The Dragon's Song

by Claire Fogel

  My father turned to me. “I stopped by to see Francis Sullivan today. He said he’s looking forward to seeing more of your Elf drawings while you’re here.”

  “Okay. I’ll stop by and see Francis before I leave.” I was surprised and flattered that the well-known artist still remembered my drawings.

  When I finished my salad, I cut into the huge apple pie and served three large pieces. After my first bite, I decided it was definitely worth gaining another pound or two. When I couldn’t resist cutting myself a second piece, Adam and my father both smiled. Adam shook his head and arched an eyebrow.

  Saving me from temptation, my father picked up the rest of the pie and took it into the kitchen. A wise decision.

  When he returned, he said, “Okay, tell us about this song you’ve spent so many hours searching for.”

  They followed me over to the couch where I picked up the lyrics I’d copied. “I’m not much of a singer, but I think I can stay on key. Here’s what I think it’s supposed to sound like.”

  I sang the words softly along with the familiar melody, and they simply felt right. Adam and my father were silent for a few seconds after I’d finished the song.

  I didn’t know how to interpret the expressions on their faces. Adam smiled, looking thoughtful, and my father looked stunned.

  Adam spoke first. “That was beautiful, Cara. Beautiful and sad at the same time. You have a lovely voice.”

  My father finally said, “I remember it now. My mother used to sing that song when we’d go out to the apple orchard to pick up apples that had fallen on the ground. I don’t think I was more than four years old. I can remember that she always insisted I sit on her lap and stay quiet while she sang.” He shook his head sadly. “But I don’t remember anything else, or anyone named Rowenna. Is the old orchard where you and Jason plan on picnicking tomorrow?”

  “I think so. Especially now that we know that’s where your mother used to sing this song. I’ll ask Jason to play it on his flute. Maybe that will draw Rowenna out from wherever she’s hiding.”

  “If she’s even out there. Don’t get your hopes up.”

  I knew my father was trying to shield me from disappointment, but I felt I’d been pulled along in this direction for weeks. That sense of urgency I’d had weeks ago, the song that wouldn’t leave my mind, and finally dreams of my grandmother speaking of someone named Rowenna. I was certain I’d been set on this quest by a woman I’d never met, a woman named Rebecca Blackthorne, who was thousands of miles away.

  Before Adam left, he asked me to stay in touch with him the next day. “I’ll be thinking of you.” He might be building furniture now, but he was still my devoted bodyguard. When I walked him to the door, he bent down and whispered, “Good night, love,” pinning those dark blue eyes on me for a few breathless seconds.

  My father stood up, stretched and yawned. “It’s bed for me. I’ll be waiting for your message tomorrow. I won’t be far if you have any need of me. Please tell Jason the same thing. To be honest, I’m a little nervous about this quest of yours, so I’m glad you won’t be alone.”

  After a hug and a kiss on my cheek, he went off to his bedroom. I was tired too, but excited about what we might find the next day. I hadn’t quite finished the diary, so I took it into my room to read in bed for a little while. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay awake much longer. I snuggled under the quilt and opened the diary.

  The last thing Rebecca wrote concerned Rowenna. She said that if she didn’t hear her song again, her friend might never be seen in Blackthorne Forest again. I had the feeling that if Rowenna still existed, she was my responsibility now.

  I slept like a rock and woke up to the promised sunshine, feeling well rested and strangely relaxed. I felt I was moving in the direction that was meant for me.

  My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when I heard Jason calling to me from the sitting room. “Rise and shine, cousin. Places to go and things to do today!”

  Laughing, I jumped out of bed, and stuck my head out of my bedroom door. “Would you make tea for us? I’ll be ready in just a minute.”

  “Okay. Someone left a basket of muffins for us.” He laughed. “I’ll try to save one for you.”

  I quickly threw water on my face, brushed my teeth, and got dressed in a hurry. At least two of those muffins had my name on them.

  Jason was sitting at the long table, biting into a muffin. Pushing the basket over to me, he grinned. “Good thing you and Arlynn made up. She doesn’t deliver fresh baked muffins for just anyone, you know.”

