“I don't understand, Your Majesty,” said Herio, looking anxiously from Razzmorten and Captain Bernard to Minuet. “I'm sworn to protect you. Why must I evacuate? Haven't I proven myself?”
“Oh, Herio,” said Minuet, her voice full of admiration as she sat beside him and took up his hand, “a most worthy knight of this house you be, but truth to tell, you're far more than that. Since you are now my adopted son and a potential heir to the throne, you cannot be risked. Besides, I need you to go with Captain Bernard and help protect our people.”
“But, King Hebraun charged me to protect you, my Queen...uh, Minuet,” he said, casting a hopeful look at Hubba Hubba, who was carefully following everything from Razzmorten's shoulder, “and since you're now my mother, hit's even a family matter.”
Hubba Hubba let go of a black feather with a silky snap as he eyed the owl gliding from timber to timber on his way back out. “Queen's got the right of it,” he rattled. “We've lost track of Lukus. We reckon he's alive, but we don't know that for sure, and Rose already says she won't sit on the throne. You're 'way more important than just a knight, now that you're part of the House of Niarg, Prince Herio. Got 'o do what she wants this time. Besides, I'd feel better having you with me.”
Herio nodded resolutely at Minuet and squared his shoulders.
“You'll do right well, Prince of Niarg,” she said with a look of fierce pride. “Go now and keep our people safe.” She gave him a quick hug and then took Razzmorten's arm as they rose and filed outdoors, with Hubba Hubba, Pebbles and both their broods, each one of them now in crow form, fluttering along overhead.
Gwynt was waiting beside Captain Bernard as the mounted throng surrounding them fell to a hush. Herio found his stirrup, threw his leg over the cantle and as soon as the crows had all found their places, nodded at Bernard. At a grand and silent wave from Bernard, the multitude began ambling toward the gate.
Herio did not look back, but he could feel Minuet's eyes on him for a very long time.
***
Rose awoke in a frenzy, struggling to get free of her linen sheets. She felt of the bed beside her as she opened her eyes to find Fuzz gone. She sat up at once. “Thank the Fates! There you are,” she said, finding him at the double doors to the balcony, staring into a light rain in the early light. She slipped off the bed and padded to his side.
“That is the most gorgeous sounding bird,” he said, nodding at the call as he put his arm around her. “It just goes with the rain. I wish I knew what it was.”
“Doctor Erwan called it an olive veery...”
“Is something wrong?”
“I had an awful dream.”
“Just a dream, or was it saying something?”
She shuddered. “I don't know. I hope so, but...”
“Get dressed love,” he said, pulling away with a serious look. “We'll go see Yann-Ber, right now.”
“Yes, I think we should,” she said as they each hurriedly turned to a wardrobe.
She was still brushing her hair when there was a knock. She stopped mid-stroke and held her breath as Fuzz opened the door. Any call this early would surely bode ill.
“Sorry for the intrusion,” said Karl-Veur, “but my brother wants you and Rose at his bedside. He says it's time.”
Rose was at the doorway as Fuzz took her hand. “We're ready,” he said.
***
Una and young Yann-Ber were leaving as they arrived. They were quietly dignified, but very upset. “Thank you for bringing Yann-Ber home to us.” said Una as she took Rose and Fuzz by the hand. Then with a quiet curtsey she and her son left.
“I'll leave now,” said Karl-Veur with a sad smile.
“Oh no,” said Rose. “Please, stay.”
“I would of course, but Yann-Ber asked to see the two of you alone. I can't ignore what could be his last request of me.” And with that, he followed Una.
With a quiet knock, Fuzz opened the door.
Yann-Ber smiled at them from his half-dozen plump pillows. “Thank you for coming,” he said softly, still sounding as strong and vital as he ever had. “I want to say goodbye and to thank you for everything you've done for me. You've been the best friends I've ever had.”
“Oh Yann-Ber,” said Rose, reaching out to touch his hand. “Please...”
But Yann-Ber smiled brightly and shook his head. “No Rose,” he said. “Please dear. It is indeed time and you can't imagine how relieved I am to be free of my torment at last. You must never get the idea that you failed me. Promise me you never will.”
