by K. M. Shea
“Behemoth…” Azmaveth warned, his purple eyes turning black.
“Until Kohath comes!” Behemoth hastily corrected himself.
Azmaveth nodded in approval and looked at me one final time. He heaved a sigh and took to the air, circling overhead a few times before disappearing in the horizon.
Behemoth braced himself as he put me down, and together we ventured into the lair of the princesses.
To my great chagrin Lesha, Malory, and Tuneeta hadn’t changed, at all. Behemoth and I stared at each other with glazed expressions as Lesha ranted and bragged about her suitors. Malory scribbled a picture on a piece of paper, and Tuneeta stared at nothing with a dumb expression on her face.
Cinders was wandering around in a daze. Apparently she hurt herself after walking into a wall. I had thought that Cinders had no brains, but when she hit that wall what little brains she had left must have leaked out of her ears. She was walking around with a dazed expression on her face while muttering “dragons, everywhere, dragons.” Idiotic girl.
“I…can’t….take….much….more,” I slowly said as if each word I formed hurt my brain.
Behemoth gazed at me with empty eyes. I wondered if the princesses’ conversations had dropped his brain to such low levels that he could no longer understand me.
As Lesha babbled I could feel irritation welling up inside me. Any move, word, or thought the princesses had done or said was starting to provoke me. Lesha was just about to launch into a new lecture when I screamed. “CEASE YOUR PRATTLE!”
Everyone, excluding Behemoth who was still in a stumped stupor, turned and looked at me with wide eyes. “Everything that comes out of your mouth is purely annoying!” I spat. The three blonde princesses stared at me. I was pleasantly surprised, I was sure they would have started crying by this point.
“You mean you don’t like hearing about my suitors?”
“And you don’t like my artwork?”
“And you don’t like…” Tuneeta trailed off, realizing she never did anything but act stupid, probably.
“Lesha your stories are boring. Not sort of boring, not only partially boring, but absolutely boring. Malory your art work stinks. Tuneeta you, you,you... Can you even think straight? No one can stand being around you three for long! If you’re all princesses why don’t you act like a princess?”
Kohath appeared in the room as the three princesses stared at each other with surprised and shocked looks. He glanced cautiously at the dazed Behemoth while motioning for me to follow him. “Come, let’s leave while we can.”
We crept through the cave and quickly left the perimeter. We were a good half a mile away before we heard an earth shattering bellow. “NO!! AHIRA!”
Kohath grabbed my hand and pulled me along through the incredibly high snow. Somehow, magically no doubt, a small path was sliced through the snow. It went all the way to Azmaveth’s den.
“Azmaveth cleared it for us before he left,” Kohath explained, noticing my suspicious expression as we walked down the driveway.
I was freezing and blue with cold by the time we entered the den. Oddly Kohath hadn’t seemed to mind the freezing, outdoor temperature, but when he saw my frozen face his eyes widened.
“Sorry, I forgot about that! Come on to the library, we still have got an hour before the Keeper should arrive,” he said.
I slowly stumbled to the library and sat down in the huge leather chair before my fireplace, which promptly roared to life. I sat there, shuddering and shivering, as I cursed myself for not bringing a coat along with me.
Kohath materialized next to me as my teeth chattered. “You’ll be okay,” he cooed in my ear as he wrapped a warm blanket around me.
I relaxed in the warmth as Kohath removed my shoes and slipped on new warm socks. He took my hands and rubbed them between his own, slowly warming them up.
My eyes felt so heavy! Slowly they drifted shut, and even when I felt Kohath pick me up and sit down in my chair before placing me on his lap I did not protest.
I’m sure that I smiled as I drifted off to sleep, clutching the open collar of Kohath’s shirt.
I woke up about an hour later when something soft rubbed against my hand. I opened my eyes and saw a throat. Further up was Kohath, sleeping. His warm breath ruffled his black hair.
I screamed.
He yelped.
I leaped off the chair, screaming again in reaction to his shout.
