Element of Surprise

Captain Frobbish struggled up the incline, annoyed at his own heavy breathing. Ten years ago he would have raced up this hill without even thinking about it, carrying full gear. But back then he would have rushed ahead into whatever waited ahead, without even thinking. Now he was older and, maybe, slower, but now he had the wisdom and forethought to plan and watch, leading his men well. Or so he ought -- leaving the men in charge of that idiot Samnich was a questionable act. Still, his orders had been simple enough -- go up the hill and wait until he finished interrogating the villagers. Now that the unpleasant task was accomplished, and Frobbish could turn his thoughts elsewhere, he was wondering what mischief Samnich had accomplished in his absence. Frobbish just hoped the two he left guarding the village didn't do the same.

Frobbish stopped dead in his tracks. A metallic clank drifted down from the wood at the top of the hill. Frobbish frowned. They had been sent into this area to investigate rumors of a last Genovese stronghold in the area. The villagers seemed convinced it was not a raiding party, but rather assured Frobbish that some dire sorcery was involved. Typical villagers, he snorted to himself. Most likely he was facing a rag-tag bunch of Gennies trying to bully the locals out of enough food to survive. Still, even bullies can be dangerous, and Samnich was far from a seasoned leader. Frobbish drew his sword and continued, with cautious haste.

It was under the shadows of the first trees that Frobbish found the first blood, and quite a bit there was. It was covering several pieces of gear that could have been from either side. Frobbish slowed, his eyes darting about. The canopy was dense, and the light dim. The wood was deserted here, though. He continued in. He thought he could hear faint sound ahead, but he was unsure of what kind. A few steps more and he stopped. An arm lay on the ground. On the wrist was a bracelet he recognized. His lips set firmly, he continued on.

The ground fell slowly down into a depression. Frobbish stopped, his blade sinking slowly to the ground. The floor of the small valley was littered with the remains of his men. He tried to count the bodies, but stopped when that proved impossible. His eyes watered with grief and rage, and he clenched his blade with renewed conviction. This would be avenged. Then he felt the footfall behind him, and he turned.

Any thought of raiding parties and Genny stragglers ended when he saw the shape looming behind him. Cruel claws terminated massive paws covered in thick scaled skin, which extended from the very pads of the feet all the way to the monstrous skull, which now peered down at him from the middle branches of the trees. Frobbish felt his knees going weak, but then snapped back from the edge of panic. He spun about, snatching up a fallen pike as he raced for the other edge of the clearing. When he got there his found his way blocked by a thick mat of branches, woven together in what looked like a large nest. He turned back to find the unnatural lizard advancing slowly across the clearing. Frobbish took an unsteady step forward, his new-found weapon slowly leveling. He brought the point down until it pointed directly at the creature's eyes. It was then that the dragon's lips parted, in what Frobbish could have sworn was a sneer.

Joseph stood in his toolshop, sweat pouring off his back. The fire in the forge was howling. He reached in with his tongs to pull out the ingot he had placed in the center of the heat. When he withdrew the tongs, only half the ingot came with them -- the other half was melted away. Joseph's eyebrows climbed. He had never seen anything hot enough to re-melt this alloy -- not even the Great Iron Furnace he had made for the Duke in Torino. He nodded with satisfaction. His new additions to the furnace were working better than he had anticipated. He set the melted ingot down on the anvil, then disengaged the clutch on the blower. He watched the wheels spin down, and pondered who he would be able to show this to. Such a powerful tool could easily be turned to bad use. He had frequently been given cause to regret making the Great Iron Furnace during the last war. Fortunately, the secrets he had divulged in its building had been lost when the Genovese forces had overrun the foundry during the aborted attack on the city.

A moment of terror tickled his heart. What if the Gennies hadn't reached Torino? What if the Great Iron Furnace had survived to spill out its load of the new steel -- steel so strong and tough it could cut through a lesser metal, steel that never rusted, never even tarnished? What if that steel had gone into battle, had spilled blood -- human blood? How many men would have died at his hands? For it would have been his doing, as surely as if his own arms had wielded the blades which his creation had forged. As the thought threatened to overwhelm him Joseph laid the tongs down atop the anvil and wrapped his arms around his chest and began to shiver in the blistering heat of the forge.

The sound of horses outside brought him up short. He shucked his heavy apron, donning instead the simple loincloth he often wore around the farm during such hot weather. Then he ventured out to see what was happening. Three horses stood outside his house. He sidled carefully toward the back of the house, grateful that Sarah and the children were safely in his house in town. His heart stopped thumping when he saw that it was the Duke's men, but he still didn't relax. In these troublesome times no one could be assumed to be who they were. When he saw Leonardo, the King's own man, Joseph finally relaxed. Leonardo saw him at the same moment.

"Joseph Benjamin!" Leonardo shouted from inside the house, striding straight through toward him. His arms opened wide as he approached, and Joseph allowed himself to be embraced by the man's powerful arms.

"Leonardo! Good to see you again!" Joseph stepped back. "It's good to see that you were not hurt in the war."

Leonardo silently slid back his sleeve to reveal a long, jagged scar that extended back up out of sight beneath his tunic. Joseph gave a low whistle.

"Are you well now?" Joseph asked.

"Better than the man who gave him that scar," remarked one of the other two men, stepping up beside Leonardo. Joseph didn't recognize either of them.

"The Duke has need of your services, Joseph," Leonardo announced, in a voice that made it known that Joseph was not going to like this task.

"I am always at my Lord's command," Joseph responded. How else could he?

"Of course you are, Joseph," replied Leonardo, a begrudging smile on his face. "That's why we're here."

"You'll be gone for how long?" Sarah asked quietly, not looking up. Joseph's heart drooped a bit. He didn't expect this to be easy, and she was taking it rather well, but it was still unpleasant. With the new baby and all, she needed him here, with her, but when the Duke called, you came.

"I don't know," Joseph replied, while Leonardo watched from the door. "The village is a week away by horse, and I don't know how long it will take to ... to fix the problem."

"Can you tell me what the problem is?" she asked again, still not looking up. The last time the Duke had called Joseph away, soon after they were married, it had been a secret mission.

"No, I don't know myself. Even Leonardo doesn't know."

She sighed. Finally she looked up, and Joseph was glad to see that there were no tears in her eyes. They embraced.

