Dragon Talker

by Anderson, Steve

  “How to move him,” Hental replied. “If I pick him up, I’ll end up rubbing his sores. Walking will rub the sores, too.” Selma could see the wheels turning in Hental’s head. “How can I move him without picking him up or having him walk?” Hental stood up and put his hand on Oak’s head in both a comforting and self-protective gesture. Looking around, Hental saw a few planks leaning against the wall of the hut and smile. “I got it,” he said confidently.

  Selma realized what he was going to do. She would have just carried the goat to the other pen, little pain goes along with living, but she was impressed with both Hental’s unexpected sensitivity and his willingness to apply it to a goat she knew he called Dragon Butt. “Hental, once you are done, we are going to talk about your future.”

  Hental was on his way to pick up one of the boards and said, “Okay, after I get done here.” He had no idea the course of his life was about to lock into place.

  Chapter 33

  “It’s time you earned your keep,” Xeron told Tail Biter in a tone that showed he had not quite forgiven him for his dereliction of duty. Tail Biter’s ears bent flat against his head. “Knock it off,” Xeron scolded in reply.

  Xeron continued, “I do not want to run all over this chateau questioning these obvious simpletons. I want you to find me someone who wants to leave this place.” Tail Biter turned to start looking. “Hold on, Biter, let me give you a little magical assistance so you don’t end up running to the cook or butcher.”

  It didn’t take magic to know when a person didn’t belong or didn’t want to belong to a place. Careful observation and an understanding of human nature was enough, but Xeron did not want to spend a few weeks to figure it out on his own. When it came to understanding people, magic was the catalyst that acted as time. Xeron put his hand on Tail Biter’s brown leather collar. This is where he liked to place temporary spells. Certain magics cancel each other out or expand or bend magic in unexpected ways. When the magic he placed in the collar started acting strange, he simply replaced the collar. Problem solved.

  The power and longevity of magic depends on a variety of factors. The power of the mage, the design of the spell, and the medium of the spell were the three most important factors for this one. Xeron knew, after the tapping of deep magic at the castle, that he had more power then he understood. The spell, one that would illuminate anyone who desired to leave the chateau in Tail Biter’s mind, was an easy enough spell. Most magicians spend a lot of their earlier time working with desire - shaping, changing, encouraging, and discouraging it in others. Leather was a sturdy material, which means that it holds magic well, and a complete garment seems to hold magic best. That is why a magician’s coat can be so dangerous or why magicians like to enchant a person’s clothes just as often as they enchant the person. The beauty of a collar, Xeron had found, is that by unhooking it, breaking the circle and it’s wholeness, magic often evaporated on its own accord.

  “Od lechim, od sercem, do desirem.” Xeron let go of the collar. Tail Biter was now primed to find a person who held a heartfelt desire to flee the chateau. He could see Tail Biter’s legs twitching in anticipation. Any spell that had a requirement to search for something had this effect. Running and sniffing, naturally or magically, were not things the dog needed much encouragement to do. Xeron smiled, “Go!”

  Tail Biter was gone in a flash. While he waited, Xeron started making plans. As he did, he quickly realized Perante was not a part of them, besides getting far enough away from him that he could work in peace. And work I have to do, he thought. This magic I tapped into is nothing I know or have heard about. What does it mean? What does it make possible? If Perante comes near me, I’ll do my best to kill him, but if he leaves me alone, I’ll do the same. He absently rubbed the top of his hand where the little nick had become a large wound. For now, he added.

  There were some items that would make his travels easier, and he went about collecting them. The first was a horse. The chateau had a small stable and Xeron checked out the stock. He looked for a healthy horse physically as well as in temperament. A horse with attitude can be a great ally if one is going into dangerous situations, but a major pain if the task is simply to travel from one place to another. He was not looking for trouble; in fact, he was looking for the exact opposite, peace.

