That night during his watch, Arconn told Alex all he knew about dragons, which was more than Alex would have guessed.
“Forgive me for saying so, but you seem to have great respect for dragons,” said Alex, as Arconn finished speaking.
“Indeed I do,” said Arconn with a slight smile. “They are powerful and magical creatures; some of them are very noble. It is said in some lands they are friendly to other races. Still, they are all dragons at heart.”
“And what does that mean?” Alex asked.
“As with all people, they are what they are,” replied Arconn, shrugging. “They have their own nature, and that is to be a dragon. Most dragons are considered evil because they lust for treasure and never seem to have enough. Some, however, have overcome that lust, or perhaps never had it. Those few dragons are very wise.” Arconn’s voice dropped to a whisper. “One last thing you should know about dragons—Never look a dragon in the eye unless you are sure you are stronger than it is.”
“Why?” Alex asked, wondering if anyone could really be stronger than a dragon.
“Dragons are magical. They have powers of their own that only they understand. If you look them in the eye, they can capture you in a spell.”
“Can the spell be broken?”
“It is said that once the dragon looks away, the spell will be broken,” replied Arconn. “Though I’ve never heard of anyone escaping a dragon once he had gazed into the dragon’s eyes.”
Alex considered everything Arconn had told him about dragons. He wondered what might be seen in a dragon’s eyes, and if it would be worth the risk of looking.
That night, Alex dreamed about dragons and the mysteries hidden behind their eyes. He dreamed that he could look into a dragon’s eyes without fear, but before he could look, it was morning, and time to ride on.
chapter eleven
Techen
It was almost noon the next day when Alex and his friends reached the city of Techen. It was not a large city nor was it a fair city to look at. Most of the buildings were short and brown, their walls cracked and bulging. The tallest buildings Alex could see were several towers built into the wall around the city. The towers were twice as high as anything else, and Alex was amazed they could stand so tall when they looked so close to falling down.
“It’s not much to look at,” said Andy, riding next to Alex. “But if half the tales are true, the stop will be worth it.”
“Why?” questioned Alex.
“They say a feast in Techen is worth two in any other city,” Andy replied with a smile.
“It would have to be something special to make up for the city’s appearance,” Alex commented in a lowered tone.
“The food is supposed to be incredible,” Andy continued, taking no notice of Alex’s comment. “They say that this is where most of the really great ideas in food were started.”
“And Master Goodseed would know a bit about food,” Skeld laughed happily from behind Alex. “I’ve noticed he never gets enough of Thrang’s cooking.”
Skeld and Halfdan had been riding at the rear of the company, leading the bandit horses they had captured. Andy turned around quickly to reply to Skeld’s comment, but both Skeld and Halfdan were already laughing too hard to hear anything he had to say.
Alex smiled to himself but managed to keep from laughing as well.
He noticed Andy’s attention focus on the city as they approached the main gates, and he tried to see what Andy found so interesting there.
“Hold,” a voice commanded from the gate. “State your names and business.”
“Silvan Bregnest and company,” Bregnest replied loudly. “We have come to sell horses, if there are any here who would buy.”
“Indeed, yes, there are. We’ll have a look,” answered the voice.
A small door in the main gate opened and a short man with a round, good-natured face stepped out. He wore a black uniform with dark green edging on the cuffs and collar, and two rows of shiny brass buttons running down the front. Alex thought the man looked a little old to be a guard.
“These are not wild horses,” said the man, looking at the horses behind Skeld and Halfdan. “These are bandit horses.”
“You speak truly, sir,” said Bregnest, climbing off his own horse and walking toward the man in uniform. “We were attacked some days ago by bandits and captured these after the attack.”
“Well, then, that is something,” the man replied, looking closely at Bregnest. “I count twenty horses and only eight of you. How many of your company were lost in the attack?”
“None,” answered Bregnest. “We were fortunate; the bandits did not take us unaware.”
“Indeed,” said the man, a look of wonder on his face. “Most fortunate I should say, and very lucky as well.”
“Perhaps so,” Bregnest agreed. “Now, may we enter your fine city to sell these horses?”
“Oh, yes,” the man replied quickly. “My apologies, Master Bregnest. We have seen few travelers of late, and travelers with bandit horses to sell . . . well, that is something unheard of in years. I’m quite sure the magistrate will want to meet you.”
“We will be pleased to meet the magistrate,” said Bregnest with a slight bow. “But first we will need a place to stable these horses. Can you name where we can get a fair price?”
“Oh, yes, yes indeed,” the man beamed. “Tantic’s would be your best bet. Old man Tantic has a fine stable and is a good judge of horses. He also keeps a pleasant inn next to his stables so you and your companions can find a place to rest as well.”
“And where might we find Master Tantic and his inn?” Bregnest asked politely.
“Up the main street and left at the square,” the man replied. “Tell him Bartholomew the gatekeeper sent you. I’m sure he will be most helpful.”
“Our thanks,” said Bregnest, bowing slightly before returning to his horse.
Bartholomew called for the main gate of Techen to be opened. The few guards present watched as the company rode through the open gates, and then they quickly closed the gates.
“I’ll let the magistrate know you’re staying at Tantic’s,” Bartholomew called after Bregnest. “I’m sure he’ll be along directly to see you.”
Bregnest led the company up the main city street to the square. Alex thought the buildings looked even worse close up than they did from a distance. He was beginning to think Andy had been joking when he’d been talking about the excellent food because everything in Techen looked rather shabby and dull. He was about to say something to Andy when the smell of something delicious reached his nose.
“It seems the stories are true,” said Andy with a wide smile, before Alex could speak.
“Yes, it does,” Alex quickly agreed.
Alex let his attention settle on the wonderful smells filling the air. He had never smelled anything like it before, and his opinion of Techen went up with each new scent that reached his nose. He detected fresh bread and honey, roasted meats, spices, and surprisingly, chocolate. Alex tried to enjoy each individual scent, but with so many in the air it wasn’t easy to do. For a moment he thought he could smell caramel, but it was soon lost to a wonderful blend of maple syrup and sausages.
Alex hardly noticed when the company turned left at the square and made their way to Tantic’s inn and stable. The yard around the inn seemed deserted however, and the stable was empty. Alex realized the only people he had seen in Techen were the gate guards and Bartholomew. Even the square had been empty as they rode past.
“Very quiet for so large a town,” commented Halfdan. “You’d think there would be someone about.”
“The people of Techen are suspicious of strangers,” said Skeld, his smile as bright as ever. “All the horses will make them more suspicious of us.”
“Hello, there!” a man called from the inn. “And what may I do for you?” Alex thought that the man’s tone of voice sounded like someone welcoming unwanted relatives who turned up unexpectedly and needed a place to stay.