Early the next evening, everything was ready. Gilda was loaded in the laundry cart with clothes placed over and around her. The cart was a little heavier than usual, Gilda being a bit heavier than smallclothes and tunics, but with the wheels on the cart it shouldn't be that noticeable. Chitter was in Mad's pocket for moral support. Mad's father was staying with her mother to help with the baby care since she was still weak from the birth. It was up to Madeline. She had never spoken directly to the Baron before but she knew she had to do this for Gilda and the rest of the dragons.
She pushed the cart over the dirt path to the cobblestone road just before the castle gates. The cobblestone was harder to push the cart on than that dirt! She steeled her grip and her resolve and pushed on through the open gate to the keep. The guards didn't look twice at her, she did this often enough since her mother's late pregnancy.
She was thinking this was going to be easier than she thought when she got to the entrance of the keep. There was a step. It wasn't that high but too high for her to get the cart over with the added weight of the dragon. She tried several times but she just didn't have the strength. She whispered to Gilda and Chitter “what am I going to do? It's too early for you to get out!”
Gilda answered “I can flap my wings to take my weight away but flapping laundry would definitely attract some attention! You would have to replace the clothes afterwards too. We need a distraction!”
Chitter climbed out of her pocket, using his wings as arms, and said excitedly, “fly me! I'll do it!”
Madeline picked him up gently and raised her hand as his launching pad as she always did. He immediately flew around the castle grounds, chittering noisily. He flew quickly and deftly around everyone's heads, avoiding their waving arms. Madeline didn't stop to watch though. Gilda's wings were flapping and she was floating above the cart. Most of the clothes were still on her, so she looked like laundry with golden wings. Madeline pushed the back of the cart down, raising the front over the step, lifted the back of the cart over and pushed it a few inches forward. Gilda lowered herself back down and Madeline quickly adjusted the clothes back over her. Only then did she pause to look around.
Chitter had everyone's attention! He was dodging people left and right. With Gilda's presence she could hear his chittering as the laughter that it was. He was having entirely too much fun!
“Chitter!” she whispered loudly, “come on!”
He stopped chittering and flew silently to her hand. Everyone was so confused they were still searching the air for him as she slipped him back in her pocket. Although her little friend wasn't a secret, it was far from common knowledge so hopefully people wouldn't think to look at her!
They pushed on to the great hall. Here is where the real adventure would begin. She couldn't push the cart across the hall, it would be improper to say the least. Here, Gilda would have to cross as a dragon and be the emissary she was. Madeline pushed the cart to the side and helped Gilda out of the cart as smoothly as possible. She wanted her to make the best possible first impression, which would be difficult with a knight's small-clothes on her head! Gilda climbed out, not using her wings to avoid making herself more obvious, then walked with Mad to the middle of the room. The baron and the knights were intensely discussing something, so they didn't even notice the girl and the dragon.
“Excuse me,” Madeline said quietly. No one turned around, so intent on their discussion. “Baron Humphrey!” she called loudly. That did the trick! Everyone in the great hall turned to look at her. It only took a second to notice the golden dragon at her side. Gilda unfurled her wings slightly, showing their size and beauty without making herself look too intimidating.
It only took a moment for the baron to compose himself. He settled himself back into his throne and the knights followed his example into their chairs. “The stablemaster's daughter, right?” he asked.
Madeline nodded and collected her nerve, “This, sir, is Gilda, an ambassador from the dragons. She has been sent to seek your help. She was thwarted in her mission by an attack in the woods. She has recuperated in our home and now seeks an audience with you. She can communicate very well through mind-speech so please do not be alarmed.” They had decided to introduce her ability that way to avoid the possibility of someone panicking.
“Oh,” said Baron Humphrey, a little surprised but rising to the occasion, “Gilda, you are welcome in our hall. We are pleased to meet a member of your species. Please feel free to speak in your fashion and we will see what we can do to render aid for your kind.”
Chapter 7: The Dragons' Plight
“Thank you, Baron Humphrey” Gilda began. “As you know, we dragons have always attempted to maintain peace with humans. We avoid the areas that you live in and do our best to avoid competing for food sources. Up until now we have been able to live without contact, which I believe has worked well for both species. But lately we have been pursued through our lands by knights and young men. We understand this is the work of Baron Godfrey so we do not blame you. However, we can't safely approach Baron Godfrey with our concerns. We have had no casualties as yet. The knights and boys are inept and fairly easily disposed of We have two very serious problems though. Our dragons have to be so alert for hunters that their hunting is being affected, although we aren't starving, many are hungry.”
Madeline watched the room as Gilda spoke. The knights had jumped a bit in their seats at the beginning of the mind-speech but quickly grew comfortable with it. The baron hadn't seemed to be shocked at all. He just listened courteously, his full attention on his dragon guest.
