Chapter Thirteen: The Forgotten Ones

I am so glad, I did not need to show for the ‘Big Day’ at the Castle, Torch thought to himself.  I don’t have time.  O.K. bags are packed, and ready for the hatchlings.  They will be fine at the Castle, they have a separate nursery away from all the Royal hub-bub.  They have their own nannies and servants.  There is no reason they should be a bother to Ryoch and Glenna.  Why did Dana choose now to retire?  Tell me ‘yes’ about the hatchlings, then run off on sabbatical.  Torch takes a deep breath, and looks around the rooms, neat and tidy the way he likes it.  He could hear the hatchlings waking up, he wanted to get an early start so he called for a servant.

            “Take these trunks to the Palace, go to the servant’s entrance at the kitchens, and ask for Tana.  She will show you where to put them.  Thank you.”  Torch concluded.  “O.K., babies this is it let’s go, Daddy needs to go find Mommy.”

            Torch follows the hatchlings trunks to the Castle, when he reaches the servants entrance he is struck by worry over his hatchlings.  It will only be a week or so, and he would be back, just a week, and they will be safe and sound in his arms again, Torch keeps telling himself.  A pretty young dragon answers the door, to the servant’s entrance.

            “Tana?”  Torch asks. “This is Paolo and Marta.”

            ‘Hi, yes I am Tana, are these your hatchlings?”  She asks.  “I have everything ready just as you and Queen Dana requested.  Hello Paolo, hello Marta.”

            Torch followed her up a spiral staircase, into the servants quarters.  A large room opened up at the top of the stairs.  It was all sat up, two cribs sat side by side, covered in pelts and pillows.  A big play area in the middle of the room, with all of the hatchlings toys and games.  There was an eating area to the left, and bathing area to the right.  The hatchlings favorite pelts, toys and food had already come, and been set, ready for them to arrive.  Tana is very nice, and seems to take to the hatchlings right away.  Torch sets them down in the play area, and they stumble to Tana immediately, crawling into her lap they all laugh and giggle.  Torch lets out a big sigh, as his fears slip away, his babies will be fine.  It’s only a week or so, he repeats in his head.

            “Did you set all this up?  It really looks great.”  Torch tells her.

            Tana beams and replies, “yes, it was fun getting it all ready, besides it got me out of Coronation duty, and that was a good thing.”

            “Yeah, I did not come either, getting the hatchlings ready with all their baggage kept me busy, and there just wasn’t time.”  Torch replied.  “I should be gone a week or so, but I will send a runner with messages as soon as I find Lea.  We will return together.”  Torch is anxious to leave, but he looks to his hatchlings one last time.  They were playing with a ball, rolling it to each other.  With his heart heavy, he turns to leave.

            “Travel safe.”  Tana says.  Torch nods and leaves.

 

            “Saber, I found this message by the front opening of the lair.  It’s from Torch, you know I haven’t seen him or the hatchlings in days, with the Coronation and plans, it just got too busy there for a bit.”  Cherna walks to Saber, and hands him the message.

            “What does it say?”  She asks.

            “ He is gone.”  Replies Saber.

            “What?  Read it out loud.”  Cherna says, with concern.

Saber   ------Lea is over a week late, and I know she would be here if she could.  I have sent runners with messages looking for her at the war zone, but none have returned.  There has been no word from her in weeks.  I spoke to Queen Dana, before the Coronation, and she agreed.  I am going to go search for myself.  I should only be gone a week or so.  The hatchlings are fine, Cherna, so don’t worry.  Please tell my Mother. 

           

            “I cannot believe he and the hatchlings are gone, a week or so in the war zone is no place for hatchlings!”  Cherna huffed, obviously upset.  “Tell his mother, yeah I will tell her, together we will chew him up and spit him out.  He’s going to get a piece of my mind----.”

            “Cherna, he is a grown dragon, and those are his hatchlings.”  Saber interrupts her rant.  “You and I share parenting, but Torch is alone and obviously worried about his mate.  He may not have your style of parenting, but you know he loves his hatchlings.  He would never place them in harm’s way.”  Saber calmed her down.

            “He’s still dead meat.”  Cherna said.

            Queen Dana’s instructions were clear.  Keep the hatchlings a secret from the Castle Hierarchy, so predators don’t show an interest in them.  Red Dragons are very rare, and to have two hatchlings, well a predator would have open season on them.  There were unscrupulous dragons among the guest, and they would think nothing of taking the hatchlings for their own foul purposes.  The male Paolo was not a Pure Red Dragon, but still has too much red on him to run free in the Castle.  It would only draw attention to his sister, who was a Pure Red.

            Rumors and questions fly through the servants quarters, and soon there are knocks on the door as maids, scullery workers, and kitchen staff all want a look at the two Red Dragons.  Tana quickly puts a lid on it, and the hatchlings can finally get tucked in for the night.  Tana rocks back and forth with them as they fall asleep.

