«How could such beautiful creatures be so vicious and cruel?» Graymore thought aloud and turned to leave. She would get nothing from the silent dragons.
«How can you be so vicious and cruel to cage dragons?» A hoarse voice asked.
Graymore turned around. The voice was definitely not that of a dragon. None of the dragons in the dungeon had spoken to her. So who spoke? Graymore took a torch from a bracket on the wall and looked around. There was no one in the dungeons but the dragons. The guards on duty outside didnt count. None of them had the audacity to address the would-be queen.
«The Invisible One speaks to me!» Graymore sighed and pushed the torch back into its bracket. Ripples rippled across the smoked wall, as if it were not a wall but the surface of a lake. The soot folded into letters, and the letters into an inscription:
«I am waiting for you in the southern woods.»
Graymore gasped and tried to blindly grab the invisible man, but there was no one in the void. But the head of security came running.
«Can you read?» Graymore asked him.
«Yes, my lady.»
«What do you see here? Read it!» Graymore pointed with her index finger at the wall.
«There is nothing at the wall, my lady,» the guard admitted frankly.
«What do you mean? Do you at least see the scribbles that look like letters?»
The guard shook his head in the negative. Maybe he lied that he was literate and simply could not read it?
«Forget it! Keep a better eye on the dragons!» Graymore decided it would be more useful to pay the skeleton one more visit before she set out on her journey.
The skeleton advisor was more benign today than usual.
«Are you leaving, then?» He glanced questioningly at the princesss puffy pink muslin dress for the morning. «Shouldnt you be wearing something more practical, like blazers and breeches and a helmet and boots?»
«Of course I should. That is what I intend to do, but just before the road, not now.»
«Still, dont forget to bring at least one luxurious dress.»
«What do I need it for when I go to battle? Do you want me to seduce the dragon?»
The skeleton chuckled slyly.
«You never know who you will meet on the road. Is it an elf, perhaps? Or is it a sylph? Or is it even an elf king?»
«A dragon-king is it more likely,» said Graymore jokingly. «The dragon in the Southern woods is a peculiar one, I can sense it.»
«Do you sense it alone or in flocks?»
«Alone, but its as if hes stronger than the whole flock. Isnt that strange?»
«Yes, it is,» Graymore said. The skeleton gladly accepted another of the royal treasury rings that Graymore had brought him as a gift. The skeleton liked the large carbuncle set with small diamonds.
«Good luck, madam.» he said, wishing the princess good luck.
«Am I madam?» Graymore felt more like a dependant viceroy of a state, but the skeleton let her displeasure pass his ears, of which only knuckles remained.
«Take it for the road! It will come in handy!»
The skeleton gave her a hand mirror ornamented with silver runes to communicate with it. Graymore was already familiar with such magical objects. Through them one could talk and even see someone who was far away. All you have to do is look in the mirror and call out his name.
«Next time bring me a sharp scythe as a gift,» wished the skeleton.
«Like the mower in the fields?»
«It is exactly!»
«What do you need it for? The scythe is not made of precious metals, but of iron.»
«I know, but I want it anyway. It makes me look like death with a scythe.»
Well, a scythe is cheaper than jewels. Graymore said a courteous goodbye to the skeleton. After her conversation with him, the usual drowsiness struck her. The princess fall asleep right on the sofa near the old tower. She dreamed that the ballroom was full of dragons. They hadnt come to dance at all, but to tear her apart, but one was on her side. Or is it just what it seems?
Forbidden Forest
Early in the morning, Graymore set out on her journey. The laurel fairies flew in a flock over the towers of the castle, whispering animatedly about something. She wondered if they were cheering the princess on her journey to fight the dragon, or laughing at her.
The townsfolk cheered, tossing their caps in honor of the heroine. It never occurred to the petty thieves and bandits, who made it dangerous to ride outside the city walls, that the princess could be attacked. After all, if she could handle dragons easily, whats worth tearing apart a whole gang of outlaws?
Graymore could ride alone without a retinue or bodyguards. The bandits feared her. No one would dare fight a girl who could defeat a dragon all by herself.
The fame of Graymores exploits flew ahead of her. Dragons were angry and trembling, and knights and bandits took note that it was better not to mess with the reckless princess. After all, in a battle with her you might lose.
All in all, a safe journey through the forest was assured for Graymore. Her reputation as a dragon-hunter worked wonders. All manner of shady characters would flee at the first sign of her. Well done! Greymore enjoyed the solitude, the peace, the quiet.
