The Guide

by Trudie Collins

  Sam was woken by warm breath on her face. “Go away,” she mumbled, waving her arm as she attempted to push Samson away. The wolf had left with Bellak, somewhat reluctantly, the previous evening, so she assumed he had just returned. Ever since Bellak’s cruel trick with the coffin lid, the wolf had been avoiding the wizard, so Sam had been surprised to see him mournfully following the old man, tail between his legs and head hung low. He looked like a lamb going to the slaughter.

  “Wake up little one.” Sam’s eyes shot open. The large muzzle in front of her was scaly instead of furry.

  “Salabine,” she cried, causing the great dragon to step back to avoid the flailing arms that tried to wrap themselves around her neck. “You came.”

  River came running up, closely followed by Grimmel, who was swearing loudly. “How did you get past us?” he yelled.

  “You were not watching the sky,” Salabine informed him, smiling.

  “I was though.” Hawk landed gently next to her, then indicated she should look around. She was surrounded by the rest of the group, all armed. Even Ellen was carrying a cooking pot, ready to hit an intruder over the head. Salabine let out a laugh, causing the ground to shake. Upon spying the dragon as she was silhouetted against the moon, Hawk had quietly woken everyone in turn, whispering a warning. Although he was sure it must have been Salabine, it was impossible to be certain at that distance, so everyone armed themselves.

  “Welcome Salabine,” Tor greeted her, sheathing his sword. “Thank you for coming.”

  “How did you hear Sam calling you?” Dal interrupted. The look Tor threw silenced him, causing colour to rise up his face.

  “I see the pup still has to learn some manners.”

  Tor couldn’t help but agree with the dragon’s comment. “I am trying. But you know how children are these days; only listen to half of what they are told and then they ignore it.” Dal had the good sense not to contradict this, though his face showed how much he was struggling to remain silent.

  Salabine took pity on him. “We dragons can hear our name called, no matter how far away we are or how softly it is spoken. This is one of the reasons you will rarely find a dragon who divulges his name. I have shown great trust in you by doing so.”

  “We greatly appreciate it,” Seth informed her. “Are you hungry?”

  Salabine swung her long neck from side to side, surveying her surroundings. “Yes. I am a little peckish. Where is Bellak?” Neither the wizard nor the wolf had returned from their night time jaunt. Not sure if she was joking or not, Seth threw the carcass of a pheasant into the air. Salabine opened her jaws wide and swallowed it whole. “I suppose that will have to do instead.” She winked at Sam. “So, how may I be of assistance to you all? I presume you did not call simply because you miss my company.”

  Sam quickly explained their need for a lift into the middle of the desert and Tor provided the reasons why. When they had finished, Salabine looked uncertain. She hated crossing deserts and had never flown across this particular one. She queried what she would find in the centre and nobody was able to tell her. As they were unable to assure her that she would be safe, they informed her that they understood her reluctance.

  Their understanding did not impress her. She raised herself to her full height and proudly lifted her head. “I hope that you are not insinuating that I am scared for my own safety. I can assure you that we dragons are scared of nothing. My only concern is for my passengers.”

  “Speaking of passengers,” interrupted Torrick. “How do we decide who the other person should be?”

  “Good question.” Tor looked across at Sam. “We know Sam has to go and only one other. We also know that only one can return. What we do not know is who gets to decide which one remains.”

  “Will Salabine count as the other?” Ria asked. “I mean, if someone else goes, will that be classed as three instead of two so we fail? If so, then Sam has to remain behind as she will be stranded if Salabine has to remain.”

  “Another good question,” Tor replied, frowning in concern.

  “The dragon takes Sam and one other, then Sam remains behind.” Bellak came striding up to the group, Samson at his heels. “If that counts as three, then the dragon can bring the extra back before returning to the desert.”

  Hawk was outraged, and he was not the only one. “What right do you have to dictate who stays behind?”

