The Last Wizard of Eneri Clare

by April Leonie Lindevald

  Tash acknowledged her with a special, gentle nuzzle, “Nyree, I would fly from across the sea to hear your rare voice one more time. The ceremony was, as always, memorably beautiful.”

  “My thanks, old friend,” she bowed her head to him and added, “but the young people made quite a lovely contribution themselves, yes?”

  “Impressive.” Tash agreed, and Mark turned red at the compliment.

  Delphine jumped in, “Is it true, Tash?”

  “What, little one?”

  “Is it true you have offered to fly Mark and me away tonight? It’s very out of the ordinary…”

  “It will be my pleasure, little sister, to carry you both on your wedding day. I am at your service. Call on me when you are ready.”

  Mark spoke up, “Mighty Lord Dragon, I thank you for this generous gift…”

  Tash chuckled, “We all wanted this night to be memorable… ” Nelrose turned to her parents, enchanted, “Mamma, I want a dragon for my wedding!”

  Mark’s mother nearly did faint at that pronouncement, and Tashroth laughed outright, good-naturedly delighted by the youngster’s fascination, “Come and find me when the time comes, little one.”

  Tvrdik was regarding Jorelial Rey from across the circle, watching her relax and laugh with the rest. He liked her this way, her guard down, all burdens of leadership set down for the moment, her personality allowed to just shine through with a dazzling brilliance. He felt inexplicably proud of her, guessing that it had taken a lot of soul-searching for her to give up her special secret retreat, her exclusive claim on the dragon. A worthy gift. As he stood there, musing thus, he realized that all eyes had turned toward him. Of course. He was the last of the wedding party not to have presented a gift. Almost as if it were choreographed, everyone present looked away again. He realized they did not wish to make him feel uncomfortable, assuming there was no way he could have any gift to present. Ah, but he was prepared. He stepped forward as the others had, and cleared his throat.

  “Ummm, Delphine, it was barely two weeks ago when I arrived in this place, not a cent to my name, my few possessions on my back, and knowing no one. Right away, you offered me your trust, your smile, your friendship. You shared with me your deepest feelings, your fears and joys – shared Mark with me as well. And now, you have invited me to participate in this most significant moment in your lives, and made me feel like family. I do not know how I ever came to deserve any of this, but I am most grateful. I have nothing that belongs to me that I may give you as a gift. Still, I do not come here empty-handed…”

  “Tvrdik, you don’t have to…we never meant to…for you to feel obligated….”

  “No, no, I want to give you something special in return for all your kindness. My gift to you is the fulfillment of a wish you expressed to me several days ago. But its purpose is to show you that, after all, the world you live in is a very magical and beautiful place. That even in times when all seems dark and hopeless and oh, so uninspired, there is always a magical adventure awaiting you, magical possibilities hiding just beneath the surface of things, if you only just look for them and believe. Will you remember that for me?” As he spoke, his voice began to take on a tone of authority not usual for him, and he was almost glowing with a strange, internal radiance. Even Tashroth was still, attending to the young wizard. Delphine wrinkled her brow in question, “Why, yes, I will, but what…?”

  He held up a hand to interrupt her and she fell silent, glancing up at her new husband for an answer. Mark shrugged, and nodded. Tvrdik strode up to the burbling swan fountain, and held out his right hand as if presenting something, or someone.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I should like at this time to introduce you to a very dear friend of mine: an authentic naiad – that’s ‘water sprite’ to the uninitiated – whose home is in a pristine waterfall in the heart of the ancient forest. She travelled all the way here with me from the wood in order to better know the world outside her small neighborhood. Friends, may I present the lady Ondine? You can come out now…” There was a moment of awkward silence, all eyes on the fountain, which flowed on undisturbed by anything unexpected for what seemed an eternity. Tvrdik shifted, cleared his throat once more, and stared at the waters, brows knitted. Then, in a heartbeat, a small blue, glistening ball of energy exploded from the basin, shot up into the air, hung there a moment and fell back down with a gigantic kerplunk, spraying everyone within a five foot radius of the fountain. A curly blue head poked out of the water, “Hello, lovely people. Happy joining day to you.”

