Page 23 of Dragon Fire

Bronwyn made him sit down and write a note to his parents. She knew he was riding into danger, and while she might understand why he had to do what he planned, she insisted that he leave some message behind for his parents—both human and dragon—to explain in his own words why he felt the need to go. She claimed his folks would be proud of him for deciding to aid their allies in their time of need, but Seth wasn’t so sure. His fathers hadn’t been supportive of his decisions for a long time now. He didn’t expect that to turn around overnight.

Although…they had been different toward him since the battle in the cove. Not enough time had passed since he’d taken up arms to defend his hometown to know how his fathers’ new attitude would affect their relationship, but things had been much more positive since the battle than they had been in years.

Seth wrote the letter Bronwyn required and made her promise not to deliver it until he was missed. With any luck, that might not be until late tomorrow night or even the next day. By then, he’d be on Gryphon Isle, hopefully doing some good.

After that task was done, Bronwyn helped him pack. She also helped him come up with excuses for carrying multiple packs around the Lair. If anyone asked, he was to tell them he was operating on Bronwyn’s orders, replacing supplies in the stashes she kept around the Lair for ease of access.

Nobody asked, though, so Seth was in the clear. They’d decided to put everything in Hrardorr’s chamber, since nobody dared to visit him and he had a number of empty side chambers that would suit their purposes well.

Seth had a slightly harder time getting enough food for the journey to the island, but he managed it, and by midnight, he’d secured all the needed supplies he could think of in Hrardorr’s side chamber. Seth would stay there that night, so as to be ready to go at first light. Actually, Hrardorr and Seth would sneak out before first light, with the supplies.

Hrardorr’s coloration was so murky that he wouldn’t be easily seen, and nobody really questioned his comings and goings anymore. Not since his prowess in the water had become common knowledge.

Hrardorr would carry the supplies and make a low, slow pass over the beach. Seth would drop the supplies and follow them down. He might take a few bumps and bruises landing on the sand, but it was better than getting dunked in the water when Hrardorr landed in the sea.

The others would meet them on the beach, and they’d take off from there at first light.

It had been up to Genlitha to tell Flurrthith of their plans—and of the Lair leadership’s dithering. The leaders hadn’t even had the decency to tell Flurrthith themselves. Instead, they’d merely sent a messenger to tell the gryphon that nothing could be decided until word had come from the capital.

Genlitha had calmed the young gryphon after the messenger departed. He was staying in her chamber for the night again, and Genlitha kept Hrardorr and Seth apprised of the gryphon’s reaction and mental state. She had managed to calm him after a while, and when Hrardorr had spoken into the gryphon’s mind himself, assuring the youngster that he would personally roast the enemy fleet, as he had done when they attacked Dragonscove, Flurrthith finally settled down to rest.

Genlitha watched over the young gryphon through the night. She had promised to alert Seth if he was needed, but Seth slept through the night in Hrardorr’s chamber, his rest undisturbed. When Hrardorr woke him gently, in the hour before dawn, Seth was eager to get going.

He readied himself, using the chamber usually set aside for a dragon’s knight in Hrardorr’s suite, wondering just briefly how it would be if Seth actually was Hrardorr’s knight. Or any dragon’s knight, actually. He’d wake up in a chamber like this every morning, with a dragon partner of his own heating the entire place to a comfortable temperature, waiting for him just on the other side of the stone wall.

It was a lovely fantasy, but Seth knew Hrardorr would never choose another knight. Particularly not Seth. Still, it would be an honor and a treat to be aloft on Hrardorr’s back this morning. He knew such a chance would not come again, and he planned to enjoy the novel experience.

Shrugging off his somewhat sad thoughts, Seth dressed in his dark cloak and got everything ready. He coached Hrardorr silently as they took off and glided down to the beach. The drop of the supplies went well. Seth’s own tumble to the sand was about as bumpy as he’d expected, but he came out of it unharmed. Hrardorr set down in the water and walked ashore with Seth’s guidance.

Now all they had to do was wait for everyone else to get here. Shouldn’t be long now.

Livia had composed a note to her father. She didn’t want him tearing apart the town or Lair looking for her. That would be irresponsible on her part, to create such an inconvenience for everyone. Plus, even in his fastest ship, her father could never get to Gryphon Isle before she did on dragonback.

He couldn’t really come after her—at least not quickly—so she felt safe enough in telling him where she’d gone and why. Somebody outside the Lair needed to know how shamefully the leaders up there were treating their allies on Gryphon Isle. Maybe her father could get word to the king faster, though she didn’t know how. Still, her father was an honorable man. Surely, he would understand her reasons for taking this action.

Maybe.

After he stopped shouting.

Ifhe ever stopped shouting.

She shuddered just thinking about it and was glad she wouldn’t be there to see it. If she lived through this adventure, she’d take her lumps if and when it came to it. But first, she just had to try to do the right thing by the gryphons.

She left the note with Rosie to give to her father only after he started looking for her. Rosie was making a lot of extra money these days with all the secrets Livia was asking her to keep, but the housekeeper had her own sort of twisted sense of honor. Livia knew Rosie wouldn’t betray her, as long as she kept the extra cash flowing. Once Rosie’s loyalty was bought, it stayed bought.

Livia climbed down the trellis from her room just before dawn and made her way, with her small pack, to the beach. She felt very much as if she was going to meet her destiny. She could only hope it would turn out to be a good one…

Gowan and Genlitha didn’t have to come up with any pretense as to why they were leaving the Lair so early in the day. They’d been assigned the far patrols for a while now, and nobody noticed their odd comings and goings anymore.

They left from the main landing ledge only a few minutes behind Hrardorr’s departure from a much less-used portion of the Lair. There was no real way to camouflage Genlitha’s sky blue hide in the darkness before dawn, so they winged away in the direction of their usual patrol, only veering out over the ocean after they’d lost sight of the Lair’s sentries. By that time, the sun was starting to make an appearance, and Genlitha’s pale blue scales began to take on their usual reflective properties, making her much harder to spot in the pale sky.

They looped back around to the beach below Dragonscove, finding Hrardorr and the rest of their party already there. Xanderanth and Leo had spent the night at Leo’s parents’ home, just past the dunes, so they had easily walked the distance to the meeting point, with no one the wiser.

Seth was already doling out the parcels of gear and supplies he and Hrardorr had smuggled out of the Lair. Xanderanth—strong as he was—would carry the lion’s share, though Genlitha would take an extra satchel or two, as well. Hrardorr could not carry their supplies for the same reason he could not carry a rider. He would be landing and working in the water as soon as they drew close enough for him to reach the enemy fleet underwater but not be seen going into the sea. Genlitha would judge the distances for him and keep in touch with him if he needed intel from the surface.

Hrardorr’s greatest value lay in being the surprise attack. Once the pirate fleet realized dragons were coming to help, they’d probably be looking more closely for the one dragon who had done such damage against them in their last encounter. They’d be watching the water as well as the air.

Flurrthith was the last to arrive, as they’d planned, but he wasn’t alone.

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