The sky was overcast, but not stormy. The weather was actually quite calm. Not even a hint of a wind.

There was a large, winged shape flying high in the air to the south. With a long neck and long tail, it could only be the dragon. It was hard to tell just how far away it was since Rudiger wasn’t sure how big it was. He could make no reference with its apparent size in the sky. It was definitely somewhere over the south grounds, though, and descending.

All around him in the north plaza, Palace servants ran and stumbled through the snow. Guards tried to usher them in specific direction, but half the guards were running too.

Rudiger pushed his way between and around them, making his way to the west road and to the stables. He didn’t usually take this outdoor route, usually preferring to cut through the servants’ building. It was warmer that way, and he could always grab a bite to eat in the mess hall. But he suspected the place was a madhouse at the moment, so he kept to the outdoor route, past the servants’ hall and the kennels, finally to the stables.

Horses stared from their stalls, ears raised and turned forward. They shifted about, some snorting. A few were kicking at their walls or pushing on their gates. Stablehands ran about, trying to calm them.

As Rudiger walked along the aisles, it was apparent there were far fewer stablehands here than there should be. He could understand why some might have run, but that was going to be a problem.

“You!” he called to one.

The girl snapped to attention. “My Lord?”

“Guards will be arriving soon for horses. Get them ready!”

“Yes, my Lord!”

Rudiger continued on.

Borisin stared at him calmly as he approached. I was going to give you five more minutes before breaking out and heading for the hills.

Rudiger chuckled. “You’d never leave me behind.”

You can’t smell what I’ve smelled. What all the horses here have smelled. This is bad, Rudiger.

Rudiger opened the stall gate. “I know. Let’s get you saddled. My sword okay?”

It’s fine. Right where you left it. We are going to head for the hills, right? No, maybe not. Hills are a bad idea when your opponent can fly. Caves. That’s what we need. Caves with small entrances. That’s where we’re headed, right?

“Never known you to run scared, buddy,” Rudiger said.

I am not running scared. Just being practical. I’ve never smelled anything like what I’ve been smelling in the last little while. It’s made a couple of passes and I can tell it’s dangerous. It can only be the dragon. Even I don’t stand a chance against a dragon.

Rudiger sighed and began tying the straps on Borisin’s saddle. “Hate to break it you you, buddy, but we’re going to fight. Or something. I’m not really sure what we’re going to do. But we’re going to do something long enough for other people to get to safety. Then we run.”

I was afraid you were going to say something like that.

“You really think there was a chance we’d do anything else?”

Not really.

Once Borisin was ready, Rudiger retrieved Slay from beneath the hay pile. He stared at it, an idea forming. Lidda Plavin was obsessed with getting this sword. Was there some way they could use that? He shook his head and strapped the sword to Borisin’s side. “We need Gabby’s horse, too.”

What of the other horses? What happens to them?

Rudiger frowned. “The ones trained for combat will probably be seeing some sort of combat today, though I don’t yet know how we’re gonna fight a dragon, but yeah...they’ll be put to work.”

And the ones that aren’t combat trained?

Rudiger hesitated. “Don’t know. Some will probably be used to help people ride out, pull carriages out maybe, though those would just be moving targets.”

And all the others? There are a lot of horses here.

“I really don’t know,” Rudiger said.

They’ll be left behind, won’t they?

Rudiger shrugged. “Maybe. I honestly don’t know.”

I won’t just leave them to die.

Rudiger nodded. “Yeah. Okay, I think have an idea.”

They gathered Gabby’s horse and then Rudiger flagged down the nearest stablehand. It was the same girl he had spoken to earlier. “Can I ask you to do something?”

“My Lord?”

She looked only about twelve, and he was about to ask her to risk her life. “It’s all right to say no. This could be dangerous and is gonna need a lot of courage, but you’re still here, so obviously, you’ve got courage.”

“I don’t want to leave the horses alone, my Lord. They’re scared.”

Rudiger nodded. “Yeah, they are. After all the guards and lords and ladies and courtiers come to collect horses, there will still probably be a lot of them left. At that time, I want you to open all their stalls. Open all the doors in the stables. Let them go.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“But what if the dragon gets them, my Lord?” There were tears in the girl’s eyes.

“If they stay here, the dragon just needs to burn the stables down and will get them all. If they’re set free, some might get away. Maybe not all of them, but at least a few. Can you do that?”

She nodded.

“Thank you.” He turned back to Borisin and Gabby’s horse, and took their reins.

“What are you going to do, my Lord?” the girl asked.

“The name’s Rudiger.”

“Rudiger, what are you going to do?”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Try to stop that dragon from killing anyone.”

“Won’t it kill you?”

“Probably, but hopefully, I and the guards and Princess Gabriella can delay it long enough for other people to get away. That’s why I need you to take care of the horses. I’ll be too busy.”

