Dragonvein - Book Three (32 page)

In response, Maytra snorted and then slowly rose to her feet. After looking directly into Kat's eyes for a moment or two, she let out a mighty roar. An instant later she was soaring skyward, the great gush of wind from her wings almost sending Kat tumbling over. Within seconds, she had disappeared beyond the treetops. Whispers of awe and wonder from those watching carried over the field like a communal prayer.

Kat felt a hand touch her shoulder. It was a dwarf youth. He was standing alongside an elderly elf woman. “You healed her,” he said.

“I…I’m not sure what I did,” she admitted. 

“
I
am,” insisted the dwarf. “You restored our hope.”

Kat glanced up at the pavilion. Maile and Asta were jumping up and down, clapping their hands and giggling with delight at having seen the dragon take flight. Before Kat could leave, the crowd closed in on her, each one of them seeking to express their deep appreciation and admiration.

She tried to be gracious, smiling and telling them that she had only been able to help because Maytra was strong, and in all likelihood she would have healed on her own in time. This was obviously not true, and the people knew it. Most of them had seen for themselves the grievous wounds inflicted upon the dragon from quite close up. And those who had not actually witnessed Kat's initial exhausting efforts to heal her, had nonetheless been told about it in great detail.

It took her more than an hour before she was able to make it beyond the crowd and back to her waiting horse. But even when she reached the city, cheers continued to erupt from nearly everyone she passed. Word had already spread throughout Elyfoss, and though she hadn't sought such recognition, Kat was being celebrated as a great healer and a savior of the war.

She decided not to return to the king’s manor, and instead made her way directly to the home of Lady Thora. Asta greeted her at the door as if she was still the same thirteen year-old Kat she had known before – completely uncaring of the now quite significant age difference. That she was Kat was all that mattered to her.

“Grandmother is out running errands,” she said, tugging at her arm for her to follow inside. “Come and play with us until she gets back.”

Kat allowed herself to be led upstairs to the girls’ bedroom. Maile was sitting on the floor playing with a doll. Beside her was an elf girl of roughly the same age with long red hair.

Maile jumped up and ran into Kat’s arms. “I knew you’d come. Asta said you wouldn’t. But I knew you would.”

“I never said that,” her sister protested. “I only said that you might not be able to come today.” She looked up at Kat. “But I really did believe you’d keep your promise.”

Kat smiled down at her. “It’s all right. I know you did.” She looked over at the elf child, who was now standing. “And who is your friend?”

“This is Virlaya,” replied Maile. “Her and her mother are staying with us. Her father will be coming soon.”

Kat nodded. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Kat.”

“I know,” she said timidly. “
Everyone
knows who you are. Is it true what they’re saying? Did you really save the dragon?”

“Of course she did,” Asta chipped in, before Kat could respond. “We saw it fly away right after she touched it.”

Virlaya’s eyes widened. “Then you must be a truly great healer.”

Kat smiled. “Not really. My friend Lylinora is much better at healing than I am.”

This didn’t seem to matter in the least to the elf child. She bowed awkwardly. “Thank you. Dragons are very special. My mother has told me many stories about them.”

“Speaking of stories,” said Maile. “You promised to tell us about your time on Earth.”

Kat sat on the bed and related what had happened to her – albeit in a version she felt appropriate for children. The girls stopped her repeatedly to ask questions, causing it to take more than an hour before reaching the end. After that, they played several games of hide and seek. Kat found herself genuinely having fun. It was a welcome distraction, and the mirth of the children made her forget her troubles for a time.

When Lady Thora arrived home, she insisted that Kat stay for dinner. “Virlaya’s mother won’t be back until tomorrow,” she explained. “As you know, Asta and Maile are already a handful. And if you add a quite lively elf child into the mix, it can be a bit much at times for an old woman like me.”

Not being particularly eager to return to the manor just yet anyway, Kat quickly agreed – later on consenting to stay the night.