"Return soon," she simply said.

"Father will watch over you," he said, simply.

"Yes, of course he will," she agreed. Joseph held her for a moment longer, then he took his traveling cloak off its peg and his traveling staff from where it leaned behind the door. Then he and Leonardo headed for the horses.

 

Joseph arrived in the small, nameless village on a bright sunny day. His cloak was folded in his pack, and his staff was securely strapped behind his saddle. Instead, he wore the emblem of the Duke, and at his side was a shiny new sword. The insignia Joseph liked; the sword he accepted begrudgingly, as a symbol of authority. His hair waved in the breeze as he galloped down the main street. Behind him were his two aides, on loan from Leonardo. They had ridden hard, and arrived earlier than expected. Joseph was glad, for when he arrived he found a squadron on men about ready to leave the village, headed for the woods. Joseph frowned. This had been tried before, and he had not been consulted. He rode past the waiting men to the head of the column, where the captain stood under the King's standard.

"Greetings from the Duke!" Joseph shouted as he approached. The captain stiffened slightly as he turned. He was the King's man, above loyalties to any individual duke or baron. But he was in the Duke's land, and the insignia on Joseph's chest made it obvious to the man that, as captain, he was outranked.

"Hail," the captain growled. "Who are you?"

Joseph wheeled his horse around. "Joseph Benjamin, the Duke's engineer."

"Engineer?" snarled the captain. "I am Enrel, commander of the fiftieth squad in the Third Army of the King's forces." He emphasized the last.

"And you have you're orders from the King himself," Joseph commented, not in any doubt about the response.

"I have," came the simple reply.

"And these orders are?"

"To get rid of whatever damn thing is doing the killing around here!"

"Very well, Captain," replied Joseph, "I'll not keep you from your assigned duties."

Slightly surprised but still confident, the captain nodded and turned to his men. "Move out!"

Joseph watched them go. He considered for a moment whether he should go with them, but realized that his presence with both be an annoyance and a hindrance. He would receive a full report of their success, if they had any. He turned his horse back toward the village as the last of the soldiers trotted away. He immediately noticed a crowd, gathered around some object of interest. With once glance at the departing squad, he gestured to the aides and they all headed over toward the crowd.

The group parted as the mounted men approached. At first Joseph thought he was looking at a wagon full of furs. Then he realized that the fur was of a piece, and his mind reeled. He was looking at the body of the largest bat he'd ever seen, indeed the largest bat that probably ever lived. It was massive, quite easily as large as a man, with wings that could have stretched from one end of his house to the other. Joseph's mind swam. How could such a thing have grown so large? What did it eat? Where did it live? Were there more? It seemed to have been dead for several days, as there was a general fetid air to it, and was already beginning to desiccate in the dry air of the hills.

It became obvious that one man was drawing almost as much attention as the beast itself. Assuming him to be the captor, Joseph dismounted and slid through the crowd to where the man stood.

" ... task getting it here, I did. The 'orses wouldn't go near the wagon for two whole days, and Jeb and I 'ad to man'andle the cart oll by oirselves,' the person was explaining to a listener. They both looked up as he approached. Spying the Duke's crest, they both immediately ducked their heads, the trapper's head coming back up immediately, the peasant's head staying down.

"Grace to you both," Joseph began, to put the meeting on a level footing. "I am the Duke's engineer by appointment," emphasizing the last to put them at ease. To the trapper he asked, "Where did you get this?"

"Ah, Lord, you should'a seen it!" The trapper seemed to be a flamboyant man. He looked nervously over Joseph's shoulder as the aide-at-arms came up and joined Joseph, but continued anyway. "Bellowing like a bear and spouting flame from 'is mouth, 'e fought the snair for what seemed like days before 'e finally died!"

"Is this the creature that's been doing all the killing hereabouts?" Joseph asked, studying the wounds the snare had made.

"Och, no," replied the fur-clad story-teller. "This one did some killin' of sheep, to be sure, but it took no people. No, the people all disappeared at night," the man's voice dropped, "taken by that devil on the hill!"

"Are there any more of these?"

"Och, I would 'ope not!" replied the man. Murmurs of assent came from the surrounding crowd. Joseph was disappointed. He had never seen the like of such a creature. Now it would seem he would not see its like again. "No," continued the man, "those Gennys conjured up these two, but no more before the monster on the hill ate them all."

Joseph looked up. "The Genovese made these?"

"Well, Lord," began a older villager in a timid voice, "we think it was that wizard they brought in what did it."

"Peculiar one that one," added the trapper.

" ... and as for made, we think they's conjured from the dark regions rather than made," concluded the local. Around him several of the villagers fingered charms and gestured furtively, warding off evil. Joseph merely shook his head, then stood a moment contemplating the carcass.

"Where are you taking this?" Joseph asked the trapper.

"Well, I was hoping to take it to the manor, and maybe collect a bounty."

"How much would the bounty be for such a beast?"

"Er, well," the man considered. "For a wolf it's ten Genova. It should be, oh, ten times that for this creature, considerin' how much risk I took in capturin' it. Why, one time it nearly ..."

Joseph calculated while the man babbled. One hundred Genova was an outrageous bounty for any beast, no matter how large.

"Fifty Genova if you leave it here with me and forget you ever saw it," Joseph cut in on the monologue.

"Fifty! Why ..." the trader sputtered, almost sincerely. " ... My Lord, surely you ... "

"No, I don't." Joseph avoided the man's eyes, not wanting to betray any sympathy. "Fifty."

"I could get at least seventy at the manor, if just to have it emboweled and mounted."

"Fifty five." Joseph was losing his taste for dickering, and wanted out. "No more."

"Well, if you insist, Lord." Apparently Joseph's tone had been convincing.

The money exchanged, Joseph and his aides headed for a local inn, several locals hauling the carcass for the promise of a few coins. Joseph chose one with a large barn attached, to permit an examination of the creature. When they moved the large body inside, several of the horses tried to bolt, and had to be led off to other hitches. The aides' horses, inured to strange happenings, took little notice. They were walking back to the inn when a distant wail drifted down from the wood atop the hill. Everyone froze. It rose in pitch, then stopped abruptly. There was silence for a long moment, then came a bellow that echoed off the surrounding hills. There were frightened cries from the villagers, and the aides clutched their swords. Joseph stood still, quailing a bit at the fierce sound, fearing for the soldiers on the hill, all the while thrilling at the prospect of something new and different. They waited, but no further sounds came down. After a long moment they all returned to their tasks.

