Dragons of Summer Tide (The Dragons of Hwandor) (32 page)

One of the hooded figures rose and slowly pulled back his hood and proved to be Myalnar who then bowed slightly to the woman. “I think that you are a woman from who little remains hidden.”

Vara seemed a bit ruffled from her first sight of an elf but she composed herself quickly. “Quite so, quite so. Ordinarily I would say that hoods inside are not polite but today the tower will become a very busy place so you must remain out of sight or wear your hoods.”

Again Myalnar bowed slightly to the woman. “It will be as you wish.” The elf returned his hood and sat back down at the table.

“The Magister and I discussed many things during the night and he is back to sleep now and when he awakes he wishes to see all of you. This is against my wishes but he insists. Among the things which we discussed were your travel plans and he will explain all of that when he wakes. There will be people in the tower all day. The criers announced that we would be testing new apprentices today an so there will be people coming in to try to become mages, most of them will be children.  I am the new Governess of apprentices and I must spend this day setting the tower in order and I must hire a cook and maids and stable boys and so you will all stay out of my way until you are called in to speak to the Magister.” She then turned to Jolss and addressed him directly. “You will finish your meal and meet me in the entry hall of the tower which is where you will do the testing of the apprentices.”

Jolss looked at the woman with a stunned expression. “I don’t know how to test…”

“And bring the little one with you.” The woman said motioning toward the tiny dragon sitting on the table. Then turning to Shira she asked. “What is your name child?”

“Shira, Shiradane Koraston.”

“Very good Shira, you will come to the front hall also. I have a job for you.” Turning her focus on Veer she said. “You look like one who should be kept busy too. Somewhere in the kitchen there will be a broom – find it.”

“Where would you like for me to sweep?” Asked Veer.

“Inside,” answered the woman as she spun and exited the room quickly.

The room fell into total silence for few moments and then Myalnar turned toward Cyerant and asked. “Did you wish to tell us something?”

“No, nothing.” Said a very tired Cyerant.

“The whole inside?” Veer asked.

“Formidable woman,” Myalnar said. “I myself, have one thing to discuss.” Everyone turned toward the elf. “Actually it concerns Veer and Shira only really. I spoke with the High Council last night.”

“Yes?” Veer asked.

Myalnar said. “When you told us your story you said the some of the dragonets followed you.”

“Yes,” Shira answered.

“If only some followed you then that indicates that some must have remained behind.” Continued Myalnar.

Veer said. “Yes, there were three. One was injured badly in a fight with wolves and the other two were caring for it.”

“Three? That would explain much then.” Myalnar said as if he were considering the new information carefully. “Thank you.”

Shira asked. “What does it explain?”

“Well, there were three more human young people who bonded dragons. They stumbled upon the dragons in a cave. But they were captured by the humans from west of the mountains and taken to a very large encampment as prisoners. Luckily one of the nearby caves actually had a tunnel leading to it which the dwarves use and they were able to get the children and dragons away from their captors and down into the dwarven halls. They are now safe. Since there would appear to be no tasks for elven kind at the moment I recommend that we three return to our rooms and remain little seen. I was awake quite early and chanced a tour of the library and there are a few very old books there in elvish but with which I am unfamiliar and so we will spend our time examining these books.”

“I have a question for you,” Veer said to the elves. “Actually for Pelinar.”

Pelinar eased back hid hood and looked at Veer waiting for the question.

Veer began. “We know that Talyat tells stories and that Myalnar is on the elven High Council, I was wondering what it is that you do.”

Pelinar continued to look at Veer for a moment and then answered. “I dance.”

Veer looked confused and simply asked. “Dance?”

Pelinar nodded and said. “Dance” The elf pulled his hood up over his head and turned and led the other elves from the room.

After the elves left Cyerant turned to the others and said. “I can’t go back to sleep so I will go out and tend to breakfast for the animals at the stables. Veer you better find a broom. And you other two shouldn’t keep Vara waiting.”

“Ah, there you are.” Said Vara as Jolss and Shira walked into the room. “First you,” the woman said focusing on the girl. “You will sit out in the forecourt and manage those who come asking to be apprentices and you will send them in one by one. There will be one waif girl who the Magister says that I am to send here when I see her as I am out hiring the staff. Fortunately I know which child he means and which area she usually begs in. And there is the boy from the inn across the way; the one who delivers the meals. Well they are both to be sent in to be tested.” Then the woman turned her focus to Jolss. “And you, you will do the testing.”

“I don’t know how to test an apprentice.” The boy protested.

“The Magister’s instructions are simple. You can feel when someone has the spark of magecraft; all mages can. When they come in, if they do not have the spark send them away. if they do then you are to hand them one of the brown blank books that you will find on the lower shelf in the library just inside and to the left of the door. Have the person look at the cover and if he or she can see anything written there then he or she can stay here in this room waiting with you and when the day is done they will all meet the Magister who will make the final choices. We hope that by nightfall we will have a few more than a dozen new apprentices.”

Shira opened the door to walk out into the forecourt of the tower and she was stunned by what she saw. There were several dozen candidates waiting in the forecourt and on the street in front of the gate. Some were children who looked to be as young as nine and some were as old as mid teens. Most had a parent or adult with him or her but several seemed to be there alone and a few even looked a bit dirty and a bit hungry. Shira turned back to speak to Jolss. “You had better get those books ready – this is going to be a busy morning.”

