The Dragons of Ice and Snow

by J. J. Thompson

  “How long, Kronk? How long will it take you in total?”

  The little guy looked thoughtful.

  “Perhaps twelve hours, master. Unless something unforeseen happens. I cannot guarantee the exact amount of time, but that is my guess.”

  “I think that his plan is the best one that we have at the moment, Simon.”

  Kronk looked up at Aeris, who winked at him.

  “I have to agree,” Simon said. “Okay, my friend. If you're sure about this, then go ahead. Be as fast as you can. Aeris and I will make small talk while you're gone.”

  “Small talk, master?”

  The wizard chuckled.

  “Just a joke. I meant that we'll be as patient as we can. I'll call you in a few hours to see how you're doing, all right?”

  “Yes, master.”

  Kronk crossed the tunnel to stand next to the wall, then he turned and looked at Aeris.

  “You take care of our master while I'm gone,” he told the other elemental firmly.

  “Of course I will,” Aeris answered, sounding a little exasperated. “As always. Now get going! The sooner you get home and back, the sooner we can get out of this place.”

  Kronk stared at Aeris a moment longer, then waved and disappeared into the wall, leaving a small pile of pebbles and a hole where he had entered the rock.

  “Well, I guess that all we can do now is wait,” Simon said as he drew up his knees and rested his chin on them.

  “Shall we try small talk?” Aeris asked teasingly.

  Simon laughed shortly and stared off into the darkness beyond his globe of light. It was going to be a long wait.

  The wizard explored the small alcove around the well for lack of anything better to do, but there was really nothing to see. The fire-pit held only ashes and the dwarves had left nothing else of interest.

  Finally the rigors of the past day caught up to him and, after asking Aeris to check on the trail to the surface again, just in case, he spread out his coat next to the well and lay down to rest.

  How long he slept, Simon didn't know, but when he slowly woke up, joints and muscles throbbing, his Light spell had faded again.

  Not all that reliable, he thought sourly and recast it as he stood up in the darkness. He let down the bucket into the well, brought up some water and quenched his thirst.

  His stomach sloshed and growled, obviously hungering for something more than water.

  You'll just have to wait, he said to it silently, and tried to put visions of roast chicken and fresh bread out of his mind.

  Simon walked out into the tunnel just in time to see Aeris emerge from the darkness to his left.

  “Ah, you're awake,” the elemental said brightly.

  “Obviously,” Simon replied. He shook his head and watched as bits of dust fell from his hair. He stretched and then looked at Aeris curiously.

  “So, any sign of pursuit?”

  “Nothing. Either the dragons gave up or they found the cave entrance and decided that it was useless to try to burrow in after us. Whatever the case, I'd say you're safe for now.”

  “Good,” Simon said and walked back into the alcove. He sat down on his coat and pulled the water bucket over to him. It was still more than half full and he could see his face reflected in its surface by the globe of light hanging in the air behind him.

  Aeris had followed him and watched with raised brows.

  “So what are you planning now?” he asked.

  “It's time to stop reacting and start acting,” Simon said, looking up at him. “I want to know what's happening out in the world. And I want to know if our new 'ally' actually betrayed us or was attacked by the dragons herself.”

  The elemental flew down to hover above the floor next to the wizard.

  “And just how are you going to do that?”

  “I'm going to ask her,” Simon answered with a shrug.

  “Ask her? Just straight out say 'Oh, by the way, did you sell me out to the dragons?'” Aeris said in a mocking tone.

  Simon had to smile.

  “Yes, that's what I'm going to do, more or less. First though, I want to talk to Clara, tell her what's been happening. You know how much she worried about this trip.”

  “For good reason,” Aeris muttered.

  “Exactly. Now hush, please. I have to concentrate.”

  The elemental sighed dramatically but quieted down and watched as Simon muttered the incantation for the Magic Mirror spell.

  He watched his reflection fade in the dark water as he concentrated on an image of the cleric.

