Delphine clambered out of the stairwell, closed the door behind her, and came over to sit on the stool. Her sister wrestled with the jacket, and then paced over to a crenellated rampart, gazing out into the dimming sky.
“Something you want to talk about?” the younger girl asked.
Rel sighed, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk. Delphy, you know I have grave reservations about this rescue…”
“But, why? You loved Xaarus. It’s so exciting to think that he is alive and well, and that they might be able to bring him back. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have two wizards at court?”
“I’m afraid we could end up with no wizards after this crazy scheme. I…I did love Xaarus, but I made my peace a very long time ago with his absence in our lives. The other one I don’t think I could bear to lose.” This last she spoke so softly that Delphine almost missed it. Almost.
The younger girl jumped up and embraced her sister from behind, “Tashroth won’t let anything happen to Tvrdik, Rel. He’ll be fine, whether they succeed or not.”
“Tashroth said it was very dangerous, and that they would all try to protect him, but that there were no guarantees.” The proud Lady Regent seemed to be on the verge of tears. Delphine was astounded at her pragmatic sister’s uncharacteristic display of emotion.
“Rel, there is risk in all of life…there are never any guarantees. Tvrdik is excited about this. He wants to do it. You mustn’t make it harder for him…”
Jorelial Rey snapped at her, through the tears streaming down her face in earnest now. “Why not? That idiot makes everything hard for himself, and for everyone else. He won’t listen to anyone, and the fool has convinced himself that he is supposed to be a hero, or a martyr, or some such. He doesn’t even seem to care if he lives or dies, so long as he gets to chase his precious destiny…”
Delphine, wide-eyed with surprise, still spoke in soothing tones,“But you do care if he lives or dies?”
“Yes, blast it. Though, if you tell him that, I’ll break your arms.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Delphine fought to keep a serious expression on her face, when a broad smile at her sister’s obvious deep feelings was wrestling to get out. She focused on the very real uncertainties of the project. “You know how I feel about Tvrdik. I adore him. He’s like the big brother I never had. I would be crushed if anything happened to him. But somehow, I feel certain that he will pull this off, and be just fine. He’s stronger than you give him credit for.”
“I know. But, what if the dragons are right? What if we got all the way through the war in one piece, and then he insists on doing this fool rescue, and…and…” she could not even speak her fears.
“But, why are you so concerned, Rel? Honestly, I didn’t even think you were getting along these last weeks. You know, after you nursed him back to health from that arrow wound, I thought it was wonderful how you two were getting to be such great friends – the both of you being such loners and all. But, for the last month or so, you’ve been downright icy with each other.”
At that, Jorelial Rey, General, ruler of an entire kingdom – the smart, savvy, fearless leader of men, collapsed onto her stool, covered her face with her hands and dissolved into abject sobs. Now there was nothing funny in her sister’s distress. Delphine was alarmed.
“It was me. It was all my fault,” Rel wailed. “I never could figure out how to fix it, and things just got worse and worse.”
“Calm down, and tell me what happened.”
“It was at his birthday party. It was such a fine day, and at the end we were sitting by the fire talking about personal things, and we’d both had a good deal of wine, and I…I said that I couldn’t wait for this whole awful business to be over so things could go back to normal again, like before he showed up and turned the whole world upside down!”
“Oh, Rel, you didn’t!”
“Well, I didn’t mean it like that…I just wanted all the problems to go away, all the responsibility. I didn’t really mean they were his fault…”
“But, he assumed you meant you couldn’t wait for him to go back where he came from and leave you alone.”
“I tried to apologize. I tried to explain, but then everything happened, and we had work to do. There was no time to talk about such things. He’s been cordial and professional to me ever since –even saved my life again on the battlefield, and we got the job done, didn’t we? But now, he won’t look at me, or talk to me. Not like before. And now he’s determined to do this fool thing…he could be broken or killed, and I’ve never even had the chance to tell him…”
Delphine stood back from her sister, her eyes twinkling with mischief, “Why, Jorelial Rey, you’re in love with him!”