  Out of the four horses in the stable, he walked up to a chestnut colored horse and put his hand on its muzzle. “How about you, my friend, would you like to go for a walk?” The horse snorted in reply and took a step forward, pushing its head into his hands. “Okay, you are friendly. I like that in a horse. Dealing with people,” he confided, “can be tedious.” The horse nodded its head. Xeron cocked his head and checked the horse for magic. It was clear, which meant its responses had been based on his tone and whatever else was going through the horse’s mind. “Don’t pretend you understand everything, it’s annoying.” He rubbed the spot above his nose. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Transportation decided, he realized Perante may have protected his property. He corrected himself, Perante definitely would protect his property. While the horse was clear, he would have to be careful as he left. At some point, he would most likely come across a barrier meant to keep Perante’s animals and possessions close to the chateau. He made a mental note to pick up any plants or objects that may be useful dealing with protective magic and to check the saddle and reins before using them.

  Hungry, he headed for the kitchen. The few people he passed were friendly and quiet. Xeron was tempted to stop one and see what kind of magic, if any, was involved in their behavior. He didn’t, though, because that would most likely find its way back to Perante, and he didn’t want to give him any more information about himself if he could help it. A cook was in the kitchen working over a large pot hanging over the fire in the fireplace.

  He coughed to get the cook’s attention. “May I trouble you for some food.”

  The cook turned from the pot. He smiled, “We get guests so rarely here. I was making a simple stew for lunch. It will be ready in a bit. If you’d like to wait, I have some bread and cheese you may like.”

  “Thank you. That would be fine.” Xeron sat at the heavy wooden table. Meals and kitchens were great places to find useful information. Xeron looked around the kitchen. It was clean and orderly, with simple cooking utensils stored next to where they would be used. He didn’t expect a place of Perante’s to be messy - he was all about order, but Xeron could tell the cook took pride in his kitchen.

  “This,” Xeron said, “is one fine kitchen.”

  The cook turned from his pot and looked at Xeron. When he realized he was being complimented and not mocked, he took a deep breath, unconsciously expanding his chest. “Thank you, sir. I will not have a dirty or slovenly kitchen. That would turn my father in his grave.”

  “Come from a strong line of cooks, do you?” he asked.

  “I don’t know about strong,” the cook answered, “but my father was a great cook. Taught me everything I know.”

  Xeron stood and offered his hand, “I’m Xeron. You don’t have to call me sir.”

  “Well,” the cook continued in a lower voice, “my father always said, ‘titles don’t belong in a kitchen.’ My name is Warton.”

  As they shook hands, Xeron said, “Pleasure to meet you, Warton. How long have you been the cook here?”

  Warton scratched his chin in thought. “That’s a good question. Time seems a little off here, like we’re in our own world.”

  The hair on Xeron’s neck stood on end. It was only a cook’s feeling, but there was magic that could slow down or speed up time. Not time, really, Xeron corrected himself, no one had been able to slow or speed the sun or the seasons, but the speed at which people age and move through time. That, a powerful mage could accomplish. If this place was slowed down, a mage could leave for months or a year and come back with everyone aged only days. A mage could also speed up the aging process, add forty years to a person in a matter of moments.

 
; Or maybe things just move slower when one is out of the bustle of a city. “This is an idyllic place to suspend time, I suppose.”

  “That it is, sir, I mean Xeron, that it is.”

  “I haven’t been outside the chateau. Are you alone, or is there a village near by?”

  “We are pretty self-sufficient. Truth to tell, sir, Xeron, we do have some magical supplements.”

  “Really, I’m intrigued. Like what?”

  Warton looked around the empty kitchen, as if someone or something could have entered while they were talking. Talking about magic had this effect on people, as if the mere mention of magic attacked the attention of powerful mages. “We know when people are coming. There are banners at the front gate, rolled up, and in four colors, red, green, white, and black. They unfold when someone approaches. If it’s white, we know a friend is coming. If it is red, trouble. Green, we prepare for wounded. And black, black we do our best to hide.”

  “What do you hide?” Xeron was impressed with Perante’s system.

  “Everything.”

  “This is a truly interesting chateau. Do you ever think of leaving?”

  Warton looked as if Xeron just asked if he could lift a mountain with his bare hands. “Leave my kitchen? No, this is where I belong.”