  “Invectis,” he muttered and the water rippled and flowed for a second before becoming still and black.

  Clara's face appeared ghost-like on the quiet water. She was standing outside wearing a light jacket in the early spring weather, watching something in the distance. Her expression was troubled.

  “Clara? Hi, it's Simon.”

  She jerked and looked around. Seeing no one, she smiled widely.

  “Good morning, my friend. It's so good to hear from you. I thought for a moment that you had Gated in right behind me.”

  “No such luck,” he said ruefully. “I wanted to call and bring you up to speed on what's been happening.”

  “Good. I've been a little worried, frankly. So how was the meeting? Do we have a new ally?”

  “Not...exactly,” the wizard said reluctantly. Aeris snorted and Simon ignored him. “Let me tell you what's going on.”

  He spoke at length about what had happened after his arrival at the meeting place. Clara's expression darkened and she frowned, listening intently as he went through the entire crazy series of events.

  When he was done, Simon watched her closely, waiting for her reaction.

  “But you're safe now, aren't you?” was the first thing she asked.

  He smiled, touched by her concern.

  “For the moment, yes. A bit hungry, to be honest, but I doubt if a dragon could reach me down here. Kronk should be almost home by now and I'll contact him once I finish speaking to you.”

  “And the paladin?” Clara asked flatly. “Do you really intend to speak with her after what's happened?”

  “Of course. We don't know if she betrayed me or was attacked. Better to know one way or the other, don't you think?”

  The cleric began walking and Simon could tell from her surroundings that she was making her way back to the town hall. She nodded and greeted several villagers as she went, but her face looked strained.

  “I'm not sure, my friend. Right now, if she's in league with the dragons, she, and they, may believe that you are dead...or dying. A dead wizard is no longer a target or a threat. However, a live wizard, trapped underground? Remember last year, Simon. Remember the dragon attack on the dwarven stronghold. Dragons can attack you beneath the earth. If this Liliana should tell them of your survival, it is possible that they could find a way down there.”

  “But...” Simon began. Clara cut him off sharply.

  “But nothing. Right now you are basically defenseless. The only thing keeping you alive, I believe, is the fact that the enemy thinks that you are no longer a danger to them. Do you really want to inform them otherwise?”

  Simon watched as the cleric entered the hall and walked quickly through it to her quarters. She went into her bedroom and reached for a small mirror lying on a table.

  And suddenly Clara was looking out of the surface of the water directly into the wizard's eyes.

  “Ah. There you are. Now we can speak face to face.”

  She studied him closely and Simon tried to smile. Her intense examination of his face stopped him before he could even twitch his lips.

  “You've lost weight, again,” she stated. “You can't afford to do that, you know. You're too skinny to begin with.”

  “Yeah, thanks Mom,” Simon said and Clara smiled grudgingly.

  “Fine. I worry about you. That's what friends are for, isn't it?”

  “I'm watching out for him, lady,” Aeris spoke
up suddenly and rose up until he was looking at the water over Simon's shoulder.

  The cleric looked at him and nodded approvingly.

  “I know you are, Aeris. You're a good friend to Simon.”

  She looked back at the wizard.

  “If you called me looking for advice, then here it is. Wait. Wait until you are back in your tower with your wards to guard you and your spell-book in hand. When you are, then by all means contact this so-called paladin and try to get some answers. Impatience now could have dire consequences, Simon and frankly, we can't afford to lose you.”

  “I agree,” Aeris said shortly.

  Simon looked from Clara to the elemental and back again. He rubbed a hand over his face, still tired and now very hungry.

  Maybe they're right, he thought. Whether you talk to Liliana now or a few days from now will make little difference. It was his feeling of betrayal that was urging him to call her and get to the bottom of things.

  If he was being honest with himself, Simon had to admit that he was deeply offended by the thought of someone breaking their word and playing him for a fool. It wasn't something that he would ever do and it was galling to think that it might have been done to him.

