The Dragon's Flame (The Chronicles of Terah # 2)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  “I left a sorcerer with Jacob, down on the other end of town.” Kevin held up Marcus’s bag. “He’s planning to stay for several days, for as long as you need him. I’ll take his bag out to your house. Is Torrey there?”

  “As far as I know. That’s where I left her. If she’s not, just leave the bag in the sitting room.”

  “How’s your house?”

  “We were lucky. A tree came down beside the back porch, but it didn’t hit anything.”

  Kevin nodded. “I’m going to go check on Timera Valley. If they’re all right, I’ll bring you another sorcerer in a few minutes. Then I’m going to go back to the castle and pick up some sandwiches. One of the sisters at our chapel is getting some supplies together and she’s planning to come here and stay as long as you need her. I’m going to pick her and her assistant up as soon as I deliver the food.”

  “Thanks,” Warren said with a nod.

  “Where do you want me to put the food?”

  “Ask Torrey.”

  Kevin nodded. Then Rigel touched his arm and the two of them left for Timera Valley.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Kevin and Rigel arrived in Timera Valley, Kevin set up his seeing eye to get a good look around. Everything looked fine. A little wet, but that was it. Apparently the worst of the storms had missed them.

  They walked up the front steps of the chapel and knocked on the door. A couple of moments later, Colin opened it. “Myron. Come in,” he said as he stepped back out of the way. “Would you like to see Brena? She’s in her workroom.”

  “Actually, you’re the one I came to see,” Kevin said. “Walnut Springs had a lot of storm damage last night, trees down all over the place, houses torn up, roads blocked by debris … it’s a mess. Would you like to go help out?”

  “Sure,” Colin said, eager for any opportunity to use his magic.

  “They’ll probably need you for at least a couple of days. Why don’t you go pack a bag while I tell Brena what’s going on.”

  Colin nodded and ran off to his room to pack.

  Kevin handed Marcus’s bag to Rigel and went down the hall to Brena’s workroom. He knocked on the open door to get her attention and then stepped up to the workbench where she was seated. He explained about the storms in and around Walnut Springs, and then he told her about the damage to the chapel.

  “Do you need me? I can be ready in five minutes,” Brena said as she started to get up from her stool.

  “I don’t think that’s necessary, Brena. The sister wasn’t hurt, and when I left, she was holding a clinic at the side of the road. Warren and some of the townsmen were working on the chapel. They’re hoping to have it back up and running by this evening. I’m going to go to Milhaven and pick up Theresa and Hayley in a little while. They’ll probably stay in Walnut Springs until things are more or less back to normal.”

  “What about herbs and bandages?”

  “Theresa’s taking some with her, but I might have to ask you to round up some more later in the week.”

  Brena sat back down and nodded. “I’ll get started on that right away. Then they’ll be ready if you need them, and they’ll keep if you don’t.”

  “They do need sorcerers though and I’d like to take Colin. Do you feel all right about being here by yourselves?”

  “We’re fine. I feel guilty about keeping him as long as we have, but he’s such good company, and he’s a really good cook,” Brena said with a big smile. “And the local farmers have loved having a sorcerer around. He’ll be missed, but I can’t honestly say that we need him.”

  Before Kevin could answer, Colin knocked on the open door and stuck his head in. “Brena? I wanted to say goodbye. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  Brena stood up and walked over to the doorway where Colin was standing. She reached up, pulled his face down towards hers, and planted a big kiss on his cheek. “You take good care of yourself out there. Don’t get hurt! And take care of Myron, too.”

  “I will,” Colin said with a smile as he hugged the older woman. “And you take care of yourselves here, too.” Then he looked at Kevin and said, “I’m ready whenever you are. I’ll wait out front with Rigel.”

  Kevin nodded. “I’ll be there in just a second.”

  When Colin had walked on down the hall, Kevin said, “I don’t know if he’s told you or not, but there are two retired soldiers in the area who have been keeping an eye on things around the valley. I’m going to leave them here for a while longer.”

  “You don’t need to do that. We’ll be fine.”

  Kevin grinned. “I think they’d be disappointed if I pulled them off. They’re having a good time.”

  Brena smiled. “Well, you’d better get going. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Kevin, Rigel, and Colin materialized in Warren’s backyard a few minutes later. “Rigel, take Colin down to the chapel and introduce him to Warren. Let me have the bags. I’ll leave them here with Torrey.”

  “Shall I meet you back here, sir?” Rigel asked.

  Kevin shook his head. “As soon as I talk to Torrey I’m going back to the castle and pick up the sandwiches. Why don’t you wait for me near the middle of town? I imagine the women will set up the food somewhere in the square.”

  Rigel nodded and then he and Colin left.

  Torrey had heard their voices and had stepped over to the back door to see what was going on. When she saw Kevin, she nodded to herself and stepped back into her kitchen. A couple of minutes later, she heard footsteps on the porch. “Come on in, Myron,” she called out from the stove.

  Kevin opened the back door and walked in. Torrey was standing next to the stove, stirring something in a huge iron kettle.

  “Something smells good,” he said.

