A Tale of Two Dragons by G. A. Aiken
“You bet against me?” Bercelak demanded of his father, completely ignoring Braith, who sat across from him.
“You seem surprised,” Ailean replied, busy counting his freshly earned gold.
“And explain to me,” Bercelak snarled at the rest of his kin, “why this traitor to our Queen is still breathing?”
“Perhaps we think she’s too pretty to kill?” one of the cousins suggested with a smile.
“We don’t have time for your jokes, Kel,” Bercelak snapped back.
“Thank you,” Braith mumbled as she again focused on the ridiculous chains. “Thank you very much.”
“This isn’t Braith’s fault,” Shalin told her son. “It’s her father’s.”
“And I guess she wants to protect him as well.”
Braith shrugged. “Eh.”
“We’re not going to hold against Braith what her father has done.”
“Done with her help, I’d wager.”
“She wasn’t part of it,” Addolgar cut in. “And she saved my life.”
“Who cares about your life?” Bercelak demanded.
Addolgar was silent for a moment before he replied, “I do.”
Braith studied the dragon who sat next to her. “You had to think about that reply?”
“Wanted to make sure it wasn’t a trick question, didn’t I?”
“If she lives, chances are high we all die,” Bercelak reminded them.
“Not all of us,” another cousin reasoned. “Probably just you lot.”
“And that suits you, then, does it?”
The cousin shrugged. “No, but you should be clear.”
Bercelak closed his eyes, a long sigh escaping his lips. “Why do I bother with any of you sorry bastards?”
“See?” Addolgar said to Braith. “That could be a trick question.”
“Would you stop fooling around?” Bercelak snapped, his typically short temper even shorter. In fact, there were newborn mice that were longer than his brother’s temper. “This is serious. The Queen will want her head.”
“And we will not give that bitch anything.” Shalin looked around the table. “Why are you all staring at me?”
Maybe because Shalin only let her anger out when it came to the current queen. Addiena and Shalin had a past revolving around Addolgar’s father, and it was something they all understood but rarely discussed. They all knew about Ailean the Slag’s past, but discussing it was something not to be done. Some, like Addolgar, merely snickered at the details of their father’s past. But Ghleanna and Bercelak felt there was nothing funny about the way Ailean had lived his life before making their mother his all those years ago.
“Mum,” Bercelak kindly said, their mother being one of the few dragons he showed any true respect for. “We can’t just dismiss this. Whether it was Addiena or her mother, this is something that would be considered treachery by any who held the throne.”
“He’s right,” Braith said softly, her gaze now on Shalin. “I don’t know why my father did this, whether he has intentions of taking the throne for himself or for someone who has offered him more than Addiena. But whatever his reason, this cannot be ignored. It has to be dealt with.”
“Aye, it does,” Brigida announced as she made her slow way back into the hall. She had her walking stick in one hand and a jug of Ailean’s ale in the other.
“And what do you suggest, Auntie Brigida?” Ghleanna asked.
Brigida stopped by Bercelak’s side and began to tap him on the head with her walking stick. With an annoyed growl, Bercelak got the hint and moved out of the chair and into another one while Brigida took his place and slowly settled her ancient human body at the table.
“I don’t know. But I think until we come up with something, we need to stash Lady Fisticuffs away some place safe.”
“What about your own kin, female?” Bercelak asked Braith.
“You mean the kin who just turned on the Queen and made me into a walking target?” Braith asked, her attention still on those chains.
“No. I was thinking more your mother—”
“Is dead.”
“I know,” Bercelak snarled. “But if I recall, your mother has sisters, aunts—”
“No. Going to my Penarddun kin is not an option,” she said simply.
Shalin leaned forward. “Braith, dear, why ever not? The Penarddun She-dragons are very loyal . . . to their daughters.”
“My mother’s kin made it perfectly clear to me after she died that they wanted nothing to do with me.”
“Did you ever tell them how you feel?” Shalin asked her.
Braith winced. “I’m not good at that sort of thing.”
“Your mother passed years ago,” Bercelak told Braith. “Are you trying to tell me that in this instance they won’t—”
“Yes. I’m telling you they won’t . . . ahaaaaaaa!” she abruptly crowed, startling everyone at the table. She held up her still-cuffed hands, but now the chain between the cuffs was in two distinct pieces. “Got it!”
She’d pulled the steel chains with her fingers until she’d broken them apart. Something that amazed every Cadwaladr in the room.
Addolgar looked at a shocked Ghleanna and Bercelak, then back at a smiling Braith. “You do know that dwarves made those chains, don’t you?” he asked.
Braith studied the chains she’d separated with her bare hands. “So?”
“So?” Bercelak snapped, his head wound briefly forgotten. “Dwarves, female. The ones who share the caves with the Volcano dragons. They make chains that can’t be broken by anyone, especially dragons.”
“Well, these are pretty old.”
“It’s dwarf steel. It doesn’t matter if it was made at the time the gods were born.”
“Your point?” Braith demanded of Bercelak.
