Return of the Dragon (The Dragon's Champion Book 6) (10 page)

Lady Arkyn strung an arrow and in a single moment
turned back to fire without losing step as she sprinted. The arrow flew
straight and true, sinking through the slit in an orc’s visor and dropping the
orc instantly. A couple orcs that were too slow to evade the obstacle tripped
on the corpse, but she knew that wouldn’t stop them.

“We won’t be able to outrun them forever,” Lady Arkyn
said. “They’ll catch us by the ravine.”

Lepkin knew she was right. “Keep using your arrows,”
Lepkin ordered. “Take down a few more and then we’ll turn on them.” Lady Arkyn
broke off toward the west. “That isn’t what I meant!”

“Keep going!” Lady Arkyn shouted.

The majority of the group continued on after Lepkin
and the others. Lady Arkyn fired two arrows, slaying two orcs that were after
her. She quickly set another arrow to her bowstring and stood her ground. An
arrow through the neck killed a third. Four more sprinted toward her. She
strung another arrow. They were thirty yards away. The arrow pierced through
another orc’s armor. The three remaining orcs were now twenty yards away as she
fired another arrow. This one caught a lightly armored orc in the groin. It
wasn’t an instant kill, but it did take him out of the fight. She fired another
arrow as the last two were ten yards away. The arrow sunk into an orc’s skull.

She pulled another arrow as the last orc closed in. He
raised a heavy sword over his right shoulder. Lady Arkyn had no armor. If she
took a blow from that sword it would be the end. Her arm brought the arrow out
of the quiver and over her shoulder. There was no time to string it. The orc
was already swinging.

Lady Arkyn opened her left hand and let her bow fall.
She ducked to her right, still grasping onto the arrow shaft. She somersaulted
and twisted up. As the orc rushed by she stuck the arrow up through the opening
between the orc’s rump and the plate over the back of its left thigh. She
plunged the steel tip deep into the orc’s leg and then pulled down sharply,
snapping the arrow shaft and tearing the wound as large as the narrow opening
in the armor would allow.

The orc shouted out and fell to the ground.

Lady Arkyn jumped up to her feet. She launched onto
the orc’s sword arm and wrested the weapon free. The orc did not give up the
fight so easily, though. He turned over and socked Lady Arkyn in the chest.
Pain ripped through her bosom as the gauntleted fist mashed into her and
knocked her to the ground.

She barely moved before the orc drove a dagger into
the ground where she had been. She was up on her feet in an instant. She came
down hard on the orc’s arm with the sword she had taken from him, severing it
at the wrist. The orc howled in agony and then Lady Arkyn drove the sword down
through the orc’s open mouth.

Breathing heavily, she quickly grabbed her bow and
started taking aim at the group chasing Lepkin and the others. She aimed for
the orcs with less armor, dropping them down just as quickly as her arm could
work the bowstring. Soon she had thinned the orcs down to a manageable number.

Lepkin and the others turned suddenly and the clashes
of metal and shouts of struggle preceded the hoots of victory as Lepkin and the
others made quick, dirty work of the remaining orcs.

Lady Arkyn then turned to watch the main body of the
orcish army retreating back from the barrage of stones. None of them wanted to
stay on the field. As she scanned the army she saw a large orc sitting upon a
goarg near the edge of the burnt forest. His gaze fell upon her and her skin
shriveled into tight goosebumps.

The orc slowly raised his hands and started clapping
at her. With her keen eyesight, it was easy to see the contempt and rage
painted upon the orc’s face. It unnerved her more than anything had so far. She
set another arrow to her string and aimed up. She let loose. The missile flew
up into a high arc before descending and dropping to stab the ground well short
of the orc.

The orc smiled and drew his blade with one hand while
he beckoned to her with the other.

“Lady Arkyn,” Lepkin shouted from behind. Lady Arkyn
turned to regard Lepkin and then turned back to watch the orc. The orc was
already engaged in other business, shouting orders and barking at his soldiers.

