Margaret Weis - Shadow Raiders

Stephano couldn’t finish. He put his hand over his face.

“He’s not dead, sir,” said Dag, an odd note to his voice.

“You can’t know that,” said Stephano.

“Yes, I can, sir. Look there.”

Dag rose to his feet, pointing to three bright flares-lavender in color-bursting above the treetops.

“Rigo!” Stephano exclaimed in relief. “He’s alive!”

“And expecting us to go save his lazy ass, of course.” Dag grumbled, but he was smiling as he said it.

“We have no food,” Miri said, coming to report. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and ashes, but she was brisk and matter-of-fact. “I suppose there’s wild game-rabbits and deer and such-to be had around here.”

She glared at Stephano. Her green eyes glittered in the sunlight. “I should punch you in the nose.”

“I wish you would,” said Stephano. “I deserve it. I’ll find a way to get us out of here. I promise.”

“You will that,” Miri said fiercely. “And pay for the damage to my boat, too.”

“Of course,” Stephano said shamefacedly. “Miri, I’m so sorry.. .”

Miri didn’t answer. Instead she put her arms around him and hugged him close. Shaking back her red hair, she grinned up at him.

“Look at it this way,” she said, tears glimmering in her laughing eyes. “We are now the Cadre of the Truly Lost!”

Before he could clear the choking sensation out of his throat, Miri had slipped out of his arms and stood eyeing Dag and Stephano. “You both have burns on your arms and hands. Fortunately, a jar of my herbal mixture survived the flames-”

Dag cast an alarmed glance at Stephano. “Shouldn’t we go rescue Rigo, sir?”

“Yes, we should,” said Stephano hurriedly. “Bring your musket.”

Miri laughed and shook her head at both of them, then asked Gythe to help her haul out the spare sails to be used as makeshift tents. After a brief search, Dag found his musket and loaded it with powder and shot. Stephano retrieved his dragon pistol. Miri was draping sails over tree limbs to form leantos and Gythe was carrying blankets up from the smoke-filled hold when Doctor Ellington suddenly shot out of the woods, his fur standing on end, his ruff bristling, his tail three times its normal size, his green eyes wide. The cat leaped onto Dag’s shoulder.

“Something’s scared him,” said Dag, setting down his musket to soothe the terrified cat.

“Probably a mouse,” Miri remarked caustically.

Dag was about to make an indignant denial when Stephano ordered sharply, “Dag, don’t move!”

Dag froze, which was not easy, trying to hold the squirming cat in his arms.

“Don’t anyone move,” Stephano reiterated.

Hearing the urgency in his tone, Gythe stopped dead on the deck of the wrecked Cloud Hopper. Miri ducked swiftly beneath a sail and peered out.

“What is it?” she asked in a hissing whisper.

“Look there,” said Stephano softly. “By the lake.”

Gythe and Miri slowly shifted their gaze. Dag was facing the wrong direction. He tried to see, but couldn’t quite manage without moving.

“What is it, sir?” he asked urgently. “Pirates?”

“A dragon,” said Stephano.

The dragon had apparently been having a cooling swim when he’d been disturbed by the Doctor coming down to the water for a drink. The dragon rose up out of the lake, water cascading from the head and body, which was about twenty-five feet in length, or so Stephano judged. The dragon’s scales were crystalline blue, darker than the water. His head was elegantly shaped, the jaw elongated, the nostrils wide, the eyes emerald green, close set, and glittering. His blue mane ran from a central point in his forehead down his neck, all the way down his spine, and onto the tail. He stood in the water, tail lashing slowly back and forth, stirring up waves.

“Maybe the dragon’s never seen a cat,” said Dag, who had managed to twist his neck in order to see.

“I don’t think he’s ever seen a human,” said Stephano.

“A wild dragon!” Miri exclaimed, awed. “No one knew such creatures existed anymore.”

The wild dragon lifted himself out of the water. Unlike his large, ponderous, and civilized cousins, this dragon was smaller, his movements quick and graceful. He kept his keen eyes on the humans. He was curious about them, not afraid of them.

“He doesn’t seem to feel threatened by us, sir,” said Dag.

“Perhaps because he can squash us like bugs,” said Miri.

The wild dragon fluttered his wings in the lake, like a robin taking a bath, sending water splashing high into the air in sparkling droplets. He emerged to stand poised on the shoreline, regarding them with narrowed eyes, his nostrils flaring at the unusual smell of humanity. He seemed uncertain what to do.

“He’s a young dragon,” Stephano said. His heart ached at the astounding beauty of the creature.

“What do we do?” Dag asked, struggling to hang onto the cat, who was undoubtedly thinking fond thoughts of his storage closet. “We can’t stand here all day.”

“Yes, we can,” said Stephano. “The dragon has to make up his mind about us. He has to decide that we’re not a threat and that we’re also not dinner.”

“And how do we convince him of that, sir?” Dag demanded.

“The old stories tell of the first meeting of humans and dragons,” Miri said, her voice quivering with excitement. “Oh, Stephano, this is a dream come true-”

She was interrupted by crashing and blundering sounds emanating from the forest and loud swearing and then Rodrigo emerged from the woods, hot and sweating, his hair bedraggled, his stockings ripped to shreds. He came up short at the sight of his friends and stared at them indignantly.

“I thought you were all dead! And here you are! Perfectly healthy and lolligagging about-”

“Rigo, shut up!” Stephano said furiously, but it was too late.

Perhaps it was Rodrigo’s querulous tone or the crashing sounds or maybe the lavender coat. Whatever it was, there was something about him the wild dragon didn’t like. He lowered his head, green eyes flaring, and began to slink toward them, gliding rapidly over the ground, his body moving like blue quicksilver.

“Oh, my God!” Rodrigo gulped. “You should have told me you had company. What do I do? Climb a tree?”

Stephano drew his pistol. “Run for the Cloud Hopper.”

“Don’t hurt him!” Miri wailed.

“I’m not going to hurt him!” Stephano said through gritted teeth. He raised the pistol and pointed into the air. “I’m going to try to frighten him. Run! All of you!”

Rodrigo was already on his way. Miri hesitated, then she made a dash toward the boat. Dag dropped the Doctor and snatched up his musket. The Doctor, now feeling brave, hissed at the advancing dragon.

Stephano fired the pistol. The dragon was startled by the boom and stopped short. His head reared. His eyes narrowed to slits. The dragon regarded them warily. He did not take flight, as Stephano had hoped.

“Dag,” said Stephano in a low and even tone, “start backing up. Move slowly, make your way to the boat.”

“What about you, sir?” Dag asked.

“I’m right behind you,” said Stephano.

The two of them began to edge their way slowly toward the Cloud Hopper, both of them keeping their eyes on the dragon, who had his eyes on them. Small gouts of flame shot from his nostrils. Tendrils of smoke coiled from his mouth.

“I don’t think you made much of an impression, sir,” said Dag.

“I’m thinking that myself,” said Stephano.

“I could try to wing him-” Dag said, raising his musket.

“Shoot him and I’ll shoot you!” Miri shouted angrily.

“She would, too,” said Stephano. “If you hurt him, he’ll charge. On my word, make a dash for it.”