Dragon Clan #6: Anna's Story

CHAPTER TWELVE

After three more days of steady sailing, they reached the breakwater at Shrewsbury. It extended from one headland out across the mouth of the bay in a straight line, made of rocks the size of a man’s head. The end result was a deep water, narrow bay capable of protecting twenty or more ships from the fiercest storm. As they sailed closer, it was in silence.

The Captain said, “Never seen a breakwater built like that. Must have taken hundreds to carry that many rocks, and even then, it must have been years in the making. Odd, I never heard of it in all the tales in all the taverns and ale houses I’ve sat with other men of the sea.”

“Crabs built it. I saw them doing it,” Anna said.

Captain Braise gave her a questioning look.

“Crabs. People from Breslau, who are lower than slaves because slaves have jobs to do,” she explained. He was still looking at her, puzzled. She went on, “When I was here before, I watched them building that. They had probably a hundred men and women they called ‘crabs’ carrying those rocks they took from the side of the hill you see over there. They carried every boulder and rock. No animals to help. And they worked from sunup until dark.”

“That’s no life for a person.”

“With the tattoos, they’re marked for life. Just useless Crabs who can’t even elevate their status to slaves. They’re not allowed to hold jobs unless manpower is required.” She spat the words as if getting them out of her mouth would make them taste better.

Captain Blaise shook his head in sadness. “Are there a lot of them?”

“Yes.”

“Keeping people chained to the bottom of society like that isn’t right. If’n you’re fighting against those people who do this to others, count me in. Are we going into the harbor?”

Anna looked at Raymer. “I was going to suggest we land outside the harbor and sneak in past the headland, but I keep forgetting about your dragon. I’ve never been around anyone who can do what you do. Besides, the Captain wants to soak his hull in some fresh water.”

“You want me to have the red take a look before we commit to entering, in case there is an army waiting for us in there.”

“Something like that,” Anna said.

“Let me make myself comfortable. Can you accompany me to the bow?” Raymer asked.

She followed him into the small cabin where he lay on his back and closed his eyes in what was becoming a familiar action. How strange it must be to close your eyes and find you’re inside the eyes of a dragon flying high above the sea. She marveled as she tried to imagine the wonder of it.

Tales said that dragon’s eyes are far better than peoples. Raymer would be looking down and seeing things she never would see. In ways, that was better than the ability ride the back of one, if that was possible. She had heard the stories of being carried in the claws of a dragon, including Carrion’s wild ride in Breslau not long ago. Tanner had done that, too, or so his story went, but it was still hard to believe because it sounded so much like a fairy tale of long ago.

“I’m flying over our boat and approaching the breakwater. Just in case of danger, I’m staying high for the first pass.” Raymer’s voice was soft, almost a hiss that she had to lean closer to hear.

She shifted positions to hear anything else, imagining it in her head as he described what he saw. Suddenly, his body went stiff, and he half sat.

“It’s black,” he said loudly.

“Black? What are you talking about?”

Awareness returned to his eyes. “There are no ships, no docks, and the entire town has burned. Nothing is left standing.”

“I know.”

“You do? How?”

“You’ve been out of touch with the Dragon Clan. You didn't hear the last stories, but I thought you knew. Tanner and Carrion, the two from the Highlands Family, came here.”

“Our people burned it?” Raymer looked horrified.

Anna said, “Wait here for just a minute.” She ran to the deck and told the Captain to sail for the opening to the harbor. Then she was back at Raymer’s side. “This whole town had been taken over by Breslau. They staged weapons here and build barracks and the seawall. This is where the troop ships were to land. I’m sorry, I thought you knew all this.”

Raymer sat and wiped his eyes clear. “No, I knew little or nothing.”

“There’s more. A lot more.”

“These two from the Highlands thought it right to burn the whole town? Were they right to do it?”

“They were right.”

“What about the people?” he demanded.

“The story tells of the town almost empty of people because Breslau bought and closed all the businesses. Carrion set the piers on fire first. All the people left ran out to watch the fire, then he started burning it from one end. The people were herded to the road. We don’t think anyone died in the fires.”

Raymer reached out and took her by her shoulders. “We need to talk. Just the two of us.”

Her head was spinning. Raymer’s lack of knowledge had been taken by surprise, but he hadn’t expressed an interest in talking about some things earlier. Of course, he had no idea of what had happened. Now she was planning ahead again, finding a weakness in her earlier plans.

She said, “Listen to me, Raymer. I think you and I need to make a change in plans. There is too much you don’t know, and some I don’t. We need more information.”

“And where do you propose we get that?”

“The story you don’t seem to know is that Tanner and Carrion actually went to Breslau and found where they are staging their army for the invasion. They purchased a ship that can cross the Endless Sea. They can tell us far more than the stories I have heard third-hand.”

“The Highlands are nearby.” He now was sitting and paying attention as he spoke.

“Yes, between Shrewsbury and Racine, where the ship is now. Where we are.”

Raymer said, “We’ll leave this boat here and walk there. While we do, you will tell me all you know, and then we will meet with Tanner and Carrion and spend enough time, so we know what we’re getting into.”

Anna said, “Why are you just now getting so angry?”

“Well, it seems that until now I knew less than half the story and suspected no more. I thought we were simply chasing down a few renegades who had come into our lands, despite your efforts to educate me. Remember, while you talked, I may have emptied too many wine bottles instead of listening.”

It hadn’t occurred to Anna that Raymer was so out of touch, but she should have known. She said, “In that case, there is more I need to tell you. There are green dragons they brought with them. We can’t sense them.”

“We?”

“Dragon Clan. None of us. Worse, those greens have already killed two of our dragons and injured two others. When the greens see any of ours, even one of our greens, they attack, usually in pairs. Tanner and Carrion located where they roost, and it is part way between here and Racine.”

“If those dragons see mine, they will attack and kill it?”

“I believe so. You will have to fly your red only at night, and well inland. They roost near the coast.”

“What other surprises are in that pretty young head?”

“First, we need to go onto the deck and watch as we pull into the harbor. Keep your dragon nearby. We must also tell the Captain to sail well out to sea when we leave, and hopefully avoid being seen by that other fishing boat.”

Raymer said, “Thief? What will you tell him?”

She sighed. “I want him to go back and learn to fish with the Captain, especially if the Captain will hire him. I think he would like another on the boat, but the only time Thief has disobeyed me was when I tried to send him away. He won’t leave.”

“Maybe you can convince him to stay with Captain Blaise. He likes the boat.”

“I can try.”