Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 033 - A possible partner (Patreon)

Elnidith stared at the map Kaen had drawn and listened to his description of the walls and land changes.  He had shown her how it was currently designed and laid out and then pointed to the few things that he felt needed to be changed and upgraded.

A small group of other dwarves had gathered around, listening and watching as he spent a solid twenty minutes going over the different wall systems and what he knew was in the mountains to the south.

“Sounds like you know more about defenses than most of these knuckleheads around us,” she stated after sighing.  “The problem isn’t just your land issues or your defenses.  The real problem will be how many troops you can muster and the length of your wall.  With the numbers, you say you have and the amount of area you have to cover, a solid attack in a few places will easily overwhelm your wall and prevent your troops from retreating.”

She marked a few spots based on the map he had of the forests and streams and pointed out a few weak points he had missed.

“You really need at least another five thousand troops.  All the stuff you are doing sounds great but won’t matter once the real fighting starts because you can’t defend it.”

She glanced up at Kaen and saw the frown on his face.

“Did you come here to ask for troops from the King?”

Shaking his head no, Kaen marked a few more notes on the map before turning to look at her.  He saw how her eyes were narrowed and her forehead furled.

“I wasn’t, but judging by the excitement on your face, that wouldn’t go over at all.”

A small grin cracked her face, and she nodded.

“Right now, the King has only one plan for whatever is coming.  Store food and continue carving out more room in the mountain.  The amount of rock we have off to the west could build houses for tens of thousands of people, but I won’t get into politics with you.”

She turned and motioned to the men and women gathered around her, and they all turned and left.  Even Brabel gave a slight bow and walked away.

“Roll up your map and, once you put it away, sit with me.  We need to talk.”

She turned and moved to two chairs in a corner of the room.  They had furs and other pelts draped across them and had no other chairs near them.  Only a small table between the two of them, most likely for cups, was the other furniture nearby.

“What did Elies tell you about us?” Elnidith asked as she folded her hands on her chest and leaned back in her chair.

“About you or the dwarves in general?”

Chuckling a little, she smiled and shrugged.

“Both, but mainly the dwarves as a whole.”

Sucking some air in through his teeth, Kaen grimaced as he looked around the room and saw only a few dwarves were still downstairs and as far away as possible from them.

“The truth is Elies mentioned that the way the King was acting seemed typical of his behavior.  I know he does not always like to get involved in the things of the world.  It has taken a lot of money and other items to convince him it was worthwhile in the past.”

Pausing, Kaen studied Elnidith to see if anything he had said yet was upsetting, but her face was like stone, giving nothing away.

“Bosgreth is old.  Perhaps that is why he has the nickname Lightbeard.”

Elnidith scowled and shook her head when Kaen said that.

“Do not let him hear that name from you,” she hissed, her voice like cold water poured down one's spine.  “He would ignore what you are and treat you as a criminal.”

Holding his hand up, Kaen feigned innocence.

“I didn’t mean it as an insult but…”

“It is an insult, and he will take it no other way.  I know what you mean, but we don’t speak that name.  Ever!”

The way she accented that last part drove home her point.

Nodding his head in understanding, Kaen gave a slight bow.

“I appreciate the instruction.  Forgive my ignorance on that matter.”

She waved his comment away and motioned for him to continue.

“I know he is older and does not want to risk as much.  This means we can do very few things to convince him to join the fight against Stioks.  I don’t see how hiding in a mountain can be the best solution for the dwarves.  Do you believe that I am wrong?”

Gently biting her lip, Elnidith sat there a moment and studied him.

The way Kaen was sitting and the tone of his voice spoke to the fact he believed what he said.

“I am in a difficult position,” she finally answered as she lowered her voice even more.  “While I protect the King and the kingdom, my opinion on recent developments has been ignored.  One of the reasons why the forest has been taken back as far as possible is to help control the potential advance against us.  I doubt you noticed it, but the land slopes downward as well.  No dragon would be foolish enough to attack our main gate, and the cost of crossing our bridge would make any army regret that decision.”

“But that isn’t the problem,” Kaen interrupted her.  “You will seal yourselves in a tomb, unable to leave until you are either too weak or willing to give up.”

Snorting, Elnidith nodded as she closed her eyes a moment and rubbed them with her fingers.

“I’m not sure if Elies told you that or you figured it out alone, but that is the truth.  The day we call to seal everyone inside is the day we sign the death certificate for all of us.”

Her face sagged, and there was something about how she looked at him that Kaen had seen before.

Defeat.

“What other options do you have?  Can you convince Bosgreth to change his mind?  Is there no one that can?”

Kaen’s voice was getting louder, and she raised her hand to silence him.

