The Spade Chronicles Book 0: Eagles Rising
Surrounded

He turned and gestured for me to follow him, and he lead me to to the house. Peppermint and Belladonna followed me on their own accord, Now that I was closer and not under attack I could finally get a good look at it. It was impressive, and a bit out of place if you were to compare it to the rest of the neighborhood houses. Before me was a house that looked more like a European manor. The architecture was distinctly gothic, like Eagle Bastion back in Spade, but noticeably younger, as it had obviously suffered little wear and tear in its lifespan. It was a wonder such an old fashioned house could be lived in in this day and age, much less built in the last century. Yet here it was, it had been under my nose this whole time. Lance lead us to what must have been the back gate, a wrought iron door made a hole through the wall into a garden that must be radiant in the spring. For now it lay dormant under a blanket of snow, painting the yard a melancholy white. We wound our way through the flowerbeds and past an outdoor table with a teapot and a two cups still filled. Steam rose in the brisk winter air, meaning that it was recently abandoned.

“Welcome to Dragon Hollow, residence of the Pendragon family for fourteen years. My mother is inside with a first aid kit and some food. You must be exhausted. That ambush party won’t attack such a fortified structure, so you’re safe in here. ” He explained as he opened the glass door leading into a spacious room with a large hearth and comfortable looking black leather couches.

“So are we just not going to talk about your vile treatment towards me when I went to high school? Why did you come out to help me anyway?” I asked bitterly, trying not to drip blood on the throw rug placed in the threshold. He stiffened.

“I know I may have mistreated you in the past, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. But do you truly think so little of me? Do you think I would leave someone out there knowing they may die under such pressure when I can do something about it?” He said this quietly, without turning to look at me. I almost protested, that perhaps I wouldn’t have died, but deep down I knew that encounter would have ended much worse than a few cuts had he not arrived. Something else kept me from speaking. The way his shoulders hunched and his head sank made me think that perhaps I’d been to hard on him. Make no mistake, I had not forgotten the way he had treated me when we had attended the same school, and he had yet to gain my full trust. Part of me wanted to hold a grudge. But the softer side of me felt that perhaps his actions today could be the first step towards reconciliation. Maybe we could be friends after so much time as enemies. At the very least I owed him a chance.

“I’m sorry, I was out of line. You have my thanks for helping me. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t show up.” I said, and he turned towards me then, a small, uncertain smile on his lips. I was about to step further into the house when I felt something pull at the back of my cloak. That something turned out to be Peppermint.

“Oh no you don’t! I’m not letting you go into some strange house right after an ambush.” He said, and gently pulled me back further.

“Peppermint I can talk to you!” I gasped, delighted. After days of traveling with him, I was afraid that I would never get to speak to him, and the thought made me sad. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he nuzzled my back. After a moment I realized that he was discreetly trying to nudge me further away from the doorway.

“Is there a problem?” Lance said, and I turned to replace him completely bemused, looking at me Peppermint and I like we just popped out of another dimension. I straightened.

“Sorry, it seems my friend Peppermint isn’t quite prepared to see me wander into questionable houses.” I explained, now standing on the stone path leading back into the garden. Lance looked offended.

“My home isn’t questionable!” He protested, just as a figure came up behind him.

“I should hope not.” Said a the woman I assumed was his mother. They had the same raven hair and deep blue eyes. They stood tall and proud, and looked like they belonged in a palace family portrait. The woman had a kind smile and a first aid kit tucked under her arm. She didn’t bat an eye at the unusually large wolf or massive horse in her yard, though she did eye the dragon around my neck with a raised brow. She gently lead me to a gazebo by the arm and began to examine my wounds.

