“So, how does it feel to be immortalized in song?” needled Bargarelle.
Tvrdik frowned, “Like you are all talking about somebody else.” There was more laughter, and then someone shouted, “Speech! Speech. Let the birthday boy make a speech.” And the chant was taken up by everyone present until Tvrdik held up his hands for silence.
“My dear friends,” he began, “and I do not pronounce those words lightly – up until this time in my life I do not think I ever really knew what friendship was. Anyway, I am glad to have provided an occasion for such delight, such fun and festivity in each other’s company. All of us have been burdened of late with heavy responsibilities and the threat of imminent danger. It warms my heart, in the midst of all that, to share a day like today, and see smiles all around. Stewart and Delphine, you were so right to remind me how healing a celebration like this could be, and I feel sure its glow will lighten the days ahead, as we recommit ourselves to our work.
“Many thanks to all of you for coming and making my birthday such a memorable occasion, especially to the members of the planning committee who managed to organize the whole thing in only a few days. And a special thank you should go to Mrs. Praeger for her tireless efforts at keeping us all well-fed and happy.” Here there was hearty applause. “But, more than all of this, I want to thank all of you more than I can express for taking me in, a penniless stranger, and making me a part of your family. I look down at this assortment of thoughtful, meaningful, and generous gifts, and I am overwhelmed. I don’t really know what I have done to deserve any of this, but I do know that I have never felt so loved or valued in my entire life. This is, indeed, the happiest birthday I have ever experienced, and that is due to all of you. So, from the depths of my heart, I can only say, thank you.”
There was an awkward silence as the guests lowered their eyes and shuffled feet, moved by the mage’s words, but uncertain of an appropriate response, until some wise soul chanted, “Cake! Cake! Bring out the cake.” There was laughter all around, and one by one, the entire company began to take up the chant. Sallia and Brendelle cut and served cake to each guest, while some still restrained Mrs. Praeger from rushing to the task herself. She had outdone herself on this delicious creation. And there was more wine for the guests as well. After they had all had their fill, the little consort Nyree had brought along tuned up, and there was dancing for an hour on the lawn. But not the stuffy court dances popular at palace affairs. Rather, they played the earthy, traditional jigs and line dances favored by the ordinary folk in village and countryside. Even Tvrdik, isolated as he had been, remembered some of the steps from his youth, and with Delphine’s patient encouragement, did not embarrass himself any more than the rest. It was an atmosphere of non-judgment and abandon, folks circling and skipping and laughing until they were all breathless and exhausted. By that time, it was becoming difficult to see in the deepening shadows, and a number of the guests offered warm salutations and farewells, and headed off to the palace or their homes. Tvrdik thanked each departing friend with a warm, personal embrace. Ondine christened him one last time with an affectionate splash, and a wet kiss on the cheek, before sailing off downriver. Then, while Mark, Delphine, and Brendelle lingered to help the Praegers straighten up and put things away, he found himself sitting in the parlor, sharing a last glass of wine with Jorelial Rey.
They sat in companionable silence for awhile, aware they were both a little tipsy, and Tvrdik unable to keep from smiling – a sort of broad, silly smile that reflected his whole mood. At last, he broke the silence.
“Dear, dear Jorelial Rey, I want to thank you for the beautiful cloak. It is a most practical and generous gift.”
“You’re welcome. It occurred to me that you didn’t have a proper wrap for the winter. It can get awfully cold, here, you know, when the wind blows off the ocean…”
“Still, you are expressing a lot of optimism with that gift, are you not?”
She wrinkled her brow, “How do you mean?”
“You are assuming I shall be here to use it when the cold months arrive.”
“Here, there, anywhere you like…use it in good health.”
“No, I mean you are assuming I shall survive to use it.”
