seymoure

Chapter 56

The Most Potent Weapon

He came up from beneath them.

He must have done some pretty fancy flying, or perhaps they were too involved with the imminent demise of all concerned, but he had returned without their noticing him.

“Throw the child,” he called to them. “At least save the baby!”

If he’d had a spare second, Hawk would have put an arrow through what tiny heart the nobleman had, but he didn’t.

“I’ll do it,” Slip said and started to climb down the side of the saddle mooring.

“You’ll do what?” Hawk called after him, but there was far too much noise to be heard.

After moving away from the stain, Hawk saw that Slip had transferred the bundle to Sandor, who now stood with Morgana’s reins in one hand and the baby in the other.

Sandor had also moved to stand on the scales of the dragon rather than on the saddle.

When Hawk perceived that his friend was undoing the lacing on the side of the saddle, he decided that he, also, would move forward.

He took a rope and dropped it down the side of the dragon to Slip.

“Hold on,” he shouted and got a nod of recognition back. Slip tied the tether around his waist and continued to open the saddle as he had done with more than a few bodices in the past.

He made quick work of it, and then climbed back up to join Hawk and Sandor.

He was troubled to see that the rig was not falling away.

“Here,” said Sandor, handing the baby to Hawk, “Now both of you hold on to me.”

Without question the two men grasped the wide leather belt around the countryman’s middle and held fast.

Sandor bid Morgana to take a wide, curved turn and she did so right away. The saddle tumbled off and struck the dragon below, nearly sending the Count flying earthward.

The other dragon recovered and no one was hurt, but even through the noise of the flying and winds, the Count must have heard the laughter from above.

Morgana made what sounded like a happy sound, surely because a great burden had been lifted from her back, but the men wished to believe that she enjoyed the joke as well.

The four of them flew away, back towards their original jumping off point.

The Count followed at a safe distance, aware that his actions had earned him an arrow at the first opportunity.

But for this moment, smiles were the most potent of weapons.