DragonStone- Fatal Winds

by M A Bernier

  Alys was in the middle of hanging the clothes on the rope line when she looked at Cadan sitting on a tree stump with one of the thick books from the library. He had been staring intently at the same pages for several minutes now, he was oblivious as she approached and leaned down to turn a page for him. Cadan blinked and looked up at his mother as she leaned over him. She could see in his eyes not boredom but concern, she knew who he was worried about. “Your brother will recover Cadan.”

  “I can hear him, he is so close mother, but why doesn’t he wake up?” Tears began to burst upon her little boy’s face. Alys knelt down in front him taking the book in his lap as she did and setting it aside. Cadan leapt into her arms and started crying. “I want my brother back, it’s not fair, why was he hurt so much?” Alys held Cadan for a while until he cried himself to sleep then carried him inside and laid him in his bed. She had gone back outside and finished hanging the laundry when she heard the sound of particular beat of wings. She turned to see a mountain owl land smoothly and very near her, its form blurred and grew into Eryyn’s. He was as much, if not more, concerned about Jaymee as she and their son Cadan was, Cadan being five years old had the luxury and innocence to more freely express his pain. There was one small item she would inform him off after telling him about Cadan’s admission and crying himself to sleep.

  After having been together so long there was little Eryyn or Alys could hide from one another. So, when he looked upon her face through the eyes of the owl form he was in and his human eyes he could see the weight of concern hiding behind them. He and Alys embraced before speaking.

  “Where is Cadan?” Asked Eryyn looking around seeing the closed book on the tree stump.

  “He broke down about Jaymee and cried himself to sleep.”

  “How are you doing?” Eryyn picked up her wicker clothes basked and offered his arm. The two walked to the side of the house and sat down in a chair made of limbs with lambs' wool for seating and backing.

  “I am managing, and Jaymee is still lost in a deep sleep but Cadan says he can sense his thoughts are very close. But, before I forget while you were gone EverGreen found someone I think you might like to question.” Alys leaned over and place her hand on the dirt at their feet and whispered EverGreen’s name. The familiar form of vines, roots and leaves emerged from the ground and formed the human-shape of a familiar friend. EverGreen’s living avatar pointed a few feet away where the ground slowly swelled up, then split apart to reveal a human size object made of roots, leaves and branches. Eryyn had nearly died once and EverGreen had used his powers and the healing power of certain roots to save him. The mass of roots and leaves stood itself upright, its height the same as Eryyn’s. Both Alys and Eryyn stood and walked closer as the avatar gestured to the root encasement. A few roots at the top spread apart to reveal a face Eryyn did not expect to see again. The eyes opened and the man tried to speak but was prevented by a root firmly fixed over his mouth.

  “He was sputtering a mouthful of curses earlier and you know how Cadan repeats new phrases or words.” Alys placed her hand in Eryyn’s. “EverGreen and I decided it was for the best to muffle him."

  “Koth.” Eryyn looked at the once High-Cleric of Katanz whose body was now possessed by one of the lesser shadow demons. To any normal human he would have been a threat but to Eryyn and the others he was a minor inconvenience and easily dealt with. “You and I have a great deal to discuss.” Koth’s face grew even angrier as the muffled sounds of words tried to get past the root covering his mouth. A few wisps of shadow stretched out but were instantly absorbed by the roots. Eryyn sensed and recognized both EverGreen and Alys’s abilities keeping Koth from reaching out to call for his master and to keep his master from finding him. “You may not realize this but you and I have a great deal to discuss.” Eryyn looked at the EverGreen avatar and nodded. The root coming from Koth’s mouth moved away so that he could speak.

  “There is nothing I will discuss with you.” He burst forth while filling some of the spaces between words with a variety of curses. Eryyn’s eyes and face became cold as he let go of Alys’s hand and stepped closer to Koth.

  “You would do well to remember there is a lady present.” Koth turned his eyes away, the presence of this protector was beyond his ability to overcome as his ambient power bore down upon his demonic soul.

  “Release me!” Koth half demanded as he looked back at Eryyn. “I will discuss nothing with you!”

  “You speak as if I am giving you a choice, I am not. Hold your tongue for the moment but soon we will talk and you will be very forthcoming with details that I need.” Before Koth could mutter a string of vile curses the root covered his mouth, then his face was covered as the mound of living vegetation receded back into the ground. “Well, I think I have had enough surprises for one day.” He remarked as he watched Koth’s living prison sink out of sight into the ground.

  “How about…one..more.” A familiar voice, weak and hesitant, spoke behind them. Eryyn turned around, as did Alys to see Jaymee leaning against the door trim and using it to hold himself upright. Alys had never seen Eryyn move so fast, he hardly took a step as he reached Jaymee and gave him a bear hug that was returned weakly but with equal enthusiasm. It seemed like forever before Alys heard Jaymee’s very weak voice.

  “Father.”

  “What is it Jaymee?” Eryyn asked.

