Calling on Dragons ef-3

by Patricia Collins Wrede

  "I could stay here," Killer offered hopefully.

  "No, you couldn't," Morwen said. "Telemain needs you to find the wizards. Why a two-day walk, Telemain?"

  "Because the Society of Wizards has established an interference pattern around the Brown Forest."

  "So?" said Scorn.

  "So that means it isn't safe to use transportation spells anywhere near the forest," Morwen said.

  "I bet you could break it," Trouble said. "Wizards are wimps.

  "Maybe," Morwen said. "And maybe you would end up with Killer's ears and Scorn's tail. Even simple interference patterns are tricky, and this one has the whole Society of Wizards behind it."

  "Committees never do a good job," Scorn said, but she did not pursue the issue.

  "Are you sure you need the donkey?" Kazul asked. "Because I think I can carry everyone else for at least a little way, and that would cut down on the travel time."

  Killer's ears pricked up, then drooped as Telemain shook his head.

  "Without Killer we'd have to hunt for the Society of Wizards' building.

  We'd probably lose more time than we gained."

  Kazul shook her head irritably. "Well, if you human people didn't waste so much time arguing, we'd-oh, good, Cimorene's finished."

  Turning, Morwen saw Mendanbar and Cimorene coming toward them.

  Mendanbar's expression was even more unhappy than before, and Cimorene looked equally sober. "Ready to go?" she asked as they reached the group.

  "Whenever you are," Telemain replied.

  "Cimorene… ," said Mendanbar.

  "Don't start," Cimorene said in a gentle tone. "One of us has to go, and you can't."

  "If Telemain and Morwen weren't with you, I'd say let the wizards have the blasted sword," Mendanbar muttered. "It isn't worth the risk."

  "Telemain and Morwen?" Kazul muttered. "What am I, diced troll food?"

  Cimorene kissed Mendanbar's nose. "You'd say 'let the wizards have the sword, but you wouldn't mean it. Don't worry, I'll be all right." She turned to Morwen, her eyes suspiciously bright. "Come on, let's go before he thinks of another objection."

  Morwen nodded and started off. The edge of the Enchanted Forest was only a few yards away, clearly visible as a sharp line where the bright green moss stopped and ordinary grass began. At the border, Morwen waited a moment for everyone to line up, then they all crossed at more or less the same time. Telemain had them walk several yards, to get away from the "field influences," before he was satisfied that his transportation spell would work properly. Then, frowning in concentration, he made a circling gesture and muttered under his breath. The trees melted and shifted, then solidified into an open field.

  "One down, four to go," said Telemain.

  10

  In Which Telemain Works Very Hard

  Telemain had to stop and rest for a while after the second transportation spell, and after the third he looked so pale that Morwen said, "We don't have to go on immediately, you know. We've got at least one more day, and probably two, before the sword reaches the critical point."

  "It's getting late." Telemain puffed as if he had been running hard for a long time. "Still, I'm quite capable of casting another spell or two."

  Cimorene glanced at the tall pines that surrounded them and dug an experimental toe into the spongy accumulation of needles underfoot.

  "If you're sure it won't be too much-" "We're going to have to spend the night somewhere, and this looks like as good a place as any," Morwen broke in quickly. "Better than some."

  "Boring," said Trouble. "It looks boring. Jasmine would love it.

  Let's try for somewhere more interesting."

  Kazul coiled her tail loosely around the base of one of the trees and stretched herself out on the ground. "It's comfortable, and there's plenty of room."

  "I thought you were in a hurry," Telemain said irritably. "Do you want to find Mendanbar's sword or not?"

  "If you wear yourself out doing transports, you won't be able to do the locating spell," Morwen said as Cimorene opened her mouth to speak.

  "I'm not worn out!"

  Cimorene closed her mouth and gave Telemain a long, thoughtful look.

  Good, thought Morwen. Now if I can just get Telemain to agree to stop transporting before he falls over… "If we go on, where will we land next?"

  "I'm not sure," Telemain admitted. "Normally, I transfer from here straight to the edge of the Great Southern Desert, but the interval is incompatible with the number of people and the mass I'm transporting on this occasion. Given the ratios, I would approximate a landing site at three-fifths of the normal distance."

