Chapter one
It was the middle of the night when I was rudely awakened to the noise of chaos out side my door. My brothers Delone and Delance charged into my room from a joining doors.
“We’re under attack.”
“We have to get…”
Before the sentence was finished my door was broke down and in charged five dragon warriors in human form wielding swords. I grabbed my sword and charged forward one intruder. Fighting for all I was worth. Swords clanging all around me. Roars of anger, of attack, filling the room.
I was able to get the upper hand on my attacker and sheered his head from is shoulders. Blood spraying my face and gown. I charged another attacker that had ganged up on Delone, piercing him through the ribs. He fell to the floor, but was still alive. I place my foot on him and pried my sword from his chest. I then severed his head as well.
I then zeroed in on the one attacker that had my brother Delance in a head lock. Delance was turning red in the face. He was losing oxygen. I snuck up behind him and plunged my sword into the side of him. He released my brother at once. Grabbing his side with one hand and sword in the other, he attacked me full force. It wasn’t hard for me to step out of reach and sever his head as well.
It was no time before Delone and Delance overtook the other two attackers.
“We need to leave, now.”
“Delane, go grab some cloths and lets get going.”
As my brothers ran to their rooms, I grabbed up a bag and started to through cloths in them, I then put on my boots and grabbed my sheath and my daggers. I ran into Delone’s room where there was a secret passage behind his wall. We got inside the passage before the rest of the attackers made it to us. The whole castle was under invasion.
We made our way down to the dungeons where it was quiet. Delone pulled a grate loose and Delance and I followed him inside a dark, dank tunnel. It was a good thing we had dragon sight, for it was so dark down here the average human wouldn’t be able to see if a hand was in front of their face.
We ran as fast as we could through the winding tunnels, this place was a labyrinth. We ran a good fifteen minutes before me emerged from the tunnels on a cliffs edge. My brothers and I tied out bags around our waist and then dove off the cliffs edge where we turned into our dragon forms.
We prayed that there were no dragons from the attacking clan near the cliffs, and so far there wasn’t. We really hated leaving behind our family and friends, put our father told my brothers that if we ever came under attack, the first rule of action was to get me to safe ground. Our father only gave one name, McKiernan. So that’s where we are headed. Father told us that the McKiernan clan live to the north a little over a thousand miles away.
We flew low, towards the water and close to the cliffs. The closer we got to the north, the colder it got. I started noticing ice formations in the water. We must be getting close. We’ve been flying for nearly three hour now, it was time to make for land.
I followed when Delone landed by a patch of trees. He then shifted and through his cloak around his naked self.
“Go shift and dress warm, we travel on foot from here.”
I walked over to a crop of trees, ducking low and slinking behind some bushed, where I shifted and got dressed. I tied my daggers to my legs and strapped my sword to my back after I had put on my cloak. I then met my brothers.
“We have to travel a few hundred miles inland by foot. We can’t take the risk of being seen if we fly. We’ll head west to the nearest village where we will acquire horses to finish our journey. Now lets move out.”
We walked for several hours before we reached the first village. We walked through until we came to an inn. We walked in and Delone approached the front desk.
“May we please have Three ails and Three meat pies. Please.”
“We don’t serve your kind.” Delone raised a brow at that. “And what kind would that be.”
“Vagrants.”
Delone laughed. “We are not vagrants. We have coin to pay our way. Now, may we please have those meat pies and ail.” Delone place enough coins on the desk to cover the expense.
“Very well, it will be a few moments.”
Delone walked over to us and we entered the dining area of the inn. We had to wait five minutes for our food and ail. When to innkeeper brought us our food Delance asked
“Are there horsed we could buy. We have to travel far, at least few hundred miles. The horses would be appreciated.”
“Well, you could check the stables, I’m sure they have a few to spare.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The innkeeper left while we ate. I’m sure we made quite the sight. Three cloaked figures with gloves on, faces shrouded in darkness of our hoods so no one could see faces. Swords strapped to our backs. Yeah, we looked like a scary bunch.
When we finished, we headed over to the stable, where Delance talked the stable hand to give us three geldings for a good price. We traveled through the night for a good ten hours. We had another day and a half before we reached McKiernan land.
We stopped at the next inn, ate and took shelter. We were back riding by day break. We made sure to buy food for the rest of the journey, so we wouldn’t have to stop to eat. Sixteen hours later we slept under a crop of trees with the horses tethered near by.
We moved out at day break again after having some cheese and ail to break our fast. It was after noon when we finally made it to the front gates at McKiernan Castel.
As we approached the gates, I noticed a lot of action along the upper wall. Bows being aimed our way. Father forewarned us this might happen, but for us to stay calm.
“Who goes there?” one of the guards called.
“We are from the clan Severiano. We come seeking sanctuary.”
I saw the guard turn to one of the others with him and whispers to him before he took off. The guard then turned his attention back to us.
“We have not seen any Severiano’s for over twenty years.”