 

After dusk Joseph and his aides sat in the main hall of the inn, drinking the evening's first ale.

" ... Faial stood firm, but the spearmen pressed him hard," one aide, Ton by name, was saying, having been led into a recounting of his last battle by his companion. "At his side, I feared for all our lives. The Prince and General Tygoon were both gone, out of sight, and for all we knew, dead. We had twice our count of Gennys facing us on all sides, and at least that many Gennys dead all around. I was down to my last three arrows."

"Aye, I remember that," the second aide, Jenn, commented. "You were standing there, arrow nocked, swingin' your head around like a cat that's cornered." He punctuated this comment with a deep swig.

"I was looking for a target, a Genny archer or knight," he replied. "They often started a charge with either a volley or a snipe, and I wanted to pluck that ear before it tasseled."

"So go on," Joseph urged. He was enthralled, in spite of himself. Gory stories made good telling, even if they made for lousy, brutish, short living.

"So I see this banner coming through the trees, and I knew that was where the attack was coming from. So I gives a shout, and draws on the opening where the man would break from cover. Everyone follows my aim, and sure enough, out comes half the Gennys, led by the biggest knight I'd seen all day, on a black warhorse. I sees he's in plate, so I hold back a second. Then, just in a flash, I shoot, and with one arrow I kill -- his horse!"

"His horse?" Joseph blurted out.

"Aye, his horse! I put the shaft right through the crease in its armor, for it was in plate too, but plate doesn't fit well on a horse. So down goes the horse, down goes the knight, and down goes the banner! Further, down goes half the Gennys following him, as they tripped over each other!" Both aides burst out laughing at this. Joseph merely grinned, not entirely catching the humor in it.

"You should have seen it, Lord!" Jenn was saying, but something caught Joseph's ear. "They was ..." Joseph held up his hand for silence and half came out of his chair. Both aides stopped.

"What is it, Lord?" Ton asked.

Joseph listened. Then he heard it again, a sound like a horse's labored breathing, only louder. Ton and Jenn heard it, as did the few other patrons of the inn. They all fell silent.

The noise seemed to be coming from the ceiling, or the roof -- Joseph was having a hard time pinpointing it. He spun slowly about, his eyes raised to the roof in concentration. The noise seemed to be moving, first coming from the sloping sides, then moving toward the front. The thought of the beast on the hill had barely seeped into his brain when there came a terrified shriek from outside. The aides were on their feet, and then came a roar like no one in that room had ever heard before. All covered their ears, and all but Joseph, Ton, and Jenn hid on the floor. Jenn drew his sword, Ton leaped across a table and snatched his bow and arrows from where they lay in the corner, and Joseph sidled over to the shuttered window. He peeked out, but there was only blackness. There came a prolonged scream, from a woman, one running away. It was overlaid by a deep grunt, as if a cough from an ox the size of a house. Ton and Jenn were at the door now, weapons ready, and they eased outside, with Joseph bringing up a cautious rear.

The dark revealed nothing to them. Even the barn, only a dozen paces away, was invisible. The woman screamed again, but this time the sound was far in the distance, and was answered by excited voices. There was silence again, then came a footfall so heavy the ground trembled in the entire village. Ton and Jenn looked about, terrified, ready to attack anything that moved. Joseph scanned the rooftop, the yard, the air, everywhere, but saw nothing.

"Lord," hissed Jenn, "what manner of creature ..."

"Shhh!" hissed Ton, quieting his friend. They all three stood there, listening. Suddenly, from the dark, there were two red eyes glowing down at them from an impossible height.

Ton's bow snapped back, his sight on the dim orbs.

"Low!" Joseph urged suddenly. "The throat!"

After a microscopic adjustment, Ton fired. There came a shriek so loud it made Joseph's heart skip a beat, and wicked, long teeth flashed from a rictus so large it would hide a man. Ton fumbled for another shaft, losing them all on the ground in the process. Jenn stood by, quivering, ready with sword, but there came a few, thunderous missteps from the dark, then the ponderous thumps of something huge running away.

When dawn arose the next morning, there was a goat and several chickens missing, and a few, large spots of blood beside the largest tracks Joseph had ever seen. Other than that, though, the village was whole. Everyone was shaken, especially when it was realized that no one had seen any of the soldiers who had marched off the day before. Joseph spent the day dissecting the massive bat he had bought, examining its wings and muscles, while Ton and Jenn made more arrows and practiced fencing. Joseph noticed several families loading up large carts, and in the late morning, leaving town by the road opposite the one the soldiers had taken. There was no news of the soldiers, although there was a lot of whispering.

Just before nightfall, the ones who had left with goods in hand that morning came staggering back to town, exhausted and crazed with fear.

" ... nowhere! Smashed ... smashed our cart ... cart and killed our pony," one man was stammering between gasps of air. His family huddled together in the corner of their small hut, petrified and panting. "It was burning, and reeked of sulfur! It ... it tore Hol Polit's head off with one swipe, and disemboweled him and ate him, right there!"

"What did it look like?" Joseph insisted, wanting to get the description before it inflated too much more.

"A giant lizard it was, with teeth as big as swords, and claws like spears! Its eyes were as big as kettles, they were, and they smoked with flame! Trees fell over wherever it looked, and the very ground gave way under its feet!" The man was obviously terrified, and tears of terror were rolling down his face.

"What color was it?" Joseph insisted, trying to get as much out of the man as possible.

"Red it was, red!" The man pushed himself right up against Joseph's chest, foam starting to trickle down his chin. "Red as fire! And flame! From its mouth!"

"Ok, ok, alright," Joseph soothed the man, then motioned for Ton and Jenn to follow him out. They put some distance between themselves and the hut.

"He's gone mad," murmured Jenn.

"Mad with fright," Joseph agreed. "He's an unreliable witness. We can't trust his description."

"What now, Lord?" Ton asked. Joseph had noticed that the honorific had become much more sincere lately.

