A female elf bent over him and muttered several words in elvish. The old face relaxed and Simon watched as his friend closed his eyes and fell asleep.
“We keep his pain as bearable as we can,” Ethmira told Simon sadly. “But we cannot stop what is coming.”
“How long?” he asked hesitantly.
“Soon. Very soon. I am sorry to say that this may be the last time you see him alive, my friend.”
Simon pushed that thought away.
“No. I have to see him in person. Ethmira, I need you to open a portal for me to the elven realm. Just tell me where it will appear and I'll meet you there.”
Before she could answer, the woman who had eased Daniel into sleep interrupted.
“That is not possible,” she stated flatly, staring at Simon. “If you enter our lands, you will have to remain here. Returning to your world will kill you as surely as it is killing Daniel.”
“No it won't!” Simon told her roughly. “I did it once and I was fine. My wizard physiology ages much more slowly than any normal human. I'll be okay.”
“You will not.”
“Ethmira, who is this?” Simon asked as he glared at the woman.
“Simon, this is Sybell. She is our greatest healer and one of the eldest of us. If she says that you will die if you come here, then you will die.”
“But why?” he asked plaintively.
“It has to do with the time differential,” Sybell told him, speaking in a more reasonable tone. “As you know, it does not flow smoothly. Sometimes it moves more slowly here than in your world and at other times, it moves faster. At this moment, it is moving very swiftly indeed. Your magic allows you to speak with us as if we were all moving at the same speed, time-wise, but we are not. To put it simply, by the time you entered this realm, Daniel would be gone. Years would have passed in the space of a few of your days. We do not notice, as we do not age, but you would age and die while only a few days would have passed on Earth. It would be a waste of your gifts, wizard.”
Simon sat back in his chair and looked at them all helplessly.
“Then what do I do?”
“Say goodbye, Simon,” Ethmira told him softly. “Sybell, would you wake Daniel please? Ease his pain for a few minutes and let him speak with his oldest friend.”
She looked at the handful of elves that stood around the bed.
“Please wait outside,” she asked.
They bowed and left silently. Several looked at Simon compassionately, but he was totally focused on Daniel and the healer, Sybell.
Ethmira bowed slightly to him and followed them out.
Sybell placed a gentle hand on Daniel's forehead and his eyes fluttered open. She said something in elvish and looked at Simon.
“He will be conscious for only a few moments, wizard. That is all the time that I can grant him before the pain returns.”
She nodded at him and walked out.
“What? What happened?” Daniel asked as he tried to push himself up on his pillows. He barely moved.
“Did I fall asleep? Well, that was awkward. Sorry about that.”
Simon forced a grin.
“No problem. I've always suspected that my conversation could put you to sleep. Seems I was right.”
Daniel laughed, a thin, wheezy sound.
“My secret's out. And why did my audience withdraw, hmm? Not that I mind. Between you and me, they get on my nerves a bit. I know that they care, but...”
“I hear you. Well, they went out so that you and I could have a moment's privacy.”
Simon suddenly found himself unable to speak. Instead, tears filled his eyes and ran down his face, and he found it hard to even see Daniel.
The old head nodded and his friend's eyes watched him wisely.
“Ah, I see. So the hour is nigh, as they say. I'm about to shake off this mortal coil, etcetera. Huh. Now that the time is here, I'm not sure what to say.”
“It's not that bad,” Simon told him thickly. “I remember passing over. It's rather exciting, actually. The land beyond death is vast and holds endless possibilities and untold adventures. It certainly doesn't scare me anymore.”
“It holds no fear for me either,” Daniel said with a little smile. “I've lived with pain for quite some time now. It will be a relief to put it behind me. But I will admit that knowing death isn't the end is...liberating.”
“It isn't fair!” Simon blurted out. “You're younger than I am. We should have had years to enjoy this New Earth. Instead you were trapped in that world and doomed to die long before you should have.”
“That's the way it goes,” Daniel said with a feeble shrug. “I've lived a hell of a lot longer than most mundanes did after the dragons attacked. I didn't Change, Simon. I knew then that my days were numbered. And living here has actually been amazing. The things I've seen, the books I've read and the people I've met have been a wonder. So don't feel guilty about this and don't regret it. It is what it is.”
He grimaced and shuddered, his thin body twisting under the heavy quilt.
“The pain is returning. It's time to say goodbye, old friend.” He smiled fondly at Simon. “It's time to let me go.”
Simon wiped his eyes on his sleeve and frantically tried to think of something to do, some way to stop the inevitable. But Daniel began to shake and he knew that the healer had to come back in and help him.
“Oh damn. I...goodbye, Daniel. I've only counted two people as family in my entire life; my mother and you. I'll miss you more than I can say.”
“Me too, my friend. Me too. But who knows? We may meet again one day, on the other side. Look for me, would you?”
“I will. You do the same. We'll have a pint together.”
“It's a date.”
Daniel writhed again and motioned Simon away.
The wizard smiled one last time and passed his hand across the mirror to cancel the spell.
