“Ashley’s right,” spoke Harmon, knowing it wasn’t the boy’s fault. “Let’s get you back to the house. We need to get you cleaned up and something to eat.”
“Something else you should know,” Todd said, looking up at Harmon. “I’m pretty sure Edward caused this snowstorm.”
Harmon paused, drawing in a sharp breath. “Are you certain?”
“Yes. When he was riding off he turned to me and said that he hoped I enjoyed the snow.”
“There hasn’t been a sorcerer that strong in generations,” Harmon said, worriedly.
Looking out across the meadow, he could see the snow was still falling heavily. Everywhere he looked everything was covered in white. He knew that this might change everything. If Todd was that powerful, the Andrews might not be able to stand up to the Sorensons. His brothers wouldn’t be happy to hear this news.
Todd stood up slowly, swaying on his feet. Ashley stepped forward and put her hand on his arm, steadying him.
“He’s strong and growing stronger every day,” Todd continued in a weak voice. “You don’t want to make Edward mad.”
“Todd, you can ride with me,” Harmon spoke. Ashley’s horse Spirit was smaller than his. Harmon knew that his horse could better handle the added weight. Particularly in the snow they would have to ride through. “We’ll worry about Edward later.”
With Ashley’s help, they got Todd to the horses and helped him to mount up. Then Harmon mounted in front of him. “Hold on,” Harmon said, making sure Todd was ready. They would have to go slowly at first. Todd still had the blanket wrapped around him for warmth.
Ashley pulled herself up into her saddle and fell in behind her father. She reached forward and patted Spirit encouragingly on the neck. “Good boy,” she said in a soothing voice. “I know it’s cold, but we’ll be home soon.”
It was still snowing, and the wind had picked up a bit. The snowdrifts were getting bigger and the horses had trouble getting through them. It was hard to see more than a few yards in front of the horses. Ashley wasn’t worried about getting lost; both she and her father were thoroughly familiar with this area. Also, her father’s sorcery could be depended on to get them back home safely if needed.
She did worry about the snow and the growing drifts. If Edward was indeed the cause of this, then what did that mean for Plainview? This entire situation was rapidly getting out of hand. The storm was becoming dangerous, and people could be harmed from it.
Ashley was concerned about Todd. He had been out in the cold for quite some time. She knew that being out here in the wind and snow was not going to help his condition any. With her father and Todd riding double, they were going slower and the weather was worsening.
-
Nearly three hours later, they rode into the yard. Harmon rode right up to the steps of the porch and slid out of the saddle.
Stephen opened the kitchen door and hollered back for his mother. Grabbing his coat, he ran down the steps to help his father. “Who’s that?” he yelled over the blowing wind and snow.
“It’s Todd!” Ashley yelled so she could be heard. “We found him at the new barn. He’s been hurt.”
Harmon and Stephen helped Todd off the horse. He stumbled trying to stand up, and mumbled incoherently to Harmon. It took both of them to get Todd into the house. Once inside, Katrina motioned for them to follow her. They went down the hallway to Stephen’s room and laid Todd down on the bed. Ashley was following close behind.
“Stephen, take Ashley and go put the horses up in the barn. Make sure you rub them down and feed them,” Harmon said, turning to face his son. “Your mother and I will take care of Todd.”
Stephen and Ashley got the horses back to the barn and unsaddled.
“What’s going on with Todd?” Stephen asked. His eyes had almost popped out of his head when he had realized who was with his dad and Ashley.
Ashley patiently explained to Stephen what Todd had told them. She really wanted to get back up to the house and check on Todd. However, she knew that her father wanted the horses taken care of and that had to be done before she could go back to the house.
“What’s going to happen when the Sorensons come hunting Todd?” Stephen asked with worry in his eyes. “What if Edward is with them? If he’s powerful enough to create this snowstorm, what can we do?”
“I don’t know,” Ashley replied with growing concern in her voice.
