Gatekeeper

Two very special knights…

Scott and Rik are getting used to working together as a specialized team of commandos within the Castle Lair when they are sent north on a desperate mission. The throne of the Northlands has long been in the hands of usurpers, but now that the rightful heiress has been found – the knights are searching for a way to oust the enemy and put Princess Isabelle on her late father’s throne.

One very brave woman…

Claire is living in a castle under siege, hiding within the secret passages to do her duty and protect the location of the all-important gate. After witnessing the death of her beloved parents, she has stepped up to take their places as guardian of the gate and protector of the kingdom’s knowledge. She’s saved what she could of the archives and has stepped into her father’s role as Gatekeeper, all while remaining hidden within the walls of the castle.

Three who are destined to become one…

Even in her isolation, Claire has found a way to make allies - just in time, since every day, the enemy draws nearer to discovering the secret she is guarding. When she meets the knights, the attraction is instantaneous, but the danger is even more imminent. When Claire is captured by the enemy, it'll be up to Scott and Rik to storm the castle and free their lady love. They hope to claim her and make a family…if they all live through the perilous times ahead.

CHAPTER ONE
Sir Scott flew with his dragon partner, Sir Denrith, in the formation of dragons and knights heading northward, into what was sure to be a battle. He was both apprehensive and eager, having never fought alongside his dragon partner before. He was a newly-made knight, though he had years of experience as a forward scout in His Majesty’s army.
Scott had been riding horses all his life. He’d been raised on a breeding farm that specialized in small, fast, smart horses, in the southern part of the country. Riding a dragon was similar but also quite different from his beloved horses, and much more exciting. Scott had polished his skills to a specialty between scouting and riding into places others would find hard to traverse without being seen on land, but being in the sky brought a whole new dimension to it.
He was still feeling his way, truth be told, though his dragon partner was a great help in many regards. Denrith was no novice when it came to stealth and had partnered with a knight before Scott. As most dragons do, when they lose their knight partner, Denrith had gone into mourning and lived by himself for a time in a cave in the wild part of the country, away from people, for the most part. Denrith had only recently come back to the capital and had spotted Scott from the air long before he’d made his presence known.
It had only been a few months since Scott had been drilling with his horse, in the field beyond the castle. Dragons were a common sight that close to the Castle Lair, so Scott had thought nothing of the massive beast following his tracks from high above. As long as his horse didn’t get spooked, Scott was fine with the dragon’s presence. The horse was new—a young filly just sent up from his family’s farm—and Scott had just begun training it for the kind of work he specialized in.
It was only when the horse spooked as the dragon’s wings cut off the sun and its massive shadow loomed over them that Scott had found the urge to say something. He stood in the stirrups and raised his gaze skyward.
“Please mind your shadow, sir. This horse is green,” Scott called aloud.
“It looks brown to me,” said a wry voice within Scott’s head.
“We call her color bay, milord,” Scott informed the dragon, grinning. For it must have been the dragon’s voice Scott had heard in his head. He’d been told by some of his fellow soldiers that dragons talked to their knights telepathically, but he hadn’t quite believed it. Now, of course, he knew better.
The dragon back-winged, as if in surprise, then landed with a little more force than Scott had seen others use, several yards away. The filly didn’t like it, but she remained under Scott’s expert control.
Not quite knowing the etiquette, because he’d never really dealt with a dragon close-up before, Scott decided to dismount. It wouldn’t do to be impolite to a creature such as the one eyeing him suspiciously with a striking, bronze crystalline gaze.
“You can hear me?” the dragon asked after a pause.
“Aye, milord, though I have never had the pleasure of speaking with one of your kind before. Forgive me if I do not know the proper rules.”
Scott’s mother had been a stickler for etiquette. They might not have been a high noble house, but they were landed gentry of a proud, hard-working lineage. The horses of Palminst were known throughout the land as some of the finest to be found.
The dragon sat back on his haunches and looked Scott over even more minutely, then spoke again. “You are with the army?”
“I am a forward scout, milord. Part of a special group that goes ahead of the main force to scout the land ahead for enemy traps and the like,” Scott told the dragon.
“And you do this on horseback?” the dragon asked, sounding intrigued.
“Aye, milord. On horseback, then on my own two feet if I want to get even closer to something to get a good look. Scout horses are specially trained for such maneuvers, but this filly is newly arrived from my family’s stud down south, and she has not learned the way of it yet.” Scott stroked the horse’s neck, hoping to calm her further. So far, she was handling the dragon’s presence better than he’d hoped.
“Your family breeds horses?”
Scott wasn’t sure why the dragon seemed so interested in his background, but he didn’t mind talking about it. Everyone who knew horses knew the Palminst name, and Scott had often talked about his family’s farm with other cavalrymen.
“Yes, milord. My name is Scott Palminst. The Palminst Stud is among the finest in this land. My family has supplied specialty horses to the kingdom for almost a century.” It was an honorable heritage, and Scott was proud of it.
“Even I have heard of Palminst horses,” the dragon admitted. “How came you to be in the army, if I may ask.”
“I’ve been studying tracking and stealth techniques, and training horses, since I was a boy. When the King asked my father to recommend an expert to train a small scout group in the capital, I was happy to come and serve. I am one of the younger sons and not set to inherit, though I know my brother could always find work for me on the farm, if I needed it. Still, I prefer to make my own way, and soldiering isn’t a bad life. Serving my King and homeland is an honor.”
“Ah. So it is,” the dragon agreed. “I am Denrith. I have recently returned from years spent in solitude, so I am learning the lay of the land, so to speak, and how things have changed since I was last in these parts. I know few people here and am glad to have made your acquaintance.”
Scott bowed to the dragon respectfully but did not lower his gaze, as was only proper among warriors. “It is an honor to meet you, Sir Denrith.”