡®Changed my mind, she has. I¡¯ll make copies but fancy they won¡¯t be.¡¯ He looked down at his jack ruefully. ¡®I would say more ale, but even I can¡¯t out-drink that hole.¡¯

    The Preceptor waved to a barmaid to attract her attention and asked her to bring a replacement jack and a fresh pitcher of ale. ¡®Fancy decoration, we can live without but get the weight, length and balance the same. Sacrifice temper and edge on the first ones if you must. We need something for them to train with.¡¯ He turned to the recruits and threw a small coin purse to Nia. ¡®Buy your food in the city but be back in the Southern Halls before they shut the palace gate and try not to get into a brawl.¡¯

    Nia thanked him, then retrieved her quarterstaff from Bria and the recruits headed down the hill towards the Minstrel¡¯s square.

    As the street opened out into the square, they could see the food market was beginning to wind down for the day. Most of the farmers had either sold out and gone home or were packing up. The pie stalls were still open and busy and the braziers for the meat skewers had just been lit. The cleaners had started clearing up the worst of the dropped produce but most of the square was still covered in squished fruit and rotten vegetables. On the far side of the square, the recruiters stood, calling out their prices and offering the chance of adventure. Mostly they were looking for specific tradesmen to fill a role on an estate, guards for merchants or sailors for traders¡¯ ships but one or two were looking for mercenaries to go and work for the Kingdom of Gathos or the Areetan empire. All, without fail, made their venture sound like a grand tour with no risk and huge rewards.

    The recruits bunched up into a circle and discussed what to do next. All were in favour of waiting till night had fallen and buying hot skewers but that wouldn¡¯t be for a couple of hours. The story tellers and minstrels wouldn¡¯t be out until night had fallen and there seemed to be an absence of acrobats.

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    While they were talking, a short thin man with pasty skin walked over. ¡®You lads. There¡¯s a life of adventure out there, if you have the hands to grasp it. I¡¯m looking for¡­¡¯

    ¡®Oi! I saw them first.¡¯ Everyone turned their heads to see a second man hurrying over from the far side of the square. ¡®I can offer you far more than this cheat. His ¡®adventurers¡¯ have a bad habit of coming to an untimely fate¡¯ He pushed through the group and turned to face them, blocking the first recruiter from seeing them. ¡®I am Narfi. I can offer...¡¯ He got no further before the first man grabbed his shoulder, spun him round and punched him. Within seconds there was a whirlwind of punches and kicks from both men.

    Vann watched for a moment, wondering why the first punch hadn¡¯t felled Narfi, and then understood. He turned and saw a young boy, hand reaching out for the purse that Nia was holding.

    He jumped and grabbed him by the forearm, before bellowing ¡®Grab those two!¡¯

    The first recruiter, seeing their distraction hadn¡¯t worked, fled across the market square and out of site but Narfi wasn¡¯t so lucky. His foot slipped on a cabbage leaf and he crashed to the ground. Four of the recruits grabbed him before he could escape. ¡®You let me go. I¡¯m an honest citizen in good standing¡¯ he cried.

    Vann was not amused. ¡®Stealing from a noble carries a sentence of twenty lashes and a fine of two hundred silver teeth. That was one of the penalties we learned this morning. Any good reason for us not to pass that judgement that right now?¡¯

    ¡®You can¡¯t pass judgement on me.¡¯ Narfi blustered ¡®anyway I stole nothing, and you couldn¡¯t prove nothing to a herald.

    ¡®Yes I can, you were an accomplice and I don¡¯t need to, in that order.¡¯ replied Vann.

    Heikki raised his hand. ¡®Vann, I¡¯ve pulled duty down here a few times. We can hand them over to the squad who drew the short straw today.¡¯ He pointed at a squad heading towards them at a run.

    ¡®We¡¯ll take this from here¡¯ said the sergeant leading the squad as they arrived. ¡®Caught again Narfi¡¯ he chuckled.

    Vann glowered at him ¡®Do you have a salute for the crown prince, sergeant?¡¯

    The sergeant turned his head and looked at Vann and brought his fist up to his chest very smartly. ¡®My apologies, your highness. I didn¡¯t recognise you. What is your will?¡¯

    Vann nodded at the now thoroughly cowed Narfi. ¡®Accomplice to attempted theft from a noble. Sadly we didn¡¯t catch his other accomplice. Twenty lashes and a two hundred silver teeth fine. Any problem with that?¡¯

    The sergeant¡¯s mouth twisted into a grin. ¡®Oh Narfi, you¡¯ve stepped into the big league this time. Mebbe we halve the punishment if he tells us who his accomplice was and where to find him?¡¯

    Before Vann could speak, Narfi shrieked ¡®It¡¯s Ulf. He¡¯s got lodgings above the Green Eagle tavern¡¯

    Vann nodded. ¡®Such cooperation with the guard should be rewarded. Half the punishment for Narfi. Anything they can¡¯t pay in teeth can be made up in the gutting sheds ¨C one week per tooth.¡¯ He looked down at the boy, still in his grip, who stared back defiantly. ¡®And this one?¡¯

    The sergeant scratched his head. ¡®The law don¡¯t care about age but the older ones force the younger ones to do their bidding. He¡¯ll have no money and twenty lashes would kill him. Mebbe we could get him signed on as a boy aboard a ship, give him a chance. They recruiters were looking for lads.¡¯ He gestured across the square to where the recruiters were still barking out for people to join them.

    Vann looked down at the boy ¡¯twenty lashes and years gutting fish or the recruiters, boy?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll chance the recruiters¡¯ was the surly reply.

    Vann handed him over to the sergeant. ¡®I¡¯ll let you take it from here. Make sure that you get Ulf before you let this one off with half measures. If you take them to the burrows, put them in both in the spike chambers. I don¡¯t want them sleeping alone, the ghosts can keep them company.¡¯

    The sergeant saluted again, and the squad dragged the silent boy and the still-wailing Narfi across the square towards the recruiters.

    Vann and the others watched them leave the boy with a tall recruiter wearing the garb of a trader from far-off Areetan before dragging Narfi out through the far gate and out towards the wide ramp that led down towards the burrows. No-one knew who had dug the original tunnels through the hard rock under the city but there was no way Narfi was escaping once its massive doors crunched shut behind him.

    Bria twitched the coin purse out of Nia¡¯s hand. ¡®Well that¡¯s killed the afternoon. Let¡¯s buy shred pies and head back just in case Narfi and Ulf have any friends that want to settle a score.¡¯ She walked over to a pieman who had a tray still fresh enough to have steam coming from it. ¡®Ten shred pies please.¡¯ She took the still hot pies in their tough pastry cases and passed them around the rest of the group before opening the purse and handing over twenty copper scales to the pieman. ¡®Let¡¯s eat as we head back¡¯

 Reception

    The next few days were spent drilling with the quarter staffs and wooden halberds. The first of the poleaxes was delivered and even though she couldn¡¯t find a single difference in balance, Nia couldn¡¯t recreate the precision that she had shown outside the bar. Rosa laughed when Nia complained. ¡°Those weapons are a bit special and maybe have more than a touch of magic about them. Learn the basics with the toys and then start to practice with the real thing. Learn in here when you have free time. You don¡¯t have to tell anyone that you¡¯re doing extra practice.¡¯

    About a week after the abortive trip down to the Minstrel¡¯s square, the Preceptor pushed back his chair at breakfast and stood up. ¡®Training and any lessons are cancelled today and tomorrow.¡¯ He looked at Heiki and Tepani. ¡®Most lessons. You will still need to work on your reading and writing. They had discovered that Heikki couldn¡¯t read at all, and Tapani could but not very well. ¡®The king has announced that there will be a formal reception for the new ambassador from Arateen. You will need to find formal garments and my apologies for the short notice. Vann, Davorin and Hrafn. I would ask that if you have anything suitable for Atli, Heikke and Tapani, even if they need a little alteration, that you will help out.¡¯

    A few minutes later the recruits found themselves on their own clearing the refectory. Heikki and the other guards were voicing their worries about the reception, but Bria was having no arguments. ¡®You need to be comfortable in court, you¡¯re going to be important people and sometimes the Dragon¡¯s Guard has to mediate in disputes between nobles.¡¯

    The next evening, they found themselves lining up at the eastern doors into the throne room along with dozens of other minor nobles and members of the court. Tapani kept pulling at his collar as though it was trying to strangle him and both the other ex-guards were looking very uncomfortable.

    The guards saluted as they went through the outer gate which the nobles acknowledged but Heikki, Atli and Tapani found mortifying. Their discomfort when the guards inside the doors announced them to the court. Vann just smiled and waved as he led the way in but Tapani, the quietest and most reserved of all the recruits wished that the ground would open up and swallow him when the guard called out ¡®Tapani of Lulnun. Acolyte to the Dragon Guard.¡¯

    He looked over towards the south wall where one of the pillars created a quieter dead space but Bria saw his glance.

    ¡®No, you don¡¯t get to sneak off. Adeline, take Hrafn and Tapani over to meet your father, and then go and then Hrafn can introduce you both to his father. Nia, you take Atli and Vann to meet Duke Skarran. Davorin, Heikki. We¡¯re going to see if Valeea Blackrock has any news of Camryn. Heikki, don¡¯t look at me like that. Of course the duchess has a first name and she¡¯s my aunt.¡¯

    The girls martialled the boys over towards their targets and gradually the guards began to get over a little of their awe and terror at being guests at court.

    Valeea Blackrock let out a shriek of delight as soon as she saw Bria and wrapped her in a huge hug before seeing the other two and grabbing their hands and shaking them. ¡®Bria, forgive my rudeness when Camryn was ill. I was in shock and not thinking clearly¡¯

    Bria laughed. ¡®Aunt Valeea! You are completely forgiven. We were all shocked and I know exactly where Camryn gets it from. Is there any news of her?¡¯

    The duchess smiled ¡®They are travelling very slowly but Camryn has made it safely to Gades. They¡¯ll sail to Svartzbeer tomorrow. She is on the mend but it will take a while.¡¯

    Heikki thought for a moment ¡®They? Your grace¡¯ he queried. ¡®The duke is over there talking to Duke Benduil.¡¯

    Bria looked horrified and the duchess winced. ¡®I meant Camryn and her attendants. Please pay no attention to my ramblings. Have you been to Svartzbeer? It¡¯s beautiful in the summer!¡¯

    Heikki nodded ¡®Yes your grace, I was born there. My father is a mine master at Harvinger. I miss the summers at home but not the winters so much.¡¯

    The duchess grinned at him ¡®Cold and wet and windy. Bria, take him to try his wits on someone with a better guarded tongue than me.¡¯

    Heikki blushed and started to stammer out an apology but she patted his shoulder. ¡®you forget my slip and I¡¯ll forgive your indiscretion.¡¯

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    Bria grabbed his arm and dragged him away before hissing at him ¡®what were you thinking? Don¡¯t question the words of a noble. Luckily she didn¡¯t take offence.¡¯

    Davorin shrugged. ¡®Not the most diplomatic perhaps but someone is with Camryn and there¡¯s a secret there somewhere. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed the slip.¡¯ He nodded approvingly to Heikki

    Bria scowled ¡®and you¡¯d have had the wit not to draw attention to it. We can discuss it back in the hall. Davorin, your turn. Take us to your father.¡¯

    Davorin took them over to meet his father, Duke Iskander who teased his son about courting the princess and thanked Heikki for chaperoning the pair which had all three of them covered in confusion.

    Over the rest of the evening, all three guards were introduced to most of the archipelago¡¯s noble families, as well as several court functionaries and ambassadors from other realms.

    After a while, Heikki whispered to Vann ¡®Why are they so welcoming. We¡¯re commoners.¡¯

    Vann whispered back ¡®Ordinarily they would ignore commoners or get their guards to remove them, but you¡¯re not a commoner anymore. You may not have much power yet, but when you¡¯re judging court cases, they want you on their side. Don¡¯t be fooled. The Preceptor is second to the King and you have his ear as well as a chance to succeed him. Individually, the knights have nearly as much power as a minor noble and the Preceptor outranks the dukes. Together they could make or break any noble, even the king¡¯

    Heikki thought about this for a moment ¡®Do you think Duchess Blackrock is angry with me? Am I going to be in trouble, or is my family?¡¯

    Vann laughed ¡®I heard about that. Bria is crosser than the duchess. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to send her flowers and a note of apology tomorrow though. Ask Jemryn to deliver them for you.¡¯

    Heikki looked shocked. ¡®I can¡¯t ask a noble to run errands for me and where will I get flowers from?¡¯

    Vann looked back at him ¡®You are going to have to learn to be a little more ruthless. Jemryn won¡¯t mind and I¡¯m sure you can buy some or pick some flowers from the garden outside the refectory.¡¯ He looked around the room where trays of sweetmeats and drinks were now circulating. ¡®Let¡¯s get everyone rounded up and back into the Southern Hall. Not all the nobles are fond of the guard and some would try to embarrass the Preceptor by getting one or two of us drunk and rowdy. You go warn Bria. I¡¯ll rescue Tapani and Davorin from Duke Pohjola. His family have loathed the guard since forever and when he hanged the current duke¡¯s grandfather for slaving, things got worse. He doesn¡¯t often come to court.¡¯

    ¡®The Preceptor hanged a duke?¡¯ Heikki was aghast.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t you know? Some say the old duke was in league with the Pirate Isles as well. The family certainly haven¡¯t been as wealthy since the Gathos navy burnt Riettenborg to the ground and destroyed the bulk of their fleet in the battle of Oskari but that might be down to bad luck or lack of skill. Now go get Bria. She¡¯ll probably shout at you a bit but I¡¯m sure your charm will rescue you.¡¯

    Heikki¡¯s face fell. ¡®My ¡°charm¡± got me into this mess in the first place.¡¯

    Vann laughed and nudged him in Bria¡¯s direction before turning and weaving through the throng toward duke Pohjola.

    Heikki watched him go and then looked around for Bria. His heart sank when he saw her talking to the Areetan ambassador. He squared his shoulders and walked over towards them. He opened his mouth to speak but Bria jumped in first. ¡®Ambassador, may I introduce Heikki, one of my fellow recruits. He is new to court so please don¡¯t take offence if he says something out of turn.¡¯

    Heikki felt crushed but the ambassador grabbed his hand and shook it. ¡®I¡¯m pleased to meet you. I was just discussing an exchange with the princess. I share a little of the empire¡¯s knowledge of dragons in return for a visit to the gardens. What say you?¡¯

    Heikki opened his mouth and then closed it again and thought for a moment. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t you be better talking to Duchess Farrenreed? She is the one refurbishing the gardens.¡¯

    The ambassador¡¯s grey eyes sparkled and she smiled faintly. ¡®Ah, not those gardens, although they were reputed to be fabulous and surely will be again. I meant the little garden in your cloisters.¡¯

    Bria intervened. ¡®It¡¯s a kind offer, ambassador, and thank-you but I don¡¯t think that lowly recruits should be inviting foreign dignitaries into the Southern Hall. With your leave, I will pass it to the Preceptor and let him extend a formal invitation.¡¯

    The ambassador bowed slightly ¡®Protocol, that most daunting of mistresses. It shall be as you suggest, princess.¡¯ She turned back to Heikki. ¡®I¡¯m sure a young man such as yourself didn¡¯t come to make small talk with me. Courting the princess perhaps?¡¯

    Heikki blushed scarlet and avoided Bria¡¯s eye. ¡®Um, Vann says that we need to get the recruits out of here before someone tries to embarrass the Preceptor by getting one of us drunk.¡¯ He looked around and saw that Vann had snagged Adeline and Hrafn as well as Tapani and Davorin and they were heading towards the southern doors. ¡®We just need to find Nia and Atli.¡¯

    Bria scanned the hall and spotted the pair talking to the herald they had met that morning. She sighed. ¡®My apologies your excellency but the prince Vann is right.¡¯ She shook the ambassador¡¯s hand and then dragged Heikki over to the other two. By the time they got to the doors, Nia was clutching her stomach with laughter and Heikki¡¯s ears were burning because Bria spent the entire time quietly explaining to him, in great detail, exactly where he had failed with her aunt and how, under no circumstances, would she ever consider allowing him to court her..

 Invitation

    The next morning, Bria sneaked down to the refectory early and saw the Preceptor at his desk scritching away with his quill in a leather-bound book. He heard her come in and she noticed that as he turned to see who had come in, he dragged a sheet of parchment over his writings.

    ¡®Bria. Good Morning! What drags you out of your barracks so early?¡¯

    Bria stopped well short of the desk to try and hide her curiosity about what the Preceptor had been writing. ¡®At the reception last night, the Areetan ambassador offered to share some of her knowledge of dragons in return for a visit to our garden. I said that I would pass on the offer to you and let you extend a formal invitation¡¯

    The Preceptor smiled wryly. ¡®or decline it and accept the consequences.¡¯ He thought for a moment. ¡®I see nothing to lose, even if we gain no new insights. The garden holds no secrets. I will pen an invitation and send Jemryn with it after breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, go and roust the others out of bed and start the day.¡¯ He watched her leave before moving the parchment back to the pile and locking his book securely in the drawer of the desk.

    *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

    Up in the solar above the library, the lore master sat in front of his mirrors, soaking up the sunlight and watching and listening the exchange in his scrying stone. ¡®The garden holds no more secrets than you do, my dear Preceptor. And what is in that book that you so want to keep hidden? Even the princess spotted it this time.¡¯ He spread his cloak out across the back of the chair and turned the little handle wheel a few times, moving the mirrors to better focus the light on him.

    ¡®I wonder what has been found in the Lady¡¯s hall apart from a collection of armour, a couple of weapons and an old piece of parchment. How far have they ventured? That old piece of parchment must have been a plan of the gardens with the sun pipes down to the Lady¡¯s Hall. Why else would they be being recreated? Do I need to worry? Could she still be alive? No, it has been four hundred years of silence and two hundred years of darkness.¡¯

    He sat there and watched as breakfast was laid out, eaten and then cleared away. He watched the Preceptor pen an ornate invitation and seal it before handing it to the very young recruit who was now wearing a red page¡¯s tabard and he watched him down the hallway and out into the town heading towards the Areetan Embassy.

    ¡®How do I handle this? Take umbrage again? Perhaps I attend and listen and pretend to learn? Opportunities may present themselves.¡¯

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    He turned his scrying back to the black hole where the garden with its crystal tree was obscured, his hand absentmindedly adjusting the handwheel to keep the full focus of the mirrors on his back. He gestured with his other hand and a new book floated up from the library below. He smiled to himself as he opened On the properties of Crystals, recalling how keen the Duke of Farrenreed¡¯s man was to sell him new books.