  “I need to sit down before I fall.” As Eryyn release his son from the hug he took one of Jaymee’s arms and placed it around his shoulder to support him.

  “My turn?” Asked Alys. Jaymee nodded and she burst into tears of joy as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. After several minutes she and Eryyn helped him to the large chair next to the edge of the house. “Cadan hasn’t left your side for weeks. I hope he doesn’t wake up while you're out here.”

  “I wanted to carry him out but was too weak.” Jaymee replied.

  “I’ll be right back.” Eryyn went into the house and a few moments later came out with Cadan sleeping soundly in his arms. He sat down and placed him in Jaymee’s waiting arms. “I don’t think he would mind if you woke him up.” Jaymee leaned his head down to Cadan’s ear.

  “Cadan.” The little boy stirred in his arms. “Cadan, it's time to wake up.”

  “I did the dishes.” Cadan muttered and began to open his eyes. The moment he looked upon Jaymee’s face every ounce of adrenaline burst forth causing a brilliant smile to cross his face that rivaled any morning sun on the brightest days. He squeezed Jaymee’s neck tightly then settled back in his lap. “I knew you would wake up soon, I knew you would! I am going to protect you from now on.”

  “And how to you plan on doing that little brother?” Jaymee smiled warmly as Cadan pondered the question in his mind. His little face changed as he realized he did not have an answer. Cadan opened his mouth to speak but had no specific plan.

  “I’m just going to.”

  “Cadan.” Eryyn had contemplated one way he could help although he was sure Alys and Jaymee may not approve. “I have way you could start helping.” His son’s eyes lit up brightly as he contemplated the thought of helping his father. “But only if you follow the rules, and I mean it.” Eryyn glanced at Alys and Jaymee, each was concerned but would not address the issue with Cadan present. “You have seen Koth?”

  “Yes, and heard him too. If I talked like him I would never be allowed to play again.” Alys, Eryyn and Jaymee smiled at Cadan’s simple way of understanding bad behavior. “What do you me to do?”

  “Well, you know the game we play where you try to find where I hide part of my thoughts?” Cadan nodded. “I am going to question Koth and I need to know about certain things in his mind. But, I don’t want you searching his mind it would be too dangerous.”

  “What can I do?” Asked Cadan.

  “Well I am going to find all of Koth’s thoughts and put them in my head.”

  “That will take forever!” Exclaimed Cadan.

  “Not for me Cadan. But
, what I want you to do is to look for certain words or words that are connected. Do you understand?”

  “I think so. Sometimes when I look for you I can see you thinking of something else, do you want me to find those words too?”

  “Yes I do Cadan, but only within my thoughts. You must not try to see what Koth is thinking by looking in his mind, it’s too dangerous.”

  “I understand.” Replied Cadan.

  “Why don’t you run along and play for a while, I won't need you to be here until after supper.”

  “I can't." Whispered Cadan as he pointed to Jaymee’s face whose eyes were closed. Just the strain of walking outside left him too weak to stay awake. Alys carefully lifted Cadan from Jaymee’s lap. He took a light blanket from just inside the door and folded it under Jaymee’s head.

  “Cadan.” Whispered Alys as she leaned closely to him. “Can you play close so that you can keep an eye on Jaymee?” He nodded yes. Alys knew he would not have gone far anyhow but by her asking him to play close it made Cadan feel important and needed. Alys and Eryyn walked to the far end of the meadow where they could talk without Cadan eavesdropping but still keep an eye on him and Jaymee.

  “Cadan will not remember anything once we are done.” Eryyn took Alys’s hand and squeezed it lightly. She was still looking at Cadan as he sat at the edge of the meadow and watched Jaymee while a few wild creatures came to visit him.

  “He is growing up so fast.” She remarked after a short sigh then looked at Eryyn. “You can make him forget?”

  “Yes I can, and I wish I did not have to ask him to do what I need to be done but he has a special talent. I will protect his mind while we are linked together, once I have everything I need from Koth and Cadan has focused on the references I need I will make him sleep and forget.”

  “When will it end Eryyn, this battle, this war between good and evil? When will mortals find peace and no longer have to face the wrath of immortals on both sides?”

  “I don’t know Alys, but I am more curious about how it all started.” She looked at Eryyn and smiled.

  “And all this time I thought you were the type who wanted to skip ahead to the end of the story.” She smiled softly at him.

  “I already know how it’s going to end.” He turned and faced her, Alys saw a mocked expression of sincerity as he smiled.

  “Tell me then, how does it end.” She turned her body and folded her hands in her lap like a school girl waiting for her lesson.

  “Well, I see two young people, they’re married, have a family, grow old together and living in that home right over there till the end of their days.” He pointed to their home at the meadow and smiled; Alys smiled in return and placed her hand affectionately on his cheek.

  “Yes….I will grow old by your side….that I have never doubted.” She kissed him lightly on his cheek.