“Don’t be silly.”
“No, no. Don’t try to deny it. That’s what this is all about…you’re in love with the man, and you’re afraid you’ll lose him before he even knows. Oh, Rel, I couldn’t be happier for you. I knew you two would be perfect for each other – I just knew it.”
“How can you be so cruel to me, Delphy? I swear, I don’t know what love is. I mean, I loved Papa, and you, and Tashroth, of course, but men? I never had any luck at all with men. And then, this scrawny, pale-haired, bespectacled stranger comes along and involves me in the most terrifying and difficult adventure of my life, and he is gentle, and kind, and funny, and compassionate. He listens. He makes me laugh. He cares what I think, how I feel. He isn’t even afraid of Tashroth. I didn’t plan to love him, but, oh, Delphine, it’s like he’s my other half. I never felt so easy with anyone before…at least until I opened my idiot mouth! I didn’t even know how lonely I was until I got used to having him around all the time…,” she started to cry all over again. “And what would I ever do without him? I can’t go back to that solitary place again, I can’t. Why won’t he see what he’s doing to me?”
“Well, why haven’t you told him?”
“I don’t even have a clue that he could ever think of me like that. He’s been so distant. I’m sure he hates me.”
Delphine laughed – but not with meanness – and surrounded her older sister, who was shorter and slighter than her, in a warm, loving embrace.
“There, there. Put your head on my shoulder, that’s it. Don’t forget I’ve been there. Don’t you think I went through some of this myself with Mark? Don’t you know we are always the last to see the obvious? The rest of us have known for ages how Tvrdik feels about you – the way he stares after you when you leave a room, that look of pure admiration on his face when you speak, the way he seeks out your company at every turn, and is always the last to leave so that he can have his time alone with you…he’s like your guardian angel. Heavens, he’s already saved your life twice, maybe three times. How could you not know how much he cares?”
The sobs were abating, replaced by shallow breaths and shaky sentences.
“But, then, why hasn’t he said something, done something…been clear?”
Delphine pushed her away far enough to look her square in the eye.
“Rel, first of all, you as much as told him to go away. And besides, think who you are – the absolute monarch of a whole kingdom! He probably assumes you are so far out of his reach…”
There was a pause, and now Jorelial Rey’s eyes widened with the dawning of a new insight, “I – I never thought of that.”
Delphine swung an arm around her shoulders. “Look, you must tell him how you feel as soon as you can. Trust me, you’ll get a pleasant surprise. Take a risk. It can’t be scarier than facing horrible Lord Drogue and his army.” She giggled, and then whispered, “Don’t worry – he’ll be alright. I feel certain nothing bad will happen. I can’t explain it, but I feel it as sure as we are standing here together.”
Rel wiped her eyes and stood taller, to hide her embarrassment, “Thanks, Sweet Pea. You really are awfully wise.”
Delphine smil
ed, “I know. I learned from the best. See, here comes Tashroth now. I’d better go.”
“No, stay. He’s just going to go over the details of the plan with me I’d just as soon you heard it all too.”
“Alright.” Delphine kissed her sister on the cheek, brushed a stray hair out of Rel’s eyes, and they stood, arms around each other’s waists, waiting for Tashroth to touch down.
Earlier that day, Tvrdik had been sitting on the flat rock at his special place by the river, alone with his thoughts. He had found himself restless with too much study, and almost before he knew it, his feet were headed down the path to the secret alcove where he had always found peace and clarity. Ondine had met him there, and they had shared a happy, playful visit. There weren’t many flowers or berries left as summer drew to a close, but the leafy green canopy and the sounds of the river running by, along with the cool breezes, and soft kiss of sunshine still created the feel of a small piece of paradise on earth. Ondine was her usual irrepressible self, but now that much of their work here had been done, Tvrdik promised her that soon he would take her back to her beloved waterfall in the depths of the ancient forests. He knew she was enjoying her adventure in the wider world, but that she was beginning to miss her sisters, and the familiar surroundings of home. My, would she have some tales to tell them, upon her return, of the great events in the outside provinces, and of the vital part she herself played in making history. Tvrdik and Ondine laughed to imagine it, but she grew serious then for long enough to caution him about this new experiment, involving time and dragons. She wished him to be, oh, so careful, as she was counting on him to come out of the experience unscathed, and ready to take her home. After a while, she whipped up a good splash, as was her habit, blew him an affectionate kiss, and was on her merry way again.