“That’s the chief,” she said. “If we can kill him, we
can cut the head off the snake.”

“There are too many of them,” Lepkin said as he and
the others came close to her. “We could never get close enough to strike.”

“No,” Lady Arkyn said. “
You
couldn’t,” she
corrected.

*****

A short while after sundown Lady Arkyn sat in the
dining room in Tillamon’s old house. The food was set but only a few people
were at the table. Al and Commander Nials were among them, of course, but there
were no others seated with them. Lepkin paced back and forth, mumbling to
himself and fidgeting with his hands. He would take a few steps with his hands
clasped,
then
switch to folding his arms only to shake
his hands out a few moments later.

“Been a while since you’ve seen her?” Commander Nials
asked as he poured himself a bit of wine. “A drink might calm your nerves.”

Lepkin shook his head and continued pacing.

“At least have a seat, bean-pole,” Al grumbled. “I
have seen squirrels less active than you.”

Lepkin stopped and looked at his hands. He smiled and
then moved to sit. Two seconds later he was up out of the chair and walking
toward the hallway that led to the front door.

Lady Arkyn giggled to herself. Al shot her a
cross-eyed look and then shook his head as he followed Commander Nials’ lead
and poured himself a bit of wine.

“Excuse me,” Lady Arkyn said as she stood up from her
chair. Commander Nials rose up out of his chair as was customary, but Al
remained in his seat and pressed the drink to his lips after offering Lady
Arkyn a simple nod.

“Shouldn’t one stand when a lady leaves the room?”
Commander Nials asked.

“What’s the point of being a king if you can’t even
sit on your backside when you choose?” Al quipped.

Lady Arkyn stifled a laugh. “It’s alright,” she told
Commander Nials. “I have grown accustomed to this one.” She jabbed a thumb in
Al’s direction.

“I think you should all bow whenever I enter or leave
a room,” Al continued. “I am a king, after all.”

Commander Nials cocked his head to the side and
glanced between Al and Lady Arkyn.

Lady Arkyn just shrugged and walked away, leaving the
two to figure out for
themselves
who would bow to
whom. She wanted to talk to Lepkin. She found him sitting on the front step
outside.

“Nervous?” she asked.

“Is it that obvious?” Lepkin smirked.

Lady Arkyn shrugged and smoothed out her trousers
before she sat on the front step next to Lepkin. “Funny how you can charge an
entire army and exude nothing but confidence but then when your wife is a few
minutes late you start pacing like a puppy.”

“You’ve never loved someone before?” Lepkin asked.

Lady Arkyn smiled. “Twice, actually,” she said. “I was
married once, a long time ago.”

Lepkin nodded, but he didn’t say anything. His eyes
were glued to the road to the north.

“Being half-elf I have a longer life span than most,”
she said. “I outlived my first husband, though it didn’t help that he was
caught by a highwayman.”

Lepkin sighed and shook his head. “I am sorry to hear
that.”

The blonde-haired woman nodded. “It was a long time
ago,” she said. “It still hurts, but not as much.”

“What about the second time?” Lepkin asked.

Lady Arkyn grinned and moved her hands up to fix her
braid. “I fell for a young man on the battle field actually,” she said.

“Not an orc I hope,” Lepkin jested.

“No, it was you,” Lady Arkyn said.

Lepkin knit his brow and his mouth opened for a moment
before closing again. Before he could find any words to speak, Lady Arkyn
started laughing out loud and slapped a hand onto Lepkin’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t resist.” She wiped
a tear from her left eye and patted Lepkin’s shoulder a couple times before
setting her hands back in her own lap.

“Proud of yourself?”
Lepkin
asked. His tone had definitely changed to one of annoyance. Still, Lady Arkyn
didn’t let it bother her.

“I thought it might break the ice a bit,” she
explained. “When you have a hard subject to broach with someone it is easier to
open with a joke.”

“So, you thought it appropriate to tell me that you
love me while I am waiting for my wife and unborn child?”