Rose squeezed shut her eyes with a dutiful nod as a tear raced to her chin.
“Good. Then I can truly be at peace,” he whispered. And with that he took one last satisfied sigh.
Chapter 140
“Well Mary?” said Abaddon, sitting up on his rack which had been placed on the ground between a scrubby pine and a century plant. “You've got my bandages off. I've been sitting up every time we stop for five or six days, and you've even been letting me walk around when we camp for two nights now. I've been strapped on that rack for fourteen days. May I please ride my unicorn again? Sulacha says we'll be crossing the last gap this afternoon and he says the country looks a lot different from there on and I don't want to miss it.”
“I thought you liked to ride Arwr,” said Mary, pausing to listen to the ringing call of a rock wren before feeling of the back of his head.
“Of course I do, but that's if I can sit astride him. I'm sick of staring at the sky all the time.”
“Does that hurt...?”
“Ow! That's not fair. It doesn't hurt unless you push on it. And it doesn't hurt much then, either.”
“Well, you've healed noticeably since yesterday.”
“So? Can I ride Sheba?”
“I know you're not ready for Sheba. The question is, can you sit up on Arwr for the rest of the day and all day tomorrow and beyond? If you ride any, we'll have to leave the rack behind. Then there'll be no choice.”
“Yes! I'm ready.”
“Oh, I suppose you are...”
“Oh, thank you, Mary,” cried Abaddon as he threw his arms around her neck.
“Dad's right. You're wonderful.”
“Well, we Peppermintersses have alwayss known that,” said Shot 'n' Stop, “but your father'ss daft into the bargain.”
“What's that mean?” said Abaddon.
“Mary lookss a little sstrange, Abbey. I'll exthssplain later.”
“King James is daft over me?” thought Mary with a wide-eyed look over Abaddon's shoulder as she returned his hug. “Well then Abbey,” she said. “Everyone's getting ready to go again, so you and Shot 'n' Stop go get on Arwr.”
“Yes, ma'am!” he said, springing to his feet before checking himself. He would have dashed away by now if she were not watching him.
“So he's ready to ride Arwr, aye?” said James as he ambled up on Dewr.
“Yes, unless you've some objection,” said Mary as she looked at her feet and quickly smoothed her skirts. “My word!” she thought. “Now Shot 'n' Stop's got me all rattled, and there's not one reason to think that he's interested.” Even so, she felt her cheeks flush.
“None whatsoever. You're the healer. I've complete faith in your judgment. And while I'm at it, I want to thank you for everything you've done for Abbey and me.” He studied her as if he had more to say.
“My pleasure of course,” she said as she managed a glance at his eyes, “but I intend to keep an eye on him for some time yet, even though you seem to be quite healed, sire.”
“Then I suppose I need a new injury.”
“What?”
“I'm sorry. That was clumsy, wasn't it? I was enjoying your attentions ever so much, my lady...” he said, leaving her wide eyed and speechless as Lance rode up.
“King Neron wants us to ride rear guard through the gap with Lukus and Danneth,” said Lance as he gave a genial nod to Mary.
“I'd love to resume this conversation,” said James as he raised hi
s new Elven hat to put on his head. “Do you reckon...?”
Mary was already nodding, even if she could not find a single word to utter.
***
South of the New Dragon Caves lay the blue waters of the Mor Dannedd, separated from the tall limestone cliffs of the coast, called the Arfordir ynºGwahardd, by miles upon miles of black sand beaches, strewn with palms and scattered groves of leaning oaks. By mid mornings on sunny days, winds heated by the sands rush up the faces of the cliffs all along the coast, making wonderful soaring for Edward and Laora amongst the puffins, gulls and cormorants. On this particular morning, they had climbed much higher than usual, lazily riding the surging air as they gazed far out over the ocean.
“Hey Edward,” said Laora, “you want 'o go down and look for some horn squirts? They're fun. They poop when you grab them, but they pop when you champ...”
“When you champ. They don't taste any better than raw voles used to...”
