Mary Herbert - Legacy of Steel

The red fire faded from his eyes. Keeping his prey pinned under his claw, he lifted his muzzle at her command. Blood dripped from his jaws onto his panicked victim, who screamed once and promptly fainted.

The third brigand, the half-elf, stared at Sara in shocked realization. He saluted almost frantically. "My lady, we had no idea you were a dragon rider."

Sara tossed her attacker's sword on the ground. She wiped her dagger on the wounded man's pant leg and thrust it back in her belt before she bothered to answer. The action was meant to look cold and commanding, but Sara also wanted a moment to find her voice and still the trembling of her hands.

"You didn't exactly take the time to ask," she said frostily. "If you had, I would have told you I am Knight Officer Sara Conby." It was a slight exaggeration, but it made the brigand's eyes bulge.

"We didn't think…" the half-elf stammered. "I mean, we never guessed you…"

Sara sneered. "You didn't think. Well, who else would travel the mountain trails alone but someone quite capable of dealing with scum like you! What are you doing up here? Is this any way for Knights of the Lily to behave?"

"Yes, Knight Officer. I mean, no. We're going to Neraka to rejoin our order. But we had no supplies or transport, and winter's coming. We thought a few travelers here and there would get us enough food and coins to go south."

A bolt of anger and hatred shot through her and, in spite of herself, flicked across her face. She quickly drew her brows together before the man caught her expression. "Neraka? I have not heard of anything happening there. I have been hiding my dragon in the mountains. We do not hear news often."

The half-elf, eager to please, plunged on. "Yes, my lady. We heard through our sources in Palanthas that the general has put out a call to all surviving knights to come to Neraka. There are plans to rebuild the order. The city is safe for us because the knights rule there. You and your dragon would be welcome. Come with us. We would be glad for your company."

I bet you would, Sara thought sourly. Glad for the dragonfear spread by Cobalt that would help you murder and steal your way to Neraka. Keeping her face impassive, she merely said, "Who is this general you speak of?"

"General Mirielle Abrena, my lady. She has taken over command of the order since Lord Ariakan's death. She plans to restore the power of the knighthood." Sara felt Cobalt move abruptly, as if startled. The name was not familiar to Sara. Perhaps Cobalt knew. Not that it was important. She had at last the verbal confirmation she wanted.

Suddenly Sara felt stone cold all the way to the core of her being. All she wanted to do now was go home. "I have things I must deal with here before I leave,"she said, her tone short and brittle. "Perhaps I will see you in Neraka."

The half-elf bobbed his head and practically bowed. "We apologize, Knight Officer, for the inconvenience."

Sara jerked her head toward the wounded man groaning on the ground. "You will have plenty of time to consider your actions while you deal with your comrades." She laid a hand on Cobalt's forearm and said to the dragon, "Let him go."

The dragon rumbled deep in his throat and let the man drop several feet to the ground.

She climbed up Cobalt's leg to his shoulders and carefully sat down on his back. Her perch felt very precarious without a dragon saddle to hold her on the thick scales. "Go easy," she whispered. "I don't want to fall off in front of them."

Cobalt obeyed. Instead of springing upward, he took two running leaps downhill, unfurled his wings and glided smoothly into the air. He soared down the mountainside until he caught a weak thermal that lifted him higher into the sky. He curved gently around and slowly flapped his wings until he was following the trail down the mountain.

"See if you can find the horse," Sara suggested wearily. Now that the fight was over and the men were lost from sight, she felt her energy drain away. She leaned forward, threw her arms around Cobalt's neck, and hugged him tightly. "I forgot to say hello. And thank you. And what are you doing here?"

"You also forgot something else. You are late!"admonished the dragon. "You said fourteen days. It's been seventeen. And look what happens?" He snorted in disgust. Wisps of steam flying from his nostrils. "I can't let you go anywhere without me!"

Sara laughed. It felt wonderful to be on his back and to know he had worried about her.

"There he is," Cobalt said, and he glided downward toward a wide patch of grass near the trail. There stood the old bay, head down, his sides heaving. He barely flinched when the dragon landed nearby.

Sara slid off and hurried to the old horse's side. His coat was slick with sweat; steam rose from his heaving flanks. She ran her hands down his legs and was relieved to see he had not hurt himself. He was just exhausted. She threw one of her blankets over him so he wouldn't cool too quickly, then she gently urged him back on the trail. He had to walk out his sweat or he would founder.

Cobalt looked on with ill-concealed impatience. "Do we have to take that old bag of bones back? It will take forever. Couldn't I just eat him? I can carry your gear."

Sara threw a frown at him and vehemently shook her head. "You will not eat this horse. He is my friend. If you are hungry, go find an elk or a few deer." She curled a lip and pointed to the blood splattered on his chest from the man he had killed. "And while you're at it, find a lake and wash that off. We will follow this trail, so it will be easy to see us when you're finished."

"All right, I will. It took me a long time to find you, and I am very hungry."

Sara grinned and waved him away. She had no fear that he would go far.

Cobalt came back within the hour, sucking bits off his teeth and looking very satisfied with himself. He flew in low, lazy circles over Sara's head until she found a place to camp for the night.

By the time, the bay horse had cooled and rested enough to want to graze. Sara hobbled him in a sheltered nook by a rock wall where enough grass had escaped the early frosts to satisfy his appetite. She built a fire close to a low overhang and cooked her supper.

Cobalt stretched out where he could watch her, his yellow eyes half-lidded. "Did you find what you wanted to know?" he asked after a while.

"Yes. And no."

"That's helpful."

Sara sighed, her gaze on the hot flames of her fire. "Yes, I learned that the rumors I had heard were true, but I do not know how accurate they are and how far the truth extends."

"And do you need to know that, too?"

She lifted her face to meet the dragon's unblinking gaze. She knew full well what that mission would entail, and the thought scared her silly. "I'm not sure yet," she answered truthfully, then she asked him a question. "Did you recognize the name of Mirielle Abrena?"

A sneer pulled back Cobalt's lips. His horns pressed flat on his head, a sure sign of his disapproval. "She commanded the wing in Northern Ergoth where Vincit and I were sent. As soon as word reached us that Lord Ariakan was dead and the Battle of the Rift was over, she took her personal staff and left the rest of us to fend for our-selves." There was a bitter rumble of resentment in his voice.

"She is ambitious," Sara mused.

Cobalt snorted. "She is dangerous." He bent his head down closer to Sara. "Are you thinking of going to Neraka?"

"I don't know."

"When you decide, you tell me, because I will not let you go away again without me. I have lost one friend and rider. I will not lose another."

Sara did not reply. She could not. No words could escape past the tightness in her throat. She banked her fire for the night, collected her blanket, and settled down against the dragon's warm side to sleep. That was all the answer he needed.