Joe watched them for a few minutes, “I think most will jump right in, but Sandstone isn’t going
to lift a finger. Victoria was right about them - they have no backbone!” Joe’s voice betrayed
his disgust. “They’re looking for an easy way to handle the situation… the damn fools!”
“They are going to pose a definite problem if they think like that. We may have to save them in
spite of themselves, Joe,” Daniel said half-heartedly. “Discuss no plans in front of them Joe;
the less they know right now, the better.”
Just then Victoria walked into the large Hall, Joe watched her with appreciation for her grace
and beauty. “Ah, now there’s a beautiful sight,” he sighed.
Victoria went to the Rider’s table and was greeted warmly by Lady Ashley and Lady Kate.
The Sandstone leaders looked up in surprise to see her here.
Daniel remarked, “It seems our cowardly friends are taking an interest in Lady Victoria too.”
Sam called across the room to her, “Lady Victoria, will you be staying for lunch?” Vicky
nodded and Sam brought out a try for her.
The elders of Sandstone watched all this with growing rage. It appeared (to them) that she was
upstaging them. She was always trouble the pompous men agreed, never knew her place.
Their leader, a man named Richard, got up and haughtily went over towards her.
“Vicky! So this is where you have been hiding,” he said snidely, “you need to get back where
you belong.”
“Where I belong?” asked Vicky cheerily, “and where might that be… Dick?” She emphasized
his nickname. Joe quietly came up behind the man unseen.
“You and that mangy horse and flea bitten wolf belong in Sandstone,” Richard said dryly, “you
need to know your place.”
“I go where I want you sanctimonious coward,” Vicky spat out, “and you will address me as
Lady Victoria.”
Richard attempted to reach out and grab Vicky by the shoulder all the while saying, “just who
the hell do you think you are…” he stopped short when he felt Joe’s iron grip on his wrist.
“I’d advise you not to touch my wife sir,” Joe said in a tightly controlled voice filled with rage.
Richard’s eyes were big as saucers as he realized his mistake.
92
“As to her name,” replied Joe coldly, “Jake himself calls her Lady Victoria. I’d advise you do
the same sir, as you apologize for your rudeness.” Joe’s face was stone and Richard knew he
was in trouble.
Red-faced, Richard quickly apologized and stressed her name, “Lady Victoria, I am truly sorry
for the misunderstanding. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“Perhaps you should return to your friends… Dick,” said Vicky icily, “while you still can.”
Richard all but ran back to where he was sitting; he was rattled, but filled with rage at his
treatment. “That little upstart, she’s always been trouble; never knows her place. Well she’ll
get hers soon enough,” he hissed. “They’ll all get what’s coming to them!”
Sitting at a table behind him, Stuart’s sensitive hearing picked up the veiled threat. He noted
the vehemence in the man’s voice, and the hate. He was quite concerned and immediately
went to Daniel and Joe and related what he heard.
“What do you suppose he meant by that?” Stu questioned aloud, “It sounded as if… aw… you
don’t suppose that he went ahead and made a deal with those devils, do you?”
Daniel looked concerned, “Maybe we should have a little talk with this Richard; like at about
ten thousand feet.” Both men laughed but Daniel was seething inside; he relayed all this to
Jake.
Jake was quite concerned to learn that one of the town leaders might be a spy and in their very
midst.
Daniel, I believe we should have a private talk with this creature. Ask Joe if he would like to join
us in this endeavor.
All the town leaders were returned to their prospective towns during the afternoon. Upon
landing they all received verbal orders from the dragon rider on behalf of Jake; all except the
town of Sandstone. The other towns were instructed not to discuss any of their plans with the
Sandstone leaders; and they were informed why.
Joe and Lady Victoria were persuaded to spend the night at Dragons Hill. Lady Ashley kept
Vicky very busy helping with the delivery of a foal by Jasmine, one of the Arabians. After
much trouble and a great deal of worry on Lady Ashley’s part, Jasmine delivered a beautiful
golden female with the best attributes of Samson, and the spirit of the Arabians. She was on
her feet almost immediately.
Joe and Daniel stayed up late into the night talking. Both agreed that the Librarian needed to
pay a visit to Sandstone.
93
That evening, after closing up his general store, Richard started walking to his residence. He
was going over the events of the day in his mind.
Those fools up there on Dragons Hill think they are better than everyone else. They think they
know everything; well, they are about to get theirs. And after, I will be put in charge of their camp.
