Dragons of Summer Tide (The Dragons of Hwandor) (36 page)

Veer nodded and said. “I guess that he fights with what he has.”

Cralnar produced a small cast net and a multi pronged fishing spear. The prongs of the spear had nasty looking barbs which had been sharpened to a fine edge and the net had small stone weights attached to it around its outer edge. The young sailor stood with the fishing spear balanced in his left hand and his right hand held the cast net in the centre with the stone weights hanging down onto the deck. “We see a few river pirates from time to time.” The sailor said to Talyat who was standing nearby.

Soon the boat was getting ready to enter a bend and Palinar called out. “The boats behind us are starting to gain on us. They have shields hanging on their backs like turtles and they are pulling hard on the oars.”

“Some man on board one of those boats knows how to fight on water.” Captain Tarian said. “Those shields hanging on their backs protect the rowers from arrows.”

“We should release burning arrows at them.” Veer said.

“Won’t do any good,” said Dalnt. Those kind of boats are kept wet inside and out to keep the wood swollen and the joints sealed. They won’t burn unless you throw oil into them.”

Cralnar added. “And if they are close enough to throw oil into then they are close enough to catch us on fire too.”

Veer nodded in silent response.

Cyerant called to Veer and Shira. “Remember they want the dragons and they have those ropes. We have to hold the dragons back so that they are not captured.

Everyone fell silent knowing that there was a battle coming soon – a battle against a lot of men. As the dragons felt the humans preparing for battle they also began to ready themselves. Prin could feel Jolss’ nervousness so she fluttered about near the young mage.  Drace was slowly pacing the decks of the boat growling deeply in his chest. The sound of the growl was almost too low to hear but it made the planks of the deck vibrate. Corth simply sat on his haunches near Cyerant. The mount dragon’s head was now higher than any of the humans and as the dragon sat he slowly lashed the end of his tail. If not for the tail moving and the occasional blink of his eyes Corth would have looked like a statue carved from the same brownish wood as the boat.

As the Gardenia entered that last bend before the narrows the following boats were rapidly nearing as the men bent hard to the oars. By the time the Gardenia was coning out of the bend the boats had reached arrow range for elves and humans alike. Pelinar was the only one who started to use his bow – everyone else knew that the shields would make the targets impossible to hit. But somehow the elf was actually able to slip arrows by the shields here and there and he was managing to hit targets. Pelinar released arrows only sparingly but each arrow seemed to fly as if charmed, and to find a target.

As soon as the Gardenia came into view the boat ahead had started out toward the centre of the river on a course which would reach the Gardenia as she herself started into the narrows.

As the Gardenia neared the narrows the river seemed to slow and swell as so much water was trying to force itself into a smaller space. The river really only got narrower by less than half but that was still enough of a change to make the water slow and swirl as it struggled with itself. As the Gardenia rose up and prepared to push into the faster waters of the narrows she suddenly lurched and a loud creaking was heard from the bow. The boat stopped moving forward so suddenly that all but the sailors and elves were thrown from their feet. As the bow stopped moving, the stern of the ship began to swing around and the boat was starting to fight the current broadside.

“Rope,” Captain Tarian shouted as he released the now useless ruder oar which started hanging from its gunnel ties. The captain picked up the oar at his feet and prepared to fight.

Dalnt realized that there must be a rope strung across the channel and by the time he heard his father yell he was already on his way to the bow. Dalnt dropped his oar to the deck and picked up the bill hook and reached down over the edge of the bow of the boat and began to cut at the rope that was blocking the Gardenia. Cralnar moved in to stand behind his brother and protect Dalnt who worked to free the boat.

Jolss had been preparing to cast a spell at the boat that was rushing out from the shore. He had already started the chant and was pointing at the oncoming boat. He was positioned right in the doorway of the cabin so that he could quickly duck inside to recover from the effort of casting the spell. As the Gardenia lurched to a halt Jolss lost his footing and was thrown into the cabin through the doorway to fall on the floor of the cabin – a floor that was two feet lower than the deck on which he had been standing. As the young mage landed he felt a thud on his head and heard a loud crack as if someone had swung and axe into wood. The darkness swept over him in a wave that pulled him down into dreamlessness.