  Sam quickly grabbed his arm as he looked like he was about to attack the old man. “He’s right. The only reason I’m here is because I am needed to retrieve the next clue. I should be the one to stay behind.” Hawk refused to agree with this logic, but said nothing and edged no closer to Bellak.

  “Any volunteers to accompany her?” Nobody stepped forward. “Alright then, we draw lots.” Bellak conjured up a large pot and enough green balls for each of them, except for Samson, Sam and Salabine. He then turned one of them red. The plan was that they would each take a ball from the pot while blindfolded. The person who picked the red ball would go with Sam. Before the selection could begin, however, Tor removed a ball.

  “Hawk, you cannot go. This may take more than a night.” Hawk nodded, then removed another ball.

  “You cannot go either. There is no point in continuing this quest if you have to remain behind.” Tor was forced to reluctantly agree. Hawk then removed another ball. “Bellak also stays behind. I do not trust he will not harm Sam given the opportunity.” Nobody disagreed with this statement, not even Bellak.

  One by one they were blindfolded and withdrew a ball. Sam noticed that each one breathed a small sigh of relief when they found they were holding a green ball, but she said nothing. She understood their reluctance to accompany her. They all had lives to come back to and, although it had been agreed that Sam would be the one to remain in the desert, they were not entirely certain that the choice would be theirs to make.

  Soon only Seth, Dal and Hurst remained. Hurst was guided to the pot and his hand placed inside. He pulled out a ball and from the reaction of those around him he knew he was holding the red one. Dal was the only person to look disappointed. “I was looking forward to flying on a dragon,” he mumbled.

  Salabine laughed. “Then I promise to let you as soon as I return. When do we leave?”

  “How long will it take you to fly to the centre?” Tor asked.

  “About half a day, though I can return a lot quicker.”

  “Of course you can,” Bellak scoffed. Salabine swung her head around, almost bowling the wizard over.

  “Do not test me little man,” she snarled, making sure he got a clear view of her fangs. “You have no idea what dragons are capable of. The only reason the journey out will take me so long is that I do not know where I am going. I just need to visualise a place and I can be there almost instantaneously.”

  “So why did it take you so long to get here?”

  If it was possible for a dragon to blush, she would have done. “Ah,” she said, turning her head away. “I was preoccupied.”

  Sam picked up on her almost coy expression. “Would you care to elaborate?”

  “No, not really.”

  Sam smirked. “I take it there was a male dragon around when I called?”

  “I do not have to answer that,” the dragon snapped, though she, too, was grinning. “I suggest we head out soon, before it gets too hot,” she continued, attempting to change the subject.

  “No problem.” Sam planned to quiz Salabine while they travelled, so departing immediately was fine by her. The dragon lay as flat to the ground as she could, allowing Sam to climb up onto her back. Hurst followed closely behind, assisted from above by Sam and below by Tor. Once they were both comfortable, Salabine gently raised herself up onto her legs.

  “I will try to make the journey as smooth as possible,” she informed them, swinging her long neck around so she could see them. Her body was too wide for them to get their legs around so they had positioned themselves at the base of her neck. If she made any sudden turns they were li
kely to fall off. No sooner did Sam say that they were as settled as they could be than she found herself in the air. She bravely looked down to see all of those below her waving, except for Bellak. She knew she may never see them again and it left her feeling a little sad and empty.

  The journey started out quite fun. It was wonderful feeling the wind blow past them as Salabine gently beat her wings. Sam described the scenes around them to Hurst, but soon they were out in the desert so all she could see in any direction was sand. Boredom set in. If it was not for Hurst, Sam would have fallen asleep. The elderly man was wonderful. He passed the time by telling her about his life; adding in amusing stories about how his talents had uncovered embarrassing secrets and prevented wars. She was not sure if any of them were true, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt as they were so entertaining.

  A few hours had passed when Salabine suddenly exclaimed, “oh my”. Sam had been slowly drifting off to sleep and was jerked awake. Looking ahead she saw a sight that made her gasp in surprise.