“I’m Mrs. Pendragon, and your wounds don’t look fatal, but I want you to stay off your feet for a while. That’s a pretty deep cut, and it might do permanent damage if you strain it to much. If you take it easy you should have an easy recovery. You’ll be pretty safe here, but you’re in no shape to go back into battle. You fought well, but that won’t stop them from attacking again. The town isn’t safe either.” She started wrapping my thigh and I shivered. The clothes I wore for traveling were warm enough, a violet knee length dress over black wool leggings. Before she could take a look at my leg though, she had me remove the leggings underneath while Lance fetched bandages and a pillow from inside. The cushion was so I didn’t have to sit on the winter frozen stone bench, the sleeves of my black undershirt were loose so I could pull them up enough to reveal the laceration on my arm. The air was frigid, and I could feel goosebumps form on my arms, but Lance had lit a fire in the hearth in the center of the gazebo and I had grown accustomed to lower temperatures in Lailoria.

Lance worked on my arm while his mother treated my leg. While they worked efficiently, I couldn’t help but think of Robin and his ability to heal. Now that I had time to examine my surroundings, I could see subtle elements that hinted of Ivaline origin. The fireplace in the gazebo and the living room both used fire glass, and the gazebo and hearth both were made of the same smooth blackstone used to build Eagle Bastion. On the roof stone dragons could be seen on corners and over doorways. It felt strange, as if I was still in Spade and not on Pangaea. It gave me an odd sense of comfort.

“Who built this house?” I inquired, wincing as Mrs. Pendragon cleaned the wound on my thigh. I fought back the urge to shout. The Pendragons cleaned both wounds at the same time, and finished so quickly that I didn’t have time to decide which stung worse. After what seemed like an eternity but couldn’t be more than minutes the ordeal is over and they begin to rub salves in and wrap the cuts in gauze.

“This house was commissioned as a vacation home by my late husband. We moved here permanently after his death.” Mrs. Pendragon explained, and I looked around once more with new eyes. The Pendragons must have had deep pockets if this was merely a vacation home.

“My condolences, I wasn’t aware.” I directed this comment more at Lance, I didn’t realize he had lost a father as I had. He shrugged when he caught the look I gave him.

“He died when I was an infant, so I don’t remember enough of him to miss him terribly. I may have been born in Spade, but I grew up on Pangaea.” He told me as he finished with my arm and tugged my sleeve back down.

“Something I regret everyday.” Mrs. Pendragon whispered solemnly, then shook her head as if to clear it and continued to work. Not knowing what to say, I began to pet Belladonna, who had placed herself in front of me with her head resting on my good leg. Kyrie landed on my shoulder.

“Hey, you,” I said, earning a glance from Lance. “Where have you been?”

“Checking on your house. Your parents aren’t home, and nothing seems suspicious so far, it seems that the Vipers that attacked you were the only ones.”

I heard Peppermint approach behind me and he gave my shoulder an affectionate bump before speaking.

“So we know they’re Vipers then?” He asked Kyrie, and she nodded.

“I’ve seen them on some of the scouting missions back at Ivaline, and I’m pretty sure they’re here for Allie. I’ll go back later this evening to see if they’ve made a camp, for now though, it looks like you could use some rest Allie.” She concluded, tapping her wing to my cheek to keep me awake, as I had been nodding off. She wasn’t the only one who noticed, as soon as Mrs. Pendragon finished her work on my leg, Lance grabbed my arm to help me stand. Now that the adrenaline had begun to wear off, I had difficulty waking on my own. I kept one hand gripped in Peppermint’s mane and one arm around Lance’s shoulder as he helped me into the house.

“I’ll be alright here.” I assured Peppermint, he gave a huff, but no further comment was made and I was brought upstairs to a large oak door towards the end of one of three hallways.

“This will be your room during your stay, I’ll wake you when dinner’s ready.” Lance told me, and left me when I nodded, giving me a bit of privacy. Belladonna had curled up by the hearth downstairs and Mrs. Pendragon took Peppermint to the manor’s stables. When I walked in the door I was amazed. The room was much bigger than the one I had at Eagle Bastion, with bookshelves lining the walls and a walk in closet. The entire northern wall was comprised of windows, some clear and some stained glass. Two of the four panes depicted roses against a night sky, and the other two gave me a view of the woods and mountain beyond. I had my own hearth filled with fireglass, and I lit it magically, although it did take more concentration than usual. I put my leggings and cloak onto a nearby chair before falling onto the four poster canopy bed with deep blue sheets and a fluffy purple comforter. I was so exhausted I fell asleep only moments after pulling the covers over myself.

