“Yes, the very same,” Hroombra said cheerily with a wide smile to match.
Jahrra returned her gaze to the Tanaan dragon, but instead of remaining dark with veiled unease her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she beamed brightly. He was younger than she imagined him, since the stories Hroombra told her were from hundreds of years ago. Then she remembered how long dragons actually lived and regained some of her composure.
“Stories?” Jaax found his voice as well, taking his stony gaze off of Jahrra.
His eyes now landed on Hroombra and his mood went from interested observance to inquisitive suspicion.
Jahrra jumped slightly when she heard the dragon speak for the first time. He had a strong, authoritative voice. It wasn’t as deep as Hroombra’s but it was much more intimidating. Where Hroombra’s voice earned trust and respect, this one demanded it.
“Yes Jaax, I’ve told Jahrra many tales of the past, those of when you were still a very young dragon. When so many followed you.” Hroombra’s smile began to fade as his speech trailed off.
Jahrra could tell that Jaax had somehow upset him and a tiny feeling of dislike began in the pit of her stomach.
Jaax blew hot air from his nostrils, almost releasing a snort as he did so. He turned his gaze to the distant Wreing Florenn before answering shortly, “I’m no hero Hroombra, you know that.”
An awkward silence fell over the group, but only for a moment. “We’ll discuss this later, but for now I’d like to introduce the young children to you.”
Hroombra sounded disappointed and uncomfortable, but Jahrra pushed this aside as she waited nervously to be introduced to the famous Raejaaxorix.
“This is Gieaun, and her brother Scede. And this, of course, is Jahrra,” Hroombra nodded to the children as he named them.
“I see you’ve grown up quite well Jahrra,” Jaax remarked placidly, returning his gaze to the young girl, seeming to forget his rebuke of Hroombra. “I haven’t seen you since you were an infant.”
Jahrra shot Hroombra a look of surprise.
“That’s right.” The old dragon smiled. “He brought you here to us from the north, to your foster parents.”
“Really?” said Jahrra in bemusement.
She’d never really known how she’d come to be placed with her parents. Before now she always imagined coming to Oescienne with a large party of traveling merchants who had stopped to trade with her mother and father, only to discover that they would be the perfect people to raise the orphan child they’d found in the wilderness. Jahrra suddenly wondered if Jaax might know something about her original home and perhaps her real parents, but she felt too unsettled to ask any questions.
“Jaax has come to see how you’ve grown and he’s also brought something for you. Follow me.”
There was a twinkling in the old dragon’s eyes as he spoke, and soon all three children were being led eagerly around the side of the Ruin and out into the field just south of the old building. Raejaaxorix brought something for me? Jahrra could hardly believe it. She was afraid to breathe, thinking that such a simple act might destroy this strange dream.
“Where’re we going?” she queried as she jogged to keep up with Hroombra’s slow but long stride.
Gieaun and Scede were right behind her with Jaax taking up the rear. His gait was much smoother than Hroombra’s and when Jahrra quickly glanced back at his alert figure she came to the conclusion that he never let his guard down.
“We’re going to the old stables that used to house the horses of the guards who, long ago, kept watch over the castle grounds from here,” Hroombra finally answered, tearing into Jahrra’s wandering thoughts.
The three children quickened their pace and started guessing at what the great Raejaaxorix might’ve brought for Jahrra. Gieaun guessed a robe woven by fairies, Scede a magical stone from the elves, but neither Jaax nor Hroombra would give in. After several failed guesses Jahrra and her friends gave up and focused on reaching their destination.
Jahrra scanned the edge of the field up ahead and discovered another ancient stone structure that must have been the stables Hroombra had mentioned. She’d never really thought about this other building before, imagining it was just the remains of an old storage shed. The old stables were in much better shape than the Ruin itself, however. Most of the roof had rotted away and the wood gates that once stood in the openings had long ago disintegrated, leaving a gaping entrance framed in stone.