  After biting into one, I realized it was an apple-cinnamon muffin, like the kind I’d found written down in my grandmother’s diary. I groaned in pleasure and Jason laughed at me. We had our tea, and I was wondering where the promised picnic basket was hiding.

  “You did promise me a picnic today. So where have you hidden it?”

  “One of my younger friends works in the kitchen. He’s promised to deliver a picnic basket to us around lunchtime. In exchange, I had to promise to take him with me the next time I go into Thornewood to your friend’s bakery.”

  “Uh, Jason, I’m afraid I have some bad news. There was a fire at Amy’s bakery last week. The police say it was arson. Amy’s parents are so upset, they may not reopen the bakery.”

  Jason was obviously shocked. I think this was the first time I’d ever seen him frowning.

  “Arson? Doesn’t that mean the fire was set deliberately? Who would do such a thing to such nice people?” His voice had taken on a hard edge.

  “As far as we know, everybody loves Amy’s parents. They have no idea who would have started the fire. It’s a police case now.” I didn’t mention my suspicions.

  Jason shook his head, still frowning. “Please tell Amy I’m available if she needs any help. Everyone at the bakery has been so nice to me, I want to help if I can.”

  “I’ll let her know. She’ll appreciate the offer of help, although I’m not sure what you can do. Her parents aren’t even planning on repairing the kitchen.”

  “That’s a real tragedy. They’re such good people. And they make such wonderful donuts. That’s the reason Aron wanted to go there with me. He’ll be disappointed too.”

  I took a large bottle of spring water from the cold cellar, and Jason and I set out for the old orchard, my messenger bag of art supplies over my shoulder. Jason wasn’t saying much while we walked. I was sure he was thinking about Amy and her parents. I could tell when he decided it was time to think about happier things.

  Unlike our other bodyguards, Jason hadn’t been part of our Thornewood High bodyguard crew last spring, and he was curious about what high school was like.

  “Patrick, Neal, Gabriel and Ryan talk so much about how much fun they had while they were in school with you back in June, I’ve always wished I’d had a chance to join them.”

  “Jason, I’ve never understood why they enjoyed high school so much. I realize it probably made a nice break from their normal chores, but high school is just a large group of teenagers rushing from one class to another for six hours a day. What’s the big deal?”

  Jason shook his head. “There are probably only about twenty teenagers in Elvenwood, and we’ve known each other all our lives. And the boys greatly outnumber the girls.” He looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

  The light dawned. “Ah. I get it. New blood!”

  “Yes, exactly. Before Neal got so friendly with Amy, he’d spend every evening talking about all the pretty girls at Thornewood High. And we’d hear the same from Gabriel and Patrick. The rest of us were all quite jealous.”

  He sighed. “I wish I could enjoy your senior year with you, Cara. I’ve heard Amy talking about all the parties and other fun you’ll be having, and it sounds wonderful. The closest I’ll get are the errands I run for your father, and they don’t involve teenage girls.”

  It had never occurred to me that Elvenwood’s teenagers would feel deprived once they’d been exposed to human high school. Maybe s
omething could be done. I’d have to talk to my father about this.

  “Will Adam be taking you to your parties and other activities when school starts?”

  “When he has time, I think he will. Of course, Ryan will probably have to fill in when Adam’s busy, but I may be able to go out with my school friends too. I’m hoping I won’t need a bodyguard all the time.”

  “Cousin, can I volunteer when you need an escort? Your father told me that Sean isn’t your boyfriend anymore, so I’d be glad to join you when you need someone.”

  “Sure, I’d enjoy your company. Sean and I are friends again, so we may go out in a group to things like ball games and maybe parties. But you’ll always be welcome to join me, no matter who I’m with. I want you to have fun this year too. After all, next year I’ll either be in Art School or college, and I won’t be in Thornewood very often.”

  For a few seconds, he looked sad. “You’re lucky. There’s a whole world out there for you to explore.”