She was taken aback, “Now, why in heaven’s name would you say a fool thing like that at the end of a near-perfect day? Why would you even think something like that? It’s a fine time now for doubts about our likelihood of success…”
His eyes drifted to the floor, “I have no doubts about our success. I have only been thinking that we can’t expect to walk away without some losses…”
“Have you seen something, then? Do you know something about the future that you haven’t shared? Did Xaarus tell you something?”
“No, nothing like that. I was never very good at that particular component of the wizard’s art anyway, and I haven’t talked to Xaarus since we fended off Drogue’s ships. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the wine, or the strange dream I had this morning that seemed so full of obscure messages I couldn’t quite grasp. Maybe it’s instinct, or a natural inclination to melancholy, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how different my life is now – how blessed I am to have a purpose, and friendship, and a place in this community. I was sent here on a mission, and sometimes I think that when we have accomplished our goals, life will have no further use for me. If any of us perish in the battle, it should be me, as I will be content to have experienced more than I ever dreamed possible.”
She shook her head foggily, “Tvrdik, you’re talking nonsense. I have no intention of losing anyone in this conflict, let alone the one person who understands all of our offensive strategies. Don’t be in such a hurry to lay down your life for the cause; you’ll serve it a lot better alive and in one piece.”
He sighed, “You’re right, of course, but even so, I just want to tell you that if this birthday, my thirtieth, were to be my last…”
She put up a hand, “Tvrdik, stop.”
“No, just hear me out. If it were to be my last, I would go happy and content because of these last few months. I want you to know that coming to know you…and your sister, and all the wonderful people you have brought into my life, has enriched it beyond anything I could have imagined. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Now, you really will have to stop talking, or you will have me going down that road too, and that, my friend, is simply not a good idea.”
There was an extended pause while they both sipped at their wine, and then Tvrdik mumbled, half to himself, “I should have liked to have seen my waterfall one more time, though. I’d love to have taken you there and showed it to you. It is… so very beautiful.”
The tone of her response was impatient, tight, “Well, as far as I’m concerned, the sooner we get this whole business over with, the better. This waiting is agony. I would like to get the job done, defeat Drogue, and save the kingdom once and for all so you can go back to your little hut in the woods, and play with your waterfall to your heart’s content, and I can get back to some semblance of a normal life. Then, everything can go back to the way it was before you showed up and turned it all upside down.”
The moment the words came out of her mouth, she realized what she had said, and instantly hoped that perhaps she had only thought them. She looked up to the certain proof that she had indeed spoken them aloud, to her everlasting regret. Tvrdik’s silly smile seemed frozen eerily on his face while his eyes flashed pain from the wound she had just inflicted. Then, before her eyes, in seconds, she saw him shift – his relaxed, open, vulnerable manner retreated behind layers of cold, heavy armor. It was as if she saw the breath of winter move over him from waist to crown, and gradually freeze every part of him, until his eyes grew guarded and unreadable in his expressionless face. She leapt to repair the damage.
“Tvrdik….Tvrdik, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean anything by that. Of course you are very dear to me…none of th
is was your fault, anyway. It’s just the wine talking…and…and just that so much has changed since you came. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to a simpler time, when I wasn’t Lady Regent, and responsible for a zillion important things, wondering if there isn’t someone lurking around every corner trying to kill me.” This last tumbled out all in a rush.
His voice was cold, “I quite understand. I don’t blame you. I suppose it would seem that I have brought nothing but bad news and crisis into your life. I wish the circumstances could have been different…”
“Tvrdik, don’t let anything I said upset you. I should never have had so much wine.”
“Don’t worry, my lady. Very soon now, we will be confronting the challenge that has been set for us, and before you know it, godswilling, I will be able to return to the woods you have so kindly deeded to me, and you can resume the life you remember as normal.” He spoke softly, weighing each word, carefully delivering them in a cordial, formal tone, but his entire body was trembling with contained emotion. His guarded eyes revealed nothing. He rose from his chair without warning, and put his glass down. “If my lady will excuse me, it has been a very long day, and I fear I have also overindulged a bit. I find I am suddenly very tired. I trust you will not mind if I take my leave. You know the way home?”