  "Do you know what we'd find there?" Morwen asked, ignoring Cimorene's puzzled expression.

  "No."

  "Then we're better off here," Morwen said in a tone intended to discourage further discussion. "It looks comfortable and quiet, and the next stop might not be either." She stepped closer to Telemain and murmured, "And we should be careful not to let Cimorene get too tired."

  "Oh!" Telemain sighed in relief. "Of course. Very well, we'll camp here, and go on in the morning."

  Cimorene glanced at Morwen suspiciously, but all she said was, "That's settled, then. Why don't you rest for a few minutes while we set things up?"

  Killer's nose twitched. "Does that mean we'll get dinner soon? Because I'm hungry."

  "Again? All those layers of spells must be affecting your metabolism," Morwen said. "Or didn't Cimorene's cook feed you properly before you left the castle?"

  "Oh, he had plenty to eat," Scorn said. "He was gorging himself when we left, and he had nearly half an hour after that before Telemain brought him and the others to the house. You should have seen him, Morwen. He's worse than Fiddlesticks with a plate of fish."

  "It's not my fault," Killer said in a plaintive tone. "I can't help being hungry. I just am."

  "Well, we can't get anything for you to eat until after we've set up camp," Morwen said. "Telemain, is there a source of water around anywhere?"

  Telemain directed her to a small pool a short distance away. As Morwen set off, Cimorene fell into step beside her. Once they were too far from the others for anyone to hear, Cimorene said, "I'm sorry I wasn't more help with Telemain, Morwen. I was so worried about Mendanbar's sword that I didn't see how tired he was until he snapped at you. How did you convince him to stay here?"

  "I told him you needed to rest."

  "You told him I needed to-Morwen! I'm not sick. I'm going to have a baby, that's all. I feel fine. "Cimorene hesitated. "Well, mostly.

  Sometimes in the mornings my stomach gets a little queasy. But that's not the point."

  "No. The point is that Telemain needs rest." Morwen pushed aside a low-hanging branch and looked at Cimorene. "Do you really want an overtired magician transporting you? I let someone do that. Once."

  "What happened?"

  "I ended up forty leagues west of where I wanted to be, and I had an upset stomach for a week afterward. No one had a spare broomstick, so I had to fly home on a borrowed rake. All forty leagues. In the rain.

  It's the only time in my life I've been airsick."

  Cimorene shuddered. "I can see why you'd want to keep Telemain from overextending himself. I just wish you'd thought of some other way to do it."

  Pushing through a sweep of long, prickly pine branches, they found the pool Telemain had described. Morwen pulled the collapsible bucket out of her sleeve and filled it, and they started back to the others.

  Just before they reached the camp, Cimorene paused. "Morwen, how tired is Telemain?"

  "He could probably do one more transport without any problems," Morwen admitted. "Two more are definitely out of the question. And if we land in the middle of a battle or on top of a troll's hill-" "I see."

  Morwen nodded. "I prefer not to take chances."

  "But a smaller spell wouldn't be a problem for him, would it?"

  "What did you have in mind?"

  Cimorene blushed slightly. "Wel
l, I did promise I'd call Mendanbar whenever I could. And even if I'd had room for a full-sized magic mirror in my pack, I wouldn't have brought one because they're too breakable. I was hoping Telemain…"

  "I understand." Morwen thought for a minute. "The hardest part of Telemain's magic-mirror spell is making it permanent. He shouldn't have any difficulty with a temporary speaking spell, especially if he has a chance to rest first. Ask him about it after dinner."

  "I will," Cimorene said with a smile.

  Cimorene's cook had provided plenty of food for the people and cats, so dinner for them was fairly straightforward. After some initial grumbling, Killer nibbled at low-hanging pine branches and even admitted that they didn't taste too bad, once he got used to them.

  Since there was not enough of anything to make a dragon-sized meal, Kazul left to forage for herself.

  As soon as she finished eating, Cimorene broached the subject of the speaking spell with Telemain. The magician frowned and patted his pockets.

