Days of Air and Darkness - Katharine Kerr [173]
“Your Highness.” Garin bobbed his head in the prince’s direction. “My heart sorrows for you.”
Daralanteriel started to speak, then thought better of it, frowning hard into his goblet.
“He’ll be avenged,” Calonderiel said flatly. “They all will. And what of your people, Envoy? I saw them in the middle of hard fighting.”
“We’ve lost a fair number, truly. But then, every war-band gathered here today has lost far too highly for the peace of anyone’s heart.”
“Well said, Envoy.” Calonderiel nodded in his direction. “Well said, indeed.”
Every man within earshot raised goblet or tankard in grim salute.
That night, the army slept anywhere it could, whether in dun walls or out of them. With Jahdo in tow, Rhodry left the town and picked his way through the dead and dying until he found Arzosah, who’d made herself a camp off to the west and far away from the carnage. A stream ran through the western plain, and the dragon had settled herself in a copse of trees beside it. When Rhodry found her, she lay inert, so drowsy that he knew she must have fed well. He decided against asking her upon what. The boy, who was carrying a lantern, held it up to wash her in its dappled light.
“Oh, she be so grand,” Jahdo whispered. “Never have I seen her so close, just did I see her fly, like, over the town.”
At that, Arzosah raised a drowsy head and opened one eye. Jahdo stifled a shriek.
“What’s this?” the dragon rumbled. “Another dwarf?”
“Nah, nah, nah,” Rhodry said. “A child, and he’s under my protection. By the power of your name, I enjoin you to treat him as a friend and protect him if ever need be.”
Arzosah yawned with a long whining sigh.
“Another burden! May the god of dragons help me! First this wretched dragonmaster, and now his cub!”
“Arzosah—” Rhodry held up the ring.
“I hear you! Of course, I’ll have to obey you. I promise, I promise. He shall be as my own little hatchling would be.”
“How do dragons treat their hatchlings?”
“My, you’re clever! But have no fear. A hatchling is our greatest treasure.” She swung her head and squinted at Jahdo. “What’s your name, lad?”
“Jahdo, my lady.” He swallowed heavily. “Truly, you be the most beautiful thing that ever I did see, in my whole life.”
Arzosah rumbled.
“At least he has nice manners. Very well, Jahdo. You may count yourself a dragon friend. Now please, Dragonmaster, won’t you take these wretched straps off me? I’m so tired.”
With Jahdo’s help, Rhodry undid her harness and let her shake it off. The boy had brought his tattered blankets from the dun, and Rhodry found his bedroll in the general clutter of gear. They both just barely had the strength to spread them out, and as soon as Rhodry lay down, boots, sword belt, and all, he fell asleep.
With the morning, the men and lords alike found the life to cull the battlefield. The warbands began rescuing what wounded men had survived till dawn, killing those Horsekin who’d done the same, and looting the dead, enemy and friend alike. Rhodry sent Jahdo back into Cengarn with a message for Garin, asking the envoy to find the boy some food and clothes as a personal favor. Once the lad was on his way, Rhodry harnessed up a grumbling Arzosah.
“I don’t want to fly today,” she snarled. “My wings ache.”
“My heart bleeds. I’m not taking any chances. I’ve seen these Horsekin fight now. For all I know, they’re hale and hateful enough to regroup for another fight. No one’s keeping a decent watch, as far as I can tell.”
“Oh, very well, but I’ll wager they’re not. They’re not demons, you know, only made of flesh and blood, just like poor, weary dragons are.”
In the event, Arzosah was proved right. They found the remnant of the routed army camped, if you could call the straggling disorder they found a camp, some ten miles away. Rhodry had to marvel that they’d managed to retreat so far. As far as he could tell in their brief circle round the encampment, the Horsekin force numbered in the high hundreds, but they had far fewer horses—and fewer still remained after Arzosah risked one