Silver Dragon Read online

  "By being better than she is," Aleena said. She nodded her head as she considered her options. Alto protected people. Alto believed in doing the right thing. Alto was willing to risk his life to help others. She admired him because he believed so much in those things and because he was just Alto. He was handsome, strong, and so likeable!

  She turned and rushed back inside her father's tavern, passing by him and barely giving him a wave. She retrieved her sack of coins from her chest and split it amongst three pouches at her belt and then hurried back out.

  "What are you up to?" her father called as she made her way to the door. "It's nice to see a smile on your face again, but what are you up to?"

  Aleena stopped when she realized she was grinning. "Lady Patrina was wrong," she said.

  "Now Aleena, a lot of things are said in here when people have a few drinks in them; that don't make it right to call someone a liar."

  Aleena shook her head. "No, I just talked to Alto. He made it out! He's okay, well, sort of. I'm going to go see him again."

  Her father raised his eyebrow and then chuckled. "All right then, if that's so, tell him he's earned a free meal on me for the story of what happened."

  Aleena nodded and skipped out the door. Her next stop was a few streets over at the Blades of Leander headquarters. Namitus had given her a key he'd made so she could come and go more easily to see Alto; he'd just never been there or allowed her to show the kind of interest she'd wanted to.

  With the building deserted, she made her way upstairs and took some of Namitus's clothes. She left a few coins in his trunk and then made her way to Alto's room. She stripped out of her peasant's blouse and skirts before slipping Namitus's pants on. She used a dagger Alto had in his room to cut her skirts and wrap them tightly about her chest, and then slipped on Namitus's shirt. Finally, she used the dagger and a mirror to cut her hair as short as she could.

  Aleena squared her shoulders and stared at the results. She thrust her jaw forward and scowled a little, and then nodded. She could do it. In the right light, she just might pass herself off as a boy. She swallowed down her grin and reminded herself to scowl, and then hurried out of the building and walked straight in the Church of Leander that was next door.

  She found an acolyte tending candles and asked him in the gruffest voice she could manage where she could leave a donation to the church and perhaps ask a favor. He directed her to a priest at a smaller altar in a side room.

  "How can Leander's grace shine upon thee, young man?" the priest asked with a smile when Aleena remembered to drop to her knees before the altar.

  With her head lowered respectfully, she asked, "I'd like to give up all of my worldly belongings and give myself into Leander's grace."

  "You seek to become a member of the clergy?"

  "No, uh, Father," Aleena stumbled. "I meant I wish to become one of Leander's knights."

  The priest paused a long moment before he looked down at her. "That's an unusual boon to ask."

  "I have money!" Aleena blurted out. She grimaced and roughed her voice up. "I mean, for a donation, Father. To prove I don't take this lightly." She reached and untied each of her pouches and tossed them in a basin in front of the altar for offerings. One of the pouches opened and spilled out several coins. Aleena heard the priest's intake of breath but she forced herself to keep scowling.

  "What is your name, young man?"

  "Aleen, uh," she stammered, realizing she hadn't thought her disguise through all the way. "Excuse me, Father. Alin."

  She could almost feel his frown as he looked down at her. After a painfully long moment of silence he said, "Come with me, Alin. I will take you to Sir Amos. He is the Chief Protector of Leander's Portland church."

  Aleena jumped to her feet and had to bite down on her tongue to keep from squealing in excitement. She was pretty sure boys didn't squeal. She followed the priest out of the offering room and down a hallway. He took her up some stairs and then down another hallway to an office. He knocked and waited until they were bid to enter.

  "Sir Amos, pardon the interruption but you've just received a young man who expressed considerable interest in becoming a Knight of Leander."

  Amos was a bald man Aleena guessed to be half again as old as her father. He lifted his eyes to look at her and saw right away that they were clear and skilled at picking out deception. She dropped her head in submission and shame. He knew she was a girl, he had to!

  "What is your name?" Amos asked her.

  "Alin, sir."

  "And you wish to become a paladin? The right hand of Leander, striking out against injustice and evil?"