    ¡®An opportunist¡¯ he mused, ¡®but perhaps not wise. An opportunity for me.¡¯ His mind flicked back to the Areetan ambassador. ¡®First impressions. I must teach first. Anything she says that contradicts me will be more likely to be discounted.¡¯

    He heard a noise downstairs and turned the focus of the scrying stone down to the bottom floor of the archive. One of the knights was sorting through a pile to remove one of the lower books. ¡®Ah Sir Henrik. And why would you be interested in A visit to the wood weavers?¡¯. The Lore Master watched Henrik restack the pile and leave with the book, before his thoughts turned back to the ambassador.

    *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

    Rosa¡¯s chair was bathed in the soft light coming from the rock crystal pipes and she sat there concentrating on a tiny glowing stone and muttering to herself.

    ''Preceptor, Henrik, Lars, Anders, Bjarne and Bern is six. The barracks show another five beds were in use. The four girls ¨C yes yes I know Camryn is down but she¡¯ll come back as good as any of the other girls. Bern and Anders haven¡¯t gone looking for wreckers. That¡¯s just an excuse. The three noble lads, Vann, Davorin and Hrafn is eighteen and the three guards, Atli, Heiki and Tapani make twenty-one. I suppose there could be more out of the city but the barracks don¡¯t show that. That leaves the Lore-Master and the rabbit.¡¯

    She mused for a moment about Jemryn. ¡®A nice boy with a nimble mind and worth cultivating, hardly a dagger but perhaps a lockpick.¡¯

    Her mind swung back to the rest of the guards. ¡®eleven lethal, and the boys not so far behind. The girls aren¡¯t ready but the charged armour and the poleaxes would even up the difference. Will that be enough on my side? Could I win if they all turn against me?¡¯

    She sat still remembering the foolish young suitor who had brought a king¡¯s ransom in weapons. She had laughed them off to Nia but they weren¡¯t toys. The wood had been harvested and shaped by wood weavers before the delvers of the north had forged the heads and filled the hollow part of the shafts with a slender rod of diamond to hold a charge. They must have cost a fortune.

    She felt a mental tic and focussed back on the stone in her hands, following the magic back to its source. ¡®Lore-Master! Those mirrors are clever. And what are you watching so carefully.¡¯ She frowned. The mirrors were more efficient at collecting light than her rock crystal pipes. ¡®Breaking them would betray me and the damage is done already. Bringing enough mirrors here would be noticed. Hmm. Enough magic. I must build my stores, not deplete them. Although ¡­¡¯ She paused. ¡®The poleaxes might be used to bring light from the tree. Let¡¯s keep him away from his mirrors as much as maybe and see if we can tweak a little depletion from him¡¯

 Celosia

    The recruits were startled the next morning to see the Lore Master standing silently in the centre of the Southern Hall

    ¡®Today is a good day for you to learn something of our lore¡¯ He tapped his staff on the stones ¡®Pay attention!¡¯

    ¡®Magic is light. Light is magic. Any magic that you encounter, spell or device, started out as light and was harvested by someone or something and stored.¡¯

    ¡®Dragons are creatures of magic. They come in many colours, some common such as red and green some less so such as white and grey. Rarest of all are the purples and blues but the colour signifies nothing. No research has ever uncovered a difference in temperament, power or any other thing linked to colour. Their wings are always black. It is the colour best suited to capturing light. It is believed that their primary purpose is to capture light and flight is secondary.¡¯

    ¡®Dragons come in a range of sizes but grow for most of their very long lives. They are thought to mature to adulthood at about 100 years old, if they survive that long and will usually be about twenty feet long at that point. Once they get above forty feet long they are usually considered drakes and are.. yes Prince Vann.¡¯

    Vann lowered his hand. ¡®You said ¡°if they survive that long¡±, as though that¡¯s not a common occurrence. What happens to them?¡¯

    The Lore Master stood in silence for a minute and the trainees began to grow uncomfortable before he finally spoke. ¡®Dragons lay eggs, many eggs in each clutch. When they hatch, the dragonlets are dumb brutes. They tear each other to pieces for food; kill or be killed. Some clutches will all die, either killed or from their wounds. More successful clutches will yield a handful that will survive past the first few days. They will move away from their hatching ground and spend the next months hunting whatever they can find for food. If they survive past the first year, their intelligence starts to develop as do their wings. The second culling happens once they can fly. They will often hunt livestock or humans and I don¡¯t need to tell you what the consequences of that are. They may also stray into the territory of another dragon who will kill and eat the interloper as soon as their presence is noticed. Perhaps only one in a thousand will become a fully-fledged adult with a territory of their own. Now where was I?¡¯ His blindfolded face pointed straight at Vann

    ¡®Ah yes. Drakes! The most powerful of all dragons. Usually more than a thousand years old with huge experience. Many spend their time studying magic and will be worthy opponents if they ever risk flying west from their mountains.¡¯

    He stopped as several more hands shot into the air. ¡®Yes Bria?¡¯ he asked with a resigned air.

    ¡®You said they live in the mountains. Is that the mountains on the far side of the barren plains and why do they come all this way?¡¯

    ¡®They are barren of civilisation, but not herd animals. The dragons have destroyed any settlement that humans have tried to build. It''s¡­ the dragons¡¯ larder if you will. Your second question. We don¡¯t precisely know. They come west every few hundred years and they are due now. No more questions!¡¯

    He took a piece of chalk from his pocket and stooped to draw a crude dragon on the flagstones.

    ¡®Now. Attend me. Dragons are covered in armour scales; the same armour that you wear. It is almost impossible to breach. Almost but not completely. A dragon lives on meat but thrives on light and is very defensive of its wings. Shred them and the dragon may take decades to recover. It will not kill them. I repeat. It will not kill them but they can be coerced by threatening their wings. Flights of arrows will persuade them to land to reduce the size of the target. Older, wiser dragons may fly away rather than risk a confrontation. Younger rasher dragons will usually attack.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Dragons come when they are ready, but it is usually late in the afternoon. They have most of the day to charge in the sunlight and some of the day left to soak up more power whilst they fight. They use this power to heal themselves, and they will heal quickly. To destroy a dragon, you must do so much damage that their life ebbs away faster than they can heal but they do have their weak spots to be exploited.¡¯

    ¡®Rabbit. Ask him to conjure a dragon illusion so that you can see one and observe its weak spots.¡¯

    Jemryn gulped and put up his hand ¡®Lore Master, we saw you send a little messenger dragon. Could you conjure an illusion of a full sized one so that we can see it and observe its weak spots. Or is that too much magic?¡¯ He felt the presence in his mind chortling with glee at the last sentence.

    The Lore Master slowly turned so that his blank mask faced Jemryn and his staff came up to point at the boy¡¯s chest. ¡®Boy, magic isn¡¯t for games or party tricks. I could reach out and stop your heart, and maybe should for your impertinence.¡¯

    The presence snickered. ¡®He could try but he¡¯d get a shock. Don¡¯t worry Rabbit. There are advantages to having me as a passenger.¡¯

    The Preceptor clapped his hands. ¡®Let¡¯s have no talk of killing. Jemryn asks well enough and he raises a valid point. Seeing a full size dragon and being able to examine it safely could be very useful. An illusion, if you please, Lore Master

    The Lore Master rapped his staff on the ground in irritation. ¡®Preceptor, I scarcely think that I should squander magic when we may be attacked at any time.¡¯

    The Preceptor folded his arms. ¡®All the more reason to prepare recruits well. An illusion is required¡¯

    ¡®Very well, very well.¡¯ The Lore Master stamped over to the centre of the hall and stood completely still.

    After a couple of minutes Bria opened her mouth to speak but the Preceptor scowled and shook his head.

    After several more minutes a faint glow appeared in the eastern end of the hall. It grew and solidified over the next few minutes into a red dragon about twenty-five feet long.

    ¡®Ah Celosia! The last dragon we fought. The Lore Master must concentrate to maintain this¡¯ said the Preceptor. ¡®Gather around it.¡¯ He strode over to it followed by the recruits and the knights.  ¡®Do not attempt to do what all the stories say and stab them in the heart. The chest scales are the thickest because dragons tend to fight each other on the wing, rending at their opponent¡¯s chest. Anything else will put their own wings at risk. Their weak spots are the eyelid, under the jaw, in the wing pit, behind the front legs and the cloaca.¡¯ He looked at the young men who had started smirking. ¡®Yes boys, you¡¯ll stab it in the arse when your friends are dying up front.¡¯

    He walked round behind the dragon which obligingly raised its tail to point out the exact weak spot. ¡®Anywhere that moves must have thinner scales. Think about a suit of plate. It¡¯s the joints that are the weak spots and particularly the wing pits. That¡¯s where we aim for.¡¯

    He walked back to the head. ¡®Lift its head up, Lore Master¡¯ The dragon raised its head and the Preceptor pointed out the fine scales between the jawbones at the base of the throat. ¡®Just behind those are the arteries that serve the head. Sever those and you will kill the dragon.

    He turned back to the recruits and the dragon dipped its head back down and breathed. White fire crackled all around them making all the recruits jump.

    The Preceptor grinned. ¡®Very good Lore Master. A nice touch. Thank you for the demonstration. Please go back to your mirrors to rebuild your reserves. And now we will begin with the first halberd form.  Bria, you lead.¡¯

    *  *  *  *  *  *  *

    Rosa stole away from the giant doors that had been left ajar and sat back down in her chair.

    ¡®You¡¯re jealous of your power. Persuading you to squander your reserves will be difficult and you will suspect. But I know you now, you yellow worm. I need to reach the tree and tap its power.¡¯ She paused for a moment. ¡®The weapons.¡¯

    She stood up and went to the chest under the table and took out the remaining eleven poleaxes, unwrapping each and laying them on the table. She picked up the first and carefully unscrewed the pommel exposing a bright crystal disk. ¡®Ah ha. Well charged.¡¯ She put her finger on the disk and concentrated for a few minutes, watching as the disk dimmed and stopping before the gleam completely vanished. ¡®A thimbleful; I will need hundreds but the tree will recharge them if we can get them close. It will be slow but we may sneak the power in, thimble by thimble. The girls will carry them in and out for me. There are enough to swap, and none shall suspect. I must write to the Preceptor, but carefully. I do not know that he is my ally. Only that I believe that he is the Lore Master¡¯s foe.¡¯  She carefully screwed the pommel back on and reached for another poleaxe.

 Misery

    The next few days were unbridled misery for the recruits. The knights drove them hard in training and they spent any free time cleaning and scrubbing the Southern Hall with its high windows and the Refectory. After three days, Bria was nearly weeping with tiredness when she bumped heads with Heikki under the refectory table. ¡®Look at my hands¡¯ she whimpered. The harsh soap had got inside her blisters from the pole arms training and she could barely hold the scrubbing brush. ¡®Why are we doing this?¡¯

    Heikki shrugged. ¡®The Ambassador is coming here and we must put on a good show. I¡¯ll finish here. You go and help Henrik in the garden. He¡¯s clipping the grass.¡¯

    Bria dropped her brush back into the pail. ¡®Thank-you. That¡¯s kinder than maybe I deserve.¡¯

    Heikki shrugged again. ¡®My hands are tougher than yours. I¡¯ve been in training for a year already so the drills don¡¯t burn my hands as much.¡¯ He grinned at her ¡®Are we even?¡¯

    She surprised herself and grinned back ¡®I¡¯m in your debt, but only a bit. I¡¯ll go and see Sir Henrik.¡¯

    When she got to the garden, Sir Henrik had finished the grass and had moved on to the roses. He looked at her hands when she explained why she wasn¡¯t scrubbing and grunted, before passing her a pair of clippers and pointing to the box hedges surrounding the seats in the middle of the garden. Clipping the hard springy twigs wasn¡¯t much better than scrubbing floors but at least there was no soap and the metal felt cool pressed against her abused palms and fingers

    The recruits knew their ordeal was over when they presented themselves in the Southern Hall for training early one morning and the Preceptor sent them down to the bath houses rather than the relentless drilling. When they got back to the refectory, breakfast was laid and the Preceptor was waiting for them. ¡®This week has been hard, and we have made it hard deliberately. The high windows didn¡¯t need scrubbing just because the ambassador was coming.  There will be times when the pace is gruelling and there is no time to stop and recover, or indeed to question orders. You put your shoulders to the wheel and together you have accomplished a great deal, passing this test. You have made me proud. The Ambassador will be here mid-morning and we will stand guard for her entrance but there are no other duties or training today. Palace servants will lay out food and clear away today. Tomorrow, we will begin again at a more normal pace. Bria, a word in the Southern Hall before you eat.¡¯

    He turned and marched briskly through the doors into the hall and down to the double doors that led to the Lady¡¯s Hall.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Bria followed after him wondering if she was in some kind of trouble.

    ¡®I won¡¯t keep you long, but I need to say two things. Camryn is back on her feet and taking gentle exercise. You may tell the others and Rosa. The other is that Rosa has requested that you be allowed to carry the ornate poleaxes at all times so that you become accustomed to them. She also tells me that they are magical and that the charges have diminished. Apparently they may tap into the power of the crystal tree to recharge just by being close but it will take many days for sufficient power to be transferred. I suspect that the tree is a sink.¡¯ He paused at the baffled look on Bria¡¯s face and laughed. ¡®Not a sink for washing pots. A sink for storing power. I¡¯m not sure that I want the Lore Master to know that there is a way of tapping the tree¡¯s power hence the discussion here where we may not be scryed or overheard. Rosa asks that you carry poleaxes in and out of the garden, building up their power and she will monitor them to make sure they do not overcharge and break. However, I do not know Rosa. I have had precisely two letters from her.¡¯ He held up the piece of parchment that Bria had brought earlier in the week. ¡®Do you consider her trustworthy or should I deny this request? Has she ever said or done anything that seemed out of place, that jolted your opinion of her?¡¯

    Bria thought back to the day she had suggested exploring and Rosa¡¯s uncharacteristically sharp response. But she had explained why. Bria shook her head. ¡®No Preceptor. I believe her trustworthy.¡¯

    The Preceptor gave her a long hard look. ¡®There is something though. Explain!¡¯

    Bria gulped. ¡®She snapped at me once when I wondered about the size of the Lady¡¯s Hall. She explained that if we went exploring and ran into trouble, she would not be able to rescue us and no-one else would be able to get in to help but when she snapped at me she reminded me of both you and the Lore Master¡¯

    The Preceptor scowled. ¡®In what way am I similar to the Lore Master?¡¯

    Bria gulped again. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean that. The Lore Master can be hasty and bad-tempered, fiery even, and you expect to be obeyed. Rosa, for a moment, seemed to be both of those things.¡¯

    The Preceptor looked thoughtful. ¡°Hmm, well yes I do expect to be obeyed. It¡¯s essential for a military commander and the Lore Master is quite bad-tempered. If we take your impressions to be correct, then Rosa is both a military commander and a lore master?¡¯

    Bria nodded. ¡°She said she was a lore mistress and she¡¯s very old. Who knows what else she has been? She has been very kind and her advice has always been sound. She seemed genuinely upset when Camryn was hurt. I think she has been asleep under a spell for a very long time and it¡¯s taking time to remember things and get used to the world¡¯s changes.¡¯

    The Preceptor straightened up. ¡®Very well. Carry the poleaxes, charge them and train with them. The halberd forms will suffice for now. She is right, you must get used to them. If she has an ulterior motive, she is still helping train you with fierce weapons. Ask her for any information she may have on dragons. She may know something that the Lore master doesn¡¯t. We might as well make use of her knowledge and experience. All that will keep until this afternoon. Go and eat.¡¯

 Ambassador

    As the palace guard chimed nine, the knights disappeared into their barracks and came back out a few minutes later in full armour and wearing their blank-faced helms. All but Sir Henrik and Sir Bjarne were carrying their halberds. Sir Henrik moved over to the left-hand side of the double doors into the northern hall and Sir Bjarne mirrored him, standing next to the right-hand door. All the other knights lined up with Sir Henrik and faced east. The recruits looked around, wondering where to stand but the Preceptor, standing by the door to the refectory, motioned them to the end of the line. To the recruits¡¯ astonishment, the door to the archives slid open and the Lore Master came out carrying a bundle of white quarterstaffs. He walked down the line of recruits and gave one to each, before walking over to stand beside the Preceptor.

    The knights stood immobile and the recruits did their best to copy but Jemryn, on the end of the line, couldn''t help himself wriggling a little bit. It was no more than a few minutes but it felt like an age.

    Then there was a rap on the door and Sir Bjarne and Sir Henrik hauled the doors open wide. In the doorway stood the king, in pink plate male, with the Areetan ambassador beside him, wearing a grey silk gown. Behind them was a small aide dressed in unrelieved black and two Areetan guards, each with a curved broadsword in one hand and a small, spiked buckler in the other.

    Once the five had entered the Southern Hall, Sir Bjarne and Sir Henrik closed the doors with a boom, shutting out the crowds of courtiers all trying to peek through the doors.

    They slowly walked down the line inspecting the guards until at last they reached the Preceptor who bowed almost imperceptibly. ¡®Your majesty, your excellency. Welcome to the Southern Hall. Please step through to the garden.¡± He ushered them through the refectory and into the garden and was followed by everyone else.

    Down one side of the garden, tables had been laid with refreshments and a semi-circle of benches occupied the centre with one chair in the middle.

    The Preceptor gestured towards the crystal tree. ¡®Our tree, your excellency. Please take all the time you wish examining it.¡¯

    ¡®Please call me Amanita. It gets little enough use with the stuffy formality of the Imperial court.¡¯ She stepped towards the crystal tree with one hand outstretched until she felt the barrier. She shut her eyes for a moment and everyone held their breath but nothing happened. ¡®I have only heard of them, never seen one and they are always described as shielded. I sense a great deal of power stored there but more than that I can¡¯t say yet. Now I shall talk of dragons and study the tree later. Everyone watching me stand still with my eyes shut will be tedious. Everyone please be seated.¡¯ She walked over to the chair and sat before accepting a glass of chilled white wine from her fussy little aide. ¡®Thank you. You may go and sit with the others. I am in one of the safest places in the world with legendary warriors to guard me. If anything should happen, there will be little you can do.¡¯  The attendant looked aghast and bent down to whisper in her ear.

