Winds from the North: An NA Epic Fantasy (Blood of the Dragon Book 3) Read online

  Chapter 3

  “How big will the army be?”

  Ychthorn sat back, letting Malxon field all the questions about their new plan.

  “It won’t be an army. It will be a small contingent of soldiers—”

  “How do you expect a handful of men to take out Aito and his army?”

  “We do not expect them to take out the entire army. Our intention is to—”

  “But what’s the point then? Why risk more men if nothing is going to be accomplished?”

  Malxon sighed. Jacon Rokliath was a nobleman. When Alured had been in charge, he’d sent his two sons, Jido and Jacon II, to the palace to court Slyvania. Both had failed in winning her hand. Ychthorn suspected the fault did not necessarily lie with Slyvania herself. Despite her status as first princess, then queen, her suitors had been few and far between. Most young men, once they met the woman face-to-face, turned tail and ran before attempting to win her hand.

  When Slyvania had usurped the throne from Alured after imprisoning him and attempting to kill him, Jacon was first in line to kiss her hand and swear fealty. After she was deposed, he was again first to declare his loyalty for the newly-formed Council of Man and Beast. Ychthorn didn’t trust the man to fold his cloak, much less participate on the council—a position Jacon had been lobbying for since the council was formed.

  “Aito is our number one threat right now. He’s amassing an army in the north and we need to take him out before he builds enough of a following to pose a real threat.”

  “So—”

  “Would you sit down?”

  Valian Fildur, former leader of the Jaje breeding village and Lana’s father, stood and shot a harsh glare at Jacon Rokliath. The heavier man quailed beneath Valian’s glare and plunked into his seat, nearly missing the edge. Jacon’s wife rolled her eyes, edging unconsciously away from her husband in embarrassment.

  Valian faced Malxon. “Who’s leading the mission?”

  “We have yet to decide that. We do know that a couple of council members will be going.” At this, Malxon waved in the direction of the Hidden and Gypsy sitting to his left. “We also would like to send a dragon or two along.”

  “I would like to volunteer. Aito was trained by Locke. He has Locke’s cruelty, but he’s a lot more calculating. You don’t need a military leader for this. You need someone who knows the North and has contacts in the cities Aito has taken over.” A dark look passed over Valian’s eyes, a look seen only by those on the council. He had a lot more at stake than most in the chamber knew.

  Malxon nodded. “Very well. We will get your team together shortly. Now, Bellithana, I believe you have the results of the mayoral poll for Rona.”

  The big Gypsy took his seat and Bellithana stood, her beaming smile not reflected in her eyes. “Hello, everyone. As you all know, the election for mayor and council member ended yesterday evening. Elections for leaders were held all over Layr. Candidates for Rona were Iyana Barto, Jacon Rokliath, and Dago Hern.” She paused and looked around the table. “Results are as follows: Iyana Barto—seventy-five thousand, nine hundred fifty-two; Jacon Rokliath—forty thousand seven hundred forty-five; Dago Hern—seventy thousand six hundred twelve.”

  Cheers and applause erupted on the left-hand side of the room while boos emanated from the right. Belli smiled toward the left and beckoned. “Iyana, would you please join us up front?”

  A woman in her middle years stood amid congratulations and handshaking. Her round cheeks were pink with excitement and embarrassment as she made her way to the stage. Her glance found Jacon Rokliath, a rotund ball of anger, as he stormed from the room.

  Belli placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder and leaned in. “Don’t worry about him. He thought he had it in the bag, but we all knew that wasn’t the case.”

  The Gypsy woman’s dark eyes twinkled as Iyana laughed. “Oh, I’m not worried. This city needs someone who cares about more than just their change-purse.”

  Ychthorn nodded as he listened in on the conversation. He agreed wholeheartedly. Jacon Rokliath, while a man who could get things done, would push to get his agenda met, regardless of the wishes of his constituents. Iyana, though of a lower class and less wealthy, would encourage programs that would help all of Rona’s citizens and hopefully encourage growth of the economy and the kingdom at large.

