Dragons Shining by Michael Sperry

and Snowden the North. Before that, only Windhaven, whose walls they saw before them, a product of centuries labor. When mankind first landed upon this mainland two thousand generations ago, it was on Longboats they rode. It was said a great cataclysm sunk mankind’s great islands in the sea, and only two hundred Long Boats had escaped, full of refugees. Rather than build their main city upon the seashore, only sixty leagues further to the South, they had built it here in the low hills, the first hills to be found north of the Sea.  They did build a town there, Southport. They demolished the ships and built the first town with the planks from the ships. Southport had been destroyed by storms and tidal waves countless times since then, but it was always rebuilt. The natural harbor affords the only safe seaway access point for three hundred miles in either direction, with the wide river Great Aconda that runs from the Mountains down to Southport providing riverboats access through the heart of the mainland. Windhaven sat in a bend of the river along the West side of the city. The West Gate was a river gate, with a man made canal running through the gate from the Palace to the river. Security and fortifications along that vulnerable access were formidable, and if all else failed a deadfall of rock waited to seal the canal just outside of the gates.
     
    As the hunting party approached the inside Northern Gate, the gate was already opened and a contingent of six soldiers eyed the comings and goings, sometimes stopping a traveler or wagon for questions or a search. They saluted as Jason and the Elite Guardsmen trotted past. Inside the wall, torches along the walls helped with the dim lighting. They passed soldiers and travelers, wagons, mules, oxen and horses. A natural breeze moved through the enclosed spaces, denoting the genius of the original architects and their painstaking plans for ventilation, sewage treatment and aqueducts throughout.
     
    The Raven waited patiently to see if his quarry would leave the city safety once more. Before long the trap would fall.
     
    After leaving the wall behind, Jason and his Guard veered northwest into the adjacent wood. This area was the King’s forest from here to the river and five Leagues Square. All other forestlands in the area were open to the general public, unless privately owned.  The canopy was high in the King’s woods, allowing little low growth except along the spring beds, the river and a number of large man made fields kept with summer and winter crops to help keep a healthy wild grazing population. These crops also fed the people of the city in uncommon hard times of war when the far-reaching communities fell back to the city proper.
     
    The wood was full of wildlife. Justin’s senses were almost overloaded by many vibrant life forces. After penetrating the woods nearly a mile the light began to fade into dusk. A flock of crows flew noisily overhead, and Jason detected something strange among them, a small glob of darkness, impenetrable. But then it was gone with the crows, just as he started to concentrate on it.
     
    “What’s wrong?” asked Rolph. He had been looking across the huge bean field when he noticed Jason staring up with concern at the flock of crows that squawked their way past.
     
    “Oh nothing I guess. We should camp on the other side of that field by the hill. There is a nice gently sloped glade with a small stream close by”, said Justin. “The main creek is about two hundred yards past that, not far from the river. We will go out at first light and I will set up with my bow near the creek to wait for that stag.”
     
    Rolph kept it to himself, but he trusted Jason’s senses more than the boy did himself. He was now more concerned than ever about this hunt. He had agreed to stay at least a hundred yards away from Justin while he was hunting. The King would have him skinned alive if something happened to Jason, not to mention he would not