“I don’t know what my point is!” Bercelak exploded, but he immediately seemed to regret it, his hand going to his head. “Gods, my head hurts.”
“Sorry about that,” Braith muttered, cringing at his wound.
Bercelak stared at Braith for several long moments until he said, “Arranz.”
Addolgar nodded. “Aye,” he said to Braith. “Those are Arranz’s chains. He won’t be happy you broke them.”
“Not the chains, you twit!” Bercelak yelled. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing.” Addolgar thought a moment and added, “I don’t think.”
Maelona put another cool cloth against Bercelak’s head and that seemed to calm him.
“Take her to Uncle Arranz’s cave is what I’m trying to tell you.”
“Oh. Oh! That’s an excellent idea, brother.”
“No, Addolgar.” Braith looked at Bercelak. “I appreciate what you’re all trying to do, but I can’t let any of you get more involved than you already are.”
Addolgar was reaching for the back of Braith’s head when Ghleanna snapped, “Addolgar! Don’t you dare do that again!”
Braith looked over just in time to see Addolgar snatch his hand away. “Really? You were going to do that again?”
“You’re not being logical.”
“So you ram my head into the table?”
“If necessary!”
“You can’t help what your father has done, lass,” Brigida noted, almost kindly.
“Who said I want to?”
“It’s plain on your human face,” Brigida said. “But you can’t let your loyalty to blood stop you. Your mother wouldn’t.”
“What do you know of my mother?” Braith snapped.
Addolgar leaned in and said very low, “Careful here. She turned one of our cousins into a lizard once when he questioned her at a family gathering.”
“I knew your mother,” Brigida stated. “Knew your grandmother, too. Strong females, like you. With a streak of honor leagues wide. And you’re just like them. You let your father get away with this and you’ll never forgive yourself.”
“Who said I was letting my father get away with anything?”
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“How? He feels nothing for me.”
“Do you think Addiena will care?”
“Why are we bothering with all this?” Bercelak demanded, his forehead still swelling. “If she’s not going to listen to reason, then let’s take her back to the Queen as she wants and let her deal with it!”
Brigida’s head snapped around, her steely gaze locking on Bercelak. Black smoke snaked from her nostrils, and Bercelak immediately threw up his hands.
“Fine. Fine,” he said quickly. “Do whatever you want.”
Braith briefly closed her eyes. “Please don’t bicker about this.”
“We will if you don’t let us help you,” Addolgar promised. “At least let us take you to Arranz. He’s no big fan of the Queen either, so he’ll be more than happy to help.”
“You’ll be safe there,” Ghleanna added. “His cave is like a maze and our cousins enjoy tormenting anyone who tries to enter. You’ll have no fear of anyone tracking you down there.”
“This doesn’t seem right,” Braith hedged.
“It’s all we can do right now, child,” Brigida explained. “At least until we come up with something else or we track your father down.”
“Which I will do,” Addolgar promised. “He tried to kill me. It’s the least I can do for him.”
Finally, Braith relented. “All right. I’ll do as you ask.”
“Good,” Brigida said with a nod. “Now, you’ll need one of Arranz’s kin to accompany you. Take that one with you.” She motioned to Addolgar. “And the one with the thick neck over there.”
Ghleanna’s hand went to her throat. “Me neck isn’t thick.”
“Thick like a tree trunk,” Brigida muttered.
“It’s graceful. This neck is long and graceful.” Powerful legs landed on the table and Ghleanna crossed her arms over her chest. “Graceful,” she growled, appearing to fight an instinct to yell.
Addolgar shrugged at Braith. “Me sister’s graceful.”
“Yes,” Braith replied, her eyes briefly crossing. “I can see that.”
Chapter 8
With the chains broken, there was no point in forcing Braith to sit around at dinner with the cuffs still on, so Addolgar removed them.
She rubbed her wrists and nodded a thanks while food was brought out from the kitchens.
Addolgar retrieved wine from the side table and poured Braith a chalice full. He sat down while she sipped it and watched his kin eat, argue, and laugh at dinner.
“You all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Everything will work out, Braith. I promise.”
She gave him a smile that was clearly forced and said, “I know it will. I’m just tired.”
“You must be hungry, too.”
Braith studied the platters of meats, roasted potatoes, and still-warm crusty bread. “No. I’m not.”
“Addolgar,” his mother said to him, her small hand resting on his shoulder. “Why don’t you take Braith upstairs to get some sleep? It’s been a long day for both of you.”
When he looked into his mother’s face, she frowned a bit and motioned to the back hallway with a tilt of her head.
Taking the hint, Addolgar stood and waited for Braith to follow. She placed her chalice on the table, thanked his mother, and followed him up several flights of stairs to his room. He held the door open for her and Braith stepped in.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
Braith did no more than nod before she crawled onto the bed, dropped her head to the pillow, and closed her eyes.
Worried, Addolgar watched her for several moments before he stepped out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him. He turned around, but took a surprised step back when he found his mother standing there. His shoulders hit the bedroom door hard.
