Davie the Mage (Generations of Eredwynn Book 2) (24 page)

             
“Of course, My Queen. I prefer fish to humans anyway. I’ll avoid going near their town and frightening the tiny things, no offence.”

              Mira giggled,
“None taken, and thank you very much. We must be going, but it was a pleasure to meet you and I hope we meet again soon.”

              The dragon bowed.
“The pleasure has been all mine, My Queen. Safe travels, and may the stars guide you.”

              The dragon turned and took to the air and I
ported
us to just outside of Kethos Castle.

              Mira looked at me and grinned. “Someday I just might get used to traveling at a thousand miles a blink.”

              I chuckled, “It does beat walking. Now let’s go see if my brother is at home.” We walked through the gates of the castle, nodding at the bows from the guard. We walked through the receiving room, and the herald nodded and smiled. He walked around the corner for a few moments and then we heard, ‘His Highness Davie and Princess Mira!’

              We walked around the corner and James was already off the dais and heading our way. When he saw me, he froze. “Davie? Are you all right, brother? You’re not going to blow up my castle are you?”

              Mira and I both laughed. I said, “No, big brother. I’ve just gone through some changes since we’ve been gone. At least I’ll save the tailor on clothes dye, since I might as well only buy white.”

              He hugged us and said that he had to hear about our trip. He asked the herald to close down court and we went upstairs. After introducing Mira to James’ wife Star, the consorts, and children, we told of our adventure. Mira and I had decided to leave Niruth out, for now. We agreed that it would be more fun to shock him with a face-to-face visit. Our mind-to-mind communication over distance was quite handy when keeping secrets! Ivy asked how Janatis was doing. I smiled and said that she was fitting in wonderfully with the other girls and they loved her. Ivy was happy enough to actually be quiet for a few minutes. I told James that I was under orders to tell him to take those children of his to visit Translucia. Star laughed and said that she’d see to it. She missed that little pixie very much, too, and she knew the children would love her.

              I said, “James, I hate to break up the party but we need to go to Wizard’s Castle, collect Father, Aunt Isabel and my mother. There is something we need to show them in No Man’s Land and we’d like you to go, too.”

              James nodded. “I’d be happy to go, my glowing sibling. If there is any chance of learning what changes you’ve gone through, I have to be there.”

              We hugged everyone and invited them to Perlsea whenever they got the chance, and
ported
to the gates of Wizard’s Castle. As we approached the throne room, I asked the herald if there was anyone in with the king and queen. He said they were between audiences. I asked if they had a busy docket for the day and was told that it was clear, except for people who just showed up. I said that there was no reason to announce us, because I was pretty sure they knew who we were.

              We walked in and Father and Isabel were surprised and happy to see us. We were asked about our trip, and Father said it looked like he and I had a lot to talk about.

I nodded, “Father, Aunt Isabel, I am no longer a Wizard like you, but a Mage, and I am the only one of my kind.”

Father looked confused, “Where did you learn this information?”

“That is why we are here. We want to show you where we learned this if you’ll be willing to join us.”

They agreed at once and I asked if they would have my mother join us, as well. Father nodded to a boy and he scampered off toward the keep proper to locate her. She showed up quickly, hugging Mira and then, as if an afterthought, hugged me too.

I jokingly asked, “Father when are you going to give my mother a baby girl so she can forget me altogether?”

Everyone laughed and we gathered up to go.

              I said, “Before we leave, there is something I want you all to promise me. No matter what you see, you can’t take any aggressive actions. You might feel you should attack, but don’t, not even if you see orcs ten yards away. Do you think that you’d be able to agree to that?” They were hesitant, but when they saw that their participation in the trip depended on their agreement, they submitted.

              I focused on the mesa of King Niruth. There were a few orcs there, examining the remains of our campsite. I smiled and thought to Mira that when we arrived, she should approach them to show her status to the family. I showed her an image of what I was talking about and she returned a mischievous smile. I ported us, and we popped in forty yards from the orcs scavenging firewood. Everyone had been warned against attacking and all eyes went to me to find out what I’d do about the dangerous enemy so close to us. I shielded us all, just to avoid accidents, and gave Mira a subtle nod. She started advancing a few yards toward the orcs, causing my mother to have fits.

              Mother growled, “Davie, if anything happens to that young lady, I’ll have your hide!”

              I chuckled, “Mother, do you really think I’d put Mira in danger? You must not know me as well as I thought you did.”

              The orcs saw Mira and the rest of us, and began advancing on our position. They moved ten yards, raising the tension level of the humans with every step. They either saw the dragon’s mark or recognized her from the images that Niruth had given them. They stopped and bowed low. Mira gave them a nod and waved them away. They backed away, went to the edge of the mesa and slid down.

              As Mira returned to the group, my father was shaking his head. “I’d never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”

              A very confidant Mira, with no fear of talking to the King of Eredwynn, said, “That is why we decided to bring you here, Your Majesty. We knew there would be some things that you would have to see for yourself. The orcs’ treatment of Davie and me is just one of the smaller things.”

              We let the family settle their nerves for a while and then I prepared to signal Niruth. I’d learned in Gore that my signaling spell should be able to signal him almost anywhere in his country. I stepped away from the group and sent green sparks into the noon sky. The boom seemed even louder without the dampening of the waves. Everyone was shocked by the power of the simple spell.

              Father said, “It seems that your Mage spells are a bit more powerful than the Wizard spells. Have you learned yet just exactly how much more powerful?”

              “I don’t know if there would be a safe way to learn that, Father. I’d be afraid of doing anything destructive anywhere near people or creatures that could be harmed. I believe that you will all learn a new skill that Mira and I have learned while we’ve been over here. My senses are telling me that you’ll learn soon.”

