by Tom Larcombe
They arrived back at the cottage and settled in.
* * *
The week passed quickly and Merlin found himself both dreading and anticipating Nimue's change. Merlin explained to Gudrun what was going to happen and that he would be gone for a little bit while he made sure Nimue's first change went well. He reassured her that he'd be home as soon as he could and that they'd spend much of the following week together.
“Do you think she understands me?” Merlin asked.
“She does. Maybe not the words but she can draw the concepts from your mind. At least she can from mine and I've been thinking about it a lot,” Nimue replied.
Gudrun didn't fuss in the least when Nimue handed her over to the wet nurse.
She understood me, Merlin thought. I'm sure of it.
He escorted Nimue to the scrap yard that was created for when the dragons needed metals to repair their scales or grow. With the recent lack of combat missions for the dragons to fly, it was full.
Merlin contacted Ferox.
{She's ready to change.} he sent.
{We'll remove the binding preventing it in a few moments.} Ferox replied.
Nimue positioned herself near a large pile of solid, if rusty and jagged, steel. Merlin backed away, remembering how Anguis had kept everyone away from him when he was changing.
Nimue's form began to shimmer. Merlin knew that she was following the instructions he'd given her. They were more detailed than those he'd received himself and he hoped there would be no problems.
A few seconds later, the shimmer began to grow. She was growing rapidly and her entire body was changing to a dark green color. Merlin was knocked over by the blast of raw magic that flashed off of her when she reached her full size.
This time he found himself joining in the trumpeting and hissing of the dragons. It wasn't something he could control and when he finally stopped, he realized that he'd taken on his own dragon form. He'd intended to change shortly so it wasn't a problem. It just made him worry about his control.
Merlin looked at Nimue. She appeared fine, but...
{Nimue, are you alright?} he sent.
{Yes, I'm fine. I'm better than fine even. Do you always have this much magic available in dragon form?}
{You'll always have that much available to you in both forms from now on. Remember I told you it would be necessary to access the dragon magic when in human form? You'll need it in order to move around. It becomes second nature quickly though.}
Nimue's mental voice was eager.
{Merlin, can we fly now?}
{One moment. You'll be incredibly hungry in a short while. I've arranged for an escort to take us to one of the better fishing areas around here. Britain is rather short of large game in wild areas where a dragon could hunt without being seen.}
Merlin continued to watch overhead. When Ferox flew by he leaped into the air himself.
{Come, we'll hunt.} he sent to Nimue.
Nimue's dragon body instinctively knew how to fly. She followed Merlin into the air and the two of them fell in behind Ferox.
{Fishing will take some concentration. You'll need to use your magic while flying. I'll show you how when we get there.} Ferox sent to both of them.
The three dragons streaked through the sky and in minutes Merlin saw the surface of the sea below them foaming with schools of fish.
{Now, you'll want to dive low and fly as slow as you can over the school. Create a a physical shield around a portion of the water and the fish. Then fly to that nearby island and drop the shield. The water and fish will spill out and you can eat.} Ferox sent.
{That sounds more difficult than necessary. How about if I just do this instead?} Nimue replied.
She dove down over the water, slowing her speed. She then formed a net shield that caught the larger fish but allowed the water to flow back out. She flew to the island and released her shield. Then she tore into the fish she'd caught.
{What kind of shield was that?} Ferox asked Merlin.
{A net shield. Think of a fisherman's net, but the weave is formed of a shield instead of whatever material they use.}
{I didn't know you could do that.} Ferox sent.
{It's something I worked out earlier, before my change. I told Nimue about it and she evidently remembered. Follow my mind as I do what she did and you'll see how it's done. It's easy.}
Merlin dove towards the fish himself. He created a stronger version of the gossamer net shield he'd made before and scooped it through the school of fish. He had to reinforce it on the fly since the fish he caught in it were heavier than he was anticipating. Then he flew over near Nimue and tore into his own fish. He slid a few of the larger ones into her pile while she was busy eating since he had more than he would need.
Merlin watched as Ferox tried the method Nimue had used. It took him three tries to get it down but when he did, he whooped and cheered as he flew to the island.
{That takes so much less power than the method we were using before. I'll show the rest of the dragons after I get back.}
Merlin and Ferox were satisfied with their single run. Nimue went back and made four more passes over the school. By the time she was done eating, the moon was setting.
{We'll take you back to the hangars now Nimue. Then I need to go take care of Gudrun. I'll come by whenever the wet nurse is feeding her though.} Merlin sent.
Nimue's answer wasn't in words. It was simply a wave of exhaustion. Merlin was sure she'd sleep for a day or more when she got a chance to rest. They chose the most direct route back to the hangars and were there in minutes.
The three of them entered the hangars. After Nimue was shown an area to use as her own and collapsed into it, Merlin shifted back to human form and returned to the cottage. Gudrun was done nursing but Merlin had warned the wet nurse that he'd be gone for several hours.
