"Glad to see we're all here," Trask said in a low voice. "Mara?"
She struck a match and lit a fat white candle.
"While the candle burns, no outsiders should be able to eavesdrop on our conversation," Trask explained. "I don't want to blab all night, but I thought we should take a few minutes to get our heads right and make sure we're all on the same page." His eyes were on Kendra. "This mission is voluntary. It could not be more dangerous. This dragon sanctuary is closed to visitors for a reason. We know very little about how it operates or what we can expect to find inside. Patton never elaborated about Wyrmroost much, perhaps because he did not want people disturbing the key he had hidden. We can presume there will be a caretaker. Beyond that we know very little. This could be a one-way trip. We may all die. That is not the goal, but it is the reality. I don't want to be here. I'm here because I feel our enemies have made it necessary. If you still want to participate in this mission of your own free will, I want to hear you say so."
Everyone individually answered in the affirmative, including Kendra. Mara answered last, whispering her response.
Trask nodded. "Now that Charlie Rose is gone, I'm considered the lead dragon tamer for the Knights of the Dawn. I'm not in the same league as Chuck Rose. Nor do I have the innate talent of his son, Gavin. Along with Dougan, I'm one of four Lieutenants of the Knights. I have a long history as a detective. I possess many skills, but I'm no true dragon tamer. It takes everything I have to keep it together in front of a dragon. That said, I have spent time at the four dragon sanctuaries open to human visitation. I've done my best to learn how dragons behave. In my gear I have six arrows tipped with adamant. Most dragons would see them as harmless toys. And they would be right. We will not survive
Wyrmroost by force. We'll survive by never getting into a fight."
"I'll s-s-s-second that," Gavin said.
Trask set aside his crossbow. "According to the plan, Kendra will help guide Aaron to a meadow roughly two miles from the gate to Wyrmroost. If we tried to fly the helicopter over the wall into the sanctuary, none of us would survive--the magical barrier extends miles into the sky. After we leave the helicopter, Kendra will lead us to the gate, where we will use the first horn to enter. Making a guess based on the gate at Isla del Dragon, our assumption is that the gate locks from both sides, and that the distracter spell may function in both directions as well. We will probably need Kendra and the horn to get in and out. That is her main role in this mission. Warren joins us strictly as her protector.
"While Kendra and Warren stay with the caretaker, the rest of us are charged with finding this key hidden by Patton Burgess. Locating the key may be the biggest trick. All we know is that we may find a clue below the false gravestone of Patton Burgess. We may require Kendra's help to translate the clue."
Trask slid off the bed and began strolling around the room. "Throughout the coming days, we will have to rely on each other implicitly. I've said a few words about myself. I would like each of us to introduce ourselves and to sum up how we intend to be of service. Trust must unite us. When the Sphinx ran the Knights, his philosophy relied on secrets and mistrust. I never liked that system, hiding behind masks among friends. We were supposedly compartmentalizing information in case of spies, but in the end it kept us apart. That type of system made it easier for spies to operate among us and, yes, to lead us. Kendra, I know you have a big secret, and Gavin, so do you. The Society is aware of Kendra's, and has most likely guessed Gavin's by now. If our enemies can know our secrets, why not our most trusted friends? Each of you is free to choose how much you care to reveal. Try to be as forthright as possible. Let's start with Dougan." Trask sat down.
Dougan cleared his throat. "I'm a Lieutenant in the Knights of the Dawn. I am no dragon tamer, but I'm a seasoned adventurer, mountaineer, and survivalist. Trask is our team leader, and I'm here to support him."
Tanu stood. "I'm Tanugatoa, call me Tanu. I'm a potion master and I've served with the Knights for almost twenty years. The dragon sanctuary should be rich with ingredients unavailable elsewhere. Hopefully mixing potions will be my greatest contribution. In a pinch, I'm also an experienced healer."
They had been moving in a circle, and Kendra was next. All eyes turned to her as she started speaking. "I've only been a Knight for a few months. My one real ability is that I'm fairykind, which the Sphinx knows." She noticed Gavin and Mara staring at her in astonishment. "I can see in the dark, command fairies, and I can understand just about any language related to Silvian, the fairy language. Distracter spells don't work on me, which is why I'll lead us to the gate. I think we're hoping Patton may have left some clues for us in the secret fairy language, which I can read. I guess that's it."
Warren slapped his hands together. "I'm Warren Burgess, a great-great-nephew of the legendary and somewhat infamous Patton Burgess. I'm a Scorpio who enjoys badminton, snorkeling, and Chinese checkers." He paused for laughter but only earned a couple of smiles. "I'm Kendra's second cousin. I've worked with the Knights for about ten years, part of which I spent in a catatonic stupor at Fablehaven. I'm here to protect Kendra. We brought some useful items, including a knapsack which contains a fairly spacious extra-dimensional storeroom. We loaded the knapsack with lots of supplies, including powdered milk, walrus butter, and a man-sized wooden automaton called Mendigo. You're all welcome to use the extra-dimensional compartment for storage. Claims to fame? I once broke half the bones in my body slaying a giant, two-headed panther."
Mara stepped forward, standing tall and holding her head high. Her body language was defiant, as if ready for a fight, and she spoke in a serious, resonant alto. "I am Mara Tabares. I was about to inherit the stewardship of the Lost Mesa preserve when it was overthrown and my mother was killed. A dragon played a key role in the tragedy, as did a spy from the Society. I've always had an unusual connection to wild animals. I am a skilled tracker and wind watcher. Some say I may have the potential to become a dragon tamer." She fell silent.
"More than potential," Trask added. "I worked with Mara in October at Soaring Cliffs, and she remained self-possessed during a prolonged interview with a pair of adolescent dragons. No small feat. But I interrupt. Gavin?"
Gavin rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes only occasionally straying from the floor. "I guess you guys know that my dad was Charlie Rose. I b-b-basically grew up on the Frosted Peaks dragon sanctuary in the Himalayas. My dad had a tight relationship with the dragons there. After my mom died giving birth to me, he arranged for me to be accepted as a dragon brother. It is sort of like Kendra being fairykind--the dragons adopted me as one of their own and shared some power with me. I can s-s-s-speak their languages. If dragons kill me they would be challenged as if they had slain a dragon. My status as a dragon brother even affects me physically--I'm a little stronger and f-faster than I look."