Red Dragon's Keep (The Dragon's Children Book 1) by Natli VanDerWerken

Author:Natli VanDerWerken [VanDerWerken, Natli]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zenith Star Publishing
Published: 2017-07-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Chaos reigned.

The message from Falcon’s Spire arrived as Thomas and Captain Mathin were planning the search of the undercroft in the Library.

The news sent a bolt of fear and dread through everyone in the Tower, and in the town as the news spread.

The scouts’ messenger arrived, reporting the Demon attack on his patrol, requesting more men and a wagon for the dead.

As the sun marched toward the western horizon, a soldier from the Duke's supply train rode through the gates. Tired and gaunt, he slid down from the bare back of the farm horse he was riding. He looked like farmer.

The guards at the gate rushed to his side. The sergeant-in-charge recognized him. “What’s happened? Why are you back,” he demanded.

“I need to report to Captain Mathin,” the exhausted man mumbled, tired beyond words.

“Private, go alert Captain Mathin. Find Lord Thomas, too. I’ll bring him into the great hall,” ordered the watch sergeant. He sent the remaining private back to the gates, then draped the soldier’s arm across his shoulders. They hobbled across the forecourt and made their way, one step at a time, up the stairs and into the great hall.

The sergeant helped the soldier hobble to the nearest table, shoving the bench out from under it with his foot. The soldier folded onto the bench and pillowed his head on his arms on the table. The sergeant shouted to a skully to bring water and soup.

Captain Mathin and Thomas descended the stairs into the great hall. They strode to the table where the scout was sipping slowly from a mug. A bowl of soup sat on the table in front of him. They slid onto the bench on the other side of the table.

Captain Mathin angled his head in query. “What happened to you? You look completely done in.”

“Captain, Lord Thomas.” The soldier raised bleary, glassy eyes to look at both of them. “I have desperate news. Three of the wagons failed. Most of the pins holding the wheels to the axles were shaved and broke so the wheels fell off. All of the spares were shaved, too. Most of the food spoiled.

We were ambushed at Great Falls three weeks out from Red Dragon’s Keep. Lord Tom and Lord Jeremy and Lady Jenni and Lady Anne fought like h…heck, but there were too many men. One of them was that traitor, Garan. We tried to save them, but there were too many and they cut us down. All the other men were killed.”

He shook his head and, picking up the bowl of soup, took a small sip. “I got knocked on the head and couldn’t get up again. I watched them pull the Lords from their saddles and tie them up. The women tried to keep fighting, but Lady Jenni was cut pretty bad and knocked from her saddle. Lady Anne jumped down from her horse to help, but she was hit on the back of the head.”

Thomas gasped in shock and fear. The soldier looked up at him in sympathy.

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