After the girls had gone to bed, Thora invited her to the study for a drink. Though they had spoken briefly since Kat's return, and seen each other often when in the council chambers, this would be their first private talk in some considerable time. In fact - as far as Kat was concerned - in many years. Even so, she would never forget how Lady Thora had watched over her and shown an almost parental interest in her well-being when she was still a child.

“You have most surely been through a lot,” Thora said, handing Kat a glass of sweet smelling wine. “But as I know my grandchildren will have forced you to tell the story already, I’ll not trouble you quite yet with my curiosity.”

Kat tried to hide her relief. She was happy to see Asta and Maile again, but they could be absolutely exhausting. “It's not really that interesting anyway,” she said. “I got myself stuck on Earth for five years. Then Markus came and brought me back to Lumnia.”

“I’m sure there’s a little more to it than that,” said Thora, smiling. “But as I said, I’ll not trouble you with a retelling. But I
would
like to know what you intend to do next.”

Kat shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

Her obvious lie did not fool the dwarf woman for an instant. “My dear. I have been watching you for days. And I have spoken with both King Halvar and that remarkable elf woman, Keira. I am well aware that you intend to try and rescue Ethan; even though you know in your heart it is a hopeless mission.”

“And I suppose you are going to try and talk me out of it,” Kat responded. For a moment she felt irritation rising. But one look into Thora’s kindly eyes quickly had it draining away.

The old woman regarded her closely. “No. It would not do me any good to attempt that. But in truth, I am not worried. I firmly believe that fate has a plan for you. Your part is not done just yet.”

Kat drained her glass and poured herself another. “Then you understand why I have to go?”

Thora leaned over to pat her on the knee. “I am just saying that I have faith. That is all.”

As she finished speaking, a booming knock on the front door sounded, making them both start.

“Should I answer it?” Kat asked.

“Would you please, my dear?” replied Thora. “My legs and feet are aching so.”

Kat stood up, pausing to kiss Lady Thora’s cheek before heading to the door. There was something comforting about the woman that never failed to ease the burden on her heart. It made her think of her own mother.

Another knock echoed through the main foyer, this one more urgent.

“Wait a damn minute,” Kat grumbled. “I'm coming.”

Still muttering, she swung open the door.

For a moment she thought she was hallucinating. Her legs went instantly weak, and she was forced to clutch at the door frame in order to steady herself. Standing there as large as life and smiling broadly at her was Ethan. She swayed backwards, but he caught her in his arms and pulled her close.

“I thought you were dead,” she whispered, tears of sheer joy bursting forth.

“Me? Never,” he laughed. “You don't get rid of me that easily.”

Every muscle Ethan possessed was crying out with pain. Whatever Martok had been doing, he had obviously pushed his body to the very edge of its physical limits. In spite of this, he could feel nothing but gratitude to his ancestor. Holding Kat in his arms at this moment was more than he could ever have dreamed of only a week prior. His death had been a foregone conclusion. But Martok had changed his fate.

Kat kissed him with such passion and love that his head began to swim. Yet his weakened body would not allow for the response he felt in his heart.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she gasped when their lips finally parted. “How did you escape?”

“It was Martok. He saved me.”

“Then he saved me too,” she said, kissing him urgently. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

Ethan cupped her face in his hands. “That goes for both of us.”

“Ah, I see I was right,” called Thora from the other end of the foyer. “The fates
did
intervene.”

Kat smiled at her over her shoulder. “Yes, they did.”

For a moment, the pain in Ethan's legs was too much. He stumbled back, but quickly steadied himself. “I need to see King Halvar right away,” he said.

“What you need to do is rest,” Kat corrected. “You can barely stand.”

“There isn’t time,” he told her. “We have to leave first thing in the morning.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded sheet of parchment. “I found this on me after Martok released control of my body.”

Kat tried to lead him inside, but Ethan resisted and handed her the parchment.

“You can read it on the way,” he said. He bowed to Lady Thora. “It was good to see you again, My Lady. I’m sorry that I don’t have more time.”

Thora simply nodded, a quirky little smile on her face.

Kat insisted that Ethan ride the horse while she walked alongside reading the letter. Feeling his strength ebbing fast, Ethan did not object.

Kat's eyes began to scan the page.