"It would seem that this creature is blocking the roads in and out," Joseph began. "It wants us in the village. Fine. We oblige. Keep everyone inside. Have them move into the barns, and hide in the hay. That will throw off the scent. Gather the livestock into those large barns in the center of town and build a large fire between the three." They walked as he spoke, gesturing like a general directing his troops. "I noticed that the well there is wide, with a platform inside it. Find two archers and place them inside. Tell then to aim for the throat or the mouth -- a lizard's head slopes too much to aim for the eyes." He considered a moment, looking around. "That will do for now. Get started. There's not much light left."

As the two moved off to mobilize the town, Joseph walked over to where the tracks were from the night before. They were strange, five-toed marks, with deep indents where claws had sunk into the dirt. Joseph tried to imagine the weight of a creature that could make such a mark, but failed. He glanced up at the hill, a shadow in the growing gloom. He headed back to the center of town.

 

The fire threw frightening shadows against the walls of the barn as it danced in the dark. Joseph, Ton, and Jenn stood around it, surveying the blackness. From the mouth of the nearby well the heads of three anxious townsmen peered. Joseph regarded them critically.

"Did you see them shoot, Ton?" he asked quietly.

"No, but they did fire a few arrows for me," he replied dryly. Joseph caught the implication after a moment, and grinned.

"Well, townsmen aren't known for their aim. Just as long as they wait for a good shot they'll be effective."

Ton sniffed. "If that creature comes here, that well'll be empty by morning."

Joseph frowned, but said nothing. He started when there came the sound of a woman's muffled cry from the dark.

"Stupid peasants," he muttered. "They were to have all been inside! Come on."

"Stay here!" Ton ordered the three men in the well. "We'll check it out!" The three looked for a moment like they would bolt, but stayed when they realized that they were the three safest people in the village.

Joseph jogged out toward the source of the noise, Ton and Jenn behind. The sliver of a moon provided just enough light to make out the path. He paused. To one side he heard muffled sounds of movement, to the other he heard what sounded like muffled sounds of weeping.

"Ton, check that out," he pointed toward the weeping. "Jenn," he said, tugging on his sleeve as he headed in the other direction. But the sounds had disappeared with their source. And Joseph soon stopped in frustration. He heard a strange exclamation from Ton, and he and Jenn jogged back. They found Ton wrapping his cloak around what was obviously a naked girl of ten or twelve.

"They tied her here as a sacrifice, to appease the monster," He snarled, pointing down at the ground, where a large stake pinioned a rope, which led to her bare ankle. Joseph felt the sour taste of bitter anger in his mouth. He knelt and cut the rope.

"Come, let's get you back," he remarked. They had taken a few steps when there came a deep, sonorous cough, from the other side of the village. With a frightened glance at each other they began to race back toward the light, even though it meant moving toward the sound. They paused behind each hut, checking the area for suspicious movement. One building at a time they returned to the big fire. Once there, Joseph hustled the girl toward the well. He all but dropped her in on top of the three startled archers.

"Hide her! And look alive!" he admonished, then ran back to where Ton and Jenn stood, bows drawn, inside the door of the sturdiest of the three barns.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"It moved there," Ton replied, sweeping a small arc with the point of his arrow. "I've not seen it, but I heard its breath."

"It means to sneak around behind us!" whispered Jenn anxiously. Joseph privately agreed, but did not say so, not wanting to alarm anyone. They waited, scanning the gloom. They moved as one to the corner of the building, so they could peer around the corner, for a more complete view. Joseph cursed the clutter of huts around, which prevented easy surveillance. He sidled across the front of the barn, taking the other corner, eliminating a blind spot. He had just gotten there when there came a crash from the closest edge of the village, followed by the sound of chickens squawking. Joseph ran back to where Ton and Jenn stood, bows drawn. From the well three heads were riveted on the location of the disturbance. There came a few more cracks and crunches, then all was quiet again.

Ton and Jenn advanced out in the open, back to back, heading for the fire. Joseph joined them.

"No," he admonished. "Move away from the fire. The light will blind you to the dark." They nodded, and together they moved out into the shadows, taking up a position in a patch of tall grass. They were there only a few moments when there came another crash, pierced by a woman's scream. They leaped to their feet, and ran toward the noise. They slowed as they got away from the light. When they got there they found a small barn shattered, the occupants gone. They hurried back to the fire. They crouched behind a small stone wall, to wait for the next sound.

The moon set, and the dew fell. Minute after minute passed, and there was no sound. Joseph began to cramp, and settled into a more easy position. After a few dozen minutes Joseph realized that he was hearing frogs peeping in the grass. He began to relax, and then suddenly it was morning.

"You snore," Ton commented wryly, his bow still in his hand. Joseph was wet with dew, as were Ton and Jenn. He glanced over at the well. Two heads still protruded alertly. He got slowly up, and advanced on the well. He glanced down inside. The third man, more of a youth really, was curled up protectively around the girl. Both were asleep.

"Who is she?" he asked the two in the well.

"Lily Polit," the nearest replied. "Her father was killed yesterday as they tried to get out of the village. He mother died this winter."

"So no one would miss her," he commented dryly. "When she wakes bring her to the inn. You," he pointed at the other man, "should stay here, in case of attack. We'll leave the horses in these barns. I'll send a relief out for you when your watch is ended." The man nodded. Joseph headed back to where Ton and Jenn were stretching.

 

That day was spent digging trenches inside the barns and covering them with planks. They would provide cover during the night. It was also spent in planning a reconnaissance mission. Joseph had drawn his two lieutenants into the inn while the heavy work was being done outside. Joseph was not above shoveling dirt if the need arose, but now his place was in a council of war. For that was what they were doing - waging a war. But this was not against other men, with wives and children and homes to return to. This was a war against nature, against a mindless beast. Joseph could fight this sort of battle, like he had fought against nature so many times before.

" ... cover of a ravine or two, but I wouldn't trust that to hide me from that thing," Jenn was admonishing Joseph as they devoured bowls of pot-au-feu.

"What about a direct assault?" Joseph countered.

"Huh," Jenn snorted. "You mean like Frobbish?"

"No, not like Frobbish. We could try setting the woods afire, flush it out." Joseph shoveled some more thick broth. It was quite good, really.

"Bad idea, boss," Ton countered, rather familiarly. Both men had finally realized that Joseph was more a peer than a lord, and were starting to open up. "Something like that wouldn't be hurt right away by a fire, and it's likely smart enough to just avoid it. Besides, that woods is these folk's life."

