“Did you believe me to be in danger?”
“The deer did not display threatening behavior. I would not have allowed you to be hurt.” Bridgett nodded, understanding that the dragon probably knew far better than she about the risks of her earlier situation. She trusted that Stargon would not have let the mysterious animal hurt her. The idea freed her from some of the tension she felt about the encounter, and she was able to consider what it all might mean with a lighter mind. The dragon watched her intently as she sat with her thoughts in the grass. A look of intense sadness crossed her features and her focus returned to the great creature.
“Stargon, do you know how things fare in Stanton?” His large, golden eyes gazed at her for a moment before he spoke.
“The High-Wizard is distressed. He strives to be a leader, but his thoughts are pulled in many directions.”
“I feel like I have only made the situation worse by leaving. But I cannot bear to be the cause of his destruction. What should I do, Stargon?”
“I cannot tell you what to do. You must have a reason to be here rather than there. I do not question your judgment.” The dragon’s mouth widened in a toothy mockery of a smile. “When I am feeling restless, I go hunting. Would you like to hunt with me?” Bridgett laughed. The idea of watching the massive animal catch his prey did not sound like something that would cheer her up, but she smiled at his attempt nonetheless.
“No, but thank you for the offer. You said that Osric’s thoughts are pulled in many directions. Other than my absence, what is causing him concern?” Bridgett’s mind was troubled by her lack of knowledge. For all she knew, Osric could be fighting the war that very minute, and she would be ignorant of the danger as she sat comfortably on the shore of the mystical lake.
“Many things cause the High-Wizard grief. He worries for his people. He has not solved the mysteries of the origin of the Walker conflict, and he seems to be having trouble obtaining enough treasure.” Bridgett furrowed her brow in confusion.
“Obtaining treasure? Osric is not seeking treasure with his power, Stargon.” Her tone rose in pitch as she defended Osric’s integrity.
“Of course he is. He is a leader of many people. It is the leader’s responsibility to amass enough treasure to sustain the horde. But humans seem to trade their treasure away faster than they can obtain it.” Bridgett calmed down as she realized what the dragon was saying.
“You mean Osric is having a hard time finding enough money to provide supplies to his people. If they are recruiting rapidly, there would be no way to generate the income needed to feed them all, never mind provide armor and weapons.” Bridgett’s mind was racing. She had not fully forgotten her own melancholy about being a partial cause of Osric’s distress, but she was far more concerned about what she might be able to do to help him in other ways. She realized that she needed to stop thinking about her own woes and find a way to be useful to Osric and his cause from a distance. The war was not going to stop because she was sad and alone. The threat to her friends, to all of the realms of Archana, was still very much alive. Suddenly, the import of what the dragon had said to her hit her full force. “Stargon, is there a leader of the dragons? Is there a dragon that is responsible for amassing treasure and sustaining the horde?”
“Of course. The eldest dragon has always served such a role.”
“Who is the eldest dragon, Stargon?”
“I am.”
* * *
When Aridis entered his home, he was surprised to see Bridgett standing with her arms crossed and two large bags overflowing with gold coins sitting upon his table.
“We need to speak.” Bridgett’s tone was cool and controlled.
“That is quite apparent, my dear.” He set several bundles of herbs on the counter and busied himself in pouring a hot mug of rulha. “It seems you have been busy while I was away.”
“You could say that.” Bridgett poured herself a cup as well, and they both took seats at the table. Aridis peered over the golden burden on the table and watched her curiously. Bridgett took a deep breath and launched into her planned tirade. “I came here seeking a friend. I was lost and despairing. I needed someone I could trust to tell me everything would be all right again. I needed a shoulder to cry on, as well as a voice of reason. I cannot deny that you have given me both.
“However, you have refused to give me any direct answers. You have led me through days of pointless conversation, yet you have been constantly hiding knowledge from me. You won’t speak with me about Osric and how he fares. You dance around my questions and disappear all night into the forest. And when I do go off to be by myself, you send dragons to watch my every move, as if I were a mere child who cannot be trusted. Just what am I supposed to think about the nature of your intentions, Aridis?”
The old man sipped slowly from his mug, only partly concealing his smug grin. “There is no answer to your question, Bridgett. You are not to think any one thing about my intentions. You are just supposed to”—he paused for emphasis—“think.”
“I have grown tired of your tactics, Aridis. Please just have a plain conversation with me. It is obvious that you are trying to teach me something. I am either too daft or too tired of your metaphors to attempt to comprehend you.”
“That is the first real request you have made of me since you arrived, my dear. Your pleas for aid were nothing I could assist you with.” He pushed the bags of gold to one side of the table and leaned closer to her. “You came here in search of answers, but you did not yet know the questions you needed to ask. There was little I could do but encourage you to find your own strength, your own self, outside of your sorrow. By the great fortune I see upon my table, I can conclude that you have indeed found your questions.” He smiled and rested his chin on his steepled fingers. “Now, may I ask where you acquired this gold?”
“Not yet.” Bridgett leaned forward and countered his smile with a serious scowl. “The night I arrived you told me you would help me ask what I should do next. What did that mean?”
