After they had gone, Amicia sat on a rock next to the fire and adjusted her orb so she could see Riran. Piers, Meena, and Oldrilin had made their visit early, before the sun rose over the lagoon. After informing Olirassa of their plan, they had returned a short time later to share their success, at least in the preliminary portion. The actual outcome remained to be seen.
Her focus with the device greatly improved, Ami could visit virtually any place in Eriden that she desired. Currently, she stared at the trees that marked the entrance to the lagoon. There, a handful of elves had gathered, possibly to stand watch. They had built a camp up the shore, near the previous location of their flat. Looking closer, into the forest, it appeared they intended to construct more permanent residences upon the shore.
“They’re really branching out,” she muttered.
“Any change?” Lamwen asked as he joined her on the massive stone.
“The elves are still there,” she sighed. “They don’t appear to have realized anything has happened. I don’t see any sirens left on the beach, so they have all at least swum out to sea.”
“Then they will be headed north,” he surmised.
“Hopefully. I wish we had been able to transport them. It’s a long swim, and I worry not all of them will make it.”
Staring at her with tender eyes, he reached for her elbow and gave it a squeeze. “They are accustomed to long swims.”
“And sharks?” she asked pointedly.
“Fair enough,” he shrugged. “A few may be lost, but most will be saved. We have to take the victories we can get.”
“Has Jarrowan made it out of Adiarwen?”
“I don’t know. He’s not telepathic,” the man-dragon informed her. “Perhaps you can see what’s going on there,” he suggested, indicating her small sphere.
“Right,” she grunted, ready to move on from the sad sands of Riran.
Turning the orb between her fingers, she focused on the dragons’ cliffs. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as a few large forms flew in and out of the caves. The waves crashing on the rocks below, she could almost hear them, drawing comfort from their unending motion.
Switching to the glen, nothing stirred. The elves had taken over their cabin and a few other meadows, but for the most part, the nymphs and satyrs still held the area. Skimming over the great rings, she sighed, “I can’t see that anything is happening.”
“I believe all is well, then,” he grinned, still holding her arm.
“The calm before the storm,” she countered, thinking of home, or at least the place she had grown up. “I recall more times than I can count when a squall formed out on the horizon. I would be working on the spice farm and see the clouds off in the distance. We would scramble to secure everything before it rolled in with howling wind and driven rain.”
“We have the same on the dragon cliffs,” he nodded. “But you know that the storm is our strength.”
Looking up to meet his gaze, she grinned, “That’s true. You brought the storm when you attacked, several times in fact.”
“Did it frighten you?”
“A little,” she giggled, toying with her darkened sphere. “We suspected it was part of your scare tactics.”
“A frightened enemy is much easier to defeat,” he confessed, licking his lips. Sitting so close, the scent of her surrounded him, drawing him in. Without warning, she raised her mouth to his. His heart pounding, he shared the moment with her, grinning when she pulled away. “I’ll always remember this,” he whispered.
“What?” she demanded, her voice weak in the aftermath.
“The tenderness of mortals,” he laughed. “Dragons are more… brusque… in their courtships.”
Nodding, she understood. “You realize I have not yet decided what I will do when all of this is over.”
“I know,” he agreed, “but my days as a man are numbered. Soon, I will return to my kind, a wiser dragon to be certain. If there was ever meant to be a future for us, you will join me there.”
Catching motion from the corner of her eye, Ami realized they were not alone. “I’m glad we had the chance to educate you,” she snorted, turning to find Piers inspecting their stones and weapons at the table.
“All is in order,” she informed the Mate, leaving Lamwen seated at the fire as she ambled towards him.
“If you say so,” he shrugged. “I’m still not convinced all this will work or protect us.”
“You have a better plan?” she offered.
“Nope. So, we’ll give it our best shot. Any word from down south?”
