The discussion remained light while the trio refreshed themselves. Simon was content to drink tea and wait until his guests were done.
“That was wonderful,” Galder announced when they were finished. He and he daughters looked much more relaxed and content than they had when they arrived.
“You are an excellent host, young wizard,” he continued. “I hope that I shall be able to return the favor. You have an open invitation to visit us whenever you wish.”
“You're too kind, Galder,” the wizard replied. “And please, call me Simon.”
“You honor me, Simon. Thank you. And now that we are at our ease, I am guessing that you have more questions, yes?”
Simon grinned. The creature was wise, and obviously had a keen mind.
“I do, yes, but only a couple. The first one is, how did you follow Aeris back here after he accidentally allowed himself to be seen?”
He looked over at the elemental where he was washing the few dishes in the sink and saw that Aeris was careful not to turn around and catch his eye. Simon held back a laugh.
“Oh, that was simple enough. Your little friend has been down to spy on us on many occasions. Today I decided that we should find out where he was coming from, it being such a lovely day and all. As for how we followed him, Haladanin can smell magic the way that other creatures, such as bears, can smell natural scents.”
Aeris turned around in surprise and Galder nodded at him.
“Your invisibility cannot hide you from us, elemental. Today is the first time we actually saw your form, but your presence has never been a secret to us.”
“Well, you learn something new every day, I guess,” Aeris said in a rather dazed voice. “I want you to know, sir, that I meant no harm. The wizard did not send me to spy on you; I was simply curious.”
Galder waved away the elemental's comment.
“We are not upset about that. I too would want to know if some strange creatures had moved in close to my home. Why do you think I am here, after all? I wanted to know if you or whoever sent you were a threat. And after this pleasant visit, I have decided that you are not.”
“Thank you,” Simon told him with some relief. “I feel the same way.”
“Good. Perhaps we can take advantage of our proximity to each other and do some trading in the future, hmm?”
“That would be lovely. Aeris tells me that you cultivate honey?”
“We do indeed. And you use it as well. You search out wild bee hives?”
Simon looked down at Kronk, who was standing next to his chair and listening with great interest.
“My friend here does. He has a knack for it and the bees cannot harm him.”
“Ah, I see.”
Galder folded his arms and Simon found himself fascinated by the creature's hands. While the nails were thick and claw-like, his fingers were long and dexterous, very much like human fingers, just a lot larger.
“Well, if you like honey as we do, you would probably enjoy our mead. It is delicious and has quite a pleasant kick to it as well.”
“Mead? I've never had any but I would love to try some.”
“I'll send you a bottle. If, Aeris is it? Yes, if Aeris would like to drop by some time in the next week or so, he can bring you back a bottle. I think you will like it.”
“In return, we can offer up quite a variety of vegetables for trade,” Simon told him. “Kronk is an amazing farmer, and if you have any preferences, I'm sure that we can supply them.”
Galder sat back in the comfy chair and smiled broadly.
“Like the animals we resemble, my people can eat almost anything. We don't have a preference when it comes to vegetables, but we do like them to be as fresh as possible. And anything sweet, like corn or young carrots, is especially welcome.”
Simon and Kronk exchanged a look and the little guy nodded vigorously.
“I think we can help you there. I will send Aeris down to tell you when our corn and carrots are ripe enough to harvest. If you need or want anything else, just let me know.”
“I shall. Now, before we go, you said that you had a couple of questions. What else did you want to know?”
Simon tried to phrase his query as diplomatically as possible.
“It's a two-part question, actually. And please don't take it the wrong way; I'm just curious.”
“Curiosity is the first step to wisdom,” Galder said with a knowing smile. “Ask.”
“Do you remember your old life? I mean, your life before the dragons returned?”
The Haladanin adjusted his belt and seemed to be thinking deeply about his answer.
“Once upon a time, I remembered it all. Isn't that strange? I remember remembering. But as the years have passed, the memories are slipping away. I began calling myself Galder after I forgot my old name.”
He shrugged his heavy shoulders.
“I cannot even remember what I looked like, what kind of work I did, if I had a family.”
He looked fondly at his daughters who were listening, wide-eyed.
“These two beautiful children are my family now.”
The females giggled and Simon was sure that if they could blush, they would be as red as tomatoes.
“I think it is for the best, really,” Galder continued. “I live in this world, after all, not in a past one that no longer exists. What could those memories do for me except make me long for a life that is no longer attainable?”
He fixed Simon with an inquiring look.
”Do you not find that you pine for 'the old days'? Is it not a distraction?”
“Sometimes,” the wizard replied with a shrug. “But I've suspected for some time now that the memories are fading, just as yours have. Perhaps it's the result of Changing. Maybe the gods themselves are doing it. Who knows? But I don't really long for those days, Galder. This new world, these new powers, the adventures ahead; they are what excite me now, not echoes of the past.”
“Well said, my new friend. Well said indeed. Any more questions? It is getting late and I would like to start for home before nightfall. The forest holds more dangers with each passing season and the darkness makes them bold.”
