Mercy's Prince (35 page)

Valerian
locked eyes with the knight and
Saw
his thoughts. Sir Walter was
definitely startled, but his respect for Valerian had grown since their last
encounter. And, most importantly, Valerian could find no evidence he knew
anything about the attempted assassinations.

Sir
Walter’s eyes widened in surprise, and he inclined his head.

“So,
Prince Valerian, you are a Seer, then?”

“Yes,
and Merry is a Healer.”

“And
one of the Brethren.” The knight turned to Merry. “Then you must be the one
Flint Mallory spoke about.”

She
nodded, but Valerian thought he heard her mental sigh.

Please
tell him I wish Flint Mallory had not been so liberal in his praise of me
.

Valerian
related what she said to Sir Walter, who laughed.

“So,
Mallory brought you more business than you’d hoped for, did he?” When she
nodded, shrugging, the knight smiled at Merry, obviously charmed.

Sir
Gregory entered and joined them at the head table. His squire, Terron, went to
sit with Kieran and some of the other young men.

“Greetings,
Your Highness. I am glad to see you again.”

“All
is well, I trust, Sir Gregory?” Valerian
Saw
the man’s thoughts, but as
with Sir Walter, there was no knowledge of the murder attempts, to Valerian’s
great relief.

“Very
well, thank you, Sire. We are beginning to feel that we trespass on Sir Walter’s
hospitality.”

“Nonsense,”
said Sir Walter. “Your men have patrolled with ours daily, and the archery
contests alone have honed my men’s skills considerably.”

Before
Valerian could introduce Merry to Gregory, Sir Walter stood up and proposed a
toast to their unexpected guest. While the men heartily drank to Merry’s
health, Valerian hoped it wouldn’t be long before he could introduce her as
Princess
Merry.

            *         

Valerian
and Kieran rode out into the Plains of Mohorovia with Sir Gregory and Terron. Gregory
explained to Valerian how far they’d patrolled in his absence and had not found
anything except the entrances to a few old burrows apparently abandoned by the
Horde long ago. Of course, the men had not gone all the way into the burrows,
but the entrances, Gregory estimated, had not been used in years.

Valerian
could not understand how anything lived in this desolate place. It was so
different from the land beyond the rift in the earth. Had the Horde made the
plains into the wasteland it had become? By their advanced weapons alone, they
must have once had some kind of civilization.

Sir
Gregory called a halt and turned to Valerian.

“Your
Highness, I really believe the Horde must have contracted some kind of plague
and been wiped out. Else there would have been some sign of them. After you
left the garrison, they attacked just once more, and since then no one has
spotted a single Mohorovian.”

“Then
perhaps, Sir Gregory, it’s time we returned to the Keep with our report for the
king. We’ll ride back and check with the other garrisons one more time, but it
appears we have good news to relate.” Valerian’s gut churned with uneasiness
about the whole situation, but he wheeled his horse around and rode back toward
the garrison with the others.

Along
the way, there was an odd rock formation. Valerian guided his horse toward it. Could
the Horde have set up the rocks as a marker? But no, the formation was all natural.

“Look,
Sire.” Kieran pointed ahead. “There’s something moving on the ground between
those arms of rock.”

Valerian
pulled up the gray and slid down from the saddle. He drew his sword, and Kieran
was right beside him.

“What
is it, Your Highness?” called Sir Gregory.

“I’m
not sure.” When Valerian reached the place, he found a young burrowing dragon,
injured but still alive.

“Something
must have attacked the nest as they hatched, Sire.” Kieran pushed an egg shell
with the toe of his boot.

“And
this one survived. Do you think Merry could Heal it?” Valerian tried to ask
her, but they were too far away.

“Why
don’t we take it to her?” Kieran sheathed his sword and pulled a cloth from his
saddlebag. He wrapped it around the feebly struggling dragon and tucked the
bundle inside his tunic.

They
rode back at a canter. As soon as they were in sight of the garrison walls, Valerian
could hear Merry again.

You’re
back!  It was unsettling not being able to sense your presence
. He had the sensation
of a mental caress from her.

All
is well, except we have a small patient for you
.

What
is it?

You’ll
have to wait and see
.