“I can't believe how well behaved your daughter was for me,” the wet nurse said.
“She's incredibly good. A comfort to be around as well,” Merlin replied.
“Isn't that the truth. I nearly fell asleep when they were both nursing at the same time.”
“Thank you. How often do you think you should nurse her? The doctor on base gave me some substitute milk I can give her in a bottle if necessary.”
“Pshaw, don't use that stuff. I'll come by three or four times a day. If she's very fussy and hungry, you can bring her down to my flat and I'll take care of her there. Can't set a schedule for feeding an infant, they set their own.”
“Well thank you again. I'll see you tomorrow?”
“Mid-morning or thereabouts. I'm up a bit late for my normal bedtime so I'll need some extra sleep.”
Merlin showed the wet nurse out and then returned to Gudrun. She looked at him and he could tell she wanted to be held. He picked her up and settled into a chair. He wondered what to do for a moment and then thought of what he considered the perfect idea.
“Would you like me to tell you a story about the man we named you after?” he asked.
He felt the assent coming from her. He wasn't sure she actually understood the words but even if not, he knew she liked to hear his voice.
“Gunter found me when I woke up after an incredibly long sleep...”
* * *
The next morning set the routine for the following week. The wet nurse arrived and Merlin turned Gudrun over to her. He walked to the hangars and spent an hour with Nimue, who slept right through the entire visit. Then he returned to the cottage and took Gudrun back.
He spent the next hour or two telling her more stories about Gunter. It felt right to him, a way to remember Gunter that didn't leave Merlin incapacitated with grief. Since his return to the base he'd caught himself looking around for Gunter at least once a day. He felt that this was a way to help himself through the grieving process and Gudrun seemed to enjoy the stories as well.
The pattern repeated itself twice more later in the day.
The only change in the pattern was when Nimue awoke.
The next morning when he arrived, she was awake and full of questions for him.
When the wet nurse wasn't present, Anguis could be counted on to watch Gudrun should Merlin need to take his attention away from her for a short while. Gudrun had already decided that Anguis was the perfect playmate. He'd leave his tail or claws close enough for her small hands to reach out and grab. More than once Merlin returned to find Anguis coiled in a protective circle around Gudrun, who burbled happily as her fingers explored the textures of the dragon's body.
It was nine days before Nimue gained control over her changes. She waited two more to be sure she had it under control before coming home. She confessed to Merlin that the thought of changing into a dragon while she was nursing Gudrun caused shivers to run down her spine.
Two weeks after Nimue returned to the cottage, Merlin was called into John's office.
“Merlin, they're cutting back on the number of troops we have over here. Shipping the rest back home. Have you given any thought to where you want to live in the United States?” John asked.
“Not yet I haven't. There have been a few other things on my mind,” Merlin replied.
“I thought that might be the case. So I got these for you.”
John handed Merlin a stack of books.
“They describe each of the different states and one of them has a map of the entire U.S.A. You and Nimue will be sent stateside in a few more weeks. You'll need to decide where you want to live before then.”
“Thank you John. Even though I knew the war was over, I hadn't given any thought to the future yet.”
“I understand. You've been busy. Oh, if you like, I can give you permission to take a cutting from the lightning tree with you.”
“Yes, I'd like that. I thought I wouldn't see it again after I left here.”
John grinned.
“Well, the people in the position to make those decisions also know that without you, there wouldn't be a lightning tree. This way, we'll have another one in the States in case something happens to the one here. Since the lightning trees were almost lost before and we still can't duplicate them from scratch, getting a second one growing is an easy choice. Who better to keep it than the person who found and tended the first one.”
“I'll do my best to make sure it thrives.”
“Speaking of thriving, when you told us that your first shift to a dragon reinvigorated the magic in the surrounding countryside I thought it was probably just your perception of the magic that had changed. I know better now. How are we supposed to explain away a magical junk pile?”
Merlin started to say something but John held up a hand to stop him.
“I'm just kidding. Nimue's change has made this base a magical powerhouse compared to the rest of the country. Second only to Wales in this area. So, this base is being turned over to the British magical forces for their use. Nigel is being placed in charge of it.”
“I was going to ask where he was, I haven't seen him for a couple of weeks.”
“Remember when I said that the people in the position to make those decisions were in the know? Nigel's one of those people now. His claim to have sent you on your mission got him promoted in a hurry. His immediate superior had rated him as having no initiative and recommended against his promotion for a couple of years now. Several steps up the chain of command someone decided that Nigel's immediate superior was the one who shouldn't have been promoted. Nigel was bumped several ranks as a reward and is being given command of this base to use as a school for future British military wizards.”
Merlin thought back to the Nigel he'd first met and compared him to the one that had risked his career to give Merlin a cover story.
“I think he'll do quite well with it,” Merlin said.
“I agree, but now I need to get my office packed up and go through the dragons' requests for where they want to live. So, if you'll excuse me?”
Merlin left, stack of books in hand, and returned to the cottage. He and Nimue spent a week poring over the books before making a decision.
