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A Fairy Tale in Flight ch 6


The Tower


Morning found me finally sleeping when Master William arrived. I’d spent most of the night awake. Lehi’s visit had left me fearful and in pain for some time, and as if that wasn’t enough I had bad dreams. I dreamed of fire and the people I cared for disappearing into the flame. Then suddenly, in my dream, I was in Tamas’ room, in his bed and his arms were around me. I could hear him talking, but not what he said and then the fire flared up and the dragon roared, bringing me straight up in bed, my heart racing. After that, I’d paced the small room until I fell asleep again, just before sunrise. Master William looked over my drowsy face and dark eyes with a glower that made me shrink back. I tripped over my tongue explaining that I had had bad dreams. He nodded and murmured that he‘d make my night medicine a little stronger from now on, as I needed sleep not dreams.

“I’m glad to see you unhurt this morning,” I said.

Master William raised an eyebrow puzzled. I told him about Lehi’s visit and he growled angrily that he’d have a word with Father about it. Turning to Raulf, he lectured him fiercely about me getting my sleep to regain my strength and if they wanted to cancel the wedding because of my death, they could just keep up what they were doing. I sat on the edge of my bed, open mouthed in shock, as Raulf’s face turned an ever-deeper shade of red and his hands clenched tight enough to snap his arm bones, before he stomped out swearing. Master William examined my arm closely and announced with relief that Lehi’s roughness hadn’t damaged the healing skin. Fortunately, the blankets had cushioned my injuries against his grip. Master William left after making sure I ate and drank, leaving me instructions on how much to drink. I heard his voice outside grumpily order Raulf to take him to Father and for a minute, I almost pitied Father.

The rest of the day passed as miserably boring as the previous one had. I slept, drank, pissed and paced the room. After the third time I woke up, I began to suspect that there was a sleeping draught in the wine. Well, I thought wryly, at least it helped the day pass. Dusk was starting on the horizon and wrapping the blanket around me, as I still had no clothes to wear, I leaned as far out the window as I dared. Trees cast long shadows and far off I saw a man walking along a road. People moved around the bailey below me but I doubted I would be able to get their attention; they were so far below me. Even if I did get someone’s attention, nothing would come of it, as there were few brave enough to challenge the Arm’s Master. A small child ran by below, its laughter floating up to my ears and I started to shake as I thought about about the babies at the garrison forge. I was certain that Lehi knew of my relationship with that forge as well as the one in town and I would never forgive him if even one of the children suffered harm.

A flash of blue caught my eye and I turned my head to follow the wearer of the cloak, having nothing better to do at the moment. The person disappeared around the curve of the tower and I sighed, again left alone to my own thoughts. I pushed away from the window and headed for the bed. I wasn’t quite to the bed when I heard a noise behind me.

“Och, laddy, ye sure know how to get in trouble, doon ye?” said a familiar voice from the window.

“Kinder!” I shouted, whirling around.

Sitting in the window, in his by now, familiar pose of one foot against the window frame and the other dangling down inside, was Kinder. His cloak had been the blue that caught my eye earlier and I thought wryly that only Kinder would wear blue on a foray into the enemy's camp. But knowing Kinder, both in human and dragon form, I thought it probably never occurred to him to be anything other than himself, as the wyvern would stop all but the very brave (or very stupid) from hindering his progress.

“Whisht laddy, who taught ye how to summon a dragon? Yon cry fair near cracked my head in half," he asked as if it were the most normal thing in the world to have a person appear in a tower window.

"Summon?" I asked puzzled.

"Aye, ye called to me, a week ago. Hafnae been called to like that since I was a wee lad and my old Granny couldnae find me. Och, I naever could hide from her," his Northern burr rolled his ar’s an impossibly long time. He shook his head with a grimace.

"You told Tamas to call to you with his heart; I just thought..." my voice trailed off at his look of shock. “What?"

Kinder hopped down from the window and crossed the room, striding so purposely toward me that I had the urge to run. Faster than my eye could follow, his hand shot out and caught my jaw. I cried out in surprise and heard the dragon roar in my head. Kinder flinched; I wondered if he'd heard the roar as well, but his grasp on my chin never faltered. He held my head very still, those very blue eyes drilling into mine with an intensity that terrified me. Now I knew how a rabbit felt when cornered by a wolf.