“I’ll do my best, my Lord Rudiger. I’ll get some of the others to help me. We’ll make sure the horses get out, and the dogs too.”

“Once you’ve let them out, you get yourself to safety too. Understand? Find somewhere out of sight, preferably not made of wood, and hide there. Understood?”

“I understand.”

“Good.” He led the two horses away.

Thank you, Borisin said.

As he left the stables, he passed a group of soldiers heading in. There was no sign of the dragon. He stopped one of the soldiers. “Where’s the dragon?”

“It landed in the south gardens, my Lord. Been there for a little while now.”

“Thanks.”

That gave him time to get the horses to the north gate without presenting a target.

They made their way along the road, past more people rushing to the stables and other areas.

In the plaza, people were pushing their way through to the gate. The north gate just went to the Royal Hunting grounds. To get to Arnor City, they needed to go through the south gate, but that was a mile across the grounds. It was also where the dragon had landed, so it wasn’t surprising people were trying to get out this side. They would have to hide in the wilderness in the freezing cold, though.

Rudiger hoped they’d be okay.

He found Gabby at the back of the throng of people.

“Spread out! As soon as you’re through the gate, spread out as much as possible! Groups will just make for easier targets! Rudiger, thank the gods you’re here.” Gabby took her horse’s reins.

Rudiger prepared to mount Borisin. “I heard the dragon landed in the south gardens.”

She nodded. “Yes. As best we can tell, Lidda Plavin has headed that way. I’m guessing the thing’s waiting for her before attacking. At least, it’s given us a little time. Gods damn it, how the fuck do we fight a dragon?”

Rudiger shook his head. “Don’t know, but we have to try.”

Gabriella scrunched her eyes shut, grimaced, and sniffled. “Gods, Rudiger, you saw what she did to him, to my father. She burned him. She burned him with a fucking kiss!” She took a deep breath and sniffled again. “Okay, have to keep calm. Thilin is spreading out the forces. We don’t want large groups together. He’s getting archers ready. Maybe with enough arrows, we can bring the fucker down, but we have to do that before it burns them all to death. Do you think she got that power from the dragon?”

“Maybe,” Rudiger said, “though the note Dyle left for Quilla says Darkers can perform special rituals to get special powers or some shit. Might be that.”

“She melted the Kingsguard’s sword.”

Rudiger shivered. “I know.”

Gabby sighed. “Sorry. It’s hard keeping focused when you’ve just watched your father die in…”

“You’re doing fine,” Rudiger said. “A hell of a lot better than I’d be doing, let me tell you. When I first discovered my parents’ deaths…” He shivered again and pushed the thoughts aside. “We need to distract the dragon, while the archers shoot it.”

Gabby nodded. “You’re right, but how are we going to do that without presenting alternative targets, which just means sacrificing those people? Though if it’s the only option to bring it down, we may just have to sacrifice some.”

“I have an idea.”

I hate you, Borisin said.

No, you don’t.

You’re right, I don’t. But I should.

“Go on,” Gabby said.

“I’ll be the distraction. Have you seen Quilla?”

Gabby shook her head. “Not since I left the throne room. They haven’t gone through the gate here. However, there’s a secret room. Underneath the Palace. It’s an emergency retreat for the Royal Family. There’s a good chance they’ve gone there.”

Rudiger sighed. “If you see her, ask her to take a message to Zandrue. Or take it to Zandrue yourself if you can. If I don’t make it out of here, tell her...tell Zandrue I love her and I was thinking of her at the end.”

Gabby tilted her head. “Rudiger, what the hell are you planning to do? How are you going to distract the sword yourself?”

He patted Slay. “With this. Lidda Plavin is obsessed with my sword. I’m going to give her a chance to take it.”

“You’ll die.”

“Probably.”

“And then she’ll get the sword, which is probably disastrous.”

He shook his head. “I’m trusting Dyle was right in his insistence that my sword is not the one she’s looking for.”

“And if he was wrong?”

Rudiger threw up his hands. “Don’t know, but what else is there? It’s either that or sacrifice a whole pile of lives. Because there’s pretty much nothing else that’s going to distract that dragon.”

“Just because Lidda’s obsessed with it, how do you know the dragon will come after it?”

“They’re linked mentally or something. She’ll send it after me.”

Gabby sighed. “You’re throwing your life away.”

“Not my first choice, I agree, but you got a better idea?”

She shook her head.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to try to survive. Maybe the archers can take it down before it kills me. Tell Thilin to have them ready.”

She nodded. “We’ll need a few minutes.”

Rudiger mounted Borisin. “Be as quick as possible. Can’t risk the dragon causing damage while we wait. I’ll be at the southeast corner of the Crown Prince Garden. Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Will do. See you soon.”