  “Just a traveler’s question. I can see why you would be happy here.” Xeron really could see why someone would stay, the place was beautiful and peaceful. The mage in him, though, made him cast a revealing spell, to see if there was more to Warton’s desire to stay. Unnoticed by Warton, a thin blue aura spread around his body. He had been charmed. It wasn’t a particularly strong one, but it increased his passion to cooking and his tie to the kitchen.

  “I am jealous, my friend, of how much you love it here. It makes me homesick.” He took a bite of the cheese Warton offered him. “Good cheese, and warm fresh baked bread. Your kitchen is a tempting place to stay.”

  Warton smiled, “Nothing makes me happier than to cook.”

  “That is obvious.” Xeron felt the pull of Tail Biter’s agitation. He had found someone. “I will be leaving soon. Could I trouble you for some food to go this afternoon?”

  “Of course. I would be happy to. How many in your party?”

  “Two, I believe, and a dog.”

  “Two and a hound. No problem, Si…Xeron.” Warton shook his head. Why people in charge thought it was a gift to be on a temporary first name basis was beyond him. Life in my kitchen is simple, he thought as he pitied the man in front of him.

  “Thank you.” Xeron’s mind began creating scenarios of the person Tail Biter found, and he realized that it has been a pleasurable break. He hadn’t dropped his guard since entering Perante’s castle who knows how many days ago. And that guard wasn’t good enough, he reminded himself, turning his mood sour.

  Tail Biter was waiting at the door when Xeron left the kitchen. He absently rubbed his head before shaking off his bad memories. “Okay, who do we have?” By the goofy look on Tail Biter’s face and the rapidly wagging tail, Xeron had a good idea of at least the gender of person Tail Biter found. “Take me to the girl.”

  Tail Biter, who would go out of his way to get the attention of young women, ran ahead of Xeron. One of these days, he thought, that fawning on young women is going to get us in trouble. He followed his link to Tail Biter up the stairs and back into his room. He thought this odd till he saw the young woman who had brought in his breakfast fixing his bed. He assumed she had been fixing his bed, but Tail Biter had distracted her and she was on the ground scratching his belly as he rolled on his back in delight.

  She jumped up at the sight of Xeron, rolling Tail Biter over as she did. Tail Biter kept going with the roll and ended up on his back, again, and waited that way, hoping she would return to scratching. He did, though, turn his head to Xeron to make sure he wasn’t pushing it too far. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t think…”

  “It’s all right.” Xeron waved off her excuse. “He is a mutt of strangely compelling qualities. I have been known to succumb to them myself.” She started to go back to fixing the bed, but Xeron stopped her. “That can wait. We have something to talk about.”

  Chapter 34

  Yuri, carrying the moaning Bernard, came onto the path one hundred paces from the wagon, which was impressively close considering he was running on mostly instinct for the return. He saw a woman sitting next to Stone. Together, they were working on his pack. They both looked up when he shouted, “Hey!”

  Yuri sprinted to the wagon. Stone ran to meet him, asking, “What happened to Bernie?”

  “He got attacked by a boar.” Looking to the woman, he said, “Who are you?”

  Both the woman and Stone looked at each other, quizzically. She answered, “Did you get hit on the head, Yuri, for we just met this morning.”

  Anger flashed through Yuri. “I don’t have time for this. I don’t know who you are, but can you help this boy?”

  She scrutinized Yuri before turning her attention to Bernard. “Let me have a look. Take him to the back of my wagon.”

  Yuri wanted to ask where the man, Bogdan, had gone, but it wasn’t nearly as important as helping Bernard. He carried him to the back, where the woman pulled the back gate off and pulled a blanket off some crates, laying them down for Bernard. Yuri set him down carefully on the blankets, asking, “Can you help him? He’s bleeding pretty bad.”

  The woman stepped in towards Bernard, forcing Yuri to back off. “Let me see what we have. I should be able to do something. There’s a water jug up front, please bring it to me.”