He sat alone in his study, staring blindly at nothing and thinking about the friend he had just lost. Then he lurched to his feet and flung the mirror across the room. It smashed against the stone wall and shards of glass flew in all directions.
“God DAMN it!” he shouted and collapsed into his chair.
He rested his arms on the desk and lay his head on them. He didn't move for a very long time.
Chapter 10
Simon spent several days numbly going through the motions of living as he mourned Daniel's passing. When Kronk and Aeris heard the bad news, they were very supportive. When he wanted to talk, they were there. And when he needed some quiet time to think, they gave it to him. In retrospect, they were probably the best companions he could have had during that difficult time.
But Daniel wouldn't have wanted his best friend to spend his life grieving and Simon knew that. And so, after he was able to grudgingly accept the painful loss, the wizard knew he had to get back to living in the real world. It was wrenching and hard, but he had a long life ahead of him and there was a lot to do.
“Good morning, master,” Kronk said brightly a few days after the tragedy.
Simon was eating porridge and sipping tea while reading an old tome on mythical beasts when the elemental came bounding in the front door carrying a small wicker basket.
“What have you got there?”
“Fresh eggs, master. You can have them for lunch. How are you feeling today?” the little guy continued as he tip-tapped across the room and carefully jumped up on the kitchen table. He put the basket down gently.
“Better, thanks,” Simon told him as he looked up from his book and smiled. “Thank you for your patience with me the past few days.”
“No thanks are necessary, master,” the earthen said with a dismissive gesture. “Even we elementals mourn the loss of friends. It does not happen often, but we all know grief. It is important for all sentient creatures to accept and move on from such a personal loss.”
Simon put down his book and stared at the little guy, a bit bemused.
“You kn
ow, occasionally I forget how deep and wise you are, my friend. Thanks for understanding. So where's Aeris?”
“Gone south again,” Kronk said with an exaggerated sigh. “He's taken to secretly observing those humanoid bears that are living in old Nottinghill. I've asked him why he bothers and he says it's important to keep an eye on such potentially hostile neighbors.”
Finishing his tea, Simon stood up and put his bowl in the sink. He put the kettle over the fire again and leaned back against the counter to wait while he stared with amusement at Kronk.
“You disagree?” he asked.
“Not entirely, master. But the bear people have kept to themselves this past year. Why take a chance of being discovered and angering them unnecessarily? Aeris is just being nosy and reckless.”
“Two things he excels at,” Simon said with a grin. “But let's let him have his fun. I've decided that, if Aeris thinks it's feasible, then we should make contact with our neighbors to the south. I think it's time to find out if they really are friend or foe. Or something in between.”
“It could be dangerous, master,” Kronk warned as he watched the wizard make another cup of tea.
Simon sat down and gave the elemental a lop-sided grin.
“Hey, magic guy, remember? I'll be fine. Besides, if I do go down to say hello, I'll take you along to protect me. So I should be fine, right?”
“Ah. Then yes, master, I think you will be safe.”
Simon stifled a laugh at Kronk's assurance that he could protect the wizard. The small elemental had a big heart and the wizard knew that he was lucky to have him.
An hour later, he was sweeping the main floor of the tower. The front door was open and he was brushing the dust outside, motes dancing in the morning sunlight.
He finished his chore and then stood in the doorway, looking out into the courtyard with a contented smile on his face.
The loss of Daniel was still painful, and always would be, but this morning he felt better than he had for days. The persistently beautiful weather was helping to keep his spirits up.
As he leaned on the broom and enjoyed the warmth of the day, the blurred form of Aeris came shooting through the front gates and made a beeline for the wizard. He stopped a few feet in front of Simon and bobbed up and down at head level.
“Now don't get mad,” the elemental said before the wizard even had a chance to greet him. “It wasn't my fault.”
“Oh-oh. That's not the best way to start a conversation, Aeris,” Simon said warily. “What have you done?”
“Done? Me? Nothing.”
The wide-eyed innocent stare didn't fool Simon for a second. He'd seen that look before.
“Just give me the bad news and get it over with,” he said with a resigned sigh.
“Well, you see, I was down south scouting around the old town of Nottinghill.”
“So Kronk said. What happened?”
“Did he? Okay. Anyway, I was watching the bear people going through their day.”
He looked closely at Simon as if to gauge his mood and hurried on.
“I like to do that occasionally, to pass the time.”
“Uh-huh. So how are they doing?”
“Splendidly actually! Really good.”
Simon leaned his broom against the door jam, walked out and sat down on the front steps. He guessed that this could take a while.
Aeris followed and landed on the step on the wizard's right side. He sat down and stared up at Simon.
“They have planted a lot of crops now, you know. Corn mostly, but there are also rows of beans and, oddly enough, potatoes. I never even knew bears liked potatoes.”
“I didn't know they liked corn. How are their beehives doing?”
“Excellently. They treat those bees very well and it shows. There have to be at least two dozen hives now, probably more. And Nottinghill itself looks great. I don't know if they found it or made it, but somehow they managed to paint the outer walls an amazing white color. Perhaps it's whitewash, but the walls are now gleaming. They really perk the place up.”
