Natalya: Wizards of White Haven

by Frances Howitt

  11. Wayward Children

  Amelie looked back but Jim was very quickly lost to view in the darkness. The school’s lights faded from sight and then they were flying over the perimeter wall and passing over forest. Stripe’s huge wings carried them with effortless speed and she marvelled at being on his back. She was riding a dragon! How many people could ever say they had done that? She tucked Daisy, in her carry sack, properly inside her coat to better protect her from the wind and was glad that her daughter was quickly asleep.

  She eyed Stripe’s huge but graceful form. She had loved being in dragon form. Whilst she enjoyed learning to use her magic and having friends, after spending years alone in a dungeon she valued her freedom and seeing open sky too. Life was simpler as a dragon, with no worries over what others thought, obeying new rules or fitting in. Tania would have much to learn if she wished to pass as a human from time to time. The main question was whether a dragon either could, or was even prepared to, learn human ways. They were undoubtedly intelligent, but could be arrogant, believing in their superiority. Humility and accepting orders was not one of their natural traits! The dragonets had been endlessly entertaining and she had missed watching them grow and develop. On the few occasions Stripe had called on her for aid, she’d been astonished each time at how much they had all changed. Clearly dragons developed into independent individuals at a far younger age than humans. She had not been there when they learned to fly either, which was a major milestone for a dragon.

  ‘Are you alright, love?’

  ‘Jim! Yes, we’re perfectly fine. He’s looking after us. Look through my eyes. Flying like this is wonderful.’ She shared her view of the moonlit forest rushing past beneath her, the peaceful silence around them and Stripe’s powerful wings driving them forward.

  ‘Rather you than me,’ Jim admitted. He didn’t like heights much and just watching the treetops slip past made him queasy. However being able to so closely watch a real dragon flying was an experience in itself once he could step back from his own discomfort and view it objectively. He was quite happy to experience it second-hand. ‘I’m glad to hear you’re both ok.’

  ‘Yes, Daisy’s asleep even. I’m glad you thought of this saddle though; I feel a lot safer having something to hold on to,’ she added, feeling him still there with her and sharing this experience. She knew it reassured him greatly to know for sure she was not in danger and that Stripe was taking care of them.

  ‘Let me know how it goes; if you can. You know, it’s already getting harder to share detail; you must have travelled a hell of a distance already,’ he remarked a little uneasily. ‘I thought you’d be there by now.’

  ‘I did too. Distances feel different when you can fly them. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. I’ll let you know if I can’t get back tonight,’ she promised and sent him a quick burst of affection that he reciprocated before disconnecting contact. She absently patted Stripe’s neck and the great head tilted, an eye looking back at her.

  ‘Your mate worries?’ Stripe asked.

  ‘Of course. Could you hear us speaking?’ it suddenly occurred to her to wonder.

  ‘Certainly. I know your voice and your body touches mine.’

  ‘Ah, proximity. Is it much farther yet to travel?’ She’d forgotten that since dragons naturally spoke to one another mentally, that sense was particularly developed. Close proximity helped the clarity of the connection and actual touch meant a private conversation was possible. She heard the slightly flirtatious tone to his words and knew he had also noticed her enjoyment of flying with him. Since they touched she wondered what else he might have picked up from her mind.

  ‘No. We should arrive close to dawn.’

  ‘In just a few minutes then? Good, I’m getting cold,’ she responded. The sky was no longer as dark and the still night had given way to a cold wind, which also signalled the turn of night to day.

  ‘She is there, my queen,’ Stripe said and projected his vision of the village, so far below them, for her.

  The dragon’s rapid flight made the gusty wind whistle past and caused Amelie’s eyes to tear. She blinked and looked again in astonishment. She could just make out the shape of a tiny village on a hillside way below them, marked by a thin plume of smoke. Stripe could see far better than that and in astonishing detail. He could identify the shapes of penned animals and a few people moving about, even at this distance. ‘It’s best they don’t see you. Land on the far side of the hill. We’ll walk closer,’ she suggested. ‘Those trees will provide cover for us.’

  Stripe found a clear enough spot to land and she slid from his back. ‘You need to rest, my queen,’ he suggested curling around her where she stood partially beneath the wide canopy of a mature oak.

  ‘You don’t want me to go straight to Tania?’

  ‘She yet sleeps. There is time for you to refresh yourself.’

  ‘Well in that case, I shall sit down for a few minutes,’ she responded gratefully and dared lean against Stripe’s side. His body provided both windbreak and exuded delicious warmth that her chilled body appreciated. Before she realised it she’d relaxed and fallen asleep, having missed much of the night’s rest.

  Amelie peered through the bushes down the slope to the bustling village below. It was a very small village with only five houses gathered around a well in the muddy central square. Its inhabitants were obviously poor, yet moved about purposefully, some tending geese and pigs in their pens while others were busy digging over and planting crops in walled vegetable plots.