  Yuri went up for the water while the woman removed the bandages from his legs. “It looks like you got into quite a fight with a boar, little guy. You shouldn’t fight them, “she said gently.

  “I know,” he replied weakly.

  “Oh, you are awake. You will be okay, sore but okay.”

  Yuri returned with the water. “Here you go.”

  “Thank you. Before we go any farther, what village do you come from?”

  Yuri was exasperated, “Look, Lady.”

  Stone, standing next to Yuri, looked at him quizzically.

  Yuri ignored the look and continued, “What does it matter where I come from. Help this boy.”

  A tone of anger entered the woman’s voice, “Listen, Dragon Scales,” she poked his exposed chest as she said that, “You see me, the real me, and you’re not supposed to. I don’t know who you are or why you’re blue, so how much I can help him depends on how much I can trust you.”

  Yuri was surprised by her anger. Its unexpectedness snapped him out of his single-mindedness. He took a deliberate breath. “Listen, I’m sorry. I don’t know who you are or where the old man went…” Yuri noticed Stone making that confused face again.

  “What?” Yuri asked, exasperated. “You keep making that face whenever I mention the old man.”

  Stone pointed at the woman, “He’s right here!”

  The woman put her finger to her lips and, while not sure how it was happening, Yuri knew the woman and the man were the same. As confusing as it was, Bernard was getting paler by the moment. Yuri decided it didn’t matter, and all that did matter was getting this woman/man’s help. He looked directly at her and said, “I’m from Mandan. I’m the dragon talker. I found these two in a destroyed village and they are in my charge. I don’t care who, or what you are, if you help this boy, I will be in your debt.”

  “Was that so hard? Stone, go get those purple flowers a little way down the trail. Make sure to pull them up by the roots.” Stone stood, frozen and confused. “Go!” she shouted, and Stone snapped out of it and ran down the path.

  “You ready for a magic lesson, Dragon Scales? Hold him down.”

  “He’s passed out.”

  She took one of his hands and put it on Bernard’s chest and the other on his thigh. “He won’t be when I set this bone. Now hold him down.” Yuri shut up, held Bernard down, and watched as the woman/man put one hand above the break and the other
on Bernard’s ankle. She nodded at Yuri, who nodded back, before pulling down on the ankle.

  The pain did wake Bernard, but Yuri was able to hold him down easily with his new strength. He even wondered if he was pushing down too hard. Bernard’s scream made him mad, and he muttered, “You call that magic?”

  “That, Blue Scales, is getting the bone in position. Magic doesn’t work by itself, you have to do some of the work yourself.” She spotted Stone returning with the purple flowers. “Now,” she said, “the magic can begin.”

  “Stone, tear off the flowers and put them in one pile. Once you do that, brush off the dirt from the roots and break them off from the stems and put them in another pile.” Stone nodded his head. “You are doing a great job, Stone, and your little brother is going to be just fine.” Stone nodded again and went to work separating the parts of the flower.

  There was a dresser bisecting the wagon. Its drawers faced the rear of the wagon. Yuri hadn’t paid any attention to them, but he heard wood scratching on wood and looked up to see one of the drawers opening by itself. Without taking her attention from Bernard, the woman said, “I have a pestle and mortar in that drawer. Please grab it for me.”

  Yuri looked at her/him. Whatever this person was, he/she was clearly trying to help Bernard. His head, though, was spinning. Women healers were common, but moving a drawer at a distance? His world was getting stranger and less understood every day. Yuri decided to keep his mouth shut and follow directions until Bernard was out of danger. “Yes ma’am. Sir.”

  She smiled, “Good lad, let’s fix your little friend up.” She took the petals from Stone and placed them in the mortar. Crushing the petals, she explained, “Sometimes it’s just the will, like opening that drawer.”

  Yuri was momentarily confused, but realized that she was talking about magic. He nodded in understanding.

  She continued, “Other times, you’re taking what is in nature, like these plants, and expanding what is already there. If you were to chew these petals and put them on a wound, it would help in the healing. I’m crushing them, breaking them down to their essence and then combining them with magic to increase their healing power. What might take ten days will happen in moments.”