The Dragons of Argent and Silver (Tales from the New Earth #6)

by J. J. Thompson

  The final Gate involved transporting a dozen beehives.

  “I'm not sure how bees will react to the deep cold of the void,” Simon said to Galder.

  The two of them were standing in the field outside of old Nottinghill, watching while one of the Haladanin, a male, moved the hives gently to where they could be transported all at once. Each one was covered with a tarp to keep the bees inside.

  “They could die.”

  The chief nodded his understanding.

  “True. And that would be unfortunate. But it is the structures themselves that are most important to me. We can rebuild our bee colonies. We seem to have a knack for tracking down wild hives. But the beehives are hard to construct, especially for people like us with our large hands. Don't worry, Simon. I won't blame you if the bees don't make it.”

  “Well, it's your choice,” the wizard told him. “Maybe they'll be insulated enough inside to survive.”

  As the last hive was moved into place, Kronk popped up from the ground and shook off some loose dirt.

  “Master, I found one!” he exclaimed.

  Galder watched curiously as Simon got down on one knee and accepted an oval, milky-white stone from the earthen.

  “Ah fantastic. Thanks, Kronk. Hmm, this one's pretty, isn't it?”

  “It is, master. And you are welcome. Shall I break it into two pieces?”

  “Please.”

  The stone was half as large at the little guy himself, but Kronk easily snapped it cleanly in half and handed the pieces back to Simon.

  The wizard stood up, brushed off his robe and noticed Galder staring at them in puzzlement. He grinned and offered the chief one piece of the rock.

  “Uh, thank you. But why do I need this?”

  “It's what we call a lodestone, Galder. Each one is unique. If you ever need my aid, all you have to do is concentrate and think of me and your half of the stone will energize my half.”

  The chief looked skeptical and Simon chuckled.

  “Go ahead and try it,” he suggested.

  Looking unconvinced, Galder held up the stone and stared at it.

  A few seconds later, the piece in Simon's hand began to glow with a bluish luminescence and shook in his palm.

  The chief gaped at it and then smiled broadly.

  “But this is wonderful!” he exclaimed. “You are truly a great wizard, my friend.”

  Simon pointed at Kronk who was watching them quietly.

  “No, Galder. There's your wizard. Kronk and his people have an affinity for the earth beneath our feet. They can find lodestones, although I'm told that they are rare. I'd never heard of such things until my earthen friend told me about them.”

  “Then I owe you my thanks,” Galder said to Kronk and he placed his large hand over his heart in salute.

  Kronk hurriedly bowed in return.

  “You are very welcome,” he said, obviously flustered by the Haladanin's gratitude. “But I am only a servant. My master deserves your thanks, not I.”

  Simon shook his finger at the elemental and Kronk hurried to correct himself.

  “I meant helper. I am my master's helper, not a servant.”

  The wizard sighed and rolled his eyes.

  “You'll never change, will you?”

  “I try, master. I really do. But I am what I am.”

  Galder watched them, his eyes glinting with amusement.

  “I shall thank you both then,” he chortled. “Knowing that we have an ally that we can call upon will reassure my people. And they have come to trust you, Simon. I assure you that I will not abuse this gift.”

  “I'm know you won't,” the wizard told him. “Okay, so let's get you and the hives back to your people.”

  Finally the Gating was finished. The Haladanin began getting themselves organized and Simon and the elementals stayed back and out of the way.

  “Any signs of trouble?” Simon asked Aeris as they watched the bear people.

  Galder and several of the others were moving the beehives to the far side of the meadow and the wizard wondered why that was the perfect spot. He knew nothing about bees.

  “Not really.”

  Aeris made a circular gesture with his hand.

  “I patrolled the entire area for several miles around and saw only small animals and birds. No imminent threats presented themselves.”

  “Good. These people deserve a chance to rest and recover from their losses.”

  Simon watched the Haladanin silently for several minutes, lost in thought and then jumped when Kronk tugged on his robe.