  "Yes, sir, I do."

  "Why?"

  Aleena hesitated. Telling the priest she wanted to impress a boy was probably going to get her kicked out of the church so hard Leander himself might strike her down from the heavens above. But it wasn't about that. Not really. Sure, being with Alto promised an exciting life filled with grander things than she'd ever imagined, but there was more to it.

  Standing there in the bastion of Saint Leander, she felt something inside her. She remembered all the times Alto and Karthor had spoken of his church in her presence. She'd pretended to be working or paying no mind, but she'd listened close. Recalling them now, she heard the words again and found new meaning in them. She admired what Leander stood for, or at least what Karthor had explained Leander stood for. It seemed to her that Alto personified a lot of those traits, but that didn't mean she couldn't do the same. She lifted her head up until she was staring at a painting on the wall of Leander's crest, a blazing yellow sun with an all-seeing eye in the middle of it.

  "I admire what Leander stands for. Purity, growth, protection, and justice. I want to help to fight darkness and cruelty. I want to help people."

  "That is what serving Leander means to you?"

  Aleena nodded. "Yes, Sir Amos."

  "You will be tested. Should you fail any of the tests you will be turned away. Do you understand?"

  Aleena nodded.

  Sir Amos turned back to the other priest. "I will take this from here."

  "Of course, Sir Amos. Thank you. And good luck to you, Alin. Place your faith in Leander so that you may grow from this as well."

  Aleena nodded and offered him a tight-lipped smile. She turned back to Sir Amos and stared up at him. He watched her for a long moment and then grunted. "Rise, child. I sense a hidden strength in you. Let's see if your body has surprises in wait for us as well."

  Aleena tripped on the smooth floor but caught herself. She stepped out of the door and followed closely behind the priest. Did he know after all? She had surprises all right, but they weren't surprises she wanted the priest to find out about!

  Sir Amos led her farther down the hallway outside his office to a staircase that went up and down. He led her down two levels and then through a door. She paused to take in the tabards and paintings hanging on the stone walls, each depicting a battle between the forces of Leander and an enemy. She didn't recognize the men or creatures in the paintings, save for one that showed a warrior wearing armor decorated with the blazing sun of Leander standing against a dragon that towered over him.

  "That was Sir Gareth," Sir Amos said to her. "More than three hundred years ago, he fought a dragon that was ravaging the northern reaches. Back before this land had been properly tamed and civilized, dark and savage creatures roamed these lands and what few people eked out their existence were tribal barbarians without education or proper religion."

  "What happened?" Aleena asked, her eyes riveted to the picture. She picked out details in the painting that she'd missed at first. Sir Gareth wasn't alone, but he stood ahead of his force of armored knights. One of them who caught Aleena's attention sat on a horse in the foremost ranks. The knight's armor was different from the others, more shapely and conforming to her body. She wore a helm with the guard down, but Aleena saw golden hair spilling out from beneath the helm around her neck.

  "Sir Gareth struck the drag
on a mortal blow, but he gave his life in doing so. The dragon fled to the mountains and died there."

  "Did anyone go looking for it?"

  Sir Amos turned his attention from the painting to Aleena. "Why would someone seek such a thing?"

  "To make sure it was dead."

  "There have been no attacks by a dragon in all these years. Do you doubt the reports of the faithful?"

  Aleena shook her head. "Of course not, Sir Amos. My father taught me to make sure I saw a thing with my own eyes before I believed what someone told me, that is all."

  Sir Amos smiled. "A wise man, your father. But in this case, the history and teachings of the Church of Saint Leander are above reproach. Honesty is one of Saint Leander's core tenets."

  Aleena blushed at his gentle rebuke. It struck her doubly because she was attempting to pass herself off as a boy instead of a girl. Staring at the painting, she wondered if she was making a mistake. A woman wore the armor and livery of a knight; didn't that mean she could be accepted? She turned and studied the other paintings but found no other signs of a woman bearing arms.

  "Come my son, let us see if you have any skill with a blade," Sir Amos bade her.