Much as he delighted in her company, Tvrdik had come to this place today hoping for solitude, and perhaps some relief from his own thoughts. He was excited that, any day now, he would participate in an action which had a good chance of bringing his beloved teacher and mentor back from exile after almost thirteen years. It was a bold plan, and he felt confident that he could hold up his end, and that it had a better than average shot at succeeding. Everyone seemed concerned with the potential risks to him, but those didn’t bother him. He was consumed with giving this one last gift to Xaarus, and perhaps he had been feeling a little reckless of late as well.
The truth was, that since they had been successful in defeating Lord Drogue, and in shifting the timeline to the future as well, he had been feeling a little adrift. He had been persuaded to come back to court to accomplish those particular, impossible tasks, and now that they were completed, he wasn’t sure he had a reason to stay, or indeed what his life purpose was. Yes, he was changed. He’d set down some roots, made friends, done some healing, some good. But he was pretty sure that, at this point, the healing, the friends, the restoration of normalcy at court, would all carry on quite well without him. If he could bring back Xaarus, and restore him to his old position as Court Wizard, then things would have come full circle. His mission would be complete, and everything would be once again back in its proper, normal place. Then he, Tvrdik, would be somewhat extraneous, and he could go back to his cozy, hand-hewn stone dwelling in the ancient wood, to live out the rest of his days in peace and privacy. He missed that life sometimes, the simplicity of it, the deep connection with Nature and her rhythms, the absence of complicated relationships and uncomfortable emotions. Besides, that’s what Jorelial Rey said she wanted, wasn’t it? For things to go back to the way they were? And, he agreed, everyone would be happier. The sooner, the better.
And, if by some chance something went wrong in this attempt to save Xaarus, it didn’t matter anyway, as he would have, at least, the good work he had done to show for his thirty years. And he would have made the ultimate sacrifice in a worthwhile endeavor. It would also save him the trouble of trying to figure out what to do next.
And yet, as he reclined on the river-smoothed rock, and felt the sun playing on his face, something in his thinking seemed somehow wrong, flawed. Something was missing from the equation, but what? Searching his memory, he kept lighting on moments that had transpired over the past few months – joyful moments, meaningful moments, moments where he seemed to understand that the true essence of life came from relationship. Not thoughts. Not even deeds. Not study or achievement, or even heroic sacrifice. The moments he would recall most from this time involved smiles and laughter, tears, shared meals, events celebrating friendship, griefs borne together, memories, wounds, hopes, dreams, fears. And so many of the moments he was sitting here reliving had one thing in common – Jorelial Rey. Aww. Why must his thoughts always circle back to her, her eyes, her voice, her gestures, the scent of her hair, his desperate panic when he thought she might slip away into death’s cold grasp. She was so much a part of him now that there was no line of thought, no memory, that didn’t lead to her. He loved her. That much was clear. He had almost known it since their first encounter in the Hall of Audience that fateful night, and the feeling had only grown and deepened with prolonged exposure. But she had made her own feelings clear. Oh, she liked and respected him as a colleague. She relied on him as a partner in achieving peace and security in the kingdom. She saw him as important to the health and well-being of the nation. After all, he was a wizard – the last wizard anybody knew of, unless they could indeed bring back Xaarus. They had worked well together, and she had been friendly and made him feel valuable. But, green, naïve soul that he was, he had mistaken that for something else. When he thought about it now, it seemed positively ridiculous that the acting ruler of a vast and powerful kingdom, princes and dignitaries courting her, could have any interest in a vagabond like himself. What had he been thinking?