  “Master? What is wrong? You seem sad.”

  “Sad? No, not really. Well, maybe a little.”

  The wizard nodded toward the bear people.

  “They've lost so much in such a short time; their home, most of their friends and family. Why did that happen? What did they do to deserve it? I don't know; it's all just so unfair, don't you think?”

  “I know that this sounds simplistic, my dear wizard,” Aeris said as he bobbed gently in the mountain breeze. “But life isn't fair. I know that the Chaos lords want you and all other Changlings, including these gentle giants, dead. But even if that were not so, sometimes things just happen. And in a world inundated with magical energy and all that entails, danger is never really very far away.”

  “Yeah, I know bad things happen to good people, Aeris. That's always been true. It's just...”

  Simon stopped himself before he went on a rant.

  “Anyway, it doesn't matter. They are here now and hopefully will get a chance at a fresh start.”

  “They will do well, master,” Kronk reassured him. “They are strong and Galder is a good leader.”

  “I hope so. I really do. Okay then, let's say our goodbyes. It's time to go home.”

  Chapter 25

  Summer rolled in early, not long after the Haladanin had been relocated. It was lush with colors and smells and cheered everyone up enormously.

  Simon and Kronk worked in the garden and their produce grew quickly. Aeris helped where he could but he really hated gardening and so spent most of his time either puttering around the tower, cleaning and dusting, or off on patrol.

  One incident that did depress the wizard was a report by the air elemental a few days after the journey out west.

  Simon was weeding in the middle of his rows of carrots when Aeris zipped around the corner of the tower and stopped abruptly a few feet away.

  “Ah, the intrepid farmer,” the elemental said with a faint smile.

  The wizard sat back on his heels and wiped off his forehead with the back of his hand, unknowingly leaving a dark smudge of dirt there. Aeris didn't mention it.

  “Hey there,” Simon said with a grin. “Thanks for the compliment but I'm hardly a farmer. Now those people worked hard. If any of us fits that description, it's him.”

  He nodded across the garden and Aeris turned in time to see Kronk unearth a massive rock and carry it effortlessly to the edge of the garden. The earthen dropped it there, hurried back and began to refill the hole.

  “Hmm. Good point. But we both know how much he likes working with dirt.”

  “Well, he is an earth elemental, Aeris. What did you expect? Anyway, he keeps finding those blasted rocks. It's like the damned things grow overnight. So what's up? You seem to be in a rush.”

  “I am, a bit.”

  Simon stood up, brushed off his knees and walked to the side of the garden. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt today, robes were just too hot for gardening, and he picked up an old towel he'd left there.

  “Why?” he asked as he wiped the dirt off of his legs.

  “I have some news. It's not urgent, just curious.”

  The wizard dropped the towel, picked up a flask of water and began drinking as he motioned for Aeris to continue.

  “Well, it's about the old town of Nottinghill. Apparently the enemy of the Haladanin was, um, upset that they got away.”

  Simon let out a deep breath, closed the f
lask and looked at Aeris curiously.

  “How could you possibly know that? Although it's probably true.”

  “Because he razed the town to the ground.”

  The wizard frowned at him.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “It's been flattened, destroyed, obliterated. What part of 'razed to the ground' wasn't clear?”

  “But, you mean all of it?”

  “Everything. The outside wall is rubble and all of the buildings have been burned to their foundations; even the well in the center of town has been poisoned. It smells incredibly foul now. By the Four Winds, all they neglected to do was salt the earth. It's horrible.”

  Simon sat down with a thump and looked across at Kronk, who was blissfully unaware of the news and happily digging away.

  “But why? Why do that? What's the point?”

  Aeris settled to the ground in front of the wizard and looked up at him.

  “Who can say what the motivation was. But I'll tell you what it looks like to me. It's something a child would do when they didn't get their own way; a spoiled, impetuous child.”

