Zahara's Gift

by A. J. Walker

  “All right, but I think we should at least tell Britt,” Max said. “She should know who saved us.”

  “Okay,” Anders agreed. “You can tell her, but I don’t want people thinking I did something more than anyone else in this battle. You all fought harder than I did anyway.”

  After the battle was over Anders was physically and emotionally exhausted. He tried to get some sleep before dawn, but visions of orcs attacking those he’d grown closest to over the past several weeks kept him up. Although he was worried about Zahara’s whereabouts, he didn’t know if the orcs that retreated would come back to finish what they’d started. He knew he needed to rest in case the orcs launched a second attack, but despite how exhausted he was, he couldn’t sleep.

  At dawn Britt came over to their group and gave them an update on the new plan. They were now going to track the orcs that had retreated and find out where they came from, thinking perhaps the orcs had been sent by Thargon.

  “Their original location is likely where they’re holding our people. Gear up, we leave soon,” Britt ordered loudly. She walked over to where Anders and Max were standing. Reaching out and gipping Anders’ hand firmly, she whispered so only he could hear, “Max told me what you did. Leading the group of orcs away from us was very brave. We couldn’t have made it back to the shield wall without you.”

  As she released his hand, Anders smiled and gave her a slight nod, then followed her orders and packed up his belongings.

  ***

  His gear packed, he was ready to go within minutes. From what he could tell most of the camp was not yet ready and most likely would not be leaving for at least an hour or more. With the extra time, he decided to sneak off into the woods to see if Zahara was still watching him. He wanted to make sure she was okay after the battle and thank her for saving him from the orc in the forest.

  Anders slowly stepped backward toward the edge of the tree line. When it appeared that no one was paying attention, he slipped behind a tree and out of sight. The morning sunlight glinted off the dew-filled leaves around him. It was strange to think that the battle took place just hours before in such a beautiful place. When he’d gone far enough away from camp that it wasn’t likely anyone would find him, he called out in his mind for Zahara.

  She answered. The dragon was curled up, her head and tail wrapped tightly around her body like a sleeping dog. She was lying under a ray of sunshine splashing down through the canopy to the forest floor. The light highlighted the brightness of her scales. Anders rushed to her side and hugged her tightly around the neck. The electric burst of energy when he touched her coursed through his veins and gave his drowsy body a much-needed awakening. Pulling away, he noticed her scales were splotched with dried blood.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked furrowing his brow.

  She sat up on her hindquarters and shook her head and neck sending the twigs and duff that stuck to gooey patches of blood flying. No, I am fine, she said with a yawn while spreading her wings to their full span. She folded them neatly against her sides and looked down at him with her head cocked sideways, I was just enjoying the morning sun. It warms my scales and feels nice. Are you okay?” sensing his concern for her.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. What happened to you after I left?” he asked. “Whose blood is all that?” pointing to the splotches around her neck and just now seeing that her head and paws were saturated with it.

  I hate the way they taste, she said, gumming her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Their blood is as rotten as their souls. I would much rather eat almost anything else.

  “Orcs? You ate one of them?”

  That’s what you call those hateful creatures? No, I didn’t eat one, but when I was biting into them I got their nasty blood in my mouth, she shook her head and stuck her forked tongue out slightly.

  “I thought you were just going to watch me from the treetops?” Anders asked, confused why she’d gone off on her own and killed orcs.

  You called to me, she said as if he knew she’d responded to him.

  “I did, but I didn’t hear you reply,” he thought maybe she had tried but didn’t make the connection with his mind.

  I felt someone else watching over the battle with his mind. I didn’t want to make myself known to whoever it was, so I shielded my thoughts, she paused to sniff the air for a moment, then continued, So many orcs were chasing you. I saw a large group following the others you had taken on. I waited until they were far enough in the trees before I attacked them.

  Shocked that she had stopped more orcs from attacking him, Anders said, “I don’t know what I would do without you. It’s kind of crazy, but I feel...” Anders trailed off not wanting to sound like he was growing too attached to Zahara.

  You know I can feel your emotions too, Zahara said. You don’t need to say it Anders, I feel the same way about you.

  Anders sat down on a log next to her, feeling a bit embarrassed at exposing his raw emotions.