“But this is the smaller of our issues,” Gilda continued. “Dragons sit on their eggs for 8 weeks. At this time all of the eggs hatch within a couple of days of each other. The ones that do not hatch in this time are put in a communal nest where they are cared for by old and sickly dragons. Most of these do not hatch but some, such as myself, do. The knights have somehow found this nest and stolen 6 eggs. They only wounded the protecting dragon and did not seem to be too wounded in their endeavors. We do not know how many knights there were for sure, at least 3 according to the dragon. None of these eggs may ever hatch but it is possible they all will. If they hatch it would be within the next week or so, as I was wounded for two weeks. The late-hatching eggs always seem to be 3-4 weeks delayed. We cannot have any of our kind in the hands of a man such as this. Some of our more fire-tempered elders wanted to do battle on the Baron's men immediately but the cooler heads stepped in. If we attack the baron with no one knowing what he has done to us, there could be an all-out hunt for our kind by the whole kingdom. We could not sustain such an attack without starvation. We must prevail upon you to retrieve our eggs. If we can't get them back before they hatch, I am not sure we can avoid an all-out war between our species.”
The baron paused for a moment, locking eyes with a few of his knights. “Gilda,” he spoke, “please allow me to apologize for the behavior of my fellow humans. As you know, this is not our normal way. He is a greedy man and his actions are affecting more than you know. He has also been attacking outlying human villages, setting fire to the villages and brutally killing the livestock. We were just discussing what he could possibly be gaining from all of this pointless destruction. After your story, I believe he wishes to blame your kind for the attacks. We only know it was his doing by a survivor who made it to the keep just this morning. I agree, he must be stopped. His attacks against the dragons and people must be stopped and the eggs retrieved. But how? If we attack him directly, the eggs may be moved or destroyed. With only the one witness to his atrocities, a direct attack would also be viewed poorly by the rest of the kingdom.
“We need to find a way into his keep to retrieve the dragon eggs. If he follows the eggs back here and attacks us first, we would have the support of the kingdom in retaliation.”
“Sir,” Madeline interjected. “Could I be of help? I doubt a 12yo girl would get noticed much and I was able to get Gilda in here without much notice. With Gi
lda and my bat, there are 3 of us. Using the cart to get in, we can load the eggs in it to get back out. Our only issue would be any guards on the eggs. I can use a sling shot but I doubt that would be enough. I can be sneaky though.”
“I can not allow you to take that risk alone,”the baron answered. “However, we have a very promising young squire that could pose as your brother. Archer is 13 and skilled with a dagger as well as a sword. Dressed in peasant clothes I think the two of you could get into the castle easily. Finding the dragon eggs may take some brainwork but I believe the two of you, excuse me, four of you are up to the task.”
The knights and the baron continued to make plans while Madeline reflected on what she had just volunteered to do. Travel to Baron Godfrey's castle, enter it relatively unnoticed with a dragon, steal 6 dragon eggs back and return home alive. With a boy she had never met as far as she could remember. She would ask herself what was she thinking but she was sure this was the right thing to do. Hopefully her parents would agree.
The baron looked at them, suddenly realizing he had left them standing in the middle of the great hall. “Would you be able to leave in the morning?” he asked them.
Madeline looked at Gilda for confirmation then nodded.
“Okay then!” the Baron boomed, “meet Archer at the stables at sunrise. I will have the kitchens supply him with food for the people for the trip. I assume Gilda and the bat can feed themselves. Have your father hitch a pony to the laundry cart. I regret I can't meet you for the send-off, this mission needs to stay secret if it is to succeed. I wish you the best of luck though. I am confident that you can succeed.”
They bid him farewell and secured Gilda back in the laundry cart. Getting out of the great hall was much easier. Madeline hardly noticed her surroundings as she pushed the cart across the castle grounds and out the gate towards home.
Chapter 8: Preparations
Surprisingly, Madeline's parents readily agreed to the plan. Her mother was feeling much stronger, thanks partly to Gilda's skills, and could do without her for awhile. Her father had some misgivings until he heard the name of the squire that would be going with them.
“Archer, huh?” he pondered aloud. “One of the most promising squires we have but also the quietest. He isn't likely to be missed much by the other scholars. He tends to hang out in the falconry or the library rather than getting up to mischief with the other boys. He isn't the highest skilled with weaponry but he is the most level-headed. He isn't a large boy, a bit tall but still filling out. He isn't likely to be pegged as a squire, especially if he keeps his sword in the cart. Last but far from least, he has a great respect for animals. I definitely approve the baron's choice. Now to get you outfitted for your quest!”
The basic clothes they already had. Madeline's mother asked Gilda the size of the eggs then sewed some blankets into thick pouches. “There,” she said, “that should protect them in the cart as well as hide them from view. No chance of them becoming uncovered this way!”
Her father sharpened the dagger he had used as a boy. Madeline was intrigued by the weapon but also a bit intimidated. In the space of a couple weeks she had learned to hunt with a slingshot, nursed a dragon to health, had an audience with said dragon and the baron and now would be taking a dagger on a quest with a squire. How her world had changed!
Her father showed her some basic moves with the dagger. “I'm only showing you basic self-defense moves,” he warned, “do what you need to do then get away. If there is any more fighting to do, leave it for Archer. But he's your age, neither of you can handle fighting a seasoned knight. You have to sneak in and get out without relying on weapons if at all possible. But, just in case, get out of this one!”He grabbed her from behind and she began trying to get away. It was fun practicing self-defense with her father, Mad just wished she had more than a night to get some skills down. The quest couldn't wait though. If those eggs were going to hatch, they would do it soon and needed to be out of Godfrey's hands!