Valerian
smiled at her impatience. He and Kieran handed over their horses to a stable
boy and sprinted to Merry’s room. Her face lit up at the sight of them.

What
have you brought?

“The
only living creature we found out there.” He indicated Kieran should speak.

“This
wee burrowing dragon, newly hatched and injured, we know not how. Can ye Heal
it?” Kieran carefully removed the cloth-wrapped bundle from his tunic and set
it in Merry’s lap.

She
opened the cloth and gasped when she saw the little creature. It breathed with
exertion and otherwise barely moved. Its yellow eyes were dull.

Oh,
poor little dragon!
 
Merry cupped it with both hands and bent closer, her eyes shut in concentration.
The glow briefly appeared under her hands, and the dragon’s tail lashed back
and forth. With a sigh Merry opened her eyes. The burrowing dragon blinked and
stared up at her with what Valerian could only describe as a worshipful look. It
nuzzled her hand, and she smiled in delight.

“You
did it, Merry!  I’ll run down tae the kitchen and see if there are any scraps
to feed the wee beastie.” Kieran ran out of the room.

Merry
stroked the little dragon.

He
feels soft, not rough like I imagined
.

“Perhaps
his scales are smooth in order to move quickly through his burrow. By the way,
how do you know it’s a ‘he’?”

I
just know
.
She gazed into Valerian’s eyes.
Just as I know that you love me without ever
saying the words
.

I
do love you, Merry. I hope to show you in my every thought and deed and word
.

I
think we have gone far beyond words, love
.

He
leaned forward and kissed her sweet mouth. The dragon butted its head against
them, and Valerian pulled away, laughing.

“It
appears I have competition.”

Footsteps
echoed in the hallway, and Kieran appeared holding a small clay bowl.

“I
got some meat scraps, Merry. I don’t know if ye want to touch raw meat, but
that’s what the beastie would eat in the wild.”

Merry
peeked in the bowl and made a face. The burrowing dragon flicked out a long
forked tongue in the direction of the bowl. That apparently decided her, for
Merry timidly picked up a piece of the raw meat and held it out for the dragon.
He grabbed it from her fingers and swallowed it whole. His tongue flicked out
again in rapid succession.

This
time Merry set the meat on her palm so the dragon would not accidentally pinch
her finger. In no time, it had finished the scraps. Kieran moved the empty bowl
to the windowsill, and the dragon curled up in Merry’s lap, its belly bulging. With
her finger, Merry traced the upright scales along its back.

“What
will you name it?” Kieran sat back on his heels, admiring the now sleeping
dragon.

I
don’t know. Do you have any suggestions?

Valerian
stared at the reptile’s protruding snout and eyes. Then he smiled at an old
memory.

“Kieran,
did you ever meet Sir Edmund?”

“The
old knight from Westmoor? Had a laugh that would shake a mountain?”

“That’s
the one. He was quite jolly for a dragon-faced knight. Shave off his beard and
he could have been this creature’s big brother.”

Then
I shall call him Sir Edmund
.

Valerian
told Kieran what Merry said. The squire laughed.

“What
a fitting name!”

            *         

Valerian
was glad Merry had her new pet to keep her occupied during her recovery. She
walked a little farther each day, but until she was able to ride, they would
have to delay their return to the Keep. Valerian asked Sir Walter about the
nearest bishop, but there was not one closer than Lord Reed’s castle, and he
definitely did not want to go back there. Though he would have preferred to
have a priest or monk witness his and Merry’s vows of betrothal, he knew nothing
lower than a bishop would satisfy his father.

He
would simply ask for Merry’s hand now, so there would be no doubt his
intentions were honorable, but they could wait until they reached the Keep to
have the bishop formalize the betrothal.

 Valerian
watched her from the open doorway of her room. She had clipped out her stitches
and left the skin open to the air. Because the day was unseasonably warm, Merry
had opened the window and sat in the sunlight. Her feet were bare, her injured
leg propped on a second chair. Her long auburn braid hung to the floor. Sir
Edmund scampered about the room, chasing a flying insect.

Merry?
She
started out of her peaceful reverie and turned to face him, setting her other
foot on the floor. The torn riding skirt revealed more skin than Merry realized.
She must have heard his thoughts, for she brought the edges together with her
hand.