    The ambassador raised an eyebrow ¡®And what will you do if ten warriors in dragon plate mail attack me with their halberds? Scowl at them? fend them off with your handkerchief? Go and pour yourself a glass of this wine, take a seat and try and calm your mind for an hour or go and sit on the ramparts and smoke that dreadful pipe of yours. This really is the most excellent wine, Preceptor. From Lulnun?¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®You know your wines.¡¯

    The ambassador smiled ¡®One of the few perks of attending interminable soirees. Now, Dragons!¡¯

    ¡®Almost everything we know, or think we know about dragons has come from dragons. They have let morsels slip over the years but only ever to further their own schemes, which are usually obscure. What we do know is that dragons are long-lived and it is best, for the most part, to think of them as elderly humans pursuing odd hobbies. Many study lore and learn to use the magic power that they contain. Others will learn enough to accomplish some other goal and then never study it again. A few never study it at all. The word spell doesn¡¯t do justice to the manipulation of power but it is the best description I have. The commonest spell that dragons learn is to change their shape. Not to cast an illusion that they are something else, but to actually change their shape. Some dragons have been known to change to horses, others to great white bears so that they can explore the frozen wastes but the commonest form they choose is human. From what we know, female dragons may change to women and male dragons may change to men. It may be possible for them to change gender, but it has never been recorded. A curiosity is that they tend to retain their colouring, a red dragon would have red hair and red eyes, a black dragon would have black hair and black eyes. Again, it may be possible for dragons to change their colouring but we don¡¯t know of any examples.¡¯

    Jemryn couldn¡¯t help himself. He shot his hand in the air and blurted out ¡®So you could be a grey dragon and we wouldn¡¯t know¡¯

    The ambassador laughed out loud. ¡®If I were a dragon, I would either be very brave or very foolish to walk into this nest. The Dragon¡¯s guard is famed and feared across the known world. The truth is that I am likely to have a dragon somewhere in my heritage. Most people who can wield any significant amount of power have a dragon ancestor. Shape-changed dragons will often take a spouse and children, half dragons, often result. It helps them blend with human society. Another common ploy is to be a younger son from a minor court. No-one will check up and it gives them an entry into society. Liaisons usually only lasts a few years or people would notice that the dragon doesn¡¯t age much. Your other point, ¡°we wouldn¡¯t know¡± is well made. Unless the dragon makes a mistake, there is no way to tell for certain. The Emperor employs dragon testers who are very skilled at unravelling someone¡¯s history, particularly their childhood. Dragons find it very difficult to relate to children, having never been human children but it isn¡¯t exact. I¡¯m sure some dragons get away with it and a few human courtiers who wanted to hide their shameful secrets have been falsely branded as draconic and driven out. Please bear in mind that if a dragon¡¯s plans fall down around their ears, they will have no hesitation in turning back to their natural form, incinerating all those around them and then flying away to start afresh. They can afford to play a waiting game.¡¯

    She paused to take a sip from her glass. ¡®Does anyone want to ask any questions?¡¯

    Several hands shot in the air and she pointed at Tapani. ¡®Why would dragons want to hide in human society when they can just turn up and take whatever they want?¡¯

    The Ambassador smiled. ¡®A most excellent question and I will answer it as best I may. The first thing is that in a fight between a dragon and a human, the dragon will win. But as you prove, by your very existence, humans working together can take down a dragon, so flying into a city, pillaging it and flying out again will work at best, once or twice before the dragon is hunted down and killed.

    The second thing is that dragons will not, possibly cannot, work as a team. To accomplish anything significant they need allies or servants, and humans fit the bill perfectly.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The next is that dragons primarily plot against each other. Move and counter move. For territory, possessions or power. It is easier to hide their plans amidst the chaos of humanity and they may set in train events that will take decades, even centuries to bear fruit.

    Fourthly, dragons are destroyers. Dragons don¡¯t write books, create jewellery or fine wines nor can they easily use them but they do like them and in human form, it is much easier to obtain them and appreciate them.

    Last and by no means least. Sex. We know little of dragon breeding cycles other than they are rare and often violent. Some dragons have been known to go a little crazy when they discover human sex. Next? Yes Prince Vann!¡¯

    ¡®Why do dragons come this far west? They must know that it¡¯s dangerous and there aren¡¯t vast riches here.¡¯

    The ambassador nodded. ¡®Another good question. I suspect that most dragons are aware of the prophecies concerning the jewel of the isles and would quite like to be first to the party even if they don¡¯t really believe the prophecies. The second is that this is a good territory. If a dragon could claim it, they would have access to almost everything they could want. Good food, fine wines, gold and jewels, even a library of rare volumes and the humans would make such good servants.¡¯ She waved her hand towards the archive. ¡®And the crystal tree should yield its power eventually. They are incredibly rare and highly prized. Ah yes. Preceptor?¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded to her. ¡®You say this would be a good territory but every dragon who has braved our shores for the last thousand years has been driven off or killed. Surely that would be a warning? It doesn¡¯t explain why they still come.¡¯

    The Ambassador stood up and stretched languidly. ¡®Oh Preceptor! Dragons have been coming here continuously as merchants and traders, for most of that time. I believe the criminals call it casing the joint. Most of the dragons you fight are young and foolish males who don¡¯t believe that a handful of humans could possibly be a danger.¡¯

    ¡®And the other few?¡¯ Sir Henrik wanted to know.

    ¡®Older and foolish males¡¯ chuckled the ambassador, ¡®and before you ask, most females would have no interest in finding the jewel of the isles so half the lure has vanished. Search your records. I¡¯m willing to bet you have only ever fought dragons with two horns, never one with four horns and be glad of that. Females are often significantly bigger than males. Princess Bria?¡¯

    Bria pulled her hand down, a bit startled about being addressed directly. ¡®How big do dragons get? And is it true they can¡¯t tell lies?¡¯

    The ambassador looked thoughtful. ¡®Dragons grow for their entire life but slowly once they become mature. The biggest males are called drakes and may be up to 60 feet long and about 12 feet high at the shoulder. The last dragon fought here was known as Celosia. Yes, the empire takes great interest in dragons and what becomes of them. He was only about two hundred years old and about twenty feet in length although he may have grown a little since the records were made.¡¯

    ¡®Lying? Dragon¡¯s certainly can lie, but often don¡¯t bother. They claim they would have to remember details of what they said for far too long. Of course they might not be telling the entire truth, but they are seldom caught in a lie. Lore Master?¡¯

    Everyone turned in astonishment as the Lore Master spoke. ¡®Are you able to share with us details of any dragons who have dropped out of site recently or that the empire is pursuing?¡¯

    The Ambassador stared at him for a moment before replying. ¡®I suppose there is nothing confidential about the information. Dragons are always appearing and disappearing in our records. Some become reclusive in the mountains, others are killed in duels with other dragons. My last reports from Areetan suggest that the only dragon being pursued at the moment is a forty-five foot grey called Oleander. He dropped out of site about two decades ago but showed none of the disillusionment that recluses show and the losers of fatal duels usually get found fairly quickly.  He is known to be an adequate caster but unusually lethal in combat. The imperial court would very much like to know where he is and what he¡¯s up to and have even offered rewards for information but not kill, which is unusual to say the least.¡¯

    Jemryn put his and up again. ¡®How does the empire control dragons without the Dragon Guard?¡¯

    The ambassador smiled at him. ¡®The empire is aware that dragons exist and can shape change; we have an entire bureaucracy try to keep track of significant players, and in recent years they have aimed shorter, so to speak. they used to try keep track of dragons over thirty-five feet, but now try to keep track of any over twenty-five feet. There have been notable dragons in the past shorter than that but they are exceedingly rare. Celosia was an example of such a prodigy, right up until his arrogance got him to do something stupid. As for actual control, it is virtually impossible to tell if a human is a shape-changed dragon. If a human is suspected of being a dragon and a criminal, they are typically questioned inside a dagger chamber, sometimes called a spike chamber. The idea is to provoke the dragon into changing form in a space too small to hold it with the walls and ceiling lined with barbed spikes up to three feet long. The results are predictably messy. Dragons that go rogue in their true form are hunted and killed, usually by adventurers for any posted rewards.¡¯

    The King caught the Preceptor¡¯s eye who nodded and stood up. ¡®No more questions!¡¯ He bowed to the ambassador. ¡®Thank you so much for your insights and your discretion. Please accept our hospitality for the rest of the day and study the tree to your heart¡¯s content.¡¯

    As everyone got up and helped themselves to the food and drink that had been laid out, the ambassador¡¯s aide went over to the Preceptor. ¡®Sire, Argan, is liking, if possible, to try one of your halberds.¡¯ He indicated one of the guards who had accompanied the ambassador. ¡®He is likes to try different weapons wherever we travel. Would this be possible?¡¯

    The Preceptor rubbed his eyes. ¡®I suppose I see no reason why not. Henrik, Bjarne. Would you take Argan and ¡­¡¯ He looked at the aide

    ¡®Kardiss, sire,¡¯

    ¡®Just ¡°Preceptor¡± will do, Kardiss.¡¯ replied the Preceptor. ¡®Take them through into the hall and take Argan through the first halberd form.¡¯

    Jemryn slid through the crowd as only small boys can do. He saw the ambassador sitting on the grass near the tree and went over to her. ¡®May I bring you anything, your excellency?¡¯

    She looked up at him and smiled. ¡®Ah. Jemryn Farrenreed, the boy who thinks I am a dragon in disguise.¡¯ She looked at his stunned expression. ¡®Yes, I know who you are. It is my job to know much about your court and you did make quite a stir in the court not so long ago. Now. You are said to be both clever and inquisitive. Look at this. The grass inside the barrier is the same length as the grass outside the barrier, but nothing can get in to eat it or mow it. Curious, yes? What is your suspicion?¡¯

    Jemryn looked at it for a while and frowned. ¡®The grass was cut two days ago and it was the same length inside and out before. There are no grass trimmings inside the barrier so where did they go? I think the grass inside is an illusion. It¡¯s not really there at all. That would be the simplest trick.¡¯

    The ambassador clapped her hands with delight. ¡®Of course. Clever boy. But why go to the trouble of putting an illusion there in the first place? It¡¯s a waste of power and simple stones would look just as good.¡¯

    Jemryn thought for a moment. ¡®Because it''s hiding something else. Maybe runes that unlock the barrier or a portal.¡¯

    The ambassador stood up. ¡®I shall watch your career with interest. Runes are the script of the dwarrowmen, or delvers as you know them, and wouldn¡¯t help with magic that I know although I suppose a pass phrase could be there but then why hide it. A portal is unlikely. They do exist but are usually colossal stones to take the stress. But you are right about an illusion, watch!¡¯ She flattened an area of grass down with her feet around the edge of the barrier and a patch inside flattened to match it. ¡®See. No line to show where the barrier is. I¡¯m also sure that you¡¯re right about the illusion hiding something. I think you might benefit from study at the university in Areetan.¡¯

    Jemryn¡¯s eyes went wild. ¡®I¡¯m a page for the dragon¡¯s guard. I can¡¯t leave.¡¯

    The ambassador smiled at him. ¡®I will suggest it to your parents and the Preceptor and, as a minor noble of the court, I will be happy to sponsor you. It will be years before you are old enough so don¡¯t worry about your duties here.¡¯ She glanced at the Preceptor. ¡®You wouldn¡¯t be the first guard to leave, study and return.¡¯

 Rosa

    Some hours later, after everyone had gone, Bria made her way back to the Lady¡¯s Hall. The last of the day¡¯s sunlight was still enough to illuminate the hall and Rosa was sitting at her table reading. She looked up as Bria approached. ¡®Your preceptor has worked you hard and now you relax. You look happy, child.¡¯

    Bria sat down on one of the side chairs and let her shoulders drop. ¡®Yes. Tired but happy. Before was just a boring cycle of court functions and wondering who I would be traded off to as a wife. Now I feel free and have a purpose. The Preceptor has given us permission to carry the poleaxes and recharge them but I think he has some misgivings. He doesn¡¯t really know you.¡¯

    Rosa laughed ¡®And how could he, child? His misgivings are the sign of a cautious mind and there will be a price extracted from me? Let me be honest, child. I am stuck here and I have lost most of my powers. I need allies to help me without alerting those that might still hunt for me. My power grows back slowly, so slowly and it will be needed and soon I think. You have been honest, and I will be honest in turn. I will help you learn, train and fight. Carrying the poleaxes in the garden will charge them and I can syphon off the power here, building my reserves, although it will be a long time before I am anywhere close to full. I would ask that you do not talk of this outside this hall. A way to tap the tree of its power could cause great harm should it become known.¡¯

    Bria sat there in silence for a moment. ¡®The ambassador from the Areetan embassy said that people with power usually had a dragon in their heritage. Do you have a dragon in your heritage?¡¯

    Rosa grinned and her blue eyes sparkled. ¡®Oh indeed. The ambassador is entirely correct.¡¯

    At that moment, the doors closed with a thud which made Bria jump. She looked around and saw Adeline and Nia walking towards them. Rosa waved at them. ¡®Come and join us!, Now Bria, I¡¯m sure the good Preceptor mentioned something that he wanted? Recount to me all that he said.¡¯

    Bria swallowed. ¡®He said that if you had ulterior motives then you were also helping to train us to with fierce weapons and giving us an edge we wouldn''t otherwise have. He also said to ask for any information you may have on dragons. You might know something that the Lore master doesn¡¯t. We might as well make use of your knowledge and experience.¡¯

    Rosa chuckled. ¡®Relax, child. Be assured that I mean neither you, nor the preceptor nor any of the knights harm and it is my design that you should be trained and ready to fight as fast as maybe. In time we may see if you have a spark of power that can be woken. Now, on the matter of dragons. Tell me what you have been told and I will see if we may expand upon it.¡¯

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    ¡®Dragons can be any colour but the colour means nothing except that when they shape change, they can¡¯t change gender, hair or eye colour¡¯ said Adeline smartly. ¡®They are inherently magical, absorbing light through their wings and they live a long time. They see humans as food if they are foolish and servants if they are clever. They can breed with humans when they are in human shape.¡¯

    Rosa nodded. ¡®Very good. Anything else?¡¯

    ¡®They breathe fire and attack late in the day so that they are fully charged by the sun and they plot against each other rather than cooperate.¡¯ chipped in Nia. ''And she said something about the Empire using dagger chambers.''

    Rosa smiled. ¡®Some of that is correct, but not all. They don¡¯t breathe fire so much as raw magic although the difference is academic. Getting a dragon to breathe is a quick way to deplete its reserves. Dragons can¡¯t alter their eyes or gender when they change, it¡¯s true, but their hair? Changing hair colour is the easiest trick of all. She sat there and her grey locks turned first golden, then red, before settling on a deep chestnut. ¡®A nugget of almost no importance, except that you were told wrong and that telling could be significant. Either the teacher learned badly or sought to mislead.¡¯ She paused for a moment. ¡®Not all dragons see humans as food or servants and although most see them as inferior, some also learn to see them as friends.¡¯

    ¡®Dragons do charge during the day, it¡¯s true, and will bask in sunlight but even a small dragon will take more than a day to be full. They come when they are ready, no sooner, no later. A cunning dragon will attack near dusk to take advantage of the low sun and to cover their escape route in darkness if needs be and most dragons are cunning but do not confuse that with any need to charge. Last but by no means least. Dragons incessantly plot against each other and there are no such things as family loyalties but some, a very few have been known to cooperate, usually to thwart a common enemy in the first place, but have learnt that trading knowledge, skill and even resources can be beneficial to both. Dagger chambers are cruel but perhaps necessary. How else can humans hope to contain a dragon. An enraged dragon will almost always assume its natural form, but deliberately enraging one? That is a ticklish business indeed. Anything else.¡¯

    ¡®Jemryn and the ambassador talked about the crystal tree and I overheard¡¯ said Bria. ¡®Jem thinks the grass is an illusion and that it¡¯s hiding something else.¡¯

    Rosa smiled ¡®He¡¯s a smart boy and entirely correct on both counts but the tree is a prize many would kill for and I think it best that I don¡¯t reveal its secrets lest they be plucked from your mind by the unscrupulous. Now bed! Tomorrow we will fit you with armour. You must practice with that too.¡¯ She exchanged a glance with Nia and they both grinned.

 Suits

    The next morning Nia calmly donned her suit of armour showing Adelyn and Bria exactly which piece went where, managing not to smirk until the blank-faced helm was latched into place.

    ¡®Nia has worn her armour before so it knows her. Yours may be a little uncomfortable until it has become accustomed to you.¡¯ said Rosa, keeping a straight face. ¡®Nia do you fit Bria and I fit Adeline?¡¯

    Nia grinned inside her helm and nodded. Before Bria could move, she had a vambrace clamped around her forearm and the matching shriek from Adeline told Nia that Rosa had fastened her first piece too. After several minutes of caterwauling, cursing and, at one stage, Bria rolling around on the floor, the pair were clad in their scarlet armour.

    ¡®I can see¡¯ said Adeline when she stopped squirming.

    Nia rolled her eyes before remembering that no-one could see. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be much use against dragons if their first breath boiled your eyeballs, now would it?¡¯

    Rosa chuckled. ¡®Besides allowing you to see, it will do other things, heal you given enough time, stop a dragon, or anything else, from ransacking your mind and keep you cool. The healing will also stop you aging. It¡¯s that that keeps the rest of the knights alive for so long. Now each take a poleaxe off the table and I will lead you through the first form. Yes, yes, I know them well enough and I am spry enough to show you¡¯

    The next half an hour was very chastening for the three young women as Rosa led them through a complex paired form that used every part of the poleaxe in both attack and defence. When her final partner, Nia, collapsed out of breath, Rosa nodded. ¡®Not bad for beginners but you need stamina and practice. We will train every morning and every night. Sit in the garden for a few minutes this morning that the weapons may charge a little but do not leave them unattended nor give any clue that that is your purpose. Now go and flaunt yourselves to the boys and bask in their admiration.¡¯

    Most of the boys were laying out breakfast, but Heikki and Davorin were taking it in turns to work through a wide sweeping halberd form in the Southern Hall. Davorin had his back to the girls when they stepped through the doorway; He turned around fast enough when Heikki dropped his halberd, striking sparks from the flagstones with the blade. They just stood there open-mouthed as the girls strolled past them towards the refectory, helm in one hand, pole axe in the other and a grin plastered over their faces.

    The Preceptor turned as they entered. ¡®Well ladies. Don¡¯t you look fine. Like legends come to life. Prop the weapons up somewhere in the garden and have breakfast. We will have to teach you to make full use of those suits. Unarmed combat is Sir Henrik¡¯s speciality and Sir Bern will teach you axe work when he returns. We don¡¯t just fight dragons.¡¯ He chuckled at the suddenly pained look on their faces. ¡®You will be just fine. Nothing is worse than putting the armour on for the first time. The boys can enjoy that this morning.¡¯ He turned back to his paperwork, chuckling to himself.