“What?” Kohath asked when our hearts finally stopped pounding.
“I was sleeping on your lap! EWWWWW Now I have to go take a bath!” I exclaimed as Tuggles snorted before waddling over to me to shove his little muzzle in my palm.
Kohath rolled his eyes. “That’s not what you said while falling asleep,” he smirked as I ran my hand through Tuggles’ creamy mane.
I ignored him and picked up my blanket, throwing it over my shoulders like a cape before storming out of the room, Tuggles on my heels. I walked straight into silver-blue wall.
I rubbed my smarting nose and looked up at Zerah. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
Zerah scoffed. “What, do you think the Keeper magically plunged through all of that snow?”
I huffed and pushed my nose up into the air. Zerah lowered his muzzle, gently butting me with it, and breathed in. My cape and hair flew over my head, disrupting my appearance.
I glared at Zerah from under my blanket. “What was that for?” I shouted while straightening my hair and clothes.
“You smell like Kohath,” Zerah informed me.
“Thank you cupcake,” I snarled. “Way to use your nose,” I added before storming past him and into the kitchen.
Kohath came out of the library and the dragon and steward exchanged glances before chorusing. “Women.”
When Azmaveth finally returned home he and Zerah teased me nonstop about Kohath’s scent. I was most irritated, mainly because before Azmaveth arrived I had taken two baths. I endured much teasing for the next three days, so when the doorbell rang it was a welcome break.
“I’ll get it!” I screamed as I bolted from the kitchen where Zerah and Azmaveth were currently seated and snickering. (Correction, Azmaveth was snickering. Zerah was doing his scary, threatening jokes again.) I scrambled to the door and carefully opened it. The visitor was a prince. I groaned and slammed the door shut
“Ahira? I have a message for you from your brother,” he called through the wooden door.
Instantly I was outside, inquisitive and quite friendly. It was then that I noticed Princess Lesha sitting on the prince’s horse. Apparently the girl had smartened up and finally stopped yodeling about her beaus. She shyly waved as her newly acquired prince dug into his pocket. “He gave it to me about a month ago. Sorry I can’t save you…” He trailed off before glancing at Lesha with a happy grin.
I smiled, “No, no! You have done a far greater favor for me by delivering this.”
The prince gave me a grateful look before swinging up on his horse.
Lesha leaned back to speak with me, and to duck the prince’s foot as he mounted. “Thank you Ahira. I’m not convinced all my stories are boring, but I shall certainly keep what you said in mind,” she graciously stated. As I watched the duo disappear into the snowdrifts I wondered if maybe Lesha wasn’t more princess-like than I thought. Perhaps one day, if she could be convinced to stop babbling, she would make a fine queen.
I anxiously ran inside and scurried past the giggling Azmaveth and rigid Zerah as I made a beeline for my room.
When I reached my living quarters, I jumped on my bed and started reading. If I hadn’t been so excited I would have heard the giggling stop and the soft padding of two nosey dragons walking down the hallway.
I ripped open the cream colored envelope, revealing a letter written in my brother’s familiar handwriting.
Dear Ahira,
I know, I know that you’re terribly disappointed that I haven’t come for you yet!. I want to come and rescue you, really I do! However, mother won
’t allow it. She’s extremely angry that you have not returned with a prince yet, but tales of you and the dragon who enslaves you have come as far as our lands.
Father has been skipping out on his King duties, but I think I can arrange to come pick you up at during the Autumn Festival. That festival is just shy of being three seasons away.
The tales I hear of you make me wonder Ahira. Are you happier over there then you were here? Will I ever see you again? Please, Ahira, please remember that dragons are dragons. They are wonderfully intelligent creatures, but deceptive all the same.
With Love,
Caspian
The letter fell from my hands. Was I happier here? Why was Caspian waiting so long to come and get me! I knew during the summer he would not be missed. What was happening?
