The Weaving of Wells (Osric's Wand, Book Four)

by Jack D. Albrecht Jr.

  “Aye. Be calling us dragons. Ye be traveling to the coast and flying north, and I be starting at the forks and doing the same. Whoever be finding the boat first can be calling the others by dragon. We need to be finding it fast.” Machai waited only long enough for a nod of confirmation from Kablis before turning and rushing into the outer room. “Krind, Kablis and I be heading out to aid Morgo in the search. I need ye to be bringing Agrik in to be preparing these men for their service in the gathering. I cannot be saying what he may be needing for preparations, but ye be getting him anything he be asking for, aye?”

  “Aye.” Krind placed the pitcher of water he had been pouring for their guests on the table, smiled reassuringly at the dwarves gathered around and waiting anxiously, and hurried from the room to find the old man who knew more of dwarven lore than any other alive. Machai followed closely on his heels, but he turned toward the stone lift rather than trailing Krind deeper into the mountain. He needed to reach the dragon platform quickly, as each moment of delay in finding the ninth member put the gathering at greater risk of failure.

  When Machai reached the platform, Kablis had just arrived and was summoning the dragons. In one corner of the large slab of stone that served for a landing space was a small, narrow structure. The stone brick walls stood only a bit taller than Kablis, and the roof was made of thickly thatched straw treated with sap from the lentum trees that grew along the mountain springs throughout the region. The sticky substance kept the small building surprisingly immune to the elements, protecting the riding gear that was stored inside.

  Just inside the door, mounted into the wall, was a pulsing green emerald spelled to link up with the dragons’ telepathic abilities. Kablis placed his hand over the stone charm, worn smooth not by polishing but by the touch of dwarven hands over the generations. The warmth of his hand activated the spell, and once the pulsing became a steady glow, Kablis tapped the emerald twice with the tip of his wand, signaling that he needed two dragons to respond to the summons.

  They waited only moments before the first of the mighty creatures appeared in the sky above them. The dragon’s wide wings stirred up the snow around the platform as he beat them quickly and powerfully to slow his descent and land gracefully before the two dwarves. A second dragon was not far behind. Machai approached the first one, a massive grey-colored male he had never met before. He bowed low before it, and the dragon watched him silently with blue eyes the size of Machai’s head.

  “I be immensely grateful that ye be responding to me summons. I know the dragons be an honorable and free species, and ye be under no obligation to be carrying me aside from yer loyalty to the High-Wizard. I be loyal to him too.”

  “You know more than most, dwarf, yet you still summon us. Where is it you ask us to carry you?” The voice rumbled deeply from the great dragon’s throat.

  “I be needing to reach the forks of the river, south of Stanton. Me companion be needing to fly further, to where the river becomes the sea.” Machai indicated Kablis with a nod. “We need to be finding a boat that be traveling downriver. We be asking ye to carry us out of great need, but we willn’t make demands of ye. If ye be willing to aid us and the High-Wizard’s cause, we would be extremely grateful for yer help. We cannot be paying ye what ye deserve for yer service, but we will be paying ye what we can.”

  The dragon did not respond immediately, and from the still posture of the second dragon, Machai assumed that the two were communicating through their telepathic link. Kablis stood near the smaller female, waiting for the decision.

  “Keep your coins, dwarf. We will aid you out of gratitude for your role in our freedom.” The surprised expression on Machai’s face made the dragon rumble with laughter. “Do you think you are unknown among the dragons, Machai? I know who you are, and I would be honored to carry you wherever you wish to fly.”

  Humbled, Machai bowed again in gratitude. “Ye be doing me a great honor. May I be asking ye for yer name?”

  “I am Cinereus, and this is Zephyr. Ready your gear, my small friends.”