* * *
Chapter 24
“So we're agreed?” Merlin said, “Nowhere east of the Mississippi river?”
“Yes, I agree. There are far too many people in those areas for a dragon to remain unobserved,” Nimue replied.
“The west coast has the same problem. If it doesn't now, then it will eventually,” he said.
“It looks like there are places we could go there, ones that other people avoid but even those might get crowded eventually.”
Merlin flipped through the pages of the book. He scratched his head.
“Anguis told me that the ideal area for a dragon would be at a higher altitude than most people are comfortable with. That the best area would be one of those where there's lots of big game. So, I've been considering this region.”
He traced his finger on a roughly north-south line where the map of the country indicated mountains.
“The map says that these mountains have quite a few peaks that exceed fourteen thousand feet above sea level. Most of the highest peaks in the mountain range are located in this state, right here.”
Merlin placed his finger on a mostly rectangular state labeled: 'Colorado'.
“What else is around there?” Nimue asked.
“The capital is called Denver and had a population of over three hundred thousand people in 1940. I think that means supplies are covered if we're within a reasonable distance from there. The state has both minerals, there were big gold and silver rushes there, and farming. They opened mines for other metals there during the war. The large agricultural areas do both farming and ranching. If there's any large game in the mountains, they could be perfect for our needs.”
“Let's see what else we can find out about it. What about these other states the mountain range runs through?”
The two of them spent the day discussing their options. They finally decided that if there were adequate game in the mountains they'd ask for a location at high altitude in Colorado. The next morning, they went down to John's office.
When they entered the office building, it was nearly empty. Furniture and files had been removed and their footfalls caused faint echoes.
“John?” Merlin called.
John's voice came from his office.
“Merlin, is that you? Come on in.”
When they walked into the office, they saw a stack of boxes against one wall. John still had his chair and desk but everything else was packed up.
“John, I was wondering if you knew where we could get a question or two answered. We've been looking at our options in the books you gave me and we think we've decided on an area,” Merlin said.
John was listening but his gaze was locked on Gudrun, who was resting in Nimue's arms.
“Is this your daughter?” John said. “I'm sorry I never came to see her but things have been constantly busy since your return. Plus with Nigel gone, I've twice as much to do.”
“Yes, this is Gudrun,” Nimue replied.
John walked over and looked at her face. Gudrun looked up and caught his gaze with her eyes.
“My, she certainly has a calming influence, doesn't she?” John said.
Merlin grinned and nodded.
John shook his head as though clearing it.
“Questions, you had questions. What are they?” he asked.
“We're thinking about some of the higher altitudes in Colorado. But we need to know what the area is like game wise. If there's big game there, then that's our choice.”
“I don't know myself, I'm a good-old Texas boy,” John drawled. “But, I'll see if I can find someone from the state that we can ask. I do know that Colorado has a couple of mines that produce a lot of the crystals we use in the States.”
“That's good, another plus for that state. How long will it take to find someone from there?” Nimue asked.
“I'll just check my files...” John turned and looked at an empty spot against the wall that had previously h
eld his filing cabinet. “I guess not, those got shipped out a few days back. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone though.”
“I have an idea,” Merlin said. “Do you mind if I break into some of the wizard's duties? We can use them like a grapevine and spread the word of what we're looking for.”
“Go right ahead, most of the things they're doing now are either packing or make work.”
Merlin sat down on the floor.
“Sorry, I still need to concentrate to do a wide broadcast like this,” he said.
Then he focused his mind and broadcast a message that should reach any wizard within the confines of the base.
{John is looking for someone with firsthand knowledge of the state of Colorado. If there is anyone out there that hears me who is from that state or knows someone from that state, please report to John's office.}
Merlin shook his head to remove the ringing he'd caused in his ears.
“When you're covering an area it isn't exactly like broadcasting to a group of people you know. It takes more effort and a slightly different mindset. But if there's someone out there that fits the bill, they'll be coming along soon.”
John stared at him.
“I wish I knew you could do that before. Imagine orders being relayed that way on a battlefield with no chance for misunderstanding.”
“I couldn't do that before, I didn't have enough power to do that more than once until after I changed. The amount of power a dragon has at its disposal, in either form, is mind-boggling,” Merlin replied.
“That's a shame. It's a skill I would've liked you to teach other wizards,” John said. “If you'll excuse me, I need to sign off on that entire stack of paperwork and I don't dare not read each of them before I sign, so...”
“Go ahead. You don't mind if we wait a bit and see if anyone answers, do you?” Nimue asked.
“Not at all but, as you can see, there aren't any chairs.”
“The floor's fine. We'll just play with Gudrun for a while.”
They left John's office and set their daughter down on the floor. She was still too young to be crawling but she was already managing to turn herself over from back to front and vice-versa. Merlin and Nimue chatted with one another while watching Gudrun amuse herself. Twenty minutes later the front door opened and a young man walked in.