She had been wondering about that also. She hoped this incident didn’t bring the two sorcery families into open conflict. She felt an ominous stirring in her stomach and had a terrible feeling this wasn’t going to end well.
For some reason, she recalled what Snowden had said to her that her powers of sorcery would be very powerful. Breathing deeply, she knew it was even more urgent now that she continue her studies. She still had a lot of the spells and information the dragon had put in her mind that she needed to study. Once spring arrived and the snow cleared, she needed to make another trip to Beaver Mountain. She knew that Snowden was currently asleep. For now, the Sorensons must not learn of her. Later, when the time was right, they would learn of the first sorceress in the Andrews’ family in over two thousand years.
Chapter Seven
Ashley was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Stephen. Her father and mother were still in Stephen’s bedroom with Todd. Ashley was beginning to feel nervous. She kept glancing down the hallway, waiting for the door to open. They had been in there for quite some time. Hearing a strange noise, she glanced down and noticed she was tapping her right index finger unconsciously on the table.
“I can’t believe that Edward used his sorcery against Todd,” Stephen spoke, breathlessly. He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that. “Do you think it’s true that Edward created this snowstorm?”
“Todd claims so,” replied Ashley, glancing once more down the long hallway toward Stephen’s room.
The door was still closed. Ashley closed her eyes and prayed that Todd was going to be okay. She realized that even though she had only spoken to him on two previous occasions before today, she really cared for the young man. Was this what a crush on a boy was like? Her girlfriends in Plainview talked about this all the time. That was the only thing her friends in the village wanted to talk about anymore, boys!
“How long is Todd going to stay here?” Stephen asked. He had a thousand questions he would like to ask Todd.
Stephen looked toward the kitchen window and could see that the snow was still falling heavily. Shortly he would have to go back out in the cold and snow to shovel the porch and steps back off again. It was beginning to be a rather tiresome job. He had already hauled enough split firewood up on the porch to last for a day or two. Staying home today had turned out to be much harder work than he had imagined. Add to that, he had missed all the excitement of finding Todd at the new barn.
Ashley got up, walked over to the large wood fireplace, and tossed in a couple more of the split logs. Sparks flew and the logs rapidly caught fire. Holding out her hands, she felt the warmth the fireplace provided. Standing there, she wondered if she should add any wood to the stove in the hall between the bedrooms. It felt a little cool in the house to her.
“Hey, go easy on those!” Stephen pleaded in a strained voice. “The big woodpile is nearly covered with snow, and I don’t want to have to dig any more out.”
“You should have hauled more wood earlier today like Dad asked,” Ashley pointed out, turning around to face her brother. “Now you’re probably going to have to go outside tomorrow and dig some firewood out from underneath all of this snow.”
Stephen hung his head sheepishly, knowing Ashley was right. How was he to know this snowstorm was going to go on and on with no signs of letting up?
Ashley walked over to the large kitchen window and gazed pensively in the direction of Beaver Mountain. She wondered if Snowden dreamed and if he did, what did dragons dream about? It was snowing so heavily now that she couldn’t even see the barn.
Ashley could just imagine the amount of snow that was piling up on the mountain. It might be late spring before she could get to Snowden’s lair. She sighed heavily as she continued to watch the falling snow.
Ashley turned quickly upon hearing Stephen’s bedroom door open. Her mother and father came out and then shut the door behind them. They came down the hallway together and walked into the kitchen. Her father came over to stand by the fireplace.
“How is he?” asked Ashley, seeing the look of concern in her mother’s eyes.
“He’s sleeping,” she replied, sitting down at the kitchen table. Her light blue eyes focusing on her daughter. “He took a bad bump to his head where that gash is. There’s only a little bit of swelling, but he’s going to have one big headache when he wakes up.”
“So Todd’s going to be fine then?” Ashley said with relief flooding her voice.
“Yes, dear; he’s going to be fine.” Katrina couldn’t help smiling to herself. After speaking to Todd for a few minutes, she could well understand why her daughter was fascinated by this young man. “He just needs some rest.”
