Delno smiled and said, “You’re right, of course, though no one likes to think of the possibility of losing a friend or loved one. But I’m interrupting you, please continue.”
Nat smiled. “Eventually they warmed up to me, and I began to learn some of their ways. We stayed there for nearly six years before my father felt it was time to travel again.”
As Nat finished his thought, Geneva flew in for a landing.
Delno had kept his senses open, and he felt Geneva getting close. He was quite pleased because he had managed to keep the contact only going one way, so she didn’t know he was scanning her.
Geneva settled herself down and told them that she had eaten a very large deer and a wild pig, and that she was now quite tired. She settled down to sleep without another word.
Delno and Nat kept quiet so as not to disturb her. Delno found a piece of wood in the pile that was dry that had an owl waiting to be freed from the surrounding material, so he retrieved his carving knives and bent to the task. Nat went about setting the rabbit skins into some chemical mixture to cure in silence.
Later that day, after he and Nat had eaten, and Geneva was fully awake, she began telling them what she had learned from the old female the night before. Nat was so interested in the Dream State that he plied her with so many questions it was nearly an hour before she actually got back to her original subject.
“According to the old female I was speaking to last night, there are certain signs to look for that will indicate when I am mature enough to carry a rider. As my wing muscles mature, the bulges they produce in my hide will become more pronounced. To some extent that is already happening, because I not only hunt each day, but fly to keep up with you as well.”
Delno sat upright and asked, “Is it possible that we have already overtaxed you?”
“I asked her about that and she didn’t think so. She believes that, since young wild dragons push themselves much harder than bonded dragons, I have simply been living up to my potential, and that such extra exercise will only be good for me in the long run.”
“That is interesting; there is a book owned by the elves that hints that riders tend to coddle their dragons and thus delay their development. Unfortunately it didn’t go into great detail, but it did mention that young dragons living in the wild are subject to much greater physical stress and appear to mature faster.” Nat interjected.
“Yes,” she agreed excitedly, “that old female, she’s seen more than two millennia on this world, seemed to think that young bonded dragons are, for the most part, allowed to laze around and do nothing but indulge their appetites these days. She said that the training regimens could do with some revamping.”
“Perhaps it is a good thing that we have been our own teachers so far, otherwise we might have allowed you to lounge around and be lazy,” Delno teased.
“Yes,” she said dryly, “and you might have taken up something as sedate as carving for a hobby and let your muscles go slack as well.”
Nat chuckled and said, “I wish some of those stodgy old scholars could see the two of you talking and teasing each other; there’d be no further doubt about the intelligence of dragons then.”
After they had all finished laughing, she continued. “The first thing to look for is a change in the color of the iris of the eye. The blue that you see now will change to my mature color, probably sometime after my third month. Then, when my wings are roughly three times the length of my body, not counting my neck and tail, I will be mature enough to begin carrying you. She did caution that I should not carry you for more than two hours a day for the first few weeks, and that we shouldn’t try aerobatic maneuvers for at least a month.”
Nat was curious, “What color will your eyes become when they change?”
“They will simply not be the fixed blue that you are used to. They will most likely be bronze with hints of both red and green, since those were the colors of my parents. But they will also change color with my mood,” she said.
“That sounds convenient,” Delno responded, then he added, “I wish all females came with such an easy mood indicator.”
“Yes,” she said, “just make sure you watch closely; if they ever turn black, hide.”
Chapter 28
The next day there were two more rabbits in the snares. They gutted them and gave the entrails to Geneva, then wrapped the carcasses in light cloth to keep the flies away and hung them on the wagon to age until they reached their destination that evening. Neither of the men had yet grown tired of rabbit stew, and they still had quite a bit of garlic left, anyway. The roads were passable, so, with Geneva assuring them she would eat lightly and join them soon, they packed and renewed their travels. They were less than a day’s ride from Orlean, and both men looked forward to sleeping in beds under a real roof.
Once on the road, Nat began to ply Delno with more questions about dragons and magic. Delno found this quite amusing, since the reason they were traveling together was so that he could learn from the physician, not the other way around. He didn’t begrudge the questions, though. The half-elf had an almost childlike curiosity that was somewhat refreshing, and Delno had to admit that he did enjoy the man’s company. He might be bonded with a dragon, but he was still human and still craved the company of his own species to some extent.
“So, tell me Delno, do you think you could use magic to shield yourself from attack?”
He thought for a moment before answering, “I’m not exactly sure how to go about it, but I believe that since I can project the energy in a form that can heal a wound or start a fire, I should be able to create some form of barrier that I could impose between an attack and the intended target.”
“Sounds like a handy trick if you can work out the logistics,” Nat responded. “Perhaps you could try when we stop this afternoon.”
“I believe I will,” he said. “Perhaps if I project the energy like an invisible wall. . . .”
Geneva broke into his musings, “Dear One, there is a large group of mounted men approaching ahead of you. They are heavily armed and appear to be dressed in uniforms. I will stay out of sight unless I am needed.”