The squirrel who threw an empty nut shell at the back of her head didnt count. Graymore wasnt going to shoot an arrow at her. Let her go ahead and play around.
«I could have killed you!» She shushed the squirrel, but it was already running away, clinging nimbly to the branches of a sprawling oak tree. All that was visible was its fluffy red tail.
«Squirrels had grown braver than dragons!» Graymore looked around. No golden statues could be seen in the thicket. Perhaps the skeleton had frightened her for nothing. This is a forbidden forest, after all. Where else would statues of the ominous deity be found if not here?
Graymore had long since crossed the line that separated the normal forests from the forbidden forest. Even the most daredevil cutthroats were afraid to enter this forest. But she came here, and nothing happened to her. Well, a cheeky squirrel threw a nutshell at her, but no demons surrounded her. And they say demons are like that in the forbidden forest.
Who would have thought that the forbidden forest is actually the most peaceful and picturesque corner of the wilderness?
According to legends, the forest was inhabited by evil spirits, so people tried not to go there. The forests, left by loggers, struck with beauty and fresh air. There are neither poachers, nor pickers of berries and mushrooms here. It was idyllic!
A creature called out to her from a branch. Was it a leprechaun or a dwarf? Graymore couldnt see exactly what kind of creature it was. Its size was tiny, its skin green and leafy, and its body unusual, like a reanimated bough.
«Youre a lady knight, just like Brunhilde!» The woodland creature whistled.
«I know no such lady,» Grahamor admitted frankly. «None of my court ladies have such a name.»
«She comes from the realms of the Nibelungs,» the creature readily clarified. «Everyone there knows of two famous ladies, Brunhilde, the mightiest of the knights, and Kremhilde, the most cunning of all the witches who cast spells.»
«And I dont know any such lands either.»
«What an ignoramus you are!»
A lump flew into Graymore. Inside the cone were small emeralds instead of nuts. Well, well, well! Graymore hid it behind her bosom. She might need it, in case it came in handy.
Anything heavy on the trail could be a hindrance, but Graymore had amassed so many weapons that the horse could barely move. Perhaps she should dismount and walk beside it. Long walks on foot were not something Graymore was afraid of. Unlike other ladies, she adored walking. It was such a pleasure just to step along the road and walk mile after mile! What would it be like to fly?
Suddenly Graymore was jealous of dragons. They have wings, dont they?
«Dont you think it would be wonderful to dance in flight over the forest path and breathe fire at anyone who dares to attack me?» The princess asked the horse. «Eh, Maverin?»
Meverin, the thoroughbred snow-white horse, was silently pinching the grass and did not respond to its mistresss chatter. It was a lousy conversationalist, and does not know the human language. But the skeleton in the tower knew the languages of birds and animals. He could translate what tits and skylarks were twittering about, and he could interpret a dogs bark. He was an excellent interpreter, except that his attempts to teach Graymore the language of animals had failed. Perhaps it takes a magical talent to learn the speech of animals. Diligence alone is not enough.
«You could fly,» someone suddenly answered, «and breathe fire, like a fire fairy. And even grow scales like jewels. Dragon ladies can be found, too.»
Graymore looked back in horror. Had someone said dragon ladies, or did she just hear them? A woodpecker was tapping behind her, and a gazelle had jogged through the thicket and turned onto the path beyond which something dazzlingly golden glittered. Could it be the statue the skeleton had mentioned? Graymore was frightened.
She was frightened. She wasnt afraid of dragons, but she was afraid of some statue.
«Lets get out of here, Maverin!» She gave the horse a jerk, and it galloped forward strangely enough. Even a heavy load of rapiers, maces, and short axes did not deter him.
Ashamed to admit it, but Graymore followed the skeletons advice and took her luxurious ball gown with her. It might come in handy! The dress was rolled up in a knot, along with a pearl hairnet and elegant slippers.
«Was this a ball or a hunt?» reproached she herself, noticing that the knot attached to the saddle was untied and there was a bright emerald cloth glittering inside. She wanted to take off her armor and put on her dress right now. After all, it wasnt the armor that protected her from the dragons, but her inner strength.
The farther the horse rode, the narrower the path became. Behind the tree cover was something rough and flat, like a monument.
«I think weve reached the mountains, Maverin,» Graymore held the horse back.
No one was chasing them. Just in case, Graymore listened. There was no sound of hoof stomping or footsteps behind them. She could rest now.
The Southern woods were near. The thicket was beginning to look more like a tropical jungle. It was as it should be on the southern frontier where it was always warm. Vines of lush flowers stretched across the mountains.