  She noticed a skinny teenager staggering out of a shed on the far side with a heavy burden in his arms. He placed it on top of the neat stack already there against the shed wall and she heard a metallic clang. Ah, so this was why the village was here; there must be a mine nearby. She now realised the smoke and hot acrid smells were from smelting. Those must be ingots of whatever metal they mined here. On the other side of the shed, stood a squat building, its waterwheel turning slowly in the small but swiftly flowing stream. Perhaps they used the waterwheel to power the bellows for the forge or other smelting equipment. She was curious about what they did here exactly and could see why the villager’s constant outdoors activity had attracted the inquisitive Tania.

  Stripe lay on his belly beside her, his head partially pushed through the dense vegetation that concealed his huge form. It helped that he was naturally a dark green and so blended with the trees and foliage he sat amongst. She pushed her hair back yet again somewhat irritably. He always insisted on being physically close and his breathing in her ear was blowing her hair around and into her eyes. On the upside, his proximity was helping to warm her. The flight had sent a chill right through her and then she had fallen asleep outside and before she had warmed up properly. She still shivered. Spring was not a good time of year to be sitting outside on a damp windy hillside.

  His glinting emerald eyes seemed intently focussed on the village, but she realised he was also watching her and Daisy. The weak sunshine gave his scales a silky sheen. She idly wondered whether polishing would turn them shiny and bring out the colour. Then she ruefully shook her head; no, she was not going to volunteer! There was a great expanse of scales covering this dragon. His head alone was as long as she was tall! Having said that, maybe she could be-spell a yard brush to scrub him? The errant image of a broom chasing after this dignified and serious dragon would definitely be fun to watch!

  ‘Thank you for agreeing to come. I wasn’t sure you would wish to help.’

  ‘I watched your children hatch and take their first steps in the world, Stripe. I might not be their mother but I cared for them at their most vulnerable. I still feel a connection,’ she admitted. ‘I’d never have guessed this shape-shifting you say Tania has done was at all possible.’ She considered him, now able to appreciate that the magic he possessed was comparable to a strong animus or indeed a wizard. She had always assumed that, like an animus, a dragon’s magic was structured for specific tasks and therefore of limited alternat
e use. If they could change form that rather begged the question of what else they might be capable of. ‘Goodness knows what kind of mischief she’s got up to already amongst humans. You were right to call me.’

  Stripe very gently nuzzled her cheek with his soft nose, expressing his thanks and appreciation, before returning his attention to the humans moving in and out of sight amongst the buildings below them.

  She’d been sitting in the grass watching for quite some minutes before the right child finally came into view.

  ‘Tania,’ Amelie exclaimed under her breath.

  ‘How do you know that is her?’ Stripe asked. ‘I sense she is close, but her form thwarts my perceptions somehow.’

  ‘Do you see any other children with blue hair?’ Amelie responded. ‘That might be a natural colour for a dragon, but it is not for a human. She will be drawing a lot of attention and it could become hostile.’

  ‘Hostile? They would not harm a child, a female child, surely?’

  ‘Humans are plentiful and unpredictable; they are not always kind to one another, particularly to someone they consider unusual.’

  ‘They are territorial?’

  ‘Yes, especially in lean times. However, most people will tolerate a child trespassing because they understand a child does not understand or always recognise boundaries. However, they will expect the child’s parents to come for her without delay.’

  ‘What aren’t you telling me?’ Stripe demanded. ‘There is some danger I’m not aware of, isn’t there?’

  ‘Human males are generally stronger than the females. It is their role to protect their family,’ she said and Stripe nodded. ‘However, they do differ from dragons in that they do not automatically revere or obey their own or any other female. Some males have been known to covet and even attack an undefended female. They are not all like that of course, but few men would allow their mate to place herself in the reach of unknown males, especially with such a young baby.’

  Stripe growled in disgust. ‘Your mate knows these risks yet he did not accompany you here.’

  ‘Jim knows how protective you are. He trusts you and expects you to keep me from harm,’ Amelie explained and Stripe stopped growling.

  ‘Yet you had planned to go down there without me and without even hinting there might be some danger to yourself.’

  ‘I am not entirely helpless. Besides, what could you do? It’d be nice if you could walk down there with me, but only Tania has worked out how to do that.’ She stood up and headed for the village, aware of Stripe’s frustration and feelings of inadequacy. Both emotions were foreign to his nature.

  Stripe watched his bold little queen stride down the hill, her long black hair blowing in the wind. She was so small, yet her courage was undeniable. When Tania noticed her, she ran to wrap her arms about her. Their affection for one another was clear. However, before they could take more than one step back towards him, other humans intervened and he could only watch as his females were led away and into a den where he could no longer see them.

  ‘What is happening? Why are you not returning?’ Stripe demanded.

  ‘The people who have been looking after her wish to meet me and Tania seems to have a need to show me everything. She is asking me questions about everything she sees,’ Amelie added.

  ‘She knows I am here waiting?’

  ‘Yes. Unfortunately, now we’re both here, she feels safe enough to linger. We are being watched too closely to speak freely and she is not thinking of guarding her words. If we argue she is bound to forget herself entirely and reveal something we don’t need these people to know.’

  ‘Please be careful,’ Stripe urged.

  ‘Hopefully her curiosity will be assuaged soon and we can leave without fuss.’