  Delphine threw back her head and howled in unadulterated delight, clapping her hands and jumping up and down like a small child. For a second Tvrdik noted again just how similar the young girl and the water sprite were in so many aspects. Ondine leapt and spun and somersaulted in exuberant greeting, splashing everyone yet again. And then Tvrdik went down the line and introduced her to everyone individually, paying special attention to the bride and groom, the Lady Regent, and her dragon.

  “Well, well,” Tash purred, “I have not seen your kind in many a year. How delightful to meet you in person, Ondine!”

  Ondine froze in the basin, staring wide-eyed at the huge dragon’s head addressing her, a look of uncertainty on her small face. Then she shot up and planted a wet kiss right on the big beast’s snout, “Hello, dragon! First time I meet dragon so close – not scary. Dragon sweet. Lovely Man, you not tell us dragon is sweet…why you not tell us?” Tvrdik’s mouth opened, but he could think of no reply. Ondine turned her attention to the Lady Regent, who was staring at her with head tilted to one side and brows arched quizzically. “And Lady Juh-reh-lee-uhl.” Ondine struggled with the name she had heard. “Pleased to meet you too. Hear much about you from my friend. Want to see you myself.” Jorelial Rey cleared her throat and extended a hand toward Ondine’s. Gently she grasped the tiny fingers, and did something like a formal handshake.

  “I am astonished to meet in person such a wondrous creature, Mademoiselle Ondine. We would like to welcome you to our fair city and express our sincere pleasure at your visit. If there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, please do not hesitate to ask. We are honored.” Ondine gave her a pretty little bow and thanked her, stating she was enjoying herself ‘plenty well’ thus far. Then the nymph turned her attention to Nyree, “Oh, so lovely singing, beautiful lady. I like music, sing too. Someday, maybe we sing together, yes?” Nyree was smiling ear to ear.

  “My, my, Mark, I had no idea when I consented to come to your wedding that I would be surprised by your interesting assortment of friends.”

  “Neither did I,” interjected the groom sheepishly.

  Nyree went on, “My dear little naiad, you make an old woman very happy with such a compliment. I shall be ever so glad to make music with you any time you wish.” At that, Ondine rose up in the air and did one of her amazing pirouettes, causing everyone to gasp in delight and dissolve into laughter.

  Delphine could barely catch her breath, “Oh, Tvrdik, this is truly too much. You are amazing. Thank you, thank you for this wonderful gift. I will cherish it in my heart and memory always, just as you say. It is a magical world, and I am blessed to have such remarkable friends. I hardly know what to say.” She threw her arms spontaneously around the pale wizard in an enthusiastic embrace, and then stepped back to let her grateful regard fall on each who was present there, in turn. Nyree, always the wise woman, was the one to respond, “Child, they are all here because they love you, and you have earned that yourself by the way you have treated them. Remember the love you give will always come back to you a hundredfold. Never be afraid to love. It is always the appropriate response.” Delphine squeezed the old bard’s hand in acknowledgement, then turned to Ondine, “Thank you for coming to my wedding, Ondine. I shall visit you soon, and I hope we shall grow to be great friends.”

  “Oh yes, surely we shall. I bless your marriage now with a little bit of t
he old magic; we naiads are of water – we know water magic. Water flows, is powerful, deep, filled with shifting moods, but also healing, life-giving, thirst-quenching. I give you all these qualities for all your days together. Then you will never be bored, or dull, or rigid, and you will be life, and refreshment, and healing to one another. Now it is so.”

  Mark nodded to her with appreciation, and Delphine bowed her head, eyes closed. In the pause that followed, the Lady Regent snatched her opportunity to shift the mood, “Well, this was nice. Who’s for some breakfast? I’m famished, and I’ll bet it’s still early enough for us to have the kitchen all to ourselves. And there may yet be time for a nap before the Coronation gets underway.”

  Tvrdik walked over to Stewart to trade greetings and commend him on his gesture. Tashroth courteously took his leave of the wedding party, then stopped to connect briefly with Jorelial. Delphine and Mark finally found a moment to seal their union with a long and meaningful kiss. Stewart trotted away on his own while Tvrdik made a point of greeting Mark’s parents with a warm welcome and compliments on their son. Nelrose, beaming, stole an opportunity to stroke the dragon’s lovely opalescent scales one more time before he withdrew his head from the arena. After a moment, they all saw him rise in the air and wing off into the blue distance. Then, as Mark and Delphine each attached themselves to one of Nyree’s arms and escorted her down the cobblestone walkway toward Theriole, closely followed by Mark’s entire family, Jorelial Rey lingered a moment to watch Tvrdik carefully gather Ondine up into a small basin he had hidden behind the benches. The little nymph was twittering and splashing in the bowl and the young mage was all smiles. Rel strolled over.