Joseph nodded, chewing. Ton was right; the townsfolk used the wood for everything from firewood to hunting. He pondered.

"I can get you to the dragon's lair," Lily quietly remarked as she approached with a large cruse of ale.

"How?" Joseph asked, his eyebrows coming up. Ton and Jenn listened intently.

"Through the fields runs a stream," she replied simply, her small sweet voice belying the tragedy she had suffered so recently. "After a while, it cuts a deep channel. Father had a coracle, tied not far from town."

"Would the banks of the river hide us from the dragon?" asked Ton.

"It would," she replied, setting down the cruse, suddenly intent. "The stream goes straight into the wood, and from there I could take you to where the Genny's made the foul creature!"

"Your little boat will hold little more than you and I," Joseph remarked thoughtfully.

"No!" Jenn protested. "You're not going! I cannot permit it!"

"You cannot permit?" Joseph asked quietly, a wry smile on his lips.

"My duty is to protect you and assist you, Lord," Jenn started, carefully switching to the title for his tirade, but Joseph cut him off.

"I'm afraid I must go. I don't know what I'm looking for yet, and so I cannot tell you what to look for." When Jenn started to protest, Joseph held up his hand. "No, truly. But you shall come with me." Jenn shut up, and Joseph smiled.

 

The coracle would have been too small, but a couple of empty barrels lashed to the side assured a dry ride for Joseph, who rode outside while Lily and Jenn crouched inside. They had taken a large party out to find and prepare the small craft, hoping that the creature, if it was watching, could not count. Ton had taken control of the town while Joseph was gone. He had wanted to go, but Joseph could sense that Ton felt a certain pleasure in his new post. Joseph just prayed that Ton's new assignment would be temporary.

They floated for a long while. The sun was bright, but the day was not especially warm. Their closeness to the cold spring water didn't help any. In time, though, the shadows of the trees took them. Lily waited until they were well into the forest, and the stream was beginning to quicken and grow shallow before she allowed Joseph and Jenn to pull them ashore.

"There is a path just up into the trees," she whispered to Joseph as Jenn tied the boat up. The three moved quietly up a slight slope until they came across the path. It was a deer-run, narrow and leafy. They walked as quietly as they could. Joseph felt out of place and uncomfortable. Jenn had insisted in dressing him in a borrowed deer-hide coat and deer-hide breeches. They all were wearing hide-clothes. Jenn felt that a borrowed scent would be better than their own. Joseph wondered if they rawhide wouldn't merely make him taste better.

They walked silently upward for miles. Every time there was any kind of unusual sound, they all froze, Jenn's arrowhead tracing a complex pattern as he searched for a target. Only when he was satisfied of their safety would they go on. Lily led them, her bare feet making no sound as they trod the path. Joseph came next, then Jenn. Joseph clutched his borrowed bow. Like most young men in the Benjamin clan, he had shot some as a youth, but that was a long, long time ago. He personally felt more at home with the sling that hung from his belt, but it didn't carry quite the same wallop as even a badly-placed arrow.

The terrain was steep, and their pace was as brisk as caution would permit. After several miles large boulders began to dominate the landscape. Lily led them on a serpentine path through the rocks, moving downhill for a while, then uphill again. Joseph spotted a broken crossbow beside the path, left from possibly a year before. After a hundred paces more, some rusting armor lay in the leaves. Jenn paused and examined it as they passed it. It was of Genovese design. The path was wider now. They passed a shallow hole in the ground where a boulder had recently lay. From the size of the hole, the rock was as big as a small hut. There was no sign of the boulder.

Now the signs of human occupation became evident. Strewn about were discarded bits of armor and armament. Occasionally Joseph caught glimpses of what might have been bones. There had been some sort of battle here. The path leveled out some, and Lily led them off the path and through the boulders as they reached the crest of a hill. They all three stopped in the shadow of a small overhang. They faced a clearing, in which moldered the shattered remains of a catapult. From the rise Joseph could look out and see the village. Down towards the edge of the forest he could see a rough clearing in the trees, but the angle would not permit him to see into it. He turned to Lily.

"We need to get closer. Can we get to that smaller ridge down there?"

She nodded and beckoned. They followed her through the rocks until they reached another clearing. From the new vantage point Joseph could see a rough keep perched on a limb of the ridge, and a rough holding pen.

"That's where they made the dragon," Lily whispered. Joseph nodded slowly.

"Can we go there?" Joseph asked.

She merely nodded and started down. They followed. Lily threaded her way through the rocks and down into a shallow ravine. This she followed down the ridge until they were halfway to where the keep perched on the ridge. She then selected one of many paths that led upward. After many minutes they were below the keep. Joseph stopped, and motioned Jenn forward. He climbed up and disappeared into the dark hulk. Minutes passed. Joseph was beginning to panic when he reappeared and motioned them upward.

The keep had been gutted. From the bare walls protruded burned stubs of floor timbers. In the soft, sooty debris of the floor protruded white bits that could have been bones. Joseph shuddered. He moved about quietly, examining everything. There did not seem to be anything useful left -- the fire had destroyed everything. In one corner the floor was fallen in, revealing a cavernous basement, partly filled with rubble and burned timbers. Off the main chamber led passages that led to ruined weapons emplacements -- large crossbows or catapults, by the look. All that was left was char. He came to a narrow door. It led to a stair. He motioned Jenn over. Jenn disappeared up into the dark. He reappeared after a moment, and the three went up.

Up they went, passing a door that once emptied out into a room, but now emptied out into thin air. The stair ended abruptly in a jagged rent in the keep wall, but from there Joseph could see down to the clearing in the trees. The keep overlooked a field of loose rocks, in size from gravel to barrel-sized. The field sloped down to the trees. There was a thin course of woods, and then the monster's clearing. The trees weren't as thick as from higher up, and Joseph could see what seemed to be a tangled nest of some sort. He itched to know what was in there. If the dragon was kind enough to be away ...

"Jenn." The soldier leaned close. "Can you get close enough to see if the creature is home?"

Jenn looked out carefully at the area, then nodded affirmatively. He led the three down to the main floor, and then they snaked their way down to where new undergrowth hid the foundation. He started forward, through the brush, but the ground was covered with loose stones, and after a few steps his foot rolled, sending rocks skipping away. All three froze. When nothing happened after a few minutes, Lily came forward.

