Chapter Nine: Ragnor's Folly

Today is the first day of expansion on the new lair.  Workers with picks, drills and shovels, are hiking up and down the mountain. They have four weeks to complete the job.  Max and his boys, are making good headway, until they get too many bosses, and not enough workers in the supervisors tent.

            Torch has a list of requests, Saber already has layouts and plans made up, Max is concerned about enough employees, and Cherna..... well she really is the boss.

            “Enough!”  Cherna bellows.  “O.K., Torch, give me your list tomorrow, and edit it down to three requests.  I will pick the most compatible one to fit in Saber’s plans.”

            “One?”  Torch asks, with a bit of a whine.

            “Yes, one.  The plans have been laid out for weeks, and you had plenty of time to get to Saber before today.”  She replied in a no nonsense voice.  “If I can make it anymore, I will try.”  She softened a bit.  “Now get out!”

            “Max, we have the same crew we had with the last lair, and this time it’s mostly smaller, private spaces.  We will be fine with the guys we have.  Do you have your copy of the plans, stick to it unless you hear differently from me.  Me only!  No one else can change anything, and that includes you Saber.”  Cherna finished off.

            With Torch and Max gone, Saber stood watching Cherna in her element.  She really was his woman in charge.  Worker’s moved faster when she had her eyes on them, Torch and Max, both cut off at the knees, and out the door they went.  She stepped out of the tent, to bark orders at the workers, carrying buckets of rocks.  It was almost magic watching her in control of such a huge undertaking.  He is going to have to talk to his mother, and see if they could have her perform her Royal duties, on a seasonal basis so that Cherna could work with her crew, during the spring and summer months.  Yes he knew she missed this, but he could share her with her crew, it was just a matter of planning.  Saber slipped away quietly, and let her do her job.

            Oh this felt so good.  Real work, not just making appearances, and reading at book club meetings, or cutting ribbons.  Real hard, dirty work.  She did not think her daily buff and polish would stay very long this way.  She loved it!  Dirt and rock under foot, Cherna made her way up the mountain to check for load bearing rock walls.  Would not do to excavate one of those by accident.  She would have them marked, but it is always good idea to check.

            The plans called for multiple private sleeping areas, two family size back lairs, servants quarters, a nursery, and a Great Hall, which Saber had written in as a ballroom.  Very funny.  Torch had lots of ideas, she just hoped she could fit something in for him, since this would be his and Lea’s new home with their hatchlings.

            The rock they excavated is going to join the rock from the last lair job, and the plans called for a large rock wall encircling the valley to discourage any armies camping out again.

 It would be 10 feet tall, with a central entry, which she could get through easily, so other dragons should be able to as well.....one at a time.  This new lair has a better view point then Cherna’s lair so up on top of the mountain a large fire pit, with burning oil will be set up, and palace guards will light it when there is an alarm.  This will signal both the Castle, and the other Lair.  No more surprises for Saber, as he pees in the moat.  Four weeks till birth-day.  She will have this ready, with a day to spare.

            Saber went in search of Torch.  He wanted to see Torch’s list himself.  Maybe something could be done to accommodate him with his new home.  Saber found Torch in his room, pouring over his list, and looking frazzled.

            “Anything I could help you with?”  Saber asked.

            “Yes, please!”  Torch replied.

            ‘What’s your number one request?”  Saber asked.

            “To have the nursery right off of one of the family lairs.”  Torch almost whined.

            “Done!”  Saber said with a smile.

            “You can’t change-----.”

            “ It’s already there in the plans, Torch.  I did make the plans up with you and your family in mind.”  Saber interrupted.

            “Oh, well thank you.  What else is there?”  Torch asked.

            Saber settled down, and preceded to tell Torch all about his new home.

 

            Well now isn't that an interesting sight?  You just don’t come across dragon skeletons that often, Cherna thought.  There had been a big commotion back here, and she had come to investigate, just in time to have the skull roll between her feet.  This dragon was long dead, but she was pretty sure Saber should be told anyways.

             “Hey Max, send one of the guys to get Saber, thanks.”  She spoke.  “O.K. everyone lets back out of this area, and move into the Great Hall section, we got plenty up there to finish off the day with.”  She called to her crew.  Cherna stood watch, waiting on Saber.  She picked up the skull, and studied its unusual looks.  One fang was broken off, and one of the eye sockets was crushed, but healed that way.  Wow, this guy was one tough dragon.  Partially blind?  She wondered, warrior probably.  Cherna stooped down to get a better look at the skeleton.  Several broken bones healed over with calcium deposits, wow that wasn't a broken bone that was a sword.  She gingerly worked free of the dragon’s ribs.  Holding it up to the light, she could see the hilt.  Jewels sparkled, rubies, emeralds, and pearls.  A large ruby crowned the base of the hilt.  Cherna dropped the sword like it bit her.  The Royal Sword, she was sure of it.  She had seen that same ruby crown on the Queens staff.  And didn’t you use a sword to knight someone?  Not a staff?  Oh crap......what can of worms has she opened now?

            Saber arrived, curious about the ‘important finding’ the worker had mentioned.  “Hey Cherna, what do we have?”  He greeted her.

            “I think we have a murder.”  Cherna whispered.

            “What?  What do you mean?”  Saber asked.

             Cherna moved over so Saber could see the skeleton.  His mouth popped open, and he too crouched down to inspect it.  As his fingers traced one of the broken bones, Cherna spoke up.            “Ah, that’s not all, see the wound and the way the ribs are sliced, not a rough break, but a clean smooth slice?”  She asked.

            “Yeah.....”  Saber waited,

             “Here, I think this belongs to your family.”  She handed him the sword.  “I pulled it free right there.  The skeleton was buried under these rocks, with it still in his body, and this is his skull.  Look here at his neck, it’s severed.  The warrior was beheaded, maybe with the sword also.”

            Saber was getting a sick feeling, he knew who the dead warrior was.  He just wasn’t sure what to do right now. 

            “O.K.  Let’s shut it down for today, and I will get the Palace Guards to remove the body, and bring it to the Castle.  Let’s keep the sword under wraps, till we get more information.  He should be easy to identify; there can’t be that many dragons with his healed injuries in the Realm.  The sword gives us a timetable, because it went missing before I was born.  Mother should be able to narrow it down also.”  Saber was all in official Crown Prince mode, and it made Cherna nervous.

            “Do you know something about this, Saber?”  She asked

            “Maybe, probably, but let’s get home before I tell you.  It’s obviously not something we need to discuss here, where workers can hear it.”  He replied.

            Cherna nodded and proceeded to shut down the site for the day.  Workers were let off, tools gathered, and rocks dumped.

            “Cherna, have Max send a servant to the Castle, for a few of the Palace Guards.  They will need tarps to carry it all in one trip.  I want it delivered to the Palace Physicians Office.  We know what caused the death, I just don’t know where else to put him right now.”

            “Alright, I will be at the Lair when you are ready to talk.”  Cherna said.

            So this was Ragnor's brother, huh, imagine that.  Why would Ragnor bury him so close to the Castle and Lair?  Is Ragnor the one who put him there?  Had to be, he was sure it was done in secret.  Well now that the cat’s out of the bag, and who knows what else is going to happen.

            Ragnor is no longer capable of standing trial for his crimes.  It was just a matter of time before he passed on.  Was Darna or his mother involved in this?  By the Gods, he hoped not.  Saber tucked the sword under a wing, as the Palace Guard arrived to remove the skeleton. 

 

Saber went ahead of them, to give his mother a warning of what was coming.  Besides she probably would like her sword back.