“There is good reason for that, but we wish to not speak of it until we speak with your sovereign.”
“I am awaiting his approval.”
Just behind him another guard whispered in his ear, then he nodded.
“It looks as if you may enter. The Sovereign will see you promptly.”
The gates then open to us. As we walked in I noticed 10 guards standing by, ready to pounce once the word was said.
“Follow me.” one of the men said stepping forward.
We followed him through the castle. The place was huge. Guards were everywhere. You couldn’t go fifty feet with out seeing another guard. It was a comfort to me to know that Sovereign McKiernan had such a large army. Not to mention that each warrior was taller and broader then my own brothers who stood over six and a half feet.
We followed him for a good twenty minutes before we approached a set of double doors that stood no less then thirty feet high.
As my brothers and I enter, I scan the room full of over a hundred people. All are looking upon us questioningly. I know what they are thinking, why have we, a good friend, and allies to the McKiernan, showing up now. We must of looked a sight. Here were three cloaked figures covered in dust from our ride. My identical twin brothers with their hoods back, were walking in front of me. I had to keep my face hidden until I was face to face with the Sovereign. I was not aloud to reveal myself until my brothers thought it safe.
My brothers stopped in front of a raised platform with two large chairs set upon it. The Sovereign sat in one, his mate in the other. Standing to the right of the Sovereign was the largest warrior I’d ever seen. He was growling, and I didn’t like that. He started growling as soon as we were half way across the room.
I stop five feet behind my brothers. The growling had me kind of on edge. My brothers could feel my tension. I held my head down, letting my brothers speak for me.
“What bring you to these parts my boys? We have not seen hide nor hair from the Severiano clan for nearly twenty years.”
“Our Sovereign wishes he could be here himself. He was planning to travel with us, with his mate but we were attacked before he was able to leave. We come seeking sanctuary, hoping that you will take us in.”
“I am curious as to why you didn’t stay and fight. It is not common for warriors as well marked as yourselves to not stand and fight.”
“Our Sovereign made it quite clear to us that we must get Delane to you. Delane is special and needs to be fully guarded until wholly mated.”
“What is so special about this warrior, though he is quite small. I can sense the power rolling off of him. I feel the power through all of you but he is the strongest…”
There was an ever louder growl before the warrior to the right of Sovereign McKiernan, stormed over to me. I wanted to run, but I held my ground and let him approach. He stopped right in front of me, his growl rattling in his chest. He snatched my hood and push it back.
There were a collection of gasps, when he then grabbed me by the hair and leaned down to inhale at my neck. I stiffened in his grasp. He didn’t hurt me just stunned me. I have never been handled like this. I had never let anyone touch me other then my brothers.
“Father?”
“Son?”
“She bares the marks of the warrior. How is it she bares them.”
“She?” Sovereign McKiernan jumped to his feet.
I watched at he approached. The warrior was still holding me be the hair. The Sovereign pushed the warrior aside. The warrior growled low and deep. His Sovereign chuckled.
“Move aside boy. Let me have a look at her. Take your cloak off dear.”
I looked to my brothers. Delone nodded his head for me to continue. I pulled my sword over my head and went to hand it to Delance, but to warrior got to it first. I watched him study it for a minute before he turned his eyes back to me. I then unclasp my heavy cloak. The warrior took that from me as well.
The room filled with gasps again with an even louder growl from the warrior. The room fell quiet after that.
“It is interesting, is it not, that this female is covered in marking. Warrior markings at that. It is not unlikely for a female to be marked but not to this extent.” He looked to my brother. “Your sister I presume?”
“Yes, sir. She makes our third. We are triplets.”
“My how interesting. I must say that now I understand why Armando went into seclusion. If word got out about you girl, you would have been stolen as a babe.”
“You could say that is the reason for the marking. We trained her when she was young. Father wouldn’t allow her on the field to train. But we trained her behind his back. We knew that we could not always protect her. So we made sure she could protect herself.”
“Is this true?” the warrior growled at me.
“Yes, but at the time I think it was more of them wanting to gang up on me. But I soon learned to take them. Everything they learned on the field they would later that day show me.”
“The markings on your face, tell us you are royalty, I also see you have a few lives you have taken. Care to explain?”
“There have been many attempts taken on me. The last three are from a few days past. The others, well, you get the idea.” “I see. So this was not the first attack on your home?”
“No, sir.”
“And you wish to take sanctuary here?”
“Yes, sir. My brothers and I both seek sanctuary. The bond we have will make it difficult for me if we were separated.”
“It seems that we will have to talk with your father..” The Sovereign looked to his warrior, his son, who was growling again. “We will let you take sanctuary until he comes for you.”
“We are not so sure that will happen, the castle was over run by the Redford clan. We do not know if he made it or not.”
“Nonsense, he still lives. He will come, to at least offer up his daughter to my clan like he should.” He then looked to his son. “Hand the girl back her things.” The son growled back, but handed over my cloak and sword. He then followed his father out of the room.