The Finding (10 page)

The young dragon walked back across the field and out to the road, rather stealthily for his size. He spread his great wings and just as silently, lifted off into the darkening spring sky. Hroombra watched him disappear like a dark cloud over the sun-gilded mountains, fearing for him the way he feared for Jahrra. He shook off his feelings of doubt and trepidation, despite an instinctual need for them, and turned to the three children.

“So what do you think?” he asked, donning a fresh smile.

“He’s marvelous! What’s his name?” Jahrra asked, not yet noticing Jaax was gone.

“I think Raejaaxorix wanted to leave that up to you.”

Jahrra tore her eyes away from the sleeping colt, finally seeing that the other dragon was nowhere to be found.

“Where did he go?” she asked, sounding disappointed as her smile faded. She had so many questions to ask him about the outside world and about his many adventures, that is, when she had worked up the courage to address him personally. Now it seemed she would never get that chance.

“You’ll learn, young Jahrra,” the old dragon answered in a wearied tone, “that sometimes we adults have many obligations to fulfill that you can’t understand. Jaax has many duties outside of Oescienne; he has many things he must take care of, things a young girl wouldn’t understand. We’re just lucky he was able to visit us at all.”

Hroombra knew this was a lame excuse, and he saw how disappointed Jahrra was, but he could think of nothing else to tell her.

“Don’t fret young one,” he continued after a while, “he’ll visit us again someday. But I don’t want you wasting your time waiting for him, for it may be a long time before he comes this way again.”

Jahrra nodded, her eyes trained on the ground. She knew she should take her mentor’s advice, but she felt she couldn’t wait until the next time Jaax paid them a visit.

“Well,” said Jahrra finally, looking down at the sleeping foal, “I guess I’ll call him ‘Phrym’.”

Hroombra smiled as the name sparked a memory. He’d once used the word in a lesson, a dragon’s word, forgetting who he was teaching. Although he meant to teach Jahrra the language of the dragons some day, he knew that it was too soon. Jahrra liked the word, so he’d told her what it meant: ‘Phrym, it means friend in the dragons’ tongue.’

He smiled down at Jahrra now, completely enchanted by the young semequin lying in front of her. “Yes, Jahrra, I do believe he’ll make you a good friend.”

***

The warm spring months crept by and the flowers and trees slowly faded into the soft and warm hues of summer. As the days grew longer, Jahrra kept busy with the new responsibility of caring for the young semequin Jaax had left her. The foal was only a few weeks old when he arrived in Oescienne so he was placed with one of the mares at Wood’s End Ranch.

During the early weeks with Phrym, nothing seemed to bring Jahrra down, not even the long days at school with Eydeth and Ellysian. Fortunately, Scede’s tirade the day Jaax arrived kept the twins at a comfortable distance for a few weeks, but like always, that wore off with time. If they sniggered in her direction or whispered as she walked by, however, all she had to do was close her eyes and picture her young foal waiting for her to come home and play with him.

At first Phrym was a light silver color all over, looking exactly the way Hroombra had described unicorn foals, but as he grew the silver faded into a variety of grays that dappled his smooth coat. His mane and tail turned into a deep, storm cloud color and his long legs were spotted until they blended into a dark grey towards his hooves. His eyes, light blue at first, became a rich, smoky quartz.

As he grew older the timid colt became much more animated and learned to trust Jahrra unwaveringly. Sometimes, late into the afternoon on the weekends, she would play with him in the fields of her friends’ ranch. She’d sneak up on the young colt and he would take off running, tossing his head and bucking in good humor. Jahrra would fall to the ground laughing and Phrym would trot over and add his own chorus of cheerful whinnies.

All of this time spent with Phrym distracted Jahrra from her other troubles and before she knew it, the school season was drawing to an end. Jahrra was beside herself with anticipation. There was so much to do over the summer: camping with her two best friends, extra lessons (and extra stories) with Master Hroombra, aiding her father with the orchard and assisting her mother with the garden. Gieaun and Scede promised to help Jahrra clean out the old stables by the Castle Guard Ruin so that she could someday keep Phrym there when they visited Hroombra. Even Abdhe and Hroombra volunteered to help the children when they found the time.