  “Well done, my magical friend. You are ever full of surprises.”

  “I try. Well done, yourself. That was quite thoughtful and generous of you.”

  “I can do thoughtful and generous…sometimes.” They laughed. “Coming to breakfast?”

  “I’ll just return Ondine to her favorite spot in the river, and join you all in a bit, shall I?”

  “Good. Don’t be long. Delphine would want you there. Ummm…Tvrdik, you know I can’t invite you officially to the Coronation. It’s a closed affair, by invitation only, being in a relatively small space, and people would wonder who you were…”

  “I understand.”

  “I was wondering if I could, well, impose on you one more time, to, uh, to …do your bird routine? I know it’s asking a lot. I’m sure you have better things to do with your afternoon…”

  “I hope this doesn’t offend you, Lady, but I was already planning on it. You never know what might happen at a crowded event like that. We can’t be too cautious; an extra pair of eyes and ears might be useful.”

  She was grinning, “You really are too much, do you know that? Well, I can only say thank you, and I promise it won’t be long before you can emerge from anonymity for good.”

  “All at the proper time. You have enough on your mind just now. By the way, you look lovely. That color and that style suit you well.” He was appraising her appreciatively. She blushed.

  “Not bad yourself. Quite the festive jacket!” Now it was his turn to blush and lower his eyes.

  “Delphine picked it out.”

  “She has good taste.” There was a brief, awkward silence, which Tvrdik broke.

  “You should go. They will all be looking for you.”

  “Yes. See you. Don’t be long.” She turned and hurried to catch up with the others as fast as her gown would allow, leaving the wizard shaking his head, still smiling, gazing after her retreating figure.

  After returning Ondine to her special river sanctuary, and thanking her for her contribution to Delphine’s wedding, (“Oh, thank you, Lovely Man. I had such a very good time – love meeting all the new friends, hear beautiful music. You come take me to more special things anytime.”), Tvrdik strolled back to the palace through the empty gardens at a leisurely pace. The day was promising to be warm with a clear, fair sky. A perfect day, he thought. He went straight to the kitchens, where he joined the others in a hearty breakfast already in progress. They hastened to set out a chair for him and made him feel welcome. The day would be long and full – no one knew when they would next find opportunity to eat. So they feasted on eggs and bread and fruit and fresh butter, warm milk and cider. To Tvrdik’s delight, they even dug up some of the little custardy pastries he had developed a taste for on his first morning at the palace. He confessed that they were fast becoming his favorite treat, and they gave him two. They all lingered long at the table, eating and laughing and sharing stories in warm, easy fellowship. Mark and Delphine told the story of how they met, and talked with exuberance about their plans for a school, Nyree paying close attention, and showing more than a passing interest in their original ideas. Jorelial Rey described in great detail her favorite features of the retreat spot at the crater lake. This time the bride and groom were listening with rapt attention, excited about their upcoming escape to the beautiful place. Tvrdik was asked to tell all about his adventures in transporting Ondine from the ancient forest to Theriole, and he did have a few humorous moments to relate that kept everyone entertained. Nelrose kept asking Rel where she could get her own dragon, and the Lady Regent kept finding ways to obliquely avoid the subject, an accomplishment that earned her no end of devotion from Mark’s mother. All in all, it was a morning of good fellowship and happy camaraderie that no one wanted to end, but as the last bit of bread disappeared, someone checked the hour, and they all reluctantly realized it was time to address the next of the day’s obligations.

  As they all parted for different destinations, everyone wished Mark and Delphine great happiness and thanked them for a lovely ceremony. The two sisters embraced long and tenderly and Rel shook Mark’s hand. Then Tvrdik motioned quietly to the Regent, “I’ll be there if you need me.” She nodded and headed back to her rooms. The rest of the palace was already abuzz by now, as its inhabitants all rose to bathe, dress, and adorn themselves for the social and political event of their lifetimes. Servants bustled about in every direction carrying food, clothing, hot water, fresh towels, floral arrangements, cleaning tools, and hearth equipment. Making her way through the halls was like an obstacle course, but she managed to arrive in her rooms in one piece. Unfortunately, Bargarelle was already there awaiting her decisions on a hundred and one last-minute details that apparently no one else could handle. With a sigh, she set to work. If she had truly hoped for the afore-mentioned nap, it became a pipedream as the hours ticked by. She did finally get half an hour in a chair with eyes closed, and a chance to wash her face and re-braid her hair. And then it was time to make her way to the chapel.

