Chapter 15.
A Sudden Downpour.
Silence settled on the cave as Caderyn drifted off to sleep, Sofia and Lynwood still cuddled up in betwen his paws. Sofia had gone off to dreamland long before, only Lynwood lay awake, his mind far too active to let him go to sleep. He was thinking, and he was thinking hard.
Elaine said his father could be dead, but she didn't know for certain. What if he hadn't been banished yet? What if there was still a chance to save him somehow? Lynwood had read many books where the heroes go through many dangers, and very often there was some sort of a jailbreak. To be sure, this was not a story book, this was real life, but no doubt all the authors of stories drew from real life and that meant such a thing was possible.
Lynwood knew enough to understand he could never get his father out on his own, but if he could only know for certain that his father was alive, then there would be reason to try and come up with a plan. Only how was he to find out?
The minutes continued to pass and soon turned into hours and still Lynwood didn't sleep. Suddenly he snapped his fingers.
"Collyn!" he whispered. "That's my ticket into the palace." He had to see her, and he had to do it right now. If his father was still alive, then it was certain his days were numbered and that meant every minute was precious.
Crawling out of his comfortable position, Lynwood nudged the dragon's head that was resting on the cave floor.
"Caderyn," he called, "Caderyn, wake up."
Caderyn gave groan and shook his head.
"Oh come on, you sleeping beast, wake up," Lynwood persisted. "We've got a long journey to make and we must set out now before the dawn catches up with us." He lightly punched his fists into Caderyn's face, causing the dragon to jerk his head up and open his eyes angrily.
"Don't get mad," Lynwood whispered. "We've got to get back to the capital and there is precious little time of darkness left before the light creeps in." Lynwood reached over and tried to lift his sleeping sister. "Ooof, she's heavy," he gasped, "come on, Caderyn, give me a hand..or a paw...or whatever."
Caderyn shook his head and was about to rest his head on the cave floor again, only to receive anther punch from Lynwood.
"When you woke me up in the middle of the night I jumped up without a second thought. Look, I know this may sound silly to you, but I have got to get back to the palace. I need to speak with Collyn. It has to do with my father. I want to find out if he is still alive and I think the princess might be able to help me."
Caderyn tossed his head and gave a dragon smirk.
"Oh go ahead, laugh if you want," Lynwood retorted. "Its not like I'm going to walk up to the princess and say 'Your Highness, please ask you uncle, His Majesty the King, if he has my father in his prison. It's that woodsman who was trying to overthrow King Farran's rule'. But if Collyn is as scheming as she put herself out to be when I first met her, she may be able to find out if my father is still alive. After all, if there was a trial on something serious as a plot to overthrow the king's rule, surely she would hear about it. People usually find out if when someone is killed for plotting against the king. Come on." Lynwood attempted to lift the dragon's head. "Please, Caderyn, do this for me. I don't want to be an orphan, I lost my mother as it is, I would very much like to keep my father."
Caderyn gave a sigh. This human boy had a terribly way of winding him around his finger. Why, in the past week he had done so many crazy things, things he had never dreamed he would ever do, all for the child of is greatest enemies. Giving a loud groan, Caderyn motioned towards Sofia. Lynwood gently draped her over Caderyn's back and Caderyn carried the sleeping child to the bed. Lynwood tucked her in and kissed her cheek.
"We'll be back soon," he whispered, brushing the damp curl's from Sofia's face. "maybe you'll still be asleep." Jumping up, Lynwood attached his knife to his belt and then climbed onto the dragon's back.
"I'll make it up to you," Lynwood promised. "Somehow, someday, I'll repay all your kindness."
Caderyn gave a low chuckle, he couldn't imagine anyway this child could repay him, but it was thoughtful of him to promise just the same. The two of them flew off into the night, far from the mountains and into more populated areas.
Lynwood noticed dark clouds in the distance, covering up the diamond sky and casting a shadow over the ground. What was even more discomforting was that they were heading straight into them. Caderyn looked over at Lynwood, wondering if they should turn back, but Lynwood urged him onward.