  “We're talking about an incredibly powerful necromancer here, Aeris, not a child.”

  “Maybe not. But very powerful people who are used to getting what they want can act like children, don't you think? I've certainly witnessed that kind of behavior before.”

  Simon slapped the dried dirt from his feet and wiggled his toes, watching as small clumps of earth dropped to the ground. He preferred gardening with his feet bare; it saved wear and tear on his shoes.

  “Okay, that's worrying. If our opponent is some sort of egomaniac who is also an evil wizard, we could be in even greater trouble than we thought.”

  “Or less. Immaturity can lead to mistakes, my dear wizard. Emotions controlling a general's strategy will defeat him every time.”

  “You're calling this guy a general now?”

  “Isn't he? Aren't you both? You each command forces. The necromancer has his undead armies and you have us, the elementals. Each of you must counter the other. It's a classic struggle seen time and time again with your species.”

  Simon stood up with a grunt and walked back to his carrots.

  “I don't see it like that.”

  He knelt down, grabbed his trowel and looked back at Aeris.

  “Thanks for the update. Keep your eyes open. This guy may not be as immature as you think he is; maybe he's simply insane.”

  Aeris' mouth dropped open in surprise.

  “Well now,” he muttered. “Isn't that an encouraging thought.”

  A week later, Simon and Kronk harvested for the first time that year. Early carrots, beets, tomatoes; the earthen made vegetables grown and thrive at a ridiculously fast pace.

  When he got in touch with Tamara, he learned that after the first assault had been beaten back, the undead hadn't returned.

  “We've scoured the nearby countryside,” she said to Simon in the mirror. “No sign of them anywhere. We have patrols out just in case, but it seems that we've earned ourselves a respite.”

  “Glad to hear that. Listen, I've got a bunch of fresh veggies to trade if you're interested.”

  The mage's eyes lit up.

  “Interested? I'm thrilled. We're still finishing off last years' preserves and dried fruit. Any fresh additions to our diet here would be most welcome.”

  “Good. I'm also bringing one of my cows. I hate to do it, but she's older and huge and will supply your people with beef for quite some time. I only want a few steaks and roasts when your butcher is done; the rest is yours.”

  “As always, you are too generous, Simon. What do you need in return?”

  He went through a list in his mind.

  “A couple of new robes would be nice. I don't care about the color except, please, no green.”

  He shuddered and Tamara chuckled.

  “Also, linen underwear and...is anyone knitting socks?”

  “Absolutely. We have quite a fair sized herd of sheep now and a couple of our people are cranking out socks and sweaters. Anything else?”

  “Not off hand. I'll think about it and tell you when I get there. Say, tomorrow?”

  “Excellent. We look forward to seeing you.”

  “Thanks Tamara. See you then.”

  When he broke the connection, Simon set down the mirror and went off in search of the elementals.

  Both Kronk and Aeris were thrilled with the idea of a trip. Even they got bored occasionally. Kronk was a little saddened at the idea of losing one of his cows, but he also understood the practically of it.

  “Don't worry,” Simon reassured him. “Next spring we'll head out and bring back a few more for you to look after.”

  His little red eyes lit up.

  “Oh, that will be splendid, master!”

  Aeris opened his mouth to make a cutting remark, saw Simon's expression and wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

  “Still no sign of problems in the area?” the wizard asked him.

  “None. And our scouts near Ottawa report no sign of the necromancer there anymore. He's disappeared, which makes me uneasy.”

  “Same here. Well, we'll only be gone for the day tomorrow so if anything does happen, we'll be back before dark.”

  The visit to Nottinghill Castle started off well. Simon and the elementals were greeted warmly by Tamara and Sebastian and several of the castle's inhabitants. The helpers carried off the baskets of produce and a huge bag of wool that Kronk had sheered from their sheep. He watched sadly as someone led away the cow.