The group closed in on the stables and Jahrra immediately spotted something crumpled upon the ground. It looked like a discarded blanket lying within the stone walls. As she got closer, however, she realized that the blanket was in fact a tiny colt, grayish in color, huddled on a bed of fresh straw.
“Ohhhhhh!” she exclaimed in pure delight as she recognized the rather small creature. Gieaun and Scede also ran over, emitting sounds of excitement at the sight of the foal.
As the children sat adoring the tiny, sleeping horse, Hroombra turned to Jaax. “Tell me where you found him again,” he asked in a low voice.
All the cheer he’d used with the children had vanished and now a look of deep concern settled upon his weathered face.
“Just north of Lidien at the base of the Hrunahn Footmountains,” Jaax answered grimly.
He then took a deep, troubled breath and continued on, “His mother was the unicorn Nihll, and his father was a semequin. The elves that found and cared for Nihll told me that a mercenary of Cierryon had wounded her. She was able to communicate to them that she was east of Lake Hronah in the Arghott Forest where her herd lived before the Tyrant’s men found them and killed them all. She was shot as well but somehow she lost them in the hills. She traveled as far west as she could, gave birth to this young one and died of her wounds.”
Jaax concluded his tale in a weary tone. He looked over at the children, who for now were well protected from such horrors.
“So it seems the Crimson King is no longer dormant in the east,” Hroombra said in a serious tone, still not loud enough for the children to hear. He blinked at Jaax and whispered, “Then it has started?”
“Something must have stirred his interest, yet I can’t say for sure how much time we have left. The Creecemind emperor has finally agreed to another meeting with me, but I’m afraid it will come to nothing, just like it did seven years ago. He remains stubbornly adamant about remaining neutral, at least until he sees the human child with his very own eyes.”
Jaax paused to let Hroombra turn this information over in his head before he continued.
Quietly and severely, he went on, “From my inquiries and observations throughout the west it has become clear to me that entire villages and towns are growing restless. Their citizens act like wounded prey being stalked. They know the Crimson King is watching and they know he means to attack but they don’t know when or how. It could happen in a month or ten years, I cannot tell you for sure. Some have even begun asking questions, more than before, questions I cannot afford to answer or to ignore. Yet we cannot take any risks; Jahrra must be kept safe from the outside world even if it means further distancing ourselves from our allies.” The Tanaan dragon took a deep breath and released it wearily, “At least for now.”
Hroombra simply nodded in response to this statement. So, he thought, remembering Cohrbin’s comments, it was an ill wind I detected after all.
“Then you must go,” the old dragon said somberly, looking away for just a moment. When he turned back around his eyes twinkled with emotion. “It seems to be a new habit of yours. Dropping off young orphans and then leaving the very next moment.”
Jaax simply looked towards the dark forest once again, not knowing how to respond.
“Go now, and be safe. Do what you must so that she can still live here in peace, at least for a while,” Hroombra said in a whisper.
Jaax turned to look at him, matching his morose demeanor. “I shall,” he breathed. “Take good care of the young foal. I would have left him with the elves but I thought
that Jahrra would need a good, strong horse when her fate called her. This little one will be perfect when he is grown.”
“Very well,” Hroombra answered quietly. “You’d better be off then. I’ll explain to the children why you’ve left.”
“Thank you, I hope to return again soon, when I know more.”
Jaax glanced down at Jahrra. She was too busy mooning over the young semequin to notice him turning to leave. Yes, he thought, we must keep her safe, and secret.
The young dragon walked back across the field and out to the road, rather stealthily for his size. He spread his great wings and just as silently, lifted off into the darkening spring sky. Hroombra watched him disappear like a dark cloud over the sun-gilded mountains, fearing for him the way he feared for Jahrra. He shook off his feelings of doubt and trepidation, despite an instinctual need for them, and turned to the three children.
“So what do you think?” he asked, donning a fresh smile.
“He’s marvelous! What’s his name?” Jahrra asked, not yet noticing Jaax was gone.
“I think Raejaaxorix wanted to leave that up to you.”