A knock at the door roused me, and Lance brought me to the dining room, where laid out before us was a buffet of bread, cheeses, meats, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

“Do you guys have family in Heart?” I asked them as I sat down, the way the table was set up was similar to the meals at Kennedia’s house during the Gathering.

“My brother’s a Heart.” Answered Mrs. Pendragon. “He became one when he was 16. A bit of a late bloomer, but we were all so happy for him when he told us he made his decision. It’s not easy leaving your family, you know.”

“He came to visit once,” Lance added. “He brought us a golden retriever puppy he found at the animal rescue agency there because she’s a messenger dog between us and Ivaline. You know about the whole psychopomp thing, right?” He finished, and I nodded before he continued.

“Well, dogs can do that too, so mom uses Windy to deliver messages to and from her family in Spade and her brother.”

At this time I looked down at what I had picked out for myself, a tomato sandwich with mozzarella cheese and pesto. While the combination was as delicious as always, but a thought had occurred to me while I was chewing that made a pit form in my stomach.

“I’m not going to see my parents this week, am I?”

Lance looked down. “It would be too dangerous. You might lead whoever attacked you to your house.”

“That’s not to say we want you to stay cooped up in this house for a whole week, dear.” Mrs. Pendragon said hurriedly. “Our part of the woods is rather deep, so you should be able to take you friends out for a ride, I’m sure Peppermint would love to stretch his legs every now and again once you’ve both rested. And Lance will keep you company when he’s not at school.” She said this like a command to her son, but he didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t protest in front of me, anyway.

After we finished dinner we went into the living room and shared stories around the fireplace. My feet curled up on an armchair, we had been talking for a while until Mrs. Pendragon finally asked me about my attackers.

“As far as I can tell they’re Vipers. They’ve been after my friends and I for a while, that’s why I couldn’t come to Pangaea during the Gathering.”

“Do you know why they’re out to get the five of you?” Interjected Ms. Pendragon, and I nodded.

“They’re not after all five of us, just my friend Kennedia and I, they don’t know about the rest of the Eagles. They’re organizing an attack during the Festival of Colors, and they believe we are the only two who know about it.”

“Eagles?” Lance questioned with a furrowed brow before his mother cut in.

“Didn’t you go to the Queen? Why haven’t you told the teachers?”

I sighed. “That’s the first thing we did, but shortly thereafter we intercepted a note indicating that telling the teachers tipped off the Vipers somehow, and they planned another attack shortly after that. So it’s safe to assume there is an informant in Eagle Bastion.”

“You guys have a fort?” Lance asked incredulously.

“She’s talking about the Spade royal palace, dear.”

“You’re a monarch?!”

“No, all of newcomers to Spade study there, anyway, we decided to keep the rest of our efforts on the down low.” I explained.

“What if the Vipers are Spades?” Wondered Lance, and after a brief consideration I shook my head.

“They’re not skilled enough with weapons to be Spades, I’ve only been training for a few months, my form is still sloppy, I was caught off guard, and I could still fight one off when they staged a surprise attack in the dark. The fact they see it fit to send teams of people to take care of one Hatchling is a blatant indication that they’re not confident in their combative ability. I think the only reason they’re waiting for the Festival is because they’re only willing to face unarmed Spades.”

Ms. Pendragon nodded her understanding, then stood.

“Well, it’s been a long day for all of us, so why don’t we all go to bed. Allie, why don’t you try your new clothes on for size tomorrow so we can make any adjustments if necessary.”

We said our goodnights and went up to our rooms. Each of us had our own wing of the house, I settled in the North wing while Lance went West and Ms. Pendragon the East. From my bed I could look out the window to the night sky, and counted the stars until I fell asleep.