by Toni Cox
She reached out with her mind. She had no trouble finding Midnight; he seemed to be about twenty miles to their west, well within their communication range. She conferred with him for only a moment; the speed of thought so much quicker than the speed of words.
“Midnight has given his consent and I would be delighted to have you by my side.”
The delegation arrived at Traveller’s Rest shortly after the sun set behind the mountains. It was not yet fully dark, but Riker was eager to go to the place where they were to meet Midnight, before the light weakened further. Commander Ridgewell had been given orders and everyone was to pretend that Maia was not feeling well and would prefer to dine in her room and not attend the common room this evening.
Feeling excited at the cloak and dagger ruse, they stole away from the guesthouse as soon as the opportunity presented itself. By the time they were out of earshot of the surrounding buildings, they were running and laughing. Strangely, Maia felt Midnight’s delight at their antics in her mind. He was strangely enthusiastic about meeting with Riker.
They came to a narrow brook that gurgled through a small, wooded area five miles east of the lodge. The ruins of a tiny, stone house still stood along its bank and that is where they found Midnight, kneeling by the stream, drinking.
“I did not know dragons drank like that,” Riker whispered.
Maia giggled. “Yes, they drink like horses, with their lips pursed and not like dogs, which lap up the water with their tongue. And there is no need to whisper; even if you were a mile away, Midnight would still be able to hear you. It is not your words he understands, it is your thoughts and feelings. So be wary.” She smiled mischievously.
As if on cue, Midnight raised his enormous head, water dripping down his dagger-like teeth, and growled deeply. Riker staggered and reached out for the nearest tree to steady himself.
His eyes were wide when he turned to Maia. “He spoke to me,” he said in awe.
“He likes you,” Maia laughed. “And yes, that is how we communicate. It takes a bit of practice to understand the thoughts of a dragon, but Midnight has been communicating with me for so long that he has learned not to be too cryptic with his statements.”
She reached over and took Riker’s hand.
“Come, let us make a fire within the ruins. The walls will shelter the fire’s light and you will have a warm place to sleep tonight.”
They cleared the centre of the ruins of fallen leaves and dirt and then Maia went to gather firewood, while Riker went to fetch some stones from the river. Midnight, tucking his wings in tightly, squeezed between the widely-spread trees to find a good place to lie down from where he could look in to the ruins.
Riker then arranged the river stones in a circle within the space they had cleared and Maia deposited her load of wood.
“I think I saw some fairly dry moss down by the river,” Riker said. “Let me fetch it so we can start the fire.”
“There is no need,” Maia said with a smile. “I’ll light the fire tonight.”
Deftly she set up the pieces of wood to form somewhat of a pyramid, before kneeling before it. Almost inaudibly, she mumbled a few words and then moved her hand in a circular motion over the wood twice. After the second pass, a green glow briefly emanated from the wood, before it burst into flame. Soon all the pieces were engulfed in bright yellow flames.
Midnight made a small sound deep in his throat and Riker laughed aloud.
“Yes, yes,” Maia said to Midnight. “I know you could have made a fire quicker than that.” She smiled fondly at her dragon, then turned to Riker. “And you should mind your manners, or have you forgotten that I am your princess?”
“Forgive me, My Lady,” Riker said, desperately trying to suppress the smile that would simply not leave his face. He did not feel contrite in the least and he knew she was playing with him. Listening to the dragon though, was the strangest thing he had ever done. The complicated manner of his thoughts was so strange, yet made so much sense at the same time. He was enjoying communicating with Midnight; never before had the dragon deemed it necessary to address him directly. Riker knew that Jaik had spoken to the dragon before, but he had always assumed that it took a special kind of person to understand a dragon. Now he realised that it was the dragon that chose who it would allow to hear its thoughts.
Together, they gathered some more wood to last the night. Then Riker opened his travelling pack and removed his blanket for them to sit on. They had also brought some provisions; bread, cheese, fruit, and a small flagon of wine.
