Dragon Scales

Chapter 48

“How long do thing it will take to reach land?” Aresa sighed.

“Probably till morning.” Regorn answered.

He and Aresa were sitting side by side, leaning against a barrel. There was a halve-moon, and a lot of stars were to be seen. It was also cold, and Regorn was very grateful for his new cloak.

Werlek was steering the boat, Grenin was leaning over the side being sick, and Migor and Mevin were sitting to the side talking in low voices.

“They are probably dead.” Aresa said in a sad voice. Regorn looked at
her questioningly. “Thon and Dion.” Aresa explained. Regorn was silent. “And Grandfather probably too. The soldiers arrested and killed him.” Aresa muttered in a depressed voice.
“My whole family. Dead. I can't possible hope they are still alive.”
Aresa looked up at the stars. “After the king is dead, I don't know what I'll live for.”

“You have friends.” Regorn laid his arm over Aresa's shoulders. “Werlek, I don't know about him, but he seems to want you safe. Grenin, I think is trustable. As for Migor and Mevin... they have not betrayed us yet, so they probably won't. I... won't leave you,
so you won't be alone.”

“Thanks, Regorn.” Aresa murmured.

“So it's settled. I, Graven, Shield, Iaven and Inor will assist the Yirin Court to exterminate the queen tomorrow evening when she is supposed to meet the Yirin Court for a important
announcement. Tunrir, Urik and Evin will go with the tunnellers to the place Ymoriso talked about. ” Leiha looked at the people gathered around her, especially at Tunrir.

Tunrir looked unhappy, but he nodded. “So, let's all get some sleep, tomorrow many things will happen.” Leiha stood up and the assembled people started leaving.

Thon, Dion and Inor stayed, all of them having worried expressions. “Do you think... the Yirin Court will really help us? Or they are leading us to a trap?” Dion asked.

“That remains to be seen.” Leiha rubbed her head a tired expression on her face.

“Whatever happens, we need to kill the queen.” Inor spoke. Leiha nodded, slightly surprised that he had said anything. Inor was a very quiet man.

“Good night.” Leiha told Thon, Dion and Inor. She walked to a corner and laid down on her cloak. Staring at the top of the cave she sighed. She was
afraid of what was going to happen tomorrow. “Anyone I know can die.” She whispered and closed her eyes.

“Wake up.” Aresa gently shook Regorn's shoulder. “We are nearing the shore.”

Regorn slowly got up and looked over the lake. In the distance gentle sloping hills were to be seen, and a small town. It could almost not be called a town, but a group of about fifteen small houses inhabited by fishermen.

Grenin was talking to Werlek and Regorn slowly approached them.

“Does the boat usually stop here?” Grenin asked.

“No.” Werlek answered. “It usually would stop nearer to  Denereth. I didn't stop there because a bunch of people would wait there to get on, and I don't want us to have attention. Huh, the boatman is waking up.”

“No need to worry. I bound him as tight as a pig heading for slaughter.” Grenin grinned.

The boatman groaned and opened
his eyes. He lay there for a while, then he spoke in a hoarse voice, “What do you want with me?”

“We want you to have your boat again. We are not robbers.” Werlek smiled. Regorn had not seen Werlek so friendly before. “I only ask that when we leave you, you don't immediately go into business again. Wait for a day before taking people to the other shore again.” Werlek still spoke in his friendly voice.

The boatman hesitated, but then quickly nodded. “I will do as you
say.” Aresa stood to the side, staring into the water. As they came closer to shore she walked to stand beside Grenin and Werlek.

The fishermen had little boats on the sea, and they looked open-mouthed as the boat passed by. So much for little attention.

“It is stupid that we didn't take the horses with us.” Migor grumbled as he stepped onto solid ground. Nobody commented, but Werlek had a frown on his face.

He was the last to get off, except the boatman of course. “We need to get into Denereth, kill the king, and get out again before those soldier that saw us reach Denereth. In other words, get moving!” Werlek was his usual self again.

“We have almost reached Lake Reth!” Mrion yelled to the seven people riding behind him. Tyem was happy he had been allowed to go with the rescue party, and did everything he was told.

Mrion was the leader of the group, in his late twenties, and one of the best fighters that had joined to rebel against the king.

“Look at all of those people there!” Iwra pointed. She was in her late thirties, with short brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Tyem had once
seen how she had effortlessly killed six soldier with her deadly arrows before they could reach her. She was by far the best archer in the group, and Tyem was happy she was going with them.

“Something unusual must have happened.” Mrion's eyes were alert.

“What happened here!? Where is the boat?” A loud voice angrily yelled. It was a man in elegant clothes, very light hair and eyes, and a little beard.

“Sir a---”

“Not sir! You will say to me Commander Silak and nothing else!”
The light-haired man interrupted the farmer that had tried to answer him.

“Commander Silak, a group of soldier arrived and wanted to get on the boat, even through it was full. The boatman eventually started to have everyone get off, but a group of people with traveller cloaks suddenly pushed all the soldiers of that tried to get on, and knocked the boatman unconscious. They left with the boat, and the soldiers soon after left on some horses to ride around Lake Reth.” The farmer patiently explained.

The man named Silak suddenly had a strange expression on his face. “Tell
me more details about those travellers.”

“I didn't see much of their faces, they all had their cloaks pulled low over their faces.” The farmer shook his head. “With everything going on I couldn't look at them closely.”

Silak's expression got ugly and he cursed. “I bet it was them.” He
growled and turned to a soldier beside him. “We need to get to
Denereth now! The king might be in danger!”

“Commander, our horses are tired out, they won't make it to Denereth.” The soldier had his head bowed, and he looked afraid.

Silak turned his head around, then spotted a group of horses from a merchant group. The horses were well rested andstood there peacefully.

“Take those horses there, we need them. If the people refuse, kill them.” Silak ordered to the soldiers around him.

They immediately moved, and started biding the horses loose and taking them away.

“What are you doing?!” The
merchants immediately jumped up angrily.

“I know a opportunity to turn people against the king when I see one.” Mrion grinned.

“This is the perfect situation.” Iwra agreed. “We help the people against the soldiers, and they will be ever grateful. The soldiers and the king, however, they will hate.”