“Did you get it all, Master?” Tvrdik asked.
“I think so, son. But you can fill in the details later on when you are rested. I hope you will not stop contacting me because these matters are done with. I am still an exile missing home, you know…I can only say that all of you rose to this occasion with true greatness of spirit, and you have reason to be very, very proud of how you have conducted yourselves, and what you have accomplished under the most fearful circumstances. Most of all, lad, my heart swells with pride for you. You have made your old master’s heart sing.”
Tvrdik then lowered his voice, although there was no possibility he would not be overheard by the others, “Master, did you see…was it there about…about what happened with Ailianne?”
Xaarus let loose a long, heavy sigh, and chose his response with care. “Yes, my boy, I saw. It was like a knife through my own heart as well.” There was a pause. Tvrdik needed more, “Master, please help me to understand…”
“Tvrdik, it pains me to believe that some part of her, maybe of Benjin too, has been trapped all this time, and may have been re-animated by Lord Drogue’s dark sorceries. But whatever part that was, whatever you encountered, was not the Ailianne we both loved and remembered. You were correct in asserting that our Ailianne perished long ago. We cannot have her back, son, though it breaks both of our hearts to admit it. I would like to think I would have been strong enough to resist that illusion, as you did, Tvrdik, but I am not so sure I would have succeeded. You passed a very difficult test, my boy, and that makes you a true master.”
“I tried to call on you then, to help me understand what I was facing, but nothing happened. Why did you not appear?”
“I’m not sure, but I assume you were too emotionally overwrought in the moment to focus on our link. I am sorry. But, in the end, you handled a most difficult encounter with great wisdom, and without my help.”
“It could have gone either way…”
“No. I don’t think so. Your heart is too pure. Remember, all you did was to hold up the Light of Truth; the real Ailianne would not have been harmed by the confrontation. What you revealed was so corrupt and unholy that it could not even survive seeing the truth of itself. It was like a thing of smoke and foulness, cobbled together and masked with a pleasing illusion. That was Drogue’s targeted plan to defeat you, and get you out of his way. Had you not seen through her seductions, we would have lost you too, my boy, forever. And that, I could not have borne. I have to admit, Drogue had a few more tricks up his sleeve than I gave him credit for. But thankfully, all that is over now.”
“Yes, Drogue will not be bothering us anymore…at least in the state we remember him.”
“And that, too, son, was sheer, magnificent inspiration.”
“We never could have defeated him or his forces without all of your good counsel and help, sir.”
“Tvrdik, how I wish I could come through this channel in the flesh to clap you on the back. Rest assured I will continue working to find a way to do it, too. If it takes the rest of my days, I will never cease trying to come home.”
“I wish it with all of my heart. But I am tiring, and must disengage. For now, goodnight, Master.”
“Be well. Rest content in what you have done. Speak to me again soon…” The vision of Xaarus began to blur around the edges and recede. Tvrdik looked up at Jorelial Rey, “Now, take both of my hands, and ask Tashroth to disengage…” She did not need a second prompting. Tashroth dropped his part of the connection, and as Tvrdik closed his eyes and began to sway, she squeezed his hands hard and pulled on them. Tvrdik blinked, looked around a bit dazed, and then down at his hands, still clasped in the lady’s. As they both registered the sensation of touch between them, Rel dropped the hands as if they were hot coals from the fire, and then covered her embarrassment by asking, “Are you alright?”
“Fine. Just tired like the rest of you. We are getting rather good at this, though.” In the darkness, it was impossible to tell if either of them was blushing.
“Well,” Delphine stood and stretched, wincing to feel her muscles growing stiff and sore, “my brain is done trying to take in the marvel after marvel which we have been a party to this day. I almost wonder if the morning will dawn and prove that all of it has been just a dream…”
Mark broke in, “Parts of it a nightmare, at that.”
She smiled at him, “I think I will have to discover the truth tomorrow. I’m for bed, now.”
“I’ll go with you,” Mark stood and threw a protective arm around the slim waist as they turned to find the tent allocated for them. It was well past the middle of the night, and Jorelial Rey called out to them, “Sleep as long as you wish, Delphy, and all of you. You have more than earned it, and we will handle at leisure all that needs doing, and then find our way home.”
One by one, the rest took their leave of the Lady Regent, with a smile, a touch, an embrace for her or for the wizard, a look of wonder on their weary, dazed faces. Then off they went to find their tents. Tvrdik did not make a move to leave. Tash asked if he were needed for any further business, and Rel rubbed her cheek on his green muzzle and said, “No, dearest. I think I am a little too wound up to go to sleep just now, but you go ahead…I’ll be alright. The striking green dragon breathed on his charge with great tenderness, then caught the wizard’s eye for a meaningful moment. With a respectful nod, he turned and strolled off into the shadows, Candelinda by his side. Rel looked after them, amused, “They are really growing quite attached to one another,” she commented.
“You don’t mind?” Tvrdik asked.
Playing with a stick in the fire, she shrugged, keeping her eyes on the flames. “No. I’ve had him to myself for so long, and a part of him will always be mine. But, he deserves some happiness, some companionship of his own kind.”
“It is good of you to feel that way.”