  Chapter 4

  “Please please please please please.” The little orange dragon spun in circles as he bounced along beside the dark-haired Gypsy woman.

  “No, Ator. You can’t come with us. It’s not safe.” Bellithana paused on her way to the final meeting before she and her group would depart for the North. She crossed her arms and scowled at her friend as he bounced in front of her once more. “Valian already told you that.”

  The dragon snorted in disgust and a small ball of fiery spit splattered the wall, burning holes in the stone instantly. “Oops.” His orange skin briefly turned darker before he turned to the Gypsy. “Come on, Belli. Don’t leave me here. I won’t have anyone to talk to.”

  She patted Ator on the head and continued down the hall with him beside her. “What about Thorn? Isn’t he your best friend?”

  Ator snuffled and ran a foot over his snout. “He doesn’t have time for me anymore. He’s always busy. And when I do see him, all he talks about is what he has to do or how he wants to ‘fix Layr.’ It’s boring… and annoying.”

  They reached the door to the small room that served as the meeting chamber for the council. Belli’s colorful skirts swirled about her ankles as she turned to look at the dragon. She had met him more than a year ago, after Ychthorn had saved the firespitter from a cruel master. Ator had fought in several battles and had survived capture and torture by Commander Locke himself. He still bore the scars and one of his eyes did not open all the way, but his spirit had not been crushed. Despite all his hardships, he clung to his bubbly personality and dedicated his life to his friends, when they would let him.

  Bellithana pursed her blood-red lips and sighed. “Let me talk to Valian tonight. No promises, though.”

  The Gypsy felt herself pressed back into the wall as the dragon bounded against her in a makeshift hug. “Oh, thank you, Belli! Thank you! You won’t regret this!”

  “I said no promises.” She pushed him back and raised an eyebrow.

  He stepped back and nodded, a huge grin firm on his face. “I understand. No promises.”

  She shook her head and opened the door. “Meet me in the courtyard later, after the meeting. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  She stepped into the room and shut the door on the continually professed thank-yous. The scene greeting her was no better than the one she had left behind. Seated around the table were Valian, Malxon, Alured, Prigol, and Ychthorn. A silence fell heavily over the group, a silence she’d grown uncomfortably familiar with. The hush between the men meant that they had been discussing unpleasant topics and had come to an impasse.

  Sighing, she took her seat. “Catch me up, please.” She addressed no one in particular, knowing that eventually someone would crack and let her know what the current argument was about.

  Several long minutes later, she was still waiting quietly. Her patience ended. “Fine. I have something to bring up. Ator is coming with us.”

  The larger Gypsy opened his mouth, but Bellithana held up a hand. “No. No arguing. He is coming. He has earned it.”

  Malxon inclined his head. “Fair enough, milady.”

  Belli noticed the man was wearing a small smile. She glanced around the room. Indeed, all the men wore similar expressions. “What?” Her tone was sharper than she intended, but she did not like being kept out of the loop and they clearly knew something she didn’t.

  Alured cleared his throat, the only one willing to brave the woman’s glare. “Well, Belli, before you came in, we were trying to figure out how to get Ator along. You see, he’s been bugging each and every one of us. And we all agree with you. He deserves to go. He’s sacrificed his time
and blood as much as any of us. It’s not fair to refuse him this one request.”

  Ychthorn’s tail lashed softly, knocking into the wall behind him with a rhythmic thudding sound. Belli nodded at the former king, but kept her eyes on the dragon. “I do not believe everyone does agree. Thorny, what do you have to say about the matter?”

  The red dragon’s bulk took up much of his half of the room and he shifted uncomfortably. He kept his gaze on the table and shook his head briefly. “Nothing.”

  Belli laughed gently. “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? I’ve known you since the day you were born. Before then, even. You’ve never been very good at hiding your feelings, and you’re clearly upset. We’re leaving tomorrow at dawn. If you have something to say, you’d better say it now before it’s too late.”