"Ye only called out? Naebody taught ye how to do it?" He asked. I nodded, too scared to speak.

Kinder let go of my jaw and paced away from me. After about three paces, he whirled around chuckling. He made a waving gesture with one hand and chuckled again. I stared at him, thinking that perhaps he'd finally lost his mind. He chuckled again and gestured to me to come to him. I approached him cautiously and he wrapped his arm awkwardly around my shoulder, pulling me down to his head level.

"Sweet highlands, I knew ye were an interesting lad but I naever guessed chust how interesting. Laddy, you haff a talent men and dragons would kill to acquire. Ye can summon dragon kin by name. Mayhap this explains how quickly ye became inseparable to that bairn."

"Summon?" I asked feeling stupid.

"Oh aye," he wiped his eyes and straightened up to look me in the eyes once again. "Yon cry when ye needed me so much, I couldnae ignore that anymore than I could stop breathing right here. Truth be told, I could stop living, as I stand here easier than I could ignore a proper summons. When my old Granny'd summon me, it didnae matter how deep in the ground I hid, I went to her with haste. Tis a mighty power, laddy, if word gets out ye'll need the protection of the firedrake."

"Firedrake!" I cried grasping his arm. "Can you take me to Tamas? Please, Kinder?"

Kinder looked me up and then down, before raising his eyes to mine and once again I were caught in their blue depths. He laid his hand over mine; his long thin fingers squeezed my hand with a surprising amount of strength for such a delicate looking hand. A sad smile curved his sensual mouth.

"Now is not the time for ye to be by hiss side, laddy, new born dragons are unpredictable and prone to violence. That bairn already hurts deep in hiss soul for hurting ye wi' hiss fire, laddy, he hass to work through hiss guilt over burning ye afore it‘d be ssafe to take ye to him," Kinder said gently, his eses becoming sibilant as they had the last time we'd talked about Tamas.

“I don’t care Kinder! I threw myself into the fire for him. I knew I’d be hurt,” I cried.

“Aye, and ye did a fine job of it too, but that bairn, he feels the pain of breakin a promise to someone he cares verra much for. He cannae chust put that behind him, without some deep thought into hiss fitness to be at yer side.”

“Kinder!”

I sunk to my knees sobbing in frustration and hurt, my shoulders shaking. Still holding my hand, Kinder knelt down and gently enfolded me in his arms, pulling me close. My head dropped onto his shoulder and I laid open my heart, pouring out my emotions and fears in words mixed with sobs. Softly he whispered soothingly in my ear as he rocked me like a mother with her child.

"Nicco, I'm sorry, I know yer hurtin an’ himself knowss yer hurting, he feelss it too. Listen to the dragon as the roar gets stronger so doess he." Kinder's hand lightly rubbed my back. "Och, that bairn, he doess everything backwardss, takin a mate before he can change, my old Granny would box his earss, she would."

"Laddy, look at me," Kinder's fingers gripped my chin, forcing my head up. He gently wiped my face and nose with a corner of the blanket. "Yer instincts are good, the best I've e'er seen in a human and ye were right to stop him from changing afore now. Newborn dragons, an’ thass what he is, feel the power and become drunk on it, they lose their human way o' thinkin and gif in to the beastie. It makes 'em violent as they realize that naething can stand against them, and in a firedrake, laddy, tis one hundred times worse."

"He would naever forgive himself if he hurt or, heaven forbid, killed ye while in thrall to the beastie. There hasnae been a firedrake in recent memory, I've been asking the old ones aboot it, so naebody can tell me what he'll do or how he‘ll react. Please understand laddy, tis hard but tis better this way." I nodded and he wiped my eyes gently again.

"Anyway," he went on rocking back on his heels with a grin. "It should be mighty entertaining to see what himself does, aye, I shall enjoy the show. And besides, himself would naever forgive me, if I stole his revenge from him!"

"Now stand up!" Kinder pulled me to my feet, the blanket slipping off my shoulders to the floor. Yer a man, not a lassie to be brought low by trouble. And yer the mate of a firedrake," he chucked me under the chin, "hold yon head up high, show yer pride and take no noise from others."