“Hello?” a sleepy-sounding Braith called out.
“It’s all right, Braith,” he told her through the door. “Go back to sleep.”
Addolgar took his mother’s arm and led her down the hallway.
“What are you doing up here?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
“You’ll need to keep an eye on her. She says very little, that one, but I can tell—there’s all sorts of things going on in her head.”
“You don’t trust her either?”
“I don’t trust her not to throw her poor, foolish ass on the altar of her mother’s honor. She’s a Penarddun, Addolgar. They are . . . a special kind of royal. I met her aunts when I lived in Devenallt Mountain, and . . . well . . . honor means everything to them. Which I do appreciate, but this girl is trusting that bitch Addiena to do what is right, which is the stupidest thing she could ever do. So don’t let her sneak away from you on this trip.”
“I won’t, Mum.”
“Good.” Frowning hard, she studied the floor. He knew his mother was thinking about something, but he didn’t expect what she said next. “I like her.”
“You do?”
“I do. And I know exactly what she’s doing. I used to do it, too, when I was forced to spend time with Addiena. There’re all these things you want to say but you keep to yourself out of fear or guilt or whatever.”
“Because of Addiena?”
“No. Not for Braith. It’s that father of hers.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’ve never liked him. Not at all. But he is dangerous. Maybe not physically to you, but he’s not above using others to get what he wants. Keep that in mind.”
“I will. And I’ll stay outside her door to make sure she doesn’t sneak away from here during the night.”
“Excellent plan. I’ll bring you some food so you can eat up here.”
“Thanks, Mum.”
Finally smiling, Shalin went up on her toes, then stretched her arm up so that she could pet Addolgar’s cheek. “My handsome son.”
She winked at him and went down the stairs
“Don’t let that compliment go to your head, brother,” Bercelak said from behind Addolgar, and it took all of Addolgar’s training not to scream and run away. Did the dragon ever make a sound? The big, overbearing bastard. “Mum says the same thing to all her sons.”
Addolgar faced his brother. “What are you doing up here?”
“Can’t I spend time with my own brother just to catch up and talk about old times?”
Thinking on that, Addolgar finally answered, “No.”
Braith was allowed to sleep in Addolgar’s room for the night. She didn’t mind. His room smelled nice. But she had no delusions she was trusted. Not with Bercelak pacing the hallway outside her door while Addolgar rested against it all night long. The brothers never said a word to each other, but they never left either—although for different reasons she was sure. Bercelak, because he still saw her as a traitor even if it had been his suggestion to take her to Arranz’s home deep in the Black Woods about fifty leagues from here. And Addolgar, because he was afraid she would still leave this place in the middle of the night to turn herself over to the Queen.
She would have, too, but there would be no getting past the Cadwaladrs undetected. She did not have the skills for sneaking around. She didn’t lumber as some dragons did, but one could definitely hear her coming and going.
So, instead of fretting about it all, Braith slept until she heard a soft knock on the door. She immediately sat up and Addolgar stuck his head in. He smiled at her, looking surprisingly refreshed since he’d spent the entire night on the floor outside the door.
“We’ll be leaving in about fifteen minutes. That enough time for you?”
Braith nodded. She didn’t primp like some females did. “Are we going as human or dragon?”
“Dragon to start. But bring clothes and a bag for human travel. Just in case, Ghleanna left some clothes for you on that chair over there.”
“And my father?”
“North?” Braith let out a breath, horrified. “He’s heading toward the Northlands? To the Lightnings?”
“Perhaps. But don’t worry about that now.”
Easier said than done. Had her father actually joined forces with the Lightning dragons of the Northlands? The vilest, most brutal dragons and one of their greatest enemies until the Iron dragons had reared their curled-horned heads not too long ago.
Braith threw off the fur covering and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood, stretched. And that’s when she realized that Addolgar was still standing there . . . watching her.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“No. You got nice legs, though.”
Braith looked down at her legs. Human legs that she’d always thought were rather thin and weak-looking compared to her legs when she was in her natural form.
“Uh . . . thanks?”
When Addolgar continued to stand there, staring at her legs, Braith pushed, “Addolgar?”
“Huh?” he asked, looking up at her.
“Fifteen minutes, right?”
“Right! Right.” He nodded. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
“Thanks.”
The dragon stood there a few seconds longer before he seemed to snap out of whatever haze he was in. But before he could move away from the door, a big shoulder rammed into him, knocking Addolgar’s entire body into the wall beside the door.
“Da!” Addolgar exploded at his father.
“You need to pay attention, boy! You can’t let a good set of legs and a pretty smile distract you from what’s going on at all times. That’s how you get your head taken off. And then your mother will cry and I hate when she cries.” Ailean smiled at Braith and winked at her before walking off.
Eyes down, his human face red from embarrassment, Addolgar nodded at her and muttered, “Downstairs then,” before he stepped back into the hall and closed the door behind him.
With a shake of her head, Braith went about getting her things organized. “The whole lot of ’em,” she softly said to herself. “The whole lot of ’em are just daft.”