At last, just as the dawn was beginning to rise, Arrol loomed in the distance and the brightly colored roof of the palace came to view. As if on cue, the clouds that had been looming over them broke out in all their fury and a heavy shower descended on the dragon and his rider.
Now Caderyn was determined to return to his warm, dry cave, but Lynwood would have none of it.
"Don't turn back, the rain may be to our advantage, it can help camouflage us," he stated. "Let us get to the palace garden, no one is going to be out there and you can land safely without being noticed." Caderyn was of the opinon that to be out in such weather was unwise and downright stupid, but he gave in just the same. The rain came down so strongly, Lynwood could hardly see what was in front of him. The downpour drenched his clothes and hair. Soon Lynwood's teeth began to chatter and goosebumps appeared on his skin as the wet material stuck to him and chilled him to the bone. He was almost ready to turn back himself when he noticed some movement in the garden. Straining his eyes to try and make out what was going, Lynwood caught sight of a figure hugging a tree in the garden.
It was Collyn.
Only not the Collyn he had met a few days ago, with not one hair of place, not one extra wrinkle on her dress, composed and full of authority. No, this Collyn was wet and dirty. Her long black hair was loose, wet, and tangled, getting into her face and eyes. Her clothes was wet and muddy. She had been running it seemed and had stopped to lean against a tree, evidently to catch her breath, which is precisely when Lynwood spotted her. He couldn't help but think this behavior odd and decided that he had to investigate.
"Caderyn, quick, land in the garden, we have to find out what is wrong," he said. Caderyn refused. His sharp eyesight had noticed the five guards, obviously chasing after the young princess, and the dragon decided against landing.
"Caderyn didn't you, oh," Lynwood spotted the guards and he realized landing was probably not the best of ideas. "Are they chasing after Collyn? How weird? Why would they chase the princess?"
Lynwood had to think fast; he knew he had to get Collyn out of there, but the question was how.
"Collyn," he called to her. "Collyn!"
Collyn looked up and caught sight of the dragon and the boy.
"Lynwood!" She whispered his name, eyes wide with surprise.
"Quick, Collyn, you have to climb up on the garden wall," Lynwood ordered her.
"Are you crazy!" Collyn shouted back. "There is no way to climb that wall. You have to land!"
"I can't," Lynwood replied.
"Why not?"
"Because..." Lynwood was cut off by and arrow that just barely missed his head. He looked behind him and saw that the soldiers had spotted them and were shooting.
"There's a dragon in the garden," he heard them shout.
"So much for getting away without being noticed," he muttered to himself. "I can't land because they are shooting arrows at me," Lynwood yelled to Collyn. Caderyn was getting nervous and fidgety and Lynwood could feel it. The last thing he needed was for Caderyn to get shot again. The boy looked around wildly for something that could help him get Collyn out of this mess without endagering Caderyn. He spotted a large, fancy gazebo some distance away from where Collyn was. The roof was obviously in the process of being renovated as there were tiles missing and a ladder leading up.
"Collyn, listen to me, see that gazebo? You have to run and climb up the ladder and onto the roof. From there you will be able to climb up onto the dragon."
"Climb up on the roof?" Collyn vehemently shook her head. "Are you insane"
"Look, if you want to stay in the garden and get caught, then be my guest. The only way I can help you is if you obey me and climb up the roof. There is no other way to get you out of here. I can't have the dragon land bcause he might get shot."
Collyn grit her teeth and made a dash for the gazebo.
"There she is!" The guards began yelling. "There she is! Get her, catch her!"
Collyn ran for dear life. As quickly as she could she climbed the old ladder to the unfinished roof. Just as she reached the top, the ladder creaked and fell over. Poor Collyn shrieked from terror, clinging to the tiles as her right leg dangled in the air
"Come on Collyn, you've got one leg on the roof, use it to push yourself up!" Lynwood encouraged her.
Collyn took a deep breath and putting her weight on her left knee, she flexed her arm muscles and managed to pulled herself onto the roof. The guards had caught up with her by now and had put the ladder back up. One of them began climbing after her. This presented a bit of a problem for Lynwood because it meant that he couldn't get as close he needed for Collyn to be able to get on Caderyn. He then opted for the only option he had.