As with so many times in the past year, I found myself captured by his grin and grinning along with him. Even though he'd refused to take me with him, I felt better knowing that Tamas was learning to change and that he would be coming soon. Kinder walked back to the window and hopped up into it, reminding me once again of a small bird. He turned around and squatted down, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fist.

"So that hawk-eyed greybeard is yer da?" He mused. I nodded puzzled. "Mayhap, I should pay him a visit, for auld time’s sake."

"Old times sake?"

"Aye laddy, I once led yer da on a long and exhausting trip, many year ago when we were both chust lads. Deep into the misty, rocky highlands, I led him, naever quite letting him out of my sight. What fun we had! Me leading and himself following for days, until I suddenly took off and disappeared into the sun leaving him lost in the Highlands. Always wondered what became of the lad."

"Father hunted you!" I said realization coming to me like a crack of lightning.

"Aye, laddy, that he did."

""He-eh," I said with a grin. “Father tells it that you ran away in fear of him after he challenged you."

"Whisht laddy, does he now? What fine lies he tells. What stones he has!" Kinder laughed and leaned backwards on his heels looking out at the darkening sky. "Mayhap I should visit him indeed."

Flexing his legs, he propelled himself, backwards, out the window and even though I’d seen him walk on air, I still shouted an oath and ran to the window. Below me, a cloak settled on the ground followed by a boot and then another boot. I stared at them in shock for several moments as my brain tried to tell me he really wasn’t getting undressed somewhere above my head. A dark pair of hose and linen braies floated past my window toward the ground below and I jerked my head up. Above me, a gloriously naked Kinder did a backwards flip.

To my surprise, Kinder started to transform in front of my face. His body elongated, and his legs thickened as his feet changed into very lethal looking claws. His arms, stretched out from his body, grew the opal like membrane that comprised his wings; his fingers lengthened, except for the thumb, ending in sharp claws with the membrane spreading out rapidly to fill the spaces between each finger. He swooped low almost brushing the ground before pulling out of the dive and heading back towards the sky. As he rose, his neck lengthened and his head became the long blunt nosed muzzle I’d scratched at the rite of fire. Blue mane running down his neck rippled in the wind as he passed my window, fully transformed. Turning sharply, he paused outside my window back winging. Blue eyes watched me for a moment peering out through a blue-black forelock, before he roared and shot up into the sky over the tower.

People poured out into the bailey, shouting and pointing at the sky. A woman found Kinder’s clothes and screamed. More people swarmed to the pile of cloth, looking from it to the sky, to the clothes again, everyone talking and shouting at once. I leaned against the window and smiled, the wyvern had come to the castle. This should make things very interesting very soon.

The next few days passed in a blur of boredom. I paced the small room, raged and pounded on the door. The return of my strength brought the equal return of my temper. I was livid that Father would treat me like a well pedigreed brood mare, fit only for breeding. Or in this case, for money, I was certain that were the motivation, as neither Father or had Lehi offered anything more than token protests to my accusations. I pondered what Father could possibly have done that he needed money so urgently. I contemplated whether he had tried to get money from Sarrit’s husband John, and my face heated up with shame. Even as much as I’d feared him growing up, because he was loud, brusque, and much bigger than I was, I’d still felt proud of his skills and his strength. Now I thought he looked like a cornered bully and I was extremely embarrassed for him.

Sitting in the window, the blanket wrapped around my waist, I stared out across the fields and thought about Tamas. Two weeks had passed since the altercation at the smithy and I wished there was a way to send him a message. I wanted very badly to talk to him, to tell him I was all right, to encourage him in learning to change. My eyes swept the horizon and fastened on the woods off on my left. Those woods, where we’d gone to find the Yule Log for Christmas; I pulled the blanket up, remembering that day, so cold and yet so much fun being in the company of friends and my lover. I prayed that all the boys were safe and I wondered if I’d see them again. A light breeze caressed my cheeks drying the tears sliding down to my chin. Kinder had told me my instincts were good and Tamas changing too soon would have been disastrous. I remembered how long his teeth had looked in the forge and shivered. I covered my ears listening to the sound of his heart. Soothing as ever, I lulled my own heartbeat into rhythm with his, suddenly feeling closer to him than I had for two weeks. My head nodded forward sleepily.