Yes,
Valerian?

I
see you have removed your stitches. Will you be able to ride soon, do you
think?

I
would like to try tomorrow. I know you are anxious to get back to your father
.

Yes,
but I don’t want to rush you
. He came into the room and went down on one
knee beside her.

My
leg is healing well. It will not reopen the wound for me to ride
.

The
sooner we return, the sooner I can tell my father about you
. Valerian took her
hand and cleared his throat. “Merry, you know that someday I will be king in my
father’s place. The thought of ruling this land does not scare me quite as
witless as it did before, and most of the reason for that is you.” He smiled. “I
want you by my side always, Merry, as my wife and someday as my queen. Being
married to the King of Levathia will not be easy, but you have already proven
yourself to be the bravest woman who ever lived. Will you marry me?”

Tears
of joy filled her eyes.

My
love, my dearest friend, of course I will. And I’ll do my best to support you
in every way I can. I never want to be parted from you
.

Valerian
resisted the urge to grab Merry and swing her around the room. Instead, he
leaned forward and kissed her formally on both cheeks. Before he could pull
away she caught his face between her small hands and kissed him soundly.

Sir
Edmund butted against Valerian, and he grinned at the little dragon.

“Merry,
love?”

Yes,
my dear Valerian?

“We
must remember to get a cage for this creature before our wedding night.”

Agreed.
Her
smile was radiant.

For
the first time in his life, Valerian knew perfect peace.

That
night Valerian’s dreams began as usual with the dragons and the sword, but then
Merry’s burrowing dragon appeared, searching through a mound of empty eggshells.
He woke up, pondering the image. After all, he had expected to dream about
Merry instead.

It
was nearly sunrise, so he got up and pulled on his clothes. He listened, but
Merry was still asleep next door. He hated to wake Kieran, but he didn’t want
to ride so far out from the garrison alone.

Fortunately,
Kieran came fully awake once Valerian explained what he wanted to do. They
filled their water flasks and took dried meat to eat on the way. A sleepy
stable boy readied their horses, and a guard opened the gate for them.

“It
won’t take long to find that rock formation, Sire,” Kieran said.

When
they spotted the rocks, they urged their horses to a faster gait. Valerian
spied the nest where they’d found the burrowing dragon and dismounted. He
studied the borders of the nest, two arms of rock jutting out from the main
formation. He ran his hands around the edges where dirt and rocks met.

“What
are ye looking for?” Kieran leaned closer.

“I’m
not sure.” But Valerian felt something that shouldn’t have been there. Instead
of the dirt crumbling in his hand, he pulled back a thick section of sod which
felt like a carpet. He was reminded of a spider burrow he’d once found with a
hidden “trap door” covering the entrance just like this, except on a much
smaller scale.

“Help
me pull this back.” Together they peeled back a cleverly woven cover to a
man-sized burrow entrance.
Or in this case
,
a Mohorovian-sized tunnel
.

Kieran
peered down into the hole.

“It
doesn’t look very deep. Do ye want me to go in?”

“I
should have thought to bring a torch.” Valerian frowned. “I wouldn’t want to
stumble in the dark.”

“In
that case, I’ll just see if the tunnel is big enough to walk upright, and if it’s
worth making another trip to explore.”

“All
right.”

Kieran
lowered himself into the hole and drew his sword. Valerian knelt at the edge,
ready to pull him up quickly.

“There’s
room enough even for you to stand, Sire. I think ye should come and see this.”

Valerian
let himself down, lightly jumping to the floor of the entrance. He slid his
blade out of its scabbard and held it to the ready.

But
nothing immediately threatened them. What lay before them, however, nearly made
Valerian’s heart stop. They stood at the entrance, not of a tunnel, but of a
vast underground cave, dimly lit by luminous rocks. The entire garrison could
have fit inside with room to spare. And stacked as far as they could see, in
numbers too vast to count, were eggs, each large enough to hold a grown man.

Valerian
knew what had to be growing inside these eggs. He placed a hand on the nearest
shell. It was leathery, not hard like a bird’s egg. With his sword, he slit
open the tough membrane. Liquid gushed out. He pulled back the cut edge, and
the ugly head of a juvenile Mohorovian popped out. Though its eyes were closed,
it appeared to be ready to hatch any day. Valerian cut off the head, and it
fell to the cave floor with a splat.