  You miss your family, Zahara said. I miss mine, too. Maybe that is why we have grown so attached to each other in such a short time?

  Anders nodded, “You’re pretty smart for a two-year-old.” He heard her laugh for the first time. The noise came from deep within her throat. “We both have family, but we can’t be with them. I just hope they’re okay.”

  Me, too, Zahara added. Suddenly her head shot up at attention with her ears pinned back. Anders knew she’d sensed someone or something approaching. He’d seen her do it once before, the first night they’d met, when Ivan and the others came searching for him.

  “What is it? Who’s coming?”

  It’s the man who hides something and sneaks off during the night to talk to a face in the mirror.

  “That’s Ivan. What’s he doing?”

  He’s trying to sense if anyone is near. I’m blocking us from him. Let’s see what he’s up to, Zahara said as she crouched and moved behind a tree.

  Anders thought it couldn’t hurt to see what Ivan was doing, as long as he didn’t know Anders was once again spying on him.

  Staying out of sight, the two followed Ivan deeper into the woods. Suddenly Ivan stopped and pulled something out of his pocket. It was the mirror Zahara mentioned. They watched as he placed it on the ground and said some words. A voice began to speak out from the small mirror. The forest was calm and silent, so they could hear clearly what was being said.

  “You prevailed against the orc tribe,” a soothing and at the same time powerful voice said.

  “We did,” Ivan replied. “I could feel the presence of his mind during the battle. He was searching for him.”

  “I know it did not seem like the right thing to do but it needed to be done,” said the voice.

  “I… understand,” Ivan said coldly.

  “You should know the plan worked; however, it is not safe to talk about with magic. He could be listening in. You know what you must do,” the voice said ambiguously.

  “Understood,” Ivan put the mirror back into his pocket and began to walk swiftly back to camp.

  Anders looked at Zahara, “You stay here. I’m going to confront him about this.”

  Are you sure that’s a good idea? Zahara asked.

  “I need to know what he’s been hiding from us,” he said with determination.

  Okay, but be careful. It sounded as though he might have known about the orc attack and did nothing to prevent it. I will keep my distance, but if he tries anything, I will jump in to protect you if need be.

  “Thanks.” Anders hoped that it wouldn’t come to that. He had to get to the bottom of what Ivan was keeping from them. If Ivan had known in advance about the orcs’ attack and did nothing to prevent it, Anders felt he’d have to tell the others of this betrayal.

  Anders ran toward him, calling after Ivan.

  “Anders?” Ivan said sounding surprised to see him. “Where did you come from?”

  Anders stopped just short of Ivan to confront him. “I saw y
ou the other night, sneaking away from camp to have a chat in private with whoever is on the other side of that mirror,” he pointed angrily to where Ivan had pocketed the mirror. “That’s also what you were doing the night I was walking along the plains and that’s what I just saw you do now.”

  “Anders, I can explain,” Ivan began, but Anders cut him off.

  “I heard what they said. You knew about the orc attack and did nothing to stop it?” Ivan looked down trying to think of something to say. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out; he failed to say the words Anders wanted to hear.

  “Why didn’t you warn us about the attack!” Anders shouted, more enraged now than he thought he would ever be.

  “Anders, there are powers at work here that you do not yet understand. The orcs attacking the Rollo warriors was necessary for our mission,” Ivan said.

  “How was having orcs kill the people who are trying to help me get my family back necessary for our mission? Our mission is to track down the enemy and save the people they took from us!” Anders said with conviction.

  “I know it looks bad, but the elves and I have been working on a way to get Merglan to expose his location to us. We have been trying for years to find where he has been conducting his dark magic. We knew it was somewhere east and we know that the Rollo Islanders are involved. The high council of elves and I saw an opportunity. And it worked, Anders. The elves have spies who saw where they were marching. They tracked them to a fortress in Eastland. What you overheard back there was not bad news; it was great news. Now I must go to the Enlightened Forest and meet with the elf king to plan our next move. You must believe me that what happened here was a necessary evil for the greater good of Kartania.” Ivan paused, waiting for Anders’ response.

  While trying to process the information, Anders heard Zahara say in his mind, He is telling the truth, Anders. I was able to sense him while he spoke to you. He was being honest with you.

  Anders glared at Ivan and said, “Good people died because of this.”