  At that moment, I realized that I hadn’t been the best possible influence on the Elves I’d become close to. Their eyes had been opened to the attractions of the world outside Blackthorne Forest, maybe for the first time.

  When I finally looked away from Jason, I saw lavender shadows decorating the highest peaks in the distance, and the old grove of antique apple trees was just ahead.

  “I haven’t walked out here in years,” Jason said. “Where would you like to stop?”

  “It’s a warm day, so let’s see if we can find a comfortable place under one of these old trees.” I chose a tree that offered the most shade, and Jason and I set our things under its low hanging branches.

  Jason chuckled. “Cozy under here, isn’t it?”

  I nodded and pulled my bag off my shoulder. I had tucked an old quilt inside my bag so we wouldn’t be spending all day sitting on the hard ground. Jason helped me spread it out and we sat down, more comfortable than we’d expected to be.

  He pulled a slender silver flute out of his shirt and practiced for a few minutes. “You’ll have to hum the melody for me before I attempt to play it.”

  “I found the words to the song yesterday, so I can sing them for you.” I began humming the tune as Jason listened to the melody and began to follow it. He picked it up quickly.

  “You have a great ear for music,” I told him. He smiled, blushing. He played the melody through again, and then I began to sing the words.

  I was so intent on reading the lyrics, I barely noticed the shadow passing overhead. Jason seemed oblivious to it as well. His eyes were closed as he played his flute.

  As I sang, I could feel the air moving heavily above me, more like a caress than a breeze. His eyes still closed, Jason swayed slightly from side to side. His flute was almost unbearably sweet. I sang the last few lines feeling as though my grandmother was sitting beside me.

  “She smiles as she sings,

  Showing no fear.

  She beckons me closer,

  Welcomes me here.

  Peace so sweet,

  No longer alone.”

  I could feel the magic in the air. I was sure Jason could feel it too. He finally opened his eyes, looked at me strangely, and then looked over my shoulder, his mouth dropping open.

  The magic in the air was electric, shimmering all around us. I heard that same soft, rusty-sounding voice in my mind. Blackthorne young. Beautiful.

  I turned around slowly, excited but nervous. She rested on the ground not more than twenty feet away, watching us with large golden eyes, her gray-green scales gleaming in the sun.

  I suppose I should have been shocked, but I wasn’t. I’d known in my heart that I wouldn’t find an Elf or a human when I found Rowenna. And I now understood why Rebecca wrote the title as “The Dragon’s Song.”

  A little nervously, I smiled. “Hello, Rowenna. Rebecca sends her love.”

  My father was wrong. Dragons weren’t extinct, not in Blackthorne Forest.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful, glittering dragon sitting in front of us. It was like being in the middle of a surreal fairy tale.

  Then I heard her rough voice again. Thank you for my song. You’ve made me very happy. Rebecca is gone and I haven’t heard my song for many years. It’s been a sad time.

  “Are you alone, Rowenna?” Could there be other dragons in Blackthorne Forest?

  Alone, yes. I have one egg that won’t hatch. A Dragon needs a song and a friend. She couldn’t hatch her egg because she was alone and unhappy.

  “Rowenna, I’m Cara, and this is my cousin, Jason. We’ll visit and sing for you as often as we can. I hope that will help.”

  She lowered her head, and her golden eyes looked moist as she stared at us. Thank you, Cara. Thank you, Jason. I called and you came. You gave me my song. I have always been a friend to the Elves. Then it sounded as though she was chuckling.

  Cara, you are a very small Elf. You only think you’re human. Rowenna knows.

  She raised her head, looked over my head and bowed. Lifting her huge glittering wings, she rose into the air gracefully. As she rose, the moving air all around us shimmered with magic, and we watched her turn toward the mountains in the distance until she disappeared behind the purple peaks.

  Behind us I heard someone exhaling slowly. I turned to see my father standing just a few feet behind me, looking at the distant mountains in amazement. I realized that he was the reason Rowenna bowed as she left. I stood and handed the jug of water to him, although he looked as though he could have used something stronger.