  Machai and Kablis worked quickly, helping each other to secure the harnesses onto each of the dragon’s backs. They lashed their gear behind the seats, and when they had strapped themselves in they called up to the dragons, announcing that they were ready to fly. Machai nodded over at Kablis, hoping one of them would be able to intercept the boat before they lost Rhemt on land, and Cinereus launched himself into the air with a powerful lunge from his hind legs. His wings beat against the cool air, lifting them high into the air above FireFalls. The sun was still a few fingers above the highest peak, but the end of the second day was coming swiftly. They needed to locate Rhemt and return to the clan before night. Machai wanted time for all nine members to be fully prepared for the ceremony of the gathering, and he wanted to be able to rest before pleading his case before them.

  “Once we clear these last few peaks I can utilize the traveling spell. You want to begin your search where the Dimon River meets the Diutinus River, near the village of Bridges?” Cinereus’s deep rumble carried easily on the wind.

  “Aye. That be a fine place to be starting. Be heading north with the Diutinus, and I be grateful if ye be helping me look for the boat. Yer eyes be much sharper than mine, especially from such a height.” Machai held tightly to the straps of his riding harness, but the larger dragon’s flight was much less unsettling than Treethorn’s agility and speed.

  “We will find it. If it is that important to you, and to the High-Wizard, I will make sure we find it,” Cinereus said. They were soon soaring with the currents of air that swept along just beyond the mountain range, and Machai heard the dragon mutter softly, “Eo ire itum.”

  They appeared just above the point where the two rivers joined. All that was before them was land painted with the caress of the evening sun. Cinereus banked right slightly and then took a wide, slow turn to the left, looking back at the long, winding tail of the Diutinus River to the south, swollen from the addition of the Dimon’s swift waters. As their direction changed, so did the view.

  “Nothing, as far as I can see, to the south.” Cinereus turned his head to the north as his massive body navigated the wind.

  “Aye, north it be!” Machai shouted over the wind as he admired the landscape.

  To the south it had been green, with small patches of white where snow had very little chance to last through the day’s sun. To the west stood a small mountain chain, far in the distance, but still visible from the altitude gained on dragonback. Machai remembered the tales of how Osric’s journey began in those mountains, and he was grateful that he had stumbled upon Osric’s party in the Elven Realm—even if it meant he would be giving up his own home to aid the Aranthians in their cause.

  Then their flight brought them fully in the direction the river was coming from, and much larger patches of white filled the landscape in the northern direction. He couldn’t make out the majestic peaks of his home, and the land looked almost flat from his vantage point strapped into a seat on dragonback.

  They took the right fork of the two, which led all the way to the mountains he had known since he was a lad. The small village, Bridges, lay nestled in the fork of the rivers, protected from sporadic flooding by neat, winding walls. Two great bridges spanned the rivers and tied the village to the roads leading west from the Dimon and east from the Diutinus. From Machai’s height, the quaint village was only a spattering of thatched rooftops, late-blooming flowers, and a few animals penned in by even fences. Machai drew his gaze from the little town and focused on the sparkling water rushing along on its course. The banks were far apart, and the dark-blue water showed its depth, providing an ideal waterway for small cargo ships to traverse the entire realm in only a few days.

  They saw only two boats near the village, but they were far too small to be the trading vessel of a dwarven clan—likely only a wealthy family or a merchant enjoying the evening on the water.

  “Can ye be taking us a bit lower, Cinereus?”
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br />   The dragon dropped closer to the water, where Machai could easily make out individual trees along the bank and large fish leaping from the current in the evening light. Cinereus increased his speed slightly, sure that they would be able to identify the ship from such a distance without having to sacrifice additional time. The village fell behind them quickly, and the quiet countryside spread out across Machai’s vision on either side of the water. He spotted a family of lions lounging along the riverbank, and further on, numerous deer were drinking from the river or grazing in the fields nearby. Several small fishing boats were on the water as they traveled, but nothing like the one they were looking for.

  Just as the sky began to blush in the west, Cinereus called back that he had spotted a ship. A moment later, Machai could see sails up ahead, and he dared to hope that the search would be over so soon. However, when they came up closer, the ship was clearly marked as a merchant vessel from one of the human cities near the coast.

