Dragon Eyes

Chapter 3.

The Town.

“Lynwood, hurry up, we haven’t got all day,” Lyndon called as he helped Sofia climb into the wagon

“It’s not like the town is going anywhere.” Lynwood’s voice drifted from his room on the second floor.

“But Tristan is waiting for us and it is just rude to be late.”

“I’ll be there soon,” Lynwood called in a lazy voice.

“And when exactly is ‘soon’?”

“I dunno.” His voice was a bit closer now, telling Lyndon that Lynwood was walking down the stairs.

“Don’t know,” Sofia corrected. ’Dunno is grammatically incorrect.”

“You said it yourself the other day,” Lynwood retorted, coming out of the front door.

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Stop it!” Lyndon interrupted them. “End this argument right now or you will be grounded for three days. This is just not the right way for a brother and sister to behave! Do you hear me?”

“Yes sir.” Sofia sighed

“And you Lynwood?”

“Yes sir,” Lynwood mumbled as he locked the front door. Sofia was such a stick in the mud; she made trouble for him day and night and then Father got all angry at something that wasn’t even Lynwood’s fault. Lynwood climbed into the wagon feeling very sorry for all the injustice he had to endure from his family.

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining brightly and the birds sang as the wagon rolled down the dirt road to town.

“Today is the sort of day when one is happy to be alive!” Sofia exclaimed. “Lynwood, what are you staring at the mountain again? All you ever do is gawk at it.”

“There is something mystical about that mountain, and I’m trying to discover its mystery.”

“I heard that dragons were once abundant in these mountains.” Sofia said. “Were they really, Papa?”

“So the legends tell us. There is no way of really knowing, dragons were long gone when I was a boy.”

“Don’t you think it is a pity that there are none left?”

“Certainly not, the dragons were a great threat to all the villages. People lived in utter terror of them.”

“What were the dragons like?”

“That is a question you had better ask your brother. He spends his free time reading all sorts of books and I’ve noticed many of them have something to do with dragons.”

“Lyn, what are dragons like?” Sofia turned her question to her brother.

“Stop calling me Lyn,” Lynwood barked. “Dragons were dangerous thieves who would fly in and grab whatever loot they can get their claws on. They were very large and very strong and very cunning. It would take a great deal to outsmart one.”

“How do you outsmart them?”

“Oh there are many ways; it really depends on the dragon. One of the most effective ways was to set up a trap and lure the dragon in. Of course the hard part is convincing the dragon that it’s not a trap. The trick is to disguise you trap and then the dragon won’t suspect anything, after all, dragons are nothing more than very large animals.”

“What do you do with a dragon after you’ve caught it?”

“Kill it.”

“KILL IT?”

“Of course silly, what else are you supposed to do? Dragons are dangerous, treacherous creatures. Just because you showed mercy to one doesn’t mean he will show the same mercy to you.”

“How do you know this, Lynwood?”

“It’s a well accepted fact, Sofia, everyone knows it.”

“Oh.”

The arrival to the town brought an end to the conversation.

***

Briston was the central town in the small area up in the north of the country. It had ten long streets and a large market place to which all the other surrounding towns and villages came to trade. The woodsman family rode up down one of the streets until they arrived at the house of Tristan the Blacksmith. He was a rough looking man with thick curly hair and a large black beard. His hands were filled with calluses and he had several scars on his arms. Despite his menacing looks, Tristan was a very kind man and a great favorite with the village children. He was sitting on the porch when the woodsman family drove up and rising from his seat, greeted them with a large smile.

“Lyndon, children, how glad I am you have finally arrived. Elaine my dear, come, Lyndon and his family have arrived.”

“It is good to see you, Tristan,” Lyndon said as he climbed down of the wagon and lifted Sofia out. “How have things been going? I think the last time we were here was over a week ago.”

“Oh fine, everything is going fine. How are you, dearest Sofia?”

“I am wonderful thank you,” Sofia beamed as she was scooped up by Tristan. “I’m enjoying the summer to the fullest.”

“That is good little cricket, that is good. And how are you, Lynwood?”

“I’m good.” It was a standard flat reply. Lynwood was never known to talk lot in company.

From the house a woman emerged. Elaine was Tristans wife and a kind lady. Rather short and a bit plump, but with kind hazel eyes and a beautiful smile. Her simple village gown was pressed and clean, her hair gathered up and covered with a linen headpiece, as was customary for married women.“We are so glad that you could come and pay us a visit,” she said, greeting the family warmly. “The children are getting so tanned. No doubt they spend a lot of time in the sun. Goodness me, Sofia, why don’t you have a hat on your head?”

“Do I need one?” Sofia asked with a careless shrug.

“Of course you need one. Lyndon, Lyndon, why don’t you cover your daughter’s head? The sun is piping hot and she is running around with no hat. She could get sunstroke, fever, anything! You simply must cover her head when she goes outside. Did you forget to put your hat on today?”

“I never wear a hat.” Sofia replied.

