Chapter Eleven
"Back at my place," Dipak said. Though they'd have to take the long way, using the shortcuts would reveal far too much to someone he only tenuously trusted, and he sensed it would be pretty exhausting for Euclid to cover the burden of it for two people.
Though the necklace probably eased some of that? Whatever, they couldn't do it.
Euclid shook his head. "Too far this late. It would take hours to reach your cabin, never mind the danger. I know somewhere else we can go for now, until the sun rises. Follow me."
He led them to a dilapidated cabin by the remains of what had once been a water wheel, though what it might have been used for, Dipak hadn't the slightest. There were no fields of grain that would need ground to flour, no massive bellows that needed power, nothing like that at all. "What was this used for?"
"Fulling, way back before the forest overtook this area.
The people who did the fulling eventually needed more space and wanted to be closer to town, so they moved away.
Other people have lived in the house, but the waterwheel hasn't been used in a very long time.
Dismantling it was simply too difficult and time-consuming to bother. "
"It's a fine house, or could be," Abhishek replied. "Strange the monsters stay away from it, when it's been abandoned so long. Surely the house would be a fine nest for several of them."
"The inhabitants won't disturb it until I give them leave to do so," Euclid said. "Come, we can sit out here and talk. I'm not sure of the state of the inside, but it's probably not safe."
Instead of sitting, though, they just stood clustered on what remained of the dilapidated porch.
"So I took the skull back and gave the story of finding evidence the dragon had been dead a long time. They were a bit suspicious, as it’s common to take the head when someone kills a dragon, and they don't typically die of diseases and such, but it wasn't hard to explain away as a victim of a rockslide in its caves. "
"Clever," Euclid replied, though there was the faintest amusement in his eyes, probably because a mere rockslide would be just as unlikely to kill him as disease.
"Not clever enough, because more people are being sent to continue the hunt.
For whatever reason, the client is convinced now that there's a dragon here in the woods and he wants it.
Which is the other thing I need to tell you.
The client is the Duke of Karianor…but he's just a front for the actual client, according to my sources, who is King Madhav. "
"Madhav?" Dipak asked incredulously. "Is there any chance you're mistaken? That doesn't make any sense. Madhav has never cared about trophy hunting or anything like that. His interests are in the court, in money, in being comfortable."
"Because he's sickly?" Abhishek asked grimly.
"Yes…" Dipak replied slowly. "It was always a major source of frustration for him and Lochan.
It was one of the few things he refused to talk to me about.
Wouldn't even say what exactly was wrong with Madhav.
I knew only what everyone else knew. That he's sickly, bodily weak, though his mind is sharper than most. But there was never any question he was fit to inherit the throne, for all his limitations.
So why would he suddenly care about hunting down a dragon? "
"It cost me a great deal of my shiny new money to learn the answer to that," Abhishek said sourly, "but I did get the answer. He's not sick, he's cursed. Some type of blood curse, and he used to drink his father's blood to hold the curse at bay. With dear old daddy dead…"
Dipak swore, loudly and colorfully. "What curse?"
"That I couldn't figure out, but he is convinced beyond all reason that some part of a dragon will break the curse. Blood, bone, I don't know what, but he wants a dragon, preferably a blue one, and he's convinced for some reason that one is here in the Forbidden Forest."
"Blood curse…" Dipak shook his head. He'd been Lochan's lover for years.
He'd known Madhav all that time, and this was the first time he'd heard the bastard had a fatal, blood-bound curse?
What kind of blood curse? Who had done it?
Why? How could Lochan not tell him? If he'd known Lochan was the only thing keeping his son alive…
What could he have done differently, though?
Stood by and let Lochan order the slaughter of hundreds, even thousands?
No, and he had tried everything, had pleaded and begged for people to listen to him, as many people as he could think of.
He had exhausted himself, nearly made himself sick from overwork and anxiety, trying to find any solution that didn't involve murder.
At least now he knew why Madhav hadn't heeded him, though ironically, if the bastard had then Lochan might still be alive right now and the entire problem avoided.
Then again, he would never have met Euclid then, and he couldn't be sorry about that, no matter what it had cost him.