  Aleena followed him through a door and into a room filled with weapons and armor. She picked her head up when she heard the echo of steel against steel, followed by a grunt. The noise came from an opening that led to a training room.

  Sir Amos cleared his throat, pulling her attention back to him. He looked at her before selecting a slender blade. Aleena took the weapon when he offered it to her and was surprised by its weight. She studied the sword closely. She could see the edges were rounded and the point was dull. The training blade had nicks and scratches along its length.

  "Come, there's a straw dummy in here. Show me how you would attack a man."

  Aleena walked ahead of him into the training room and saw two men sparring while three others looked on and waited their turn. One of the men fighting glanced at her and faltered. He lost his focus and allowed his opponent to knock him off balance with his shield and then smash him square in the chest of his battered training armor with his mace. The stunned warrior fell backwards.

  Aleena turned and saw Sir Amos scowling. He shook his head and walked ahead of her. "Celos! Mind your focus, boy. Now get up and pay attention next time."

  The triumphant warrior reached down and helped Celos back to his feet. "I'm sorry, Sir Amos, the new recruit surprised me. He's kind of young, isn't he?"

  Aleena felt her cheeks warm. She stiffened her back and raised her head up. "I'm eighteen."

  "Oh, my apologies. You just look small for your age," Celos said. He earned chuckles from the other warriors.

  Aleena wasn't small for her age. If anything, she was a little big. Maybe she'd never have arms as thick as Alto did, but she was strong for a girl. She opened her mouth to retort but then realized that she wasn't a girl. Or at least she wasn't supposed to be. And all those boys were already so far ahead of her. They knew how to fight, or were learning. They could wear armor and swing a sword. Aleena's only skills came from swatting a drunk with her platter when he tried to pinch her as she passed.

  "Back to your training," Sir Amos admonished them. He turned to Aleena and motioned towards one of the straw dummies in the room. "There, imagine he'd just called you a coward. Now have at him."

  Aleena turned to the target and raised her sword. She stepped closer to it and wondered what she should do. Hack at it? Try to cut off its head? Run it through? She'd seen Alto and Tristam spar a few times so she had an idea how they fought, but the dummy just sat there. It was a nonthreatening lump of straw and cloth, bundled about a wooden post.

  "What's the matter?" Sir Amos asked.

  "Nothing," Aleena said. She raised her sword again before lowering it with a sigh. "It's just that this dummy didn't do anything. It called me a coward, you said? Well, that's no reason to kill it."

  "It's reason enough for some men," the priest said.

  "Well, I'm not like those men," Aleena responded. Rather than giggle at the other differences between her and men like Sir Amos spoke of, she spoke of what she knew of Saint Leander. "The priest I knew taught me that Leander is a kind saint that personifies dignity and kindness, as well as humility and common sense. Leander is also merciful, he said. What mercy is there in me striking down an unarmed man for insulting me?"

  "You show wisdom, rare for one so young. Tell me, Alin, what priest did you learn these things from?"

  "Karthor," Aleena slipped out before she could stop herself.

  Sir Amos nodded. "Karthor is a good man. He shows much promise and it is good to hear him speak of such things." The priest paused and looked over at the sparring warriors. Celos was regularly scoring strikes against his opponent now. "Perhaps an armed target would be better?"

  Aleena's heart leapt in her chest. They knew how to fight! She wouldn't stand a chance against them! She saw Sir Amos was waiting for her answer. She swallowed and nodded, not trusting her voice to not squeak.

  "Celos! Durak! Stand at rest," Sir Amos called out to the sparring pair. "Celos, I want you to spar with Alin. Let's see what the lad has."

  "He doesn't have any armor!" Celos pointed out.

  Aleena bit her lip and glanced down at her stolen boy clothes. Armor would be handy, but she had no idea how to even put it on, let alone use it. She felt sweat down her back and gather between her tightly bound breasts.

  "True," the priest said. "Come, we'll find something for you to wear first."

  "I'm fine," Aleena said, shaking her head. If Sir Amos tried to fit her for armor he'd find out she wasn't a boy. "I don't know how to use it, so I'd rather go without for now."