  Ychthorn bowed his head, covering his snout with a clawed hand. His body rocked almost imperceptibly for a silent minute before he raised his head. When he looked at the Gypsy woman, his yellow eyes held a watery blur.

  She frowned and turned to the others in the room. “Can you give us a moment, please?”

  They all stood as one and filed out, leaving the Gypsy woman alone with the dragon. When the door shut behind them, she turned to her friend. “Talk to me.”

  Tears streamed down his cheeks as he spoke. “I’ll be alone, Belli. All alone, for the first time ever. When we first set out from Jaje, I had a solid group of protectors. I had friends. We were together, and nothing but death could separate us. We braved some of the scariest situations I ever could have imagined, but we were always together. Now Bolgor is dead. Lana is gone. You, Prigol, and Ator are leaving tomorrow. I have no one left.”

  “Oh, Thorny, I’m sorry.” Bellithana rose from her seat and walked around the table to the dragon. She wrapped her arms around his thick neck and he returned the gesture with one scaly arm.

  She leaned against Ychthorn and rested her head against him. “I’m scared, too. It seems like six months ago, even though the world was in chaos we had a very solid group that could handle anything. Since then… it’s all fallen apart.”

  She took his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes. “It is scary and very hard to face, but we knew it would happen at some point. I hate that it has, and I know you do, too, but we couldn’t stay together forever.”

  She stroked his cheek, brushing away several tears that had fallen. “It’ll be all right. I don’t know how, but I do know that in the end, somehow, it will be alright. We just have to keep pushing on until something good happens. Giving up now will do no good.”

  She smiled and kissed his forehead, unable to say anything more. They stood there for several minutes, feeling the safety of friendship stronger than the toughest metal.

  Eventually, Ychthorn pulled back and straightened. “We should probably let them come back in. There are some things we still need to work through before you can leave tomorrow, and I’d hate for your trip to be delayed.”

  Belli laughed. She knew he would love nothing more than for them to be delayed. “Alright, I’ll go get them.”

  When the group was seated again, they settled into a subdued meeting that held an unexpected sense of finality. For the next hour, they finalized plans and the route the group would take. They broke as the sun began to set, and those who were going to be traveling set off to finish packing.

  Chapter 5

  It was not yet dawn when Bellithana rose from her bed. Her sleep had been fitful and her face felt heavy and drawn as she carried her pack down the long set of stairs to the courtyard. The area was bustling with activity when she arrived. Dozens of people had been working through the night to prepare the group for their travels, making preparations for the group’s journey.

  She wound her way through the haphazardly arranged wagons toward a small blue Gypsy home on the far side of the courtyard. Previously, they were going to take the large black wagon she and her friends had arrived in, but after much discussion, they decided to leave it behind. It was located in a private courtyard in the middle of the palace, where kings and queens for generations past had sought seclusion. Ychthorn now claimed the area, refusing to use a room in the castle. He slept in the top of the wagon as he had his entire life, and Bellithana was loath to remove him from his home.

  The new wagon was much smaller than the previous wagon, but that suited her just fine. The bottom floor was divided up into five sections. The first section was the largest and would be used as the communal living area. A small hall split the rest of the wagon down the center. On one side was the galley, with a large closet opposite it for storage. The last two rooms were for Prigol and Bellithana. The five horses they had arrived at Rona with had been retired to a comfortable pasture on the outskirts of the city, so they enlisted the aid of four sturdy brown stallions to pull the wagon.

  When they were choosing the wagon for their journey, Malxon tried to get them to purchase a smaller wagon with no second floor. But Belli had grown accustomed to traveling with dragons and insisted on a second story suitable for dragon use, along with a lid that could open. The upper floor was one large open space. The entire roof opened, allowing access for a dragon, and set of spiral stairs led up into the area.