“Of course.” They were alone at the fire now, and the camp was silent, save for distant sentries dutifully calling the hours. “Tvrdik?”
“Hmmm?”
“I remember what you had told me about…about Ailianne, and then just now, I heard you talking to Xaarus about her. What happened today?”
He weighed telling her, but he needed to talk to someone about it. “I…I met her on the battlefield. She was mounted, and in armor, and fighting for Lord Drogue. But otherwise, she was exactly as I remembered her.”
Rel’s eyes went wide, “Did she…attack you?”
“No. She said she had been freed from some sort of awful limbo by Drogue’s sorceries, and that if I went away with her, she would teach me the secrets of unlimited power and eternal life…and that she would…she would…be with me.”
“Gods, what did you do?”
“I turned a truth shield on her, and she crumbled away to dust and bones before my eyes. It was not really Ailianne, or at least not the Ailianne I cherished.”
“How horrible. How did you know?”
“I told you, she was exactly as I remembered her. She hadn’t aged or changed a bit in all these years. Plus, she should have known that I never had any interest at all in limitless power or eternal life.”
The fact that he pointedly left out the third offer was not lost on Jorelial Rey, but she chose a sympathetic response. “I am so sorry. What an awful thing to have to go through. More evidence of Drogue’s absolute wickedness. Somehow he knew what to use to get to you, and I am grateful you could not be bought, or fooled. I never would have doubted that, anyway. But, after…after…however were you able to come back to the field after such a terrible trauma?”
Tvrdik answered matter-of-factly, “Wynne came running up to tell me you had fallen. You needed me.”
“Oh.” She paused to digest that information. There was a long silence as they each gazed into the crackling flames, following the thread of their own thoughts.
Tvrdik spoke first, “I
wanted to tell you…about that spear…. I’m sorry I intervened. It was presumptuous of me. You had a perfect right to want him dead just then.”
“No. You were right. It was hearing about my father, you know. He died so young, and suffered so. All for nothing – to satisfy that horrible man’s ambition. I was so angry I couldn’t control myself. But we took an oath, and convinced all the others to take it too – no violence. If I had broken it in front of everyone, the consequences would have been grave. I would not have been able to lead or command any more, and I could not have lived with myself. You weren’t going to let that happen, and I appreciate it.”
“In the end, you made your own decision.”
“Well, Tashroth pulled me back from the brink too, but…I did, didn’t I!”
He nodded, “Congratulations. That was a pretty steep initiation. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks.”
The fire was dying down and a few logs crackled and popped. The night was a bit chilly for summer, and the warm flames had been a welcome comfort. Now, she shivered and stood up, “Tvrdik?”
“Hmmm?”
“I think I have to sleep now…”
“You should. It has been a long day, and there will be more on your plate tomorrow.”
“What about you?”
“I will go soon. I am just sitting here realizing that my work here is almost done. We have, by some miracle, accomplished all that I laid at your doorstep months ago. I am happy, I suppose, but right now, I feel sort of …numb.” He was sitting gazing at the fading flames, cleaning the lenses of his glasses over and over again. She stood there looking at him, knowing that this was an opportunity. She wanted to tell him so many things: how she had come to rely on him, how she had begun to think of them as a team, how she could never imagine going back to a life where he didn’t exist. But, there was a lump in her throat that stopped all of those things from pouring out. And, then, she did not want them to be said when she was at her weariest and most vulnerable, perhaps for fear they would not be taken with any seriousness.
She said, “Get some rest. Tomorrow, things will seem clearer. You’ll feel better then. Goodnight.” And she walked away.
The next day began at a slow pace, as folk took the time to recuperate from the stresses of the past week. There was much to do. The wounded needed to be tended, and there seemed a constant parade of former enemy combatants arriving to surrender and pledge fealty. There were plans to be made regarding packing everything up for the journey home, and, of course, everyone had to be fed. Soon the camp was bustling with activity, even if its inhabitants seemed a bit dreamlike in their motions. The realization that the danger was truly past, and that, after months of anxiety and intense preparation, it was all over and they had indeed triumphed, was sinking into everyone’s consciousness a layer at a time. As they went about their chores, you might see someone standing still, staring into space, or breaking into a smile and exclaiming out loud for no immediate reason. Friends and colleagues clapped each other on the back as they passed. Women embraced and wept in relief. Bit by bit, the tense, wary, pinched look of a people facing battle, tyranny, and death fell away, transformed into an expression of gratitude and wonder. Thus, the day unfolded like a long and languorous sunrise, ending in glorious colors and bone-drenching, joyful warmth. As the ice of fear melted, laughter, song, and random whistling could be heard. Lighter hearts and a spring in the step returned to the Legions of Light, one corner at a time, until, at last, they had spread everywhere in great, open-hearted abundance. It was a beautiful day.
It was well into the afternoon when Tvrdik, heading toward the healer’s tents, heard a familiar voice behind him calling his name. Turning, he saw Jorelial Rey hobbling through the busy crowd to catch up with him, and he paused to see what the matter might be.
“Tvrdik, I am so glad I found you. I’ve been trying to track you down for an hour.”