  “What is it?” Hurst asked, concerned.

  “It looks like a large village, or a small town, in the middle of the desert,” Sam replied. Hurst could hear the awe in her voice so asked her to describe it to him. She could make out numerous single storey buildings, all identical in design. From their colour, they looked to have either been made from sand or had a camouflaging layer of sand covering them. Salabine flew lower, to give a better view. Sam could see no people, but washing hanging between some of the buildings suggested a population was present. As they drew closer, a large lake came into view, surrounded by numerous trees.

  “I will head toward the water and see if I can find a safe spot to drop you off,” the dragon informed them. “I could do with a drink.”

  A horrible feeling suddenly crept over Sam. “It’s not a mirage is it?”

  “I do not think so,” Hurst reassured her. “After all, you both saw it at the same time and I am sure Salabine would have informed you if your description did not agree with what she was seeing.”

  That made sense so Sam relaxed and started looking for possible landing sites. No suitable clearing large enough to accommodate a dragon was evident so Salabine asked them if they could swim. They both said yes in puzzled voices so she dived down toward the water, tumbling over at the last minute to gently tip the two humans off her back. They entered the water with a splash, but quickly resurfaced, coughing and spluttering. Salabine stayed in the air just long enough to make sure they were both okay, then flew into the water. Sam was sure she heard the dragon laugh.

  Sam and Hurst had been dropped close to the edge of the lake where the water was deep enough to cushion their fall, but not so deep it would prevent them standing. They staggered out of the water, dripping wet, and lay down on the sand. It was nearing midday and there were no clouds in the sky, so the sand was warm and, with the help of the sun, quickly dried their clothes. As soon as they were sufficiently dry they moved into the trees and the shade they provided, looking out across the lake. Salabine had not resurfaced and Sam was beginning to worry. Soon she spied a large snout appear, take in a breath, then submerge itself again and her concern faded. Leaning her back against a tree, she looked toward Hurst, who was snoring gently. Smiling to herself and breathing in the cool fresh air, she allowed her eyes to close.

  The snap of a twig behind her caused her to open her eyes. From the position of the sun, she must have been asleep for a few hours. She spun around and found herself facing a tall, thin person wearing what appeared to be a sheet wound completely around their body and covering their face.

  ‘Welcome,” the stranger said, bowing low.

  Sam outstretched her arm and gently nudged Hurst awake. “There is a strange man standing beside us,” she whispered. “At least, I think it is a man. It’s hard to tell as he is completely covered in some strange clothing.”

  “Describe it to me,” the blind man requested.

  “It is called a sheath,” the stranger informed him. He spoke strangely, reminding Sam of a cat purring. “It is designed to protect the body from the harshness of the sun and the sand as well as keep the body cool in the summer and warm in the winter.”

  Hurst nodded his thanks then held out his hand, which was clasped almost immediately. The stranger had cool skin, a lot cooler that Hurst was expecting. He gripped the hand firmly and opened his mind. Feelings of friendship immediately overwhelmed him.

  “He means us no harm,” Hurst informed Sam. “It seems that we were expected.” He relaxed his hand and felt the stranger place it onto his arm.

  “Please, let me guide you to the centre square. Food is being prepared for you and we can get properly acquainted while eating.” Without waiting for a response, he headed away from the lake, leading Hurst at a slow pace.

  They walked in silence until they reached the first of the buildings. Up close they looked like giant sand houses, built by children on the beach. When Sam enquired, she was told that is what they were, more or less. Wet sand mixed with tree sap was formed into brick shapes and baked in the sun. When completely dry, they were strong enough to use for building.

  There were a large number of buildings, mostly small structures that Sam assumed were the living quarters. The larger ones were communal buildings; a school, meeting hall, library and bath house. Soon they arrived at the central square and Sam stopped in surprise. It was full of people; all dressed the same as their guide. They were milling around a number of large tables, also made of sand bricks, on which food and jugs of water were being placed. Sam and Hurst were escorted to the nearest table and told to sit on the accompanying benches.