"Collyn," he called, "you're gonna have to jump."
"Jump?" Collyn fearfully asked, looking back to where one of the soldiers was already almost at the top of the roof.
"Yes, jump and Caderyn will catch you."
"But can't you..." Collyn was interrupted when soldier reached her and grabbed her wrist. Collyn screamed and fought to get loose.
"Come on you," the guard hissed. Collyn shook her head and bit into the man's hand. He yelped and let go of her.
"Jump, Collyn, jump!" Lynwood yelled.
Collyn took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and dove off the roof.
For a split second she felt herself descending at rapid speed to the ground, then something large and scaly caught her and swung her a little in the air. Collyn opened her eyes and saw the ground getting farther and farther away. It slowly dawned on her that she was in the claws of the dragon. The realization sent a little shiver down her spine, but she had to admit it was better to be in the dragon's grip than in the hands of the guards.
"Collyn," she heard Lynwood's voice call from above her, "Caderyn is going to land on the palace roof and you can climb onto his back. Do you understand?"
Collyn nodded her head.
"Do you understand, Collyn?" Lynwood repeated.
"I nodded my head," Collyn called to him.
"Goodness me, I can't see you from here!"
"Oh sorry, yes I understand," Collyn quickly said.
Caderyn swiftly landed on the roof, careful not to hurt Collyn in the process.
"Are you alright," Lynwood asked as Collyn crawled out from underneath the dragon. She was wet, muddy, and shivering with fear and cold.
"I think so," she mumbled through chattering teeth. The girl was dressed in a wet, dirty dressing gown, her nightie sticking out from underneath. No shoes or stockings on her feet, Collyn's legs were covered in scratches from her dash through the garden. Gone was the proud, royal look, pitiful would have been the best way to describe the young princess now.
Lynwood held out his hand to her and helped her up the dragon.
"We're all set, Caderyn," he said as soon as Collyn had settled herself behind Lynwood. "Let's get back to the safety of the mountain." Caderyn gave a nod of his large head and spreading his wings took off for the sky.
Meanwhile down below, the guards had watched the scene in shock.
"Where did that dragon come from anyway?" One of them asked.
"I have no idea," the guard who had grabbed Collyn replied as he climbed down from the roof. "He seems to have just appeared out of nowhere."
"What are we going to tell the king?"
"Tell me what?" A cold voice sounded from behind them. The five guards turned and fell to their knees at the sight of King Farran. The large, imposing figure walked up closer to them. His dark blue tunic was wet from the rain, his eyebrows knitted together in displeasure, and the frown on his face was enhanced by his black beard.
"Did you catch my niece?" He demanded of the men.
"We almost did, Your Majesty," the captain of the guards hastily explained. "She was up on the gazebo roof and Malcom here almost had her, but then she jumped and was caught by the dragon."
"Dragon?" King Farran snapped. "What dragon?"
"That one, my lord," Malcom pointed to the sky where Caderyn was flying away.
"You mean to tell me that Collyn is on that dragon right now?" King Farran turned angrily to the guards.
"Yes sir," Malcom nodded.
Farran's whole body shook with rage. "And where, may I ask, DID THE WRETCHED THING COME FROM?"
The five guards took a step back.
"We don't know, my lord," the captain stammered. "He just dove down from the sky."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL IT?"
"We tried to, my lord, but shooting a flying dragon in this rain is not an easy thing to do."
"Besides my lord," Malcom added, "the dragon was not alone."
"What do you mean?"
"There was a boy riding him."
"A boy?"
"That's correct, my lord. He was sitting on the dragon's back, shouting orders to you niece. It seemed as though they had known each other from before."
"What did the boy look like?"
"It is hard to say my lord, this rain makes it hard to see anything, especially boys on flying dragons. I'd say he was rather young, no older than fourteen by the sound of his voice."
"Hmmmm," King Farren mumbled and casting a final glance in the direction of the escaping dragon he turned and marched back to the palace.