  SEVENTEEN

  A New King and a Clipped Wing

  THERIOLE WAS NOT A SINGLE edifice, but a large, sprawling complex of buildings and additions which had sprung up over centuries around the original keep, as the inhabitants’ needs had shifted from defense to a thousand civil functions. At one corner of this miniature city stood a very old chapel, or spiritual sanctuary, where the residents could celebrate their connection to a higher power, however they perceived it. There were many local flavors of spiritual practice scattered throughout the kingdom, and the builders wisely sought to bring together common elements in this sacred space, without making any of its citizenry feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. Eneri Clare boasted a tradition of tolerance which continued right up to the present time. It was in this chapel, then, that the coronation would take place, so as to invoke the blessing of Divine Providence, whatever the populace currently conceived it to be. The space was not large, only seating several hundred, which was why only the highest echelon of lords, ministers, ambassadors, dignitaries, civic leaders and their spouses could be accommodated for the actual ceremony. These few could then witness and attest to the fact that all the usual ceremonies and conventions were duly observed. The general populace could then welcome the new king outside on the pal
ace steps, while feasting and secular celebration could later continue in many venues, both inside and outside of Theriole.

  The chapel was beautifully decorated with breathtaking murals, carvings, stained glass, and statuary whose aim was to guide one’s thoughts to otherworldly pursuits. It was always open to anyone who wished to engage in personal contemplation or prayer, except when being used for such formal, official occasions as weddings, funerals, celebrations of holidays, festivals, changes of season, commemorations, and of course, the occasional crowning. Senior bards conducted all solemn ceremonies, but as a coronation could be a long and demanding ritual, Nyree had declined the honor of performing it herself. She was quite comfortable attending as an honored guest, leaving the duties of her guild to her second, a fortyish veteran named Morelle. Morelle had been in the game a long time, had a pleasant enough tenor voice, and was more than competent on the harp. However, his true specialty was history, lore, and the preservation of traditional and ceremonial chant, a fact which made him uniquely qualified to preside at an occasion as ancient and ritual-bound as this one. There would be a small musical ensemble in the room to play during processional, recessional, and transitional moments in the service, but most of the actual chanting in the body of the ceremony was unaccompanied. Morelle had assisted fourteen years earlier when the young king’s father had been crowned, and therefore was not only familiar with what was required in scholarly terms, but also by experience.

  It was a perfect day, weather-wise – dry and sunny, but not terribly hot. The room was filled to capacity with the wealthy and influential of the kingdom, all dressed in their finest garments and ornaments. Everything moved along without a single unwelcome surprise. The musicians played while Jorelial Rey walked down the center aisle, leading her infant charge. They were followed by the High Ministers, Morelle, and Lord Maygrew. Each of these took pre-determined places at the front of the room before the eager onlookers. Chants were sung invoking the assistance and wisdom of the powers of the Universe, and special attention was paid to calling forth the symbolic divinities embodying Justice, Wisdom, Prosperity, Harmony, and Peace. There was a long section listing the young king’s lineage, reinforcing his bloodline and birthright to the throne in front of all present. There were a series of questions of intention for the candidate, which the Lady Regent was allowed to answer in the child’s stead, since he was so very young. There was a recited statement by the gathered witnesses, offering support and fealty to the rightful monarch. Then came the conferring of symbols of office – the Scepter of Power and the Yoke of Responsibility (which was really a very large pendant), as well as the ring with the royal seal. Sacred, fragrant oil was used to anoint the boy’s yellow head, officially beginning his reign. Last of all came the crown (a child-sized replica was used for this occasion), a plain band of finest gold surmounted with the seven stars of Clare (also appearing on the kingdom’s flag), each one set with a different precious gem cut to a brilliant sparkle. As Morelle set it on the new king’s brow, the musicians played a stately, but joyful melody, and cheers erupted from the assembled crowd.