“No, there is not.  His son is not going to go against his father and he believes it is the right path as well.  There is nothing you can do, not even as a dragon rider, that will change the way dwarves are.  This is something we must figure out on our own.”

Groaning, Kaen rubbed his whole face with his hand and leaned back into the chair.

“I am going to sound ugly and probably piss you off, but you are sounding just as bad as the elves are.”

Her head snapped back at that insult. He had not done it to be mean or ugly but to prove a point.

He saw how it burned her, but she did not respond.

A rush of air escaped her nose as she huffed at him.

“You are taking great liberty with an insult like that, but I know how you mean it.   Tell me what you would have me do, Dragon Rider Kaen.”

Her voice had changed, and he noticed how she was talking now.  Gone was the casual tone she had been using.  It was replaced with one reserved for diplomatic discussions.

He crossed his arms and traded stares with her momentarily while considering what he might request.

She was a tactical genius and better prepared for war than he would ever be for years to come.  Their people were caught between a literal mountain and a hard place.

“How many people do you have under you?”
“Battle-hardened or that I provide for?” she asked, her eyes twinkling at his question.

“Both.  If you had to move today, tomorrow, in a year, how many lives would you be responsible for?”

Grunting, she motioned to the shields on the walls.

“I have over twenty shields here, and each of those shields has from fifty to one hundred warriors that will answer my call if the need arises.  Beyond that are at least four thousand who depend on me for jobs and more.  I have a lot of lives I am responsible for.”

Her tone was grim, and he knew she felt the weight of each of those lives.

“If I asked.  As a dragon rider.  Could I count on you and yours to come to Ebonmount and provide assistance defending against the threat?” he asked before leaning forward and tapping the arm of his chair with his finger. “ I would ensure jobs and homes were available for each of you who came and defended the kingdom.”

Leaning against the arm of her chair, Elnidith started stroking her beard braids as she considered what Kaen had just proposed.

“Perhaps a quest request?” she finally asked after sitting silently for a moment.  “Something from the adventurers guild even?”

“Would that be better than a request from me?”

“Both of them together would be hard to resist.  It would put much more pressure on the King to allow such a move, and I could propose some reasoning.  Once there, the length of the contract could be adjusted.  How long will it take before Stioks makes his move?”

“He could be making a move now.  I have been gone longer than I wanted, and while I am away, there is limited protection for Ebonmount.”

Kaen began to say something and stopped.  He saw her puzzled look when he did.

“There are things I am not at liberty to speak on yet, but know that in the coming months or even years, things will most likely get worse for a while.  For now, all I can do is make decisions based on what I believe will save the most lives and stop Stioks from getting what he wants.”

“What do you think he really wants?”

Leaning forward, Kaen made sure his voice was even and calm.

“He wants a dragon egg.  One he can bond with and live a lot longer.”

Elnidith’s eyes widened, and he saw her face turn a lighter shade.

“So the rumor is true,” she tsked as she shook her head and gazed at the floor.  “We believed those were impossible things, but he wants another dragon?”

“He does, and for whatever reason, the three dragons he has right now have not laid an egg.  The longer this goes on, I believe he will become less cautious.  If he gets a dragon of his own, we are looking at the potential of another hundred or more years with him.”

Turning, she spat on the floor and let out a curse.

“I would rather eat a hairy goblin sack before I live under the fear of that,” she exclaimed with a growl.  “Make your request.  Tomorrow, go and see the adventurers guild and turn one in as well.  When you return, make sure to do the same in Ebonmount.”

Standing up, she glanced around the room and the few who had stayed downstairs with her.

“I cannot promise it will happen fast, but if you make those three requests, I will do everything in my power to bring my men and women and their families to help prevent such a thing from taking place.”

Kaen smiled as she extended her hand, and he shook it, impressed by the strength she gripped it with.

“Now, let my men show you to your room. I need to take care of a few details after discussing this with you,” she stated, letting go of his hand.  “Try to get a good night's sleep and I will let you know in the morning if King Bosgreth will see you.”

She motioned to one of the men who came over and gave a slight bow to Kaen.

“If you are ready, sir, I will show you to your room.  Is there anything else you need?”

Ignoring the ability to be discreet, Kaen nodded and motioned to himself.

“I’m sure I do not smell the nicest, and a tub or at least a lot of water would be appreciated.  I may need some clothes washed tonight as well.”

Grinning, the dwarf nodded as he motioned to the stairs.

“That will all be taken care of for you sir.  If you please.”

The man began walking toward the stairs, and Kaen followed him, grabbing his pack from the table.

“Sleep well, Dragon Rider Kaen.  I will see you in the morning,” Elnidith called out as he walked away.