Gareth shook himself. This is it. Belcher was in the open, almost to the lake, if not on the pier. He was in the open, and his attention focused on the boy.
“Now Blackie. Fly!”
Gareth watched as Belcher advanced on the boy a few more steps. Then he shifted to Blackie’s mind and eyes. Blackie was in the air rising higher with powerful strokes, pleased to be flying. He headed to the slot between the two mountains and as he flew ahead Gareth saw the sparkle of the lake ahead.
Gareth pulled back to his body and looked to Belcher standing over the other youth kicking him. On one hand he wanted to shout for Belcher to stop and rush down there to rescue the boy, but on the other hand, he wanted Belcher to stay distracted as Blackie approached.
Back in Blackie’s head again, Gareth felt the dragon’s lure to the excitement, and it flew between the peaks and over the summit where the two joined. Then it caught sight of the near edge of the lake and the two people.
“That one, the big one,” Gareth almost shouted inside Blackie’s head.
Gareth could have pulled away and allowed the dragon to complete the attack without him at that point, but no way was he going to do that. Gareth had to make sure it went right. The was his chance.
Blackie folded his wings partially back and started his dive, neck extended and toes curled. His elevation fell, but so did the slope below. The dragon stayed just high enough over the tops of the trees that his down strokes would clear. His eyes focused on the larger boy, the one standing and nothing else.
It would be over in a few heartbeats. Blackie approached from behind Belcher. Then, the boy on the ground screamed in terror and pointed. His finger told Belcher where to look.
Blackie spread his wings to slow, and as he did, his rear talons reached out to grab Belcher just as they had grabbed a thousand deer, goats, and sheep. The talons were spread, the feet extended, and as Blackie swept a powerful stroke to fly away, the talons wrapped around empty air as Belcher dived to one side.
In Blackie’s eyes, Gareth knew the dragon missed, but he’d lost his forward speed and had to flap his wings hard to remain in the air. Gareth pulled back into his own body to see what happened.
Belcher had either seen or sensed the dragon and had dived to the ground and rolled to the edge of the water. He scrambled into the water, diving and swimming in the direction of the dock.
Back in Blackie’s mind again, Gareth let the dragon recover without interference. Blackie had missed snagging wild game before and knew how to twist and turn to make another pass. Gareth’s good intentioned help would only slow the dragon.
After a turn, so quick Gareth believed Blackie might fall into the water, the dragon was again pointed at Belcher, who was nearing the dock. The dragon dived again, this time at the wooden dock, where he reached out with his mouth and tore a section free right in front of Belcher free and tossed it aside.
Blackie splashed down, his teeth snapping and slashing. Belcher turned, but Blackie’s mouth closed on him
“No,” Gareth shouted.
But Blackie was too busy to listen. Dragons don’t like water, at least they don’t like swimming, but the water was shallow, and Blackie was wading ashore in water that came no higher than his hips, Belcher held in his mouth. Alive.
Gareth could feel Belcher wriggling and pounding on the mouth of Blackie and was briefly tempted to order the dragon to bite down, but didn’t. He didn’t want to be any part of killing the boy, and he didn’t want word of a dragon eating a person to circulate.
One glance ahead revealed that the other three boys had fled into the barn. The beach and grass outside the barn were empty. Once on land, Blackie’s long neck turned and carried Belcher near his hind foot, where the talons encircled the boy. With a feeling of accomplishment, the dragon flapped his wings and flew low and fast over the water.
Gareth stayed with the dragon, almost wishing to leave long enough to shout for joy. But his job was not yet completed.
He told Blackie, “Over the pass. You know where.”
The dragon flew higher and higher, heading east, where the mountains pass lay. It would take most of the rest of the day to cross it, but Blackie wouldn’t stop.
Gareth reached out to the Brother. “I have good news.”
*Tell me.*
“Belcher is no longer a threat. Tell the general to bring his men to me. I have three boys for him to gather and turn over to you.”
*I hear Belcher in my mind. He’s screaming, can’t you hear him?*
“I have him blocked out. But it will cease very soon. I have to go now but will explain all to you later.”
Gareth broke the link and touched Blackie’s mind again. The dragon was flying high and fast. Gareth pulled back to his body and drew in a relieved breath to steel himself for his next job. He reached out and found Tad’s mind.
“Yes, Grandpa?”
“I will need your help after sundown. Tell your mother, please.”
“What will you need?”
“You know how you helped me talk across the mountains? I need the same to talk to Blackie tonight. Can you do that?”
Tad was more than willing. Blackie would be fine for a while. Gareth would touch his mind now and then, and he gave Blackie permission to bite a little harder if Belcher kept kicking and hitting Blackie on the lips and mouth. A little more pressure and Belcher would understand. Or, Blackie could drop him. That idea would dawn on Belcher, soon.
Gareth stood and stretched sore and stiff muscles. Now came a task he looked forward to, even if it didn’t initially turn out the way he’d like. He reached out and found three terrified boys hiding in the barn. He could probably go in there and round them up, but it would scare them so much he didn’t know what the consequences might be.
If he couldn’t convince them to come out, the army could round them up when it arrived, but he wanted to try, first. He decided to tell them a story. The story of his intentions. He touched their minds and revolted at the fear they lived with. The second time he went to them softer, and in a gentle tone told them Belcher was in the mouth of a great black dragon.
All three shivered, believing they were next. Gareth almost laughed at how badly he’s accomplished the first part of his explanation. So he walked down to the open door of the barn and shouted, hoping for a better explanation as he called, “In the village where you all lived, no mental thoughts can escape because of the mountains surrounding it. That is where I’m sending Belcher with my dragon.”
“Belcher knows how to cross the mountains again.” One called.
Another shouted, “What’s to keep him there?”
“Blackie.”
“Your dragon?”
“Yes. He’ll live in that desert while Belcher is alive. Once Belcher finds that each time he leaves those buildings down there, Blackie will grab him and fly him back again, Belcher will remain in the valley.
None had moved or shown themselves. Gareth sensed at least one was preparing to run. The boy who had shouted second did so again, “Belcher has others do all his work. He will torture our mothers and make them slaves.”