  Sam sat down nervously, expecting the bench to either collapse or be very uncomfortable, but was amazed at how wrong she was. It felt like the bench was moulding itself to the shape of her behind. She stood up suddenly and looked behind her, expecting to find the shape of her bum cheeks imprinted on the bench, but it was as flat as when she had first seen it. Puzzled, she sat down again. Once all of the tables had been filled, everyone took a seat and removed their face coverings. Sam gasped. Their faces were covered in short fur and their small, pointed, cat like ears were on the top of their head instead of the side. Everyone started to eat.

  The food was simple, but delicious; steamed fish, some kind of roasted bird, berries, nuts and a dish that seemed to be made from leaves. Dessert was different varieties of sliced fruit. The only drink was water, but it was cool and refreshing, drunk from cups made, of course, from sand. It looked like the desert provided these strange beings with everything they needed to survive.

  While they were eating, their guide talked. He introduced himself as Hanbert, one of the leaders of the shaten. At the mention of the name, Sam remembered Patrick recalling these people. He was certainly right about them being ‘almost human’. He explained all about his people, answering any question Sam or Hurst posed to him. He had removed his face covering, revealing himself to be a young man; mid-twenties Sam guessed.

  His shoulder length hair was light blond, almost the same colour as the table on which they were eating. His face showed sun tanned skin beneath the fur, but it was his eyes that made Sam stare at him. They were the deepest green Sam had ever seen; she found them intoxicating.

  Looking around at the people at her table, she noticed they were all alike. Although each had their individual features, their colouring and build were identical. When she asked about this, Hanbert smiled and informed her it was an effect of the water they drank, indicating she should look to her left.

  Turning to where he was pointing, Sam noticed the fountain for the first time. “The maiden’s fountain,” she whispered to herself. It was not what she had been expecting. There were no fancy statues or carvings, it was just a simple fountain you could find in any back garden where she came from, though it was the largest she had ever seen. ‘What is so special about it?’ she wondered.

  She did not realise she had spoken aloud and was surprised when Hanbert an
swered her. “We have been here for a number of generations, though our history is well documented in many of the books in our library. The shaten were once a nomadic people, roaming the edge of the desert, but we were persecuted, hounded by other species, especially humans, who forced us to move on whenever we settled for a while. Eventually we were forced into the desert. We had heard about the fabled city of Yallend and prayed it would be a safe haven for us. Many of us died on the journey, both from exposure to the sun and from dehydration. Eventually we stumbled upon the lake you landed in and found the fountain and the remains of some dwellings. Where everything came from, we do not know, but it saved us.”

  He went on to explain how the lake and surrounding trees and plant life provided them with all of the food they needed. No matter how much they picked, there was always more the next day. Occasionally they killed birds with sling shots as they flew overhead, but that was more to add variety to their diet rather than due to any real need for the meat. “Oh god,” Sam suddenly exclaimed. “Salabine is in the lake eating all of your fish.”

  “Do not worry,” Hanbert reassured her. “Your dragon can eat her fill and there will still be plenty left for us. We have no idea why our food supply keeps replenishing itself, but as long as it does, we are happy. That reminds me; please explain how you have managed to tame a dragon.”

  Sam willingly told him everything, starting from her summoning by Mama Rose and ending with her arrival with Hurst in the lake. Everyone around the table stopped eating to listen to her, enthralled. The quest and their reason for being there did not come as a surprise to anyone. Sam enquired as to how they knew.

  “You are not the first visitors to arrive here,” Hanbert told her. Though others had asked her questions during her narration, it seemed that Hanbert had been the elected spokesperson for the shaten. “Lord Albian came to us, seeking our help in setting up the quest. It has been a long time since we have seen any outsiders so we willingly agreed, though how anyone would manage to get here we had no idea. You are, in fact, only the second group to have arrived.”