And now, she would not need him for anything at all, once Xaarus was returned to his proper place. And, loving her as he did, knowing the sentiment was not returned, it was too painful to stay around and be reminded of a dream that could never be. So, there it was – as it had been before – you get involved with people, and you always come away with pain. This was a difficult paradox for one with such innate sensitivity as Tvrdik. His nature was always compassion. He could not help approaching everyone, and every situation, with honesty, and a wide-open heart. Too often, his reward had been disappointment and hurt. Better to go back to the ancient forest, alone again, where expectation and reality were better matched. Trees were more steady and predictable than human beings.
As that thought crossed his mind, a small twig from the tree under which he reclined snapped off under the weight of a bird, and fell, leaves and all, down through the array of branches and onto Tvrdik’s upturned face. Spluttering, and scrambling to clear the unexpected debris away, the mage sat up, blinking in surprise. Then his eyes narrowed. “Very funny,” he muttered, and rose to make his way back to The Cottage.
FORTY-THREE
Rescue Attempt
THE RESCUE OF XAARUS WAS set for two days later, at dawn, in the most secret place they could think of: Jorelial Rey’s hidden lakeside retreat. Only this time, it would not be a vacation spot. It seemed a logical choice. It was quiet there, and unpeopled, conducive to concentration, room enough for all the dragons, and close enough to Theriole in an emergency. They would not be disturbed there, and they would not have to explain what was going on to any curious bystanders. They all agreed that it would be unwise to allow word of Xaarus’ possible return to leak, in case they were unsuccessful. If they pulled it off, his unheralded reappearance would be a happy surprise.
Since anything and anyone essential for the operation had to be transported by air, it was also agreed that the list of attendees for the event would be kept short. There were an even dozen dragons, and the human list included Tvrdik, of course, and Jorelial Rey, Mark and Delphine as family and support, Warlowe to help with odds and ends, and Andrus, in case of medical need. The others who knew about the project, were to awa
it news back at home, keep silent, and send good thoughts. Stewart was quite disappointed at being left behind, but was not so keen on riding dragon-back, in any case. He understood that there was little he could do to help with the actual process anyway, and that he could send moral support just as easily from The Cottage.
Those who were going intended to be well-rested and at their best for the event, but excitement and jitters chased away any hope of sleep the night before. The early hour was chosen for its peace and coolness, and the relative mental acuity with which most people - and dragons - began their days. The actual process would not take long at all, they guessed, and they had discussed and rehearsed the plan over and over so that each participant knew his or her part well. Xaarus had been living in the future, in what he described as a large city, but in order to minimize the risk of interference from bystanders on his end, and for him to be recognizable to Danoral, who would be making the pick-up, he had arranged to take a small dinghy out into the middle of the harbor at dawn, and wait there, apart from everyone and everything else. Danoral was the dragon with the most experience and facility in time-hopping. Dragons, like people, had individual special aptitudes, and he emerged as the logical candidate for the actual physical retrieval. Once Tvrdik had summoned his usual mind-link with Xaarus, Tashroth would be the first to join on, as he had done so many times before, stabilizing and amplifying the link. Candelinda would come into the mix next, with the other dragons adding the power of their minds one by one.
Beside participants who needed to be transported by dragonback, there were also chairs, cushions, blankets, medical supplies, lamps, and other equipment to be packed, secured, and air-lifted. The dragons did not seem to mind a little mule duty, in this case.
And so it was, in the chill, pitch-black hours before any inkling of morning whispered in the breeze, Tvrdik found himself once again on Tashroth, behind Jorelial Rey, soaring through the star-dappled skies. For once, he was so enchanted by the beauty around him, and the emotional rush of flight, that he forgot to be afraid. Jorelial Rey spoke in his ear, over the roar of beating wings.
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