Ethan,

As we draw near to Elyfoss, the time has come for me to return your body back to your control. I have taxed my own strength, as well as yours, to the very limit. And I should say that you are much stronger than you at first appear.

After our escape from the palace, I located something that is crucial to our victory over Shinzan. I cannot tell you what this is just yet, simply that we must retrieve it as quickly as possible. To achieve this, we will need the help of Lylinora, and all of the fledgling mages. So you must return to Renald without delay. I have already used the dwarf device to contact the vessel that brought us. It will be waiting for you by the time you reach the shore.

Tell the elves and the dwarves to gather their strength and then march south to the Malacar border. Once there, they must wait until hearing from me again. The dragon Shinzan cursed is dead, so they have nothing to fear from it any longer. Should they meet with local resistance, they must do their best to keep the dead to a minimum. The Emperor will think this a ploy to lure his army into the open, so they should not concern themselves if he does not react to this aggressive move. And even if he does, it will not matter. As long as Katyana’s father has done as I have instructed, victory will be swift.

Again, I must stress that every second is crucial. And guard Katyana well. She is a treasure most precious. Through our connection, I asked Maytra to delay her from attempting to rescue you. I can only pray to the ancestors that the dragon succeeded.

Martok

Kat returned the parchment with a wry grin. “Well, at least I now know why Maytra was pretending to still be injured.”

Ethan felt a pang of jealousy. It was clear that Martok had stronger feelings for Kat than he had realized. And the tiny smile she now wore was making him wonder how she might be feeling in return.

He waited for their eyes to meet. “He’s right,” he said. “You
are
a treasure most precious.”

She gave his calf a squeeze. “You are so easy to read, Ethan. I’m not interested in some old ghost. I appreciate what he did. More than you can imagine. But I don’t love Martok. I love
you
.”

He bent down from the saddle to stroke her hair. But the movement brought on a dizzy spell, and he was forced to quickly grab at the horse’s neck. He could see the sudden look of concern on Kat’s face.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “But the magic Martok used to get me here so fast really did a number on me.”

“How did he do it?” she asked.

“I’m not sure. But whatever it was, it must have been powerful. When he's in control I can catch only snippets of what's going on. Most of the time it’s like I’m asleep. Now and then I catch flashes of what he sees, but it only lasts for a second or two.”

He didn’t want to say it, but during those brief moments he could also see inside Martok's mind. At least to a small degree. It was how he knew of his feelings for Kat, and of his constant bitterness whenever forced to rejoin the spirits of his ancestors within.

When nearing the manor, they could see a great deal of commotion going on. Ethan asked a passerby what had happened.

“King Ganix has just returned from the Dragon Wastes,” said the old man. “And not a moment too soon, if you ask me. He's the wisest dwarf that ever lived.”

The prospect of seeing Ganix again made Ethan smile. And it was good to know that the king had made it back to Elyfoss unharmed.

After sliding from the saddle, his legs were aching so badly that he was forced to lean on Kat just to make it to the front door of the manor. Two of the guards there at once relieved her and helped him along to the council chambers.

The room was abuzz. King Halvar and King Ganix were seated together at the far side of the table, both poring over a map laid out in front of them. The rest of the chairs were occupied by various members of the council. The mood seemed relaxed, and as far as Ethan could tell, there did not seem to be any issue between the two monarchs regarding who was in authority.

They both bounced up from their chairs in surprise when seeing him and Kat enter. Ethan eased himself down into an empty seat near to them, wincing with each movement but still aware of all the amazed looks coming his way from virtually every direction.

“By the spirits!” Halvar cried. “How did you escape?”

Ganix was equally thrilled. “However you did it, you have saved us from a suicide mission. We were just going over the best way to save you. Of course, there is no
best
way…”

“I’ll tell you all about it,” said Ethan. “But first you need to read this.” He handed the parchment to Kat, who took it over to the kings.

As they were reading, Keira entered. On spotting Ethan she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him in stunned silence. After regaining her composure, a broad smile formed. “It seems you are more resourceful than I would have ever thought. To escape Shinzan’s clutches…a mighty feat indeed.”

