by Terry Spear
Another screech sent Viator in a panic as they raced to the women’s chambers. His first thought was Eloria. None of the elven women would be out of their chambers this time of night. Only Eloria wouldn’t know the rules. But when he saw the guard, his heart stilled. She wouldn’t have left her room, not with a guard posted.
“Sire.” The guard bowed in greeting.
“I wish to see if Eloria is all right.”
“Your father forbids you to enter her chambers, Your Majesty.”
“Then see if the woman is there, for heaven’s sake. Have you not heard the opinicus screeching outside the women’s chambers?”
“Yes, sire, but I cannot leave my post, by the strictest orders of the king.”
“Knock on her door!”
The guard turned and pounded on the door. When there was no answer, he said, “She must be sound asleep, Your Majesty.”
“Check, then.”
“I cannot go into the woman’s chamber.”
Viator grabbed for the door handle, but the guard blocked him. “Your father has said if you return here, I’m to have you returned to your room and have a guard posted. I won’t mention this incident if you leave here quietly, Your Majesty.”
Viator hurried off with Balen dashing after. “Where are we going, sire?”
“Another way to Eloria’s room.”
“The ledge.” He rubbed his chin. “Without full use of your wings, that is a dangerous venture. Let me go in your stead.”
“You may come with me if you so choose, but I won’t stay behind. I have to know Eloria is safe.”
They soon made it to the ledge but saw no sign of the opinicus. Both looked up, but there were no archers anywhere either.
Viator led the way, easing toward Eloria’s room and when he reached the open window, he poked his head inside. He couldn’t tell if she was in her bed or not, it was so dark.
Balen bumped into him. “Sire,” he whispered, “is she in there?”
“I cannot see her.”
Viator climbed in through the window, then crossed the floor to the bed. Pulling the partially opened curtains away from the bed, his heart stopped. She had to have left the room through the window. He dashed to the window and climbed back out. “She’s not in her room.”
Viator knelt at the edge of the path looking for signs she’d been there.
“Sire, the opinicus never misses—”
“He missed. You heard him screech the second time. He missed.”
“But the probability he’d miss a second time is unheard of.”
“Either help me to look for her, or leave. You are not making the task any easier.”
“Yes, sire.”
Balen crouched, looking for any signs that Eloria had come this way. “Maybe she got farther along the ledge. Or maybe she went the opposite way than the way we came.”
Viator stood and looked in the northerly direction. “All right, we’ll see if she went that way.”
He hurried toward the north side of the castle. When they reached the end, they walked onto the expansive patio used for royal parties and ceremonies during seasonable weather. He glanced up to see archers surveying the mountains. “Well, there are the archers. But where is Eloria? If they had seen her, they’d have returned her to her room.”
He looked back at the ledge. “She couldn’t have fallen from the ledge.”
As quickly as he was able, he returned to the location of her room, then at intervals along the ledge he crouched down looking for signs of her.
His gut wrenched when he discovered a piece of cloth from her pants. “Balen, she’s been here.”
“I’ll fly down and look, sire. Your wings shouldn’t be used any more than necessary.”
“Find her, Balen.”
“Yes, sire.”
Balen dropped over the edge. Viator hated that his friend would be the one searching for her and not him.
After several minutes, Balen called out. “I’ve found her, but she’s unconscious, sire.”
“Bring her up at once.”
“I’m afraid to move her, Your Majesty.”
“What’s wrong, Balen?” He could tell from the quaver in his friend’s voice, something terrible was the matter and the suspense was killing him. He fought the urge to join him by flight, but knew he’d prolong the healing of his wings and he couldn’t afford to do that. Instead, he started the long climb down the jagged rock. “Balen, what’s the matter?”
“Your Majesty, I wouldn’t recommend you climbing down here.”
“Then bring her up.”
“I beg your forgiveness, but I can’t.”
Viator knew Balen had to have good reason for his reluctance to move Eloria, but still he was angered. “What in the world is the matter—”
His words were cut short as he saw the matter. Talom was crouched near Eloria, a smoky green mist cloaking him in part, his eyes sparkling like beacons of emerald light.
11
“Has he killed Eloria?” Viator asked Balen. His head swam with the notion she could be dead because the beast had killed her. He’d silence the breath of the dragon with his bare hands if he could, forget trying to tame him.
Balen pointed down the mountain twenty feet. “I think that black pile of ashes was the opinicus.”
“He killed the threat to Eloria?” His words were raised in awe. Talom had never been known to save anyone’s life. He wouldn’t be tamed, and he was like any other wild beast, who earned the reputation of being a rogue, dangerous and deadly.
“Maybe her red hair is what draws him to her.”
“She isn’t stirring. How do we know she isn’t dead, Balen?”
“He nudged her with that scaly nose of his, and she moaned.”
Viator took a step toward Eloria. He didn’t want to leave her injured on the ledge where she lay so still any longer. He had to take her to a healer at once.
“Sire,” Balen whispered. “I tried moving toward her once, but he raised his head and opened his mouth as if he was going to incinerate me. You know, that’s how they do it. Just open up and—”
Viator motioned for him to be quiet. Talom watched Viator’s movements, but sat still, not moving at all. Viator said, “I only seek to help the human girl, Talom. Please, let me aid her.”