“You're just like that, silly,” she said as she suddenly dropped into a breathtaking plunge for the rocks above the beach.
“Well I think they're fun enough to catch all morning, especially if we can play poop squirt keep away, but aren't Trifin and the other Fireheads leaving to go back to the Mammvro, today?”
“Yea, so what?”
“So won't Lipperella and Spark be upset if we aren't there to see them off?”
“Don't look at me like that, Edward,” she said as she swooped into a low flight over the rocks. “It's not like I care if they leave. I hope Trifin never comes back.”
“Are you mad at me...?”
“No!”
“You kind of sound like it. I knew you thought he stank. I mean, I think he stinks too, but your mom and dad will want us to be polite is all...”
“No I don't!” she cried as she came to a running halt. “I just don't like Trifin and his stupid attitude. He doesn't like you one bit. Doesn't he make you mad?”
Edward rolled off her and stood on the ground. “Everybody can't like everybody, I don't suppose,” he said with a shrug.
“Why not?” she said, preening one wing and then the other. “It sure would make things easier for the whole world.”
“Sure. But that's just not how it is. There's always somebody who just won't get along with somebody else.”
“Well they should,” she said, giving herself a thorough shake. Suddenly she saw something on the rocks beside him. “Got you!” She sat up with nod and a happy champ. “That was a good one, Edward.”
“Ooh! You've got horn squirt poop on your lip, Laora!”
“So what?” she said as she wiped her face on the ground. “You're just picky.”
“Well anyway,” he said as a shudder ran through him, “if you say the whole world would be better off, maybe we should start by seeing off the Fireheads and being nice to Trifin, even if he won't be nice back.”
“Well we could of course,” she said with a frown, “but you'd better be ready for him to act awful.”
“Yea. I'm used to it, anyway. Besides it makes him look like a dunce if I'm nice to him.”
“You're right, Edward. Let's go see if Momma's making the cake so we can lick the bowl.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said, giving her a lightning fast hug as he threw his leg across her back.
***
“I just don't know, Kadeg,” said Spark as he offered a tray of treats wrapped with crepes, smothered with honey and speared with toothpicks. “Any of our other girls might make a good pair with him, but I can't imagine it ever working with Laora.”
“Well it's still early, Spark,” said Kadeg as he popped a treat into his mouth, toothpick and all and gave it a thoughtful champ, “but think about it, though, would you?” His eyes went wide with a smile. “These are delicious. What are they?”
“Laora and Edward have been catching them. They're pickled five-spiked lizards, stuffed with hot green peppers. The lizards lose all their color in the vinegar.” He wrinkled his brow and turned at once to find Laora and Edward making a stealthy entry into the kitchen. He could clearly see that they had overheard.
Lipperella rolled her eyes. “Edward and Laora,” she said, turning toward them as she set down her bowl. “We were just talking about you. I'm done with the bowl. Want it and the spoon?”
Laora gave a fuming look of betrayal, ignoring the bowl and spoon altogether.
“Well,” said Lipperella, “Kadeg was just wondering if, perhaps in a year or so, we mightn't consider a mating between you and Trifin...”
“No! Never!” she shouted as small tongues of blue flame flickered from her nostrils. “That's disgusting, Mother. I can't believe you'd even consider such a thing. Edward and I are bonded, and that's for life. No, no, no!”
“Where are your manners, Laora? A bond between a dragon and a human isn't at all the same. Mating a dragon wouldn't affect your bond to Edward at all. Someday Edward will want to do the same thing and marry a human girl so that he can raise his own family.”
“You would not! Would you?”
Edward shook his head with bewilderment.
“Well? You wouldn't, would you? All we need is each other, right?”
“That's what you think right now, Laora,” said Lipperella gently, “but you'll change your mind when you finish maturing. You both will.” Without warning, she pressed her face into Laora's. “And you'll reach that day with far less upset if you straighten up this instant and help me take these dishes out to the flat by the sink-hole for our farewell luncheon.”
“Yes Mother,” said Laora politely as tears of anger watered her eyes. “Help me, Edward.” She grabbed up a covered dish with a watery sniffle and tramped out.