“Nicco, my sweet beloved mate,” I heard Tamas’ voice say. “I am so sorry. I’ve hurt you again. And after I promised never ta burn yeh ever 'gin. I wanted to be a man worthy of you and I've failed."

"No Tamas," I whispered in my head. "You told me once that you were a man and could take your own blame, thus I will take my own blame. You said, you'd protect what's yours and I will protect what’s mine as well. I knew the fire would burn me, but I still had to save you," I finished fiercely.

In my head, I heard the dragon roar and saw a flash of gold and then darkness. I jerked awake in the window. Dusk had settled on the fields and I could see men and beasts walking home. I unfolded myself out of the window, feeling stiff from inactivity. Throwing the blanket on the bed, I stretched my body as if I were preparing to spar. It helped the stiff muscles and passed the time until Master William returned.

"Yer lookin much betteh, laddy, I'll have Mistress Mellys bring you a long shirt and braies on tha morrow. No hose, tha wool scritches tha new skin. Should improve yer mood a wee ta be summat dressed agin." Grateful to be allowed to wear clothing again, I thanked him profusely.

My pleasure, the following morning, at seeing Mellys’ bright face was enhanced by the cloth bundle in her arms and the old archivist at her heels. I hugged him enthusiastically, apologizing all the while for the blanket. He waved the apology off murmuring that he was just pleased beyond words to see me looking so healthy. I flushed and thanked him solemnly for his concern, which he waved away once again. Wandering over to the window, he leaned out it talking randomly about the weather and the view, giving me privacy to get dressed. Eagerly I took the shirt, a size to big for me, and I wondered who had donated it, and braies. I dressed rapidly with the first true smile I’d had in days. Mellys set the tray with my dinner on the bed and helped me with my ties and belt.

“The wyvern was here a few days ago,” she said. “Sat there on the roof of the tower, tail wrapped around the spire as if it owned the place, before hopping down to the East Wing where your families quarters are...”

“Yes,” I answered, “I spoke to him.”

“Hmm,” she murmured. “Rumors are running wild and things are truly in chaos around the castle.”

“Chaos?”
“Yes, wyverns bring pestilence and disaster, I hear, so there are new rumors of plague.”

“They do not!” I protested and Mellys held up her hand for quiet. She motioned for me to sit down. I sat on the edge of the bed, leaving the chair for the old man, who took it with a faint sigh, climbing all those stairs into the tower had to have been terribly tiring for him.

“The complainants say the Arm’s Master has brought all this on us by his arrogance, since the wyvern was seen at his quarters.” I chuckled visualizing Kinder hanging off the eaves, his long neck stretched out, and head in Father’s window. Mellys set the tray in my lap. I picked up the spoon apologizing once more for eating in front of the archivist. He chuckled and urged me to eat, eat, eat.

“The Smith Guild Masters have been up here protesting to His Lordship against Tamas’ outlawry and demanding restitution for the destroyed smithy. They are threatening a blacklist of His Lordship’s estates,” the archivist said meditatively.

”Sweet heaven,” I murmured. A blacklist would mean that no blacksmith would work on any of his estates or in any of the villages on his land. All smithing needs would have to be taken to places owned by another lord to be met, thus increasing his tax base at His Lordship‘s expense.

“Furthermore, the newest rumor is that your father made some kind of a deal with a minor count on the Continent to set both of them up in currently unoccupied manors. However, no one is certain if their loyalties are with our king or the king on the Continent where the manors are. I hear rumors that possibly they are planning something with the Holy Empire.” The archivist paused and Mellys snorted. “Actually, I’ve also heard rumors of dealings with any of His Royal Highness’ enemies, including the Eastern Caliphate, though I can’t imagine what HE wants in an empty manor, so far from the East. His Lordship is not pleased and tongues are wagging with guesses on whether he will support the Arm‘s Master or distance himself from him. My guess is distance, His Lordship doesn‘t have enough vassals to stand up to the King.”

“Oh Father,” I murmured. “What have you done?”

“Mother!” I said sharply jerking my head up. “What about Mother? How will this affect her? And Sarrit? Or Lehi?”