Lady Arkyn smiled and nodded. “That will make it all
the more palatable for you when I say that I have actually taken a liking to
Erik.”

Lepkin arched his right brow and sighed. “This is
getting tiresome,” he said. He turned and locked eyes with her. Lady Arkyn
smiled, but kept his gaze. After a moment she raised her own eyebrows and
nodded twice to show him that the last bit had not been a joke.

“He’s only a boy,” Lepkin said quickly. “How could you
fall for him?”

Lady Arkyn
laugh
and
shrugged. “He has fought armies, warlocks, and even a dragon. I don’t know that
‘boy’ is the correct term.”

“He isn’t of age,” Lepkin said decisively.

“Not yet,” Lady Arkyn said. “But he will be soon. I
already said that life for me is different. I can wait a few years if I must.”
She leaned back on her palms and cleared her throat. “Many young women have
their marriages arranged at similar ages. You, of all people, should know that.”

Lepkin nodded. “You are speaking of Dimwater?” he asked.

“And countless others.”

“So you are asking for me to arrange a wedding between
you and Erik?”

Lady Arkyn shook her head. “No. I know he has been
through a lot. When I saw him and Al…” her voice trailed off. “Well, let’s just
say that I saw what he has been through. I was at the senate hall. I was at
Lokton Manor.”

“You knew that was him?”

Lady Arkyn nodded. “I didn’t tell anyone, but I could
see that it was not you inside your body. You should have seen him then. You
would have been proud. He is far more of a man than any give him credit for.”

“What do you want from me?” Lepkin asked.

Lady Arkyn smiled and leaned forward again. “I want
what you have,” she said. “I want to pace nervously when my husband is about to
return from his latest adventure. I want to feel the bond the same as you and
Dimwater. Only, I don’t want to wait as long as you did of course.”

“I can’t make the boy love you,” Lepkin said quickly.

Lady Arkyn nodded. “I know that. I have spent many
decades searching for someone who could fill the hole in my heart. I have not
found any I have felt comfortable with until I met Erik. I know he is too young
now, but in a few years he won’t be. Also, he is a Sahale, so I will not have
to live with the pain of outliving him. All I want from you is your blessing.”

Lepkin inhaled deeply and pouted out his lips as he
reached up to rub his chin. “Answer me one question.” Lepkin turned to look at
her. His blue eyes were steady and warm, yet overwhelming at the same time.
“What will you do if he does not return your love?”

“Then I should like to stay near him for a while. Even
if things do not unfold the way I would like, there is
a
gravity
to him that pulls me in. Maybe there will be another adventure
after this business is done. If so, then I want to be at his side.”

Lepkin scoffed. “After this I hope there are no more
adventures.”

“You have lived with the sword too long to hope for
that,” Lady Arkyn pointed out.

Lepkin frowned. ”Not for me,” he said. “When this is
over I am taking Dimwater far away. We are going to build a home in a forest
where no one can find us. All I want is a life of peace. When Nagar’s book is
destroyed, that is what I aim to have.” Lepkin then turned away from her and
nodded. “If Erik decides that he is happy with you, and you feel the same, then
you have my blessing. After all he has been through, I wish for him to find
peace as well.”

Lady Arkyn smiled and leaned over to give Lepkin a
peck on the cheek. At that moment the two of them spied Dimwater and Marlin.
Marlin walked ahead of a small horse-drawn cart while Lady Dimwater sat near
the front and held a hand over her belly, which was now starting to bulge out
from under her dress visibly.

Lepkin jumped up and sprinted out to greet Dimwater.

Lady Arkyn watched for a moment and smiled wide. “Yep,
that is what I want,” she said as she watched the two
jump
into each other’s arms. She imagined Erik, grown into a man and running to her
the same way. Lepkin was more cautious about the idea, but Arkyn had seen the
glances Erik had stolen when they were together. There was something there, if
only a spark. Still, a spark was worth exploring. Lady Arkyn knew that life was
too short, even for her, not to.