  The air was growing cooler as they flew north and night approached, and Machai pulled his fur-lined hood closer around his face to fend off the bite of the wind. Still, after the bitter cold and stinging ice of the storm he had flown through to get to IronForge, the cool air of this flight was nothing that could distract him from his mission.

  The sun continued its journey beyond the horizon, and Machai struggled to distinguish the rocks and trees along the riverbank from the hulls and sails of small ships in the dark.

  “Can ye be the eyes in the dark, Cinereus? I cannot be seeing a thing.”

  “Of course. There is another ship up ahead, and it looks large enough to be the one you are seeking. I will fly in closer so you can get a good look.”

  “Aye, I be thanking ye greatly. Let’s be hoping it be the right boat and we can be ending this wild chase.” Machai gazed up along the melodic water, but he could see nothing that looked like a sail. He hoped the dragon was right.

  Cinereus flew on into the night, banking and swerving with the curve of the river. Far below him, the water moved smoothly along its course, sweeping steadily south toward the sea. The sound of the water was faint, merely a whisper beneath the rush of the wind. Machai had forgotten how far a dragon can see, and he leaned forward impatiently in his harness, eagerly waiting for his vision to identify the silhouette of sails against the starlight reflecting off of the water. His legs were beginning to grow stiff from his position on Cinereus’s back when he finally spotted the ship.

  The cog sat low in the water with the weight of its cargo, its large single sail billowing in the wind as dwarves moved about on the wooden deck. The ship looked to be in good repair, if still a few years out of dock. A large complement of men was carrying out various duties, but with several of them concealed behind the massive sail, Machai couldn’t get an accurate count from his seat. The captain was a stout dwarf with a long, thick mustache, bald head, dark cloak and boots, and he was surrounded by men gesturing to the sky as the dragon flew by. Beyond that, Machai could make out little in the dark from his seat. Cinereus sank lower, approaching as near to the ship as he safely could. Machai looked for the identifying markings along the side of the hull, and he let out a sigh of relief when the moonlight revealed the dwarven runes.

  “That be the one we be wanting, Cinereus. Ye be saving me skin tonight.” Machai rested a grateful hand against the smooth scales of the dragon’s shoulder. “Can ye be contacting the other dragons and letting Kablis and Morgo know the search be over?”

  “Of course. Would you like me to land, or do you intend to board the ship from here?”

  “Can ye be keeping us alongside so I can be hailing ’em?” Machai didn’t want to waste any time.

  “I can try, but I won’t be able to get you close enough for you to gain the ship without the spell. I will keep it steady enough for you to unharness before traveling.”

  “Aye, that’ll have to be doing then.” Machai waited until the dragon was as close to the ship as possible. He could see the dwarves scrambling across the deck, lowering the sails, and loading a small cannon mounted on the starboard railing. He called out to the captain, “I be Machai of FireFalls Clan. I be seeking Rhemt, blood of Metzel, the mighty founder of SnowStand. Will ye be granting me permission to be coming on board?”

  The crew of the boat moved methodically, quickly carrying out the captain’s orders, and Machai was impressed that Cinereus seemed to be unfazed by the weapons aimed his way. He kept them steady in the air, using great, smooth beats of his wings to keep them aloft while slowly following the progress of the boat downstream. A gentle wind had picked up, but the words of the ship’s captain still reached Machai clearly.

  “Aye, if ye want to be leaping from yer dragon, ye can be doing so. Ye’ll be welcome aboard as bait for me next fishing trip.” The crew roared with laughter, but Machai took the captain at his word and spoke the traveling spell. He appeared standing in the center of the deck, and it took him a moment to feel stable on the gently swaying surface of the ship after being on Cinereus’s back for so long. Machai’s hands were empty and held palms open out at his sides. The shock of the crew would wear off quickly, and he didn’t want them to perceive him as a threat. The ship captain approached Machai, one hand on the sword sheathed at his hip. “That be quite the trick. Since I be inviting ye onto me ship, ye better be telling me why ye shouldn’t still be fish food.”