  "I believe I have the necessary materials," he said. "All I need is an object."

  Waving at her pack, the various cups and containers Morwen had produced from her sleeves, and the half-empty water bucket, Cimorene said, "Aren't there plenty of things around?"

  "No, I mean an object for the enchantment. Something with the correct reflective properties. To be compatible with the existing enchantment on the castle mirror, a provisional communications spell must employ the same similarities and reversals of congruence as the original.

  Therefore-" "You need a mirror, right?" Cimorene guessed.

  "No," Morwen said. "He needs something like a mirror. Something you can see your reflection in."

  "Maybe if we polish the dishes?" Cimorene said, eyeing the dented metal dubiously.

  The castle cook had sent along four of the oldest tin plates Morwen had ever seen. They were suitable for camping, but not, Morwen thought, for spell making.

  "What about this?" Scorn said, circling the water bucket.

  "Yes, that might do." Hastily, Morwen picked up the bucket, barely in time to keep Trouble from setting his paws on the rim to peer in and collapsing it. "What do you think, Telemain?"

  "Between the metallic surfaces and the water, the reflective properties appear to be adequate," Telemain said after a moment's inspection. "As long as there is no previous enchantment, it should do."

  "Does carrying it in my sleeve count?"

  "Since the bucket is no longer inside the spell's sphere of influence, it should have no impact on the application of a transitory enchantment."

  "What does he mean?" Killer asked.

  "It doesn't count-as long as the bucket isn't in my sleeve when he tries to enchant it," Morwen said. "How long will the spell last, Telemain?"

  "About a quarter of an hour." Telemain set the bucket in front of him and began removing things from his pockets. "It should return to its base state by dawn tomorrow."

  Setting up the speaking spell did not take long. Morwen watched Telemain closely as he crouched over the bucket, for he still seemed unusually tired, but he had no difficulty in casting the enchantment.

  "There," he said finally, sitting back on his heels. "You can go ahead now, Cimorene. Just don't move the bucket."

  "All right, then," Cimorene said, though she looked as if she felt a little silly.

  "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, I would like to make a call."

  The water in the bucket turned white. "Tell it who to find," Morwen said softly.

  "I wish to speak to Mendanbar, the King of the Enchanted Forest," Cimorene said.

  With a swish and a gurgling noise, the milky color cleared. "Who's there?" snarled the wooden gargoyle. "Nobody's home and they can't be bothered, so-oh, hello, Your Majesty."

  "Hello. Mendanbar at home?" said Cimorene.

  "Sure. Hey, King! There's somebody on the mirror you should talk to!" the gargoyle shouted.

  "Tell him who it is," Cimorene commanded.

  "Aw, you spoil all my fun," grumbled the gargoyle, but it yelled, "It's Queen Cimorene!"

  An instant later, the picture in the water shifted rapidly, then steadied to show King Mendanbar. "Cimorene! Is everything all right?"

  "Everything's fine," Cimorene said. "We're halfway to the Great Southern Desert-" "About three-fifths of the way, actually," said Telemain.

  "-and we decided to stop for the night. How are things at home?"

  "I caught a couple of wizards prowling around the forest right after you left," Mendanbar said. "You can tell Telemain that his wizard-melting spell works just fine."

  "Kazul will be disappointed," Cimorene said. "We haven't seen any traces of wizards, and I think she's been hoping for a good fight."

  "Well, tell her to be careful if you do run across them," Mendanbar said. "One of the ones I melted was carrying dragonsbane."

  "Oh, dear. Maybe I should send Kazul home."

  "You can try."

  They both paused. In the brief silence, Morwen caught Telemain's eye and nodded toward the far side of the clearing. Telemain looked puzzled, then suddenly his expression changed and he rose hastily and joined her.

  "We might as well give them a few moments' privacy," said Morwen when they were out of earshot. "Unless you have to stay nearby to maintain the mirror spell?"

  "No, the spell is self-maintaining once it's established," Telemain said.

  "If someone wants to make another call, I'll have to reset everything, but she and Mendanbar can talk as long as they like without worrying about any sudden termination."

