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Invading Will

Chapter 4

Part 4

By: D. C. Henry ("Ahndeleck")

Raogothcar could see that the balconies were not quite half way up the tower, which didn't give him much room. He decided it might be best if he perched and used the tower to launch after Elenor if she fell. With his new plan in mind he banked back toward the tower and slowed to a stop just under the balcony and found a windows to hold on with his front feet and a ledge for his back feet. With a few flutters of his wings he was gripping the edge of the tower, his wings wrapped around the stone around him for better grip. He turned his head up to listen to the shouting above.

"Just the prince, only the prince or I swear I'll throw her!" the man's voice shrill and panicked.

Deanna's voice followed quickly, "You have no escape, just put down the dagger and come with us. The only way down from this tower is with us."

"There are two ways off this tower, and only one for her!" Raogothcar could hear Elenor's quiet cry of panic as she edged closer to pure insubstantial sky.

"Alright, I'll come, just me." The prince was shouting back at the man and Raogothcar could hear the scrape of a sword laid on stone.

"Your majesty, stay, he's only drawing you." Deanna cut in before the wild man could respond. "Don't go out there."

"Oh he will little miss, he will!"

Prince Alan shouted once again, "Don't do it you bastard! I'm coming, let go of me Deanna!"

"Let the prince save his pretty girl."

"You only mean to kill him!" Deanna returned.

"I mean to kill someone tonight, and now I shall!"

Raogothcar heard the scream of Elenor as she toppled into his view. As she turned over into the thin air, Raogothcar heard shouts and yells from above. With a mighty push with his fore legs, Raogothcar fell backwards into the air and then kicked off the ledge. In a few seconds he had corralled Elenor on his chest and wrapped his forelegs around her, then turned over in the air righting himself.

Elenor was still screaming as he flapped his wings hard to gain some upward momentum. The few seconds of falling had gained them perilous speed toward the ground. He twisted his wings and banked towards the entrance gates to the tower, the lowest part of the wall surrounding them. Growling with effort, Raogothcar managed to turn his decent between the two small look out towers on either side of the gate. He winced as they past, his wings brushing the stonework of the two towers. Once clear he managed to turn towards the sky.

As he turned back toward the great tower he could make out the shape of a man curled about a long sword protruding from his chest as he fell to the ground. Raogothcar couldn't see the man land but could tell the man was Elenor's captor. Elenor had been stunned into silence from her charge down to death, to the claws of a dragon. Raogothcar flew slowly around the tower gaining height with each slow wing beat. As he came around to the north side, the guards started cheering. The prince leaned on the balcony heaving great breaths and watching the dragon circle.

After two more circles Raogothcar managed to come to the north balcony and landed slowly on his hind legs. He balanced himself with his tail and his wings stretched out behind him. Elenor felt limp in his paws, and was growing heavier. It wasn't easy holding a human and flying with them. The guards and the prince came forward and took Elenor from his gentle grasp. With them clear he came down to his all fours.

"See? I'm good at catching." Raogothcar said cheerfully, as he folded his wings.

No one acknowledged his statement, everyone but Deanna was fussing over Elenor. Deanna walked up to him and stood as they watched the huddle of men escort the young woman off the balcony and downstairs. Raogothcar sat down as the men started down the stairs and stared after them.

"Deanna, I didn't make any of them mad did I? I won't be in trouble for any of this will I?"

"I wouldn't think so. You acted bravely today, so I wouldn't be worried. First the king becomes indebted to you, and now the prince and lady Calaspy both are in your favor. You have strong friends in the kingdom. We know that what you did isn't something that dragons ever agree to do."

"Oh, carrying people? Both mother and father always told me not to carry humans. It wasn't right, and made us too much like horses or some other animal. I think though that they would have done the same thing. Wouldn't they?"

"I don't know."

Raogothcar gave a long sigh, he would have to think about what his parents had told him. He was sure that he'd done the right thing, but he remembered how much his parents stressed how bad it would be for a human to ride on a dragon. He decided he would write about it in his journal later.

As he sat, he became aware of a sharp burning sensation on his back. Turning his neck around he looked down to where one of the attackers had struck him on his back. The wound was oozing blood, but Raogothcar could tell it wasn't serious. He knew it would hurt though.

"They got me on my back. Do you have anything for it?" he asked.

Deanna stepped back to look at the wound, "Its only a scratch, well for your size I think. We'll get some bandages on you soon. Maybe one of the tower healers can get a circle on that too. First though let's see if these criminals left anything useful for us." Raogothcar watched as she started to head back inside the tower once again. She stopped and reached up to draw the heavy curtain closed, but then saw that Raogothcar was still sitting where she had left him.

"Were you going to come in?" She gestured inside with the wave of an arm, waiting for the dragon to respond.

Raogothcar sat for a moment looking back at her. He didn't answer right away, after he clicked his teeth together a few times in thought, he shook his head at her. "No Deanna. I think I will stay out here for a little while. May I stay here?"