Vara looked at the two of them and said. “Yes, well the Magister is sleeping and should be left to it until near lunch. I am spending the morning out hiring staff. Luckily I know everyone in this part of the city so I know exactly which people will be good at these jobs and who needs work. I will be sending messengers to find a few so some people will show up and they can wait in the kitchen until I return shortly before lunch. I will also be dropping by orders for food and supplies which will start being delivered and they will know to come round to the back gate and deliver to the store room of the kitchen.” With that the woman turned on her heel and stormed from the room with a look of stern intention on her face.

Before Vara left she found Veer and gave him a key to the outer store room which connected to the kitchen through the pantry. She set him to be ready to unlock the door and let in the deliveries. She also left instructions that the dragons were to be kept out of sight as much as possible. Then the woman took a few things and walked out through the back gate. Things remained peaceful until about midmorning when wagons started showing up and by late morning the store room and pantry were filled with food. Here and there a few people showed up and said that Vara had either sent them or sent for them and that they were to wait in the kitchen.

Shira and Jolss managed the hopeful guests who wished to become apprentices. Most of the children who were waiting to be examined that morning lacked any type of spark of magic and so most were sent away. Of the dozen and a half who had a spark of magic two could see nothing on the cover of the book that they were handed. Eleven of the children could read the words and five of them simply did not know how to read.

Vara returned just before lunch time and she called all of the companions into the library room which the old mage was using as a bedroom. Arrangements had been made for the inn across the way to bring lunch for three dozen and the new apprentices were set to their lunch in the dinning hall. Vara retrieved the three elves last and they entered the room wearing their cloaks and hoods. The woman turned to the old mage and said. “They are all here, I will go and send the Captain in and then I will start setting the new staff to their tasks.”

“Thank you Vara,” the old mage said.

As the woman left the room closing the door behind her Partonius spoke to the company. “She will make a good governess for the new apprentices. She has hired a full staff and a professor to teach the children their basic education. There was a time when and applicant for apprenticeship was required to read and would be sent away to learn first. But we have no such luxury that we can just choose the best from hundreds of applicants a year. So we will do what we must to rebuild the mages of the tower. But that is not why I have you all together. Shortly a man will come in who is a river boat captain. And I will be making arrangements for him to provide passage down the river to your company.”

Myalnar spoke. “Will this captain not find it unusual that three people wear hoods at all times and the amount of meat that the young dragons consume?”

“Ah yes, Master Elf,” said Partonius. “Some of our oldest magic texts tell of your kind and of other races which have not been seen in a thousand years. We also have some very old texts which are written in an unknown language which I have long suspected to be some form of elvish.”

Myalnar pulled back his hood and made a slight bow to the old man. “Indeed they are. I chanced upon them this morning and we three have spent the morning reading them. Two of them are books of which we have never heard. I wish that we had time to stay and search through your libraries but we still have the difficulty of travel at hand.”

Partonius said. “You are welcome to search the libraries and read whatever you find there concerning elves for as long as you are guests. You are also welcome to return here as guests at any time and you may feel free to copy any ancient elvish books that we have.”

Veer cleared his throat and the mage turned toward him appraisingly and paused for a moment. “Yes, the impatience of youth, but perhaps warranted in the current situation. The captain in question has been known to me for many years and he is also well known for his discretion. He also is not easily shaken as he served as an officer in the army many years ago. The simple answer is that we tell him who and what he is taking on as passengers.”

There was a knock on the library door and the elves stepped back into a shadowy corner as Vara opened the door just long enough to allow a man to step in. The man was not tall and he was thin and wiry with sun browned leathery skin. He had passed middle age but by how much was not obvious. Though the man was slightly shorter than average he had the powerful bearing of a man who was used to being in command. His eyes quickly took in the room, the people and the dogs and then he let his eyes linger for a moment on the three figures standing back in the shadows. “I had a message from the midwife woman that I was to come and see you today shortly afore noon. Here it is shortly afore noon and I’m here, and this place is crawling with ants. My boys and I saw what you did down to the wharfs and warehouses last sevenday. We was all trying to get our boats out across the river away from the fire but we looked back and saw it all. If it were a tale I was hearing I’d call the teller a liar.”

Partonius nodded and said. “Yes, Captain I’m sure that you would; I would myself think it untrue. But it is not and it was a magical extravagance that was needful at the time but which has left me quite weak. Captain Tarian these are my friends, a company of travellers actually. I would like to arrange passage for them on your boat down river – they and the several animals that you see here along with a few more which are in the stables.”

I see,” said the man. “There are boats as specialise in carrying passengers with their dogs and horses.”

“Ah yes, said Partonius. “There are passenger vessels however this company needs to be the only passengers on board. Besides your boat is a bit smaller and a bit faster. How long have we known one another Captain?”

“Been nigh on twenty years now since I quit the army and came back to the river.” The man answered

Partonius nodded. “Just so, and in that time you have been the soul of discretion as you transport things for me. We must rely on that discretion now.”

Captain Tarian said. “I see, I recon that I was to come today because it is so bloody busy that whoever is watching your gate won’t know who is coming and going. I also recon they need to get to the boat quickly and quietly which means it must have something to do with these strangers what have been about the city. We’ve seen them down to the wharfs. They are looking for something.”

The mage nodded again. “As usual Captain you know everything that is going on in the city. Very good, we will pay you well and the journey must start immediately. When it is time to move them out of the tower we can use the old smuggler’s tunnels out of the cellars of the tower; which, by the way, I would prefer you to use when you leave today. Can you provision today for a trip to the capital and be ready to leave before first light in the morning?”