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    The girls were on clear-up that morning and Bria and Adeline caused quite a stir in the kitchens when they arrived carrying trays and baskets. The head cook curtsied as they came through the door and some of the younger maids crowded around them, eager to take the empties and to touch the armour. By the time they had escaped, Nia and Sir Henrik had laid out seven suits of armour on the tables in the refectory. Sir Henrik had sent the boys on a run up the mountain side and as they got back in ones and twos, they were clad in armour with predictable results. Hrafn shrieked the most, Vann thrashed the most and Tapani swore oaths so vile that Bria was certain Sir Lars was taking notes. Once his helm was latched on and it stopped hurting, Tapani started to apologize profusely but Nia slapped him on the back. ¡®We know what it¡¯s like the first time. We¡¯ll be fine, once our ears stop burning. Go and get a drink.¡¯ By mid-morning Davorin, the heaviest built and slowest of the recruits had got back from the mountain and been kitted out in the pink armour. Luckily he didn¡¯t thrash too much but his curses weren¡¯t far behind Tapani¡¯s.

    The rest of the day was spent being flung around the Southern Hall by Sir Henrik. The armour prevented anything too serious but the aches and strains had all of the recruits longing for the steam rooms on the far side of the palace.

    The girls thought they had finished for the day when they stepped through into the Lady¡¯s Hall only to see Rosa standing there leaning on a poleaxe. ¡®And where are your weapons?¡¯

    The girls looked at each other in horror, before sprinting back to the gardens to get the weapons that they had left there before breakfast. Rosa was not amused when they got back to the hall. ¡®I said sit with them. I said do not leave them unattended. Foolish children. These are not toys. They will give the unscrupulous a chance to tap the power of the tree, which we most definitely do not want. Bring them, bring them.¡¯ She marched back over to the table and plonked her poleaxe down on the table before holding her hand out for Bria¡¯s. Once the pommel was off, the crystal disk blazed like the sun. ¡®Hmm. At its limit but we are lucky.¡¯ She pressed her thumb on the disk and concentrated for a few minutes until the disk had faded down to a gentle glow before repeating the process with the other two weapons. ¡®Tomorrow, sit with them in the garden. No more than an hour. We do not want explosions. I will use some of the power I have drained to modify others so that they have a limit. But it will take time. You will be more cautious in future! Now, the forms.¡¯ She passed the poleaxes back to the girls before leading the way back to the empty space before the doors.

    The remainder of the summer passed in a blur of training, and occasional sessions with the Lore master and the heralds. They learnt to fight with maces, axes, polearms and even trained with bows once a week although none of them was particularly adept. Sir Lars had just grunted and said ¡®Practice when you may. Threatening the dragon¡¯s wings is usually enough. They don¡¯t need to know that you can¡¯t hit them.¡¯

    Towards the end of the summer, very thick straw targets were set up at the western end of the Southern Hall to one side of the door to the Lady¡¯s Hall. They were about twice as thick as the targets the recruits used for archery. The knights seemed as baffled as the recruits but the Preceptor refused to be drawn.

 Camryn

    It was the first day of Autumn and Bria was bounced awake by someone jumping on her bed. ¡®I¡¯m back and all better. Did you miss me?¡¯ She opened her eyes to see Camryn grinning down at her before she was wrapped in a massive hug. ¡®It¡¯s all so exciting¡¯

    Bria tried not to groan. ¡®Hello Camryn. Yes we¡¯ve missed you¡¯ and then paused as an evil thought wormed its way through her mind. ¡®We¡¯ve all be wearing armour for a while now. Let¡¯s get you into some.¡¯ She heard a snort from the other side of the room and continued ¡®I¡¯m sure Adeline and Nia will be more than happy to get up and help.¡¯ She got up and stretched luxuriously before strapped on her own armour.

    ¡®Oh my! You look amazing¡¯ gushed Camryn. ¡®Is it heavy? Is it hot? Will it make me look fat? I¡¯ve been training with metal plate that my father had made and it¡¯s hard work¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. You will be fine.¡¯ said Nia from the far side of the room as she fitted her own armour. ¡®When did you get back?¡¯

    ¡®Oh, last night¡¯ said Camryn ¡®but the preceptor has some mysterious demonstration today so he told me to wait and to wake you up this morning. I just came a bit earlier than he said.¡¯

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    ¡®And a good thing too, child¡¯ came Rosa¡¯s voice from the doorway. ¡®Welcome back Camryn. There is just time to run through a form before you must go out.¡¯

    ¡®Good morning, Rosa. We thought to fit her with armour first.¡¯ Nia¡¯s grin was matched by Adeline¡¯s and Bria¡¯s

    ¡®Indeed, indeed. Yes, the forms will still be here this evening.¡¯ Rosa lead the way into the middle room where new armour stands and shelving had replaced the rotted remains of the old. ¡®Camryn. Strip and put on this gambeson while I gather what else you need. Worry not. It will resize to fit you of its own accord. Hold out your forearm¡¯

    Camryn had finally noticed the smirks of the other three you women as they stood in the doorway to watch and warily extended her arm. ¡®Something bad is going to happen isn¡¯t..¡¯ The sentence ended on an ear-piercing shriek as Rosa clamped the first vambrace on her arm. It took quite a while for all four of them to get Camryn into a full suit, partly because they were all laughing so hard at Camryn¡¯s histrionics and partly because, as Rosa put it later, she thrashed harder than a harpooned kraken.

    ¡®You¡¯re horrible to me.¡¯ sniffed Camryn once the helm was in place. ¡®Will it always hurt that much?¡¯

    Rosa grinned ¡®No child. Not as long as you always use the same suit and it will keep you alive so it will be worth it. Now we have used up all the time so you must go to breakfast and see the Preceptor¡¯s little mystery and yes, I do know what it is, for I have observed where you have not, and no, I won¡¯t spoil it. Shut the door behind you, if you please¡¯

 Polybolos

    Thoroughly mystified, the girls went through into the Southern Hall where several squads of soldiers were working under the watchful eye of a team of carpenters. The soldiers all stopped to gawk at the girls, making them a little uncomfortable so they hurried through into the refectory. ¡®Ah ladies.¡¯ The Preceptor was standing waiting ¡®Please prepare the tables. The king and several notables will be joining us for breakfast.¡¯ To their astonishment the preceptor accompanied them down to the kitchen and helped ferry about twice as much food up to the refectory as they normally had. As the knights and the other boys arrived they all joined in. Once the tables were laid, the Preceptor beckoned them into the garden. ¡®First of all, welcome back Camryn. It¡¯s good to see you a little healthier than when we saw you last. I trust your friends will help you settle back in with as much efficiency as they helped you into armour this morning.¡¯ His eyes twinkled. ¡®Now, as you may know, we have ballistae on the walls around the palace to help force dragons to land. They were never very effective, being slow to load and even slower to aim, and are now in a state of disrepair. Jemryn has discovered a possible alternative which will be demonstrated here this morning. The guards will be using the Southern Hall for practice for the next couple of days, under the supervision of Sir Henrik and Sir Bern to ensure that no ladies get skewered. There will be more sessions with the heralds and the Lore Master and early morning drills out in the courtyard but the rest of the time will be your own. Let¡¯s go and wait in the refectory.¡¯

    After about ten minutes, the king followed by the duke and duchess of Farrenreed, the dukes of all the islands and several other nobles, including Duchess Vaalea, who grinned at Camryn, made their way into the room via the kitchen entrance.

    ¡®The squads are just setting up, your majesty¡¯ said the Preceptor. ¡®Shall we eat?¡¯

    ¡®Of course. I¡¯m sure the young people here are famished, the young usually are as I recall.¡¯ The king seemed in a jovial mood. ¡®Please everybody, do not stand upon ceremony.¡¯ He sat down on one of the plain wooden benches and everyone filled in around him. Jemryn found himself sitting opposite the king. He wasn¡¯t completely overawed because he had taken several more letters to the king from both the Preceptor and Vann over the summer but he was still a little daunted when the king spoke to him. ¡®I hear you are the brains behind this new weapon.¡¯

    Jemryn saw the Preceptor¡¯s grin and his mother¡¯s encouraging smile. ¡®Er, um. Sort of, sire. I wondered why dragons would land to fight and how we could bring them down without the ballistae. The Preceptor said that repairing the ballistae might cause problems and that anyway they weren¡¯t very effective, so I told him about what I¡¯d read. But I didn¡¯t help make them!¡¯

    The king smiled at him. ¡®So you had the wit to see the problem and to help with it. I hear that you have a sharp mind. Do you play chess?¡¯ Jemryn could only nod, covered in confusion. ¡®Good.¡¯ continued the king. ¡®We shall play this afternoon. I will send a page for a board and pieces. No not you. Today you are a respected member of my court.¡¯

    About an hour later one of the carpenters came through from the hall and whispered in the Preceptor¡¯s ear. ¡®Your majesty, my noble friends and guests. I have just been informed that the demonstration is ready.¡¯ He pushed back from the table and led the way into the Southern Hall where it looked as though a windlass had run into a large crossbow and then a hopper had fallen on it. Beyond it was a second, identical, contraption. ¡®In your own time, gentlemen.¡¯

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    One of the squad closest to them grasped the handles of the windlass and began to crank them furiously. After a second, there was a loud ¡®chunk¡¯ and a heavy bolt appeared, stuck in the straw matting at the far end of the hall. The soldier continued to crank the windlass and, every second, another bolt hammered into the matting, forming a dense clump.

    ¡®Traverse right¡¯ bellowed the corporal at the back of the group. Two more soldiers grabbed ropes attached to the base of the crossbow stand and slewed the whole contraption so that a line of bolts appeared along the far wall.

    ¡®Traverse left¡¯ came the command. The two soldiers pulled the other way and more bolts appeared, going back along the previous line.

    ¡®Elevate.¡¯ The line of bolts went vertical.

    ¡®Change.¡¯ the first machine stopped firing and the soldier cranking the windlass staggered away from it, dripping with sweat. Behind him, the second one started running through the same drill. The last soldier in the squad rushed over and started to refill the hopper with the long heavy bolts.

    ¡®Cease.¡¯ The second machine stopped firing.

    The Preceptor turned to face the audience. ¡®These are polybolos. They don¡¯t have the stopping power of a ballista, it¡¯s true, but if you would care to examine the targets and the walls behind, you¡¯ll see that they pack a serious punch.¡¯ He led the way down the hall to the western end and pulled back the matting to show that the bolts had scored and chipped the wall. ¡®Now, which of you would like to have a go cranking the handles?¡¯

    There was an immediate hubbub as all everyone started talking at once.

    The king put his hand up for silence. ¡®Farrenreed, Golniabar. Your towns have been raided in the past. I could see these on your walls. Benduil and Skarran can go next and the Preceptor and I will go last. Let¡¯s not damage the walls further. Double up the mats and we will skip swinging the things around.¡¯

    Markur, the Duke of Golniabar was a huge man, a bit taller than average but with shoulders like a bull. Davorin, his son, was the biggest and strongest of the recruits by some margin; he might catch his father in size one day, but it was doubtful. Markur wrapped his huge hands around the handles before looking across at the Duke of Farrenreed. ¡®A thousand tears for the first man to run out of bolts, Leander?¡¯

    The slighter Duke of Farrenreed grinned at him ¡®You can pay me in salt. On your mark, Preceptor.¡¯

    As the preceptor bellowed go, the two men started to crank the handles just as fast as they could. After a minute the Duke of Golniabar was pouring with sweat and gasping for breath but couldn¡¯t keep pace with the other man, who worked the handles like a man possessed. After around two minutes, Farrenreed¡¯s machine dry-fired and he stopped, still looking remarkably cool. Golniabar continued to crank for a few more seconds and then stopped and shook hands with his opponent before collapsing on to the cold stone. ¡®Good troops in your employ, sire. I haven¡¯t worked that hard since them bastard pirates set fire to the warehouses and we had to empty ¡®em of sacks in a hurry. I¡¯ll put your salt on your account, Leander.¡¯ He rolled out of the way of the machine to let the squads refill the hoppers and accepted a jack of cold ale, then sat with his back against the stone wall.

    The dukes of Benduil and Skarran fired much more slowly than the first two and stopped after around a minute before moving out of the way to allow the King and the Preceptor to take their places. The Preceptor moved like an oiled machine, perhaps not as fast as the first two dukes but looking as though he could keep going for ever. The king was much less fit than any of the others and was slowing down in less than half a minute. He managed to finish the hopper but was gasping for breath by the end. ¡®I believe I mentioned that spending some time in the practice yard would not go amiss.¡¯ The Preceptor¡¯s voice sounded amused.

    ¡®I know, I know.¡¯ gasped the king. ¡®I¡¯m not as young as I used to be and I will put some time in. Let¡¯s go back to the refectory, have a drink and cool down. Where¡¯s the page with the chess set?¡¯

 Chess

    A page had brought a board and a wooden box containing thirty-two chess pieces and put them on the table. He was now standing with his back to the wall, waiting for his next job.

    ¡®Preceptor, could you send down to the kitchen and fetch more refreshments, especially some more of that cold ale. I don¡¯t know about the rest of the assembled company, but I feel quite dry all of a sudden¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®Sir Henrik, Sir Bern, do you go down to the kitchen and ask the cooks. Davorin and Heikki, go with them and help carry so that we don¡¯t inconvenience the kitchen to much when they are busy.¡¯

    The king sat down facing Jemryn across the long refectory table, still mopping his face.

    ¡®Someone flip a coin please.¡¯

    The nobles all glanced from one to another, before the Preceptor went over to his table and got another token out of the leather pouch that was still there.

    ¡®Axe or Dragon, Sire?¡¯ he said as he flipped the token, spinning it high in the air.

    ¡®Axe¡¯

    The token tumbled down, still spinning before it landed rattling on the table, showing a dragon.

    ¡®Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not an omen¡¯ joked the king. ¡°Black or white, young Farrenreed?¡¯

    ¡®White please sire¡¯ said Jemryn emptying the box of pieces out onto the board, his hands shaking a little.

    Behind him he heard the Duke of Golniabar whisper ¡°How good is he?¡¯ and his father reply ¡®Pretty good. Trying to win your salt back?¡¯ ¡®Five hundred tears against your boy Hard coins this time. Not salt.¡¯ came back the reply.

    Jemryn suddenly became aware of lots of similar bets being made and both his parents were backing him heavily to win.

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    ¡®Focus rabbit! Ignore the gambling. I will help¡¯

    He jumped a little at the unexpected voice in his mind but then felt a calm settle over him. He moved his king¡¯s pawn forwards two and the king matched it with his white bishop¡¯s pawn. Jemryn move his king¡¯s knight forward and the king countered by moving his queen¡¯s pawn up one square.

    ¡®A classic opening, rabbit. Queen¡¯s pawn forwards two.¡¯

    ¡®But if he takes it, it will tear the centre of the board open.¡¯ thought Jemryn furiously.

    ¡®I know, your counter with your knight will give you advantage, so he will not take the bait¡¯

    The king was wily enough not to take the Jemryn¡¯s pawn and instead moved his own knight out.

    ¡®Your mind is good enough, rabbit. I¡¯ll watch and not interfere. Well not too much¡¯

    The twists and turns of the game lasted over an hour, but eventually the king conceded defeat after Jemryn had taken almost all his pieces and backed his king into a corner away from his last pawns. The voice in his mind hadn¡¯t given him too much help, pointing out a flaw in the kings strategy once, and stopping Jemryn from losing his rook.

    ¡®Very well played, young man¡¯ said the king, shaking his hand. ¡®I believe you have earned yourself a prize, and your family may have moved into banking, judging by the size of the bets they just won. What will it be?¡¯

    ¡®Ask for the shields of Gloria to be returned to their places in the Southern Hall¡¯

    ¡®They¡¯re real?¡¯ he thought back. ¡®I thought they were just a story.¡¯

    ¡®They are real and he has them in his vaults.¡¯ came the response.

    ¡®Er, Could we have the Shields of Gloria back hanging here in the Southern Hall like they did in the old stories?¡¯

    ¡®And the glory of the halls will be restored¡¯ murmured the king, recalling a line from the prophecies. ¡®They aren¡¯t much good as shields. Impregnable but very heavy. The knights never needed them and there are only four so you can¡¯t defend a whole troop with them. Yes lad. A suitable request and a suitable reward. You and maybe some of the other youngsters here can get covered in dust unearthing them from the rest of the relics in the back of the vault. I look forward to our next match.¡¯

    ¡®More than just impregnable, they cannot be found by scrying, nor can they be scryed through, although the king is correct and they aren¡¯t very useful; They were only ever an experiment and it failed¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®A nice choice. I never did find out why Leif, my predecessor, wanted them removed. Sir Blevin used to go and polish them occasionally. Go with the steward this afternoon and he will help you dig them out.¡¯

 Shields

    Later that day Jemryn found himself outside the royal vaults with the steward and a squad of six guards.

    The steward carefully unlocked the outer doors with one set of keys. ¡®In we go, lad.¡¯ Two of the guards stayed outside the doors, shutting the door and locking them in.

    Jemryn looked at the steward a bit nervously but he seemed unperturbed. ¡®Inner doors won¡¯t open if the outer doors are unlocked, lad, and this chamber is too small for a dragon. It was supposed to be a safe space for the palace in case of a dragon attack.¡¯

    They walked the five or so paces across the antechamber to the inner doors and left two more guards behind outside with the last two taking up station on the inside of the doors. Once they were in place, the steward lifted a lantern high and ushered Jemryn into the dusty strong-room. ¡®They¡¯re at the back somewhere. Don¡¯t mind the guards. They¡¯re just here to make sure we don¡¯t ¡®borrow¡® anything we don¡¯t have permission to¡¯

    Jemryn was a bit disappointed by the room. There weren¡¯t heaps of treasure everywhere.  A few locked strong boxes and coffers were stacked near the entrance but most of the rest seemed to be piles of junk, old armour and moth-eaten cloth. Three shields were stacked on a crate at the back. They were circular with a heavy boss and appeared to be made from the same material as the knights¡¯ armour but a very dark red, darker than even the girls¡¯ armour.

    Jemryn lifted down the first one and carried it back through to the outer chamber before repeating the process with the other two.

    ¡®I thought there were four¡¯ he said to the steward.

    ¡®Should be¡¯ said the Steward. ¡®Sir Blevin used to come down here to clean them occasionally and he never mentioned anything about one missing. Here, take the lantern and have a look around.¡¯

    Jemryn cautiously took the lantern, mindful of the piles of cloth and traipsed back down the vault.

    The last shield appeared to have fallen down behind the crate and got stuck. He put the lantern down and lay on top of the crate. By grabbing the upper edge and wiggling frantically he managed to loosen the shield and as it came free, it jerked up and over him. As it landed on him, a small book that had been tucked behind one of the enarmes hit him in the chest.

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    ¡®¡¯You ok down there, lad¡¯ called the steward.

    ¡®Er, yes I think so¡¯ replied Jemryn as he stuffed the book inside his tunic under the cover of the shield. Once it was safely stowed, he lifted the shield off his chest and swung himself off the crate, thanking his lucky stars that he had put the lantern on the floor, making it almost impossible for anyone to see what he was actually doing. He carried the last shield into the outer chamber before going back for the lantern.