“Does it? I do hear new cries and strange noises late at night sometimes. I suspect that the gods are continuing to Change the world to suit their purposes.”
“I do not doubt it.”
“One last question then, if it isn't too much to ask and that will be it. And don't worry about the journey home. If you will permit me, when we are done I can use my magic to send you back to your town.”
The two females started grunting to each other excitedly and Galder stroked his chest fur, a habit he seemed to have when thinking.
“You can do that?”
“Oh yes, easily. My powers have reached a point where I can cast a Gate spell on someone and send them to a place without me accompanying them. I used to have to make the trip too, but happily I've grown beyond that.”
“Remarkable,” Galder said. “And do you think that I, as the leader of my people, should trust an unknown wizard to send me and my children into the void, just like that?”
That hadn't occurred to Simon and he stuttered as he tried to reassure the Haladanin.
Galder watched him for a long moment and then barked a loud guffaw of laughter.
“Be at ease, wizard. I was joking with you.”
Simon laughed a bit uncomfortably but with some relief.
“I sense no evil in you,” Galder continued. “And I trust my senses. So we will accept your generous offer when we are done. Now then, your final question?”
“Right. Okay then. What I wanted to know goes back to something you said earlier.”
The bear-man listened intently.
“You said that the lords of Justice Changed me, just as the gods of Chaos Changed you and your people.”
“I did, yes.”
“But how do you know this?”
“Ah, I see. Now that is a very good question.”
But he needn't have worried. Galder walked over to the door and began to reequip his weapons, motioning for his daughters to do the same. He spoke as he got ready to leave.
“The truth is that we Haladanin may have been formed by the dark gods, but we are lawful creatures. We follow the Light, not the Darkness, wizard and, perhaps because of this, I have been visited in my dreams by visions of the lords of Justice. Or perhaps it is one of their heralds that I have seen. Who can say? But the truth has been revealed to me and my eyes are open.”
He adjusted his sword and clipped his quiver to his belt. Then he slipped his bow over his shoulder and looked at Simon.
“I know about the struggle between the forces of Good and Evil. I know that if the dark gods win, we are all doomed. And I know, simply by speaking with you this day, that you fight for the same ideals that we do. So, we are allies, yes?”
“Absolutely,” Simon assured him as he stood up.
He walked to the door and waited for the visitors to head outside. Then he followed them out and down the stairs to the front yard.
“Good. Yes, it is good to have friends, Simon,” Galder said, using the wizard's name for the first time.
Simon smiled gratefully.
“It is, especially in this new world of ours. Thank you for coming. I look forward to a long and rewarding relationship.”
“As do I, my friend.”
Galder's hand engulfed Simon's as they said their farewells. The wizard bowed to the two daughters, who giggled shyly and waved.
“We will speak again soon,” the Haladanin leader assured him.
Simon nodded, pictured the former town of Nottinghill as he had last seen it and called upon his magic.
“Gate,” he said and watched as the three visitors faded away.
“Well now, that was fun,” he said.
Chapter 11
“You look a tad queasy, sir wizard.”
Simon held on to the rusty railing and tried focusing on the horizon, the only thing that was holding steady.
“I've never cared for boats,” he said through gritted teeth. “Even large ones. And, no offense, but the smell of rotting fish isn't helping.”
The deck of the Defiant rolled slowly as large waves tipped the ship up and down. The weather wasn't exactly stormy, but the deep waters this far from land were never really calm.
“It's a ship, my dear wizard, not a boat,” Aeris reminded him pertly.
Easy for him to say, hovering above the rolling deck, Simon thought resentfully.
“Aye, that it is. Buck up, sir wizard. We'll probably be attacked soon. That should take your mind off of your stomach.”
The speaker, a tall, heavy-set woman wearing canvas trousers, a patched shirt tied at the waist and high leather boots with brass buckles, laughed at her own joke.
Simon gave her a sour look, which only made her laugh even more.
Deborah Martelli, born and raised in Verona, Italy, was the captain of the Defiant. The wizard found her heavy Italian accent to be quite lyrical. Plus she had an infectious laugh and he soon found himself joining in. It helped him to forget his queasiness, which was a blessing.
Captain Martelli had called Tamara at Nottinghill Castle for help via one of the mages on board and Tamara had called Simon. It had been a week since he'd met Galder and his daughters and the wizard was happy to volunteer his services. He'd forgotten about his lack of sea legs.
“You've been on a ship before?” Deborah asked when he'd arrived a few moments before.
He had Gated to the front section of the ship's deck and she had met him and the elementals there.
“Once,” Simon replied.
He looked around at the old cruise ship, now home to over a hundred people, and shook his head.
“But the ship I was on wasn't quite so...weathered.”
The captain grinned.
“You're being kind,” she said.
She slapped the railing that ran around the entire deck.
“Aye, she's seen a lot, has my Defiant, but she's a good strong girl nonetheless. Good bones. Her hull is intact and our mages move her when she needs to be moved.”