"There is a path around the rocks," she said, and beckoned. They followed here to where a path disappeared into the trees. Joseph hesitated.

"Go and return, quickly," he admonished the two. They looked at him, but then disappeared into the dimness. Joseph returned to the keep. He had been in a similar structure when he had visited the Genovese capital as a youth. There he had visited an alchemist, whose workshop had been built under a stair. If there was a similar room in this keep, it would have been protected from the fire. Joseph found the stair again, then began circling about, trying to find a possible entrance that might take him under the stair. It too a few minutes, but he finally found it, directly under the hole they had stared out of. It was blocked by rubble from the gap above, but Joseph managed to squeeze inside.

He found the room relatively well illuminated by narrow windows cleverly concealed in the outer wall. It appeared to have been a workroom or storeroom of some sort. There were benches along the inner wall, and shelves along the outer wall. Overhead was the underside of the steps. Most of the shelves were full, with jars and pots and packages. He examined the label on one. Thistleweed. Another claimed to be sulfur. An examination of other labels made Joseph feel right at home -- this had indeed been an alchemist's lair. He began searching for books, but there were only parchments left lying on the benches. They were in a script he didn't recognize. There was a small basket sitting under a large parchment, filled with small bottles. Joseph read the label of one bottle. Dragonbane. His heart skipped a beat. All were labeled as such. He peered inside. There was a white powder inside. With trembling hands he twisted the top on one bottle, but before he could get it open, the ground trembled.

Joseph froze. For a long moment nothing happened, then the ground trembled again, and again. Then, from not-so-great a distance, there came an unnatural bellow. Joseph hurried to the door, still carrying the basket. He peered out at the forest, but saw nothing. The ground trembled twice, and the bellow sounded again. It sounded like it was coming from the clearing. Joseph hurried back into the keep. From his days in the other keep, he remembered that there were often two stairwells. He hurried to the opposite hall from the one they first took. Sure enough, it had a stair also. He hurried up it. Unlike the other, it was whole. It emptied out onto a small, open turret. Joseph peeked over the edge. What he saw froze his heart.

It stood four times taller than a man, with a head as big as a horse. Its hide was green and red, with serrated scales that hung from its jaws and protected its eyes. A long tail disappeared into the brush. It was at the far edge of the rock field, looking down into the trees as it probed with two long arms. Probed for Jenn and Lily, Joseph realized.

He reached for his bow, which he had slung on his back. He nocked an arrow, and drew. He paused, wondering what good his poor bowmanship would do. Then a small shriek welled up from the undergrowth, and Joseph let fly. The shaft flew far, too far. It passed over the monster's head without even being noticed. Instead the creature snapped at another shaft, which came from near the nest to strike the side of its head, near the eye. The dragon took a thunderous step in that direction, only to catch another shaft in the throat. It bounced off. Joseph nocked another shaft and fired. It too missed. The dragon took another step toward the nest, and Lily broke away from the undergrowth and dashed across the field of stones toward the keep. The sudden movement caught the dragon's eye, and it turned to pursue. As if on cue, Lily lost her footing and fell. Joseph shouted, and just then the dragon lost its footing and fell also. Joseph fired another shaft. It missed.

Lily got up, only to fall again. Joseph and Jenn fired together. This time Jenn missed, and Joseph scored. The creature squinted up at Joseph, standing in the turret. It grunted loudly. Joseph loosed his last arrow. It missed. Lily got up again, and the creature lunged for her, only to turn in mid-step and snap at something behind it. Joseph caught a glimpse of Jenn hewing at the lizard's tail with his sword. The tail swished away to safety as the behemoth came around, skidding and slipping in the stones as it did. Joseph looked around, and his eye fell on the glass vials. Dragonsbane. He snatched one up and stripped his sling from his belt. He had no idea what dragonsbane was, but he was out of arrows.

Joseph came about, the strange projectile singing in an arc about his head. Below, Jenn was facing off with the beast, which was brushing aside trees like they were weeds. Without even thinking Joseph snapped off a shot. This was more his element. Straight and true the glistening bottle flew. Just like when he had been a boy, herding his father's cows and sheep, Joseph reached for another bottle even as the first dropped slowly toward its goal. It faded from sight, then reappeared as a puff of white dust blossoming on the creature's cheek. The reaction was so sudden it shocked even Joseph. With an ear-piercing scream like Joseph had never heard, the dragon actually leaped into the air, coming down with a thud that echoed off the nearby hills. It pawed at its eyes with its hands, then bellowed in pain. Joseph stared in amazement, while Jenn took to his heels, running after Lily, who was disappearing into the trees at the far side of the clearing. Joseph smiled in triumph as he watched them break through the trees, into the fields, and head for the distant village. His smile faded when he realized that the dragon was moving steady across the rock field, straight for him.

Joseph allowed himself the luxury of one full split second of absolute, mind-wiping terror before turning for the stair. His heartbeat suffered an eternity of abeyance as an earth-devouring scream pursued him. The tower shook as his feet struck the floor of the tower running. He didn't look back until he reached the bottom of the ridge. The dragon was slamming itself into the tower, howling. Joseph raced down the path until it began to slope back up toward the boulders. He instead chose a smaller path that headed down. He ran and ran and ran, not caring that the ground was not trembling, not caring that the agonized bellows were growing more and more distant. He reached the stream and finally paused, although just long enough to change direction. He dashed back up the creek bed, slowing only when he broke into the open. Under cover of the high banks he crept back to the village, where he was given a brief hero's welcome before the entire village settled into an extremely tense night. It was almost morning before the echoes of the monster's screams finally faded.

 

The sun was warm, but the air was cold two weeks later as two herdsmen led a small flock of sheep out of the village for the first time since Joseph's arrival. They took the animals out into the fields on the side of the village away from the dragon's lair. There had been a sighting of the creature in the woods the day before, and yet, upon reaching the pasture, the herdsmen produced ropes and tied the hapless creatures to stakes before returning to the village, leaving their bleating charges immobile and defenseless.