And the first thing I am going to do is teach that little upstart a lesson. Her smart mouth will be
licking my ass for a long time.
Not hardly… Dick.
“Who said that?” A shaken Richard stopped short and looked about wild-eyed.
Nothing; it was probably just the wind blowing, he told himself. There was no one around; everyone was in his or her homes.
I’m just a little jittery, my nerves are completely frayed. All this silly business is starting to get to
me. Ah well, it will be over soon, and I won’t have to kowtow to those riders anymore. Admittedly
they are a whole lot better than the black devils, but they make themselves to be such big shots. So
they can fight those dragons - big deal. There are easier ways to settle disagreements; careful
negotiation and compromise is the key.
Negotiate what… Dick?
Diagrams of Dragons Hill… Richard stopped mid sentence and looked about, “whose there, where are you?”
No sound, nothing… but he had heard a voice. His fears were getting the better of him. He
backed up, looking around and then he began to run down the street wildly looking about, and
up. He cut across a field and was almost at his home when a large black claw came out of
nowhere and plucked him up. He closed his eyes tightly waiting for flames to hit him. Instead
he was tossed on a grassy field in the middle of nowhere. He immediately curled himself up in a
ball, expecting blows to reign on his body. When nothing happened he slowly stood up and
looked around.
No one is … wait, who is that out there?
Off in the distance he could see two men coming his way.
They were walking at a deliberate almost military pace.
They were dressed in black; it was so dark he could hardly make them out clearly.
He called to them… no answer.
They kept coming at that damn deliberate pace.
As they got closer he could see them clearer.
One had a long thin sword in his hand, and the other was holding a machete.
Richard was starting to get concerned.
He called out again… still no answer.
They just kept coming towards him.
He began to back up, all the while calling out in a plaintive voice.
Why won’t they answer?
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Then Richard remembered and thought wrongly;
Wait, wait, of course- they’re the men I’m suppose to turn over the diagrams to…
Wrong… Dick.
Richard screamed and tried to run but he found his legs wouldn’t work.
He saw the two men still coming his way.
As they came over the last rise he lost control of his bladder.
He called out to them again… nothing.
The closer they got the more he knew he was going to die.
They never said a word, just went to work.
He begged, pleaded, and finally promised them anything.
They continued in silence.
He told them everything he knew, and more.
He cried like a little boy.
Somewhere along the way Richard discovered that he couldn’t feel anything any more.
Then he screamed out that there was a spy in Dragons Hill.
That he didn’t know who – only that it was said they would never suspect…
Then he begged them to finish it…
They did.
95
Six hundred ninety-three miles north-northeast of Dragons Hill, as the crow flies, a woman
stood in a doorway in the small town of Walkersville. She appeared much older than her thirty
years. Dark circles under her eyes and a skeletal frame from lack of proper food will do that to a person. She watched wearily as the animals ate. She preferred to call them animals; they
certainly weren’t men anymore. They didn’t act like men, so why not call them what they
were… animals.
Miranda was tired, bone tired; she had been up for 24 hours straight, cooking and cleaning up
after the pigs. And then just when she thought she could get some rest she had been taken to a
house and ‘used’ for several hours by three of them. She was tired and weary, and just didn’t
give a shit any more. Maybe I’ll get lucky, she thought hopefully, maybe they’ll kill me too.
And all of a sudden the memory came flooding back in. No! Not again… Unbidden, it came quickly filling her mind again. The other women were free of them now, especially the young
girls. Oh no, no, put those thoughts away, don’t remember… But try as she might she couldn’t stop the sound of their screams from echoing in her mind. She was filled with rage and also
horror. God, I wish I were a man; I’d kill the bastards myself.
She slowly backed into the kitchen and went to the sink and began washing the dishes. If she
could just keep out of their way maybe she could get some rest. She began thinking again how
all this began and she shuddered. Why had they listened to Franklin; why had they just sat
back and let them come in; why hadn’t they fought for their lives. She finished the dishes and
was working on the silverware when she became aware that someone was watching her.
Oh shit! Not again?
Dixon had silently come into the Kitchen and stood there watching her for a long time.
She was different from the rest of them; he could tell right away. But he couldn’t put his
finger on what it was that gave him that feeling; she stayed in his mind, like a temptress. She
would bear watching.