“Oh, Phrym,” Jahrra would say with glee, “at the end of the summer, you’ll be able to visit and stay with Master Hroombra if you’d like!”

Then she’d turn to the Korli dragon, whom would stand out by the old degraded stables and imagine it in pristine condition alongside her, and add, “And when I’m older, I can come and visit you anytime I want!”

Hroombra smiled down at the young girl with her eyes closed in happiness, envisioning the completed stable before her. The old dragon may have been disappointed by Jaax’s short visit, but he couldn’t help feeling pleased with how his gift was affecting Jahrra.

On the final day of school before their long-anticipated summer break, Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede patiently endured the presence of the twins and their gang, but even Eydeth and Ellysian seemed too distracted by the prospect of long days away from the schoolhouse to waste much time on them.

Jahrra was barely able to pay attention in class with all the images of the upcoming camping trip dancing around in her head. She was going to stay the night at Wood’s End Ranch and the next morning she’d be leaving for Ossar Lake with her friends. Ossar Lake, according to Gieaun and Scede, was the most wondrous place in Ethoes.

“If there is any magic in Oescienne Jahrra, it’s at Lake Ossar,” Scede had told her dreamily.

Jahrra sighed heavily, wishing the hours would move by faster. The school day dragged on but finally, after what seemed like years, it was all over. Master Cohrbin wished them all goodbye as his impatient students fled through the doors to freedom, reminding them not to forget what they had learned over the summer.

Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede were the last to leave the schoolyard, darting to the mail cart when it finally rattled up the shaded drive.

“What’s all this rushin’ about?” Dharedth asked in a slightly aggravated tone. “You all may be in a hurry, but Rhuda sure isn’t.”

“Summer has started!” the children exclaimed in exasperation as if such a thing should be fairly obvious to the mail carrier.

“Ah, I see. Can’ wait to make use of the free time, eh?”

And with that he clicked Rhuda into a steady gait. The long ride home, which was usually Jahrra’s favorite time of the day, was almost unbearable. Each field they passed and each road they crossed was one more minute lost from her summer vacation, but finally the mail cart came to a jerking halt in front of Jahrra’s long drive.

“Alright, little Jahrra, run and get your things. We’ll wait,” Dharedth called after her as she sprinted down the walk.

“Nida! Pada!” she yelled breathlessly as she burst through the front door.

“Oh!” Her mother jumped and dropped the dust rag she’d been holding. “My goodness child! Are you trying to kill me?” Lynhi breathed, clutching her heart.

“Sorry,” Jahrra interjected, “but Gieaun and Scede are waiting with Mr. Dharedth!”

She jumped up and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, still breathless from running up the drive. Lynhi smiled warmly. “Go say goodbye to your Pada. He’s out tending the trees.”

Jahrra darted into the small yard and through the wood pole fence, causing the family’s small flock of chickens to go scattering in terror. She found her father atop a ladder wearing his wide brim straw hat, thinning out the young fruit on the trees so they would produce a healthier crop.

“Pada!” she shouted up at him.

He looked down, not at all surprised to hear his daughter shouting from below. “Yes Jahrra? How was your last day of school?”

“It was alright. But Gieaun and Scede are waiting out front,” Jahrra said, trying not to sound overly enthusiastic. “Remember, I’m going to Lake Ossar?”

Abdhe climbed down the ladder and scooped his daughter into his arms. “Oh, that’s right. I guess I’d better come in and say goodbye then.”

He carried her back to the house and set her down in the kitchen, taking a seat on one of the old kitchen chairs.

“Have you packed?” he asked seriously, looking at Jahrra through his wispy hair.

Jahrra’s eyes popped open and she turned and clambered up the stairs. Abdhe just chuckled, causing Lynhi to glance over at her husband with veiled eyes.

“What is it now?” he asked in a tone that declared he was used to this silent protesting from his wife.

“Are you sure it’s safe to send her there for the weekend? I know we’ve already discussed this a hundred times, but what if something happens, even with Nuhra and Kaihmen watching over her?”