  A young woman named Ruby, who Tamara introduced as Nottinghill's seneschal, made a list of the items that Simon had brought for trade and gave it to him with a cheerful smile. Ruby was short and stocky with broad features and a red nose. She reminded the wizard of a female dwarf he'd met once.

  “What's a seneschal?” Simon asked Aeris in a whispered aside.

  “What you would call a steward, my dear wizard,” the air elemental murmured discretely. “They were in charge of the domestic affairs of many castles back in the old days.”

  “Really? Huh. I wonder why Tamara brought back that position?”

  “Why not ask her?”

  Simon shook his head.

  “Doesn't matter.”

  The mages took their visitors in for an early lunch. Simon had left home at dawn because of the five hour time difference and had only had some toast, so a meal was welcome.

  The home cooking was delicious and varied and he left the table truly stuffed for the first time in months. Aiden and Malcolm joined them, as did the mage, Keiko. She was as quiet and unassuming as always, but greeted Simon with a gentle smile.

  The two warriors were louder with their welcomes and the wizard endured Malcolm's pounding on his back until Aiden stopped the assault, pointing out that Simon couldn't catch his breath.

  “We haven't seen him in ages,” he told his partner. “Try not to kill him right off, hmm?”

  “Oh, jeez. I am so sorry, Simon. Sometimes I forget my own strength.”

  “You always forget your own strength,” Tamara snapped while Simon sat at the table, wheezing.

  “It's okay,” he gasped. “I'm a bit fragile, that's all.”

  Malcolm's face was red and he muttered another apology. Aiden dragged him away and sat him down with an audible thump.

  “Sit there and eat before you do more damage,” he growled.

  Simon looked away before he burst out laughing and embarrassed the big man even more. Sitting in that rather small chair in full armor made Malcolm look like a little boy who had been given a time-out.

  When the luncheon was over, everyone went off in different directions while Tamara stayed with Simon and the elementals. She asked him to list his needed supplies, took it and promised to have it filled within an hour.

  “Why don't you head out to the courtyard?” she said. “I believe there's an old friend of yours out there waiting to speak with you privately.”

&
nbsp; “Really? Who?”

  “Go and see,” she said mischievously and winked before she quickly walked off.

  “Isn't it strange for her to be that playful?” Aeris wondered.

  Simon nodded and began making his way toward the courtyard. He was almost sure he remembered the correct route.

  “It is. I wonder what's up?”

  “You like surprises, master,” Kronk reminded him as he tip-tapped along behind the wizard.

  “”Well, that really depends on the nature of the surprise,” Simon told him. “And I don't have a lot of 'old' friends left these days. Who could it be?”

  They found out a few minutes later.

  After getting lost once in the endless corridors of the castle, they were shown the proper path by a helpful young man who stared at the elementals in awe. Aeris was notably pleased by the wide-eyed look he gave them as they walked away.

  “They don't see many of our kind very often, do they?”

  “How could they? I'm the only person who has elemental helpers.”

  “Good point. He seemed rather impressed by us.”

  Kronk laughed roughly.

  “Do not let it go to your head, Aeris,” he rumbled. “It was what we are, not who we are, that impressed him. If it was Ana instead of you, he would have been just as affected.”

  Aeris sniffed disdainfully.

  “I doubt it,” he said over his shoulder as he flew ahead.

  Simon concentrated on the directions he was given and was relieved when he opened a large oaken door and was greeted by bright sunlight.

  “Found it,” he said happily as they stepped outside. “That's a relief.”

  “Not a natural castle dweller, my friend?” someone asked.

  The wizard looked around and smiled in happy surprise.

  “Liliana! Hey, how are you?”

  The paladin had been leaning on a nearby pillar in full armor. She stood up and walked over, extending a hand.

  Simon shook it warmly.

  “So you're the old friend that Tamara mentioned?”

  “Is that what she called me? I suppose old friends in this new world of ours are anyone we've known for more than a year or two. Yes, she meant me. How have you been? I was told about your troubles with the undead.”