“Sorry. I had no idea. You know you are supposed to stay off of that ankle.”
She scowled at him, “Yes, I know, but there’s so much to do, and I had to come and find you myself, at any rate. Tashroth wants a word with both of us, and he wanted me to keep it between us for the moment.”
The mage frowned and cocked his head to one side, “Do you know what it’s about?”
“Not a clue. I am just the messenger, but I could tell he was excited…must be something important. He’s waiting for us now.”
“Well, I suppose what I was doing can wait. Lead on. Let’s hear what the old boy has to say.”
“I wouldn’t call him that to his face,” she suggested, pointing him back in the direction from which she had come.
“No, indeed. Wasn’t planning on it,” he quipped, striding along beside her. Noticing a slight grimace on her face with each step, he added, “Hey, slow down. Can’t I at least offer you an arm to lean on? You can’t keep pushing it like that or it will never heal. Let me at least be a physician, and a gentleman.”
She stopped, scowling again, “Whole thing’s more of an annoyance, you know. Nothing serious.” But she took his arm, nevertheless, and slowed to a stately limp.
“Where are we going, anyway?” Tvrdik asked.
“Up there, on that ridge. Do you see them?” She pointed off to a ridge overlooking the valley, where the silhouettes of three dragons were just visible against the deep blue sky.
“Hmmm,” he said, “that’s a bit far. What’s the use of being a wizard, if you can’t give a little assist to a friend? Hold on tight…” And in the space of a single breath, the tall mage was replaced by the white owl he favored, only in a version much larger than usual. Spreading its oversized talons, the great bird grasped Jorelial Rey by the collar of her General’s coat, and lifted her off of the ground.
“Hey!” she called out, startled, waggling her dangling arms and legs in protest.
Stop struggling…you’re already a handful, came a voice within her mind. Think of it as payback for all the delightful dragon rides you have treated me to. His sarcasm made her laugh despite herself. Besides, it was exhilarating to see the ground spinning away below her.
I’m a bit worried about the landing, she thought back at him, As I recall, it isn’t your strong suit.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, she heard the wry comment in her head. Don’t worry. I’ll hand you off to Tashroth.
Travelling by this means, the trip to the ridge where the dragons awaited them was brief indeed, and, true to his word, the giant white owl that was Tvrdik transferred its precious cargo to Tashroth, who gripped her in his claw, and deposited her with great delicacy on the grass before them. By contrast, Tvrdik’s owl landed with his usual somersault and pratfall, picking himself up off the skid-scarred ground, once more a wizard, brushing himself off, and setting his spectacles on straight.
“Darn. You would think I could get that to be a little less bumpy by now,” he muttered.
“What a wonderful way to keep a low profile for the secret meeting.” Rel’s voice oozed sarcasm.
“Oh, pish tush. They’re all used to me flying about at whim by now. No one will have even noticed. And think of the wear and tear we’ve saved on that ankle. Not to mention saving time…” He was interrupted by a rather loud and unusual sound. It took a moment to identify it as the sound of a dragon clearing its throat.
“If the two of you are quite finished,” came the deep rumble of Tashroth’s familiar voice. He seemed to be taking on the role of spokesperson. “Thank you both for coming. You already know Candelinda, and this…” he motioned toward a purplish dragon on his left, “…is my esteemed colleague and friend, Danoral.” There were nods of greeting all around. Tashroth went on, “We called you here, because we had an idea which we wished to present for your consideration, but we did not want word of it to spread about the camp. We are not yet sure if it would be possible…or practical…or safe…”
Tvrdik and Rel looked at one another, all at once quite serious. “Go ahead, Tash,” Rel urged, “we’re listening.”
“Hmmm. How to begin. Well, you know that I have always told you that my age was irrelevant, since dragons have some facility in moving through and manipulating time?” She nodded. Tvrdik’s brows furrowed. Tashroth went on, “We are a very ancient breed of creature, and not altogether bound by the laws and limitations that hold later races to the space-time continuum. Generally, we choose to live within those laws because it creates a more satisfying experience of life, and allows us to relate to the other beings on this planet. But we can stretch them, on occasion…”
“Yes, I remember you saying that…” Rel was all attention, a little impatient for the point of this dissertation on dragon lore. Tashroth continued.
“Do you also recall how I discovered the nature of this mage’s mindlink across the centuries with Master Xaarus, quite by accident? How I realized that I could see the image of Xaarus through Tvrdik’s mind, and how I could use my telepathic powers to stabilize, and even amplify this connection between them? And we have used that fortuitous ability on several occasions to assist Master Tvrdik in contacting his mentor, and in holding the connection steady, yes?”
“Yes,” the two humans answered in concert, then glared at one another.
“Well, last night, Candelinda was watching how we accomplished this feat with great fascination, feeling out our bond to see if it could be added to. We talked about it afterward. Well, it was her idea. But we still weren’t certain it was actually possible, so we brought in Danoral here, who also thought it might work. In any case, we brought the idea this morning before the entire company of dragons. There was a great deal of discussion this way and that, but the consensus was that it was definitely worth a try, and they are all willing to stay and participate if you are.”
The Last Wizard of Eneri Clare Page 74