            Darna is in a foul mood.  She and Cherna have the same thoughts about Torch’s escapade.  Hatchlings in a war zone, unbelievable!  She stomps back and forth across the nursery, eventually waking Leona, as she gathers the hatchling to comfort her.  Darna is soaked in a warm happy, calm feeling, her worries are eased, as she rocks the hatchling.  Nice trick, Darna thinks to herself, as she looks at the sweet babe in her arms.  It seems Leona did not like her bad mood, so she changed it for Darna.  “Hmm, fancy parlor trick,” she said out loud, and snuggled the hatchling closer.

            The days passed slowly, as they do at the end of summer.  Hot sultry days that have a dragon looking for the nearest watering hole.  The forest was thick with humidity, and the Castle was worse, breathing felt like sucking water into your lungs.  As one long day faded into the next, Tana lost track of time.  She had set up a small pool of water in a large tub for the hatchlings to play in, it helped to keep them cool and moisturized.  A clatter out in the hallway startled her, and just as she got up to check, the nursery door was flung open.

            “What are you still doing here?  Why are these brats still here?”  Her supervisor asked.

            “What do you mean?”  Tana was confused.

            “It has been two weeks, why are they still here?”  She demanded.

            “I will send a message today, and find out.  The Queen Mother probably knows, I could ask her.”  Tana offered.

            “Absolutely not!”  Her supervisor barked.  “Queen Dana was very specific in her instructions, and NO ONE of the upper class should know they are here.  Queen Dana was out liege for five hundred years, and we owe our loyalty to her.  This new regime is unknown so far.  You will stay here, until their parents arrive, or Queen Dana gets back from her tour, whichever comes first.”  She finished.

            “Yes ma’am.“  Tana replied worriedly.

            The door slammed shut, and the hatchlings started to cry.  Tana rushed to them, and picked them up, rocking to sooth them.  Two weeks and Torch was not back yet, she had received no messages, she was certain. 

            She really should notify someone, but she could not lose this job, her younger siblings were supported by it.  She knew that old crone of a boss would toss her out with no reference, if she got the chance.  Then who would watch these sweet hatchlings?  With so many questions unanswered, Tana laid the hatchlings down for a nap.  Torch would come soon, she just knew it.

 

            Darna paced the Great Hall, waiting for Saber to come in.  She could not pace in the nursery any longer, Leona always put a stop to it.  It’s been two weeks, and no word from Torch.  Darna wanted her babies back, Torch could stay for all she cared, she was so sick with worry, and it was his entire fault.  As soon as Saber cleared the entryway, Darna pounced, “what are you going to do about Torch and the hatchlings?”  Darna demanded.  Saber was caught off guard.

            “Huh?”  He asked.  Wrong answer.  Darna went into a frenzy of worry and tears.  Saber was not good with tears.

            “It’s o.k., it’s o.k., I will send a runner today the fastest we have.  I will call the Palace Guard, and notify Ryoch and Glenna.  I will send a search party out to the war zone.  Please Darna, stop crying.”  Saber patted her shoulder.

            “No schlep paddy”, Darna mumbled thru her tears.

            “What?”  Saber asked.

            “No search party, I don’t want anyone else to go missing.”  Darna finally got out, as her mood became all warm and fuzzy.  “Please tell your daughter to stop playing with my moods. It’s quite disturbing,” she added.  “And her range is growing, she has found me here in the Great Hall, when just last week the nursery was her area limit.”

            “Uh....o.k., I will see what I can do.”  Saber replied, knowing Leona would not understand.  It was just an infant reaching out to help as only she could.  With one last pat on the shoulder, Saber went off to do the things he said he would.  A runner was sent off first thing.

                       

            The Dragon Wars can be hellish and random, or organized and brutal depending on which clans are at war.  There is always Clan leader Emissaries hanging around the base camps.  Messages can be sent to them, and if they have the information, or can get it, a message would return.  If they had time or if they felt like it, if they cared.  It was a very unreliable system, but it was war, and not a jaunt in the park.

             Base camps can be confusing, and looking for a specific soldier, even a Pure Red Dragon, can be an undertaking.  Bad information can have you chasing your tail, for a month or more from base-camp to base-camp.  Most clans fly their colors above their camp, but Mercenaries like Lea and her army have no colors, and could be fighting for any one of a dozen clans at a time. 

            Worst of all it was not called Dragoon Wars for a joke.  It was wars, plural.  Right now there were six wars going on, throughout the Realm.  Lea and her army would go to the highest bidder, and they could switch to another at the drop of a hat, always following the money, prestige, property and power.

            What was Torch thinking about when he took off with his hatchlings?  Saber would never know.  A week or so would only get you to the nearest war zone. It could be days farther to the base camp, in either direction.  Torch had to be traveling slow, due to the hatchlings.  Week or so?  Try six months or more! 

            Saber, finally got mad, and stomped all the way to the Castle to notify the Royal family formally.  Maybe a few emissaries would be willing to hit all six war zones at once.  With a Royal command added to the messages, maybe dragons would hop a little faster, and take it more seriously, he could hope.