“Tvrdik, don’t be like this…please listen to me. I was just being childish. Come on, don’t let it spoil the whole day.” She was on her feet, tugging on his sleeve in desperation. He turned back to her and softened a bit, but the expression she saw break through his reserve was just sad and weary.
“Please go, Jorelial Rey. I think I let myself wander into territory a bit too familiar, and you were just speaking your heart. There’s nothing else to discuss. I’m tired now and need to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll be fine.”
But she could see that they would not be fine at all. They would be cordial and efficient, and work together and get the job done, alright, but they would never be fine. “Please, Tvrdik, I beg of you, don’t go like this. Don’t go…”
At that moment, a deafening sound of rushing air drowned out anything else she might have said, as both of their heads snapped around to face the front door. A moment later they were standing in the doorway looking out at a new arrival on the front lawn. Candelinda had returned from her mission.
THIRTY–SIX
The Unraveling
TASHROTH WAS BY CANDELINDA’S SIDE in an instant, nuzzling her and assessing her condition. Other than weariness from her long flight, she seemed to be whole and unharmed. Tvrdik seized a torch from the wall sconce, and he and the Lady Rey ran out to greet the returning messenger. Mark, Delphine, and Brendelle were close behind. Tvrdik held the light high, as Jorelial Rey addressed the white dragon, “Greetings, Candelinda, and welcome back. Are you well?”
“I am well, my lady, and eager to report.”
“Good girl. Were you in any way ill-treated or threatened?”
“No, my lady. I was received as a distinguished guest, and treated with some hospitality. At no time was I overtly threatened or ill-used. However, my instinct was that this was largely because it suited Drogue’s purpose of the moment, that I should serve as his messenger.”
“Meaning?”
“He is preparing for war, my lady, by land, and has assembled a formidable invasion force. He did not hesitate to show me much of his army and equipment, holding back a few surprises for later, I am sure. His intent, I assume, was to impress me with his superior power in the hopes that I would come back and frighten you all into surrendering your claim to the throne.”
“Is that what you are doing now?’
“By no means, my lady. I only relay the unpleasant facts. We will face a large and well-equipped foe, and it will not be long before they are at our doorstep. By my observations, those who follow him are unlikely to follow codes of honor, or to be easily dissuaded from their intent by any appeal to a higher sense of right. We will have to double our forces and our efforts in probably less than a month to be ready to face him with any hope for victory.”
“Dragonsbreath…” muttered the regent, while Tvrdik closed his eyes and sighed.
Candelinda went on, “Drogue is cocky and overconfident, however. He underestimates us by every measure, and has little intelligence of what we are practicing. We have the element of surprise and justice on our side; I believe we can defeat him.”
“Did he speak of the rout of his ships?”
“He sneered at his own commanders, called them ‘incompetent children,’ and congratulated us on our use of a ‘neat parlor trick’ to confuse them – his words, my lady.”
“Yes, I understand. And all of my offers extended for a peaceful resolution?”
“He allowed me to communicate them, my lady, but gave them no serious consideration. He is fixed on his own ascension to the throne - nothing less - and is expecting it to be as easy as plucking a ripe apple from an unguarded tree. As I said, he does not really listen or observe, and may be surprised at the resistance he encounters.”
“Candelinda, friend, you have done well, and I am grateful and relieved at your safe return. You must be tired. Can we get you anything?”
“I am happy to be of service, my lady. Rest is all I require now, and I will take it with your permission, and come to you tomorrow with further details of all that I saw and heard.”
“Very well. Tash, go with her, please, and see her needs are taken care of. I will walk back to Theriole. I need to clear my head.”
“Is that wise, dearest?” Tashroth’s deep voice inquired.
Delphine was quick to reassure him, “Don’t worry, Tash. We’ll all go together; she’ll be alright.”
