Relying on the Dragon

CHAPTER TEN

Kala

     Kala and Clare rushed into the kitchens to help prepare for the midday meal. This meal was going to be much quicker and easier to serve as it was only going to be hot venison stew and bread. The girls couldn’t wait for it to be over as Drake had promised them a walk to the meadow this afternoon. To get outside the walls, and not be running, but to actually pick flowers and bask in the sun Kala couldn’t wait. 

    While Clare rushed to help Martha fill large carrying pots full of stew that would be delivered into the hall. Kala grabbed an arm load of bowls to take out to the hall, to start setting the long lines of tables. While not all of her uncle’s men came in for the midday meal, they still prepared for it. She joined three other women leaving the kitchens. Tolan and Thorne were leaning up against the wall on either side of the door, right where she and Clare had left them. 

    Her uncle had demanded Drake’s presence before the meal, and Kargeth had gone with him, as they didn’t trust Cedrick. She wondered what had been so important. Thorne followed close behind, while Tolan stayed by the door and Kala was grateful that they didn’t try to help. She had warned them beforehand that any sign of trying to help her and Clare would only end bad for them. The brothers had protested but grudgingly obliged when she explained that while her uncle couldn’t touch the brothers, it would only end badly for her and Clare. While they were under the brother’s protection, her uncle would still be tallying up all the things the girls did wrong to punish later.

    They went table to table, Thorne allowed Kala to do her work in peace, while keeping an eye on what was happening around them. She delivered pile after pile of bowls to each table moving back and forth between the hall and the kitchens, with Thorne moving with her. She quickly fell into the comfortable routine of her work, feeling safe for the first time in two years. 

    Kala was on her last table, leaning over the table, placing her last stack of bowls, she started to place around the table she giggled at a story Thorne was telling her about her mother. 

    “She didn’t!” She exclaimed, and Thorne nodded grinning.

    “Yep, Oceana  just stepped off the ledge, we thought Darwin was going to have a heart attack, that was the first time any of us had seen the old dragon move so fast to save his new human. Drake was the one who caught her as he had been out on patrol and saw her fall from Darwin’s cave. That was when Darwin decided it was time to build her a cabin so that she didn’t fall out of the cave again.” Thorne said, chuckling. 

    “Mother used to tell me stories about the valley, but she never mentioned living in a cave.” Kala said. 

    “Oceana was too young to remember the caves. She was only a toddler when Darwin found her.” Thorne said. Kala nodded. 

    “I wish she had told me more about the valley.” Kala said as she looked at the table, placing her last bowl. Thorne didn’t respond though, so she looked up. He had gone still, and the laughter in his face was gone. It had gone dark, and she felt a chill run through her body. She straightened slowly, and felt something up against her. 

    “That w***e’s name is banned from this place.” Thomas said, and Kala could feel the panic starting up in her belly. How had he snuck up on them? And how dare he call her mother a w***e!

    “Back off.” Thorne warned Thomas, but Kala knew the man didn’t listen. 

    “Come and make me dragon.” Thomas challenged. Thorne started around the table, and Kala was glad that they were at one of the ends so that he was able to get to her quickly. Thorne walked up until he was standing over Thomas, forcing him away from Kala. She turned to face the two men as they faced off. Kala had gotten so used to the brothers that she had forgotten how tall they were compared to her uncle’s men. Thorne stood a full foot or so over Thomas. They were easy to pick out in a crowd for sure. Kala looked around and saw the crowd starting to form, as the rest of her uncle’s men anticipated a fight. 

    “I will gladly make you, but are you so sure you want to be missing a few of your limbs? I am feeling rather peckish, and I don’t think the stew will be enough to feed me.” Thorne threatened. Kala watched Thomas swallow nervously.  Kala looked at Thorne, trying to figure out if he was serious or playing with the man. 

    “You wouldn’t dare.” Thomas said, fear laced his tone. “His grace would have your head.” 

    “I would like to see him try.” Thorne sounded bored. “We really don’t have time for this though. So how about you just keep walking and leave the lady alone.”

    “Lady?” Thomas scoffed. “There are no ladies here, all I see are whores.” Thorne started growling, as he went into a battle stance. 

    “Watch yourself human.” Kala looked at Thorne shocked as his voice seemed to change into something inhuman. 

    Thomas started laughing “So the girl’s gotten under your skin. Here I thought she was only for the other one. Tell me, do you take turns or go at her together?” Thorne roared and started to attack, but Tolan was suddenly behind his brother wrapping his arms around his large chest, holding him back. There were no words, but Thorne looked behind him and met Tolan’s eyes. Kala thought twice about words being passed between them, as they seemed to be arguing going by their eyes. “This is rich.” Thomas was still laughing.

    “What is going on here?” Cedrick’s voice rang out, causing Thomas to stop his manic laughter. Kala turned to see that Cedrick had entered the hall, with Drake and Kargeth standing behind him. 

    “Nothing, my lord, just having a friendly conversation with the dragons.” Thomas replied. Tolan had let go of Thorne but stood beside him. Thorne growled again. 

    “This conversation included the girl?” Cedrick asked, turning his gaze on her. 

    “No my lord, the little tramp is just being lazy and not doing her job.” Thomas answered, grinning at her. Cedrick humphed, and Kala bowed her head scampering off. 