****
Important! If you find an injured bat, DO NOT TOUCH IT! Please call a wildilife rehabilitator (https://www.batworld.org/ has info and a list) or animal control.
Please continue to the free first chapter of the sequel: Gilda
About the Author
Jacqui Ainsworth lives in Austin with her husband,4 children, 2 dogs, and parrot. She has always had a love for animals, earning her B.S. in Zoology, specializing in mammals. Her greatest interest in the real world is bats but that's a close tie with her fantasy interest in dragons. She has been a docent at the Congress Avenue bat bridge in downtown Austin as well as being a wildlife rehabilitator. She has been writing her whole life, taking the Writing for Children and Teenagers course in early high school and as many language arts courses as she could squeeze in amongst the required science classes in college.
Gilda
Venturing Out
Madeline rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She had been up late practicing daggerwork with her father and preparing for the trip that lay ahead of her. She had been too excited to fall asleep easily, making waking up very difficult. But get up she must! It was early! Her bat, Chitter, had yet to come in from his evening hunting. Her dragon friend, Gilda, was nowhere to be seen. Gilda usually slept on a blanket on the floor of her room. Mad imagined Gilda was anxious to get going, she had been delayed too long by her injuries. Together they had to prevent a war between dragons and people, seemingly plotted by the Baron of the village to the north of them. To do this, they had to steal back 6 dragon eggs without being noticed. “That should be no problem for a group of 2 kids, a dragon, and a bat, right?” she thought to herself. She shook herself out of that mindset. That served to wake her up the rest of the way. She put on fresh clothes, there would be no telling when she would have that luxury again, and headed into the main part of the house.
Her mother was setting a breakfast of bacon and porridge on the table. Madeline felt too nervous to eat but she knew that she must. For herself and for her mom's mental peace. Madeline's new baby brother, Drake, was sleeping soundly in his cradle. She gazed at him for a moment then got to work on eating her breakfast. After handing her plate to her mother, she hugged her and said her goodbyes.
She walked out to the stables to meet her father and her quest mate. Gilda was already in the cart., covered loosely with extra clothes and blankets. There were some bags of grain in the cart as well as some basic traveling items. Madeline's father was checking the pony, making sure it was securely attached to the cart. Madeline figured he would do that a few times, just to “make sure” and hide his uneasiness. It wasn't often that a father sent his twelve year old daughter on such a mission!
A tall, gangly boy was heading towards the stable with a confident gait. He had blonde hair in need of a trim. As he got closer, Mad could see his eyes were green. His face wasn't particularly attractive but he wasn't unattractive either. An average-looking boy with nice eyes. Madeline was glad of that. She was much more comfortable with a boy that didn't think he was the best-looking guy around. She knew, with her brown hair,brown eyes, and tomboy interests, she wasn't high up on the attractiveness scale either. She didn't care either. There was more to life than pursuing boys and being pursued by them. She had always known that but the last couple of weeks had proven it.
Her father noticed his approach. “Hey Archer!” he called, “this is my daughter, Madeline. In the cart here is Gilda the dragon.” Gilda raised her head out of the pile of fabric and nodded at him. Just then Chitter flew past. He made a few turns around the stable grounds, then landed on Madeline's shoulder, where he hung and began to groom himself. “And this is Chitter, Madeline's big brown bat. If you can call him hers. She rescued him as a pup and he has chosen to live with us since then. He is free to come and go as he pleases.”
Archer seemed to be processing all of this. Madeline was sure he had been told the nature of the quest but being told you were traveling with such a group was different than seeing the gro
up for yourself. Madeline decided to break the ice and stepped forward.
“Hi Archer,” she said, more confidently than she felt. “It's great to meet you. I have heard you are a great squire. The baron and my dad said you are one of the best!”
Archer smiled, replying “I'm not sure about the best but I try my best. I really want to be a falconer but my father wants me to be a knight like he is.”
Madeline's father laughed “You'd do well at either or both son. But for now, let's see what you brought and get you loaded up.”
Archer had brought provisions from the castle kitchen plus his weaponry and traveling gear. It took less time than Madeline expected to get it all packed up. Chitter had crawled down to her apron pocket, his typical daytime resting place.
Before long, they were on the road. The little pony pulled the cart with Gilda in it, while the kids walked beside it. Gilda was well now and perfectly able to walk but there was a price on dragon heads' now and it wasn't worth the risk. She would come out of the cart at night and hunt for herself. It was a 3 day walk to Baron Godfrey's village and they only had a week to get the dragon eggs out of there. They couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Archer and Madeline had been loners their whole lives. Making small talk wasn't easy for either of them. Neither of them were ready to discuss the quest quite yet either. Even though it appeared to be two kids walking without conversation, it wasn't. Gilda was feeling talkative this morning. Archer had shook his head slightly when she first mind-spoke to him but he adjusted quickly.