Dragon Eyes

Chapter 14.

Midnight Meeting.

The sun was soon completely gone and the Northern Mountain Range was covered by a blanket of darkness. The moon began to make its journey across the sky and Lynwood decided it was time to go over to the broken bridge.

“You wait here,” he told the dragon. “I’ll come back soon.”

Caderyn was obviously not happy with this idea. He knew the forest was a dangerous place at night, filled with creatures who would be sure to see Lynwood as supper. He gave a low growl and shook his head.

“I can’t take you with me,” Lynwood argued. “Elaine will be sure to have a fit, she’ll die from fright. You wait here until I get back.”

Caderyn gave Lynwood a frank look that seemed to say, “I am older and wiser than you, trust me.”

Lynwood figured arguing with a dragon was not the smartest thing to do, so he climbed up and hoped Caderyn knew what he was doing. Caderyn flew back down the mountain until at last he descended and motioned for Lynwood to get off. Lynwood reconized the surroundings and figured they were pretty near the broken bridge.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he told Caderyn. “But if you want to stick around so close don’t move, you’ll start bending the trees and Elaine will notice something is wrong.”

The yellow/green eyes glinted in annoyance. After having lived on this earth for eighty seven years, Caderyn couldn’t believe a human child was lecturing him on how to remain undected in the woods. Lynwood failed to notice Caderyn’s less than grateful attitude towards his advice and made his way towards his meeting point. The night wind rustled through the threes and rocked the tall pines from side to side. Owls hooted from above him and in the distance Lynwod could hear the howling of wolves. He was suddenly very glad that Caderyn was not too far away, being out alone in the forest at night was extremely dangerous. At last he got to the edge of the woods were a small stream cut across the ground, dividing the forest from the main road. There was an old, broken, rotting bridge built across the stream, over which two planks had been added on. It was a sort of cheap attempt at mending the bridge without actually fixing it. Lynwood caught sight of Elaine standing in the shadows, holding something in her hand. He whistled softly to catch her attention. She jumped a little and looked around. Noticing Lynwood, she motioned for him to remain where he was and cautiously crossed the bridge to his side of the stream. She placed a bundle on the ground before turning to him.

“Keep your voice low,” she told him. “It is still very unsafe. How are you and Sofia? Are you still living in the cave?”

“Yes ma’am,” Lynwood replied.

“How is Sofia’s ankle?”

“It is better, I think. Though if she walks on it or stands for too long it still hurts. I still make compress for her, using the stuff in the bottle that you gave me.”

“I am glad to hear that. I’m afraid I have no good tidings for you, Lynwood. You and your sister will have to stay in the mountains for quite some time. There is no chance of you coming home in the near future.”

“But what of Father and Tristan, is there any hope of them coming back?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Do you know why they were taken away?”

“Something to do with plotting against the king.”

“Plotting against the king!” Lynwood gasped in horror. “But, but that is impossible! Father was nothing but a humble woodsman.”

“I am afraid it is the truth,” Elaine sadly shook her head. “I told Tristan so many times to stay out of politics, but he wouldn’t listen. Neither would your father and now look at what it has gotten them into.” Elaine wiped a tear from her eyes. “I suppose they found that letter, they knew your father had it.”

“They didn’t get the letter,” Lynwood reassured.

“Where is it?”

“I took it away.”

“Lynwood, burn it, do you hear me? Burn it! That letter is the source of all the trouble. I don’t know what is inside; Tristan never discussed these matters with me, but you must rid yourself of that horride paper, it will only give you trouble.”

“Father told me to get it to the nephew of the king.”

“Do you want to end up like you father?”

“No.”

“Then get rid of it. Go to your cave and throw it into the fire! Do you understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” Lynwood nodded his head, deciding that perhaps it would be best not to mention he had already managed to get the letter to the capital. “Is any hope Father will come back?”

Elaine shook her head and wiped her eyes with her apron once again. “I’m afraid not, Lynwood. They have probably been taken to the capital, tried and banished.”

“Banished!” Lynwood took a step back. “Where to?”

“How should I know? I can only tell you that we will never see them again.”

“What if they were proven innocent?”

“That could never happen, Lynwood. They are not innocent, they were plotting against the king.”

“But why?”

“I don’t know.”

“You said they were taken to the capital? To Arrol?”

“That is where I am guessing they were taken, but then I am only an ignorant village woman, and don’t know how such matters are taken care of.”

“And I was only there a few days ago,” Lynwood muttered under his breath.

“You don’t have any supplies or blankets do you, Lynwood?”

“Not really, we had to flee the house in a hurry. I have my bow and arrows and my knife, as well as one blanket and a flint. I am afraid to go back home for more supplies.”

“Oh you mustn’t go to your house, you musn’t leave the woods at all. You have been outlawed, Lynwood. There is a price of ten gold coins to anyone who catches the son of the woodsman.”