“For now,” the old man said softly, “your Mother is probably safe, being in the south with Her Ladyship. I suppose it will all work out for her, even if your father is stripped of his rank, they’ll probably allow her to retain her dowry and any property she brought into the marriage. Perhaps even something from Her Ladyship to insure a decent living. But she’ll have to retire to an estate to live.”

“Poor Mother,” I sighed. “This will be very hard on her. What about Sarrit? Or Lehi?”

“Lehi, I suppose, depends on how much it can be shown that he was involved,” the archivist said thoughtfully. “And if Sarrit’s husband is smart he’ll work to distance himself from his wife’s family. Meg, though, I would hope has a good dowry or male kin to help her, but I barely know her, so I can’t say. A lot of what happens next depends on whether your Father‘s allies stand by him or distance themselves from him.”

“Sweet heaven,” I murmured, finishing my dinner in silence.

Mellys and the old archivist left soon after, hugging and assuring me that it wouldn’t be long before I’d be out of that room. I nodded, thinking wryly, either in disgrace for being the Arm’s Master’s son or as a political token to save his reputation. I paced back to the window, which had become my thinking spot over the last two weeks. I’d known that Father was ambitious; I just hadn’t understood the scope of his ambition, to try to set himself up as a count or higher, perhaps aiming for Earl! I could visualize Father scheming to attain such power and wealth. Lacking marriageable daughters to use to cement an alliance he was offering up his good for nothing else son. I suddenly had sympathy for whatever Countess he was negotiating with, or more likely with her son or son in law, perhaps to get an unwanted older woman out of his household and away to her own estate where she couldn’t nag him or wield due influence on her daughter anymore. The Dowager Countess of East Keith had a notorious sharp tongue for all her wit and little concern over when and to whom she used it. Everyone knew she was not terribly fond of the current King’s cousin’s family, who were suspected to be conspiring to put the exiled cousin on the throne. I suspected she would marry anyone, even perhaps an infidel, to keep her lands from defaulting to the king and into his greedy family’s hand’s, if by some chance the Duke did take the throne away from his cousin.

I shivered suddenly concerned that was Father involved with the Duke’s family and the plan to put him on the throne. I shook my head that had to be nonsense; Father would never stand against the King. Father was stubborn and narrow sighted; to him not remaining loyal to the King would be unthinkable. I sighed and leaned against the window frame. I wanted the chance to talk to Father rationally man to man but I doubted he’d ever treat me as anything other than a very large, slightly stupid child.

The following day started with a visit from Master William, as usual, and then to my surprise Lehi. Lehi looked cheerful and freshly washed, his bright red doublet lent color to cheeks that looked just a bit pallid, as if he were worried about something. In his hands were a jug of ale and a pair of mugs.

“Nicco, I’m so glad to see you looking so well!” He said in a voice just a little too loud to be natural. “Here, here have a drink!”

He handed me a mug, which I took awkwardly, my twisted burnt fingers not to willing to work for me. Lehi steadied my hand as he poured the ale into the cup. I took a sip and sighed with pleasure. Some of the best out of the stores here and I wished Tamas were here to enjoy it with me.

“I have to say you scared me out of several years’ growth back there at the forge,” Lehi said after draining his mug. “I’ve never seen anyone run into a fire like that. I have misjudged your bravery indeed.”

“Misjudged?” I thought sourly. “More like never credited me with any in the first place.”

“I suppose all this silly infatuation nonsense is done now,” Lehi said, strolling to the window. He leaned out it and looked around before turning around and leaning against the frame.

“What do you mean?” I asked warily.

“Well, all that silly nonsense about being in love with that peasant,” Lehi said sounding surprised that I hadn’t understood him.

“I love Tamas,” I said firmly.

“WHAT!” Lehi nearly dropped his mug in shock. I had to give him points for being genuinely shocked; he had seriously thought I wouldn’t love Tamas anymore.

“But he burned you!” Lehi went on his face redder than before. “He tried to kill you!”

“No,” I said smiling into my mug, “technically he tried to kill you. I just got in the way and stopped him. You should thank me.”