A frown passed over my lips and tears oddly stung my eyes. Caspian’s harmless letter for some reason raised a lot of emotions in me. Tears started to roll down my cheeks and I turned around to see Azmaveth’s giant eye in my doorway. For once I was not mad and instead I walked out of my room and hugged his nose, taking a calming breath.
Zerah took that as his cue to leave. Azmaveth stayed put and curled up like a cat, allowing me to be cradled between his head and chest.
About a month later Kohath found me in the kitchen doing up some dishes. The snow was just barely covering the forest floor, and spring was just around the corner.
“Hello,” he greeted, eating a dried apple as I cleaned the last dish.
“Hello. And to what do I owe this unpleasant surprise to?” I asked.
Kohath snorted. “Gnomes. I have to go speak to a gnome elder and Azmaveth said that I should take you along. He said it would be a ‘learning experience’ for you.”
“Gnomes?” I asked, wrinkling my brow. “Aren’t they really short and fat and look like little old men?” I asked.
“That would be them,” Kohath said while finishing his snack.
“Why do you have to speak to them?” I asked as I wiped up my counter, which he had just gotten dirty.
“Azmaveth needs me to give them a message about our battle plans against the valkyrie.”
“I thought the valkyrie left when Tuggles went back to doing his job!” I exclaimed.
“Nope. They left the forest, not Somnio,” he replied after licking his fingers.
“Fine just let me get my cloak,” I said walking toward the den entrance, Kohath slowly ambling after me.
“What? You don’t want a repeat of our cozy library time?” he asked.
“No,” I said while whipping my cape on.
He chuckled and gently took his hand in mine, again. Sadly I was pretty used to it by this point. Kohath opened the door and together we walked, Kohath leading us deep into the forest.
After a thirty minute walk we reached a huge tree that was surrounded by five smaller trees. Kohath released my hand for the moment and rapped on the wood.
“Who goes there?” a tiny, gruff voice asked.
“Kohath from Azmaveth.”
“Oy, Brother Ten, do we know an Azmaveth?” the rough voice questioned.
“I am not sure Brother Fifteen. Perhaps you should be asking Brother Eight,” a similar voice answered.
Kohath rolled his eyes. “They are very eccentric,” he said before reaching the bottom of the tree and flipping a switch. Instantly a hole big enough for a tall man to fit through, if he crouched down, appeared in the tree.
Kohath beckoned for me to follow him before he disappeared inside. I dutifully followed and stifled a scream as I slid down into the earth. After a wild ride of twenty seconds I fell on my rump on a patch of moss. I peered around and spotted Kohath about ten feet away from me, standing up.
“Sorry, I should have warned you about that,” he said, giving me a hand up.
“Yeah, that might have helped,” I grumbled.
The room was just tall enough for Kohath to stand in. It was dim, but magical torches were fastened to the walls, illuminating the room. Hundreds of tunnels left the room and weaved all around, going nowhere in particular, or so Kohath told me. The floor was covered in a soft moss, and the sides of the room (as well as the roof) were made of glistening, damp stone.
I felt a tugging on my skirt and I looked down to see a little gnome pulling on my dress. He came just to my knee, but his pointy little hat reached up to my waist.
“Who is you?” he asked. “I is Brother Thirty Four.”
“I’m Ahira,” I said.
“So you two is being from Azmaveth?” the little gnome asked.
“Yes, we need to speak with the elder.”
“Brother One is expecting you that he was,” the gnome grunted. “Follow,” he beckoned, waddling into one of the tunnels.
Kohath and I were forced to bend over and scoot down the narrow and short hallway. Our gnome guide knocked on a wooden door and shouted. “Brother One, there is waiting two messengers are from Azmaveth!”
“They haven’t quite mastered languages yet,” Kohath whispered.
“You be then sending them in!” a voice bellowed from inside.
“Affirmative.”
The door opened up and Brother Thirty Four spoke one last time before waddling away, “You can in go!”
I considered his speech as Kohath pulled me into the room.