    Once they were safely out of the vault and all the doors had been locked, three of the guards helped Jemryn carry the shields back down to the refectory where they dumped them on the refectory table. All the while Jemryn could feel the book inside his tunic, absolutely certain he was about to be discovered.

    Sir Henrik was sitting in the garden and saw Jemryn arrive with the round shields and came through to see. ¡®A bit dusty but not too bad. We¡¯ll give them a wipe down, get the leather work replaced and then they can go back on the western wall. You¡¯ve done well today lad. Polybolos were a success and now the shields have come home.¡¯

    ¡®Are they magic?¡¯ Jemryn wanted to know.

    Sir Henrik scratched his beard. ¡®So they say¡¯ he replied. ¡®But we¡¯ve never had a use for them. Our armour is damn near impregnable. And the heavy weapons work better against dragons. Blevin always liked them and used to take them down to train with them sometimes. I can¡¯t think why he ever agreed with old Leif about removing them but he didn''t seem to mind.¡¯

    ¡®Who was Leif?¡¯ Jemryn wanted to know?

    ¡®Preceptor before this one. Ho Lars. Come and lend a hand. Reckon young Jemryn has earned his freedom this day.¡¯

    Sir Lars had just strolled into the refectory with a jug in one hand and a jack in the other which he put down by the shields. He grinned and winked at Jemryn which astonished the boy. Sir Lars had always been the most dour and silent of the knights. He put the jug and jack across to Jemryn. ¡®For you.  Take them through to the garden. Thought you might need a drink after ferreting in that dusty old cave. Henrik is right. You earned a break. We¡¯ll take these down to the workshops, get them fitted up like new and then your shields up on the wall, good as new.¡¯

    He and Sir Henrik picked up a couple of the heavy shields each, lifting them as though they were feathers and took them down the kitchen corridor, leaving Jemryn open-mouthed in shock. That was the most words he¡¯d ever heard Sir Lars say to anyone. He heard the door clunk shut and looked around really cautiously to make sure no-one else was about and then took the beer out to the garden and sat down facing the door into the refectory. Sir Bjarne and Sir Anders were on duty in the Southern Hall, but they wouldn¡¯t leave unless the alarm sounded.

    He fished the book out of his tunic and opened it.

 Book

    It was a diary, written in a very crabby hand and was incredibly difficult to read. When he deciphered the first date he realised that the little book was several hundred years old.

    The thirty-seventh year of Queen Karaliene¡¯s reign and Daucus has returned from the kingdom of Areetan and re-joined the guard. Preceptor Garth is pleased to see him as am I. Twenty years is a long time to be away. I suspect he has learned much. The lore master has a mood which has lasted for many days.

    Excitedly, Jemryn read the next few entries, but they were mostly the same. He could only read about how grumpy the Loremaster once or twice before getting bored. He skipped on a few pages.

    The lore master is most angry when I say ask why books written before his time are in his hand. He thinks I accuse him of forgery. He says that the books were fading and needed replacing as all old books do. I think it strange that books should fail because nothing in these halls ages or changes, but he is the keeper of the books and must do what he believes to be right.¡¯

    More of the Lore-master¡¯s bad moods and the tedium of training drills with the occasional dragon attack. They seemed much more frequent back then, there was about one per year, not one every hundred. There had been up to sixty knights back then and they had hunted dragons right across the isles. Jemryn skipped over the records of dragons being trapped and destroyed.

    Queen Karaliene has died. Daucus has sworn fealty to his half-brother rather than leave the guard again

    Who was Daucus? Was he the Preceptor? In the Spring ceremony, the Preceptor had said he was crown price but had sworn fealty to his brother to avoid war. The next few entries made sombre reading.

    The preceptor has gone mad. Garth has been a fixture here since before my birthing day. He whispers of the eyes that follow him everywhere if he leaves the hall. He seems better away from the palace so the king has taken his armour and transferred him to Farrenreed to be cared for. It is a death sentence but the lore master says his mind is broken and he will never fully recover. Leif has been made Preceptor.

    I visited Garth in Farrenreed. He is calmer now. He has aged beyond recognition but seems content. He tells me that something had been killing off the older knights. He said that the lore master is now oldest left and he begged me to pass on a warning but couldn¡¯t clearly say what the warning was.

    On the next page was a sadder note

    Garth has died. He was the last of his family. Daucus and I stood guard by his bier in Farrenreed and he is buried in the gardens there. In the silence of the night, we spoke of our memories of Garth. I mentioned his confusion in his dotage, the unclear warning and how I wasn¡¯t sure whether I had a warning for the Lore Master or against him. Daucus looked at me and said cryptically ¡°My father always told me to be wary of Ran the Loremaster.¡±

    Jemryn was shocked when he realised he now knew the Lore-Master¡¯s name, or at least the first part of it. His father was interested in families and their history. Perhaps he would know where the name Ran came from. It didn¡¯t sound like an island name.

    ¡®There is much sorrow in the castle. The royal children have drowned in the tears. They were missing from their nursery and the whole castle was turned out to search for them. It was the Loremaster who found the toddlers when he saw the gate ajar. The king has ordered the tears filled and the gardens sealed.¡¯

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    Jemryn was a bit shocked. How did toddlers get all the way from the royal nursery to the gardens above the place without being spotted by guards or servants. Why did nobody else think that was odd, not even the Preceptor. Over the next few pages Jemryn discovered that Sir Blevin had started to develop a network of agents who collected old documents and sold them to him. Then in the middle of a dreary section on the minutiae of running his agents

    ¡®The shields. I have discovered another of their powers. They conceal anything behind them. The ambassador of the kingdom of Areetan was sitting with the Preceptor in the refectory when I came in from practice. He started, when he saw me and said that his inner eye could not see me when I carried it. The Hall and the garden are well known for this but who knew the shields had the same property.

    Frustratingly, Sir Blevin stopped there without detailing the other powers of the shields and then went back to talking about his agents and treasured scraps of old parchment. The man was obsessed with tax records.

    The next thing of interest was about six years after the entry on the shields.

    Leif has read my diary. I left it on the refectory table. He looks most troubled. We spoke at length in the garden. He says the diary will cause my death if it is found. He has ordered the shields to be taken from the walls and put in the vaults and this diary to be protected from scrying by them. He has put it abroad that, as antiquities, they should be better protected than hanging in a dusty hall where any enterprising thief might steal them.

    After that there were far fewer updates. Jemryn supposed that this was because his time with the book was limited. There were only two entries of interest in the next decade.

    Leif has retired from the order. A plague has devastated Golniabar and he is the last scion of the house. He goes to run his ancestral lands. Daucus has taken up the mantle of Preceptor.

    And then five years later

    Leif has been murdered, by pirates, it is said.  His son is too young to hold the island so Sir Henrik has been sent as regent.

    Jemryn skipped over the next few pages. Sir Belvin mostly talked about the other knights and had even drawn the family trees of a few. Every decade or so a knight died, mostly in a fight with a dragon but some were a bit stranger. Three sent on a mission to Areetan had all died; one drowned when he fell overboard, one was killed in a random street brawl and one contracted some strange fever that nothing could cure.

    He mentioned the dragon Celosia and Jemryn felt quite sorry for the beast. Apparently, he was quite a young dragon and had attempted to escape but had been trapped by the Lore-Master¡¯s spells and cut down by the knights. Sir Blevin seemed quite put out that the Lore Master hadn¡¯t allowed him to escape and that the knights had been put in more danger as a result.

    To hear the dragon scream as the Lore Master burned his wings with spells even though he had caused no damage did not sit well with me. He did not fight back until it was obvious that he was doomed. He managed to torch the tavern that the Lore Master was standing by but did it warrant his execution?

    Burning down a tavern was, in Jemryn¡¯s opinion, probably an improvement.

    He flipped on a few more pages and found something unexpected, dated ten years ago

    I was sent to Iskander to settle a case and found an intriguing entry in the court records of the duchy from a few years ago, which I have transcribed here

    I, Dalmar, Duke of Iskander, do accept Leander into my house and family as my son, in recognition of his great courage and valour in protecting my people from pirate raids. This honour confers no right of inheritance but allows him and his heirs the rights of protection of this house and to bear the name Iskander in perpetuity. The good Duke is either more or less than he seems.

    Jemryn was agog. He had met the old duke of Iskander, Hrafn¡¯s grandfather. He and Hrafn weren¡¯t really cousins. He flipped on a few more pages but there was nothing else interesting until he got to the last entry, which was dated this year.

    ¡®The madame of the Broken Heart brothel has sent me a message. She has an old document dating from one hundred years before the reign of Queen Karaliene that mentions Ran the Lore Master. This may shed some light on his history. I must meet her in secret tomorrow.¡¯

    Jemryn shut the book in horror. Sir Blevin had been lured to his death. All the other knights that died strangely. Something or someone was killing the knights.

 Duty

    Jemryn sat there in shock as the shadows lengthened. If anyone found out what he knew, he would be killed, like Sir Blevin was. ¡®Are you there¡¯ he thought at the voice in his mind but there was no answer. It was the girls¡¯ turn to layout food for the evening meal and He saw Camryn, Adeline and Nia head down the corridor opposite the garden, going to the kitchens whilst Bria was left wiping tables and sweeping the floor from the morning¡¯s gathering.

    ¡®The garden is warded so maybe I can¡¯t be seen here, but the refectory isn¡¯t. Perhaps Bria could take the book into the Lady¡¯s Hall and hide it. She can¡¯t have been killing the knights. She¡¯s not much older than me¡¯

    He went over and tapped on the pane of glass in the door, and when Bria looked up he waved at her to come out. Looking somewhat puzzled she leant her broom and went out into the garden, shutting the door behind her.

    ¡®Bria, I¡¯m in a lot of trouble!¡¯ he wailed. ¡®I found a secret book inside the shield and I might be killed because of what I read.¡¯

    Bria looked at him, more than a little startled. ¡®You should go to the Preceptor. Now¡¯

    ¡®No! Something has been slowly killing the knights, It¡¯s in this book.¡¯ He waved the old diary. ¡®What if it¡¯s the Preceptor? Can you hide it in the Lady¡¯s Hall where no-one else can get at it?¡¯

    Bria looked at him carefully. ¡®I don¡¯t know if the Lady¡¯s Hall is proof against scrying but I suppose it¡¯s as safe as anywhere. I can hide it under my bed for now. No men can get at it.¡¯ She stopped and thought. ¡®Camryn Adeline and Nia could get at it but probably wouldn¡¯t find it or bother with it even if they did. Rosa on the other hand, might well be a risk if the book had information as dangerous as Jemryn thought, but that was unlikely. It will calm Jemryn if I take it in there and put it safe.

    She held her hand out for the book. ¡®I¡¯ll hide it. No problem.¡¯ she said.

    Jemryn tentatively reached out the book. ¡®Promise not to read it or give it to anyone else?¡¯

    Bria nodded. ¡®I promise. But you have to sweep the floor while I go. The others will be back in a minute.¡¯

    Jemryn pushed the book into her outstretched hand and ran into the refectory and snatched up the broom. Bria followed him, slightly more slowly, and made her way across the Southern Hall into the gloom of the Lady¡¯s Hall.

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    When she got back, the floor was swept and she could hear the girls chatting as they came back down the corridor.

    Over the meal, Jemryn only picked at his food and Bria could see that he was still churning inside about the book. She turned to Sir Henrik. ¡®Do you know where the Preceptor is?¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s watching on the southern wall of the castle as the soldiers prepare the rowers to house those contraptions.¡¯

    ¡®Can I disturb him?¡¯

    ¡®If it¡¯s important, or might be important.¡¯ He looked at her expectantly but she shook her head. ¡®Hmph.  One of those things! Go and speak to him if It¡¯s urgent¡¯

    Bria got up and went out to find the Preceptor.

    * * * * * * *

    As she got to the base of the tower, the sun was just setting and the Preceptor came out through the door at the base of the tower. ¡®Ah, Bria. Looking for me?¡¯

    ¡®Yes Preceptor. Can we talk in the garden in private?¡¯

    He thought for a moment. ¡®No. It¡¯s a warm evening and the others will be sitting out. Go and suit up and we will stand the first duty. No-one will come into the Southern  Hall.¡¯

    ¡®But Sir Bjarne and Sir Lars will be surprised if they get stood down won¡¯t they?¡¯

    ¡®Surprised they might be but Lars and Bjarne won¡¯t say anything. They¡¯ll head out to a tavern for a quiet drink and come back and replace us when we¡¯re ready. This isn¡¯t our first pirate raid.¡¯

    * * * * * * *

    The custom was that one of the duty knights would do a full slow circuit of the Southern Hall, and stop at the door into the Northern Hall while the other did his circuit.

    When Bria got back to the Southern Hall after putting her plate on, she found that Sir Bjarne and Sir Lars had disappeared and the Preceptor, in full armour and carrying a halberd, was standing in the centre of the hall with his back to the northern door. She walked over to him and he put his finger to his lips. ¡®Watch behind me and watch the Loremaster¡¯s door. I¡¯ll watch the refectory door and the Southern Hall door. If nothing else, you will have a lesson in subterfuge tonight. Any of the knights who see us standing like this will leave and block anyone else from entering.¡¯ He whispered. ¡®Now, what do you need to keep a secret this time¡¯

    ¡®Jemryn found a book inside one of the shields and he¡¯s been badly scared by something in it. I took it into the Lady¡¯s Hall and promised not to read it. He barely ate any food tonight and he looks terrified. I told him to talk to you but he seemed reluctant.¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®Blevin¡¯s obsession with keeping the shields in good repair, even though they were mouldering in the vaults now makes sense as does Leif removing the shields. I think that Jemryn might have found whatever it was that got Blevin killed so he is right to be scared. I will talk to Jemryn in the morning and reassure him. I never did believe that Blevin was visiting a brothel for the normal reason, but with no other evidence, that was what we had. Very good Bria. I believe a ball has started rolling and it¡¯s gathering pace. From now, the candidates will start to stand duty with one knight in here, and we can post a knight and a candidate to the gate tower. When Lars and Bjarne get back, you can stand duty here with Bjarne until midnight, Lars can go out to the gate for a while, and we will get the guards back into the habit of seeing us on the walls again¡¯

 Daucus

    The next morning the Preceptor watched Jemryn, from his desk as he ate and Bria was right. He was obviously bothered by something and only picking at his food.

    Once all the food had been cleared away, Sir Bern took all the recruits on a training run up the mountain trails above the palace, leaving Jemryn alone with the Preceptor.

    The preceptor stood up and stretched. ¡®Jemryn, please follow me into the garden¡¯

    Jemryn gulped and looked down at his feet but followed the Preceptor out through the door.

    ¡®You are bothered by something. Have I said or done something to scare you? Has someone here done anything to scare you? Predators come in many forms. Bears and wolves won¡¯t ask you to keep secrets but there are predators amongst humans too, and one of their tricks is to tell you to keep something a secret, maybe even that you won¡¯t be believed. Has anyone asked you to keep a secret?¡¯

    Jemryn shook his head but refused to meet the Preceptor¡¯s gaze.

    ¡®Something, yesterday, has scared you badly, lad, and maybe with reason. I ask that you trust me. I wish neither you nor your family any harm and will protect you if I can. Have you done something wrong and are scared of the consequences?¡¯

    Jemryn shook his head but finally met the Preceptor¡¯s eyes. ¡®Is your name Daucus?¡¯

    The Preceptor smiled. ¡®Yes it is, although not many now living know that and none use it. It¡¯s not a secret though.¡¯

    ¡®Is the Loremaster called Ran?¡¯

    The Preceptor looked at him carefully. ¡®Possibly and he has taken a great deal of trouble to expunge that name from any record or restrict access to it if he can¡¯t. He loathes it although I don¡¯t know why. Do not ever use it. That IS a secret and you do not want to draw his ire. Did you find an old document somewhere?¡¯

    Jemryn sat silently staring at his boots for a few moments. ¡®I found a book. Sir Blevin¡¯s diary. It was hidden behind the straps of one of the shields that seemed to have fallen down behind a crate in the vault, but now I don¡¯t think it was an accident. The shields seem to make what ever they are protecting invisible to scrying. It was quite hard to read so I skimmed most of it. There used to be lots more knights and lots more dragons. Some of the knights disappeared or died for no obvious reason. Sometimes several dragons came a year but at least one came every year but there were enough knights to beat them back. Sir Blevin wasn¡¯t happy about what happened to Celosia. I think he thought that the dragon would flee if he could but the Loremaster wouldn¡¯t let him.¡¯

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    It was the Preceptor¡¯s turn to stare at his boots deep in thought. ¡®Sir Blevin was my friend but he was much older and wiser than me. With his death, I am now the oldest. He was always considered a little crazy. Did he say anything else?¡¯

    ¡®He said your father had warned you about the Loremaster. He was obsessed with tax records.¡¯

    ¡®Was obsessed, or was that just guile to hide the fact that he was documenting something else? And yes, my father did warn me about him, but again, I don¡¯t know any more than that. I was only about your age when he disappeared. Where is the diary now?¡¯

    ¡®I asked Bria to hide it in the Lady¡¯s Hall because only the girls can get in there and they are all too young to have been assassinating knights for hundreds of years.¡¯

    The Preceptor sat silently for a moment, eyes shut. ¡®Yes I can see that logic and it it¡¯s possibly the safest place for it apart from a fire. And now I will tell you a secret. Bria told me that you had found a book and that you were terrified.¡¯ He held up his hand cutting Jemryn off as he started to speak. ¡®I believe that Bria did the right thing. I am responsible for your well-being. She has not read the book or offered to show it to me as she promised you. I tell you this because secrets can be a wedge that splits people apart. I believe, strange as it may seem to you, that you should trust her more because she came to me, not less. Now, do you have anything else you want to tell me?¡¯

    Jemryn thought about the strange note about his father but then shook his head before asking. ¡®Do you think that someone really has been killing the knights for hundreds of years?¡¯

    The Preceptor breathed deeply. ¡®I have long suspected something but when I took over, there weren¡¯t that many of us left so each loss was a bigger part of the whole and held up to scrutiny more. Sir Blevin¡¯s death might yet be the downfall of our mysterious assassin.¡¯

    He stood up and clapped his hands together. ¡®Enough talk of evil deeds. This might be the last day nice day this year. You have done very well over the summer and you have earned respect from everyone. Go and spend the day with your family to make up for your efforts yesterday. I will see you this evening¡¯

    ¡®does everyone include the Loremaster?¡¯

    ¡®Oh he will have respect for you. he might not like you but he will have to be wary about what he says if you are within earshot. Now go!¡¯ laughed the Preceptor and shooed Jemryn out of the door and down the corridor

 Ryker

    A few days later, the autumn rains had arrived and blustery winds made the raindrops splatter against the refectory window. Jemryn rubbed a peephole in the condensation and peered out at the crystal tree. Water was running down its protection, outlining its shape and making the shield visible.