Jahrra tore her eyes away from the sleeping colt, finally seeing that the other dragon was nowhere to be found.
“Where did he go?” she asked, sounding disappointed as her smile faded. She had so many questions to ask him about the outside world and about his many adventures, that is, when she had worked up the courage to address him personally. Now it seemed she would never get that chance.
“You’ll learn, young Jahrra,” the old dragon answered in a wearied tone, “that sometimes we adults have many obligations to fulfill that you can’t understand. Jaax has many duties outside of Oescienne; he has many things he must take care of, things a young girl wouldn’t understand. We’re just lucky he was able to visit us at all.”
Hroombra knew this was a lame excuse, and he saw how disappointed Jahrra was, but he could think of nothing else to tell her.
“Don’t fret young one,” he continued after a while. “He’ll visit us again someday. But I don’t want you wasting your time waiting for him, for it may be a long time before he comes this way again.”
Jahrra nodded, her eyes trained on the ground. She knew she should take her mentor’s advice, but she felt she couldn’t wait until the next time Jaax paid them a visit.
“Well,” said Jahrra finally, looking down at the sleeping foal, “I guess I’ll call him ‘Phrym’.”
Hroombra smiled as the name sparked a memory. He’d once used the word in a lesson, a dragon’s word, forgetting who he was teaching. Although he meant to teach Jahrra the language of the dragons some day, he knew that it was too soon. Jahrra liked the word, so he’d told her what it meant: ‘Phrym, it means friend in the dragons’ tongue.’
He smiled down at Jahrra now, completely enchanted by the young semequin lying in front of her. “Yes Jahrra, I do believe he’ll make you a good friend.”
***
The warm spring months crept by and the flowers and trees slowly faded into the soft and warm hues of summer. As the days grew longer, Jahrra kept busy with the new responsibility of caring for the young semequin Jaax had left her. The foal was only a few weeks old when he arrived in Oescienne so he was placed with one of the mares at Wood’s End Ranch.
During the early weeks with Phrym, nothing seemed to bring Jahrra down, not even the long days at school with Eydeth and Ellysian. Fortunately, Scede’s tirade the day Jaax arrived kept the twins at a comfortable distance for a few weeks, but like always, that wore off with time. If they sniggered in her direction or whispered as she walked by, however, all she had to do was close her eyes and picture her young foal waiting for her to come home and play with him.
At first Phrym was a light silver color all over, looking exactly the way Hroombra had described unicorn foals, but as he grew the silver faded into a variety of grays that dappled his smooth coat. His mane and tail turned into a deep, storm cloud color and his long legs were spotted until they blended into a dark gray towards his hooves. His eyes, light blue at first, became a rich, smoky quartz.
As he grew older the timid colt became much more animated and learned to trust Jahrra unwaveringly. Sometimes, late into the afternoon on the weekends, she would play with him in the fields of her friends’ ranch. She’d sneak up on the young colt and he would take off running, tossing his head and bucking in good humor. Jahrra would fall to the ground laughing and Phrym would trot over and add his own chorus of cheerful whinnies.
All of this time spent with Phrym distracted Jahrra from her other troubles and before she knew it, the school season was drawing to an end. Jahrra was beside herself with anticipation. There was so much to do over the summer: camping with her two best friends, extra lessons (and extra stories) with Master Hroombra, aiding her father with the orchard and assisting her mother with the garden. Gieaun and Scede promised to help Jahrra clean out the old stables by the Castle Guard Ruin so that she could someday keep Phrym there when they visited Hroombra. Even Abdhe and Hroombra volunteered to help the children when they found the time.
“Oh Phrym,” Jahrra would say with glee, “at the end of the summer you’ll be able to visit and stay with Master Hroombra if you’d like!”
Then she’d turn to the Korli dragon, whom would stand out by the old degraded stables and imagine it in pristine condition alongside her, and add, “And when I’m older I can come and visit you anytime I want!”