“Just what I said. I will help you ask your questions and seek answers to them. That is precisely why I want you to accompany me to the ruins.”
“How will the ruins help me find my answers?”
“The stones of the ruins hold much of the ancient magic that bound them to the elves. It is difficult to explain, but I have found that my gift works much better when channeled through the stones.”
“What exactly is your gift?”
“I am an Obcasior. Essentially, I am able to perceive the possible pathways that lead away from a moment in time. Some moments have more paths than others, and some are more difficult to discern.”
“So, if we ask the proper questions, we may be able to determine which path has the best chance for our success?”
“It is not quite that simple, but I believe we can determine which is the best path for you to take next. The key, as you have so accurately prescribed, is to ask the proper questions. You must know what you want to accomplish in order to determine which paths may lead you to your goal.” Bridgett’s expression lightened, along with her tone.
“Wonderful. In that case, we should discuss this great fortune you mentioned.” She indicated the bags of gold with a nod. “I have learned that Osric is lacking the funds to maintain his operation. He must continue to recruit followers who believe in his cause if we are to have any chance at winning the impending war.” Aridis nodded in agreement. “While I cannot be there to support him personally, there must be something I can do to support him from afar. I spoke with the dragons, and they have graciously provided the funds that he is lacking.” Aridis’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
“You mean to tell me the dragons just gave over a fortune in gold because you asked them to?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” Her voice was tinged with hesitation.
“Because I am well aware of the dragons’ current state of mind on intervening in human affairs concerning war. I find it very hard to b
elieve that they are willing to provide the means needed for a war to take place.”
“Aridis, this war is going to take place whether the dragons want it to or not.” Her caution quickly turned into angry insistence. “This is the only way to stop an army from eradicating an entire race. I will do what it takes to make sure that Osric is successful, and so will the dragons.”
Aridis frowned as realization struck him. “So, what exactly will you have to do, now that you have the dragons’ cooperation? What did they ask for in return?”
“I offered them nothing that I would not have given them otherwise.”
With concern still creasing his features, Aridis nodded. “I can see why you grew so frustrated by my ambiguity.” He did not press the matter further. “What would you like me to do?”
“I want you to take the gold to Osric. I am not sure where I will be going next, but I know I cannot return to Stanton. Please, Aridis, help me determine my path. Go to him in my stead. He will need all of the guidance and support that he can gain.” Aridis sat for a moment, deep in thought.
When it appeared he had reached a conclusion, he said, “I can see the wisdom of your actions, even if I do not fully understand the implications. I will take the gold to Stanton.” Bridgett smiled and reached out to squeeze his hand. “Are you ready now to go to the ruins?” She nodded enthusiastically and followed him outside. When they approached the edge of the forest, Aridis tapped his staff against the trunk of a tree, and the dense vines that bordered the shore parted. Bridgett followed Aridis into the forest, traversing a path familiar only to his eyes.
Aridis leaned his weight more than normal on his staff as they emerged from the woods onto the remnants of a stone road leading into the elven ruins. Bridgett eyed him with worry as she followed a few steps behind.
“Aridis, are you feeling well?”
“I am not as young as I once was, and it has been a very busy few days. But do not worry about me, dear.” Concern creased her brow, but she let the matter drop. They passed by a row of crumbling buildings, and Bridgett called for him to stop.
“This is where I saw the deer. He was standing here.” She indicated the ground at her feet. Aridis bent down and placed his hand on the stone.
“My gift allows me to see the possibilities that lie in the future. When I was young, I attempted to trace the paths backward to discern what had occurred in the past.”
“Did it work?” Anxious and uncomfortable due to her last encounter in the ruins, Bridgett cast her gaze frantically among the shadows among the stones. Aridis hesitated briefly, his eyes narrowing in painful recall.
“I believe it did.” Bridgett felt waves of conflicting emotions rushing toward her from the old man. She was bombarded with feelings of fear, sorrow, pride, and anger. She cringed with the intensity of his feelings.
“Aridis, I do not know what it requires for you to use your gift in this way, but you do not have to do this.”
He glanced up at her, his mouth set in a hard line and determination gleaming in his eyes.
“Yes, I must do it. We need to know what is happening in our world. If we allow the world to rush by us, ignorant and neglectful of our influence, we would deserve whatever fate we were given. The only way we can be prepared for what is to come is to arm ourselves with knowledge and understanding.” Aridis spoke with an authority that contrasted his frail frame. Bridgett nodded begrudgingly.
“You make a good point.” She paused, “Although I fear it will cause you pain, I would ask you to tell me about that time when you were young. I would like to be prepared for what will happen when you try to do it again.” Aridis grinned as he stood, grasping his walking stick and leading her over to a low stone wall.
“You are a very clever woman, Bridgett. I am glad that you see the importance of making difficult choices and demands in order to prepare for the future.” He indicated that she should sit beside him. “It was a very long time ago. I lived with my mother outside a small village near the mountains, but I grew restless of the isolation. So I left home, traveling to big cities and distant locations. Four years passed before I returned.” His voice cracked and Bridgett nearly made him stop speaking when his sorrow washed over her. “When I arrived, my home had long stood empty. My mother was gone, but her belongings remained. More from fear than anger, I hurled a jug of wine to the stone floor of the cottage. In my desperation, I used my gift to trace the lines of time backward in the fluid, demanding that it show me what had transpired.”
