There were now dozens of the beasts circling around the valley. The water level had not yet fallen enough to reveal land. The vast castle appeared to have been built on smaller mountain within the valley and it would be first to be explored. Some of the smaller dragons settled back onto the ancient battlements, some onto the cliff tops. Yet more still came leaping up from the watery depths surrounding the castle. Soon their numbers were uncountable. It seemed, thought Antonin, that his army was forming. Was he brave enough to lead them though? Would they recognise his authority? There was only one way to find out.
Antonin stood out on the ledge. In plain sight, it didn't take long before he was spotted. With a shriek of rage, one of the green monsters sped directly toward him.
Antonin drew his sword and held it up with outstretched arm. Filling his lungs he roared the word he had been given.
"Gahar." In a drawn out voice he knew the dragon had heard.
The dragon wheeled away in obvious surprise, circling back to the heights. Others now flapped slowly and ponderously by, watching Antonin carefully out of baleful eyes. They were a terrifying sight.
Drawing a deep breath again, the smell of sulphurous fumes in the air, Antonin called to the circling dragons.
"Nesathara, Omgorion, Dadahar. Come to your lord."
He didn't know what else to try - he had no other instructions, and it seemed the right thing to say.
The beasts were now finding their way to mountain crags to perch. The slowly emerging castle was covered with dragons, perched on every available space. Slowly the air cleared of dragons. There were dragons on the far crags on the mountain rim far across the lake. There must have been thousands of them.
Suddenly Antonin had to leap out of the way as three swooped in the alight on the ledge with him. It didn't leave much room. Suddenly the three shimmered in a silvery haze, and Antonin found himself facing three human like beings. Very much like men, but not men. Their eyes were still the eyes of dragons, their skin was dragon skin, but with scales so small they appeared to be one smooth shiny skin. The voice of the first speaker was deep and guttural, almost impossible to understand at first.
"Who calls the dragons forth?" It demanded of Antonin.
He hardly had time to get over his surprise. Desare was by his side.
"Desare, this is not safe. Go back quickly." He tried to step in front of her to shield her. The dragon-man looked at them with an unblinking stare.
Desare ducked around Antonin. "No my Lord. I must give my message."
She stepped right up to the dragon-man. He towered over her, yet made no move. His companions had made no move, standing back watching.
Desare raised her chin.
"You are in the presence of the Dragon Lord Reborn. King of the Malachites, Lord of the Morning, Light of the World. You have been called to serve him. The battle comes. If you doubt this to be so Omgorion - yes, I know your name - then heed the One. The Keeper of the Blue Tower." The dragon-man stepped back a pace. The shimmering image beside Desare was that of Ellenaria, the Keeper of the Blue tower.
"Omgorion, It is so. You and your kind will follow your Lord once again to glory."
She was gone as suddenly as she had appeared.
Omgorion gave a slight bow to Desare and looked at Antonin.
"Then you wear the crown of our king?" He rumbled. His voice like rocks grating together.
Antonin threw off his furs and cape. The golden band glittered in the morning sun.
The three dragon-men stood unmoving for long moments, then still without a word changed back into dragons and sped away across the valley on huge wings, to the castle that glittered on the low mountains.
Antonin looked at Desare. He shrugged his shoulders. Desare looked back with a questioning gaze.
The others came out onto the ledge.
"What was that all about?" Said Nareena. The others were looking at Antonin and Desare.
"I don't know." Desare replied. "I felt compelled to say what I did. I'm sorry Antonin. err, My Lord." She quickly added.
"What? Ok, nothing. No - don't call me that. Well, not when there is just us anyway. Ok, I don't know. I don't know any more that the rest of you. I guess we will find out what happens next soon enough though."
He pointed to the track on the cliff face.
"We have company as well from the city it seems."
The track was crowded with gaping warriors. Some from the Star Field Plain, some from the city.
Rees, Elsa and Desare crowded forward to the edge of the rocky platform in front of the cave. They could see nearly all the way to the top of the cliff, and the path cut into the cliff face was crowded with warriors. Those from the city were easy to spot in the brightly coloured surcoats of yellow and gold and green. Their various houses represented by their bright colours. Most must have ridden hard to catch up with the main band in so short a time. The leaders of the various groups had short flags waving in the breeze, mounted on short staves on their mounts. A short staff strapped to their back, with a miniature pennant attached gave the foot soldiers something to focus on in the confusion of battle. Pressed among this colourful crowd were the burnished gold bodies of the Asha Altan and the Mare Altan. The browns and greens of their cloths were excellent cover as they seemed to merge into the greys and blacks of the rocks around them.