  He blinked several times and looked at Clara again.

  “All right,” he said wearily. “You and Aeris are making sense. After all, what could it hurt to wait until we're home and safe before I speak to Liliana, right?”

  The cleric seemed to sag with relief and Simon saw Aeris nodding out of the corner of his eye.

  “Now you're making sense, my friend,” Clara said and managed to smile. “Get back home, eat, rest up and then tackle this problem.”

  “I will. Thank you for the advice,” he said sincerely. “You always steer me in the right direction.”

  The cleric laughed.

  “Well, I steer you in one direction. Probably not always the best one, but I do what I can. Now, call Kronk. I'll feel better when you are home safe and sound. And get in touch with me after you've had your rest and we'll hash this thing out.”

  “I will. Talk to you soon.”

  Clara nodded and Simon waved a hand over the water, breaking the connection.

  “Well, wonder of wonders. You finally took someone's advice.”

  The wizard looked at Aeris and chuckled.

  “I always take advice. You know that. I just don't always follow it. There's a difference.”

  “Don't I know it. So, time to call our earthen friend?”

  “Yeah. If he isn't home yet, I'm hoping he's close.”

  As luck would have it, Kronk had indeed arrived back at the tower. As Simon and Aeris watched him reflected in the water, they saw the little guy scurrying around inside, poking into cupboards and opening drawers.

  “Hey Kronk. I see you made it home all right.”

  The earthen looked up with a pleased smile.

  “Master! Yes, I did. But I'm having trouble finding your old spell-book. Do you remember where you left it?”

  Simon tried to think. His old book was just a bunch of pages tied together with string. The spells had been added as he'd discovered them through trial and error. More error than he liked to remember. Some had come to him in dreams; a gift, according to Clara, from the gods of Light.

  He hadn't used the dog-eared book for months, not since he'd found his new spell-book in his book shelf, just sitting there innocuously, waiting to be discovered. Yet another sneaky gift from the gods, apparently.

  Oh damn, he thought suddenly. I've lost all the new spells from that book! And what if someone else finds it? Like that paladin? Could she use the magic written inside?

  Kronk was still standing silently, waiting.

  “Oh sorry! I was distracted for a minute. Check the sock drawer in my bedroom. I think I stuck it in there. No idea why.”

  “Yes master, I'll check.”

  As he watched Kronk scurry up the stairs to the second floor of the tower, Simon looked at Aeris.

  “If someone finds the spell-book I lost, could they use the spells in it?” he asked a bit frantically.

  The air elemental became thoughtful.

  “Possibly,” he said reluctantly. “But only if they were wizards as well. A mage, a witch, none of them have the level of magical ability required to cast most of those spells. They are that powerful. Trying to do so could actually destroy them.”

  “You're sure?” Aeris nodded. “Okay. What about Liliana?”

  “The paladin? Well, I don't know. Doubtful though. Her powers, like Clara's, come directly from the gods through prayer. They don't actually cast spells, per se. But if we get a chance, retrieving that book should be a priority.”

  “Yeah, right. I'll just ask the white dragons to give me time to search the bloody countryside for it. It shouldn't take more than a week or so.”

  Aeris frowned at him.

  “Sarcasm is my specialty, my dear wizard. And I'm serious. If the paladin has turned to evil and does find that book, she may one day give it to an ally who can use it. And that would be very bad.”

  Simon rubbed the back of his head and nodded slowly.

  “Noted. Okay, one crisis at a time. Let's get back home first and make our future plans afterward.”

  “Agreed.”

  The wizard looked down at the bucket again and watched while Kronk tripped into his bedroom and pulled open the bottom drawer of his dresser. He flung rolled-up socks over his shoulder as he searched hurriedly for the old spell-book.

  “Aha! Found it, master,” he crowed triumphantly. He held the old battered bundle of pages over his head and beamed.