This room had a high ceiling so Kohath and I were able to stretch and stand at our full height. “Sit, sit, do please!” a portly gnome said. He was by far the tallest gnome and came just shy of reaching my waist. “I is being Brother One. Elder of gnome clan that I am,” he beamed.
“Uh, right,” I said.
“Brother One, I am Kohath, steward of Azmaveth the dragon. I bring news of the war,” Kohath said.
“Brother One would like to hear news that I would.”
“We are gathering a large force of dragons, enchanted creatures, and all magical humans. We need your leadership and your clan’s help. We need you to go to our home base where we are building our resistance group. It’s near the Forgotten Mountains. How many gnomes, erm, soldiers do you think you could send?” Kohath asked.
“You be gathering energy? Ohhh! You is wanting gnome coal! Gnomes mine coal good!”
“No, that’s not it,” Kohath said massaging his forehead.
“Oh…Then you be building home? Knomes gladly help will!”
“No!” Kohath said appearing to be frustrated, and rightfully so.
“No? What that you say? You is needing gnomes to be showing you where you has forgot your mountain?”
Kohath looked like he was about to cry so I offered my assistance. “Let me see if I can make him understand,” I said before turning to Brother One. “Kohath is saying we gathering army big of dragons, enchanted creatures, and magical humans all. Need we Brother One’s help, and help of clan that we do. We is wanting Brother One and clan travel to base our, where all friends be. Near is Mountains Forgotten. Many gnome soldiers you send?” I asked.
“Ohhhh! All clan gnome will help, that we will!” he merrily said.
I smirked at Kohath, who was stuttering.
“How did you do that?” he asked.
“Well they aren’t the brightest creatures, so I just took a wild guess and changed some words and mixed up the rest.”
“Brilliant!” he told me, still shell shocked.
Chapter 13Dozing Dwarves
After a few more minutes of Kohath speaking and my translating, we quickly exited the gnome lair and walked back toward the den.
“Augh! My head hurts from forcing my intelligence to dim,” I said as I covered my eyes with my free hand. (Kohath was holding on to the other one.)
“Which brings up the fact as to why you spoke so fluently in the gnome language. I suspect it’s because most princesses have a similar intelligence factor?” he teased.
I glared at him. “If you is not shutting up, I will be calling gnome clan that I will!” I sneered, my eyes suddenly widened. “NOOOO now I’m talking like them!” I moan
ed. “This isn’t fair!” I bitterly complained as Kohath muffled a snicker.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a grin as he tapped my nose. “You would be the cutest gnome around!”
I scowled and opened my mouth to bless him with a vehement reply when the noise of frantically shaking silver bells cut in.
Kohath frowned and quickly flashed a golden bauble before him before frowning deeper. “I’m sorry Ahira, but I have to go, it’s an emergency,” he glanced around the harmless forest. “Do you think you can find your way back?”
“I believe so!” I scoffed. “What do you think I am? A Princess?”
“…Ahira…you are a princess.”
“Well I meant that I’m not as dumb as one.”
“…I see… All right then. I’ll see you soon, I’m sure of it,” he called over his shoulder.
“Okay, ta, ta,” I said waving to him, but he had already disappeared into the undergrowth.
I shrugged and started stumbling in the direction I vaguely believed home to be in, whistling a tuneless song when Aaron popped out.
“Hello!” he cheerfully said, materializing in front of me.
I screamed. “Don’t do that!” I said after my hysterics subsided, calming myself.
“Do what?” he blinked.
“Randomly jump out like that! You scared me!” I scolded.
“Sorry,” he insincerely apologized. “So, how are you?”
“I’m okay, I’ll be glad when spring is here though,” I said, my teeth chattering as I kicked up a little snow.
“Yeah. I will too, it’s always a little harder for me to use my magic in the winter,” he grumbled. “Mainly because my fingers get frozen.”
“Has there been any trouble in the Endless Forest?” I asked.
“No, not really. Since the Keeper is back it’s going pretty smooth. Of course we do have the occasional breech of security, but that’s to be expected,” he explained, leading me back to the den.