  Trouble appeared around the trunk of a pine and leaned against it, scratching his back against the bark. "Well, I hope they don't go on much longer. You wouldn't believe how mushy they're getting."

  "I don't want to hear about it," Morwen said.

  "What's that?" Telemain asked. "Is something wrong?"

  "Only a cat's usual refusal to let morals interfere with satisfying his curiosity," Morwen said. "Don't ask. It only encourages him."

  Fortunately, Cimorene and Mendanbar did not chat for very much longer.

  Later, when Cimorene reported the conversation to Kazul, the dragon refused to consider leaving.

  "I want some wizards, and one way or another I am going to get them," Kazul said. "If I don't go on to the central office of the Society of Wizards, I'll go back to the Enchanted Forest and hunt up a few of them there, dragonsbane or no dragonsbane."

  "I don't think that's necessary," Cimorene said quickly. "Mendanbar seems to have everything under control."

  "For now," said Scorn.

  Not for the first time, Morwen was glad that Cimorene and Telemain, at least, could not understand what her cats were saying.

  11

  In Which They Make an Unexpected Detour

  The next morning, much to Morwen's relief, Telemain appeared to have recovered: Without tiring, he walked briskly to and from the stream to wash up, and his color was nearly normal, After breakfast, he arranged everyone to his satisfaction and muttered the transportation spell.

  They materialized on a sunny, grass-covered hillside, and as soon as their feet were firmly planted, Telemain sat down.

  "Telemain?" Morwen said with concern. The magician looked a little gray.

  "I'm all right," Telemain said. "I just need a minute to catch my breath."

  Killer's long blue ears pricked up. "How long a minute? Have I got time for a snack? Because I think I smell a patch of clover off to the left there, and I'm hungry."

  "I don't know what you're complaining about," Kazul said. "You had plenty of breakfast. Four cheese sandwiches aren't much of a meal for a dragon."

  "Five," said Trouble.

  "Pine needles are not very filling," Killer said with dignity.

  "Besides, I want to see what the clover is like outside the Enchanted Forest. I may not get the chance again."

  Flicking a look at Telemain, Morwen said, "Go ahead, Killer. Just don't get out of sight."

  Killer ambl
ed off, his hooves just grazing the tips of the waving grasses.

  "What a good thing you got him stabilized," Morwen said to Telemain.

  "Otherwise he'd be walking around Kazul's head by now."

  "It would serve him right," Scorn said, switching her tail. "That idiot rabbit is worse than Fiddlesticks."

  "Nobody's worse than Fiddlesticks," said Trouble.

  Scorn gave him a green glare, then bounded over to Kazul. Two seconds later, both cats were perched on the dragon's back, basking in the sun.

  Smiling slightly, Morwen found a sun-warmed rock and sat down.

  Cimorene joined her at once, and though Telemain gave them both a suspicious frown, he did not comment.

  "It's so nice to be able to just sit down, without worrying about what you're sitting on," Cimorene said. "In the Enchanted Forest, you have to be careful that you don't land on someone who's been transformed into a flower or a rock."

  "Or sit on something that will transform you into a flower or a rock," Telemain added. He appeared to have his breath back, but he still looked a little pale so Morwen did not suggest that they continue.

  The drowsy silence was broken by an earsplitting bray. "Eee-augh! Go away!" yelled Killer. "Morwen said I could eat this, and I'm going to. Leave me alone!"

  Morwen looked up. The curve of the hill hid the donkey from sight, along with whatever he was shouting at.

  "Blast that creature," Morwen muttered, getting to her feet. "I told him to stay in sight. No, you stay here, Telemain," she added as the magician started to follow. "There's no need to let him inconvenience both of us."

  Nodding, Telemain settled back.

  He must really be tired, or he'd disagree, Morwen thought. Perhaps I can get Kazul or Cimorene to override his objections to staying here, or-no, it will be better if Trouble gets conveniently lost for a few hours. I'll have to speak to him as soon as I'm done with Killer.

  As she came around the hill, she saw a tall, grayhaired man in baggy blue overalls with a length of rope in one hand and an empty bucket in the other. Standing at the far edge of the clover patch, he stared expressionlessly at Killer and Morwen.