"Heart of the Crown" Chapter 66

[seymoure]

Chapter 66

Love Amidst the Chaos

Sandor knew there was only one thing absolutely sure, and that was that Morgana would be with her mate.

The big man wrapped the reins through his belt and began the short climb out on the dragon’s neck. When he reached her head, he began to whisper in her ear. It was clear he thought she understood what he said.

Slip was dubious that such was the case. Surely she could understand the kindness of tone, the friendliness of the words, but she was still an animal and not able to communicate in a sophisticated level.

Sandor shimmied down to the base of her neck and returned to his role as navigator.

Count Gerathio was hurling invectives in their direction, not because he was about to attack, but because he was angry that his presence was being revealed to the other factions in the war they had just passed over.

The last thing he wanted was for them to come after him as they had come after the fugitives he was chasing. That would make it harder for him to snatch the child from them and get away clean.

At this juncture, a pair of simian warriors landed on the Count’s dragon and confronted him. He swung a large war hammer at them and knocked one off the saddle. If the ape hadn’t grabbed a strap with one of his prehensile feet, he would have fallen to his death.

Talons were now circling him, and it was hard to tell if they were shooting at the Count or at the apes. Perhaps they would be happy with whomever they hit. Either way, the chance of returning home with at least one dragon was looking up.

This is when Morgana drew up beside her love, and the two of them twined necks again.

Hawk and Slip leapt from one dragon to the other and with powerful hand strikes repelled the boarding Hespons from the back of the reptile.

Now Hawk leveled a bowshot at the Talons in the air and brought down four of them, forcing the others to fall back to a safer distance.

Hawk turned and pointed an arrow directly at Count Gerathio’s throat.

Sandor shouted across the inches of space between their mounts, “If I were you, I would ask for a truce.”

Gerathio lowered the hammer to the dragon’s back and raised his hands in surrender.

Then they heard the multiple roars of the Griffins.

© 2008 C. Wayne Owens
Chapter 67 is here.