Simon drew up his legs and rested his chin on his knees.
“How many of the bear-human hybrids are living down there now?”
“Hmm. I've counted at least forty now; ten of them are cubs, if that's the correct term.”
The wizard thoughtfully sucked on his lower lip and watched as some thin clouds scuttled across the sky.
“Sounds like they're doing well. Now,” he fixed Aeris with a piercing look, “tell me what you've done to get yourself so excited.”
The elemental turned away and looked across the yard, avoiding Simon's gaze.
“Well, I suppose I was getting a little too comfortable as I spied on the creatures. I was circling the perimeter, just outside of the outer wall and I may have, um, become visible for a moment.”
“What!”
“Now, now, my dear wizard. Stay calm,” Aeris said hastily.
“Stay calm? Yeah right. Did they see you?”
“Err, possibly. The sentries probably did.” He looked at Simon's expression. “But I vanished immediately, I swear, and I retreated right away. Even if they did see me, it would only have been for a moment. We should be fine.”
Simon peered at the elemental.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Absolutely. I'm confident that no harm was done.”
“Well...” Simon began. He was interrupted by a call from the top of the wall near the gate.
“Sir wizard! Sir wizard! Come quickly. We've spotted intruders.”
It was one of the earthen who patrolled the outer wall.
“Intruders?”
Simon leaped to his feet and ran toward the open gates. Aeris raced along behind him.
When he reached the gates, the wizard skidded to a halt on the slippery grass and stared across the clearing toward the far edge of the forest. Several creatures had pushed their way out of the thick undergrowth and stood blinking owlishly in the bright sunlight.
“Oh crap,” Simon said and turned to glare at Aeris. “Confident you did no harm, hmm?”
On the edge of the forest stood three towering, furry humanoids that were quite clearly related to bears. They walked on their hind legs and wore thick leather belts around their waists. Each had a sword on their hip along with a quiver of arrows. Across their backs, they carried long bows.
“How did they follow me?” Aeris asked, totally confused. “I give you my oath that I remained invisible for the entire journey home.”
Simon nodded, watching the bear people in fascination. The largest of them was at least eight feet tall and massively built. It had silver fur and was a striking-looking creature. He or she was staring at the tower and the wizard was quite sure that they could all see him standing in the middle of the open gates.
The leader said something to the other two and they began to walk steadily toward the tower. Kronk and a few of the earthen had repaired the damage done during Esmiralla's ceremony and the field was level and easy to walk on again. But the area where the fire pit had been dug was still bare earth and Simon noticed that the leader glanced at it as the trio walked past.
Very observant, he thought to himself.
“Quickly, we must secure the gates,” Aeris urged and tugged on Simon's shoulder.
“They are approaching, sir wizard,” a deep voice from the arch above him said nervously. “Perhaps you should withdraw and close the gates?”
Simon watched the trio approach for a few seconds and then shook his head. Although they were large and obviously strong, he felt no sense of menace or threat from them. They didn't stride quickly; they ambled, in no hurry at all.
“No, I don't think so,” he said loudly enough for the earthen on top of the arch to hear him.
“Aeris, get my staff, would you? Just in case this goes badly, I may need it.”
“I think you're crazy,” the air elemental muttered as he disappeared with a little pop.
“I just mig
ht be.” the wizard muttered.
But he wasn't afraid; he was excited. He had meant to attempt to make contact with the bear people someday, considering how close they lived to his tower. The choice had been taken out of his hands, but he was more intrigued than nervous.
Let's see where this goes, he thought.
The three bear people weren't quite within hailing distance when Aeris returned with Mortis de Draconis and handed it to Simon.
“Be wary,” he whispered and the wizard nodded once.
“Always.”
A rustling in the grass to Simon's right made him turn and he saw Kronk hurrying up to him. The little guy had been in the back field with the livestock. One of his fellow earthen must have warned him.
Simon winked at him and the little guy's anxious expression faded a bit and he smiled weakly in return.
“They've stopped,” Aeris said quietly and Simon turned quickly to look at the bear people.
They had come to a halt about thirty feet from the gate, the two smaller creatures, both with dark brown fur and identical looks of curiosity on their faces, standing slightly to the rear of the leader.
He or she caught Simon's gaze. The ursine creature had eyes the color of honey; bright amber and filled with a quiet intelligence. The leader raised its empty, paw-like hand to its chest and bowed slightly.
Simon copied the gesture and the creature looked pleased.
“Welcome,” the wizard said in a strong voice. “It's good to finally meet my closest neighbors. My name is Simon O'Toole.”
The smaller pair made grunting noises at each other, but their leader kept watching Simon. It rubbed its paw across its chest several times, as if considering the wizard's greeting and then stepped forward.
“Greetings,” it rumbled and Simon gaped at it. He hadn't been sure that the creatures could actually speak intelligibly but he could understand it easily. Their muzzles were bear-like but not as prominent and, except for slightly larger canines, their teeth were flat, very much like human teeth.
“My name is Galder. I am the leader of my people.”
Simon assumed that Galder was male, both because of his size and his deep bass voice.
Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 52