  “Rhemt be the last member of nine needed for a gathering. Ye cannot be feeding me to yer fish, or ye’ll be finding yer ship enveloped in flames. I be meaning ye no harm, and I be hating to threaten a cousin clan, but I be at the end of me patience. Be turning over Rhemt, and be continuing on to trade or be sailing back to SnowStand. I do not really be caring which, but the gathering cannot be going on without him, so I willn’t be leaving without him.” Thin blue flames licked Machai’s clenched fists as he spoke. He was so exhausted, he doubted that he could wash the entire ship in fire if he had to, but the captain didn’t know that. The crew eyed Machai uneasily, keeping their distance from the unfamiliar dwarf with unusual abilities, but his threatening words brought their hands to their wands and weapons. The captain eyed him warily, sizing up Machai’s power in the flames lapping the skin of his fingers and wrists.

  Machai had gambled on the gifts present in the crew, hoping there was no one on board who could easily counter the threat of fire on a wooden ship. From the anger and hesitation in the captain’s eyes, Machai decided he had won the wager. The captain caught the eye of a crewman behind Machai, and with one jerk of his head the man ran off toward the narrow steps that led to the small chamber beneath the deck that wasn’t occupied by cargo. A moment later, he returned with a second dwarf. The newcomer was dressed in finer cloth and was older than anyone else on board, but he had the rugged boots and twinkling eyes of a young adventurer. He came readily to the scene with a look of curiosity.

  “Ye be asking for me, Captain?”

  “Aye, Rhemt. Ye be disembarking early. Gather yer things and be assigning the lead position on the trade.”

  Rhemt looked confused, and he glanced around at the situation more closely. His gaze took in the crew and their looks of disdain for Machai, the fire surrounding Machai’s fists, and the stern set of the captain’s jaw. He settled his eyes on Machai.

  “Ye be stirring up trouble? What do ye be wanting with me?”

  “As a descendant of Metzel, ye be the last member of a gathering of nine taking place tomorrow. Ye need to be returning with me to FireFalls.” Machai kept the fatigue out of his voice by clinging to his frustration of the past two days traveling all across the continent to seek the members.

  “A gathering ye say?” Rhemt glanced over at the captain and then back to Machai. “Ye can be extinguishing yer hands, lad. Ye willn’t be needing to be creating fear and tension between our clans. A gathering be sounding fascinating.” The elder dwarf grinned and walked back down the steps to retrieve his pack. Upon his return, Machai nodded respectfully to the captain, gripped Rh
emt’s arm tightly, and spoke the traveling spell under his breath. The two dwarves appeared on the bank of the river in time to hear the cries of surprise lift from the crew as the ship continued on down the river and into the night.

  “Fascinating!” Rhemt exclaimed, seemingly unfazed by the unusual method of travel, and he followed Machai through the trees toward the open field where Cinereus was waiting.

  14 — Morning

  Machai woke early with a pounding headache, the residual consequence of too much magic and too little sleep. They had arrived back in FireFalls late the night before, but the addition of the ninth member of the gathering had eased the urgency of his stress slightly. There was still a great deal to be done, and the success of his mission still hinged on the approval of the gathering to send an army out from the realm, but he had regained a glimmer of hope that he could still pull it off.

  Machai rode the stone lift up through the shaft of the mountain until the brisk morning air caressed his cheeks. The lift stopped, lying flush with the surrounding snow-blanketed stone, and Machai stood there and gazed out at the valley that gave his home its name as the sun brought a blush to the eastern sky. In the evening, the snow and ice turned to fire spilling down the mountain from the orange light of the setting sun, and the trees looked to be aflame. On mornings like this, however, the light brought bright white clarity to everything Machai could see. As the sun climbed into the sky behind the tall mountain peaks, the snow glistened like diamonds and the trees were haloed by shimmering light. The breathtaking view breathed new optimism into the weary dwarf, and Machai whispered a blessing to Archana and asked for resolution to the tension and conflict among his brethren. He wanted only to be able to fight for what was good and right in the world without his own kin and clan leader seeing him as a traitor. Osric was depending on him, but he hoped he would not be marching out from his home for the last time, an army at his back or not.