"Why only now?"
"Apparently he's been looking for years, and more urgently since his father died.
I'm guessing he had some sort of emergency supply meant for when the late king had to travel, and that supply is dwindling.
" Abhishek waved a hand in the air before dropping it heavily.
"What tipped him off that there is definitely a dragon here, I've not the slightest. But his forces are coming, and they are under orders to do whatever it takes to secure a dragon. "
"I will reimburse you for the money spent," Euclid said. "That is fair compensation for the lifesaving information you have brought us. Do you know who is coming, how many?"
"Royal soldiers this time. I'm guessing he got fed up paying for expensive mercenaries who went missing instead of bringing him what he paid for.
I'm not exaggerating when I say their orders are to get a dragon at any cost. Up to and including burning the forest to the ground.
I don't know how you're going to stop them, but I'm willing to help.
This forest, everyone and everything in it, don't deserve to die because of one person.
Kings are easily replaced. The bones and blood of a kingdom are not.
" He laughed softly. "Not like I've anywhere to be, anything to do right now. Being wealthy is strange."
Dipak shrugged. "Depends on the manner of the wealth. I've little to no coin to my name now, but wealth aplenty where it matters."
Euclid smiled.
Abhishek wrinkled his nose. "Bard song nonsense.
Do you have somewhere I can stay, get some rest, so we can spend tomorrow planning how to defend the forest?
I've been up for nearly two days straight at this point, between gathering information and getting here in time to warn you.
There was a storm brewing when I left that I think will slow them down by at least half a day, but I wouldn't bet anyone's life on it.
They'll be here sometime the day after tomorrow.
Sooner, likely, but they won't venture into the forest until daylight. "
"Of course," Euclid replied, stepping forward and gripping his upper arms. "Thank you so much…" he trailed off as Abhishek passed out, catching him easily and heaving him up, over and across his shoulders.
Grinning, Dipak said, "Have I mentioned it's incredibly attractive how strong you are?"
Euclid returned the grin. "I insist you tell me all about it later when this crisis has been averted. Preferably naked in our bed."
"Count on it. Where are we taking him?"
"Pitambar will suit nicely. He has the room for a guest and likes company. Want to try to go there yourself?"
"What if I get lost? Or stuck? Or wind up somewhere else entirely?"
"At worst, you'll arrive in a different part of the forest. Getting lost in the shortcuts is incredibly difficult to do.
You are not meant to be there, not like that, so it will spit you right back out.
I can find you wherever you are, so it cannot hurt to try.
Knowing how to do it may make all the difference soon. "
Dipak nodded and held Pitambar's cabin in his mind, then stepped forward—
And came out alongside an apple tree that marked the little path leading up to Pitambar's front door.
"Well done," Euclid replied warmly as he came up beside him.
"You've gotten the knack for it so quickly.
I thought for certain you'd find yourself in the lake at least once.
That's what I did the first time I tried on my own.
My brother had to fetch me out, and dragons do not enjoy water when we cannot touch the bottom.
We're too heavy to swim." He smiled wryly.
"One of the first things I did after mastering shifting into a human form was learn how to swim. It's proven to be an invaluable skill."
"Yes, people don't take water as seriously as they should. I made certain all my scouts could swim. More than once it saved their lives." He headed up the walkway and rapped on the door.
It opened a couple of minutes later to a yawning, bleary-eyed Pitambar. "Wha…Euclid! Who— what— um. Come in." He stepped back and opened the door wide, then closed it once they were all inside and went around hastily lighting the lamps.
His eyes widened as he took in Abhishek as Euclid gently laid him out on the sofa. "Who is that?"
"Someone who came to warn us that His Majesty King Madhav has ordered royal soldiers to burn this forest to the ground in order to find a dragon. He needs a place to rest. We were hoping you would not mind hosting him. Of course you will be compensated fairly," Euclid said.
Pitambar nodded. "Of course I'll help. If you can get him into the spare bedroom, I'll take it from there. Do I need to tell you when he's awake?"
"Yes, please."
"All right. What else should I do, if we're to be under attack?"