“Never? Never, never?” Elaine looked wide eyed at Sofia, concern filling her voice.

Sofia shook her head.

“Oh child, why ever not? Foolish little girl, you will get a fever for sure! Come with me into the house and I will find you something to wear. Lyndon, Lyndon look at me.”

Lyndon, who had been conversing with Tristan, turned his head.

“Listen, you must always make sure that this child wears a hat when she goes outside or she will get sunstroke and end up in bed. It is summer after all and the sun is strong. Who knows, a stroke may even kill her. Never let her go anywhere without a hat, you hear me, can you remember that Lyndon?”

“Yes, yes, Elaine, I will remember.” Lyndon nodded his head and turned back to Tristan.

“Oh, but of course you won’t!” Elaine fussed.

“I won’t?”

“No, you won’t. You are as absent minded as my husband standing there and will forget what I said even before I finish telling it to you. No, this simply won’t do. Now I will be worrying over the child night and day. Lyndon, I’ll be visiting you sometime soon, to make sure this sweet and precious flower is alright and in good health. Now come with me, dear girl.” So saying Elaine took Sofia’s hand and led her into the house.

“What’s the matter with her, Father?” Lynwood chuckled.

“Nothing is the matter with her; she is just worried that your sister stays healthy. I should have told her to put something in her head; sort of slipped my mind. I suppose Elaine is right when she says I am absent minded.”

“You’re not absent minded, Father,” Lynwood argued.

“I need to discuss something with Tristan, why don’t you go into the house.” Lyndon suddenly said.

“Nah, Elaine will start fussing about the fact that I don’t have a hat either. Tristan may I go into your workshop, I promise not to wreck anything.”

“Go ahead boy, I know you are careful.” Tristan nodded and Lynwood trotted off.

“They’re growing real fast,” he heard Tristan comment to father.

“They are,” Lyndon said with a small sigh. “A little too fast I think. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that Lynwood is already thirteen. I only wish they wouldn’t argue so often; it’s beginning to get out of hand.”

Lynwood smiled as he walked off and the voices of his father and Tristan became faint. They were indeed growing up. Sofia was already ten, three or so more years and she would be able to take full control of the house. In three years he would be sixteen; that was even more grown up than he was now. When Sofia got older, maybe Father wouldn’t be so scared to leave her alone and then at last Lynwood would be able to work with his father in the woods and leave all of the housekeeping to his sister. And it surely wasn’t his fault if they argued from time to time. Sofia was the one who was so annoying and purposely getting on his nerves.

Presently Sofia came running and called Lynwood for lunch. That was the nice thing about coming to Tristan’s home. Even if Elaine was quite the worry case and fretted all the time, she was an excellent cook. Lynwood thought her to be the best in the world. Even though food variety here in the village was rather limited, she always came up with new and creative ways to prepare a meal. No one could match up to her skills in baking either and she could whip up such wonderful hot buns, honey breads and other sweet delights. Lynwood hoped Sofia would grow up to be as good a cook as Elaine was.

After lunch, Tristan and Lyndon went off again, leaving a very disappointed Lynwood. He was stuck day in and day out with Sofia and now here was the one chance for him to get some real male company and Tristan and Father just walked off while he was stuck with the womenfolk.

Sofia dragged Lynwood to the village square where the other children playing a game of blind man’s bluff. Sofia jumped right into the game, but Lynwood, who never cared for company, didn’t want to join in. He watched for a while before going off and wandering around the town, lost in his own world. Before he knew it Tristan called him for supper after which they all got back into the wagon and headed for home.

“Did you have a good time at the village?” Lyndon asked as they once more rode in the wagon.

“I had a wonderful time,” Sofia stated with a contented sigh.

“I was thinking, perhaps I could take the two of you to stay with Tristan and Elaine for a week or so.”

“Oh no, no, father, don’t do that!” Lynwood burst out. Spend a whole week in the village? That was more than he could bear.

“Why not?”

“What would we do there? And who would take care of the house while you are gone. There are chickens to feed, goats to milk, and the garden needs tending.”

“But just for one week.”

“Father, are you trying to get rid of us?” Sofia put in.

“Of course not, I just thought perhaps it would be safer...” Lyndon’s voice trailed off and he looked into the distance.

“Safer?” Lynwood was puzzled. “Safer from what?”

“From a lot of things, who knows what could happen.” Lyndon’s voice was distant.

“Papa, what are you talking about?” Sofia tugged on his sleeve. Lyndon looked at his two children staring at him wide-eyed.

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“So you won’t send us off to Elaine and Tristan?” Lynwood asked.

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

Lynwood was relieved to hear they wouldn’t be stuck in the town for a whole week but was still puzzled about his father’s strange behavior. Father had a troubled look in his eyes, and Lynwood suspected something was wrong. At the same time, it was obvious his father was not going to talk about it and Lynwood knew better than to ask. So he decided to watch and wait and if he was patient and observant he might just figure out what the problem was.