She motioned for Simon, Kronk and Aeris to follow her and began walking toward the stern of the ship. The wizard stayed close to the railing, just in case.
Kronk was looking in every direction, obviously fascinated.
“Ever been to sea?” Aeris asked him quietly.
Simon followed the captain but listened to the conversation behind him at the same time.
“Never. It is quite a unique feeling, this rocking sensation, isn't it?”
“I suppose so. You aren't afraid of falling overboard?” Aeris teased him.
“Of course not,” Kronk said dismissively. “I would sink to the bottom of the ocean, burrow beneath it and return home. It would not be a problem.”
Aeris made a sound of disgust and Simon held in his laughter. Kronk had won that round.
“Come along, sir wizard,” the captain called. “Walking slower won't help your delicate stomach.”
“I don't think I like sailors much,” Simon muttered.
Aeris gave him a sardonic look but held his tongue.
The Defiant had been small as cruise ships went. She could hold a maximum of a thousand passengers and several hundred crew. At one time she must have gleamed like a jewel on the ocean, but now her white paint was dingy and spots of rust were evident on every metallic surface.
When Simon had caught up with the captain, she had reached the rear of the ship and was standing next to a slight young man who was wearing an incredibly bright yellow robe. It was probably the most obnoxiously cheerful color that the wizard had ever seen and he could feel his eyes starting to water as the robe reflected the sunlight of midday.
“Ah, you made it,” Deborah said to Simon as he arrived.
He rolled his eyes and she winked at him to show that she was joking. He smiled in spite of his 'delicate stomach' and decided that he was going to like this sailor, at least.
“Allow me to introduce you to one of our resident mages. Barnaby, this is Simon O'Toole. Simon, may I present Barnaby Wilde.”
The mage turned and Simon was looking into mismatched eyes almost identical to his own; one blue and one brown. Both the wizard and the mage jumped a bit as they reacted to the coincidence.
“Wow, look at that,” Barnaby said. “You have my eyes.”
“Well, actually I have my eyes and you have yours, but I see what you mean,” Simon replied.
Both of them stared in silence for a minute and then burst out laughing.
“That was probably one of the dumbest things I've ever said,” Simon said as his laughter subsided.
Captain Martelli was looking at each of them in turn and appeared to be a little bemused.
“What's so funny?” she asked when they had calmed down.
“We both have mismatched eyes, Deb,” Barnaby told her. “What, you didn't notice?”
She shrugged.
“I don't judge others on their eye color, I judge them by their deeds. But I suppose that's interesting.”
She didn't sound interested and Simon almost started laughing again.
Instead he took a moment to actually look at the mage, beyond just his eyes.
Barnaby was quite small and slim. He couldn't have been much taller than five feet and Simon felt like a giant beside him. His shoulder-length hair was a yellowish blond and almost matched his robe, something that the wizard doubted was a coincidence. His blue and brown eyes were huge in his narrow face and his delicate features were almost feminine.
But it was Barnaby's voice that was a surprise. It was a mellow baritone that could have belonged to someone twice the mage's size. It was a bit disconcerting to hea
r it emanating from such a small person.
“Finished sizing me up?” the mage asked with a crooked smile.
“Oh jeez, sorry about that,” Simon answered. He knew that he must be turning red.
Barnaby only chuckled.
“Don't worry about it. It's the voice, isn't it? Yeah, I know. A high wind could probably blow me away and yet I sound like a wrestler. Go figure.”
“Barnaby, let's socialize later, shall we?” the captain said, suddenly all business. “Any sign of pursuit?”
“Not at the moment, but I'm keeping an eye out. We have scouts on watch, as well as Deadeye up top.”
The mage looked upward and Simon turned, following his gaze. He hadn't noticed it but there was a sort of tower rising from the center of the ship, crudely built of metal struts and bits of strapping. On top of it was a small circular platform and he could just see someone standing on it.
“Deadeye?”
“That's what we call her,” Deborah told him with a pleased smile. She was staring up at the lookout as well.
“Kristine's her real name. I've never met anyone with keener sight. She's excellent at spotting trouble a long way off, so we call on her when we need the best.”
Barnaby had turned to stare behind the ship again. He muttered something and made a motion with his hands. Simon could feel him working with magic and watched with interest.
“What's he doing?” he asked the captain quietly so he wouldn't disturb the mage.
“Moving the ship,” she replied in the same low voice. “Barnaby and the other mages are our only means of locomotion. Without their magic, this ship would be dead in the water. We're fortunate that such talented people chose to join up with us.”
“I'd love to hear the story of how all of this,” he waved at the ship as a whole, “came together in the first place. And how you came to be captain.”
“That part isn't very interesting,” she told him wryly. “I had my own tour boat in Camogli back before the dragons came. Was a good little business too. Made enough money for the comforts; you know, wine, women and song. All of that.”
The Dragons of Argent and Silver (Tales from the New Earth #6) Page 13