The path was not very wide, and very steep, and disappeared down the cliff face a good way below the ledge. Now the ice was gone, the cave had become a trap. As the water continued to recede, the warriors inched down the slope. There was much yelling and shouting as people tried to find ways to rescue those they could see in the cave. It seemed impossible though.
Suddenly Rees jumped back as a long rope came snaking down from above. 'Someone was trying ideas at least' thought Rees. He reached out and caught the rope. It's end just reached the path below the ledge, but he could not see the top because of the overhang of the cliff above. He felt the rope jerking in his hands and then an Asha Altan warrior dropped onto the ledge, a huge smile almost splitting his face.
"The mountains have some impressive challenges." He laughed as he gave the rope a flick . "We should take ourselves off the plains more often." Within minutes the ledge was crowded as more and more warriors, men and women alike came down the rope and dropped onto the ledge. It dawned on Elsa that it had turned into a game. Facing the danger of falling was too much of a challenge for the warriors to resist. She started yelling at the top of her voice. "No more - stop - no room." When it became obvious that no more could fit on the ledge, they started to fill the cave. Those who could not get onto the ledge had to continue on down to the path below. Laughing and shouting, and poking at their fellows, they pushed their way onto the already crowded path. There was much shouting and cursing as warriors tried to keep from being jostled over the edge. Antonin might be the Lord of the Armies, but no one took the slightest bit of notice as he tried to restore some order. The warriors were having too much fun. They didn't seem the slightest bit overawed by the sight of dragons perched on every possible outcrop of rock as far as the eye could see.
Antonin looked over the edge to see if the valley floor was being exposed yet.
It could now be seen in the depths of the water. but they would have a long wait yet. Now that the volume of water had lessened, it flowed out more slowly. Then he noticed that the warriors who had come down the rope and made it to the path, were pushing their way to the top again. They were going around again. Antonin shook his head and pushed his way back into the cave. He found Desare, Rees and Elsa with Nareena by the fire. They were showing some warriors how the black stone could be made to burn.
"Desare, I don't suppose you know what Mei'An and Luan are doing do you?" Antonin asked hopefully. Desare shook her head.
"Mei'An is in the tower Antonin." She replied. Some of the nearby warriors looked from Desare to Antonin. Their looks suggested surprise at the familiar term of address, and finger talk flickered between the maidens. Elsa laughed and actually went red in the face. She looked at Desare then flicked a message to her friends. It was their turn to look embarrassed. One leaned over and put an arm around Desare.
"Don't worry child, these rough warriors would mean no harm or disrespect."
Desare blinked slowly and smiled a secretive smile. Her eyes sparkled as she glanced at Antonin then looked back to her companions.
"I know I am but a child, only fifteen summers yet, but I know where my destiny takes me. It has been revealed to me by The Keeper of the Blue Tower." At mention of the Keeper, the warriors went silent. Desare lowered her long lashes and poked at the fire with a stick. The maidens around her laughed quietly. 'She would do.' thought more than one.
When Desare looked up, with pure innocence shining on her face and said "Two others are on the same path." With a glance at Elsa and Rees. The howls of laughter had the maidens rolling on the ground. Elsa pushed her way out to the ledge, her face burning. Rees looked from one to the other, a question in his expression. "What?" He said. "What?" He would never fathom the secret lives of women. "Women." He muttered. This set the maidens off into further gales of laughter.
Antonin stayed out of it, just the hint of a smile on his face. He was actually more concerned with their current position. There were thousands of dragons outside. Thousands of warriors as well. Those from the Star Field Plain seemingly bent on risking death on the rope. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that along with their horses, they were stuck in this cave. Well the horses still were. 'We aren't stuck here at least."' Thought Antonin. 'But the horses are.'
Mei'An would be no help anyway here that he could see. If she was busy with the Keeper of the Blue Tower, then he would find out eventually if what they discussed concerned him. He wished he could figure out what was going on with Desare too. He had a vague idea, but couldn't bring himself to even think about it. She was as he had just heard, only 15 summers. It would be years yet before she was allowed by the Circle of Women to marry. "Ahh." He grumbled aloud. Why was this line of thought even in his mind at this time anyway. Some of those around him looked at him in surprise. He was dumbfounded. What a thought. Crazy. He must be very tired. That was it. Well, he'd set guards to await the fall of the water. Also to watch for the return of the three dragon masters, and get some sleep.
'Marry Desare? How stupid can I be getting. I will marry, but it will be Catharina or no one.' He muttered to himself as he finished issuing the orders for the watch and settled into pile of furs to sleep. What he didn't see was the smile on Catharina's face. She had very sharp ears. So did Nareena. Her smile was less sure. There was nothing to do but wait for the water to empty from the valley.