Mistress of Dragons Read Free

two would appear.
    “They
come to see if we maintain our vigilance,” said the Mistress.
    The
vigilance of the sisters never faltered. The people of Seth lived in peace and
prosperity in their isolated valley, looking to the Sisterhood to guard them.
    Ten
years ago, the Mistress of Dragons had chosen Melisande to be High Priestess.
At eighteen, Melisande was the youngest to be selected for the honor, but few
disputed the fact that she deserved it, for she was reputed to be the most
powerful in dragon magic of any woman yet born in the monastery. The current Mistress
was very old, nearly seventy, and in poor health. Melisande was aware that the
mantle of god-hood could fall upon her at any moment and she strove always to
be worthy of the honor.
    This
day would see if the Mistress’s faith in her protege was justified.
    The
monastery proper, consisting of four buildings, was built in a square around a
central courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard stood two gongs—one enormous
gong made of iron and another, smaller gong made of silver. If the iron gong
were sounded, the deep booming call would be heard in the city far below and in
the farms and forests beyond that, warning the people of Seth that they were
under attack, giving them time to flee for their lives into the caverns in the
mountains.
    The
other gong was smaller and made of silver. This gong alerted the Sisterhood to
the coming of their foe.
    Melisande
lifted the silver hammer, prepared to strike. She could hear, in the distance,
Bellona bellowing commands. Feet pounded as the warrior women raced to their
posts. A few of the Sisterhood, hearing the unusual commotion, peered out their
windows, wondering what was going on. Melisande did not leave them long in
doubt. She struck the silver gong, sending a shivering peal of alarm through
the monastery.
    More
heads looked out the windows of the monastery’s east wing that was the dortoir,
where the sisters lived.
    “Make
haste!” Melisande called to them. “I am going to the Mistress.”
    The
heads disappeared, as the women hurried to don their sacred garments. Melisande
returned the silver hammer to its stand. The gong continued to vibrate, the
notes dying away slowly.
    Warriors
ran past her, heading for the south side of the monastery, where lived the nine
mothers. The mothers—or “cows” as they were known disparagingly among the
warrior women—were those sisters chosen by the Mistress to bear children,
sacrificing their virginity in order to perpetuate the Sisterhood. Babies were
taken away from the mothers shortly after birth. The male babies were given to
families in the kingdom who had been denied a male child and needed an heir.
Girls were kept in the monastery to be raised by the Sisterhood as sisters or
mothers or warriors, depending on the bent taken by the magic in their blood.
This wing also held the “mating” rooms (used once monthly) and the birthing
rooms.
    The
warriors emerged from the south wing, escorting the children and mothers to the
catacombs beneath the monastery.
    Melisande
hurried past the west wing that would be empty now. Here were classrooms, where
the sisters were taught the sacred magic that kept their kingdom safe. This
wing also housed the kitchen and dining hall, the schoolrooms and playrooms for
the little girls.
    The
fourth wing, the north wing, belonged to the Mistress. Here were her chambers.
Beneath this wing was the Sanctuary of the Eye.
    The
Mistress of Dragons lived apart from the Sisterhood, as was right and proper
for a goddess. She came among them only rarely. Her life was devoted to the
magic and she spent a large part of every day in the Sanctuary, working her
powerful magicks that kept the kingdom safe. Two bronze doors barred entry to
everyone in the monastery except the High Priestess and chosen members of the
Sisterhood, and even they could enter only by invitation. The elite of the warrior
women stood guard.
    The
warrior women saluted as Melisande