    ¡®You don¡¯t want to be going out there lad.¡¯ Came Sir Henrik¡¯s voice from behind him. ¡®It¡¯s a bit damp¡¯

    Jemryn turned. ¡®No sir, but I wanted to see if the illusion made rain inside the shield or if it only made the grass change but I can¡¯t tell from here¡¯

    Sir Henrik scratched his chin. ¡®Don¡¯t know as anyone has ever thought to look before¡¯ He wrestled with door for a moment against the wind, before sprinting down the garden, rubbing a patch of water off the shield and peering in, before sprinting back.

    ¡®Reckon it¡¯s the whole illusion lad. I could see water dripping off the tree and raindrops inside the shield.¡¯ He clapped Jemryn on the back. ¡®You¡¯ve discovered a new nugget of knowledge about the tree. Now. Look lively. We can¡¯t run up and down the mountain today, but the guards have cleared out most of their targets and those contraptions have been dismantled and stacked ready for reassembly on the walls. We can resume weapons drills in the Southern Hall this morning. Ah, Your Majesty.¡¯ He pulled himself up a bit straighter as the king emerged from the corridor, followed by a herald and two guards. ¡®How may we serve?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m here at your suggestion Preceptor. I need to get a bit fitter and this is as good a place as any. You are sworn to protect me.¡¯

    ¡®I suppose you also recall that we are to protect you even from yourself, so we won¡¯t be giving you a false sense of accomplishment.¡¯

    ¡®I did train with you as a candidate at my father¡¯s behest, when I was Vann¡¯s age so I am aware of your creed.¡¯ The king gestured down at his almost white armour. It¡¯s not that bad a fit, even three decades later.¡¯

    Sir Anders coughed loudly and it sounded suspiciously like ¡®aspic mould¡¯

    The Preceptor glowered at him. ¡®It seems we have a volunteer to take us through the more complex weapon forms, especially the flail form. I seem to recall that that is one of your favourites, Anders.¡¯

    The king laughed. ¡®He¡¯s not wrong though. While I am here training, I am Ryker, not ¡°Your Majesty¡±, at least until word gets out and we have half the court decide that the latest fashion is to train in here. Fads seem to be changing faster than the seasons all of a sudden. No one has mentioned fish tax or thatch quotas in months. Halberds first Preceptor?¡±

    ¡®Always your ¡­ Ryker.¡¯ The preceptor looked at the two guards standing behind the king. ¡®You lads can shuck off your chain and leave your kit on the table. You can train with us today. Right! Everyone through to the Southern Hall and form up into lines. Anders, you have the lead!¡¯

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    Sir Bern had already put barrels of practice weapons by the door and everyone picked up a halberd as they passed.

    ¡®Sir Lars. Fit these two with dragon plate as soon as maybe. You can join us shortly.¡¯ He indicated the two guardsmen, now looking a bit like fish out of water. ¡®Jemryn. You can assist.¡¯

    As always, the first form was slow and elegant with the ranks of halberd wielders well-spaced out. It was almost a form of warm up and stretching exercise, rather than a study of how to use the weapons. The second repetition went faster and the third faster still. The fourth repetition was done to a count, with the wielders freezing after every beat. Sir Anders, Sir  Bern and the Preceptor then moved through the ranks correcting posture and positioning and sometimes even asking a caster to repeat a move. The fifth repletion went much the same, but Vann, Camryn and Heikki took a turn in assessing the positions, whilst they in turn were assessed by knights.

    After five repetitions they swapped weapons and went through the same process first with quarterstaffs, then sword and dagger, then spears before taking a break.

    One of the guards put up his hand.

    ¡®Just speak lad.¡¯ said the Preceptor. ¡®The regular officers may stand on ceremony, but we do not. There¡¯s not enough of us. Politeness is sufficient.¡¯ He glanced at Sir Anders, who was completely unabashed.

    ¡®Do you ever train with shields?¡¯

    ¡®We do, but nowhere near to the extent that the regulars do. This armour is near impregnable so we don¡¯t get the same benefit, and the extra offensive capability is worth more. Yes lad?¡¯ he looked at the page that had nervously entered the hall from the refectory.

    ¡®Begging you pardons milords but I have been sent by the chamberlain to remind his majesty about his appointments for later this morning.¡¯

    The king let his shoulders drop. ¡®It couldn¡¯t last. Ah well. We will have to take your leave, but will be back tomorrow. I fully expect to have half the court with me when word gets out.''

    The Preceptor shrugged. ¡®We will pack them in and do hard physical conditioning with hand and small weapon forms. The few that stay the course will probably be worth training anyway. If you two lads leave the plate on the tables, we will sort it out later.¡¯

    ¡®Thank-you ladies and gentlemen. I will see you tomorrow.¡¯ The king nodded to the knights and the candidates and went out into the refectory followed by his guards.

    ¡®Gather around!¡¯ the Preceptor waved them all into a circle. ¡®What is your assessment of the king? Camryn?¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s got a basic grasp of the forms but he¡¯s very unfit.¡¯

    ¡®Very good, Anything to add. Hekki?¡¯

    ¡®His sword work is good, much better than his work with long weapons, but he¡¯s not used to wearing the heavy plate and he kept trying to use his dagger as if it was a shield.¡¯

    ¡®Excellent. Anders?¡¯

    ¡®A good assessment by the candidates. His main weakness is his lack of fitness. To beat him, you would just need to outlast him. Vann, would you care to comment on the guards?¡¯

    ¡®They were fairly comfortable with all the long weapons, but the regulars use many of the same forms that we do. They were less comfortable with using a spear two handed, rather than as a squad covering each other with shields and they were very uncomfortable with the sword and dagger combination, using their just armour as protection, rather than sword and shield.¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®Very good. Assessing strengths and weaknesses is an important part of our job. It is as important to cover for weaknesses in our team and exploit our strengths as it is to do the reverse to our opponents. Now. Sir Anders, Camryn go and relieve the knights on watch on the wall. Sir Bern, Hrafn, on duty in here. Jemryn, please return the dragon plate to its stands in the armoury. Ask Sir Bern for help if you need it. I see it has stopped raining for the time being so a brisk training run up the mountain is in order. We will take the training halberds with us.¡¯

 Intruder

    Bria woke in the darkness to a strange buzzing. She lay there for a moment trying to work out whether a wasp had found its way into the hall somehow or if it was just her mind playing tricks on her.

    ¡®Camryn! Are you awake¡¯ she whispered.

    ¡®Yes¡¯ came back a whisper in the darkness. ¡®Can you hear that buzzing or is it me?¡¯

    ¡®We should get up and investigate¡¯ came a voice from the direction of Adelyn¡¯s bed.

    ¡®What if it¡¯s really dangerous?¡¯ Nia was awake too.

    ¡®Are you still not really a valkyr?¡¯ hissed Adelyn ¡®Let¡¯s get up quietly, gambesons and helms on, knives now and we¡¯ll grab those poleaxes off Rosa¡¯s table.¡¯ There was a very quiet thud as her bare feet hit the ground.

    ¡®Sounds like a plan¡¯ whispered Bria and she through back the covers before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. All the girls kept their helms close at hand so that they could see even in the complete blackness of the Lady¡¯s Hall at night, so she reached out and crammed it on her head. She could see Adelyn was just putting her helm on and the other two were struggling with their gambesons. She waved at Adelyn and pointed to Nia, before creeping over to Camryn and helped pulling the heavy garment into place and then dumped Camryn¡¯s helm on her head.

    Once all four girls were dressed and had their knives out, they stole out of their side room into the main hall. The girls always shut the door at night but now it was ajar and they could see the glow of lanterns from the Southern Hall through the crack.

    Bria tapped Nia and Camryn on the shoulder and pointed, first to Rosa¡¯s empty chair and then to the row of poleaxes line up on the table ready to go out into the garden the next day. Nia nodded and the two girls crept over to the table on bare feet, silently lifting the weapons off the table before taking a back-to-back guard position. Bria and Adelyn then repeated the process so that all four girls were now well armed.

    Nia waved to attract Bria¡¯s attention and pantomimed throwing her knife towards the door. Bria nodded. The knife would attract the attention of whoever was on watch in the hall and turn the eyes of any invader towards the door.

    Nia switched her poleaxe to her left hand, fished her knife back out of her belt and threw it down the length of the hall. Bria lost site of it in the greys and greens that the helm bestowed until it clacked off the ground just in front of the doors and skipped off the floor before clattering to a stop outside.

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    For a moment, Bria thought that it hadn¡¯t worked but then the horn of one of the watchers sounded, shattering the silence, before being joined by the horn of the other watcher.

    More horns started to sound across the palace and the girls heard the crash as both doors from the throne room burst open, followed by the sounds of lots of feet.

    ¡®Bria. Report¡¯ Sir Bern¡¯s voice bellowed from outside the door.

    ¡®The door has been opened and there¡¯s a buzzing noise loud enough to wake us. We were all asleep so we think someone or something else has go in.¡¯

    ¡®Good thinking. Can you search? We can¡¯t come in but there is a company of guards and all the knights out here. The trainees have all gone to the wall to watch just in case this is a distraction. Try to flush what ever it is towards the door. Yes Jemryn?¡¯

    There was a moment¡¯s silence.

    ¡®Jemryn tells me that he¡¯s read about this in some of the very old records. The buzzing is an alarm that an intruder has got past the wards. Stay in pairs.¡¯

    Bria touched Nia on the shoulder and pointed towards the armoury door. Nia nodded and nudged Camryn with her elbow. They both crept over to the more or less empty armoury and looked through the doorway before moving on to the meeting room that had held the fateful weapon. Nia turned back to the girls in the centre and gave them a thumbs up and a shrug.

    ¡®We haven¡¯t found anything yet but we will keep a defensive line where we are and wait for dawn. We¡¯ll be able to see anything that moves and we¡¯ll be better able to hunt once the sun is up, lighting the hall.¡¯

    ¡®Very good. We will watch out here.¡¯

    ¡®Send someone out to the throne room please. There¡¯s an old door onto the dais that might be an escape route.¡¯

    ¡®Lars, Anders. To the Dais. Take twenty guards with you.¡¯ The Preceptor¡¯s voice was a welcome sound. ¡®Ladies. Take it in turns to get into full armour. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a secret that we¡¯re all fully alert now. The extra protection may be useful.¡¯

    Bria motioned to Nia and Camryn who were still standing by the doorway to the armoury, and then realised that silence probably wasn¡¯t needed any more. ¡®Nia, Camryn. Ferry armour over to the table and then begin suiting up.¡¯

    About quarter of an hour later, all the girls were fully clad in their red plate, holding poleaxes and standing in a circle, as the first glimmers of light began to show on the crystal roof of the Lady¡¯s Hall.

    ¡®Aieee¡¯

    A dark shape hurtled towards them from one of the corners by the door waving a long blade.

    Bria¡¯s training took over and she set the butt of her weapon on the floor, bracing her foot behind it and angling the spike to take the attacker through the naval. Adelyn and Camryn either side of her swung into the same position.

    The attacker hurled themselves towards the girls desperately trying to get a swing in with their weapon but, in the gloom, didn¡¯t see the spikes. As they impaled themselves, Bria first pulled up as she had been drilled and then drove the poleaxe upwards and backwards flinging her now screaming assailant over her head to crash to the floor in front of Nia who hadn¡¯t moved from guarding their backs. The silence was instant as Nia brought her weapon down hard, tearing through the figure¡¯s chest.

 Kardiss

    ¡®Read it in some very old records. Well done rabbit.¡¯ The voice that had told Jemryn what the buzzing was. ¡®I will make sure you have those old records.¡¯

    ¡®Bria! Report! We heard screaming.¡¯ The Preceptor was on edge, unable to actually do anything about the situation.

    ¡®We killed someone. The buzzing has stopped and I have just been sick.¡¯

    The Preceptor looked at Jemryn. ¡®Did the records mention the alarm ceasing?¡¯

    ¡®Um no Sire, but I¡¯d guess that it would stop when all the intruders either left the hall or were...¡¯ Jemryn stopped.

    ¡®Ok lad. Go to the kitchen and organise food and drink. You two!¡¯ he pointed at two of the regular guardsmen. ¡®Go with him and help. Leave your weapons on the tables. Ladies. Get yourselves out of there for now. Whatever is in there will keep until full light. Bern! Go and update the boys on the wall. Stop them from worrying.¡¯

    A moment later the four girls appeared at the door. Bria wasn¡¯t the only one who had been sick and all four were spattered with blood.

    ¡®Get yourselves to the bathhouse, and scrub yourselves and the armour. Henrik, do you round up some new gambesons for them. Bjarne, do you go with them and guard the door.¡¯

    ¡®We¡¯ll be alright, Preceptor¡¯ said Nia.

    ¡®This could have been directed at you and there could be more attempts. A few extra precautions for now won¡¯t do any harm. Get cleaned up and then back into armour. I¡¯d like a nice hard layer between you and any knives.¡¯

    Jemryn appeared back in the doorway. ¡®The kitchen has rolls of bread straight from the oven and will send jugs of coffee as soon as they are ready, S... Preceptor.¡¯

    ¡®Very good. I have another errand for you. Go and wake the king and ask that he attends as a matter of urgency.¡¯

    ¡®No need, Preceptor.¡¯ The king¡¯s voice sounded from the doorway into the throne room. ¡®I think half the city is awake and in a state of panic after the horns started sounding. What has happened?¡¯

    ¡®An intruder managed to get past Sir Bern and Tapani who were on watch in here and into the Lady¡¯s Hall, triggering a forgotten alarm. The intruder has been killed, but we won¡¯t know more until Bria and her friends get cleaned up and get back here.¡¯

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    ¡®Very good. Sergeant!¡¯ He looked at the leader of the squad of guards. ¡®Send for the surgeon from the infirmary and the Loremaster.¡¯

    ¡®As you say, your majesty. No need.¡¯ The Loremaster stepped out of the doorway to the archive. ¡®The horns have indeed woken everyone. How may I serve?¡¯

    ¡®Those doors have been closed for centuries with no-one able to enter. How did anyone pass them so easily?¡¯

    The Loremaster shrugged. ¡®Warding with magic is a tricky business, akin to making nets. The more threads you weave, the more holes you create. No-one has ever really studied the doors or tried to breach the wards.¡¯

    ¡®Never?¡¯ the king was somewhat incredulous.

    ¡®I have given it thought occasionally, but not being able to touch the doors limits my investigation. I believe it is a more complex ward than the one around the tree so I have spent my free time trying to study that as I believe tapping into the tree¡¯s power would be more benefit. Observing the corpse might yield some answers if it can be retrieved.¡¯

    ¡®Very well. I shall send a message when there is more to tell. In the meantime, do give the subject a little more thought. Preceptor! I think we can stand most of these guards down. May I ask why I appear to have another twenty guardsmen standing in a state of readiness around my empty throne?¡¯

    ¡®Ah yes, Sire. It appears there is another door into the Lady¡¯s Hall from the dais that may or may not be sealed and warded. It may be better for that to be guarded for now.¡¯

    ¡®Preceptor, I dislike surprises of this nature. How long have you known of this door?¡¯

    ¡®As do I Sire. About an hour now.¡¯

    ¡®Very well. Stand most of the guards down. I shall leave organising the knights and candidates to you. I see that the kitchen has just delivered coffee. Let¡¯s not let it go cold and we will wait for the ladies.¡¯

    The sun was well up before the four girls had scrubbed all the filth off their weapons, their armour and themselves and made themselves presentable.

    ¡®Is anyone hurt?¡¯ was the Preceptor¡¯s first question.

    ¡®No sir, well, apart from the obvious.¡¯

    ¡®Good. Tell us what happened!¡¯

    ¡®We heard the alarm sound and got up, putting on our gambesons as basic protection and our helms so that we could see in the dark. We stole quietly over to the central table where the fancy poleaxes were lying and then stood back-to-back. Nia thought to throw the knife to alert whoever was on guard duty. Once the alarms started sounding, stealth wasn¡¯t an option so we took it in turns to get into full armour. As soon as light started coming in through the roof, the intruder charged us. They ran onto my spike and I flicked them into the air and over my head as we do with the heavy hay bags in training. They landed in front of Nia and she ¡­ We had no choice. They charged at us.¡¯

    ¡®Yes. I think we get the picture. I wouldn¡¯t worry about being sick. Most people are, the first time they see real combat. Unfortunately, you will have to clean up the mess and bring out the intruder. No-one else can go in. I suggest you do that now, while you have nothing in your stomachs to bring up. I see Henrik has thought to bring sail cloth. Roll the intruder onto that with training halberds and drag it out. Don¡¯t touch anything with your hands.¡¯

    Bria and the others collected training weapons and took the cloth, dragging it back out into the Southern Hall a few minutes later.

    ¡®It¡¯s Kardiss.¡¯ exclaimed Jemryn when the body was uncovered. ¡®The ambassador¡¯s assistant.¡¯

 Court

    ¡®Hear ye, Hear ye! By the leave of his majesty Ryker. The Ambassador of the Areetan Empire is bidden here to answer for the actions of her aide.¡®

    ¡®Really, your majesty, is this necessary?¡¯ The ambassador gestured to the ring of fourteen Dragon guards around her, all with lowered halberds. ¡®I know this court has a reputation for being a little behind current thinking occasionally, but diplomatic immunity has been a concept for hundreds of years.¡¯

    ¡®You said it yourself ¡°If a human is suspected of being a dragon and a criminal, they are typically questioned inside a dagger chamber.¡± We have spike chambers in the burrows, but a ring of the known dragon killers is a convenient alternative. We are a quiet backwater and, without reasonable precautions. if you were a dragon that decided to fight your way out, you would be able to destroy most of us walk out of the door and sail back to Areetan with no great risk. Again, you said it yourself, ¡°if a dragon¡¯s plans fall down around their ears, they will have no hesitation in turning back to their natural form, incinerating all those around them and then flying away to start afresh.¡± I am, of course, aware of diplomatic immunity, which you do have, but your aide did not. Attacking one of the Dragon Guard is treason, punishable by death. Essentially, we have three questions. Why did he do it? How did he do it? What are we to do with you?¡¯

    ¡®She should be packed back off to Areetan as soon as possible. She is responsible for her actions and for those of her staff. Who knows what lore she was searching for?¡¯ interjected the Loremaster.