He nodded, gave a gentle nuzzle to Jorelial Rey’s hair, another to Candelinda, and the two of them rose into the air with a power and grace that left those on the ground staring after them open-mouthed. The two dragons banked in synchronized flight, circled once, and receded into the starry sky in the direction of the palace. A fat sickle moon hung low in the sky, having only just appeared above the horizon. The Praegers had finished tidying up the house and grounds, and put Lynette to bed, and had joined the small company on the lawn watching the dragons fly off. It was a few moments before Jorelial Rey broke the silence.
“I would suggest we all try to get a good night’s sleep now; starting tomorrow, there will be very little rest for any of us.” Her eyes were still fixed on the far-off point where the dragons had disappeared, but they were seeing things to come.
Tvrdik was also still looking off in the distance. “So. It has come,” he murmured, all at once very sober.
“Not yet, but soon. Now it is certain. There is so much more to be done, and so little time.”
Delphine was next, “I know you will say this isn’t like me,” she said, “but I’m feeling a cold chill run down my spine. I think I’m frightened.”
“Good!” retorted her mother, “We should all be frightened of men like Drogue, and know what we must face. And then, we must stand up against them anyway. Fear will push us to work harder, prepare better. Courage will give us the strength.”
Mark pulled Delphine closer, his long arm circling her shoulder, and lifted his chin in defiance, “We will be ready for them.”
“Yes, we will,” Tvrdik nodded.
There was another long pause.
Without warning, Jorelial Rey grasped the mage’s sleeve and looked up at him with eyes that pleaded, “Tvrdik…what I said before…” He looked down at her, and seeing her vulnerability at that moment, he had an almost irresistible urge to gather her into his arms and assure her that everything was going to be alright. But she was the Lady Regent, and he had been burned already this evening. He stood immobile. The moment passed.
“Let it go,” he told her. “There are far more pressing issues that demand our attention now. It is no matter.” Jorelial Rey bowed her head.
Delphine stepped in and hugged the wizard. “Happy birthday, Tvrdik, and many, many more to my dear, dear lucky charm.”
He hugged her back, incapable of resisting that dependably generous heart, “Thank you for everything, sweet girl. You made it very special.”
As they parted, Mark reached out to shake his hand, “Many happy returns, sir.”
“Agh! Please don’t call me ‘sir’. Thank you for the song, Mark. I am honored.”
Mark smiled broadly. Brendelle kissed the mage on both cheeks, looked him in the eye, and whispered to him, “Youth, you know, is over-rated, confusing, and painful. It gets better from here on. You’ll see.” She winked at him, and to his surprise, he nodded to her with the hope and certainty that she, of all people, knew what she was talking about.
Now it was Jorelial Rey’s turn to bid him farewell. She was standing a few feet away, uncertain as to what to do. Tvrdik straightened up and gave her a little formal bow, “Deepest thanks, my lady, for all you did to make this a memorable day. And for your very generous and thoughtful gift.”
The Lady Regent stood for a moment regarding his face, as if searching for something. Then, she inclined her head in his direction. “My pleasure, mage. I am happy you enjoyed it all. It was the least we could do for such an auspicious occasion. We will be hearing Candelinda’s detailed report tomorrow after lunch. We would appreciate your official presence at her interview.”
“Of course, my lady. At your service.” And he bowed again.
Delphine’s brow wrinkled at this public display of formality, “Rel?” she queried.
“Let’s go home, Delphine. I’m…I’m tired.” Delphine, still puzzled, glanced back and forth between her sister and the mage, but Jorelial took her arm, and headed for the gate. The little party of four let themselves through onto the riverwalk, and disappeared into the night.
Tvrdik turned to the Praegers, “What can I possibly say to thank the two of you for this day? I will never forget it. Every day I bless the heavens for sending you both into my life.”
The Last Wizard of Eneri Clare Page 62