Delno relayed this to Nat, who said, “I won’t know for sure until I see their colors if they are from Ondar, but they are most likely a patrol sent out from the garrison in Orlean. They patrol these roads as often as possible, though not often enough, otherwise we wouldn’t have met those bandits the other day. This group is actually further out than I expected to see them.”
Delno could now barely see the soldiers if he stood in the stirrups and strained his vision. They were still nearly a mile distant. They decided the best course of action was for Geneva to do as she said and remain hidden while they continued on their way. After all, if the soldiers were simply a mounted patrol, they had nothing to fear and something to report. If the men were more than a simple patrol, they would have more on their minds than stopping and harassing innocent travelers.
As the soldiers got close enough that Nat could actually distinguish their livery, they did, in fact, appear to be Ondarian. They were a squad of thirty men, led by two sergeants who were under the direction of a lieutenant. The lieutenant appeared to be younger than Delno by a couple of years. As they drew near enough to exchange greetings, the lieutenant raised his hand and one of the sergeants called out, “Troopers, halt!” in a loud, commanding voice.
The young officer, the older sergeant, and several of the mounted troopers moved forward in a practiced maneuver that put them close enough to be effective if they had to draw weapons, while the remaining men sat on their horses with readied spears and bows.
Nat harrumphed in an almost disgusted way, then said, “Really, Robbie, tell your men to put those weapons down and relax; you know I’m no threat.”
The officer looked a bit ashamed, but the sergeant spoke up, “Sir, we may know the healer, but the man with him is a stranger.”
The younger man turned to the sergeant and said, “I’m sure that one
man doesn’t pose a great threat to thirty of His Majesty’s best troopers, and he is traveling with someone who has proven himself a friend to everyone in this squad several times over. Perhaps, Sergeant, we can dispense with formalities, just this once.”
The sergeant snorted his disapproval, but turned to the troopers and said, “Stand down, men.”
Nat laughed quietly, then looked at the sergeant and said, “That’s better, Norman.”
Then he asked the man in a scolding tone, “How’s that leg holding up?”
The man half shook, half nodded his head sheepishly and said, “It’s healing just fine. Thanks for asking.”
Nat wouldn’t be put off so easily, “I know I told you to stay off of it for two weeks, and here you are ten days later riding with a patrol. Any further problems?”
He looked decidedly uncomfortable and said, “Nah, no pain since the first couple of days.” Nat gave him a stern look and raised his eyebrows, so the man continued, “I just couldn’t stand sittin’ around on my bum any longer, so I rode out with this patrol. I figured sittin’ on a horse would still keep me off the leg, and I’d be doing something.”
Delno noticed that the men within earshot of the conversation were being careful not to let the sergeant see them smiling at his discomfort. There was a bit of an awkward silence while the poor man squirmed under Nat’s stare. Delno spoke up to deflect attention from him. “I am Delno Okonan, from the Kingdom of Corice, specifically from the city of Larimar. I am traveling through your lands on my way to Palamore.”
Norman nodded to him in gratitude for deflecting everyone’s attention. The Lieutenant rode up beside Delno and extended his hand, “I am Robert Williamson, lieutenant with the Ondarian military garrisoned at Orlean. My friends call me Robbie.” Delno, not sure whether to shake in the southern style or the northern, extended his arm far enough for the younger man to take it either way. They shook in the southern style.
Robbie turned to his sergeant, and told him to give the men a break while he talked with the travelers, then turned back to Delno, “Palamore, you say? I can understand the caravans traveling in this beastly heat, but what brings a man of Larimar so far under this broiling sun?” His manner was open and his smile genuine, and Delno found he liked the man immediately: he reminded Delno a bit of Nassari.
“Oh, I have business with someone who is there, and, since that man can’t be persuaded to come to me, I must go to him.”
“Well, since our good friend and physician Nathaniel finds you fit company to travel with, I suppose we won’t delay you for any reason,” he said, smiling broadly. “Still,” he added, “There’s something about that name that rings a bell.” Then he looked over his shoulder and called out, “Sergeant Smith, come here please.”
The younger of the two sergeants rode up quickly and saluted the officer, then he nodded to Delno and Nat. He was about Delno’s age.
“Tell me, Sergeant,” Robbie inquired, “you’ve traveled in Corice, does the name Delno Okonan mean anything to you?”
“Oh, that it does, Sir,” the man responded, wide-eyed. “Lieutenant Delno Okonan is famous, sir. He was decorated several times during the Corisian/Bournese war, and won the Medal of Valor for his bravery at ‘The Battle of Stone Bridge’.”
Delno groaned, “Guilty,” he said, “though it is just Delno Okonan now. I’ve retired from military life.”
“Retired?” Robbie asked, “Why in the world would you retire with such a record?”
“I had reached the highest rank possible, in fact, higher than is usually possible, for one of common birth, so I gave it up for other ventures.” While Delno liked the man’s open curiosity and easy manner, he hoped the officer would take the hint and let the subject drop.
As Sergeant Smith moved back to the ranks, Robbie said disgustedly, “Oh, that noble birth crap is lunacy. You should stop in at the garrison; here in Ondar, we promote based on merit. If you’d consider joining up, we could get you a commission based on your record, and I’d bet you’d be captain in no time.”
