Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 023 - Always finding trouble (Patreon)

“Three days, maybe four.  It really depends on how the weather is,” Kaen informed Hess as he continued packing his bags with supplies.  “I’m not sure how long it will take for us to find what we are hunting once we get there.  Then I still have to try and meet with the dwarven king if I can.”

Hess simply nodded, lost in the awe of the shield Kaen had let him hold.

“Whatever you do, do not show them this shield.  In fact, keep it with you at all times.  Something like this…” he trailed off as he spoke in a hushed tone.  “People would kill their own mother for.”

“That is why I have kept it hidden in one of the baskets on Pammon.  Someone getting that from him would not be easy.”

Bobbing his head, Hess ran his one hand down the shield again.  He had enjoyed it when Kaen had put it on his good arm, amazed at how light it was, and allowed him to hold a mace without getting in the way.

“I plan on being back in two weeks.  I need to start traveling more, and people need to get used to me being gone for random times.”

Letting out a sigh, Hess picked up the shield and moved to where Kaen was, handing it back to him.

“I must say, boy, you are getting smarter.  That time with Elies did you good.”

Please do not make his head any bigger. It will be hard to carry him everywhere if it keeps growing.

Laughing at Pammon's joke, Hess turned and moved to where Pammon was lying in their home.  He held out his hand, and Pammon brought his snout to him, getting to enjoy a rough scratching of his scales.

“I’m sorry you must parent him now.  I’m just glad that I got a chance to learn from him.  A girl is far worse.

I’m surprised that you didn’t bring your daughter.  Not that I care either way.

“Don’t pretend I don’t see how you two interact,” Hess stated with a chuckle.  “If I didn’t know any better, I would believe she has her tiny claws embedded in your heart.”

Snorting, Pammon shook his head free of Hess, but both of them could see the smile from how he curled his lips.

“He likes her more than me sometimes,” added Kaen as he bent back over, putting extra clothes and boots in a pouch.  “He complained last time Sulenda came for a visit and didn’t bring her. That reminds me.  Why did she come?”

“School stuff,” Kaen answered, keeping his back to Hess as he cinched up the pack.  “Always something I need to sign and spend money on.  Perhaps someone should remind her how long it takes to earn a gold coin.”

Seven coppers a day… not even enough to get up out of bed for.

Both of them laughed, agreeing that Pammon was right.  No dragon would waste their time for such a small amount.

With a map in hand, Kaen and Pammon took off a few hours later, knowing they wouldn’t get near as far as they wanted, but both had somewhere else to be.  Neither had mentioned to Hess that they wanted to scout the northeastern border past the area where they once had fought the bandits.

I know it’s a bit dangerous, but we won’t be going anywhere near Stioks border.  I just want to see if we can spot a large gathering of troops, orcs, and goblins.

No worries.  I will stay high in the clouds.  Besides, it is a good thing we are leaving today.  It should rain for the next few days in Ebonmount, and I would rather not always be wet.

Chuckling, Kaen rubbed that familiar scale and let himself get comfortable.  He leaned back against the pad that Hess had brought him.  It was his first attempt to try out this addition to his saddle.  He could lean back against the raised part and relax a little more.  It came loose easily from two small clasps so that if need be, he could still spin around and fire behind without having it interfere.

They reached the eastern edge of the Ebonmount mountain range, and Kaen marveled, as always, at the massive lake that ran along the eastern edge.  Water piled up in a huge lake near the base of the mountain, stretching for miles before becoming open farmland and trees.  All this water would move slowly to the south, creating swamps on the southern end of the mountain range.  Here, showers would drop their water, and as it rose, the water rolled down the natural incline.  Fish were plentiful, yet there were not as many boats as there had been in ages past.  It would make breaking into the eastern side of Ebonmount difficult.

Nothing but the occasional small ship down there using nets as they pull in something.  I think most of them are aware of the coming storm from the clouds and are staying off the water.

Kaen saw the clouds above him and off to the east.  They were dark and looked ready to deposit all of the water they held.  The seasons were changing, and soon, rain would be a common thing before it changed even more.  They wouldn’t get much snow, if any, but it would get colder in about three or four months.

Let’s head north, then.  This is far enough.  I know we are still a good day from being deep enough in Stioks land, but I would rather not risk a random encounter.

You’re afraid.  I can sense it.

I am… and I know you are as well.

Pammon didn’t reply, but Kaen could feel it from him.  Both of them knew he had done damage to Elies.  They had mentioned the damage done by Stioks, and Juthom was more than they had expected.  Tharnok had also dealt some damage, but in the end, both riders and dragons had pulled away, neither feeling they had the upper hand at the moment.

How will we ever get to the other kingdom if we can’t go through Stioks?