“So, let me see if I understand him correctly. His name is actually he who has skin darker than the blackest of night?”
“Yes, almost,” she smiled. “His full name is He-Who-Has-Skin-So-Dark-As-To-Rival-The-Blackest-Night-Of-All-Nights. That is why I call him Midnight. It is easier and he likes it.”
“It certainly is, Bright-Shining-Silver-Star,” Riker said, using Midnight’s name for her.
Maia blushed; she had never heard that name spoken aloud before and besides Jaik, Midnight had never told anyone else. It made her feel just a little uncomfortable that Midnight had shared this information, but on the other hand, she was also glad; Midnight obviously approved of Riker.
“But I am not sure where he gets Calm-Blue-Waters from. I can see the connection between dark nights and Midnight and bright stars and you. But what do I have to do with blue waters?”
“It is a compliment. You should feel proud Midnight has named you such. Soul Dragons attach a lot of meaning to every word they speak. For our benefit, Midnight keeps our names short, but the meaning behind each word is deeper than you can imagine. But it is not my place to explain your name to you. Either you will come to understand it yourself one day, or Midnight will enlighten you. In the meantime, rest easily in the knowledge that I am impressed by the name he has chosen for you. It speaks very highly of you.”
They sat by the fire, Midnight watching over them, until the moons were high in the sky. Their conversation was easy, with Midnight often adding his point of view, and Maia was astounded by how comfortable she felt in Riker’s presence. Strictly speaking, she should not be alone with him like this. Commander Ridgewell had only allowed it on account of Midnight, assuming Maia would be with her dragon and Riker would be by himself somewhere close by. She felt a little guilty now, sitting so close to Riker on his sleeping furs. It was a mild night; the fire was crackling merrily within its stone circle and the stars were clearly visible above them. Midnight was in a very charitable mood and did not interfere with, nor reprimand Riker, if he made a comment, or move, most chaperons would have thought too daring. He called her Maia more often than not, often leant forward to touch her hand or arm to emphasize something he had said, or he would reach out to wipe a crumb from her cheek, his fingers warm against her face.
As the evening progressed, Maia felt they were getting into dangerous territory. She was altogether too comfortable in Riker’s company and she did not want to get herself into a compromising position. She rose from her seat beside him.
“The evening has turned into night and we should retire, else we will not be able to rise in the morning.”
Riker also stood and took her hands in his.
“Thank you, Lady Maia, I have enjoyed myself tonight. And you, Midnight, I thank you for the privilege of your company.”
Midnight thrummed contentedly.
“I wish you a good night, My Lady, may the Mother smile on your dreams.”
Riker looked deep into her eyes and she felt herself drawn to him. He leant forward and she was sure he was going to kiss her. She felt herself stiffen, but unable to pull away. Then something caught her attention; a movement she caught out of the corner of her eye.
“Look,” she gasped. “Aqualian Butterflies.”
Glad for the distraction she turned from him and took a few steps towards the swarm that was starting to surround the little ruin. In the stillness of the night, the sound of their four wings flappin
g in alternate rhythm made an eerie sound. Soon hundreds had settled on top of the broken walls and the night was lit in blue light by their brightly glowing wings. Maia could clearly see the silver veins running through the thin membranes of their wings and in her mind their combined Eläm glowed as brightly as the swarm itself.
“They are beautiful,” Riker whispered as he came up behind her.
He was standing so close that she could feel his body heat. The sight and the moment was so beautiful, she feared that should he make a move on her now, she would not be able to deny him. Desperate, she reached out to Midnight. He was at first reluctant, which annoyed her, but then he uttered a deep rumble.
Instantly Riker took a step back. “My Lord,” he said and bowed to her dragon. Turning to her, he said, “My Lady is right, the night is getting long and we should sleep. Is there anything else you require of me?”
Maia had not been included in the words Midnight had spoken to Riker and she hoped he had not been too stern with him.