He didn’t figure the dragon would have understood his language, but he hoped it would take his words spoken in a soothing manner as nonaggression. He’d never gotten that close to a wild dragon either before and the prospect was disconcerting. His father would have thrown a fit if he’d known Viator was facing his potential extermination for a mere human girl.
When Viator was nearly at Eloria’s feet, the dragon suddenly lifted off and flew away.
“Jeez, Your Highness. He nearly gave me a heart attack. I can’t believe he never once opened his mouth to threaten you.”
“Help me get her to her room, Balen.”
“Yes, sire.”
Viator lifted her into Balen’s arms, and she moaned slightly with the effort. He hated to hear her in pain, but he was comforted to know she was alive.
Balen lifted her to the top ledge as Viator made the climb back up. He’d never work so hard in his life. Never again was he going to challenge Lars again, not until his wings were invisible. Climbing wasn’t meant for winged elves.
When he finally reached the top, Balen joined him. “I’ve put her in her room, sire, but now what do we do? She spoke your name, then closed her eyes. But if we get the healers, they’ll know she was out of her room, and they may learn you were trying to see her and…”
Viator hurried to Eloria’s guest chambers and climbed in through the window. “Eloria.” He strode to her bed, then touched her forehead.
She opened her eyes and smiled weakly. “Viator. He says he’ll give me the gift soon.”
“Who? What gift?”
She closed her eyes and he took her hand and rubbed it. “Eloria, what gift?”
“Sire,” Balen whispere
d, “if we’re caught in here, it would not go well for us.”
“Balen, sneak some aloverot potion out of the healer’s chambers. I must revive Eloria and find out about the gift and who has spoken to her about it. The dragon, possibly?” He shook his head as if in answering his own question. “The dragon could not speak to her. She would only understand him if she were a high elf. Get me the potion and quickly.”
“Yes, sire.” Balen hurried back out through the window.
Viator sat on the bed next to Eloria and wrapped his hand around hers. “Eloria.” His words were spoken in hushed tones so as not to alert the guard standing outside her door.
After a good ten minutes, she reached for his hand with her free one. “Rupert?”
Viator stood up from the down-filled mattress, his wings spreading out in a possessive manner heretofore he’d never before exhibited.
Balen chuckled as he climbed in through the window with a flask in his grasp. “Seems you are coming of age, Your Highness. I’ve never seen you display your wings in such a manner. But what I don’t understand is why you are doing such a thing when there is no other male here for you to threaten, showing you have interest in the female.”
Viator grabbed the flask. “Do not repeat this to anyone.”
“I wouldn’t, sire. But still I’m curious as to what angered you so.”
“Maybe you should leave the room, Balen, in case any should find us here.”
“If you wish for me to, sire.”
Viator didn’t want his friend to think he didn’t want him to share in the information. On the other hand, he was afraid of what Eloria might reveal. And he did worry that Balen would get into as much trouble as he would for being with her in the chamber in the first place.
“Thank you for retrieving the medicine, Balen.”
“Of course, sire.”
Viator didn’t ask him to leave any further, but instead lifted Eloria’s head to have her drink the potion. She drank greedily of the liquid to his surprise and when he pulled it away from her, she grasped at the flask, but he wouldn’t let her have any more.
“Perhaps, sire, it doesn’t have the same effect on humans as it does on elves.”
“Apparently not, though it seems to have revived her.”
She licked her lips and stared at the flask.
“Eloria, what happened?”
“I’m still thirsty.”
Viator smiled. “You’ve had plenty.”
She frowned at him and when her green eyes narrowed, he was reminded of the catlike eyes of the dragon. He handed the flask to Balen, then took her hand and ran his fingers over it. “Eloria, the creature that came after you, what happened to it?”
“I fell.”
“Yes, how are you feeling?”
“Thirsty.”
She looked from Viator to the flask.
He grinned as Balen chuckled. “Guess she likes the aloverot,” Balen said, holding onto the flask tightly.
“Eloria.” Viator touched her cheek, trying to get her attention. “You fell because of the opinicus.”
“The opinicus? Never heard of it.”
“It’s like a griffin only has a slightly different tail.”
“Never heard of a…oh…it had an eagle’s head and its sharp beak was poised at my throat, and then he fell to the ground in a pile of ashes.”
“Because of Talom.”
“Talom?” She rubbed her head. “Never heard of it.”
“The dragon…the one that came to the great hall.”
“Oh. I don’t know. I felt really hot all of a sudden, then didn’t remember anything more.”
“Are you okay? No injuries or anything? I was worried that you were injured.”
“I’m thirsty.”
Viator and Balen chuckled. Viator reached up and touched Eloria’s head and frowned. “She’s bloodied her head. She must have fallen and was knocked out.”
“I’ll get something to clean her up, sire.”
Balen left with the flask and Eloria watched him leave with too much interest. Viator took her hand again. “Who spoke to you?”
“The wizard. You know, he visits me in my dreams. Not all of them. Some of them are nightmares—I was falling into a deep pit. Pushed there. Couldn’t get the two opposing parties to listen to me and they got rid of me. Or tried.”
