The Market Thief

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

“A dragon?” I gulp, I’ve never seen one before but the stories I’ve heard I don’t think I want to.

“It appears he has been eating the farmers livestock.” Alfred begins to walk along the shore.

“What should he be eating?” I wonder aloud.

“The farmers leave livestock especially for him, in exchange he protects them from raiders. Now we can’t get the two countries to sit down and talk peace but we will if the dragon goes back to protecting the boarders. “Alfred is looking for something along the shore line.

I watch him a minute and then interrupt. “Have you ever talked to a dragon before?”

“Um, Alfred, I hate to butt into your lesson her but do you think it’s a good idea for a mule to go into the presence of a dragon?” Hulda ask.

“Even though I’ve had time where I wanted to feed you to a dragon, you’re not going.” Alfred states.

“Find me some shade, a few crisp apples, give Theo the brush and go have some fun.” Hulda throws her mane sending sand flying everywhere.

Alfred steps back and brushes the sand off of him, he points at Hulda. “You are staying in the cave.” He swings and points at me, “you’re coming with me.”

“Why can’t I stay with Hulda and go swimming in the lake?” I whine.

“This is too important to have any accidents happen. If I can make this dragon go back to his job, I don’t have to do a third task for the council. They are going to count this as two. So you’re with me, end of argument.” Alfred begins to pull something out of the bushes.

I look over the deep blue water; it looks so cool and inviting after the heat and sand of Arkell. “Do I get to eat something before we go visiting? I mean I should have a last meal before I get eaten by a dragon.”

Alfred is puffing as he pulls a boat out of the bushes. “Fine, eat something and then we go.”
Hulda and I gorge on apples. “Huh, I’m so full I can hardly move.” I rub my belly.

“Now that you’ve eaten, get Hulda into the boat.” Alfred orders.

“There is no way I am getting into that boat. What if it tips over?” Hulda refuses to budge.

“Blindfold her.” Suggest Alfred.

It is much easier to lead her into the boat when she can’t see where she is going. I sit in the front of the boat and let the breeze tickle my neck. Despite Hulda’s fear of the boat tipping we make it across the lake in one piece. I lead Hulda out of the boat and take her blindfold off.

Hulda snorts. “Its about time you took that thing off.”

“Keep moving,” Alfred orders, “we have a long climb ahead of us and I want to get there before dark.”

“Can’t you teleport us up there?” I ask Alfred.

“No, I haven’t received the dragons permission to use magic in his lair.” Alfred explains as he begins to climb up a narrow trail going up the mountain.

We climb and climb; the sun begins to slip behind the mountain bathing us in pink and purple sunlight. “I can’t take another step,” I groan, “can’t we stop and rest.”

Up ahead of me Hulda call back, you can make it just a little farther we are around the next corner.

Sure enough as I round the corner there is Alfred and Hulda sitting in the opening of a small cave. I grab an apple from a basket next to Alfred and plop down. “Are there a lot of dragons around?”

Alfred runs his fingers through his whiskers. ‘Not as many as there use to be. There have been a lot of deaths the last couple of years.”

“An that’s unusual?” I manage to ask between bites of my apple.

“Dragon magic is one of the oldest and strongest magic’s around. Alfred slips into his lecture voice.

“Why?” I reach for some grapes.

“No one seems to know. We can only guess. We think it is due to where they draw magic from.” Alfred takes few grapes out of my hand.

“And that place is?” I try to grab my grapes back but he drops them into his mouth.

“We don’t know.” Alfred shrugs.

“You don’t know?” I look at Alfred in
amazement. “You mean there is something that you or the Wizard Council don’t know/”

“Dragons don’t share information with humans who are not a part of the order.” Alfred acts like he doesn’t care.

“What’s the order?” I settle down with a pear, as long as I keep Alfred talking we won’t go and visit the dragon.

“A group of monks pledge their lives to taking care of the dragon. They vow to never tell the dragons
secrets.” Alfred explains.

I scratch my head in puzzlement. “So one day they wake up and decided that they want to take care of a dragon?”

“Of course not,” Alfred gets up, “there are test, and rules they must follow plus the oath they take. Now you’ve had enough to eat, lets get moving.”

I take a long drink of water and put a few apples in my pocket. “I’m read to meet my doom.”

Alfred heads to the back of the cave and into a long tunnel. Dragons aren’t evil like the stories make them out.”

I shudder. “I’ve heard many stories about dragons eating bad girls and boys.”

Alfred’s laugh echoes in the tunnel. “That is all they were, stories. Stop you’re worrying he won’t even acknowledges you are there.”

“Are you sure this isn’t a time when a dragon could have gone bad?” I stop; there is no way I’m going to visit a dragon that has gone crazy.

Alfred motions for me to get going. “This isn’t the work of a crazy dragon, this is just a dragon not doing his job. He’s not doing his job plus he’s taking more payment then he deserves. Plays right into the dragon greed book for wanting more treasure.”

A fellow dressed in bright yellow robe steps out in front of Alfred and bows. “Wizard, it is good of you to come. The dragon is restless; everything has been made ready. Please, follow me.”

Alfred falls in line behind the monk. “Do you or your brothers have any idea why the dragon is restless?”

The monk shakes his head. “No wizard, there has been no reason that we can find for his restlessness or his odd behavior.”

I speak up. “You could tells us that without breaking your oath?”

The monk looks me up and down then waves me aside; he turns and speaks to Alfred. “Please, Wizard help our dragon.”

Alfred pats him on the shoulder. “That’s why I’m here. Please find a safe place for this child to sit.”

“As you wish,” The monk bows and slips away.
I tug on Alfred’s sleeve. “Alfred, would the monk tell you if he knew what was wrong with the dragon?”

After a small pause, “Yes, I think he would of course it is only to save his dragon. If we can’t get the dragon to go back to protecting the people and stop eating what he isn’t suppose to, a dragon hunter will be sent to destroy him.”

“Wizard, please go through this door,” A monk holding open a door to our left speaks. “There is a cushion for you to sit on, the dragon is waiting.”

Another monk behind me takes me by the arm. “Child, follow me. There is a cushion set up for you to sit on by the servants door, that should let you see everything but keep you form bugging the dragon.”

I follow him down the hall and through a side door. A bright orange cushion is set on the floor to one side. I take a seat and look around.