“Thank you, Riker, I had a wonderful evening. Are you sure you will be all right out here?”
“I will be fine, My Lady.”
Riker watched her as she walked over to her dragon. The beast was impressive by anyone’s standards. His back, even though he was lying down, reached almost to the top of the sparse trees surrounding them. His head alone was bigger than the small ruin they had made their fire in. But as he watched the slim form of his princess climb onto the dragon’s right foreleg, walk along it to his shoulder to then hug his neck, he realised for the first time just how big the animal was. He was worried for a moment that in his sleep the dragon might crush her tiny body, but then he watched as the dragon adjusted his position in such a fashion that his leg formed a cosy bed for her and he then gently covered her with his big, leathery wing, always ensuring that none of his many spikes pointed at the small person he called Bright-Shining-Silver-Star.
Riker sat by the fire for a while longer, watching the black mound of dragon before him. After a while of no movement from the dragon, the swarm of butterflies rose from the surrounding walls and, one by one, settled on the sleeping dragon. In awe, Riker watched as the beast slowly opened one eye, glowing bright red in the firelight, and then closed it again. Soon all the butterflies had settled, covering the entire dragon, enjoying the heat from his body, and as the night wore on, so their light slowly faded to a dull blue.
Riker fell asleep with the vision of a bright blue dragon behind his eyelids.
They arrived in Braérn on the eve of the Dancing Lanterns Celebrations held on the seventeenth day of the Moon of Songs. It was one of Maia’s favourite days. The Dancing Lanterns Celebrations were held in commemoration of the time of darkness in the year 21356, almost seven thousand years ago, when Smoketop Mountain erupted, covering the land in a cloud of ash so large that they did not see the sun for eight Moons. It was a dark time for the people of Grildor, Bron and Eiken, who had all been affected by the eruption and the importance of light and sun was made clear by the destruction the darkness had brought with it. Thousands of people and animals had lost their lives and they were not able to grow any food during that time. Then the sky finally cleared. Winter came and covered the ashen landscape in a drape of white. By spring, the rivers were a sickly grey colour with the amount of ash that they washed down the mountain. But as the weather got warmer, the positive effect of the eruption was apparent everywhere; the ash had fertilized the land, bringing forth a profusion of life. The deposits that had washed down from the rivers had enriched the deltas and there was such an abundance of food that all the animals were fat and healthy. All in all, the eight Moons of darkness could not outweigh the positive effects the volcano’s eruption had had on the land. Light and life won out in the end.
So Maia was excited as they were first led to the stables and then to The Deep, the same guest lodge she had stayed in during her last visit to Braérn. Burindor Falconfall, owner of The Deep, greeted her with reverence and proudly showed off his now almost one-year-old baby daughter Selena, who Maia had helped bring into the world. She also met Selest, Burindor’s wife for the first time, because when she had delivered the baby, Selest had been close to death.
“My Lady, the march will start within the hour. We have prepared a light meal for your company in the courtyard. My Servers have spent two days making lanterns for each of you. Yours, however, was made by my wife. We hope you like it.”
The lantern was beautiful. The Servers had placed all the lanterns against the walls of the courtyard, where they had their dinner. Maia’s lantern was carved out of a single piece of balsa wood; it was a six-sided cylinder, the inside hollow only containing a bracket containing a single candle. The six sides were each carved with a different design and then covered, from the inside, with a thin sheet of stained glass. The top was carved in such a way that one could easily reach in and light the candle. In the dark, with the candle burning inside, each beautifully carved design was clearly visible. Maia wondered at the fine workmanship of the dragon on the one side, the tree of life on another, followed by a herd of galloping horses, a shoal of leaping dolphins, a sailing ship with three masts riding the waves and finally the design of the Elemental Medallion. She touched the small medallion around her neck that she had been given during the ceremony that had officially made her the Life Elemental of her people. She always wore it underneath her clothes and most people had never seen it. Although the design for the Elemental Medallion was standard, hers was special. It was not made from wood, as were most of them, but out of a selection of the finest metals found on Elveron, decorated with Emeralds, and carved with the symbols of Life and Death and the four other elements. It was very special to her and the fact that Selest had chosen to add it to the design of her lantern touched her.
