Whisperings of Magic (16 page)

“Then Norl’s village is where we must go.”

The echoes of Launan’s anger rang in Catryn’s mind. She shuddered. How much greater would it be now? Now that she had escaped and taken with her the sword of Taun?

They began to retrace their steps and make as much haste as possible. Even so, Catryn had all she could do to keep from taking the horse and flying on ahead of Dahl and the Sele. She felt—she knew!—that speed was of the utmost importance. She remembered Launan’s words and the glee with which he was planning the conquest of Norl’s village. She could see Norl clearly, see the relief in his mother’s face when at last he had been able to speak of what he had seen. But what would happen to the boy if his village was attacked and enslaved as the other village had been? What did Launan want with him? Launan
must
be stopped. She raged with impatience, but controlled it. She could not go on ahead. She would not leave Dahl unprotected again.

She cast her mind ahead of them, probing constantly, seeking out the mind bustle of the villages that lay ahead of them. Nowhere could she sense the empty numbness that characterized the conquered villages. So far, all seemed well. They were keeping
ahead of Launan. She could even feel echoes of the Elders beginning to sing in her mind. They became stronger and stronger as they made their way south. With this she had to be satisfied.

They made their way around villages, preferring to make camp in the woods at night and hurry on as quickly as possible. On the morning of the third day they approached the boy’s village. To Catryn’s relief, the streets were full of people going about their business, bustling and noisy as usual. Catryn looked for Norl and his mother amongst them, but did not see them.

What to do now? There would be no way of knowing what the best defense would be until the danger was actually upon them. She cast her mind out to the north, then reeled with the sudden wind that raced to meet her. The danger
was
upon them! They had only just arrived in time!

“He’s come!” she cried. “Launan is here!”

Barely had the words left her mouth when the scene before them was transformed. A shadow slipped between the villagers and the sun, then the dragon was upon them. People stopped, looked skyward and screamed. They scattered in panicked flight, but there was no escape. The dragon swooped down over the village square, then rose into the air again, trailing a ragged cloak of darkness behind her. Again and again she swooped. Over the square, over the houses. Every time she rose back into the sky she trailed a larger and larger latticework of darkness.

“Stay inside!” Catryn found herself screaming to the villagers. But, as if drawn out in spite of themselves, the people swarmed out of doorways and into the streets.

Catryn turned her mind to the dragon. She had stopped her once before—could she stop her again? She sent out a command with all the force she could muster, but all it encountered was swirling chaos. And then, an echo of cruel laughter. Launan! She could not see him, but he was here and the dragon was his creature, obeying only him. She cloaked her mind immediately—Launan must not know she was here—but not before she had sensed his rage. It was almost overwhelming.

Then she saw Norl. He was running down the village path toward the well. It seemed as if he were running to challenge the beast itself, but it was his mother he was trying to reach. Mavahn stood there, too shocked to move as the dragon swept down upon her.

Catryn did not stop to think. She kicked the horse with her heels and spurred it into a gallop. Beside her, she saw Dahl do the same. They tore after Norl. Catryn caught up to him just as the beast wheeled down. With a strength she did not know she possessed, she reached out, grabbed Norl by his tunic and hauled him up. Dahl reined Magnus in and drew his sword. Magnus reared up on his hind legs with a scream of defiance.

“Dragon!” Dahl shouted. “Do battle with
me!
I challenge you!”

But the dragon was fixed now on Catryn. And Norl. She banked and dove toward them.

With Norl lying half on and half off the withers of the horse, Catryn raced for the safety of the trees.

“Faster!” she cried to the horse, but Caulda was close upon them.

“Fly!” Catryn cried and tightened her grip on Norl.

The horse’s wings unfurled with a thunderous clap. In an instant they were airborne. The dragon, burdened as she was by her plunder, could not follow. Her eyes blazed.

So the child is important to you, too.

The words seared into Catryn’s brain.

Guard him well—if you can. You may have escaped me now, but I will have that child.

Catryn clutched Norl tightly. She heard him whimper in terror, felt him cling to her.

The dragon hung motionless for a moment, wings beating the air, then she swung her massive head around to glare at Dahl.
And I will answer your puny king’s challenge then! He will not escape me, either.
With that she banked and climbed, higher and higher until she disappeared into the north, dragging her dark burden behind her in a sheet that blotted out the sky. The villagers milled aimlessly about. No one screamed. No one spoke. There was absolute silence. Mavahn still stood beside the well. She looked around her as if uncertain as to why she was there. Catryn guided the horse to a landing beside her. Norl
leaped off before the animal had touched all four hooves to the ground.

“Mother!” he cried as he launched himself into her arms.

Mavahn looked at him with a puzzled, vacant look in her eyes. She didn’t answer.

“Mother!” Norl insisted, his voice breaking.

Mavahn unwound his arms from around her and, without a word, walked down the path to their house. Norl ran after her. Catryn followed. As Mavahn reached the poor garden in front of her home, Norl grabbed at her yet again. She stared at him wordlessly and freed herself from his embrace. She went into the house and shut the door in his face.

Norl screamed and beat upon it with his fists. He was sobbing now with huge, body-wrenching gulps.