  Sir Amos frowned. He turned to look at Celos and shrugged. "Very well, let him attack you, Celos."

  The other men chuckled, earning a quick look from Celos to silence them. He turned back to Aleena and walked forward. Each step in his training plate armor clanked with the sound of a nail being driven into her coffin. She raised her sword and pointed it at him. It took both hands to steady it.

  Celos snapped his own sword up and saluted her, and then pulled it back in a defensive position and stood with his shield held between them. Aleena nodded and stepped closer to him. She'd seen Tristam and Alto fight like this plenty of times, except they'd always worn armor and they knew what they were doing.

  She swung her sword into Celos's shield, making the steel ring out and her hand vibrate from the strike. She clenched her teeth to keep from crying out at the shock. Celos snorted and pushed out with his shield, sending her sword nearly flying from her fingers.

  Aleena backed up and wiped her hands on her pants one at a time, trying to dry the sweat on them. She grabbed her sword in both hands again and swung it harder, trying to smash the man's shield aside. He stepped into the swing and absorbed it on his shield with ease. Aleena grunted from the impact that time. The shock from hitting the shield made her wrists ache.

  "You can't kill a man by striking his shield," Sir Amos rebuked.

  Aleena nodded and lunged forward as quickly as she could, trying to drive the point of her sword into his stomach. Celos swatted her blade out of the way with his own, making her spin in the process. She kept going, remembering a move she'd seen Alto do before, and used her momentum to add speed to her next strike. Celos caught it high on his shield. Her move had surprised him enough that her deflected sword cracked into the side of his helm. Celos took a step away and shook his head. She heard him growl through the slits of his faceguard.

  Aleena was in close now. Too close to use her sword. She fell back on her training as a barmaid and drove her knee up between his legs. The metal codpiece left her knee bruised and stinging but Celos's growl turned into a grunt of air. He staggered back a step.

  Aleena pushed her advantage, thinking she had him off balance and that victory was going to be hers. She saw a blur of motion to her right but didn't realize what it was until the world was spinning arou
nd her. It came to an abrupt stop when she crashed into the ground. He'd struck her with his shield in the head.

  "You were supposed to be defending," Sir Amos accused her opponent.

  "I used my shield!" Celos pulled off his helm and stared at the ding in the side of it. His voice sounded strained, prompting her to look up and see him for the first time. Her lips parted to let a small gasp through them. His blond hair was matted to his head from the helmet but she saw that it was wavy and would frame his masculine face. His eyes were what made her lose herself for a moment. They were dark green and so intense.

  Sir Amos squatted down beside her and pulled her attention back to him. "That was unconventional and sloppy," he said. "Are you all right?"

  Aleena nodded and denied herself the chance to sneak a peek at Celos. She wasn't here for him; she was here for herself, so she and Alto could have a future together. "My ears are still ringing."

  "I expect they are. Get used to it. There's nothing easy about the path of a recruit."

  She lifted her head up and stared at him. "You're accepting me?"

  "You'll need to eat hearty and do a lot of exercise to get stronger and bigger. You'll need training and much time spent studying the teachings of Leander. Can you read?"

  Aleena nodded. "I can. I know numbers well enough, too."

  "Good," he said. "You have ambition and wisdom, two things that are not often seen together. Being a recruit means little, though. Any infraction can set you back or get you kicked out. If you are willing to work hard and understand the importance of Leander's teachings, you will go far."

  Aleena rose up slowly, testing her balance to keep from making a fool of herself. When she was standing fully, Sir Amos had also risen. "Sir Amos, that painting we spoke of. I saw a knight who was different from the others in it."

  "Oh?"

  "Yes, in the front ranks behind Sir Gareth there was a woman."

  Sir Amos frowned. "Yes, there was. Her name was Lady Gwendolyn. It is rare that a woman petitions to join the ranks of the Knights of Leander, and only twice has one risen to the station of paladin. Lady Gwendolyn was the last and only one other woman became a knight since her."