    ¡®¡±She¡± has a name and a title. You may address me as Ambassador, or call me by name, Amanita. Either is acceptable, but you will treat me with the respect due. As I already told you. I have no interest in finding the gigantic sapphire that you call the Jewel of the Isles and if I were searching for ancient lore, it would be in the universities of Areetan or in the ruins dotted throughout the Dragon Spine mountains.¡¯

    The king held up his hand. ¡®Loremaster, enough! I won¡¯t have the kingdom¡¯s reputation tarnished by disrespect. Be civil. Ambassador¡­ Amanita! I¡¯m sure you can understand that tempers are a little frayed. Please bear with us. Now, back to my questions.¡¯

    The Ambassador deflated. ¡®This is my first assignment as a full ambassador. I have been placed with other embassies as an aide, but this embassy is often seen as a place to cut one¡¯s teeth, if you will pardon the allusion. No-one expects major problems or shifts in policies here. Almost all the staff I have were either here already or assigned to me. My family is only moderately wealthy and not particularly influential so I got very little say in the matter. Kardiss was one of those assigned back in Arretan. The spy masters could easily have inserted him and I would have been none the wiser. He always so seemed harmless and, well, fussy. I can only assume that they were seeking information about the prophecies and I can only apologise for his actions and offer reparations for any damage he may have caused. As to how, I am completely at a loss.¡¯

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    ¡®Loremaster. Are you able to tell us the how of it?¡¯

    ¡®His corpse has been examined by our surgeons. I am of the opinion that only full males are actually blocked from touching the doors. Your aide had been gelded, probably within the last two years which may have allowed him to pass through the doors. Unfortunately, we are struggling to find candidates or volunteers to test the theory. There was some kind of fallback ward that alerted the trainees, who had the presence of mind to pick up weapons. If he hadn¡¯t charged at them, he would still be alive and we would be having very different conversations.¡¯

    The Preceptor cleared his throat. ¡®Your excellency, could you tell us about his behaviour over the last few days? Did anything change? Did he seem stressed? I would have expected anyone sent on a suicide mission to be at least a little on edge.¡¯

    The ambassador shrugged ¡®He had been complaining of itchy eyes and headaches over the last week or two, but blamed it on the weather and the lack of the foul weed he smoked in his pipe.¡¯

    The Preceptor nodded. ¡®So, we can¡¯t rule out possession or mental coercion, so he may not even have been guilty of treason, although someone certainly is. Your majesty, as far as we can tell the ambassador has broken no laws, and there is a reasonable chance her aide hasn¡¯t broken any laws either. We have suffered no loss, apart from a little sleep, and have learned much.¡¯

    ¡®Someone broke into the halls and attacked one of the Dragon Knights! Do you propose to let him off?¡¯ The Loremaster sounded enraged.

    The Preceptor didn¡¯t even look at the Loremaster. ¡®Letting him off is a moot point. He was killed, possibly murdered by someone coercing him. There has been no damage to the property, people or security of the kingdom. We may never get to the bottom of the matter, but I don¡¯t see that we can lay blame without more evidence.¡¯

    ¡®But he invaded our halls!¡¯ the Loremaster spluttered furiously.

    ¡®Enough! Herald, your opinion?¡¯ The king said wearily.

    ¡®I believe the Preceptor is correct. Without proof, Kardiss could be as much a victim as a criminal. Bria¡¯s actions in defending herself are completely justified but that is as far as we can go. Can I suggest we hand his body over to the ambassador for funeral rites in keeping with those of his people?¡¯

    The king stood up. ¡®Very well. We will draw a veil over this whole sorry mess and pretend it never happened. Preceptor, have your guards stand down. Amanita, I suggest you return to your embassy and we will let everyone take a breath and calm down.¡¯

    The Loremaster turned towards the king and opened his mouth as if to speak but at that moment the horns sounded again. Not the horns from the Southern Hall, but the deep notes of the war horns on the walls of the castle.

 Galanthus

    ¡®Girls! Get those poleaxes! Drop the halberds! Run!¡¯ the Preceptor bellowed. ¡®The rest of you out beyond the gates!¡¯

    There was a clattering as the halberds hit the stone floor and the girls sprinted out of the door into the Southern Hall. As they got through to the Lady¡¯s Hall, they saw Rosa scurrying towards them clutching several of the poleaxes. ¡®I hid further down the hall as soon as the alarm sounded. I thought it better to hide than risk being revealed and you proved more than capable of dispatching the intruder. Tell me more later. The alarm is real and I see that it¡¯s a youngling male dragon who has set a few buildings afire. Remember your training and make me proud! Now run!¡¯

    The girls sprinted back down the hall and out through the throne room and into the palace yard. As they came out into the yard, they could see flames and smoke rising right above the walls and just beyond the gate they could hear a snarling roaring noise and even through the helms they could feel the pressure of an angry draconic mind.

    ¡®Your puny efforts will see you all killed. I am your new lord. I am Galanthus. Surrender to me and I will be merciful. Surrender!¡¯

    They pushed through the panicking crowd in the yard and made it out through the main gate into Forge Square where they saw a scene of devastation.

    The tavern where Nia had shown off her prowess with the poleaxe was well ablaze and the knights had cornered a grounded white dragon between the fire and the points of their halberds. Sir Lars had hurled his halberd through the dragon¡¯s wing, preventing it from flying off but the dragon had had its revenge by biting through his chest armour and leaving him bleeding in the centre of Forge Square. His armour was now bone white having spent every drop of power trying to keep him alive. The other knights weren¡¯t in much better shape. Their armour was just about spent protecting them from the fire and they were dodging about trying to land a telling blow while staying clear of the jaws and barbed tail of the marauder.

    ¡®Charge¡¯ bellowed Bria and the four girls ran in a line straight at the dragon, trusting their armour to keep them safe long enough to do some real damage.

    The dragon ¡®s head whipped round and covered them in a sheet of fire and as they stumbled blindly through it, he grabbed Bria in his teeth and shook her like a terrier shakes a rat. Luckily her armour had more charge than Sir Lars¡¯ had had, preventing the massive fangs from penetrating her chest and back plates but she was effectively out of the fight. Camryn dodged the thrashing head and swung for his neck with her pole axe but the tail lashed into her, lifting her off her feet and throwing her hard into the ground where she lay still.

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    Unfortunately for the dragon, that left Adeline and Nia. Nia jumped over the tail sweep that had felled Camryn, ducking under the head, before twisting in the air and bringing the narrow axe blade of her weapon down on the back of the dragon¡¯s skull with sickening force, crushing it¡¯s spinal cord just as Adeline rammed the spear blade on the top of her axe into the dragon¡¯s throat through the thin plates just below its jaw. The combined force of the two attacks drove Adeline¡¯s attack deep into the dragon¡¯s flesh and she must have severed an artery because the dragon¡¯s life blood gushed and spurted out all over the cobbles as soon as she pulled the blade out for a second strike. Within moments, the dragon¡¯s head had crashed into the stone surface of the square and the beast started thrashing in its death throes.

    The Preceptor reacted first. ¡®Don¡¯t let it go to waste! Everyone, recharge your armour!¡¯

    Sir Henrik grabbed Sir Lars and dragged him into the pool of blood before throwing himself down and rolling in it.

    Nia dragged Camryn into the growing pool and Adelyn prised the dragon¡¯s jaws open to free Bria before pulling her into the gore. All the other knights and recruits, even the boys, who by now had made it out of the gate threw themselves onto the cobbles rolling around trying to soak up every last drop of the precious dragon blood. Over the next few minutes all  of the dragon plate darkened considerably as the armour, long starved of its fuel, greedily soaked up the blood from the pools.

    A cry rang out from the city walls ¡®form a water chain. Get that fire out before the rest of the city catches fire.¡¯ Within a few minutes buckets from the nearby forges and mixing bowls from the palace kitchens were being passed from hand to hand as courtiers, palace servants and guards all fought to put out the fire in the tavern. Down the street, Nia could see other chains of people forming to try and contain the other fires around the Minstrel¡¯s square and city guards were using the hooks on the back of their halberds to try and rip burning thatch from buildings that had been set alight by the embers being carried into the air by the fires.

    Adelyn felt Bria try to sit up and breathed a sigh of relief as she realised the armour had started to work its magic, when the Preceptor¡¯s head snapped around and stared out across the city. ¡®Back on your feet! Now!¡¯

    Suddenly, another huge shape appeared through the smoke and ghosted over the top of the city soaring on the column of heat from the fires burning in the city.

 Loremaster

    ¡®Stand ready¡¯ came the Preceptor¡¯s calm command ¡®Bern, Henrik. You both have good arms. Prepare to throw your halberds into its wings if it comes within range. Valkyr Nia, Valkyr Adeline, Battlefield promotion. Protect the wounded till they can either return to the fight or make it to safety. Vann. You and the other lads are on retrieval duty. Stay in pairs and keep Bern and Henrik supplied with weapons. Start by getting Lars¡¯ halberd back to him and then drag him back to the gate. He was still breathing a minute ago so I doubt he¡¯s dead.¡®

    As the dragon passed overhead a second time, a wave of arrows rose to greet it from the palace walls but none found a mark. Then they heard the steady clack clack clack of the polybolos firing from the top of the guard towers and there was a screech of pain and fury as one of the bolts punched through the dragon¡¯s delicate wing membrane.

    The king stood on the battlements watching the fight beyond the walls. The Dragon¡¯s guard were gleaming in scarlet armour now as it soaked up the blood from the fallen dragon. Impossibly, all of them were still alive. Even Camryn and Bria who had so badly mauled by the first dragon were now sitting up. The armour must be drawing on the dragon¡¯s blood restoring them and healing them. He glanced back down into the courtyard where the King¡¯s Guard were mustering to go out to assist in the defence, if possible, hopefully rescue any injured and probably die.

    Jemryn came out of the gate tower and trotted over to the king. ¡®Sire, you are without your guards.¡¯

    The king looked down. ¡®At times like these, I need every man ready to defend something else. I¡¯d be down there myself but, should we survive this, we will need to rebuild and that will take me the rest of my time.¡¯

    Jemryn thought for a moment ¡®I will guard your back, Sire.¡¯

    The king laughed. ¡®Indeed, you will. You are the last representative of the Dragon¡¯s Guard in the castle and you do them proud.¡¯

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    ¡®Not quite Sire, here comes the Lore master. I don¡¯t think I entirely trust him though.¡¯

    The king looked at the gate tower at the southern end of the battlement and there was the Lore Master. He was wearing his normal bright yellow robes but instead of a staff he had a halberd and he wore a sword. He seemed younger, brisker, faster. He wasn¡¯t leaning on the halberd, he was carrying it in one hand, blade down.

    The king looked back to Jemryn. ¡®Do you not? He has always made me ¡­ uneasy I thought it was a personality clash but it seems it¡¯s not just me. Perhaps it would not hurt to have some guards here with us. Go down through the other tower and tell the captain down there in the yard that the king commands a squad to his side, at the double.¡¯

    The Lore Master strode out towards them down the channel between the merlons over the out wall and the parapet that stopped the unwary falling into the parade ground.

    ¡®Ah Ryker. There you are. I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡¯

    The king looked at him in surprise. ¡®Have you come to join the rest of the guard in the fight, Loremaster.¡¯

    The Lore Master glanced over the battlements. ¡®Those fools will win a round or two against wyrmlings but a drake is coming.¡¯ He pointed at what looked like a small bird in the far distance. ¡®It will be here in a few minutes. It¡¯s not expecting a fight, its mind is on other things so surprise is on their side. They might win, they might lose, but this battlement will be broken in the fight.¡¯

    The king frowned at the Lore Master¡¯s words. ¡®Are you suggesting that we flee the battlements?¡¯ Even as they watched, the bird grew.

    ¡®Oh no Ryker. On the contrary. They will find your broken body in the rubble and your son will be killed in the destruction. Who better to lead the kingdom than the wise and kindly old Lore Master. I have kept your line alive but thin for the last four hundred years but it ends here.¡¯

    ¡®You! You are the reason for all the bad luck my family has had. All those miscarriages, cot deaths and unlucky accidents ¨C you have the blood of hundreds of my kin on your hands.¡¯ The king whipped his sword from its scabbard and bellowed ¡®Jemryn - run, get help!¡¯

    The lore-keeper snarled ¡®They mocked me and called me the runt of the hatching, these cattle-eaters from the east, but I have studied and I have grown in power. I will have vengeance.¡¯

    ¡®Jemryn, Run!¡¯

    ¡®Yes, Jemryn run!¡¯ mocked the Lore master ¡®I will destroy you later.¡¯

    The Lore Master threw his halberd over the wall and drew his own sword and raised it to meet the king¡¯s weapon.

    ¡®Yes Jemryn, run! Come and free me¡¯

 Gloriosa

    Jemryn fled the battlements into the damaged guard tower and down the stairs. He cleared the remnants of the parade ground door and kept going across the yard and through the northern door of the throne room impelled by the force of the voice in his mind. He practically flew across the deserted throne room, sprinted through the opposite door  and down into Southern Hall where he stopped for a moment, the grip on his mind released.

    He saw that the cooks had ferried food up from the kitchens and laid it out ready. He supposed that they had needed the space and the recruits had not been down to collect it. This morning, they had sent a ham, rather than the usual carved slices. He ran into the refectory and tentatively touched the bone. Cold! He grabbed it and ran back into the Southern Hall where someone had wedged the door  to the Lady¡¯s Hall open and ran towards it.

    Smack!

    He bounced off the barrier and landed on his back and lay there, head spinning.

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    ¡®Hurry boy, throw it!¡¯

    He struggled back to his feet and looked around. There, on the wall, were the battered old shields the king had given him. He grabbed one and tucked the ham under the handle. Then he threw the shield down the hallway skidding it, with its load, through the barrier and off, down through the door and into the Lady¡¯s Hall.

    For a moment, nothing happened. Then a flash of light blinded him and a blast of wind hurled him backwards.

    He opened his eyes again and saw a foot land beside him. It was the size of a cart, but covered in blue scales, with talons the length of swords. He looked further up and saw the four-horned head of a female dragon.

    ¡®Thank-you, Jemryn of the house of Farrenreed, for my freedom. I am Gloriosa, queen of these halls and jewel of the isles. And now I am hungry.¡¯

    Jemryn looked petrified and thought frantically ¡®I freed you, please don¡¯t eat me.¡¯

    ¡®No rabbit, not you. Right now, I fancy Lore Master.¡¯

    She twitched a claw and the doors into the throne room burst open and the entire city heard her mental roar.

    ¡®Ranunculus, you pathetic yellow wyrmling. I¡¯m coming for you!¡¯

 Epilogue

    The dais had been swept clean of its furniture. The throne with its attendant chairs for members of the royal family had been swept to one side. They looked even more out of place now, shoved up into  a corner and barely visible behind the colossal bulk of a sapphire blue dragon.

    The knights and the candidates, along with Jemryn, were lined up along the side walls, with their helms at the feet, and could see both the dais and the assembled court, most of whom looked absolutely terrified.

    ¡®I am not going to eat or kill anyone.¡¯

    Bria could see that the dragon¡¯s voice, echoing in their head had done little to relieve the tensions. As she looked around the court, she noticed a few people who didn¡¯t seem to be too affected by the mental pressure. The preceptor was one, Amanita the Areetan ambassador was another and, strangely, Leander, Jemryn¡¯s father, was another.

    ¡®Well observed child¡¯ the voice echoed in her head and she realised that no-one else could hear it ¡®I expect great things of you.¡¯

    After a couple of minutes of silence, Bria could see several members of the court start to fidget. ¡®Can I politely suggest that you are terrifying them. Their whole world has been upended.¡¯

    ¡®Child. I am still Rosa to you. Never forget that, but very well!¡¯

    The voice echoing in the heads of the court resumed.

    ¡®Your king, Ryker, was killed by the Lore Master. I observed that he was a good man, who cared about his people and I regret his passing. There will be a period of mourning and he will be accorded a solemn funeral. The Lore Master will not! He has been destroyed and ¡­ disposed of! You have begun to pull his treachery out but it will take many years before all his little changes to your chronicles and all his little plots are unearthed. There will be no changes in these isles. All the noble families will carry on as before, administering their individual islands. I trust that none of you are planning a rebellion anytime soon? No, I thought not. Does anyone have any questions?¡¯

    Bria thought hard at dais ¡®Who will replace the Lore Master and what will become of the guard?¡¯

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡®Very good child. You have enough power for me to believe you have a dragon in your heritage. Jemryn had to be told to think at me.¡¯

    The voice cut through the chatter that had started.

    ¡®Two questions have been raised.¡¯

    The court stilled again and people looked around in puzzlement. No-one had approached the dais nor had anyone called anything out.

    ¡®The post of Lore Master will be filled by Sir Lars for the next few years while he recovers from his injuries. He will also be responsible for training Jemryn to take his place. I have seldom seen anyone better fitted for a role.¡¯

    ¡®The Dragon¡¯s guard will continue to provide the security that they always have. I understand they have taken on dispensing justice while I have been asleep. That will also continue. All the current candidates will be elevated to full knights and valkyrs as is traditional after their first kill. I will consider expanding the ranks with more candidates over the next few years.¡¯

    Amanita cautiously raised her hand. ¡®I suggested to Jemryn that he may benefit from studying at the University of Areetan and that I would sponsor him to have a place. Is that still a possibility?¡¯

    The huge blue head swung round and focussed its full attention on the Ambassador. ¡®I think that¡¯s an excellent idea. You may return to the empire and take Jemryn with you as well as a guardian or two selected from the rest of the guard. I will discuss the possibilities with the Preceptor.¡¯

    ¡®When will any decision be made¡¯ The Ambassador was coping surprisingly well with the mental pressure. Bria was fairly sure that Amanita was a dragon now. She knew that she would have been squirming on the floor in terror by now.

    ¡®As soon as possible. Tell Zigadenus that the next ambassador shouldn¡¯t have your special qualifications or I will not be best pleased.¡¯

    ¡®You know the emperor?¡¯ Amanita¡¯s mouth was agape.

    ¡®I should. He¡¯s my little brother. As you mentioned, family allegiance doesn¡¯t count for much amongst dragons but it does make a small difference.¡¯

    ¡®What are you going to do about the Preceptor and the duke of Tradgard?¡¯ Bria thought at the blue dragon, tentatively.

    Gloriosa turned her massive head back towards Bria.

    ¡®Daucus is my great-grandson and I¡¯m loath to kill a second descendant today. By Tradgard, do you mean Leander, or should I say Oleander, Jemryn¡¯s father? Nothing! A four-way fight in here? No-one would survive and there has been enough bloodshed today!¡¯

    Her head turned back to the main assembly.

    ¡®Remember, now is a time for stability and rebuilding. Court dismissed. Valkyrs, attend me!¡¯

    She reached out towards the southern side of the dais and twitched a massive talon, making the long-hidden doors burst open showering everywhere in the crumbled remains of a thin coat of plaster that had concealed them, before sliding through it and disappearing from view as the ancient timbers slammed shut behind her.

 Notes

    Kingdom

    Name:- The Dragon Isles

    Capital: Drekabaer

    A series of islands off the cost of a continent.

    The people are lethargic. Nothing very exciting ever happens.