    The lying ass! She screamed in her head as she tried hard not to run back to the kitchens. 

    As soon as she was on the other side of the doors, and safely inside the kitchens, she moved to a corner to catch her breath. That was way to close. She thought. 

    She didn’t think Thomas would try anything after Drake had announced his protection. Then there was Thorne, what was with that voice? She thought. Maybe they really were the beasts of legend that they claimed to be. No man should have been able to roar like that. It had been so thunderous it had made her ears ring. It had taken a lot for her not to cover her ears and cower. 

    She looked up to see Martha and Clare approaching her, she took a deep breath.

    “Are you okay child?” Martha asked, concerned. “We heard a roar, and thought the walls were going to come down around our ears!” 

    “Not quite.” Kala said, nervously. “Thomas was taunting Thorne, and Thorne got angry.” That was an understatement, but she didn’t know how else to explain it.

    “You look a little shaken up.” Martha pointed out.

    “It’s nothing Martha, I’m fine really. Shouldn’t we be getting the food out?” Kala brushed her off. 

    “Yes. You will be serving the head table. Clare will be serving Thorne, Tolan and Kargeth. They will be seated together away at the table that is closer to the kitchen on the end closest to the head  table, that way you don’t have to go near the other tables. Drake arranged it to be this way.” Martha instructed, both girls nodded.

    Kala and Clare went and gathered up their large pots of stew and headed out the door. Kala made her way to the head table and instead of the usual going between the men, she went around so that she was in front of the table and facing her uncle. This made maneuvering the pot on to the table a lot easier. She hated stew days as the pots were heavy enough empty, being made out of clay, and they were thick to keep the heat in, the thick stew just added more weight. Taking the ladle she stirred the pot before dispensing the food first to her uncle, Thomas then Drake. She kept her eyes downcast, until she got to Drake. She looked up through her eyelashes to see that he was watching her. Her heart sped up, but she also felt calmer. She moved quickly and efficiently, careful not to spill a drop. 

    She quickly hurried back to the kitchen to grab two platters of bread, and returned to the table, offering bread to each man before placing the platters down on either side of the large pot. She quickly then filled the goblets full of mead, before returning to stand with the rest of the staff to wait until they were needed again. As it was the midday meal, Kala figured the meal would be short and she wouldn’t be needed except to maybe refill goblets. She couldn’t wait for it to be over.

    *******************Drake    Drake mulled over the meeting with Cedrick, he felt like the usurper was trying to keep him separated from Kala, as the whole time he and Kargeth spent in the man’s study, he just went on about defenses and finances. How the villagers were draining the coffers. Drake highly doubted it was the villagers, as they were barely surviving from what he had seen that morning when Kala had taken him to Blaine’s then the market. He did learn though that Kala’s dowry was gone. The money Cecil had put aside for her wedding and new husband the usurper had already spent on himself and his men to make sure they were all living in comfort. He also learned that everything Oceana and Cecil owned had been destroyed. Everything that Kala had owned was given to women that the usurper favored, her chambers were held on reserve for the women like Amy to sleep when he was feeling generous. Her jewels were gifts to those women as well. He wondered if Kala knew this. Then the usurper finally got to the point. He had decided that Drake couldn’t have Kala when he wanted. That was a fun argument, landing them both in making some serious threats. Drake was very grateful for the roar that interrupted the so called meeting. When they had arrived in the hall, after Tolan’s call for help to control Thorne, he had expected them to walk in on a bloodbath, but they hadn’t been so lucky. Now, here they sat at the table. Cedrick was busy talking to Thomas, so Drake watched Kala. She was quite efficient making sure not to spill a drop, and he wondered how many beatings she had received to learn that one drop was a dire mistake. 

    She was careful not to make any eye contact with Thomas or Cedrick as she dished their stew out. Though both men watched her as they continued their conversation. Once she got to him she did look up at him, though she made sure it wasn’t obvious. He could tell that whatever had happened earlier had shaken her, but she was good at hiding it, though she couldn’t hide it from him. As if afraid something would happen if she delayed one second, she was gone and disappeared again, returning with the trays of bread, then she was quick to pour the mead. She then returned to stand against the wall with the rest of the staff, who hadn’t been swept up by Cedrick’s men. He also kept an eye on Clare too, he was glad to see that Martha had relayed his instructions. They had slowly been seeing a change in the frightened girl. She was becoming more relaxed around the brothers.  He wished he was able to see that with Kala, but he knew the only time he would see the real Kala, would be when he was able to get her away from Clarion and her uncle. But, he needed to prepare her and Clare for what was in the valley. He knew that Kala still doubted that they were dragons, and that dragons existed. He needed to show them and prepare them for what resided in the mountains. He needed them to be comfortable with his true form, and he needed them prepared to fly. The only way they were going to get away from Clarion and reach the mountains was going to be through the air. On foot, Thomas and his men will catch up all too soon, and he couldn’t afford for that to happen. 

    This afternoon after this meal ended, it was time to show them, for the first time in Drake’s life, he was afraid. He didn’t know if he could handle Kala’s rejection. He had hoped to wait a few days but he feared that the usurper had something planned, and after what happened before the meal started, it was coming very soon.