“So where am I going to sleep tonight?” Stephen asked with a frown. He would miss his soft bed and heavy blankets.
“I’ll make you a pallet in here, next to the fireplace,” his mother replied. “You will be fine for tonight.”
“You can watch the fire,” Harmon added. “Then tomorrow you’re going to haul more firewood up on the porch. We’re going to need a lot more than what you brought up today.” Harmon walked over to the kitchen table and sat down next to his wife.
“Yes, sir,” Stephen replied. He didn’t relish the idea of sleeping on the hard wood floor. At least he would be warm next to the fireplace.
Harmon turned his gaze toward his daughter. “Has Todd said anything else to you about his family?”
“Not a lot,” answered Ashley, going over to the table and sitting down across from her father. “I know he doesn’t like the way his family treats the people on their side of the valley.”
“His father and uncle are strong enough sorcerers that they will undoubtedly be able to find where Todd is,” said Harmon, looking worriedly over at his wife. “I don’t know what that will mean. They’re not going to be pleased when they discover he’s here, and somehow I doubt that Edward is going to tell them how all of this happened.”
“It’s not the boy’s fault,” Katrina spoke in a soft voice, defending Todd. “He was only trying to help those people that his brother was threatening.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Ashley, looking at her parents with concern. She wished her sorcery were stronger; it was starting to sound as if they might need it.
“We let Todd get well,” her mother answered. “It will be days before it’s safe to travel in this weather.”
“Then we take Todd to Plainview and wait for the Sorensons,” Harmon said evenly. “I don’t believe we will have long to wait.”
“Do you think there will be trouble?” his wife asked.
“I hope not,” replied Harmon, sounding a little bit unsure. “But with the Sorensons, you can never tell.” He didn’t want to worry his wife about what could happen.
Stephen looked over at his father with a serious look upon his face. “I think we need to work on my sorcery.”
Harmon looked at his son for a moment. Stephen’s sorcery was very weak; it would be another year or two before he saw any real increase in his power. However, he knew that Stephen wanted to feel needed. “Yes, we do,” responded Harmon, with a nod. “Go to my study and I will join you shortly.”
-
After helping her mother for a few more minutes cleaning up the kitchen, Ashley went to her own room. She noticed her mother carefully open the door to Stephen’s room so the warm air could get in. She then gestured for Ashley to be quiet.
Going into her room, Ashley shut the door quietly behind her. There was only a slight chill in the air. She changed into a lighter sweater and sat down on her bed. She couldn’t believe that Todd was here in their house. They were snowed in, and he would be here for several days at least. She sat on the bed for several minutes thinking about what all of this meant. Then, shaking her head, she stood up and retrieved her diary and pencil from her dresser.
Ashley laid the pencil down in the center of the bed and then opened the notebook up to a lesson she had written down about concentration. As she read the lesson, she was amazed at the detail. All of this had come from the information Snowden had put into her mind. It just made so much more sense when she could see it all written out.
She read the lesson slowly, trying to comprehend just what it was telling her to do. Like everything Snowden had given her, these were not her memories. It was like watching a bird fly. You knew it could fly, but you didn’t understand completely how.
Shutting the diary, Ashley sat down on the bed and then focused on the pencil. She closed her eyes and tried to visualize each part. In her mind, she looked at the wood, the lead, the small eraser; everything that made up the pencil. For minutes, she sat just focusing on the pencil. Then, opening her eyes, she took out her amulet. With surprise, she saw that it was already glowing with a gentle blue radiance.
Ashley looked back at the pencil and was mildly surprised when it rose smoothly up off the bed. She focused her mind on just what she wanted the pencil to do. She made it do loops, land on the floor, rise up to the ceiling, hover in mid air, and then fly around her room at a faster and faster speed. Then, focusing, she made it come to an instant stop above her bed and fall gently onto the blanket in front of her.