Hroombra smiled down at the young girl with her eyes closed in happiness, envisioning the completed stable before her. The old dragon may have been disappointed by Jaax’s short visit, but he couldn’t help feeling pleased with how his gift was affecting Jahrra.
On the final day of school before their long-anticipated summer break, Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede patiently endured the presence of the twins and their gang, but even Eydeth and Ellysian seemed too distracted by the prospect of long days away from the schoolhouse to waste much time on them.
Jahrra was barely able to pay attention in class with all the images of the upcoming camping trip dancing around in her head. She was going to stay the night at Wood’s End Ranch and the next morning she’d be leaving for Ossar Lake with her friends. Ossar Lake, according to Gieaun and Scede, was the most wondrous place in Ethoes. “If there is any magic in Oescienne Jahrra, it’s at Lake Ossar,” Scede had told her dreamily.
Jahrra sighed heavily, wishing the hours would move by faster. The school day dragged on but finally, after what seemed like years, it was all over. Master Cohrbin wished them all goodbye as his impatient students fled through the doors to freedom, reminding them not to forget what they had learned over the summer.
Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede were the last to leave the schoolyard, darting to the mail cart when it finally rattled up the shaded drive.
“What’s all this rushin’ about?” Dharedth asked in a slightly aggravated tone. “You all may be in a hurry, but Rhuda sure isn’t.”
“Summer has started!” the children exclaimed in exasperation as if such a thing should be fairly obvious to the mail carrier.
“Ah, I see. Can’ wait to make use of the free time, eh?”
And with that he clicked Rhuda into a steady gait. The long ride home, which was usually Jahrra’s favorite time of the day, was almost unbearable. Each field they passed and each road they crossed was one more minute lost from her summer vacation, but finally the mail cart came to a jerking halt in front of Jahrra’s long drive.
“Alright little Jahrra, run and get your things, we’ll wait,” Dharedth called after her as she sprinted down the walk.
“Nida! Pada!” she yelled breathlessly as she burst through the front door.
“Oh!” Her mother jumped and dropped the dust rag she’d been holding. “My goodness child! Are you trying to kill me?” Lynhi breathed, clutching her heart.
“Sorry,” Jahrra interjected, “but Gieaun and Scede are waiting with Mr. Dharedth!”
She jumped up and gave her moth
er a kiss on the cheek, still breathless from running up the drive. Lynhi smiled warmly, “Go say goodbye to your Pada. He’s out tending the trees.”
Jahrra darted into the small yard and through the wood pole fence, causing the family’s small flock of chickens to go scattering in terror. She found her father atop a ladder wearing his wide-brimmed straw hat, thinning out the young fruit on the trees so they would produce a healthier crop.
“Pada!” she shouted up at him.
He looked down, not at all surprised to hear his daughter shouting from below. “Yes Jahrra? How was your last day of school?”
“It was alright. But Gieaun and Scede are waiting out front,” Jahrra said, trying not to sound overly enthusiastic. “Remember, I’m going to Lake Ossar?”
Abdhe climbed down the ladder and scooped his daughter into his arms. “Oh, that’s right. I guess I’d better come in and say goodbye then.”
He carried her back to the house and set her down in the kitchen, taking a seat on one of the old kitchen chairs.
“Have you packed?” he asked seriously, looking at Jahrra through his wispy hair.
Jahrra’s eyes popped open and she turned and clambered up the stairs. Abdhe just chuckled, causing Lynhi to glance over at her husband with veiled eyes.
“What is it now?” he asked in a tone that declared he was used to this silent protesting from his wife.
“Are you sure it’s safe to send her there for the weekend? I know we’ve already discussed this a hundred times, but what if something happens, even with Nuhra and Kaihmen watching over her?”
Abdhe took out his pipe and carefully lit it. After taking a few puffs he glanced back at his wife. “She can’t be kept safe forever, and it’s only for the weekend. Jahrra deserves to enjoy her childhood while it lasts.”
“You’re probably right,” Lynhi sighed, getting back to her dusting, “but I can’t help but worry.”
[Oescienne 01.0] The Finding Page 9