Edward blinked once as he stood stunned, then quickly grabbed up a dish and followed.
“I see your point, Spark,” said Kadeg, watching them go. “But I'd still like to take up the same question in a year or two. I'd certainly consider any of your other daughters for Trifin, but Laora's will and sheer fire makes her a perfect match for him, if she ever takes to him.
“I understand,” said Spark, pausing to swallow a bite of stuffed lizard, “and we'll certainly keep all of that in mind, but you need to know that Laora will be allowed to make the final choice herself when she's mature enough to do so.”
“Splendid,” said Kadeg, shaking his hand. He turned to Lipperella. “Did I hear you sending the dishes out to the sink-hole?”
“Yes I did. Would you be so good as to have your clan gather out there?”
“I'm on my way.”
“Well, I doubt if the reunion is going to begin with Laora and Trifin,” said Spark.
“So do I,” said Lipperella, “but who knows? Stranger things have happened.”
“You mean like you falling for someone like me?” he said as he put his arm around her.
“Hardly,” she said, jabbing him with her elbow. “I was thinking of you falling for someone like me.”
“We're the luckiest dragons in the world,” he said, “and that's what I want for each one of our mob.” And with that he picked up a dish and followed her out to the flat.
***
Abaddon was so excited as they reached the top of the last gap that he was fairly bouncing on Arwr. “So this is the Wilderlands,” he said as the lands below came into view. A solitary rock wren called far behind them. “It's just dirt, all different colors of dirt, as far as the eye can see. Sulacha's right. This is like nothing I've ever seen.”
“I've scertainly never sseen the like,” said Shot 'n' Stop, “but here comess Llewyrch from the front.”
“Afternoon Your Highness, Arwr...Shot 'n' Stop,” called out Llewyrch before he had quite reached them. “King Neron is having me spread the word. Sulacha has found a broad shelf about a mile on down the slope, where we'll make camp.”
“Thanks Llewyrch,” said Abaddon. “So what would be wrong with some great piece of land that would make it all barren like this, Arwr?”
“No wa
ter.”
“It's dead silent, Arwr. Does anything live here?”
“I don't know.”
A few things did. Long after supper, when the Elves had put away their fiddles for the night, Abaddon listened to the sweep of the dry wind coming down the slope through the rocks. Far back up the slope, perhaps at the gap, he thought he could hear an owl, and then nothing at all for a very long time. When he had nearly fallen asleep, a poorwill began calling nearby. “I suppose it's a bird,” he thought, but it seemed eerie to him for the longest time.
Abaddon awoke in the dry icy shadows to the smell of bacon and the metallic sounds of skillets, realizing that the sun wouldn't make it over the ridge behind them until well after broad daylight. Shot 'n' Stop moved like molasses into the warm depression where he had slept. “I guess I won't lie back down,” he thought as he stared away over league upon league of wasteland.
The sun still hadn't come over the mountains by the time they had set out again, taking a diagonal path down the face of the long steep slope. By the time it was bearing down on them making the day hot, they had gone a good league beyond the shelf, and
Abaddon began to make out great tree trunks strewn about everywhere, sticking out of the colored dirt and sand as far as the eye could see.
Shot 'n' Stop had noticed too. “If thosse bare trunksses are ssuppossed to be a forresst, I don't think we'll ssee any sshade,” he said as he slithered across Abaddon's leg to rise up between his arms for a look. “I jusst don't ssee any leavesses, kiddo.”
“I don't either,” said Abaddon. “Maybe there was a big fire or something.”
“I believe it's a stone forest,” said Arwr, “though I'd not heard that such a thing existed outside the Dark Continent.”
“Stone forest?” said Abbey.
“We'll see soon enough. I do know that this is called the Red Desert...”
“Red? It looks tan and white and purple and black.”
“Indeed,” said Arwr, “but Sulacha said that just beyond the horizon it looks bright brick red, and redder still should we happen to get a rain.”
“Rain?” said Abaddon. “It doesn't look as if it ever rains here.”
Heart of the Staff - Complete Series Page 152