    They are a bit of a backwater but there seems to be no good reason for it.

    Any fashions and new trends brought by travellers are either ignored or accepted in lukewarm fashion before being dropped.

    This malaise means that the Isles lag well behind other countries

    Because of regional politics elsewhere, the Dragon Isles don''t need much in the way of standing armies.

    All the dukes maintain a militia and a guard. The royal guard is trained to a reasonable standard but the rank and file have a tendency to be a bit thuggish.

    Currency

    Dragon''s Tears; commonly called ''Tears'' - gold coins of about 1 ounce. Very rarely seen by the commoners. Apocryphally so called because they are as rare as a dragon''s tears

    Dragon''s Teeth; commonly called ''Teeth/Tooth'' - silver coins of about 1/2 an ounce - 200 make up 1 tooth.

    Dragon''s Scales commonly called ''Scales'' - copper coins of about 1/2 an ounce - 200 make up 1 scale. An unskilled labourer could expect to earn 24 scales a day.

    Prices

    A quart of ale - 2 scales

    A small pie - 2 scales

    Local kingdoms

    The Pirate Isles

    Capital: Riettenborg

    200 miles north of the Dragon Isles

    Naval power broken in a war with Gathos 20 years ago

    Gathos

    Capital:Oskari

    Areetan

    Capital:Coraxi

    North-east of the Dragon isles

    Larger than Gathos

    The country is moribund.

    Zigadenus, the emperor is a dragon

    Ambassador to the isles is Amanita - definitely part dragon, possibly a full dragon. Certainly a skilled mage

    The Dragon Spine mountains

    East of the Plains

    Main home to the dragons

    South-eastern Kingdom Areetan and the Northern tip of the Dragonspine form the only known place where dragons and human civilization overlap.

    That area is reputed to be the range of a very old male dragon who brooks nothing disturbing his peace.

    The Plains/The Barren Plains

    East of the Dragon Isles, south of Areetan

    Populated by nomads and herds of wild cattle and wolves. No-one lays claim to them.

    The plains form the main feeding area for dragons and they aren''t keen on humans disrupting it. The nomads are tolerated and may even be in the employ of some dragons.

    Any dragon that harbours delusions of taking control of the plains, is rapidly and brutally squashed by the more senior dragons.

    Human colonisation/civilisation has been ''discouraged'' by the dragons

    Islands

    Invasion risk is historic, as the pirates'' power has been broken, but gives an idea of the culture, architecture and general military readiness of the various islands.

    Emera

    Capital: Drekabaer

    Invasion risk: high (Dragons)

    Ruler: Duke Ryker (King)

    Spouse:

    Children: Vann

    Major Port:Gades

    Largest of the islands. produces timber, iron, cattle, gold and grain

    Also the location of Gades which is the major port/ship building facility of the Isles

    Most of the weapons used in the country are forged here

    Palace

    Surrounded on two sides by walls

    the north wall has a gate out to the noble quarter

    the eastern wall has a gate out to the Armourer''s square and the commoners quarter

    The original building was three main halls

    The northern hall, which is now the throne room

    Doors out into the rest of the palace

    The southern hall, which is now the home of the Dragon''s guard

    Doors out into

    the men''s barracks,

    the refectory

    The armoury

    The archives/library

    The Lady''s hall

    The Lady''s hall. Originally a cave in the mountain side - doors into both the other halls

    doors out into

    the northern hall

    the southern hall

    Contains other rooms for the valkyrs

    The southern hall, the lady''s hall and the cloister garden are all protected from scrying

    Main commercial centre is the minstrels square

    Farrenreed

    Capital: Tradgard

    Invasion risk: high

    Invasion risk: medium to high

    Ruler: Duchess Nikkla

    Spouse: Duke (O)Leander

    Children: a daughter, Skadi, and a son, Jemryn. (Half dragons)

    Tradgard is a bustling port town and receives ships from all over the known world.

    As such, petty crime is commonplace and the ducal guard is more numerous, better equipped and drilled than many of the other islands.

    The duchy is one of the wealthiest, but traditionally wields economic power rather than political or military.

    Skadi is going to be a master trader

    Nikkla is a sharp trader and a renowned gardener but a bit ditsy where her son is concerned

    Nikkla inherited Farrenreed from her father.

    Officially Leander is the second son of the old duke of Iskander. Most people believe that it is duke and consort, but technically it''s duchess and consort. He travels a good deal and Nikkla divides her time between court and the castle in Farrenreed.

    Actually Oleander is a dragon, hunting for the jewel of the isles - He persuaded the old duke of Iskander to recognise him as a son but this is a well concealed fact

    The marriage was arranged but the bond is genuine at least on Nikkla''s part - Oleander - who knows.

    Farrenreed is least affected by the kingdom''s malaise, partly because its a major trading hub for the islands and has frequent contact with other countries.

    Traders and artisans producing small items - pottery, jewellery, small metal items.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Skarran

    Capital: Fnykhofn

    Ruler: Duke

    Spouse:

    Children: A daughter Nia

    Specialises in fishing.

    Something of a penal colony

    Benduil

    Capital: Fiallabae

    Invasion risk: medium

    Ruler: Duke

    Spouse:

    Children: A daughter Adeline

    A big mountainous island, produces lots of timber and sheep.

    Watermills convert timber into usable planks.

    The island builds most of the ships used by the country.

    Prospectors pan the mountain streams for gold.

    Exports timber, bullion

    Imports grain

    Blackrock

    Svartzbeer

    Ruler:

    Spouse: Duchess Vaalea big imposing woman, tends to be fierce but impulsive

    Children: A daughter Camryn

    Invasion risk: very low

    A big mountainous island

    Very little of the coastline is safe to approach with ships, which limits fishing

    Svartzbeer is the main port and has been built out into the sea. It accommodates deep water ships but can''t cope with large numbers of small boats. The other known places that a ship/boat can come ashore are all known and fortified.

    Surprisingly not a martial population as the invasion risk is very low.

    Specialises in refining/smithing metal - Blackrock refers to the coal that they mine and coke.

    silica sand is used to make a small amount of high quality glassware

    Exports mainly iron, but some copper and small amounts of silver and gemstones.

    Imports grain, fish

    Iskander

    Capital: V¨ªnberjabeer

    Invasion risk: low

    Ruler: Duke Dalmar

    Spouse:

    Children: A son Hrafn

    Someway to the south of most of the rest of the archipelago.

    Twinned with Lulnun

    rolling hills with chalky soil

    Protected from pirates by distance and shielded by the other islands.

    Main exports are cheese, wine, dried fruit, honey, spice

    Main Imports: spice

    Lulnun

    Capital: Krydd

    Invasion risk: low

    Twinned with Iskander

    Ruler:

    Spouse:

    Children:

    Secretive island - trades almost exclusively with Iskander. The Farrenreed noble house have a factor here (of course)

    Most of the food and meat consumed is produced locally or on Iskander

    It''s a garden island and produces rare and valuable spices

    Most people on the northern isles treat it as a semi-mythical place of riches.

    The nobility know better but are in no hurry to let the rest of the world know as it generates a lot of money for the kingdom as a whole.

    It doesn''t typically appear on maps and charts.

    Exports: fine wine, nutmeg, chillies, pepper, saffron, coffee and other rare ingredients. Also reputed to make exotic poisons.

    Golniabar

    Capital: Soolapann This is a fortified port city with a castle. There are areas of the port with fortified walls that just contain warehouses stuffed with salt.

    Invasion risk: medium to high

    Ruler: Markur

    Spouse:

    Children: A son Davorin

    The people tend to be very suspicious of outsiders, although further inland, they are more welcoming.

    In the past, there have been numerous pirate raids to try and steal shipments of salt.

    A tall mountain peak surrounded by low lying ground

    Around the coast are huge salt pans which take in sea water and then evaporated by the constant wind

    Inland is a farming culture.

    Main export: salt - most of the salt in the archipelago and the neighbouring kingdoms is produced here.

    Pohjola

    Capital:

    Invasion risk: High to very high

    Ruler: Duke Raimo

    Spouse:

    Children:

    Known for its military prowess, This island is the most northern isle and closest to the pirates.

    The Centre and west are fairly mountainous, but the rest is flat and good arable land growing a range of grains and root crops.

    The weather can be fairly grim, and the people take after the weather. Not much music or art is found here.

    The nobles have been convicted of some fairly serious crimes in the past and the Preceptor has hanged at least one duke for slaving.

    The current duke is competent if not outstanding as an administrator. He''s not a fan of the Dragon''s Guard but is alone amongst the nobles of the kingdom in having seen a dragon hunting and is far more aware of the risks they pose than anyone outside the guard.

    Main exports: grain, soldiers

    King

    Name:- Ryker

    Titles

    The Dragon of the isles

    The King of the Isles

    Commander of the Dragon¡¯s guard.

    Duke of Emera (seldom-used; most common people on Emera wouldn''t know who you meant; on the other islands where Emera is held in some contempt, it¡¯s a derogatory comment for the King.)

    Aware that the kingdom has a malaise but is unsure of the source.

    Pragmatic and would like to be more ruthless, but is thwarted.

    Sees the Dragon''s guard as an anachronism but can''t quite bring himself to disband it.

    Loathes the Loremaster, but can''t put his finger on why.

    The court

    Early mediaeval and boisterous, verging on a Norse long house, just in posher surroundings.

    Access to the king is not particularly restricted. Commoners can and do bring complaints to the royal court.

    Dragons

    Intelligent, magic using, fire breathing, armoured - just with a tendency not to be nice.

    Solitary reptiles - incredibly long lived and absorb light, mainly through their wings. Grow throughout their lives.

    They are quite keen on treasure - gold and jewels, but many also value knowledge and have extensive libraries, laboratories and workshops.

    Young

    Don''t play well with other creatures, even their own kind

    can be cannibals.

    Adult

    Age brings some wisdom

    older dragons tend to co-operate or at least avoid conflict.

    Very old

    tend to be extremely cautious

    avoid conflict unless extremely angry or there is no other alternative

    can be huge

    They are subtle and may set plans in motion that will take decades or even centuries to come to fruition.

    Shapeshifting

    Known but not common knowledge.

    They can''t significantly change their eyes, e.g. colour, pupil shape and so-on. Their eye colour usually, but not always, matches their scale colour

    Unless they make a mistake such as changing in front of someone, it¡¯s impossible to detect a shape-changed dragon unless they do something to give it away.

    Magic

    Breathing fire - this is usually the discharge of raw magic - they try to avoid it as it takes a while to recharge.

    As they get older, they learn to be more focussed and it''s less of drain, so they can breathe fire more.

    Total magic reserves seem to be directly related to the dragon''s body weight even if they are shape shifted.

    Absorption rate is directly related to the total surface area of their current form.

    Small dragons charge to full faster than large ones, but large dragons charge faster than small dragons.

    Colour

    Colour signifies nothing

    They can be any colour, red, green and brown are common, white and grey are rare. Blue and Purple are the rarest.

    Their wings are always black.

    Healing and death

    Dragons heal fast.

    About the only way to kill them is to chop their wings off - depriving them of light and food for protracted periods,

    chop their heads off or other significant trauma.

    Lesser injuries completely will heal in hours as long as they have either plenty of light or are well charged.

    Breeding

    Breeding flights happen in clusters with long intervals between. an interval is usually about 300 years but the cluster may last for 20 or 30 years

    A clutch of around 10 eggs is laid and can take a year to hatch

    Mothers will provide protection for the eggs and look after the dragonlets to a certain extent for a couple of year after

    Once they leave, there is no family bond. Parents may often kill their children

    Males

    tend to be a bit smaller than females, but with slightly bigger wings

    tend to be better at arial combat.

    Have 2 horns

    Females

    Tend to be better at ground combat

    Have 4 horns

    Female dragons are rare and tend to be a bit larger than males of a similar age. Only about 5% of the total population are female.

    Shape-changed dragons can breed with humans (and presumably other creatures), producing humans with significantly higher magical abilities.

    Offspring that are at least half-dragon can go on to develop enough power and knowledge to shape-change into become full dragons. Jemryn is likely to, his sister will not be driven enough.

    Known dragons

    Living

    <ul>

    <li>Gloriosa (Gloria, Rosa) - Giant Blue</li>

    <li>Oleander - Grey</li>

    <li>Daucus - Brown</li>

    <li>Zigadenus - Purple</li>

    </ul>

    Dead

    <ul>

    <li>Ranunculus</li>

    <li>Celosia</li>

    <li>Galanthus</li>

    </ul>

    Missing

    <ul>

    <li>Abrus - Daucus'' father</li>

    </ul>

    Half Dragons

    <ul>

    <li>Jemryn</li>

    <li>Skadi</li>

    </ul>

    Suspected Dragons

    <ul>

    <li>Amanita</li>

    </ul>

    Other Sentient races

    Elves - forest weavers, insular

    Dwarves - short, bearded, insular

    Goblins/Orcs - short, fertile, aggressive, brutal society

    Giants - Tall, aggressive, brutal society

    Loremaster

    Name:- Ranunculus

    Ancient male dragon - runt - mad as a fish

    He is about 4 feet high at the shoulder, 20 feet long and with a fifty foot wing span

    Forced to use his brain to avoid being killed and eaten by his peers when young and is probably the best spell caster going - do more with less

    Desperate to take over Gloria''s kingdom and rule.

    Cast a spell on Gloriosa that traps a dragon into a shifted shape (human). Eating food will break the spell. Life is maintained by absorbing light.

    Caught in his own spell, he loathes humans but realises he can''t break the enchantment over himself without

    <ol>

    <li>risking breaking the enchantment over Gloriosa</li>

    <li>being killed by the dragon''s guard</li>

    </ol>

    He will still cast some minor spells, mostly illusions but won''t do anything spectacular because his surface area is too small to absorb enough light to recharge.

    He suspects the Preceptor is smarter than he looks and thinks a change of Preceptor is overdue.

    He has built a parabolic mirror in the top floor of the library to focus light. He spends a lot of time sitting in front of it charging himself up.

    He caused the pools that fed light into the Lady''s hall to be filled in to try and kill Gloriosa by starving her of light.

    He believes that she has died; the fact that she hasn''t burst out of the lady''s hall and the girls haven''t mentioned her has convinced him.

    Loremistress

    Gloria, Rosa, Gloriosa - ancient female dragon

    She is about 16 feet high at the shoulder, 80 feet long and with a 200 foot wing span

    She weighs around 64 times as much as Ranunculus and is 16 times as strong physically

    One of the very few dragons who ever openly shape-changed.

    Male dragons were the first to call her the Jewel of the Isles which indicates her value and desirability.

    Second best spell caster, but far more powerful than the lore master due to her huge wings/mass.

    Trapped in a shifted shape by the loremaster. she cast a stasis spell to keep herself alive when the lights went out. This is the cause of the malaise in the kingdom.

    The first dragon to recognise that humans could collaborate and that using them to create food rather eating them was a good move.

    After some years she realised that teams of fighters, suitably armed, armoured and trained were more than a match for most solitary dragons

    Over centuries of working with humans, she has learnt empathy from and twoards them and actually quite likes them.

    She has the same problem as the loremaster - the dragon''s guard will kill her if she breaks the spell unless she gains significant magic reserves.

    Now she''s awake, she''s very very angry and intends to tear the loremaster apart - slowly, before retaking her domain

    Knights

    Intended to protect Gloriosa and fight marauding dragons but now mostly serve as justices of the peace for serious cases

    Their armour is

    powered by dragons blood, it need soaking in fresh blood to recharge

    enchanted

    to heal them very quickly

    suppress "appetites", a side effect is that food seems bland

    the visors can be seen through, even though they are opaque from the outside.

    prevents mind or body control by outside influences

    prevents the knight being tracked.

    It''s made of Gloriosa''s shed scales and her blood (initially)

    Gloriosa is the only being who knows how to make it.

    the female knights are called valkyrs and have been known to use poisoned weapons

    Preceptor

    Full dragon

    His real name is Daucus -

    His mother was queen Karaliene, a descendant of Gloria

    Abrus, his father was a dragon, interested in trying to find the jewel of the isles. He left the court abruptly and disappeared from history.

    Daucus completed guard training but spent twenty years as the ambassador to the Areetan court. There he learnt to harness his power and turn into a dragon.

    Predecessors Leif, Garth

    He has retained his human emotions and loves his home, returning to join the guard when his half-brother took the throne to bolster their claim.

    Appears to be a stuffy follower of military tradition but that¡¯s just a facade

    Previous, more overtly curious knights and preceptors have met a sticky end in strange circumstances.

    The preceptor is well aware of the Loremaster "changing the truth" and that the kingdom has some kind of stasis affecting it.

    He believes that the Loremaster is solely responsible and that forcing change, such as admitting women, may bring matters to a head.

    He thinks a change of Loremaster is overdue.

    He completely trusts his second in command, Sir Henrik.

    He also keeps a diary, documenting the Loremaster.

    Henrik

    second in command

    Blunt, ruthless, intelligent, loyal to the preceptor.

    He knows that he isn''t suited to be Preceptor but would step up if he has to.

    He and the Preceptor often talk in the garden so he''s well aware of the Preceptor''s suspicions/theories and tends to agree with him.

    Lars

    dour and laconic

    Anders

    Joker

    Garrulous

    left for a while to train Camryn

    Bern

    left for a while to train Camryn

    Bjarne

    Big lad, but quiet.

    Blevin

    Allegedly a silly old fool and got murdered in a brothel before the story started.

    His demise was plotted by the Loremaster because he was getting too close to the truth.

    He was murdered while looking for more information and was tricked into removing his armor.

    Actually a very clever and academic man who let his guard slip once.

    + 6 more

    Candidates

    Noblemen

    Vann - crown prince

    Intelligent and born to command. Is also aware of the malaise of the kingdom. He''s observed that other courts are now far in advance of the isles.

    Jemryn Farrenreed

    Very intelligent but not interested in trade.

    currently a page in the service of the knights

    Davorin Golniabar

    Hrafn Iskander

    Dark haired and swarthy

    Noblewomen

    Bria - Royal Princess, the king''s niece

    Camryn Blackrock - impetuous, talkative, poisoned.

    Adeline Benduil - quiet and competentent - a skilled outdoorswoman

    Nia Skarran - nervous and shy but made of steel deep down

    Guards

    Ragni

    From Emera

    Son of a blacksmith

    dead - poisoned by a poleaxe

    Atli

    From Golniabar

    Followed his father into the guards

    Heikki

    From Blackrock

    Son of a Mine Master

    Tapani

    From Lulnun

    Son of a barber/surgeon but had dreams of glory so joined the guard.

    Others

    Karhu

    Weapon smith and armourer - best described as a badly shaved bear.

    Narfi

    A scrawny whippet and a small time thief

    Ulf

    A scrawny whippet and a small time thief.