Deanna's expression at the request remained the indifferent look from most other times that Raogothcar had talked with her. She silently drew the curtain closed. Raogothcar could hear her footsteps grow fainter and fainter as she moved away from him.

Raogothcar turned his head from the tower to regard the western sky. The clouds had changed little, still only wispy patches in the sky that barely moved. The sky had grown darker, and a few stars had begun to shine through the darker blots in the sky. He stood up slowly and walked to the edge of the balcony. The city below had many of the same colors, it was like seeing a second sunset on the ground. Then he thought that there wouldn't be as many dark shadows as there were under the buildings and around corners. He still liked the way it looked.

Memories of angry men clad in green brandishing swords quickly interrupted his enjoyment. He had never fought humans before, and he hated the idea of it. Then he remembered the man that landed on the steps below. The look of the man as he landed sickened Raogothcar, there had been a lot of blood. There had been a lot of blood in the dining hall he remembered. Why did they have to die?

The city below didn't seem to even notice any of the fighting or of Raogothcar's flight. Lights slowly began to flicker alive in some of the buildings around the tower. Raogothcar distracted himself for a few moments as he watched some of the Freeraven citizens bustled about on the streets far below him. With the sun set for the evening, Raogothcar's distractions quickly ran out.

He wondered what would have happened if one of the assassins had stabbed him, or killed him. The fight could have killed him. His flight could have killed him if he hadn't turned for the gates. He and Elenor would be laying there, like the man that fell and crashed on the stones below.

He turned his head back around him to his mountains to the east and sighed softly. It was safer back at his den, but he didn't feel like going anywhere yet. Another moment and he slowly curled himself up beside the handrail, his chin finally resting on his tail. He lay there and watched as the stars played games of hide and seek in the sky.

Time slithered along, and the night had enveloped the countryside. Just as he was beginning to doze he heard Benjamin calling his name. He wiped his tired eyes with the back of his paws, then slowly rose his head.

"I'm out here." Raogothcar said hoarsely.

"Thank goodness you're somewhere." Benjamin grumbled.

Raogothcar heard his footsteps walk over to the balcony. Peter pushed aside the curtains and came out onto the balcony followed by a servant. Benjamin looked much more tired than he did earlier in the day, his face lined and drawn thinner. His deep red robes wrinkled, and his hat completely missing

"I've been with the king and prince most of the evening. Then Deanna barked at me to go tend after the tower's new pet. Alicia, come here, let's patch our guest."

A small young woman stepped forward onto the balcony and hurried over to where Raogothcar lay; she had short auburn hair and dressed in a simple brown dress. She smiled at Raogothcar as she drew near, and it made Raogothcar smiled back, then remembered not to show any teeth. But the girl didn't seem to mind. Raogothcar liked the girl.

Benjamin was right behind her and they both crouched beside the cut on Raogothcar's back. "Deanna made this out to be a little bigger than this. You're lucky I'm not out here with needles and some of the burning salves the healers use."

"Thank you," it was all that came into his mind. He opened his mouth to ask about the salves, but closed his mouth and just watched the two. Alicia passed a small jar to the mage, and then held pad of cloth in her hands. Benjamin dabbed a small portion of the liquid around the cut, but Raogothcar couldn't feel anything from it. The cloth passed from Alicia's hands to Benjamin's, and then held against his body for a moment.

"That should do it then. The cut looked fine and that patch will keep dirt from it. Unless you go romping about and tear the tower apart that is." He passed the jar back to Alicia and then stood and looked at Raogothcar. "Now you should rest, before you cause any more trouble tonight. I've got enough to do without having to look after dragon cuts. Alicia, lead Raogothcar back to his room. You know where it is."

"That would be nice, I am very tired."

Weariness had slowly crept upon him as the evening had passed. His thoughts had completely distracted him from any sensation until Benjamin brought it to his attention. Then he realized He was hungry as well, he hadn't had his meal for the day.

"Could I also have something to eat," he said, embarrassed having to ask after the interrupted feast, "I'm a little hungry. The feast went by in a bit fast."

"Alright," Benjamin said quickly. "I'll get someone from the kitchens to send something. Now I've got to get back to the King we've a lot to discuss."

Raogothcar straightened up on his foreleg, feeling slightly more alert, "Do we know anything about those men? Do you know why they hurt everyone?"

"No, not yet Raogothcar, but I hope the morning will bring us some answers. Alicia, go ahead and bring him down to his room. Good night to you both." with a final bow the man turned and left the two.

Raogothcar found and ate a simple ham that had been left in his room, and drank out of the fountain once again. Before he settled himself into the mass of pillows, Alicia checked once more on him and then left him alone. Raogothcar found it difficult to sleep at first, a constant nagging of men in green, swords, and pain pulled him back to consciousness. Finally sleep came to him; heavy and dreamless.