She took Kat’s hands. “I am so happy for you. Truly I am.”

Kat kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”

After reading Martok's message, Halvar stood and cleared his throat to silence the chamber. “I am very happy to welcome back both Lord Dragonvein and King Ganix to Elyfoss. I was going to plan a special celebration to mark this. But it would seem that time will not allow it.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Ganix. “One night of merry-making will not hurt. After we have completed our business here of course.”

Halvar nodded, smiling. “Very well. Agreed.”

He turned his attention back to the room. “I have spoken with King Ganix briefly and learned that another mage has been brought back from Earth.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“He also told me that the Imperial fleet is massing off the coast of Ralmaria. We already know that Shinzan is readying his forces in Traxis, but given what I have just read, I think we can deal with them easily enough. The silver dragon is no longer a threat. And we have five mages on our side. Not to mention the white dragon.”

Ethan frowned. He did not like the idea of putting Maytra into any further danger. “I don’t think we’ll be needing her,” he said.

Halvar shrugged. “Perhaps not. It is of little concern right now. First, I would know exactly how you managed to escape from Shinzan’s grasp.”

The telling was fairly brief, even still Ethan soon began slurring his words and pausing frequently to regain focus. By the time he was done, he was little more than mumbling inaudibly.

“That’s enough,” Kat told him firmly. “You can’t go on like this. You need to rest.”

He was in no condition to argue. Halvar called for a guard and ordered him to escort Ethan to his room. Kat was right behind them, unwilling to leave his side even for a moment.

* * * * *

“To think that Martok was able to stand against the might of Shinzan,” remarked Halvar. “Having such an ally will go a long way to assuring our victory.”

“There is much danger in this, I think,” said Ganix. “Martok was indeed powerful. But in the end it was his lust for yet more power that doomed him.”

“That is not true,” Keira protested. “Martok was betrayed for his beliefs. He only desired to unite the people of Lumnia. It was the greed and bigotry of humans and dwarves that was his undoing.”

“Clearly the elves have heard a different version of history,” remarked Ganix. “But regardless of that, to have a mage walking Lumnia who could possibly rival Shinzan himself in power is a matter not to be taken lightly. It is undeniable he would be a tremendous asset to our cause if the stories about him are true.”

The council members looked skeptical. They too had heard the tales of Martok the Destroyer. Only the defenses of their great wall had halted his conquest.

“Whatever doubts may exist, for now I think we should proceed as planned,” Ganix concluded. “But we proceed with caution until Martok's motives become clear.”

“Agreed,” said Halvar. “There is certainly no better course of action open to us at present.”

Keira nodded. “I will begin preparations immediately.”

“Not so fast,” said Halvar. “I would have you join us in our celebration. This may be the last time we can lay our troubles aside. And before you object, know that I will be deeply insulted should you decline my invitation.”

Keira sighed and then cracked a tiny smile. “Insulting you is something I would most certainly not wish to do, Your Highness.”

* * * * *

After the guard had left them, Kat helped Ethan out of his clothes and into a soft cotton night robe. Desperately, she had wanted their reunion to be one of a passionate nature, but for the time being that was totally out of the question. She could feel his muscles twitching and jerking erratically as she lowered him down and pulled the blanket over him.

“Katyana,” he whispered. His eyes were closed and his words barely carried to her.

“I’m here,” she said, placing a hand on his cheek. The use of her full name struck her as odd. Ethan rarely called her by that.

“Katyana,” he repeated. “Not until I know it is me you love.”

“I
do
love you,” she said, slightly amused that he was talking in his sleep.

“I will not take you,” he said. “It must be me…not him. You must love
me
.”

Kat knitted her brow. “Ethan? Is this you?”

“Ethan…yes…Ethan. Not him…not the other…I am Ethan.”

Kat leaned in and kissed his forehead. “Poor thing. I can’t imagine how tired you must be.”

After changing into a night gown, she slipped into bed beside him. Soon, the mumbling stopped and his arm came over to pull her close.

There was a satisfied smile on his face.