Ashley reached out her right hand and picked up the pencil, looking at it curiously. It had been so easy to make it move this time. A sudden thought occurred to her. Getting up off the bed, she went over to her bedroom window. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and shivered from the chill wind that struck her. A few snowflakes blew inside.
Looking down toward the woodpile next to the barn, she could barely see it. Holding her amulet tighter, she focused and made the gestures for the wind spell she had learned earlier in the summer. She felt her amulet grow hot in her hand and then she began to feel faint. Why was this happening?
Ashley concentrated on what she wanted the wind to do. Ashley felt as if she were the wind. She blew her breath toward the woodpile, and the snow began to fly off it. Her fingers felt like gusts as she brushed the thick snow from the large pile of split wood. For several minutes, she concentrated and then felt herself swaying on her feet. The spell collapsed, and she stumbled over to her bed. She no sooner lay down when exhaustion passed over her, and she fell into a deep, restless sleep.
Ashley wasn’t sure how long she had slept when she opened her eyes. Sitting up, she looked toward her window and noticed that it was closed. Someone had been in her room! In panic, she glanced toward her closed left hand and opened it; her amulet was still there. She looked worriedly around for her diary and then noticed its comforting outline underneath the heavy quilt. Ashley quickly gathered it up and put it back in her dresser.
Turning toward her door, she saw that it was partially open. Now the big question was who had been in her room? It could have been any of her family members. A sudden pain in her stomach made Ashley realize she was famished. Going over to the window, Ashley looked outside. It was nearly dark. Glancing at the woodpile through the still falling snow, she was surprised to see that nearly all the snow that had covered it earlier was gone.
She could hear subdued voices coming from the kitchen. Listening closer, she thought she could hear Todd’s voice. Walking over to her dresser, Ashley looked into her mirror. Her blonde hair was a mess. She spent several minutes brushing it, and then tied it back with a light green ribbon. When she felt she was presentable, she opened her door all the way and proceeded down the hallway. Entering the kitchen, she saw her entire family plus Todd sitting at the kitchen table. Her mother was just about to serve supper.
“Hello, Ashley,” Todd said pleasantly w
ith a grin. “You’re mother was just about to introduce me to a home cooked meal. She says it will help with my headache.”
“Hello, Todd,” replied Ashley, feeling her face blushing. She didn’t know why she felt so uncomfortable suddenly with Todd sitting at the table.
Katrina stood up and began serving the meal. She smiled inwardly to herself, recognizing her daughter’s sudden nervousness. “What do you normally eat at home, Todd?”
“My dad has two women that clean and cook for us,” Todd replied uneasily.
Katrina sat a platter of sliced homemade bread down in front of him. She felt pleased when she saw his eyes light up.
“What about your mother?” Ashley asked. She found it strange that Todd had never mentioned her.
“She lives in Crayton,” replied Todd, reaching for a slice of bread. “My mother and father don’t get along. She feels as I do about sorcery, and when father wouldn’t relent about how he uses his sorcery she moved out.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Katrina responded sadly. “Do you get to see her often?”
“More than my father knows,” Todd spoke defiantly “I need father to teach me sorcery or I would have moved out a long time ago. My mother says I need to learn as much as I can so someday I can help people rather than hurt them.”
“Your mother sounds like someone I would like to meet someday,” Katrina responded, impressed by what Todd was saying about his mother.
“She’s a good person,” replied Todd, hoping his mother wasn’t worrying about him. “Edward doesn’t visit her much; they always get into arguments. I know mother is terribly disappointed in him.”
“Todd,” spoke Harmon, wishing he could think of another way to ask this question. “Just what are your father and uncle planning? Ashley told me a while back that they want control of Glendon.”
“Not want; they have it,” replied Todd, letting out a deep breath. “They threatened the people in the village with crop failure and starvation if they didn’t do what my family wanted. They agreed to my family’s demands after Edward demonstrated that he could control the weather.”
Snowden the White Dragon Page 9