              Mira was smiling and looking around, so I knew that she felt Niruth getting close, too. He dropped out of the clouds above us and began a slow spiral down. My family saw him, and the tension level rose to the point that I saw shaking hands, as they fought reaching for their wands.

              Mira and I heard,
“My Mage friend and my Queen. You have returned soon, as you said you would. But who are the nervous Wizards that have come with you?”

              I replied,
“I have brought the King and Queen of Eredwynn, my mother and my brother. I thought that it would be a good idea for the rulers of bordering countries to know each other.”

              We heard a chuckle in our minds,
“I’ll land on the far edge of the mesa to give them a chance to get used to me. I believe that I can teach them to hear me and talk through their minds, as I taught you. My Queen, I sense that you hear me now, too. It’s wonderful to see you again. Do I get a kiss, or will the Mage get jealous?”

              Mira laughed aloud, earning nervous glances from our group,
“I don’t think he will mind. I’ll meet you first, to show the Wizards that there is nothing to fear.”

              Niruth completed a circle and landed on the far side of the mesa, less than half a mile away. He looked enormous, even at that distance, and I knew that he looked monstrous to the rest of the group. I did my best to calm them and Mira started walking out to meet him. My mother was almost hysterical when she saw my wife, whom she loved almost as much as she loved me, walking to what she considered certain death. As they met, Aunt Isabel and Mother almost fainted when he lowered his head toward Mira. There was confusion, bewilderment and relief as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed the giant reptile on the cheek. They then walked toward us together, with him taking one step to her half dozen. He stopped ten yards away and settled his massive frame to the ground.

              To the entire group he said,
“Wizards, I believe you should be able to hear me now, since you’re all magical people. Simply think back through the part of your mind that you hear me through and I should be able to hear your thoughts, as well.”

              My father stepped forward first.
“Well met, Sir. It is incredible to meet you. I am David, King of Eredwynn. This is my Queen, Isabel and my consort Alba. These are my sons James and, I believe you know Davie. I’m positive you know my daughter-in-law, Mira.”

              “It’s nice to meet you, David. I’m Niruth, King of this orc-infested land. I have met Davie and the beautiful Mira. It is good to meet the rest of you, as well. Davie, I want to thank you for keeping your word and bringing them to meet me. It is so nice to meet honorable humans. No offence, but they are a rare breed. I hope to call all of you friends, and that you won’t be strangers.”

              Everyone in the group we’d brought nodded. Then the shy, common girl, who married a prince and inadvertently became a dragon’s symbolic queen, faced the family. “Each of you has now been marked by Niruth. You have a mark you’ll be able to see if you focus through your psionic magic. It will be noticeable by dragons, orcs, centaurs and who knows what other creatures in this land. They will know you are a friend of the King and grant you safe passage.”

              Niruth chuckled and spoke in his snakelike voice, “It sounds as though my pretty lady has been fraternizing with centaurs. Not only did they free your mind for telepathy, but allowed you to see magic as well. They are very wise creatures and humans could learn much from them, if they could get over their distrust of each other.”

              While everyone talked, Mira went over and sat near Niruth. She leaned back against his massive foreleg and relaxed. I actually had a twinge of jealousy, but the dragon sensed it and gave me a friendly wink to put my fears to rest.

              After a couple hours we said our goodbyes, and Niruth easily received promises to return from everyone. I ported the group back to Wizard’s Castle where Mira and I were hugged by everyone, even James.

              Father said, “Thank you two for that! I know of no way to repay you. I’m sure we will remember today for the rest of our lives.” Everyone was nodding and there was no sign of disagreement.

              Mother hugged Mira. “Now I suppose you won’t want to hang out with your boring old mother-in-law. When you can hang out with a real dragon, hanging out with someone who only has a dragon’s temper can’t compare.”

              Mira laughed, “Mother, even though he is an impressive creature and a wonderful friend, he never once offered to take me shopping. I’m sure he can afford too, but since he didn’t offer it proves he’s a male. I’d never trade in my new mother or her son, not even for a dragon. Another thing, let‘s not use that ‘in-law’ term. I‘ll just be your daughter if you‘ll allow.”

              Mother sighed with tears streaming down her cheeks. “Davie, you can keep her, but I get to borrow her anytime I can and she’s not otherwise engaged. All these years and I’ve finally gotten a daughter. No thanks to that King guy over there.”

              My father laughed, “Alba, you’re not even forty yet. Maybe there’s still time.”

              “I’m almost forty and that’s old enough for grandbabies! Speaking of which, we need to let these kids get home. They’ve been so busy with dragons and centaurs that I’m sure they didn’t spend enough time on that important project!”

              Mira and I blushed and I said, “James, let’s get out of here before she switches to Instructor Alba mode and starts giving details and examples. Are you ready?”

              He nodded, and with a round of hugs and kisses, I ported us to the cave area west of Kethos Castle.

              As we were walking toward the castle through the Halfling community, James was sighing and shaking his head.

              “What’s the matter, big brother?” I asked.

              “There hasn’t been nearly enough rain and the Halfling crops are failing. These small farms are their only source of income and if they fail, they will have a hard winter, I’m afraid.”

              I remembered one of my lessons from the bombardment that I’d taken at the minds of the centaurs. I stopped walking and winked at Mira. “James, I might know a bit of magic that would help with that problem. I’ve never tried it, but would be willing to give it a shot. Besides, if I could help out Ivy’s and Jana’s people and passed on the chance, they might talk me to death.”