“It’s
worse than I feared,” he whispered. “The Horde didn’t disappear; they drew back
in order to breed a vast army. There are more eggs in this one cave than there
are people in all of the Southern Woodlands.” He met Kieran’s gaze. “Even if we
were to start destroying eggs now, we have only two swords. We could never kill
them all before they began to emerge. By the looks of this one, they are nigh
ready to hatch.”

“Let’s
ride back, Sire, and consult with Sir Walter. He may have something at the
garrison that could destroy this nest.”

Valerian
nodded and wiped off his blade, sheathing it.

“Boost
me up, and I’ll give you a hand.”

Once
out of the cave, they mounted their horses and galloped back to the garrison.

            *         

When
they came in sight of the walls, Merry called out to Valerian.

There
you are! I wondered where you’d gone. I had a troubling dream
.

As
did I. That’s why Kieran and I went to investigate something. What was your
dream?

That
the whole land was devoured by horrible monsters
.

If
we can’t stop them, your dream may come true
, he answered grimly.

What?

We’re
almost there, and I’ll explain everything
.

As
quickly as they could, Valerian and Kieran assembled Sir Walter and his men
along with Sir Gregory and the rest of Valerian’s men. Merry was there, too,
dressed in her other riding skirt and boots. Sir Edmund sat in her lap. Valerian
took a deep breath and folded his trembling hands before speaking.

“I
had a dream last night, and being a Seer I have learned not to ignore those
dreams. Kieran and I found a nest of nearly hatched eggs. When they do hatch,
these Mohorovians, as numerous as the stars, will be fully grown and able to
fight.”

A
stunned silence followed Valerian’s proclamation. Finally, Sir Walter stood. His
face had gone pale.

“Where
is this nest, Your Highness?”

“Half
an hour’s ride due west. The entrance is at a prominent rock formation where we
found this injured burrowing dragon a few days ago.” He pointed to Sir Edmund. “I’m
sure every one of you has ridden past those rocks at one time or another.”

“And
you’re certain there are Mohorovians inside these eggs?” The knight frowned.

“Yes,
Sir Walter. I cut one open to make sure. The outside is not like a bird’s
eggshell, but a tough leathery membrane, else it might be possible to smash
them all open.”

“What
about boiling oil?” said one of the men. “Or pitch?”

Sir
Walter turned to him, frowning in concentration.

“If
there are so many of the eggs, then our limited quantity of oil and pitch will
not be nearly enough.” He looked at Valerian for confirmation.

Kieran
stood and stepped forward.

“If
I may, Your Highness, I just thought o’ something.” Valerian nodded at him to
speak. “The entrance to this large cave is relatively small. What if we block
it so the beasties can’t get out once they hatch?”

Valerian
gestured to Sir Gregory.

“You’ve
seen this place. In fact, I believe the burrowing dragon’s nest was taken from
elsewhere and used to camouflage the entrance. What think you? Is there enough
rock in that formation to seal the entrance?”

“Perhaps,
Your Highness.” Sir Gregory stroked his beard. “But how would we move all that
rock?”

“With
our strength and that of our horses,” Valerian said. “We’ll need every foot of
rope in this garrison.”

Sir
Walter nodded and smiled grimly.

“Then
what are we waiting for, my prince? Let’s move some rock.”

While
the men filed out, Valerian turned to Merry.

“I’m
afraid we’ll have to wait until later to see if you can ride.”

What
if you asked one of the stable boys to help me while you’re gone?

“I’d
feel better if I were here, but if I explain everything to him, you should do
well.” Valerian offered his hand to her, and Merry took it as he led her to the
horses. When they reached the stables, with activity swirling all around them,
Merry gasped.

“What
is it?”

When
I Heal someone, I can
See
the injury as clearly as your thoughts and words. I
can also
See
whether or not a plant can be used for medicine. What if
you take me with you and I try to
See
one of these creatures in the egg?
Perhaps I will be able to tell how long it will be before they hatch
.

