Part of her said she ought to try and talk to Yhkon. Try to resolve the issue, or get him to open up about it, rather than just brooding and drawing deeper into himself.
A larger part of her said never in a million years.
So, she didn’t.
~♦~
“Sire, you don’t have the funds.”
“I don’t have the funds?” Kaydor echoed, glaring at the man. His treasurer only retained his usual sleepy countenance. “Why not?”
“It’s not that you don’t have funds, Your Majesty. You have plenty. But to hire out Irlai’s army? Forgive me, but that’s ridiculous.”
Forgiveness wasn’t exactly in his nature. But unfortunately the dull-eyed, strangely-dressed noble beside him was useful to him. “Fine. Then I need more money. How do I get it?”
“It will take time, Sire.”
“I’m not asking for it tomorrow. Just answer the question.”
“Very well.” The treasurer straightened himself, only to slouch in his seat again. “Raise taxes, first off. I’ll get reports of current living conditions and finances through the region so we know how much we can get away with taking. Second, command an increase in production of resources. More stone, more wood, more minerals, more materials, more grain. We can increase trade with other regions for more income.”
Kaydor nodded contemplatively, rubbing his thumb up and down the bridge of his nose. “Fine. But not of lower class, their conditions are poor enough as it is. We can tax upper class, maybe middle, as well as try and raise support from nobility. Doing all of that, how soon can I buy Irlai’s armies?”
The man shrugged. “Depending on circumstances, anywhere from a few months to two years. Probably a year.”
Kaydor drummed his fingers on the arm of the throne. “That will do. You are dismissed, go get those reports. Have Commander Dejer sent in on your way out.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The treasurer slunk out of the chair and into a bow, before continuing to slink until he was out of the throne room.
Shortly after, Dejer came in. He went immediately onto one knee. “Your Majesty.”
“Up.” Kaydor yanked his hand upward. “What news with the rebels?”
“Nothing yet, sir. Still searching for them.”
“Do better. How many men are you employing?”
“One hundred. Five groups of twenty hunting them down.”
He stroked his jaw. “Send out a hundred more. No more than that, though. I’m limited on manpower, and I need the brunt of my men working on the new base and defending. Actually, you know what...get a few dragon riders searching from the air, too.”
“Yes, sir.”
He waved his hand toward the door. “Dismissed.”
Dejer faded out of sight.
That left Kaydor alone in the empty throne room. The walls and floor of dark stone cast the room in a shadowy dimness, eerily contrasted by splotches of bright light from the two windows. Dust glittered in the illuminated margins only to vanish in the gloom. Raise taxes to build the army…and improve living conditions of laborers…it’ll cost but benefit in the end. With his military limited to what men were already drafted in Zentyre, he couldn’t continue with the Eradication very well…which meant more time for the miscreants to escape and find somewhere to hide or join the rebels. But once he had Irlai’s armies, perhaps other mercenaries, he would find them out and strike the final blow. Once the new base is built, and the army doubled or tripled, the San Quawr won’t stand a chance. “Just need to bide my time...”
~♦~
Talea reached down to pluck a blade of grass, rubbing her fingertips over the scratchy tip. The short bristles that made up the end pricked her skin and gave off a summery fragrance as she ground it between her fingers. The same tall grass crunched underfoot and swished against her pants as she walked.
She’d been walking beside Wylan for a few minutes now. Why not strike up a conversation? “So were you ever this far west? I mean, since you traveled around and all.”
“No, I stayed along the eastern side. I didn’t actually travel very far ever, just often.”
“Ah. And you never got caught by knights?”
“Had to run away from a few of them once. That’s it.”
Terindi caught up to them, brow furrowed as she poked a needle in and out of a torn shirt.
Talea glanced at her, then the shirt. “Ahjul can’t sew, I take it.”
Terindi shook her head with her lower lip between her teeth. “Nope. He was trying. It was so pathetic I took pity on him.”
“Sewing and walking probably isn’t all that easy.”
“Not really.” She dropped her hands and abandoned the work for later. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” she agreed, scanning their surroundings. Clear blue sky, amber fields, warm weather, a light breeze. And, she noticed quizzically, a growing black dot in the sky. “What do you think that is?” She pointed.
Terindi squinted. “I don’t know. Some sort of big bird, off in the distance.”
Wylan shook his head. “Definitely not a bird.”
Talea frowned in agreement. It didn’t seem like a bird. Maybe—
“Hey.” Someone gave her a side hug, and she turned to see Kae’s bright smile. “How’s it going?”
“Hi, good…does that look like a bird to you?”
Kae peered in the direction Talea indicated, and her smile vanished. “No, not really…Yhkon?”
The lead Warden was walking at the head of the group. His head was down and he strode forward, looking secluded compared to the other Wardens and the teenagers who all traveled in pairs or trios. He rotated his head toward them without actually looking up. “Yes?”
“What’s that? Up in the sky, coming toward us?”
Now his head jerked up. He took one survey of the sky and stopped walking. “Mount up!”
Everyone scrambled into action, jogging to their assigned celith and mounting with their riding partner. Yhkon was already aboard Eclipse when Talea reached him, so he grabbed her arm and practically lifted her into the saddle behind him. So impatient. “What is it?”
“A dragon.”
5
Separated
A round here, the only dragon riders are Kaydorian.” Yhkon kicked his heels into Eclipse’s flanks, sending the stallion into a gallop. The other Wardens and wards’ mounts thundered along beside and behind them.
Talea squirmed deeper into the saddle and put her arms around his waist for additional stability at the break-neck speed. The wind whipped pieces of hair from her braid and brought moisture to her eyes. “So, is it like, a…a patrol, or something?”
“A scout, probably looking for us.”
“This is why I said Luriville was a bad idea,” Larak yelled over the noise.
Yhkon spun around abruptly to glower at him, making Talea want to back up, which wasn’t exactly an option. “Why don’t you say that to Terindi? Go ahead, tell her that you think we ought to have left her village to be enslaved and executed!”
“Don’t even try that with me, you’re not—”