Abdhe took out his pipe and carefully lit it. After taking a few puffs he glanced back at his wife. “She can’t be kept safe forever, and it’s only for the weekend. Jahrra deserves to enjoy her childhood while it lasts.”

“You’re probably right,” Lynhi sighed, getting back to her dusting. “But I can’t help but worry.”

Abdhe smiled. “It’s a mother’s job to worry.”

Jahrra scampered back down the stairs, complete with a small sack stuffed with what her parents could only imagine were her clothes.

Her father smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “Be careful my dear, and have a good time.”

Jahrra then turned to her mother, who gave her a hug. “Come home soon.”

“I will,” said Jahrra, and then added cheerfully, “I’ll only be gone for a few days!”

Jahrra fled out the door and flew down the path, eagerly joining her friends before Dharedth coaxed his horse into an easy gait. A wiggling, barking pack of dogs greeted the children when they finally reached the end of the long road trailing through Wood’s End Ranch. Jahrra smiled broadly as she gazed upon the ranch house she loved so much. It was built of clay brick and looked snug among the low rolling fields that made up most of the land surrounding it.

After greeting Nuhra and Kaihmen, her friends’ parents, Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede strolled over to the stables where Phrym was kept. The semequin heard Jahrra before he saw her, poking his curious head over the top of the stable door. Jahrra grinned lovingly; he was growing so fast and becoming so tall.

“Hi Phrym!” She ran the remaining distance to meet him. He was only five months old now, but Jahrra could hardly wait until he was old enough to ride.

During dinner, the three friends chatted about the highlights of their school year.

“I don’t know if I like school very much,” Jahrra answered when Nuhra asked her how her first year had gone. “The only good thing about it is Master Cohrbin and Gieaun and Scede.”

After dinner, the three friends begged Kaihmen to tell them stories.

“Please father, tell us about the monsters that live in the Wreing Florenn!” Scede pleaded.

“Oh no, those tales are for tomorrow when we’re out in the wilderness,” Kaihmen answered with a grin.

The children tried in vain to get him to budge, but he refused. Instead, he pulled out a flute and played a few songs for them until they became drowsy. Once they were all tucked into bed, however, they found it extremely hard to sleep. Jahrra couldn’t tell when she finally drifted off, but when she did, she had dreams of riding Phrym across her friends’ ranch in pursuit of the strange beasts of the Wreing Florenn.

Morning came quickly, and before the sun showed his face, Kaihmen and Nuhra had all of the camping gear gathered and tied to the horses. They both had their own mounts, a pair of Palominos, the ranch’s trademark, while Gieaun, Jahrra and Scede shared a much older and gentler paint named Strohda. After a small breakfast of biscuits and bacon, the group set off heading west, following the road that ran through the town of Nuun Esse and past the Castle Guard Ruin.

The trip to the lake took most of the morning, but it was one filled with color and light and sound. Once at the base of the Sloping Hill, the trio of horses made their way easily through Willowsflorn, full of yellow, brushy willow blooms in the early summer. They crossed over a wide stone bridge that lay across a chattering stream and waved energetically when they met other travelers. Birdsong and the soft whispering of branches being jostled by the breeze filled the air and the fresh, sweet smell of the wilderness tickled Jahrra’s nose. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they arrived at their destination.

Lake Ossar wasn’t only the largest of the dune lakes, but it also had a boardwalk running straight across its width. Ossar was rimmed mainly by lazy, languid oaks with rows of willows, tangles of blackberry bushes, bunches of poison oak and forests of rushes and reeds fencing in its shore.

“We’ll have to return later in the summer when the blackberries are ripe,” Nuhra remarked to the children riding just behind her.

Gieaun, Scede and Jahrra all exchanged smiles of delight. Jahrra loved blackberries, especially those that were still warm from soaking in the sun. Nuhra and Kaihmen led the horses to a clearing surrounded by a few willow trees just out of reach of the boardwalk. As the adults set up camp, the three children climbed down from their horse and went running onto the wide bridge.