Sir Aldric Ironheart's Arc

Chapter 2 of 5

The morning after the village burned, Aldric and Elara rode out to find allies. Elara believed they hunted friends for a noble cause. She thought they meant to protect more villages from raiders. Aldric let her believe it. The truth stayed locked behind his iron helm. He needed swords to take a throne, not to save farmers. But a girl who loved knights would not follow a man who wanted a crown. So he lied, and the lie sat heavy in his chest. "Where do we start?" Elara asked. She rode beside him, spear across her lap. "A merchant I know," Aldric said. "He has gold. Gold buys men." They found the merchant at his stall near a village hut. Kael Goldmane stood broad as a door, wrapped in a coat of overlapping bronze scales. His amber eyes tracked every coin in the road. He held out a gloved hand before Aldric even spoke. "Nothing walks past me free," Kael said. "Not questions. Not water. Pay twice or move along." "I came for allies, not trinkets," Aldric said. Kael laughed. "Allies cost more than trinkets." Then the buzzing came. It rose from the tree line like a saw through wood. A crimson waspdrake burst into the clearing. It was black and red, long as a horse, with a scorpion tail that curled over its back. Villagers screamed and fled into their huts. Kael grabbed his coin box and froze. The waspdrake dove. Its stinger stabbed at Kael's chest. Aldric shoved him aside and took the blow on his armor. The stinger screeched against iron and slid away. Aldric swung his sword and missed. The wings were too fast. "Elara! The tail!" Aldric shouted. Elara ran wide and threw her spear. It pinned one wing to the dirt. The waspdrake spun, off balance. Aldric charged. He brought his sword down on the creature's neck. The buzzing stopped. The body twitched, then went still. Kael stared at his own trembling hands. Then he stared at Aldric. "You stepped in front of that thing. For me. No coin asked." "You'd be dead otherwise," Aldric said. Kael pulled off a glove. He looked at the dead waspdrake, then at his stall. "I've paid for guards who ran. You didn't run." He held out his bare hand. "I'll ride with you. My gold too. A man who guards my life is worth more than a customer." Aldric clasped the hand. Two followers now, and a purse of gold behind him. Elara grinned, proud of her knight. But Kael leaned close as they packed to leave. "So. What does a wandering knight need my gold for, really?" Aldric met his amber eyes. Kael was no farm girl. He would see through a noble lie in a heartbeat. And Elara stood close enough to hear every word.