Lynwood’s eyes widened. “Ten gold coins!”

“There are many in the village who sympathize with you, but these are desperate times and people are struggling from hunger and taxes. If anyone sees you they will most likely turn you in. The soldiers have left my house, but they are still in the village, you must not go there, and you must never try to contact me,

Lynwood nodded.

“I have brought you this,” Elaine picked up the bundle. “There is some food, cooking utensils, and blankets. I will try to bring you more in the future, if I am able to get away without being noticed. I will hide any supplies in the shrubbery by the Great Pine.”

Lynwood nodded again, his thoughts all in a whirl.

“My poor little orphans, having to live in woods like thieves and outlaws.” Elaine’s apron was quite wet from her tears. “How shall you manage once winter comes?”

“We’ll be alright,” Lynwood tried to reassure.

Elaine nodded her head, hardly comforted. “Goodbye, Lynwood, take care.” She gave him a quick kiss and placing the bundle in his arms, crossed the bridge and disappeared into the night. Lynwood quietly made his way back to where Caderyn was waiting for him. As he walked he pondered everything Elaine had told him. Father had been plotting against the king? What maddness has driven Father to do that? Why would a woodsman suddenly get involved in politics? Was that why he had been so nervous during the days leading up to his arrest? Was that why he had been so worried when Sofia was left alone. Did he suspect that one day he would be caught? Lynwood remembered how the last time they had gone to visit Tristan and Elaine, Father had said how he and Tristan needed to discuss something alone. Had they been discussing things that had to do with this letter. This mysterious letter that he had just given to Collyn? Was there something dangerous in the letter? Would it get Collyn in trouble? What if she took it to her uncle? Had it been wise to just entrust it into her hands, or should he have burned it as Elaine had told him?

Lynwood buried his head in his hands, why was this happening to him? What had he done to deserve this terrible twist of fate? At last he got back to the dragon.

“Sorry I took so long,” Lynwood apologized as he climbed up and arranged the bundle so it wouldn’t fall. “I got the information I needed, but it was’t what I wanted to hear.” He sighed sadly, and Caderyn couldn’t help wondering what had happened to make his little human friend so sad. He spread his wings and flew back to his cave.

“So how did it go?” Sofia was dying with curiosity. “You sure took a long time. Where did you get all that stuff from? Did you see Elaine? Do you know where Father is? Is he coming back?”

“Hold your horses,” Lynwood said, placing the bundle on the cave floor. “First help me with all these things.”

“Where are they from?”

“Elaine gave them to me.”

“That means you saw her?”

“Yes, and as soon as I unpack and organize everything I will tell you all that happened.”

Sofia sighed a little impatiently, but soon got busy helping Lynwood. The blankets they arranged in the bed, the rug was in the sitting area by the fire. The food consisted of a loaf of bread, a bit of cheese, a small sack of cornmeal, some dried fruits and a few fresh vegetables. They stacked it all neatly in a corner that served as their kitchen. The cooking utensils and dishes Elaine had sent were also arranged in the ‘kitchen’, and Lynwood hung the pot over the fire.

All the while Caderyn had been watching the children with great interest. Humans truly were the oddest of creatures; he couldn’t really understand why they needed all this junk, but it was entertaining to watch them run about here and there, trying to find the right place for everything. At last the packing was complete and Lynwood and Sofia found a comfy seat in between the dragon’s paws.

“Now you must tell me everything,” Sofia stated.

“With a sad sigh Lynwood related the events of his meeting at the bridge.

“I can’t believe it!” Sofia argued. “Plotting against the king? What does that mean?”

“It means they wanted to get rid of King Farran and put someone else instead of him.”

“But Father...he couldn’t...it’s silly!”

“It isn’t as silly as it seems, Sofia. After all, Father did have a letter that had to be taken to the king’s nephew.”

“What is going to happen to him now?”

Lynwood simply did not have the heart to tell his sister that their father had probably been sent far away and would never come back. You might as well count him dead. “I don’t know,” he said at last

“So Father might be gone for good and no one wants us,” Sofia softly summed it up. “Lynwood what are we going to do?”

A low croone from the dragon caused the children to look up at him. He gazed at their little forms with tender eyes. He had understood enough from what was being said that his humans friends were now outcasts, hunted by their own. Right now, the children and the dragon were equally unwanted by the citizens of Northurst. A soft murmer came from Caderyn’s throat as he gently nudged Lynwood’s head.

A smile slowly crept onto Lywood’s face. “Caderyn wants us,” he told his sister. “As long as we’re with him, we are safe.”

“But we can’t live in this cave our whole life.”

“No,” Lynwood agreed. “But for now we’ve got a roof over our head and a safe place to sleep. Who knows, in time maybe we’ll figure something out.”

Sofia cracked a smile and snuggled more comfortably n Caderyn’s paws. She knew her brother was right. They would be safe as long as Caderyn was with them.