Catryn dismounted and ran to him. She tried to gather him in her arms, but he beat her off. Then, suddenly, he collapsed.

A voice spoke beside them.

“Norl, you must come with us now.”

Catryn looked up to see Sele the Plump. It reached out a hand to Norl and helped him back to his feet.

“But my mother …” Norl began.

“We cannot help her here,” the Sele said. “But come with us and we will find a way to bring her back. Your mother and all the others as well.”

“You can do that?” Norl looked at the Sele with wide eyes, obviously wanting to believe.

“We can,” the Sele replied. It was as calm as ever.

“And we will,” Catryn promised, but although her words were fierce and defiant, her voice was ragged. They rejoined Dahl. He sat astride Magnus by the well, sword drawn still, his face as white as death. The dragon scar throbbed upon his cheek. His eyes were dark, bottomless holes. He breathed as heavily as if he had, indeed, done battle as he stared at the lifeless forms walking senselessly around the village square.

“I failed them,” he said.

“Is this what happened in the village you saw, Norl?” Catryn asked. They had made camp in the woods, just inside the trees.

Norl, however, did not answer. The boy sat staring back at his village.

Catryn did not try to question him further. She could feel his pain. Knew he could not speak. She could feel Dahl’s pain, too, cloaked now with an icy fury as he turned to her.

“The dragon did not kill them,” he said. “But what did she do?”

“She stole their shadows,” Sele the Plump said.

Both Dahl and Catryn stared at it.

“Look,” the Sele said. “It is late afternoon. The shadows of the trees and houses are long. But the people cast no shadows. They are gone. You noticed
that before, Catryn, but we did not realize the meaning of it then. Those shadows made up the dark cloud the dragon pulled behind her. She stole them. And with their shadows …” he paused. “And with their shadows, I think, she stole their souls.”

Catryn felt a coldness enter into
her
soul. “That is why they are like empty husks,” she said, the words no more than a whisper. She could hardly speak for the horror of it. “But where is she taking the shadows? What does she do with them?” This was an evil such as she could never have imagined.

“What does a dragon ever do with its hoard?” Dahl answered. He, too, looked shaken but his words were cold and hard. “She has taken them to her den. To sit on them and guard them as she would a treasure.”

“And what greater treasure could she have,” the Sele added, “than the souls of men and women?”

There was a long moment during which none of them could speak. Finally, Catryn found words.

“So that is how Launan enslaves them,” she said.

“It would seem so,” Dahl replied. “And I think I know where the dragon has gone. Remember the crevasse where you fell, Catryn, when we were first on our way to Daunus?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Remember how the Protector, in the form of a hawk, rescued you by grasping you in his talons and flying off with you?”

“I do,” Catryn answered, gripping her arms at the remembered pain of those sharp, ruthless claws.

“What you did not know at the time,” Dahl went on, “was that the reason for such haste in getting you out of there was because a beast just such as this one was emerging from the depths of that crevasse.”

“The beast you slew?”

“The same one.”

“The child of the beast we face today,” Catryn said.

“So you said before,” Dahl replied. “But how did she tell you? I heard no speech.”

“I talked to her with my mind, and she to me,” Catryn answered.

Sele the Plump nodded as if it had already guessed the truth. As it probably had, Catryn thought.

“I did not know you had that power,” Dahl said.

“I did not know it either until then,” Catryn said. She felt no reluctance now at allowing Dahl to see the truth.

“And she told you it was her child?”

“She did.”

“If this dragon is, indeed, the mother of the one I slew,” Dahl said, “then might she not live in the same den her devil child did?”

The Sele interrupted before Catryn could answer. “Dragons have always lived there,” it said matter-of-factly. “They have been a constant nuisance to us.”

“Then that is where we must go,” Catryn exclaimed. “We must find her there. Destroy her before she attacks Daunus!” And before she destroys Norl, she added in her own mind.

“No. First we go to Daunus,” Dahl said. “That is where Launan intends to attack next, is that not so, Catryn?”

“It is,” Catryn answered. “But what more can we do there than we did here? If we can trap the dragon in her lair—get to her before she gets to Daunus…”

“No,” Dahl repeated. “We must go to Daunus first. I cannot allow it to be taken.”

“But without Caulda, Launan will not have the power to conquer Daunus,” Catryn argued. Her voice rose. She
must
convince Dahl.

Sele the Plump interrupted them. “Dahl is right,” it said. “And I think, perhaps, this is where my people can help.”

Catryn made as if to argue further, but for once the Sele was adamant. “Trust me, Catryn,” it said. “I will confer with my people and then meet you in Daunus. You must make haste to get there as quickly as possible. I do not think they are finished here yet,” it went on, “and we can only hope that it will be a few days more before they attack again. That will give us time to get to Daunus before they do.”

“But what is it your people can do?” Catryn asked. Every fiber of her being disagreed with the Sele, but even as she mustered more arguments she seemed to hear Tauna’s voice.
Trust,
the Elder had said. But how could she when she was so certain it was a mistake? Or, whispered a small voice inside her, was this just her pride overriding her judgment again?

“I would prefer not to say just now,” Sele the
Plump replied, unruffled as usual. “But I have a plan. I will leave at first light in the morning. You must get to Daunus as quickly as you can,” it repeated.