Pensworth was northeast of Luthaelia; the cold weather and constant snow were a barrier most could not handle.  While it was not a heavily populated area, the people who lived there were strong and sturdy.  They were considered some of the strongest warriors when faced with solo combat.  No one ever tried to conquer the land because living there was not pleasant for a non-native person.

I’m not sure.  We should be fine with the cold, but it would require us to fly way north and then turn east.  That would add days to an already long trip.

Pammon grunted as he flew, keeping them just below the clouds that were in the sky.  No need to get wet from the mist if they did not have to.

Hours passed as they occasionally talked, and Kaen studied the map he had been drawing on his leg.

Herb had been a genius, not that he would ever tell him that.

Wrapping some leather around his leg and fastening it with a few straps kept it from moving in the air.  The charcoal pencil he had allowed him to sketch out the things that he saw and begin to make sense of the mess of trees, rocks, hills, lakes, streams, and other land features they flew over.

While all the maps he owned and checked were nice, learning this skill would prove much more valuable as he traveled.  He could glance down and get a general idea of where they were.  It let him know how far they should be from somewhere.  The best part was he could mark down something of interest for himself or someone else to check later.

He and Pammon were both content just to simply fly.  It was what they were supposed to do.  Be free with nothing holding them back.

As the sun began to set in the west, Pammon found a spot near a lake and dropped Kaen off to set up camp while he went and hunted.  He had seen a few animals and knew that the lake would draw them in.

Kaen had set to the task of collecting firewood and, after having gotten it going, pulled out the map he had been given by Herb and the one he sketched today.

He compared his to the others and saw how much of it was similar, but other areas were different.  Treelines had shifted from either forest fires in the last two hundred years or people cutting them down.  Some areas had expanded as growth took place with no one to hold it back.

A lake that was marked on Herb’s map was gone. Not sure if something had happened that drained it or simply there had not been enough water in the last few years to keep it up.

All those things spelled lessons to remember.

Depending on something that was this out of date could cause problems in a fight.  Landscapes would be different, and showing up somewhere, expecting a treeline and an elevated position might not happen, putting an army exposed to the elements and an attacking force who knows the land they are fighting on.

As he worked, listening to the fire and enjoying the view of the setting sun's reflection on the lake, he sensed something from the trees.

Where are you?

Sensing Kaen’s apprehension, Pammon shifted from where he was and turned to head his way.

I’m not far, maybe five minutes if I don’t use my skill.  What is it?

Looking through the corner of his eyes, Kaen pretended to keep looking at the map as he shifted his body slightly.

Something or someone is in the woods.  I can sense it.  Like I know from a sound I heard and the fact the insects and birds are quiet near me.

Pammon was south of him, and he knew the trees were thick but not so much that he couldn’t see through them.  He was not as high as he would be if he weren’t hunting.  That meant the angle was off and would be their limiting factor.

His sword and a mace were on his hip, but his bow was a few yards from him.  Not knowing what was out there, he didn’t expect to be in trouble if something attacked, but his bow made him feel more comfortable.

Listening, he continued to scan the treeline as he moved the pencil along the leather, not leaving marks but pretending to.

A few seconds later, he saw the movement and realized it was a person.

Thankful it wasn’t an orc or a beast, Kaen let out a small sigh as he rolled up Herb’s map and slowly put it in his bag.

“I am afraid you are not as stealthy as you thought you were,” Kaen almost shouted, his voice echoing into the woods.  “Come out and show yourselves.  I mean you no harm if you mean me no harm.

Pammon was still a good three minutes away, but it would be better; however, this went to get them in view and see what he was up against.

A man and a woman stepped out from behind the trees.  They wore leather armor and had sticks in their hair and leaves attached to their armor.  Both were holding a bow and had a knife or sword on their hip.  Seeing their pointed ears and fine features, Kaen knew what he had found.

Wood elves.

“How did you get past our sentries,” the woman asked as she held her bow with an arrow pointed at the ground.

Smiling and holding his hands up in the air, Kaen noticed the difference in their skin color.  Darker than the elves in Roccnari.  Where the elves there were fairer and taller, these here were shorter and more muscular.

He realized she was speaking the common language, which sounded rough and underpronounced.  The odds that most of them actually practiced it mean they might not understand everything he said.

It’s wood elves.  There are two of them showing themselves, but I know there are more.

The woman scowled that he had not answered the question yet and growled as she raised her bow at him.

“Tell me, human, why you are here and how you got here, or I will not hesitate to make you a corpse.

Chuckling, Kaen smiled and then spoke in the elf language he had learned in Roccnari.

“I mean no harm.  I’m just spending the night as I travel to the dwarven kingdom.”

Shock, awe, and anger flashed over both of their faces as the bow trembled a little in her hands.

Perhaps using the elven language was not the best idea…

Pammon flew faster when Kaen said that.