Those watching the spectacle from the village had to wait most of the morning, but their vigilance was rewarded. From a stand of pines near the sheep the dragon burst forth. The sheep tried to scatter in terror, but could not. The huge lizard wasted no time in killing the wooly animals, turning to eat only when they were all dead. It proceeded to rip one in half in a single bite, gulping the gory morsel ravenously. It continued in this vein, quickly at first, then slower and slower, until there were none left. It began to cast about, looking for more, then stood on it's hind legs for a long time, eyeing the village from afar. It then turned back to the trees. It had almost made it when it stopped, turning to look back to the tower. On the cold wind drifted the notes of a war-bugle. It stood a moment, and the tones sounded their challenge again from that distant structure. The dragon snorted, then began to lumber slowly across the fields toward the tower.

From atop the tower Joseph watched it come. He smiled as he watched Jenn and Ton emerge from the trees on the side of the village opposite the great lizard. They led a small party of men who now raced back to the village to prepare. The two had wanted to help in the assault, but Joseph wanted them both in the village in case his effort failed. It had taken all the authority Joseph could muster, but the two over-zealous bodyguards had finally left Joseph to face the monster on his own. Now Joseph felt his heart hammer loudly as the dragon strode closer and closer.

The treetops waved as the creature waded into the woods near the nest. Joseph sounded his horn again. The dragon stopped, looking about, and Joseph's heart almost stopped. Then it came on, flattening sapling and tree alike. It vented a bellow of its own. It emerged from the trees, and stepped onto the field of stones. It was time for the second part of Joseph's plan. He dropped the bugle and moved to his next tool. It was a large, crude cross-bow, hurriedly manufactured by Ton. Joseph stepped up to it, placing both hands on the large trigger. The dragon was halfway across the rock field, growling loudly. Joseph could see its black eyes, rimmed with red. Blood still glistened on its jowls from its meal. The monster stepped up to the tower and reached gargantuan hands up and seized the edge, preparing to heave its bulk up for an attack. Joseph fired the crossbow.

The bolt leaped away, trailing a rope. It hadn't gone far when the rope snapped taut with a whine. In answer there came a flurry of angry snaps from around the tower. A flock of large crossbow bolts took flight, dragging a series of ropes with them. These encircled the dragon and the tower both. Startled, the monster tried to back down. In doing so, the dragon tightened the ropes that encircled it. After a pause to gather strength, it gave a mighty heave, even as Joseph seized a large, tent-like contraption of wood and cloth. As the dragon pulled away, the ropes yanked the wooden beams out of the basement under the tower. With a rumble the basement collapsed under the dragon's weight, dropping the monster into the hole. With the basement walls gone, the tower was unsupported. The mortar, weakened after a week's soaking in strong vinegar, gave out. With a prolonged crash, the tower collapsed on the trapped creature, even as Joseph leaped off, his flimsy device held high over his head. Joseph's heart nearly stopped as he plummeted down, but then the voluminous cloth billowed out, catching the air just as the giant bat's wings had. The bat wings had been too small to support Joseph's weight, but this new device slowed him down to a reasonable speed. He alighted heavily, then heaved the craft aside and drew his sword.

Where the keep had stood there was now a great cloud of white dust. Joseph stood, blade in hand, watching. The wind slowly carried it away, leaving only a jumble of rock. Joseph waited for several minutes, but all was silent. Finally, he approached the wreck.

The first sign of the dragon was a bloody front paw protruding from under a massive stone. Joseph cautiously moved around the low wall that was all that remained of the structure. Finally he could see the snout of the beast, buried in the rocks. He moved carefully over the rubble, never taking his eyes off the dragon's head. As he got close he could see that the dragon was still alive, panting feebly. Its eye was half closed, with blood pouring from wounds on its skull. Joseph moved up, sword held high. Finally he was beside it. He took the blade in both hands, raising it over his head, aiming his death blow for the eye.

"I yield ..."

Joseph froze.

"I ... I yield ... yield to you."

Joseph stared, sword frozen over his head.

"What?"

"I yield," the dragon continued, the eye unmoving, "to your mercy. Please spare me."

Joseph's stomach clenched. "You can talk."

The dragon gave a labored laugh, almost a wheeze. "Yes, I can talk. Barely." It tried to cough, but instead merely moaned.

Joseph's mind raced. How could this be? What was going on?

"If I were smart, I'd finish you before you escaped," Joseph said evenly.

"Escape ... where?" panted the dragon. "I'm trapped. I'm ... I'm dying."

Joseph's heart dropped. He lowered the sword. "I didn't know you could talk."

"Would it ... would ... it have made ... a ... difference?"

"I would have," Joseph responded, looking at the blade. So he had ended up fighting in the war after all.

"If ... if you ... free me ... I will leave."

Joseph cocked an eye at the monster. "And I should trust you?"

"What can I do?" moaned the dragon. "I can't even feel my legs."

Joseph's felt sick to his heart. "I'm sorry ... I thought you were some dumb beast ... a large snake or something."

"Once ... perhaps ... long ago ... " it whispered. " ... I don't know their names ... we called them ... cursed ones ... great man ... long ago ... gave us minds ... taught us ... taught ... to speak ... to fight."

Joseph sheathed his sword and began uncovering the dragon's neck, tossing rocks aside. His horror was turning, directed now at the thought that he had possibly killed his first thinking, living, being. What if the dragon died? The hope of the last two weeks was now a fear that added strength to his arms and propelled Joseph to do something unthinkable mere minutes before.

"I'll dig you out."

"No ... use. I can't ... can't move. I'm dying."

"You're just trapped. If I free you, you'll be able to leave, as you said."

The dragon have a hoarse, choking laugh. "No ... no, you ... you fought well. Not in ... in millennia has a ... one man ... killed a dragon."

Joseph's hopes were falling as he dug deeper. Many of the stones were beyond his ability to move, and the damage done the creature's body by the trap became more evident the deeper he dug. He worked to uncover the chest, to allow easier breathing. The weight of the enormity of the task pulled at him, and he angrily pushed it aside.

"Can you breath easier?" He asked, out of breath himself. When no answer came he hurried back to the head, but the dragon was merely resting. The head nodded.

"Cave ... must ... cave."

"What cave?" Joseph asked?

"Help ... from ... go to the cave ... next hill over ... three rocks ..." The dragon was exhausted.

"How? What help?"

"Sound the iron chimes ... ask ... ask Baldron ..."