“I’ve been watching in my orb,” she confessed, holding it up to evidence her claim. “All appears calm, at least for the moment. I’ll be leaving on my quest shortly. Hopefully I will return tonight, but I will be back by tomorrow at the latest.”
“Still not telling us where you’re going,” he grunted, not that it mattered. There were only a few that could be her target. Besides, she was a big girl and could take care of herself.
“You and Lamwen can reach me if you need to,” she grinned, cutting her eyes over to see the dragon still watched her from across the camp.
“Aye,” Piers scowled, troubled by that fact. “Did you ever wonder why you and I use the telepathy, but you and Rey don’t?”
“Well, I never tried,” she lied, saddened that her attempts had only ever met with silence. “Perhaps he and I could as well if we were both of a mind to.”
Also glaring at the man across the way, he said no more. She had been speaking with him in the covert manner since he hunted them, so there would be little point in worrying over it now. “Be safe,” he urged instead, placing his stone in his pocket as he left the camp in search of his bride.
He had liked Amicia Spicer once; now he wasn’t so sure. She had become secretive, her behavior erratic. She toyed with Rey and the dragon openly, pitting them against one another at a time they needed to be firm in their resolve. “She’ll get us all killed,” he muttered as he spied Meena and the ossci gathered away from the camp, on the far north end of their valley.
“What’s going on?” he asked gruffly as he approached. Pausing when he drew near, he looked up at the oversized statues. Noticing Hayt and Zaendra there among them, his spirits lifted. “Are these your kin?”
“Indeed, they are,” the dwarf beamed. “I was just showing everyone we had found them. Getting rid of some of the coverings and all.”
“They’re splendid,” Zae observed, touching one of them fondly.
Glancing down at the three gnomes, he ventured, “You wouldn’t happen to know how any of this is going to turn out?”
“As it should,” Grumpy replied.
“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” Piers chuckled, joining in the clearing of brush for a moment before he announced, “Amicia is leaving shortly to go on her secret mission. If she doesn’t come back tonight, I have one of my own that I could use a little help on.”
“What do you have in mind?” Meena asked doubtfully, still watching the work in a motherly fashion.
Cutting his eyes over at her, he pursed his lips, considering his choice to include the others. “I want to return to Riran at dusk.”
“Whatever for?” she gasped, the others pausing in their cleaning to stare at him.
“Look, I know that Ami wants to be gentle about all of this and not hurt anyone she doesn’t have to. Me, I know how all this works. I want to go back with a show of force,” he explained. “First, make sure all the sirens made it out. Second, I want to leave a bit of a body count. Give Lady Cilithrand something to think about.”
“Do you think that is wise?” Yimath asked in surprise.
“I believe it would be prudent. They need to know we mean business, and you don’t make that kind of statement without spilling a little blood,” he replied curtly.
“I’m in,” Hayt announced without batting an eye.
“What?” Zaendra gasped. “I thought we were following Ami.”
“We are,” the dwarf shrugged, i
ndicating his frozen kin, “but these kings didn’t get to stand here by playing it safe. The Mate’s right. We need to bash some heads along the way, or this war won’t ever end. We have to give them a reason to come to the bargaining table, and that only happens if they have something to gain, or fear of something to lose.”
“And sneaking out and handing over the lagoon without a fight is not making a statement,” Piers agreed.
“We aren’t giving them the glen,” Zaendra countered, still at odds with her husband’s choice. “Are you going to tell Amicia what you’re planning?”
“No, and neither are you,” the Mate growled, taking a step towards her, then glaring at her husband. “Hayt and I will take care of this if no one else wants to go.”
“I’ll go,” Lamwen spoke up, interrupting their plotting.
“You?” Piers snapped, turning to gape at their uninvited guest.
“I said so, didn’t I?” he clipped. “Amicia has gone, and we have free reign until she returns tomorrow.”
“Then she had no intention of coming back tonight,” the Mate grunted, raising his chin. “You won’t feel bad about going against her wishes? She might not like you stepping out of line.”
