Page 10 of Dragon Fire

“Genlitha has been rather vocal in her disdain for the leadership of the Lair. That’s why she and Gowan have been assigned all the far patrols recently. It was they who intercepted the gryphon, and she has told me all that the child told her.”

“Child?” Livia prompted.

“The gryphon who escaped with the message was a juvenile,” Seth told her. “He has massive wings for his age, but he’s still quite young. Only about ten years old, I believe.”

“Flurrthith is his name,”Hrardorr added.“If they had to send a child, they are in even worse straits than the message indicates. Genlitha wants to fly out at first light, but I’ve counseled her to patience. She cannot directly defy the leadership until they have made their decision. If, as she thinks, they’re not going to do anything, then I’ve already promised her I will help.”

“Help how, exactly?” Seth asked, tilting his head toward the dragon, suspicious of what he was contemplating.

Hrardorr ducked his head in something like embarrassment.“I thought I’d fly out, then duck under the waves before the enemy fleet could see me and surprise them from below, the way I did before, while Genlitha acts as high guard. She can tell me what she sees from above.”

“You two have already planned this all out, have you?” Livia accused, but there was no anger in her voice. Instead, Seth thought he heard approval.

“It seemed wisest to prepare, in case we had to act.”

“If you go,” Seth declared, “I’m going with you.”

“Alas, I can carry you only so far, and you cannot swim from where I plan to go under the waves.”Hrardorr sounded genuinely sorry about that, which mollified Seth somewhat.

“We could take my boat and approach from the far side of the island. It’ll take a little longer, but we could beach the boat and meet you on land.”

“Absolutely not,” was Seth’s initial reaction, though he wanted some way to get to the island. He regretted his lack of knowledge about how to sail. If he could manage a boat himself, he’d have been all for the plan. “Besides, what could we do from land?”

“We could help treat the injured. And you can fight. You organized our harbor defense. You could do that there, as well. Or at least help those who are doing it with the benefit of your experience.”

Her words had merit. If only there was some way to make it to the island without her help. Seth couldn’t ask anyone else to put themselves in danger—especially since, if he did this, it would be without the Lair’s blessing.

Hrardorr seemed deep in thought before he finally weighed in on the idea.“Genlitha could watch from high above and help guide you to a safe spot on which to land your boat. Truthfully, I would prefer if Genlitha and Gowan were both safely away from the diamond blades we know the enemy still has.”

“You intend to take on the remainder of the enemy fleet all on your own?” Seth knew Hrardorr’s abilities were more than adequate to deal with a few ships at a time, but how would he handle the rest of that massive fleet?

“With support from land, I believe it can be done,”Hrardorr was quick to reply.

“And you could best organize that support, Seth, while I interface with the locals, like we did here.” Livia reminded him. She was all too eager to put herself in danger as far as Seth was concerned, but she did have a point.

“This is all moot unless and until the Lair leadership makes a bad decision,” Seth reminded them.

“Which is all too likely to happen,”Hrardorr muttered.

“Which is why we should prepare our plan,” Livia insisted.

Seth didn’t like it, but he remained silent while Hrardorr and Livia talked through the best ways of implementing the plan they were devising. Livia was allowed to take her sailboat out twice a week. She would begin sneaking provisions down to the boat, as would Hrardorr. He could bring things from the Lair, with Seth’s help, and deliver them to the boat when they met to go fishing. This way, when the time came, they would be ready.

If it turned out they wouldn’t need to act, the supplies could be just as easily removed the way they had been delivered. Seth grudgingly agreed to assist because he was fairly sure Livia would be sailing off to Gryphon Isle without him if he didn’t. If she was going to embark on the perilous journey, he would be right there, ready to protect and defend her should they run into problems.

“I suppose Genlitha is in league with you on all of this?” Seth asked after they’d hammered out the bones of the plan.

“The basics, yes,”Hrardorr allowed.“I will fill her in on the details when I go back tomorrow. By then, we’ll know more about what the leadership intends to do…ornot do, as the case may very well be.”The dragon got to his feet and walked the few steps toward the edge of the deck on which he’d sat.“For now, I’m going for a short swim and perhaps a longer hunt. I will return in an hour or two.”His head craned backward, as if looking at them, but of course, he couldn’t see them.“Do you plan to stay?”

“If you don’t mind the company, I need a few hours of freedom from my bedroom prison,” Livia joked softly. “I have to be back there before dawn, but the night is mine, and I intend to keep it.”

Hrardorr bowed his head as if in understanding.“Then, I welcome your company, dearest Livia. Alas, I should have eaten before I left the Lair, but I had a taste for fresh fish tonight.”His attention turned to Seth.“I suppose you will want to stay, even if I insist I am fine on my own?”

Seth walked over to Hrardorr, making sure the dragon could hear his footsteps against the wooden decking. Hrardorr’s head moved, following Seth’s progress.

“My friend,” Seth began, knowing he had to make the dragon understand his motivations. “I came here not to watch over you like a nursemaid, but to be here in case you needed a friend. I have lived a very lonely life in the Lair since I chose to follow the healer’s path, and I’m receiving the same sort of odd looks and stilted speech you’ve been getting since the battle in the harbor. I think we surprised everyone with what we did and what we are capable of doing. Even ourselves.” His voice dropped into lower tones as he made his admissions, but he knew the dragon could hear him. “We have a lot in common.”

Seth considered his next words carefully. “In fact, I think I have more in common with you than with any other being I know. I want you to know that I am here for you, Hrardorr. Always. And unlike anyone else, I think I understand at least some of what you’re going through now. I just want to be your friend. Not your crutch or helper or whatever other term you want to use for someone who thinks less of you. I know you aren’t less than you were before you were blinded. I’ve known that from the first moment I met you. I only wish you believed it too.”

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