Joseph leaped to his feet and began making his way off the rock pile. He leaped to the top of the remaining wall, looking about. There were several hilltops in the area. One was the boulder-covered one. There were many more than three rocks there. Another was tree-covered, as was a third. A fourth was as well, but there was an obvious dragon-sized path leading toward it, recently trampled. Joseph started running. It took nearly twenty minutes, but there were only three huge stones on the hilltop when he reached it. He passed between them, and started down the path that led down into a yawning chasm.

The ground was littered with Genovese armor and weapons here. The walls of the cave soon blocked out the sun, and Joseph stumbled more than once. Almost a miles inside the cave Joseph came upon a crude stone hut, recently erected. He searched inside, but found only simple benches and tables. He continued deeper into the cave, and came to smooth, regular, curving wall. It was pierced by a single, massive door, and decorated with a strange grouping of iron rods at eye level. Dangling from one was a small metal hammer, stamped with the Genovese coat of arms. Joseph seized it and struck the rod it hung from.

A hollow sound rang out, flowing to the other rods and filling the cavern. Joseph stepped back. astonished. The sound faded, then returned, faded, changing pitch, then grew, swelling loud, then modulating to what almost sounded like a song. The noise continued for minutes, then suddenly faded away. Joseph stood there a moment, waiting. He was about to step forward and strike again when the floor trembled slightly. Joseph stepped back. Suddenly the door disappeared, and in the black opening stood a massive, hulking figure. Two green eyes glowered down at Joseph.

"Balllll-dronnnn!!" rumbled the apparition. For a long moment Joseph could only stare.

"Help!" he finally blurted out. "I need help! Come! Follow me!"

Joseph started back out, the huge creature ambling after him. They emerged into a late, sunny afternoon. Joseph began running again, hoping they would reach the dragon before the villagers. He spared a glance back and was astonished. What was following him was like nothing he had ever seen before -- half-man, half-animal, almost as big as the dragon, with heavy black hair everywhere except the face, which was covered with leathery skin as black as night. Baldron, if that was truly its name, was keeping up easily. They reached the dragon in due time, and found it still alive and still alone. The hairy man-beast tenderly lifted the mangled head.

"Baldron ... " whispered the dragon, although stronger now, Joseph thought.

"Meathor ... " murmured the other, stroking the battered eye crest. Joseph had an uneasy moment wondering if there may be some bad feelings now toward him. That passed as Baldron began taking the rocks atop the dragon and flinging them aside like they were mere pebbles. Joseph heard a sound behind him and was startled to see two more huge shapes approaching. Neither looked like anything Joseph had ever seen before, combining limbs and likenesses from any number of animals, from land, sea, and air. They moved up the hill, past an astonished Joseph, and across the rubble. They freed the dragon, and together the three lifted and carried it away. As they passed Joseph Baldron looked at him and said "Come." Joseph followed.

They returned to the cave, and they all passed through that great door. On the other side Joseph was astonished to see myriads of shapes, some organic, like trees or vines, some mechanical, like beams, boxes, tubes. The strange procession continued in, moving through zones that Joseph couldn't begin to describe. Finally they came to a huge room, filled with glass walls. Behind the walls were still forms, dimly visible. Joseph saw some more dragons, more things like Baldron and his friends, figures like men and women, only ten times larger, and other, even more fantastical things. Several of the cases were open, empty. They laid the dragon in one of these, then stepped back. Baldron spoke a word into the air, and the air in the case grew filled slowly with a silver mist, until it looked like a huge block of polished steel.

Baldron turned to Joseph as the other two creatures moved to boxes of their own. He regarded Joseph carefully, then spoke a word, a different word. He then moved into the last, empty case, and disappeared, leaving Joseph to stare.

"It is time for you to go," came a quiet voice behind Joseph. He spun, startled, to find a white clad man standing behind him.

"Who are you?"

"I am the doorman of this place," remarked the man, "and I'm here to escort you out."

"Will the dragon ... " Joseph began, turning back to the glass walls, but the man laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"The dragon will heal," he admonished. "For your bravery and mercy you will be rewarded, but you must then go."

Joseph stared at him, then nodded slowly.

The man began walking out the way they'd come in, and Joseph followed with one last glance behind. They passed through the strange shapes, turning aside just before they reached the door. The came to a spot where several devices were arrayed before Joseph.

"As a reward, you may choose one of these devices to take with you. Any one of these will help enable you to do things no one else can, making you rich and powerful, if you like."

Joseph looked them over, his eyes wide. "What is this?" He indicated a strange shape.

"That will enable you to understand any language, as it is spoken to you."

"And this?" indicating another.

"That changes any metal into gold."

Joseph's mouth went dry. "How about this one?" he asked, touching a third item.

"That can kill anything or anyone, at a great distance."

Joseph snatched his hand back. Suddenly he was back in Torino, watching the smiths dancing with glee as they watched molten steel pouring into sword-molds. He stepped back, looking over the whole lot. Where before he saw opportunity for growth and learning, he now saw responsibility for concealment and the threat of misuse and mischief.

"If I had not nearly killed the dragon I would not be here now. It is enough to know that he will survive." He waved his hand at the arrayed items. "Keep your gifts."

The man smiled. "A wise choice."

They walked silently to the door. Joseph stepped out, then turned back. Without a sound, the man disappeared, and the door reappeared. Joseph was alone in the cave.

 

Ton and Jenn met him halfway up the slope of the hill, along with half the village, armed with crude weapons. Despite his insistence, they followed the trail of blood to the cave, which now took the form of a giant pit, with no way in or out except straight down. Joseph explained that the dragon had been close to death when it went in the cave, and all seemed to accept that. They returned to the village, arriving just before nightfall. Joseph spent a few more days there, before saddling up for the return trip. Jenn stayed behind, to direct reconstruction, while Lily, freed of family ties, rode behind Ton, to go to Torino to seek the Duke's favor. They traveled together for a five days, parting company only when their paths firmly diverged, leaving behind fond goodbyes.

The fields were mostly harvested when Joseph finally dismounted beside his own home. Sarah was there to greet him, Taffy in her arms. His family crowded around, happy to receive him again. That evening he feasted with Sarah and the children in his father's house. After supper Eli pulled him aside.

"So, Joseph, what was this all about? You've said nothing about it since you've been back."

Joseph considered. "It's about the war, father." He thought about the cave, and the wonders there. He thought of the dragon, and their battle. "It's over. The war is finally over." ◊