  Jason looked amazed but relieved. His eyes wide and a slight smile on his lips, he said, “I think we’ve solved more than one mystery today.”

  I must have looked confused. He said, “Many of our Elves have been wondering exactly what you are, cousin. We just got an answer straight from the dragon’s mouth.” He shook his head and began to laugh.

  My father sat down between us, handing the bottle of water to me, and started laughing too. Wrapping one arm around my shoulders, he said, “There are no words for what we’ve seen—and heard—today. But you don’t seem surprised.” He looked at me with both eyebrows raised.

  “Yeah. I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect to find an Elf or a human when and if we found Rowenna. I had a feeling she was something else. Didn’t your mother ever tell anyone that her friend was a dragon?”

  “Not as far as I know. If Rowenna has been a friend to the Blackthorne women, then none of them ever talked about her, or there would have been some history of it.”

  “Well, she didn’t seem upset when she met Jason, and I saw her bow to you just before she left. Maybe she only feels connected to the Blackthornes. Do you think we have to keep this a secret?”

  He nodded. “I think that’s probably a good idea, dear. The news would be safe with Conor and maybe Adam, but Rowenna might not appreciate the attention if everyone in the village knew about her.”

  “What about Mom?” My father looked at me with one raised eyebrow, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

  “Yeah, Mom’s too protective already. I’m not sure how she would handle news of a dragon.” I heard Jason chuckling.

  “Not to change this intriguing subject, Uncle Brian, but my friend Aron promised to bring a picnic basket to us at lunch time. Do you have time to join us?”

  “I’ll make time. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about what you and Cara might find out here today. After I visited Francis Sullivan, I decided to walk out here and keep an eye on you. That song was so lovely, both the flute music and Cara’s singing, I was glad I’d come, even if nothing else happened. But when the dragon landed so close to you, I was furious with myself for not bringing my bow. It was a huge relief when she started speaking in our minds.” He chuckled. “A telepathic dragon. And I thought I’d seen everything.”

  I heard someone approaching just as Jason hopped up and went to meet Aron who was loaded down with a large, heavy-looking basket. My father stood and greeted th
e boy, who looked about twelve. He looked strong but the basket he carried was half as big as he was.

  “Thank you, Aron. It was very kind of you to carry such a heavy burden so far.” The boy looked surprised and somewhat awed to see my father, apparently only expecting to see Jason and me.

  “It’s my pleasure, Mr. Blackthorne,” he said, nodding respectfully. “Enjoy your lunch.” He backed away and then turned to jog back the way he’d come. I heard him say something to someone else heading our way.

  I had just opened the basket when Adam came into sight. I had to smile. He must have been as nervous as my father.

  “Good timing,” my father called to him. “Join us for lunch. We have some news.”

  Adam looked relieved to see me smiling. “You found Rowenna?” he asked me.

  “We did, but here, have a sandwich.” I grinned at him. “You can relax; we’re fine. Rowenna was happy to meet us. She’s a friend.” My father looked amused, his lips turned up at one corner.

  When Adam looked over at my Dad, my father said, “Have your lunch, Adam. Cara and Jason can fill you in after we’ve eaten.” Since my father was smiling, the tension visibly eased in Adam’s shoulders. He looked at me, nodding in a relieved way, and unwrapped a sandwich.

  Adam and my father talked about the planned expansion of Garrett’s wood shop while we ate. Jason continued smiling, winking at me occasionally. I realized that Jason’s life had probably been less eventful than mine for the past two months. He was enjoying himself today.

  Jason and I finished our lunch first. He picked up his flute, playing a simple melody that reminded me of the kind of music Mom played in the bookstore. When he looked at me with a smile, I knew exactly what he had in mind. I nodded, and he began playing Rowenna’s song. I sang the words softly, but I was fairly sure she would hear us. As I sang, I looked toward the mountains and saw her soaring into the sky. When I looked over at Adam, his mouth was slightly open. His sandwich had just hit the ground.