 

            Glenna was in the nursery playing with the hatchlings, when word came that Saber needed to see her and Ryoch.  Ryoch was with the Castle Stewards going over accounts.  Queen Dana had no talent with numbers, and had gone for five hundred years on verbal reports only.  Ryoch was already finding errors, this could take him a week to figure it out.  A Page entered the offices, and relayed that Saber was in the Castle, and needed Ryoch and Glenna.  It was time for a break anyways, so Ryoch welcomed the interruption.

            Saber waited patiently, it was a big Castle, and it could take a little bit to get from one place to the next.  A servant came by and offered refreshments, water, tea or ale, and small slices of fresh wild boar.  Saber was hungry, and it hit the spot.  Just as he finished Glenna entered the Thrown room smiling in welcome.

            “Hey there Saber,” Glenna greeted him. “What’s up?”

            Ryoch entered right on time.  “Father what’s going on?”                 

            “Can we go some place more private?”  Saber asked.  “It’s Clan business.”

            “Sure, right thru here.”  Ryoch pointed to a small room, off of the Thrown room.  They all went in, and Ryoch shut the door for privacy.

            “Is something wrong?”  Glenna looked concerned.

            “Torch and his hatchlings are missing.”  Saber got right to the point.  “He left two weeks ago to trek into the war zone, in search of Lea, he took the hatchlings with him.”   Glenna gasped as Saber continued.  “He left a note saying he would be gone a week or so, and that the hatchlings would be fine.  We have been to their lair, and it’s clean and tidy, no sign of force.  All of the hatchlings favorite things are gone through, favorite toys, pillows and blankets.”  Saber took a breath.

             “With all that baggage, and the hatchlings, he has to be traveling slow.  He couldn’t even reach a war zone within a week or so.  Darna becomes hysterical, when Leona lets her, and Cherna is ready to kick some serious butt.”  Saber growled the last of it, he was so mad.  “I need twelve Emissaries with runners for each, and a Royal Command to the Clans at war, to assist in the search.”  Ryoch started to say something, but Saber was not finished. 

            “I will need a search party from the Castle Guard, with dogs to follow Torch’s scent, and to comb the forest between here and the nearest war zone.  This is to ensure that they arrived there, once they reach the war zone the dogs will be useless.  Last but not least I will need runners sent to every Clan Chief in the Realm, to be on the lookout or to report if Torch visited in route to sleep at nights.  He would not bed down with the hatchlings on the trail, It would be too difficult.

            “ Oh and one more thing I almost forgot, a runner must be sent for my mother, if she could be found as well.  Apparently, Torch consulted her prior to leaving, and she agreed to this crazy escapade.  She needs to come home and explain so we have a better idea of the whole picture, and she can deal with her sister.”  Saber finally finished.

            “By the Gods, Father we will find them.  Are you o.k.?  Cherna needs to kick butt, we should bring him home in chains, and let her loose on him.”  Ryoch had never seen his father so angry.  Saber quivered with it, pacing, no prowling back and forth.

            Glenna had made no sound except the gasp at the beginning of Sabers speech, and as a whimper escaped, Saber glanced at her. She was shaking in fury, her eyes shooting sparks.  He backed up a pace, so he wasn’t caught in the explosion.

            “How dare he?”  She thundered.  “There are criminals in the forests, robbers on the roads and trails, and horrific soldiers at the war zone.  He took two Red Dragons into the pits of Hades.  Two Innocent Hatchling Red Dragons!”  She was almost out of steam.  “I will throw him into the Castle Dungeon myself, when he returns.  We will put him on trial, sentence him, put him in the dungeon, and throw away the key.”  Her voice had become icy calm.  It was scarier than her thunder.                                   

            Ryoch had stood quietly, taking in both dragons, and their rage.  Of the three, Ryoch knew the dangers, pitfalls, and general hardship it was to travel the war zone trials. He had done it for the last ten years, as an Emissary of the Crown for anywhere, from one month to six months out of the year.

             It had been a harsh heart-breaking decade, and he would not recommend it for anyone, let alone a single dragon with two hatchlings.  Ryoch did not say it, but the reality was that Torch and the hatchlings would probably never be found at this late date.  Their trail would dry up, and they would fall prey to one of the many predators, thieves, or killers swarming the countryside, and the war zones. 

            No, he would not say it, because it wasn’t necessary. As the silence lengthened, all three realized they were thinking the exact same thing.  Saber’s needs would still be met.  The Royal Command would still go out along with every one of Saber’s demands.  They were part of  Saber’s Clan, first and foremost, and their Chief need their help

            Glenna had been crying silently as she looked from one dragon to the next, knowing everyone thought it was too late to save Torch and his young.  As her tears dried up, a comforting feeling swept around her, and she felt a glimmer of hope.  Saber quit pacing, and his shoulders relaxed.  Ryoch felt energized ready to put things together.  All three dragons looked at each other and said “Leona.”

            Every search party, messenger, Emissary, Clan Chief, runner, and Royal Guard came back empty handed.  It was as if Torch and his hatchlings never were.