“Aridis, you don’t have to tell me more.” She felt physically ill that she had forced him to recall such a painful event from his past. He shook his head and continued.
“My gift had never been as vivid as it was that day. I was able to discover that my mother had died. She had fallen while collecting berries on the mountainside. Something, a rock or fallen tree limb perhaps, had cut her side badly in the fall. She never made it back to the small house, as the wound festered and she died soon thereafter.”
“Aridis, I am sorry that you lost your mother. And I am sorry that I asked you to speak of it.”
“As I said, it was a very long time ago. I want you to understand that the only time I have used my gift in that manner I was terribly upset. I am not sure that I will be able to do it again. But that is not all you must know.” Bridgett nodded for him to continue. “I was quite ill afterward. I do not know if it was due to the shock of learning of my mother’s death, the guilt I felt for not being there with her to care for her wound, or the unfamiliar use of my gift. My head pounded ceaselessly for days. I was sick to my stomach and unable to eat or drink, and my skin felt like it was on fire. We must both be aware of the possibility that I will again become ill, perhaps even worse than that first time.” Bridgett’s face paled and she shook her head adamantly.
“Aridis, you cannot risk this. If your illness is worse, you may not survive it.”
“That is a possibility. However, I have far better control of my gift now than I did then. I also have the stones here to help me.”
“What do you mean?”
“These ruins were once a great city in the Elven Realm. I cannot explain why, but I have found that the stones of these ancient buildings have more to tell of future possibilities than most places I have been to. Perhaps they have just as much to tell us about the past. I believe I will not only survive the attempt but that I will be able to learn where this strange creature came from. I feel it is imperative that we learn what we can about it.”
Bridgett felt his warring emotions as they tangled with hers. Aridis was fearful of using his gift in such a way, but she could sense him using that fear to feed his determination. The most powerful emotion that flowed toward her from the aged man was a conviction to set what was wrong in the world right.
“I will respect your decision to make the attempt, if you will assure me that you will stop if you feel it is too much for you. Do not put yourself at greater risk than you must.”
“You must understand, we are all at risk at all times. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by an illusion of safety. We never know when Archana will call our magic back into the soil. Strive only to use it wisely while it is yours to command.” Bridgett sat silently for a moment, gazing at his weathered face. His lips curved upward slightly at the corners, and Bridgett could not help but smile back.
“Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me, Aridis. I will assist you in any way I can as you attempt to read the stones. Just remember, if you give your magic back to Archana too early, I will be furious with you.” Aridis grinned and gripped his staff as he stood to his full height.
“I will do all that is in my power to avoid your wrath, my dear. First, however, we should see what we can learn about your path. Since I do not know exactly how I will feel once I attempt to read the past, we will first look to the future.” Bridgett nodded in agreement, and he led her deeper into the ruins to what remained of a large building with a domed roof. Although much of the stone on o
ne side had collapsed, the general form and beauty of the structure had survived. Bridgett stared in awe as Aridis said, “What once served for the elves to observe the night skies now serves me well in viewing the pathways of time.” He had Bridgett sit across from him in the center of the round floor as he used a small brush to clean the stone between them. From his pocket he removed a small shard of stone and a small vial, which he set next to himself on the ground.
Aridis grasped her hand in his, warned her that it would hurt a bit, and then pierced her finger with the sliver of stone. He squeezed three drops of her blood onto the stone between them. “Past, present, and future,” he said, as her blood dripped to the ground. He pulled the stopper from the vial and poured a colorless liquid out onto the three drops of blood. He watched intently as the crimson mingled with the clear.
Aridis hovered one finger over the center of the puddle and said, “Your past is distinct.” He traced the swirl of blood in the fluid as it ran out in rivulets along the cracks in the stone. “Your present is visible.” His finger ran slowly above the longest of the streams of liquid. “Your future is discernible.” Aridis’s eyebrows drew together in concentration. He paused momentarily where the fluid shifted its flow, following one crack or another in the stone floor. As he observed the movement of the liquid, he spoke in a resonantly powerful voice.
“You will travel against your heart’s desires. New places will greet you with both great reward and grave disappointment. Seek out those who laid the path to your realization, and beware the loss of precious time when you find yourself faced with temptation.” As the trickle of liquid came to a stop, Aridis looked up at Bridgett to see tears glistening in her eyes. “I cannot see any further along your path. I thought I would be able to give you a less cryptic answer.”
Bridgett’s long, russet hair brushed the stone floor as she shook her head rapidly. “I think this is the first time your cryptic speech has made sense to me. I believe I know what I must do.” She blinked back the tears and a sad smile touched her lips. “Now, let us learn what we may about this strange deer that I saw.” Aridis did not press her to explain the message she had heard in his words. Bridgett rose gracefully to her feet and helped him stand up. Together they walked out from under the stone dome.
The Well of Strands (Osric's Wand, Book Three) Page 9