  Stripe wasn’t so sanguine and settled down where he could continue to watch the village, prepared for a lengthy wait. Tania always questioned everything and demanded answers before she would even consider moving on. She was not alone in this, her brothers and sisters were equally curious, but she differed from them in her fascination for anything human. He almost jumped up when at last they came into view. However, they did not leave the village, although Amelie looked up towards him. Resignation and weariness was in her body language and Stripe growled. Tania was going to have a lot to answer for.

  ‘Come Tania, you’ve dallied long enough,’ he ordered. A small growl was his only answer.

  As the afternoon wore on the sky darkened early with heavy clouds. He scented not just the approach of rain but a substantial storm. He growled; they needed to leave. He recalled Tania’s taunt that she could do something he could not and that he was too scared to even try. Yet it was Amelie’s disappointment that he couldn’t accompany her, which filled him. Unfortunately, he had no idea what Tania had done to accomplish her transformation. If he knew how he would do it. He ground his teeth in frustration that he could not simply walk down there to retrieve them.

  ‘My queen, a storm approaches. We must leave.’

  ‘A brief storm?’

  ‘I feel dense pressure building. Come quickly.’

  ‘She is ignoring me in favour of eating and it’s not a pretty sight. Where can we go?’

  ‘We will rejoin the others of course.’

  ‘Ok. What of her siblings? I assume they don’t yet know about this?’

  ‘I thought it unwise to mention it.’

  ‘Are you prepared for the effects seeing her changed form will have on them?’

  ‘What do you mean? Once we have her back she will stop this silliness, revert and all will be well.’

  ‘I’m not sure if she knows how to revert back to her dragon form. If you take her back like this you won’t have just one confused child, but several. Surely it’s better to wait until she is back in her normal form before you return her to the others. It rather looks like she is going to need help with that.’

  Stripe watched her step outside the door and look skywards just as the first of the rain began to fall. Other faces appeared at the door and windows and Amelie hastily returned inside. The rain quickly grew heavier and then turned into hail.

  ‘I cannot take Daisy out in this.’ She gave a small sigh of frustration listening to the pounding on the roof. ‘Stripe, it’s probably best you return to look after the others and leave Tania to me for the time being.’

  ‘Are you certain? You will not be defended if I leave,’ Stripe reminded uneasily.

  ‘I am not a weakling and so far the people seem hospitable. However, the rest of your family is entirely undefended at the moment is it not?’

  ‘True, but none are as prone to trouble-making as Tania. They will be just where I left them.’

  ‘Go to them. They need you too. I know you’ve taken shelter under a tree, but you’ll soon be leaving tracks in the mud that these villagers will find and be worried about later.’

  ‘Very well. I will go to them. Once this stops I’ll bring them closer so I can come to you quickly if you have need,’ Stripe declared.

  ‘Thank you,’ Amelie said seriously and only because she knew where he was and had particularly keen vision did she see him take off and leave in the pelting hailstorm.

  Now she was in sole charge of a young baby whilst keeping control of an opinionated dragon that looked like a ten year old girl, but had blue hair, no social skills, no table manners and was agog at things that should be commonplace to a human of that age! Fabulous! Jim was not going to be happy either.

  12. Good Ideas

  It took Natalya the best part of a week to sort out and learn to handle her new memories and most importantly her magic. She had had an odd encounter once or twice up at the school and now avoided it and its wizards. Cassy explained that she was “loud” and inadvertently giving off something like a static charge to anyone sensitive to magic. To a wizard it proved she was not fully in control of her magic. Such raw power in inexperienced hands made people uneasy in her presence. Fortunately, as far as Natalya was concerned, animu
s people didn’t seem bothered by it. Many could feel it but weren’t affected by it. Even so, upsetting people bothered her.

  Cassy came and spent some time each evening helping her figure out how to gain control of her magic. Jim might have taught her more quickly but she preferred Cassy’s slower and less critical approach. Cassy helped her find a way that worked for her rather than try to impose a rigid set of rules. Progress was slowly made until Cassy announced she was no longer broadcasting dangerous vibes. Only once she had basic control over her magic could she realistically join classes. Lessons were complicated and dangerous enough when even wording a spell incorrectly could be disastrous. A warrior wizard had far more power than everyone else and so it was critical she kept control or the possibility of serious accidents was amplified.

  ‘Can I come with you hunting today?’ she asked Freddie a little tentatively. She’d been sending him out daily, refusing to let him hang around the house unproductively just because she had to. Everyone needed all the hunters to be actively gathering food. She had been contributing by skinning the animals he brought home and cleaning the hides, but otherwise she felt rather useless. She made sure he had food to take with him each day and cooked each evening. She also gathered suitable sticks to season ready to make into arrows. She fully understood his preference to make his own ammunition and take care of his weapons. His life depended on them not failing at a crucial moment. She least of all wanted something to fail him through her own shoddy or inept workmanship when it could cost him his life. Few of the creatures they hunted were without defences. Boars and stags might be herbivores but they would charge and kill a predator threatening them if they could. What allowed her to sleep when he went out day after day was the knowledge that whilst he hunted in human form, he could always become a wolf. He was not without resources to fall back on.