Delno felt a surge of gratitude when Nat spoke up and interrupted the conversation. “Robbie, I’m sure that my companion would love to sit here and discuss the merits of a military career all day, but we must get to Orlean, and I’m equally certain that you must get back to your patrol.” Then, as a parting shot to the older sergeant, he said, “And you mind that leg Norman, or I’ll put you on bed-rest and see to it that your officers enforce it.”
Norman nodded and waved.
Robbie wasn’t quite ready to let the subject drop and said, “I’ll let you go on one condition. You promise that you will have dinner with me at the garrison tomorrow evening, and that, in the mean time, you will give some serious thought to my suggestion.”
To avoid any further delay, Delno reluctantly agreed. Then, after telling the officer and his senior sergeant about the bandits they had encountered, they shook hands again, and then each group set off in their previous directions. Delno noticed as they passed the men that many of them were looking at him with something akin to awe. Sergeant Smith must have been gossiping.
Though they met a few other travelers since they were so close to town, the remainder of the trip passed without incident. It was late afternoon when they reached the city gates, and Nat exchanged pleasantries with the guards. Then they went directly to Nat’s home, which also contained his offices. His apprentice was busy seeing patients, so Nat showed Delno to a guest room and then set about putting away the herbs and chemicals he had brought along. Delno offered to help, but the physician refused, insisting good-naturedly that he knew where everything went, and Delno would be more of a hindrance than a help with the task.
Since Nat had turned the rabbits over to his housekeeper to cook, the horses were being attended at the stable near the healer’s home, and Geneva was just settling down to eat in a secluded spot near town, Delno decided to have a look around.
“Don’t go too far,” the housekeeper, a plump woman with a pleasant face and broad easy smile, said to him, “the stew will be ready before dark.”
Delno thanked her and stepped out of the door, then quickly crossed the small yard to the street. Orlean wasn’t as big as Larimar, but it certainly wasn’t small either. The main road, though not cobbled, had gravel and ash spread on it, and was, for the most part, kept in good repair, though the recent rains had created a few muddy spots. The main street, like most large towns, appeared to be mostly lined with shops of one kind or another.
As he walked along, he thought more about using magic to shield. He had been practicing keeping in contact with potential energy sources. He had also tried doing some things using his own personal energy and found that he could accomplish quite a bit that way if the need arose, but it would leave him drained and tired.
He continued playing with the idea of shielding, imagining a shield like a large invisible, unbreakable window between himself and some attack. He was lost in his musings when two horses carrying young riders, apparently racing, heedless of the danger they presented to others, came around a corner and ran right past him through a large puddle. Without really thinking about it, he put up shield. It was more a reflex than a conscious action. The large clots of mud that the horses had kicked up flew right at him and suddenly stopped, as if they had hit a window, about six inches from his face and chest.
People were yelling at the careless youths on the horses; he, however, had forgotten all about them. He stood transfixed by the sight of the mud sliding slowly down the invisible wall he had erected. He reached up and put his hand on the wall where one of the mud clots was sticking. It didn’t feel quite like anything he’d ever experienced: while it was solid, it felt as though it were slightly pliable, as if it was almost alive under his hand. He glanced around and realized that several people were pointing at him and the mud that appeared to hang in the air. He quickly let the energy go and the mud fell to the street with a wet sound. Deciding that he had drawn enough attention to hims
elf for his first day in town, he quickly retraced his steps back to Nat’s home.
He found Nat sitting in a comfortable chair in the front room of the house. He started to speak up and tell him what had occurred outside, but as he stepped into the room he realized his friend wasn’t alone. As he came through the doorway far enough to see the whole room, he found a tall slender man of about thirty-five sitting in another chair. He immediately bit off his comment and apologized for interrupting.
“Nonsense, my friend,” Nat said, “This is Pearce, my apprentice.” Then he added, “Soon to officially be the physician in residence here. I was just telling him our tale, and that he will be taking over everything when I take to the road.”
Delno extended his hand to Pearce, and the man grabbed his arm just above the wrist. Delno returned the grip.
“Now then,” Nat said, “I had just finished explaining about Geneva and your need to travel. I’m afraid that it’s put Pearce in a bit of a quandary. He wants to be elevated to full healer, and he is proud that I am willing to write the letters of credential, but he is a bit upset that I will be leaving with you so soon.”
“I could have earned a letter of credential several years ago,” Pearce explained, “but I chose to study under Nat for good reason: he’s the best healer in the kingdom, and the best herbalist this side of the Elven territories, not to mention that he and I have become very good friends.”
“I am convinced that Nat is an easy man to become good friends with,” Delno responded. “We’ve only traveled together for a few days, and there is an ease about our growing friendship that would have taken months to achieve with anyone else. He’s an extraordinary man.”
“I’ve noticed the same thing,” Pearce said.
Nat blushed at the praise. “Really gentlemen, I’m only an old scholar who wishes to indulge his own curiosities for a while.”
They all shared a laugh; then Delno asked Pearce, “So you know about Geneva? What are your thoughts on that?”
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