  Torrey nodded and kept stirring. “I’m making a stew. It’s not enough for everyone, but it’s a start.”

  “That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.” Kevin set the two bags down beside the back door. “My staff was going to get some food together, probably sandwiches and things like that. I’m heading back to the castle to pick it up in just a minute. Where do you want me to take it?”

  “I think Sheryl’s going to try to set something up in the square. We talked about it early this morning.”

  “Sheryl?”

  “Ryan’s wife.”

  “Do you have tables?”

  “Not really, but we’ll come up with something.” Torrey slid the heavy pot over to the side of her stove. “We’ll probably have something set up in about half an hour. Would that be all right?”

  “That’s fine. I doubt I could get back here before then anyway. I’ve also brought Warren a couple of novice sorcerers to help out with the work around here. I told them to pack a couple of changes of clothes. Where do you want me to put their bags?”

  Torrey turned around, wiping her hands on her apron. “When are they coming?”

  “They’re here already. I left Marcus with Jacob, and Rigel is taking Colin down to meet Warren right now.”

  Torrey nodded. “Put their bags in Warren’s office. No one ever goes in there.”

  Kevin picked up the bags, took them through the sitting room, and set them against the wall in Warren’s office. When he got back to the kitchen, he said, “Well, I’m off. I’ll meet you in the square in about half an hour.”

  Kevin went back outside and set up his seeing eye so that he could see how things were going around town. He spotted Marcus and Alek working with Jacob and his crew on the east side of town. Warren was still at the chapel, and Colin was north of town working with another group of men. He looked around for Rigel and found him out behind one of the houses with a middle-aged woman. They were getting some sawhorses and wooden planks out of a shed. Kevin nodded to himself and turned his key.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Kevin returned to his office, the door was open, but there wasn’t a sound coming from the reception area. He stepped over to the door a
nd looked out. Chris was sitting at his desk working, but there was no one else around. In the middle of the room, there was a large open crate.

  Kevin walked over to the crate and glanced in. “Where is everyone?”

  “Down in the kitchen, working on more food for a dinnertime delivery,” Chris said as he finished writing and set the pen back in its holder.

  “Good. I was going to ask them to get something together for tonight.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Not too bad as far as injuries go, but pretty bad in terms of damage. Nothing that can’t be fixed though, given time, labor, and lumber, but it’s going to be a while before the town gets back to normal.”

  “How are Marcus and Colin working out?”

  “Just fine. They both pitched right in. So did Alek. Rigel’s sticking pretty close to me though.”

  “As he should,” Chris said. “What about Gaynor?”

  Kevin looked over at Chris and shrugged. “I don’t know. When I asked Warren where he was working, Warren said we’d talk about it later, but he didn’t look happy. I have a feeling that Gaynor may have decided to sit this one out.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Nothing until I talk to Warren, but if Gaynor’s just sitting back letting everyone else take care of this, he’s gone.”

  Chris nodded.

  “Now, what all do we have in here?” Kevin asked as he pointed to the crate.

  “I’m not sure what kind of sandwiches they made, but I think you have a couple of hundred of them. I know there are three cakes, several bags of cookies, extra loaves of bread, hoops of cheese, bags of fruit, and some of those fruit muffins that Miranda makes. I think you probably have enough to feed at least a hundred people, maybe more.”

  “That’s good,” Kevin said with a nod. “I think we have about that many working.”

  “When Miranda heard about what happened, she sent out the word. Food has been pouring in here all morning. I don’t know how many trips you’re going to have to make tonight to get it all out there. I do know that Miranda is making some comfort food,” Chris said with a grin.

  “Comfort food?”

  “Soups, stews, pies, brownies, things that make you feel good.”

  “Soups? How in the world am I going to get soup out to Walnut Springs?”

  “I imagine you’ll have to use her pots and take one at a time. That’s why I think it’s going to take several trips.”

  “You’re planning to help with that, aren’t you?”

  “Sure.”

  “Have you heard about anyone else having a lot of damage?”

  Chris shook his head. “Neither has Karl.”

  “Okay,” Kevin said as he picked up the crate in his outstretched hand. “After I deliver this, I’m going to go get Theresa and Hayley. Then I’ll probably stick around Walnut Springs and see what I can do to help. I’ll be back later this afternoon.”

  Chris nodded as Kevin turned the key and vanished.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Kevin reached the center of Walnut Springs, he found Rigel working with a couple of women to get the last of the makeshift tables set up. They were basically long boards laid across sawhorses. Kevin set the crate of food down between two of the tables where Torrey and a few other women were setting out the food that they’d prepared.

  The woman he had seen with Rigel earlier walked over to him and said, “I’m Sheryl, Ryan’s wife. We really appreciate this, Myron. I’ll write a letter to Miranda later, but please tell her I said thanks.”

  “I will,” Kevin said with a nod. “Is there anything I can do to help you get set up?”

  Sheryl shook her head, “No, we’ve about got it ready. Rigel’s been wonderful. Thanks for leaving him here with us.” Sheryl reached over and squeezed Rigel’s hand.

  Rigel blushed slightly. “My pleasure, ma’am.”