Cyerant was thrown from his feet and tossed hard against the mast which left him dazed for a few moments. When Corth felt the confusion and pain of Cyerant he became enraged and launched himself into flight right at the nearest boat – the one that had been lying in wait. The dragon was skimming just above the water shrieking his rage at the men in the boat ahead of him. Now the size of a colt nearing adulthood, the dragon was a formidable opponent and he looked as if he would crash right into the boat at any moment but then he started to pull up just high enough that he would be able rake the men on board with his claws and tail. Most of the men were rowing and had shields on their backs so they could not see the dragon approaching and the shields would protect them from the raking claws. One man alone could see the dragon approaching and that man was sitting in the back of the boat preparing his lasso for a desperate toss.

Veer was thrown against Drace who had dug his claws into the deck planks as the boat lurched. Veer was rapidly back on his feet with his sword out in his right hand and his hunting knife ready in his left hand. The young man moved toward the railing where the rapidly moving boats following would soon be able to put men onto the Gardenia.  He noticed that both Talyat and Myalnar were moving in the same direction and that Captain Tarian was already at the railing with an oar in his hands.

Shira felt the deck shudder and as she was thrown from her feet she tucked into a roll which carried her across the deck toward the bow and smoothly back up onto her feet. As she rolled she pulled her hunting knife and stood poised and ready. After a few moments she saw what Dalnt was doing with the bill hook and that Cralnar was moving in to stand behind his brother so she decided to join Cralnar in protecting Dalnt.

Pelinar felt the boat jerk to a stop and he saw that in moments the following boats would be slamming into the Gardenia. In a single movement that seemed more fluid and beautiful than real the elf placed his bow over his shoulder onto his back and pulled two curved blades from his belt. The blades spread out as if they were the wings of some demon poised on the edge of flight – a beautiful demon with glinting steel wings.

The roar of the dragon ripped across the water and struck the men in the boat like a blow. The people on board the other boats all turned to see the largest of the dragons in his charging flight. The power of the dragon wings beating against the air was creating a wind that could be felt behind the animal and as his wingtips struck the water a spray was being thrown up into that wind. It was as if each wing stroke created a small storm behind the creature. His spade shaped tail was dragging in the water as if it was trying to rip open the river itself and it pulled a wake up into the air; a wake that looked like the tail of a rooster. The claws of the dragon ripped away slivers of wood as they crossed the bow of the boat.

The rowers felt the screaming doom from the approaching beast and they just ducked down beneath the shields on their backs and began to say the fervent prayers of men who expect that they are about to die. The men, huddled under their shields, felt the claws scraping across their backs tearing splinters from their protection. One man defiantly rose in the back of the boat and loosed something into the air. The dragon pulled sharply upwards but it was too late and Corth felt the agony as the rope closed around his neck. In that moment he felt as if a heavy blow had been struck against him and then the choking noose closed around his neck stealing the dragon’s strength from him. The momentum of the dragon carried him yards beyond the boat and as he passed just over the man who had thrown the rope, the spade of the dragon tail struck the chest of the man lifting him from the boat and from the world of the living. The body of the man splashed into the water a dozen feet behind the boat just as the now weakened dragon skidded across the water some yards beyond – skidded and then sank.

The rowers were shocked to still be alive as they saw their sergeant die in the back of their boat. The two men nearest the rear of the boat saw the rope uncoiling as the dragon slipped deeper into the river and they dove and grabbed the rope to secure it. Soon most of the men had hold of the rope and were pulling against the weight of the captured animal. The beast was too weakened to struggle much but its weight and the current were still pulling hard against the men.

Pelinar saw that the men had lassoed the dragon and were scrambling around in the smaller boat which had stopped and now would not reach the Gardenia. The elf ran toward the centre of the deck of the Gardenia and smoothly returned his swords to his belt and in the same motion had grabbed his bow, nocked an arrow and released it into flight. By the time the elf came to a stop in the middle of the deck he was releasing his second arrow. The men struggling with the rope in the other boat were presenting targets of opportunity and the elf was feathering those targets with arrows.