  “Fantastic, Kronk. Okay, hang on to it. I'm going to cancel the Magic Mirror spell and summon you back.”

  “Yes master.”

  Simon tapped the water in the bucket and the splash broke the spell. Then he stood up slowly, aching from where he'd slept on the stone floor. His coat hadn't been thick enough to cushion him from the hard surface. He put it on, dropped the bucket back into the well for whoever visited this place in the future and went out into the tunnel, Aeris floating along beside him.

  The wizard waved his globe of light forward and focused on a spot in the middle of the roadway.

  “Kronk, I need you,” he said firmly.

  There was a sudden loud snap of cracking stone and the little earthen popped out of the ground with the ragged book under his arm.

  “Welcome back, my friend,” Simon said warmly. “Well done, by the way.”

  Kronk smiled widely and handed the book up to the wizard.

  “Just doing my duty, master,” he said as he gave a nod to Aeris, who returned it.

  Simon eagerly scanned through the loose pages of the book, looking for the Gate spell. With a feeling of relief that left him weak in the knees, he found it.

  Of course, he thought as he read the incantation. Of course that's the spell. How could you have forgotten it?

  He looked at his companions and tapped the page where the spell was written.

  “I swear, I am going to read and re-read this damned thing until it is burned into my memory. There is no way that I'll ever put myself and you guys through this kind of danger again.”

  “Don't make promises you can't keep, my dear wizard,” Aeris said as he shook a finger at him. But he was smiling as he said it and Simon laughed lightly.

  “You have a point there. Okay, my friends. Are you ready to go home?”

  “Yes master,” Kronk said brightly.

  “Past ready,” Aeris added.

  “Okay then. Grab hold and let's get the hell out of here.”

  Aeris floated over to the wizard and touched his shoulder while Kronk held on to the bottom of his coat.

  Simon chanted the spell, pictured his kitchen and took a deep breath.

  “Invectis!” he barked loudly and felt himself being pulled away into nothingness. It had never felt so good.

  Chapter 4

  Simon spent a day trying to recover from his bat
tle and escape from the dragons' ambush. When he got back to the tower, he ate with great pleasure and slept the clock around. When he woke up, he ate heartily again.

  Clara had been right. The magic had burned away what little fat he had and he had to try to restore his system before he used the power again.

  Before he had slept, he'd summoned the five earth elementals who had helped him in the past and asked them to patrol the wall around his tower. They were happy to help, even when he informed them that he wanted them to remain on duty for the foreseeable future.

  “We will guard your home for as long as you need us, master,” one of them told him with a deep bow. The others copied her.

  “Thank you all. Your help, as always, is invaluable.”

  Looking quite pleased with his compliment, the group hurried off to begin their rounds.

  The tower took some time to warm up in the cold of the early spring day, but with Kronk constantly adding fuel to the fire in the fireplace, Simon was finally able to take off his filthy clothes and bath beside the sink in the kitchen. Being clean and well fed was a huge relief.

  The next day, sore from his adventures but feeling rested and well again, Simon tried to figure out what to do next. He worried about his lost spell-book and about the chance that Liliana had betrayed him.

  How to start? What to do? It was Aeris who made the best suggestion.

  “If this paladin is as she claims to be, you can spy on her using your Magic Mirror spell and she will never even know it,” the air elemental told the wizard as he sat in front of the fireplace in his comfy chair.

  Simon stared into the flames, feeling content and safe at home but burning to know what the paladin's role had been in the attack on him and the elementals. He turned to look at Aeris where he hovered next to the fireplace.

  “You mean she won't know I'm watching her?”

  “Exactly. The witch, Heather, knew you were spying on her because she'd been given the powers of a wizard. But a paladin or cleric doesn't have that sort of power. You could watch Clara if you wanted to and she'd never know it unless her gods told her. And I think they have more to worry about than one of their followers being spied on.”

  “I would never spy on Clara!” Simon said with a frown.