“I’m not her pet if that’s what you mean,” the dragon denied with a scowl. “Besides, I feel the urge to shed a little blood myself. Just because I agreed with her choice not to slaughter the wolves doesn’t mean we shouldn’t kill some of them when the time is right.”
“And the time is right,” Piers growled.
“I believe that it is,” Lamwen agreed with a sly grin. “Will it just be the three of us, or is the whole group going?”
“Animir and Rey will be tied up with the sirens,” the Mate pointed out. “I figure the three of us should be able to handle it.”
“I’ll go as well,” Zaendra volunteered, earning a dark scowl from Meena. Seeing the look, she mocked, “Stand aside if you want. If the Mate feels this will help our cause, I’m willing to give aid.”
Shaking her head, the wan sighed. Looking down on the ossci, she whispered, “Forgive us. We are not always as civilized as we would like to be.”
“We understand,” Happy agreed. “We would come as well, but someone needs to remain here in case Amicia were to return or something go wrong with the mermaids.”
“Or the glen,” Yimath added, sadness in her voice.
“Good. Then it’s settled. We leave at dusk,” Piers announced before resuming the clearing of Hayt’s kin. Mounting one of the statues, he fought a thicker vine, working to remove it without damaging the surface beneath.
Watching him for a few minutes, Lamwen gathered his nerve. “Actually, there was another reason for my visit,” he informed them. “I came to ask you… for a favor.”
“Well, looks like we’re all helping each other out today,” Piers laughed sarcastically, his hands still tearing at the vines.
“I want you to return my dragon form.”
The words hung in the air, like a dark cloud, freezing all of them in their places. Cutting his eyes over at him, Piers grunted, “When?”
“Tonight. Now. Before we return to Riran,” Lamwen replied, then swallowed. “I’m going to rain down fire on the elves the likes they have never seen,” he bragged.
“Ami isn’t going to like that,” the Mate pushed, dropping his fist full of vegetation and climbing off the statue to face him squarely.
“I know,” the dragon agreed. “But I have told her I intended to return to my true form. I am not a man, and as much as I have learned living as one, it is time I returned to my own kind.”
“But you will remain with us, here?” Zae asked doubtfully, saddened that he might leave.
“Certainly,” he grinned. “You are my friends, which is something I have never boasted before. If luck shall have it, you will remain so all the rest of our days. And Amicia will forgive me, if it upsets her.”
“Then we will return you to your former self,” Yimath agreed for them, bowing her head. “We should do it now, though, so you can recover before your visit to Riran when darkness falls.”
“That’s a good idea,” Piers agreed, beckoning the others to follow. “Do you think we will be able to achieve it with our small group?”
“All we can do is try,” Meena sighed, standing across from him as they formed the circle.
Glancing at Lamwen, the Mate added, “Well, can I have my clothes back?”
“Your clothes?” Hayt laughed.
“Well, he isn’t going to need them. Would save my wife a bit of sewing,” he pointed out.
“Sure,” Lamwen agreed, stripping them off and tossing them aside. Covering himself, he gave Meena a wink. “I don’t mind being naked, but I can see our female companions are a bit troubled by it.”
“Yes, please,” Meena coughed, her face flushed at the display. “Are we set now?”
Seeing everyone in place, they focused their magic. Each muttered the chant as they marched around Lamwen’s naked frame. At the critical moment, light flashed, knocking them back as he was transformed into his old familiar self.
Troubled Waters
“Hello?” Amicia called, lowering her hood as she looked around. She had donned one of the wizard’s robes again on this mission, as it made her feel stealthy. Nothing moved in the cool darkness, and she drew the material more tightly around her chest, thankful in her choice to wear it.
Her gaze swinging around the clearing, she was certain she had found the spot. Closing her eyes, she reached out, “Uscan?”
She had seen them on the trail using her orb only moments before she traveled. His failure to reply troublesome, she shrugged with a heavy sigh.
“I know you’re here,” she tried again.