“It is beautiful indeed, Selest. It must have taken you a long time to carve this.”
“It was an honour to make it for you, My Lady.”
“Thank you, Selest,” Maia said, taking the woman’s hands to convey her gratitude. But as their hands touched, Maia felt shooting pains run through her hands and she almost pulled away from the woman that had made the exquisite lantern for her.
“Selest,” she said, turning the woman’s hands over to take a closer look, “you are in pain.”
“It is nothing, My Lady.”
“The joints of your fingers are inflamed,” Maia mused. “And I see that you have this problem not only in your hands. How long have you had this problem?”
“Not long after the birth of Selena. Our Healer says that the pregnancy took too much from my body. He has given me special herbs to drink every day. They help.”
Maia knew the woman was speaking the truth, but she could feel that although the herbs helped, they could not relieve Selest of all her pain. How this woman had managed to carve such an intricate lantern with her hands in such pain, was beyond Maia. It must have taken incredible strength of mind. Maia thought that Selest probably felt in her debt because she had saved not only her life, but that of her daughter too. But as a Life Elemental, Maia required no payment, nor gratitude, from the people she helped; it was what she did and who she was.
Still holding Selest’s hands, she closed her eyes and concentrated. It was as the Healer had said, Selest’s body was weak from having carried the baby and had not recovered since then. Her immune system, usually so strong in all Elves, was weak, allowing the inflammation to spread to all her joints. Letting her energy flow into the hands she held and willing it to flow through the rest of the body, Maia slowly stilled the inflammation, built up the deteriorated joints and then worked on restoring the right levels of vitamins and minerals within Selest. She heard her gasp as Maia’s magic took effect, but she stood still, now strongly returning Maia’s firm grip on her hands. They stood like this, Maia knew not for how long, until Maia felt that Selest’s body was strong enough to ward off any further inflammation.
Maia opened her eyes and swayed. Riker, standing clo
se behind her, placed his hands on her upper arms to steady her and she leant back into him. Burindor took his own wife in his arms, looking at Maia with wonder in his eyes.
As the sun set behind the mountains to the east and darkness crept over the bustling city of Braérn, the long procession of people lit their lanterns and then, led by Lord Swiftfisher, moved off along the narrow streets of the city. Besides Lord Swiftfisher at the head of the procession, there was no formal order to the march; the darkness of those days had affected all people equally, and so it was that Maia found herself walking among Servers, Seamstresses, Fishermen, Traders, and all other manner of folks. Proper rank and order were not observed that day and Maia felt wonderfully free. Not even Riker or Rothea dared call her My Lady this evening.
Amid songs that praised the sun, light that made things grow and life that prevails against all odds, the coloured lanterns painted a wondrous sight across the city, casting multi-coloured patterns on the whitewashed walls of the houses and reflecting in sparkling lights off the windows.
They marched and sang, sometimes stopping at a plaza for refreshments, until the first rays of the morning sun rose in the east. Exhausted, but feeling that everything was right with the world for a change, Maia extinguished her lantern and, followed by Riker and Rothea, made her way back to The Deep.
It was almost mid-day when she descended the steps into the dining hall of the lodge, followed closely by a yawning Rothea. A few members of her delegation were already present, but most were still in their rooms, including Riker.
“Your breakfast, My Lady,” a Server said as he stepped up to their table and set down two plates with fruit, bread, and cheese. “And this letter from Lord Swiftfisher for your attention.”
The Server gave a short bow before he left them to their breakfast.
“What does it say, My Lady?” Rothea asked as Maia opened the seal.