Viator frowned. “Eloria, what did the wizard say to you?”
“To sleep, I think. I couldn’t sleep.”
“He told you he was going to give you the gift soon.”
“No, he told me I was to sleep.”
“Eloria, when we first brought you to the room, you told us he said he was going to give you the gift and soon.”
“I don’t remember.” She lay back on the bed.
Totally exasperated, he rubbed her arm, trying not to think of it, only to offer her comfort. “Does your head hurt, Eloria?”
She nodded.
Soon Balen was climbing through the window again with a pack over his shoulder.
“I am thirsty.”
Balen had purposefully left the flask behind. In its place, he brought a water pouch. “Here, to quench your thirst.”
Then he handed Viator the cloth and antiseptic. He cleaned her wound, but the cut was no longer bleeding. “She won’t need stitches, thank the heavens.”
Eloria choked on the water and Viator patted her back as Balen watched the door, fearing the guard might check to see the matter. Eloria’s eyelids drew closed and Viator said, “She should sleep now.”
“I didn’t think it would ever work on her.”
“Humans seem to react differently to the potion.” Viator tucked her in, then the two exited through the window and worked their way carefully back to their chambers for the evening, both of them keeping an eye out for anything flying in their direction.
Early the next morning, Eloria was served breakfast in her room alone. She assumed the staff didn’t want a repeat of the dragon’s visit at the great hall when she’d eaten the supper meal with them. The only thing she regretted was not seeing Viator. All night she worried she might not see him ever again, in the event his father did lock him in his chamber.
After the morning meal, she was escorted to the courtyard where they first had arrived the day before. Balen greeted her as several other elves watched the proceeding. Many were curious about her, she figured. Then too, they probably wished to see one of their own off. Who knew if Balen would ever return?
“They didn’t return my sword or another thing I use for protection.”
“If they didn’t, they won’t. I have a dagger I can give you for protection.”
“I want my sword.” And the stun gun. Especially the stun gun.
She climbed onto Balen’s back and with a whoosh he flew down from the ring of mountains toward the fairyland’s meadow.
“I can feel you twisting to see behind us again. Prince Viator won’t follow us until later this afternoon. He has to make arrangements to leave without his father getting wind of it. And it’ll give his wings longer to heal. In the meantime, I will show you some of the countryside.” Balen cleared his throat. “He was concerned about you this morning. He wondered if you were all right after last night.”
“All right?”
“Yes, after your fall.”
“Oh, it was a dream. I dreamed I was falling in a pit.”
“You don’t remember the dragon last night?”
“What dragon?”
“Why had you left your room?”
“Why would I have done that?”
He shook his head. “Prince Viator wished to know this as well.”
She looked down to see foxglove blooming in profusion all over the long, green grasses. The purple flowers turned their deep-spotted throats up to the awakening sun as Balen settled among them. “Thank you, Balen, for helping me like this.”
He cleared his throat in annoyance.
“Lord Balen, I’m sorry I cannot seem to get used
to saying royal titles here in your lands. In mine, we don’t have royal titles.” Military ranks and governmental ranks, sure. But not royal titles.
He reached out and touched her ear. “Can you hear the fairies’ song?”
She shook her head as she touched the cotton stuffed in her ears.
“Good because here comes one now.” The fairy darted out of the safety of the tall grasses and floated above his head, her hair dangling in ice-white curls about her small face. Her shimmering pink gowns and filmy wings fluttered in the slight breeze. Silky pink lips mouthed words to lure the two, but Balen just smiled at her. “She wishes for us to stay here with her to watch her dance and to hear her songs.”
The fairy flitted near Eloria’s head, then lifted a shock of red curl to her face. She ran her nimble fingers through the silky strands, then grinned broadly. Flipping around to Eloria’s back, she ran her tiny fingers along her white gown.
“What is she doing?” Eloria’s brows rose with concern.
Balen grinned. “She is looking for your wings. She cannot understand that not only have you no wings, but your hair is as red as the red deer who reside in the forest near here.”
“The Darkland Forest.” Eloria looked at the forest shadowed in darkness across the canyon where they now stood.
“Bad experience with the river elves, Prince Viator has told me.”
“Why would they have thrown me off the cliffs like that? What kind of horrible…” Eloria glanced up at the sky to see a gray speck in the distance. Her blood rushed through her veins at a quicker pace. “Is it a dragon? Would Viator ride a dragon to join us early?”
12
“Viator cannot ride one on his own until he is of age,” Balen said to Eloria. “Reining in a dragon is the last quest he will have to complete to come of age. The same with me.”
“What is it then?”
“I cannot tell with the way the sun is shining off its…” Balen’s mouth dropped open. “Run!” he shouted and seized Eloria’s wrist. “We do not want to be its meal today or any other day! Run!”
Eloria grabbed at her long skirts as she sprinted alongside Balen.
“I know I shouldn’t do this, but I have no choice!” Balen shouted, and he jumped into a hole, dragging Eloria with him. They tumbled down through the moss-cushioned tunnel and landed on objects that rolled with their weight at the bottom.