That’s
brilliant, my love. But are you sure you can ride that far and back?

We
need to know so we can leave. What better way to prove it?

Valerian
needed no urging to find a groom and have Merry’s horse saddled and ready. He
helped her to the saddle and mounted his gray.

***

As
they neared the rock formation, Sir Edmund became agitated. Merry tried to calm
him, but he paced from her shoulder down to her lap and back again. She
refrained from asking Valerian about it. He was already worried about the eggs,
and all the way out from the garrison either Sir Walter or Sir Gregory had
questions for him. Fortunately, her leg wasn’t bothering her much. The deep
twinges that pained her were more of a nuisance.

The
horses stopped while the men studied how best to topple the large rocks. Valerian
slid down from his horse and helped Merry dismount. She tried to make Sir
Edmund sit on the saddle, but he leaped onto her shoulder and wrapped his tail
around her neck.

“Kieran,
take Merry down to the eggs while we coordinate our attack up here. We won’t
begin until you return.”

“Aye,
Sire, but I’ll need one other. May Terron accompany us?”

“It’s
all right with me if it’s all right with Sir Gregory.”

Kieran
jumped into the hole first, and Merry became a little queasy when Terron
lowered her into it. Kieran grabbed her waist to set her gently down, and the
little dragon hissed at him.

“My
apologies, Sir Edmund, for having to manhandle your mistress.” He went to the
nearest egg. “This is the one Prince Valerian cut open. All the rest are
intact, though.”

Merry
approached one of the other eggs. They were so large! And there were so many of
them. When she laid her hands on a leathery shell, it was warm. She closed her
eyes and felt the beating of the unborn creature’s heart. The sound of it
echoed louder and louder until it throbbed in her ears.

Then
she
Saw
that this creature was interconnected with all the others, not
just in this nest but from other nests in other places, some of which had
already hatched. They were not separate individuals as humans were; they seemed
to have a collective consciousness with one simple, driving thought:
Swarm! Spread
our kind and overcome all other kinds!

The
horror of it made Merry instinctively recoil, but she forced herself to
See
as much as she could in order to help Valerian. Many of the images made no
sense to her, but she hoped Valerian would be able to
See
them in her
mind later and sort them out. One thing was certain: Hatching was imminent, within
a day or two at most.

“Merry?”
Kieran’s voice brought her back from the dreadful visions. She opened her eyes
and backed away from the egg, trembling.

“Are
ye all right?” He sounded concerned, and once again she wished she could talk
to him. She shook her head, and tears spilled onto her cheeks. There was no way
to describe to him what she’d seen. Even if she could have spoken, she would
have difficulty finding the words. To her surprise, Sir Edmund nuzzled her
cheek with his small head.

“Kieran,”
said the other squire. “Prince Valerian is asking if we’re almost finished. They
are all set to seal the entrance.”

Kieran
caught her attention.

“Are
ye ready to go?” When Merry nodded, Kieran boosted Terron back up through the
hole. Then he laced his hands together. She stared at them, puzzled, and he
grinned. “Put your foot there in my hands and I’ll send you up to Terron.”

Merry’s
eyes widened, but she trusted Kieran, and Terron lay flat at the edge, reaching
down for her. She took a deep breath and stepped onto Kieran’s hands. For a
moment, she was suspended in midair. The burrowing dragon tightened his grip
around her throat as Terron grabbed her arms and pulled her up the rest of the
way.

Then
Valerian’s hands were lifting her up. Her eyes adjusted to the sudden bright
light. Sir Walter and Sir Gregory stood nearby, expectant.

“Did
you
See
anything?” Valerian asked out loud for their benefit, she
assumed.

Most
of it was hard to understand, but I will try to show you everything
. Merry stared into his
eyes so he would be sure to
See
all of her memories. Then, just as she
had at their first meeting, she shared everything from her contact with the
creatures in a flood of images. And like the first time, Valerian staggered
back, crying out in pain. Willing hands were there to ease him to the ground. Sir
Edmund hissed and flicked out his tongue. Merry’s eyes filled with tears.

I’m
so sorry, love. I wish I knew how to do that without hurting you
.

It
was worth a little pain for the information you were able to discover
. Valerian rubbed his
temples.