  Kevin looked around and said, “Miranda’s fixing more food for tonight. I’m going to pick it up later this afternoon. Will you want me to bring it here?”

  “Please,” Sheryl said as she started unloading the crate and setting the food out along the tables.

  Kevin stepped off to the side and motioned to Rigel. “I’m going to go get Theresa and Hayley. I’d like for you to stay here and help them.”

  Rigel frowned. “I should go with you.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Kevin insisted. Then he turned the key and vanished.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Before he went to the chapel, Kevin made a quick detour by Willow Canyon to let Glendymere know why he hadn’t shown up for his regular Tuesday morning training session. By the time he reached the backyard of the chapel in Milhaven, it was almost noon. There were four bags sitting on the back porch, two large ones, and two relatively small ones. Theresa stepped through the door right as Kevin climbed the steps. She was wearing a long apron full of pockets, and each pocket was packed with bandages, packets of herbs, and string.

  “Are you and Hayley ready to go?”

  Theresa nodded. “Those bags are our clothes,” she said as she pointed to the smaller bags. “And those are supplies. Are you going to be able to come back for more herbs and bandages if we run out?”

  “Sure, and Brena’s making up some extras, too.”

  “How’s the chapel? And is the local sister okay?”

  “The chapel had a lot of damage, but the men are working on it now. They hope to have it back in business by tonight. The sister’s fine, but I haven’t met her so I don’t know her name. She was holding a clinic on the side of the road when I was there earlier today.”

  “Come on, Hayley,” Theresa called back into the kitchen. “Let’s go.”

  Almost immediately, Hayley stepped through the back door. She was just as laden down with bandages and herbs as Theresa. “I’m ready.”

  Kevin picked up the bags in his outstretched hand and waited for the women to put their hands on his arms. As soon as they did, he turned the key and took them to the chapel in Walnut Springs.

  When they arrived, Theresa looked around and pointed to the sister working at the side of the road. “Hayley, go with Kevin and set our bags inside the chapel. I’m going to go introduce myself.”

  Once Kevin had the bags stashed inside the chapel, he walked around to the back to see how things were going there. The trees were off the roof, most of the debris had been cleared out of the yard, both doors could now be opened, and the men had started repairing the roof. However, no one was around. All of the men were in the center of town, eating lunch.

  Kevin set up his seeing eye for a good look around the area to see where he might be needed. He spotted a village several miles west of Walnut Springs that had sustained a lot of damage. Several houses had trees on them, and the road leading into town was completely blocked. There were some farms along the way that had been hit pretty hard, too. Kevin decided to start at the village and work his way back to town.

  He was just about to lift off when he heard Rigel say, “I thought you might be up here.”

  Kevin glanced around behind him at Rigel and frowned. “I’m going to be busy working as a sorcerer for a while. There’s a village down the road that sustained a lot of damage.”

  “I’ll watch your back while you work, and you never know, I might come in handy for some of the finer work,” Rigel said with a grin as he patted the tools attached to his belt.

  “I was planning to fly.”

  “No problem. I’ve flown before. With Badec.”

  Kevin nodded, picked Rigel up and the two of them took off for the village.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Hours later, when it was nearly time for dinner, Kevin and Rigel had worked their way back towards Walnut Springs. Things were starting to look better. There was still a lot of work left to be done, but most of the debris had been taken care of. Men were already starting to work on the repairs and soon rebuilding would begin. Kevin nodded to himself as he walked, pleased with the progress.

  Warren was in
the town square when Kevin and Rigel got there. He walked over to Kevin and said, “Thanks for bringing Marcus and Colin. They’ve been a tremendous help.”

  “So they worked out all right?”

  “All right? They were a whole lot better than all right. Everyone in town loves them! I’ve heard nothing but praise for them all day long. Torrey’s invited them to stay with us while they’re here. Why don’t you join us for dinner?”

  “Thank you, but I need to go back to the castle and pick up dinner for the townspeople first.”

  “When you’re done, just come on out to the house. We’ll wait for you.” Warren said as they approached the center of town. Then he walked off towards his house as Kevin and Rigel continued through the town square.

  The sawhorses and boards that had served as tables during lunch were still set up in the middle of the square. Sheryl was setting out some food that some of the local women had prepared, but there was nowhere near enough to feed the crowd that was gathering around the square.

  As they approached the makeshift tables, Rigel asked, “Do you want me to go with you? Or should I stay here with Sheryl?”

  “Stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Kevin said as he turned his key.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Kevin reached his office, Karl was waiting for him. “Chris is down in the dining room, supervising. How’s it going in Walnut Springs?”

  “Pretty good, I guess. We got most of the downed trees taken care of today, but the rebuilding is going to take a while. Have you had any luck finding some building materials today?”

  Karl nodded. “I’ve got three ministers who’ll have some lumber and nails for you to pick up after dinner this evening, and four more will have a load ready by morning.”

  “Good,” Kevin said as they left the office for the dining room.

  “Joan and Jana went around town today, letting people know what had happened. A lot of the women brought food, but they also donated a lot of clothes, especially children’s clothing. Some even brought toys. And several offered to take in some of the children for a while if their parents need someplace for them to go while their houses are being repaired.”