Mmm, he thought, she isn’t that bad looking. Her short hair and her regal bearing gave her the
appearance of a Nubian princess. Skin smooth and honey colored and dark brown defiant eyes.
Yeah, he liked her defiance. She had a nice figure, full and rounded, and she wasn’t a bad lay,
after she was overpowered. She was a feisty one; maybe he’d keep her for himself for a while. He saw her reach up and wipe her forehead with the back of her hand; damn, she looks like she’s
gonna drop.
That’s right, keep staring you fucking bastard! Miranda thought to herself. One of these days
you’re going to get what you deserve. I just pray I’m there to see it.
“Go back to your cell when you’re done here bitch; you look like hell,” he said roughly. “We
can’t have our best girl dying on us now, can we,” he sneered. “No one will bother you for a
couple of hours, get some rest, I’ll give the word.” He came over to her and touched her ass.
“I’ll expect a little nicer treatment from you next time for this favor.
She pulled away from him and continued what she was doing. She heard him leave and let out
a long sigh of relief, oh thank you God… I thought he was going to make demands again.
96
She hurriedly finished the dishes and made her way back to her small cell. On her way she saw
the one they call Cricket approaching. ( oh no! ) He was a certifiable nutcase; he liked to hurt the women, really hurt them. He gave her the creeps.
“Well, what have we here,” he said dripping with venom, “maybe we can have a little fun…”
She hated him more than the others, so she took great joy saying the one thing she knew would
stop him. Miranda spat the words out and held her breath, “Dixon ordered me to rest. You
can take it up with him if you want me to come with you.”
That put an end to it; Cricket stepped back cursing and walked away. No one crossed Dixon,
not if they wanted to live.
She arrived at her small room and was thankful that she was allowed a door that locked and a
window that opened. It was very small, but she was grateful for the cot and the blanket. She
fell on the cot and lay there as her body relaxed. She just hoped that she didn’t have those
crazy dreams again. After a few minutes she drifted off into an exhausted sleep.
She became aware of the cool wind blowing across her body; it felt so good – so clean. She was
standing on the hill again; all around her beautiful green grass was blowing in the wind. She
had been here many times before. She watched as the waves of green flowed about her. She
took in a long deep breath and reveled in the clean fresh air and the slight smell of sweetness.
She loved it here; it was calm and beautiful, and so safe. And then that voice spoke to her
again. Strong and firm, always assuring that he would protect her.
Miranda, have you thought about what I have told you? Do you believe me when I say that I can
help you?
Yes, I, I think I do. But please be patient with me; I am so very, very afraid. She began to cry.
Who are you? How do I know I’m not just making this up, that I’m not just slowly going insane?
I shall prove to you that you can trust me. You know the one called Cricket, the one who likes to
hurt you? Miranda nodded in her sleep. Tomorrow he shall be removed; he will never hurt you
again.
The next morning Miranda awoke feeling very rested, as a matter of fact, she felt great. And
she remembered her dream; more important, she remembered the promise her unseen savior
had made. Miranda thought about it long and hard; she remembered the man who had passed
thru their town a year ago. She remembered the tale he told. Could it be…? When she reported to the kitchen she saw there was a flurry of activity. Inquiring what was going on, one of her fellow prisoners told her that the man called Cricket was missing. They had searched
the town and the surrounding area and no one could find him. Dixon was livid, ranting and
raving at everybody. Miranda silently went about her chores the rest of the day; inwardly she
was smiling at the knowledge that her secret savior was real after all. He had made good on his
promise. For the first time in the many years since the burning, Miranda felt a sense of hope
begin to take hold.
97
2
Daniel and Joe met early in the morning before sunrise at the Great Hall and ate a quick
breakfast. They quickly headed up the Hill and went directly to Jake. They came out on the
mesa just as the sun was rising. Joe held his breath for a second at the sight before him. There was Jake, head bent facing the sun. His size was overwhelming, but to Joe, what was imprinted
on his mind was the fact that Jake was kneeling; at least he appeared to be kneeling. Praying
was the word that leapt into his mind.
What you have just seen keep to yourself Joe; Daniel told him, few are privileged to see it.
Consider it an honor to the trust Jake has in you.
Jake rose to his full height and turned to face the men. He seemed to glow with the sun at his
back. Joe was beginning to realize the full potential of the mighty dragon, and quite possibly
who had sent him. Both men came forward and bowed slightly before him.
Good Morning gentlemen; I hope your evening was fruitful. The mighty dragon