From far above came a loud shriek and a distant speck up near the clouds pulled her wings to her side and began a diving descent toward the river so far below. She was followed by another small speck still yet to high to be seen from the surface. But as the speck hurtled from the sky it became larger and larger. Shira struggled to control her rage – Cyool’s rage. Through the eyes of the dragon, the girl could see the boat rushing up at her.

A seething anger filled Cyool and hatred came over her – a hatred for the men who had used the dreaded ropes on her brother. Downward she dived, dropping like a stone. Soon she had the speed of a falcon hunting prey but her prey was a boat and the men in that vessel. Faster and faster she descended. She was aware that her smaller sister was also dove with her following along just behind. She could see the men pulling at the rope which held her brother. The boat was rushing up at her and growing larger and larger as she aimed herself at the back of the boat where the men struggled against the rope.

As the following boats struck the Gardenia men began to pour over the railing seeking to overwhelm the companions. A lasso was thrown over the railing at the battle dragon but Drace avoided it as Veer’s sword sliced through the rope when it flew by him. Veer stood over Cyerant who was on the deck struggling against confusion and pain. This left Talyat, Myalnar and Tarian to defend the railings of the Gardenia. The Captain with his oar was managing to keep a considerably large section of the deck impassable to the attackers. Myalnar and Talyat both whirled with lashing blades and were each holding well against the attackers. But some slipped through and came against Veer and Drace while others managed to come against Cralnar and Shira.

The deck of the Gardenia turned into a scrambling battlefield and Pelinar was forced to exchange his bow once again for his swords. As he did so he was the only one who saw the dragon strike the boat. She came down so fast that even to his elven eyes she was a streak and she was followed by a much smaller streak. And then the elf began his dance.

Cyool did not target any of the men in the boat she just slammed into the stern of the vessel. Wood splintered as it gave way to the falling rage of the beast and the back of the boat shattered. As the boat was struck, driving the stern below the water as the bow was lifted the men were thrown into the water. One man was tossed high into the air and he met the smaller streak. The claws of the smaller dragon tore into the face of the man and the force of her descent snapped the neck of the human. The path of the dragon was changed so that she was left rolling and skipping across the water from her speed as if she were a stone thrown by a child. Green Eyes recovered and managed to get back into flight. Cyool was knocked senseless from her collision with the boat and her momentum carried her deep under the water where the current took her into the faster water.

Corth felt the rope tightening around his neck and felt the men begin to drag at him against the current of the water. He felt so weak and he had not been able to fill his lungs before going under so he already could feel the urgency for air. Then he felt something impact the water and the rope went slack as the men no longer pulled at it. The dragon had very little strength left but what little he had he used to try to find the surface – to find air. The current was pushing him along but it was also trying to hold him down as more and more of the river rose up to flow over him.

Shira was staggered as she felt Cyool slam into the boat. And as the breath was knocked out of her dragon, she too began to struggle for air. The young woman fell back a bit and for a few moments she realized that Cralnar was protecting her also. Shira forced herself to recover and stepped back toward her enemy as she tried to reach out to Cyool with her mind. She could feel the dragon there but when she tried to look through the dragon’s eyes all that she saw was darkness. She could feel the pressure of the water squeezing her beloved dragon and her heart began to break.

Veer was managing to keep the battle rage of Drace in check and the two of them were fighting together. The young battle dragon and the dragon warrior were proving to be a formidable team and the enemy was becoming wary of them. Since Veer had been forced to control the anger of the dragon so many times he was actually the only one able to maintain some calm within his dragon. Veer and Drace held firm on a section of the deck and gave Cyerant time to recover. Veer felt as if this were the most natural thing to do – as though he were finally in his natural element. The world seemed to have slowed and he found that he knew how and when to move and exactly what moves to make. The he felt a wave of concern from Drace as the dragon leaped the railing an dove beneath the water Veer knew that his bonded was diving deep to save Cyool who was down there somewhere.