Silence.
Up ahead, she would find the clearing where they had first encountered the protectors of the Shadowlands. Still holding her robe around her against the damp air of the trees, she marched towards it, hoping she would make contact.
“Uscan, I need to speak with you.” They had not conversed since they had left the northern pack after meeting Sevoassi. So long ago, she mused. “I know it’s been a while,” she sighed.
Arriving in the circle where they first met, her steps slowed. The air felt different, as it had the day they had passed through it as they fled Jerranyth. Licking her lips, she shivered, the light dim despite it being midday. Looking around, the trees held an ominous vibe, reminding her of the foreboding forest and its little goblins.
“Uscan, I have so much to tell you.”
“I’m sure you do,” came a cryptic reply.
From the ring of trees, the wolves crept forward, presenting themselves with their typical posturing. Uscan’s head held high, he came to stand before her. “By all means, speak.”
“Uscan,” she whispered, a faint smile on her lips. “I have discovered myself,” she confessed, adjusting her robe anxiously. “I am Kaliwyn –”
“Of course you are,” he growled, his previous devotion to her nowhere to be seen. “You have been busy as of late from what I hear.”
“Yes,” she nodded. “We are preparing for the war.”
“And is that why you are here? More preparations to be made?” he snarled.
“Uscan, I’m here alone. I only came to talk. I guess you have heard from Edeill.”
“Indeed.”
“What did he tell you?” she asked, standing straighter as she held her ground.
“Two of his pack dead by your hand. More injured. How have you betrayed us so?”
“Me?” she gasped. “They have been harassing the trolls, who are under my protection. Trying to break into their mountain. We only wanted them to stop. I asked him to speak with me, but they wanted to fight,” she gushed.
His eyes narrowed, the great grey wolf studied her. His massive jaw clenched, and his lips receded, exposing his white teeth in a silent snarl.
“Do you also serve Cilithrand?” she asked in a timid voice, afraid of what he might
say, uncertain of what she expected to gain from the knowledge.
Growling at her, Uscan barked, “You should speak to me with treachery in your heart! I know you have attacked our brothers to the north, then secreted away to hide while Eriden burns. Is this why they call you destroyer?” he accused, narrowing the distance between them.
“It was the northern pack who drew first blood,” she insisted quietly. “I swear to you we had no intention of harming them, as I have no weapon and mean no harm to you, either.”
“You have come to stand before me unarmed?” he laughed in a low rumble. “How foolish. I know of your powers, Kaliwyn. I am not impressed by your bravery.”
“We are friends, Uscan. I trust you with my life.”
“What evidence do you have that my kin transgress against the trolls?” he snapped, causing her to jump.
The tension mounting around them, her eyes flicked to the wolves who flanked him. “I don’t need evidence. I will soon be the Supreme Dragoness, and my word is my strength.”
“You will only be so if you survive the coming war,” he growled, “and it isn’t looking very likely.”
“So, you have sided with Lady Cilithrand as well,” she sniffed, unable to hide the hurt his betrayal brought her.
His body stiff, Uscan appeared equally disturbed that she would insinuate such a thing. “Allow me to clarify. I merely meant that the rightful Supreme Dragon will take the throne once the elf rebellion has been squashed and Gwirwen removed.”
Glaring at each other, the seconds ticked by in silence. Sweat formed on her upper lip despite the coolness of the air.
“Uscan,” she breathed, her voice trembling.
Resuming the quarrel, he asked, “Are you also responsible for the attack on Esterbrook, after all that the nymphs have done for you?”
“What attack?” she gasped, perplexed by the shift in the conversation.
“Do you deny that your dragons are there now?” he countered.
“Of course they’re there. I sent them to fortify our position against the elves!” she defended.
Not waiting for her to finish speaking, Uscan leapt through the air, his massive frame knocking her to the ground as his teeth sank into her soft flesh.
Dragon of Eriden - The Complete Collection Page 92