Graymore dismounted, took off her heavy cuirass, and tightened her disheveled braid. The small mountain lake was like a smooth mirror. The princess was reflected in it to her full height.
«It is no dragons nearby,» Graymore concluded, because she felt no internal heat at the moment. «Then we can play dress-up. Not that I want to go to the ball But youd know how hot those armors are, Maverin.»
The horse roared monotonously in response and looked for grass to pluck. Graymore found wild berries, too. They are raspberries and physalis. They are enough to satisfy hunger, and there is fresh water, too. Graymore scooped it up from the lake.
Skeleton would not advise her to drink water from oncoming springs. What if the water was bewitched by deep-sea mermaids? But Graymore had no choice. She could not carry a barrel of water with her. You cant go far with such a burden, and the water would run out quickly anyway. If you want to travel without an escort, you must travel light.
Graymore preferred to manage everything herself. She even chose a dress with lacing in the front to do without the help of a ladys maid. It was easy to put on.
«Now we can go to an elves ball,» Graymore joked. Or was it a dragons ball? The woods are more likely to be inhabited by elves.
Strangely enough, there was music in the distance. A breeze carried it. Graymore wanted to go to the sounds, but changed her mind. She didnt feel like dancing with the elves right now. Besides, there was a rumor that those who fell into the circle of elves could not go back to humans afterwards. And she needed to get back to Livellin for her own coronation. So you cant meet elves. Its not like she wants to be an elves concubine, she wants to be queen of Livellin. Such a lofty goal requires self-concentration. No elves!
Graymore covered her ears, and when she uncovered them, the music had stopped. This is it! If there had been an elves procession here, it had already passed.
But the flowers were still there, and they had grown bigger. Graymore snipped one of the vines and wove a wreath of lush pink and white flowers.
It made her look like a May queen, and Maverin munched blissfully on the grass by the lake.
The idyll did not last long. A tight fiery spring of pain twisted inside Graymore. A dragon was somewhere near.
Is it a young man or a lizard?
Graymore crouched in pain and grabbed her crossbow. As long as she wore a tight corset dress, she couldnt swing a sword, but she could shoot. The bouffant sleeves and broad flared sleeves didnt hinder an archers marksmanship. Graymore aimed for the thicket, expecting to see the dragons enormous snout emerge, but the beast never did. Perhaps it was flying high over the mountains, and she felt it. The fiery ache inside usually heralded the fact that the dragon was somewhere nearby, but not that it was planning to attack her at all.
«So dainty and frail a lady like you is going to hunt bears?» A mocking voice came through the thicket.
It was the sound of the velvety tenor that sent Graymore over the edge of her insides. Surely it must be an elf! No matter how hard she tried to avoid dealing with elves seducers, one of them seemed to have gotten on her trail on purpose.
A slender young man appeared beside the lake. His face seemed to be covered in golden scales. Graymore tried to get a better look. No, it was just a mask. It must have fallen off, because now the mask was gone. The stranger was so handsome. It took Graymores breath away. She had never seen anyone so beautiful in her life, and at her court had visited many foreign princes, sheikhs, shahs, caliphs, princes and all kinds of ambassadors.
«Do you want to kill me?» The handsome man arched his eyebrows mockingly.
Her cheeks flashed with shame as she realized she was aiming for his chest.
«Im not a bear.»
«Are there bears around here?» She mumbled.
«There are centaurs, elves and dragons.»
«Well, thats what I hunt!»
«You do?» He moved closer, throwing the vines aside with his hands. «A dragon hunted by such a little thing? Isnt that funny?»
«Youve got to be kidding me.» Graymore jammed the tip of her crossbow into the strangers chest. «Youll see me catch a dragon.»
«Catch me,» the stranger jerked his arm across her throat.
«Youre the elf who wants the girl to catch him? Usually its the other way around. Elves catch and seduce girls.»
«It is not always! I once saw a beautiful, greedy queen come into the forest to perform a rite herself, in order to trap a rich elf or dragon as her husband.»
«Was she lucky?»
«Yes and no.»
«Why is that? Explain.»
«She caught a rich man in scales, but after her wedding night with him she turned into a dragon herself. You should have seen how she woke up in a witchs circle and howled when she found scales sprouting in her delicate skin.»
«I have never heard the legend of such a queen.»
«It is not a legend, but the plain truth. The queens name was Ligeia. She ruled over an empty kingdom that used to be called the Marids.»
«There hasnt been such a kingdom for over three hundred years. It was swept away by a flood. Allegedly the watermen appropriated the Marids for themselves.»