I looked up at Lehi, his face red, his hand squeezing his mug so tight I expected it to shatter. Behind him, the blue sky shone from the rainfall of the previous evening: blue sky that was soon to be the part time home of my lover. I took another sip of ale.

“Nicco, he’s violent! You saw that! Swinging those huge hammers, how can an ordinary man lift one of those things! You can’t believe you’d be safe with him!”

“I’m very safe with him, Lehi,” I said softly staring into my mug, thinking of his tender hands supporting me, helping me carry things, brushing across my face like a whisper.

“Nicco, you’re mad,” Lehi said.

“Perhaps, but it’s a madness I have no wish to be cured of,” I said with a shrug.

Lehi pushed off from the window and strode across the room to the bed where I sat. He stared down at me for a moment and then sighed. He dropped on the bed in a reclining position and I bounced, all the while trying to keep my mug from spilling. He peered at me out from under half shuteyes.

“I’ve been a bad brother,” he said softly. “When you were a child you always followed me around and then suddenly you were grown and I was away most of the time. I should have made a greater effort to a good brother. Maybe then you wouldn’t be chasing after peasants so much.”

“I don’t know,” I said looking at the sky outside the window. “I think Tamas and I were destined for each other. We’d have found each other and fallen in love anyway.”

“Dammit Nicco!” Lehi sat up abruptly and nearly knocked the cup out of my hand. “Why d’you refuse to see it? He’s a peasant and a violent one I should add.”

“Lehi,” I said sitting up very straight, “peasants are good people. They love and cry and hurt same as the rest of us.”

Lehi made an impatient dismissing gesture. He jerked to his feet and paced across the room, before spinning around sharply. I watched him compose his features into an almost cajoling expression. I clamped my teeth together to keep from breaking out into laughter as I visualized him practicing the expression in Meg’s looking glass.

“Nicco, surely there are good peasants, but they are just that, peasants. It’s like ohh, falcons and chickens living together. It’s just not done.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said thoughtfully. “They’re both birds.”

“Nicco, Nicco, hawks are imperial kings of the sky, chickens scratch in the dirt.”

“Hawks are killers, much like you knights in your fancy armor. Tamas builds things that make people’s lives easier and happier,” I said remembering the clock mainspring.

"Peasants don't need easier lives," Lehi said pompously. "Their purpose on Earth is to work and to serve their betters." He made a dismissing gesture and I clenched my teeth again to keep from screaming.

“Lehi,” I went on a moment later, my composure regained, “I love Tamas, I will always love Tamas, and no matter what you or Father say I will love only him. He will come; I can hear the dragon very loudly. He will come soon.”

“You’re mad,” Lehi repeated. I shook my head and stood up. I placed my mug on the floor and walked to the window.

“I know he will come,” I said. “He promised to never let me fall and splat and before I let you and Father tie me to some ancient crone, I will leap out this window.”

Lehi swore loudly and crossed the room to grab my arms. I hissed in pain at the pressure on the new skin. He shook me lightly. In my head, I heard the dragon roar, his heartbeat pounded and I saw the beast’s head, mouth open in a roar.

“Nicco, I’ll get a priest, we’ll rid you of this enchantment,” he said.

“It’s not an enchantment,” I said, looking over my shoulder away from Lehi. “Its love, I know you don’t understand it. You did your duty for the family as did Sarrit and Michael, but I’ve always thought that since I’m useless I’d be left to follow my heart. And it led me to Tamas.”

Lehi let me go so abruptly, I stumbled backwards, knocking over the mug of ale before falling onto the bed. His face was very red now with barely contained anger, he clenched his fist and for a moment, I wondered if he was going to hit me. He stomped to the door and pounded on it yelling for Raulf.

“I’m through with you,” he said angrily as the door opened. “You arrogant bastard, all you care about is yourself. Well don’t you ever come crying to me for help ever again, you useless brat! I’ve finished with you!

He stormed out the door, leaving me sitting on the edge of the bed, hugging myself. In his anger, his mask had slipped and, perhaps, for the first time, he’d showed me his true thoughts and feelings for his crippled, ‘useless’ little brother. Sorrow pierced my heart. Raulf looked me up and down with a sneer and shut the door. I pulled the blanket up around me.

“Please, Tamas,” I whispered. “Please come for me soon.”