  It was initially going to be for extra storage, but the addition of Ator put it to better use. He was small enough that he was comfortable in half of the area, so a large curtain was hung, allowing the extra space to become another closet. Belli could see him fluttering around as his few possessions were loaded up, overseeing the process with an excitement that brought a smile to the woman’s bright red lips.

  Not all of the travelers had Gypsy wagons. Most of the soldiers, Valian included, preferred to sleep outside in tents, a condition the Gypsy woman could not understand. Numerous open wagons were being loaded with supplies and horses were being saddled. After dropping her pack off in her room, Belli found the leader of the group talking to Malxon.

  “Do you think it will be enough? I hear his forces have grown tremendously over the past month.”

  Valian surveyed the courtyard. “No. But we have a long way to go, and we will encounter many who have suffered under the rule of the monarchy. I have no doubt that our entourage will grow by the time we reach the North.”

  Malxon nodded at Bellithana in greeting. “Do you agree with him?”

  “Yes,” she said, her dark locks swaying as she bobbed her head. “There are many who would fight to the death to prevent the rise of Aito. Ania herself has a large following. We will find her and enlist her help when we get there. And I hear rumors that the Rimers are being sought…”

  She trailed off, glancing at Valian. They had all heard the rumors that Lana was searching for the fabled creatures of the North. He snorted a laugh. “Yes, I’ve heard that, too. I regret telling her those stories when she was a small child.” He shrugged. “Who knows, though? Maybe she’ll be successful. It wouldn’t hurt to have them on our side.”

  Malxon looked at him in disbelief and Valian held up his hands in defense. “I said ‘maybe.’ It does not hurt to hope.”

  The big Gypsy scowled and crossed his arms. “Do not trust to wishful thinking. Trust only yourself and what you know you have available. Do not go making plans that you cannot follow through with.”

  Valian smiled and patted Malxon on the arm. “We know. We have a solid plan in place, and we are going to stick to it as best we can. But as you know, the best laid plans of Gypsies and dragons…”

  Malxon’s stern face cracked into a grin. “Ah, indeed I do. Belli, my darling, you are going to keep these men in line, yes?”

  A smile broke across her tired face. “Of course, I will, Malxon. I will keep the women in line, too.”

  She winked at him, eliciting a deep-throated laugh from the man. “I do not worry about the women in this group. They all look like they can handle themselves quite well.”

  Bellithana looked around. Of the nearly fifty people who were going, less than a fifth of them were wome
n, Belli included. That ratio was a bit smaller than normal in a Gypsy gathering, but most of those who were going were human, not Gypsy. It wasn’t that the Gypsies weren’t welcome. In fact, as she viewed the bustling activity, she saw several of the humans seeking the advice of the Gypsies.

  But much to the dismay of those who had fought for their freedom, most Gypsies simply went back to the way of life they had been following for three hundred years. Very little changed for them. They realized that their life before the battle of Rona was not as awful as they initially thought. They had the freedom to roam where they chose and did not answer to anyone but their own leaders. They could travel from village to village, bartering with the locals in secret and keeping all funds for themselves.

  When the Council of Man and Beast was created, the Gypsies were suddenly held accountable for their actions. While many accepted it and were happy to be involved remaking the way Layr was run, most preferred to keep to themselves, continuing on as they had before the war. They did not appreciate the council trying to change the way they ran things, though there were Gypsies on the council and they did their best to keep everyone happy. The majority of Gypsies did not want any responsibility for helping bring the economy and productivity of Layr back to a sustainable place. They wanted the freedom to do as they pleased, as they had while they were labeled outlaws.

  Bellithana sighed. After all that she and her family had worked for, after all the death and pain, and the Gypsies could not appreciate it. They wanted the ability to walk into any town or village unhampered to hawk their wares, but they did not want to be responsible to those towns and villages. The council needed to find a way to incorporate the Gypsy world into the human world without alienating either.

  Malxon squeezed Belli’s shoulder, guessing at her thoughts. “It will work out, eventually. These things take time. It has been three centuries, you know. But they will come around. I am sure of it.”