  “And many more will unless we stop Merglan,” Ivan said.

  Anders nodded, “All right, I’ll keep this to myself, under one condition.”

  “What’s that?” Ivan asked.

  “That you take me and Max with you to the elves,” Anders demanded.

  Ivan paused, scratching the beard that had grown on his chin over the last several weeks. Thinking it over he said, “Okay, fine. You two can come with me.”

  “Great! When do we leave?”

  “As soon as we get back to camp,” Ivan said.

  Anders used his thoughts to reach Zahara, You can follow us to the elves, that’s where your family and the other dragons you were with were going when you got lost, right?

  Yes. Do you think my family made it there?

  It’s our best shot at finding them. If they aren’t there, maybe the elves will be able to help you find them. They would know more about it than anyone else I can think of.

  Thank you, Anders.

  Back at camp, he pulled Max aside and told him that the three of them would be going on a separate mission to see the elves, if Max wanted to join in.

  “Are you serious?” Max asked, excitedly. “I’ve never met an elf before. Yes, I’m in! When do we leave?”

  “Get your things. We’re to meet Ivan by the stream as soon as we’re ready,” Anders said pointing to the canyon at the mouth of the bay. Max grabbed his travel pack and the two of them said their goodbyes to Britt and her crewmates. Both of them had grown close to their new captain over the last several weeks, so it was a sorrowful goodbye.

  Max and Anders met Ivan near the stream. Ivan had explained to Red and Jorgen that he was needed for a different mission and was taking Max and Anders. Their plan was to reunite with the warriors in a week’s time. The two Rollo leaders were not happy to see a valuable asset like Ivan leave them now, but none of the three were a part of the Rollo tribe, so they couldn’t stop them from leaving. Together Ivan, Anders, and Max set out; Zahara followed, unknown to Anders’ two companions.

  Chapter Fourteen

  |||||

  The Everlight Kingdom

  WITH NO PATH FOR them to follow, neither Max nor Anders knew where they were going, so they trailed Ivan. Anders reached out mentally to Zahara. He felt her presence and knew she was nearby, shadowing them as they hiked up the canyon deeper into the forest.

  “How long is the walk to the Everlight Kingdom?” Anders asked as they hiked along the forest floor.

  “We are already in the Everlight Kingdom,” Ivan said. “We are going to the ancient elf city of Cedarbridge in the heart of the Enlightened Forest.”

  “Why do they call it the Enlightened Forest?” Max asked.

  “Long ago when the elves first built their homes in the forest, they imbedded magic into all of their natural surroundings. The elves and the empowered forest have since coexisted peacefully and harmoniously for thousands of years with this sharing of powers. The magic within the walls is so ancient and powerful that no magician has ever been able to break down its protective barrier, not even Merglan,” Ivan said.

  “It sounds like a utopia,” Max said.

  “It’s a peaceful place and the quest for knowledge there is never-ending. They hold the largest library in the world. Its manuscripts and scrolls go all the way back to this world’s first inhabitants.”

  “It sounds like a good place to be when the rest of the nations fall to pieces,” Anders said.

  “The elves are not beyond the destructive grasp of Merglan, but they have managed to avoid it thus far. The location of Cedarbridge disguises itself to those unwelcome magicians who seek to find it,” Ivan said. “Though they are protected by powerful magic, the city of the elves has its problems too, just like the rest of the world.”

  They walked in silence for most of the morning after the talk about Cedarbridge. They stopped to rest for lunch after emerging from the canyon where the Glacial Melt Creek was carving out its path.

  “Do all elves know how to use magic?” Anders asked, chewing on a stick of jerky.

  Ivan responded, “No, although many can. They are not born with the ability to use magic, like dragons. They have to be given the gift just like we humans. Most elves live very long lives, much longer than a human or dwarf. Elves and dragons share a special connection with nature and all things that come from nature. The elven people have bonded more with dragons than any other race; it has been that way for thousands of years. The land of dragons, Nagano, as named by the elves, is the original birthplace of our world’s dragon race. Its borders lie east and north of the Everlight Kingdom. Nagano is surrounded by two enormous mountain ranges, the Ridgebacks to the north and the Eastland Mountains to the south. The Eastland Mountains separate the dragons from the evils that grow in Eastland Territories.”

  “It sounds like a good place for a young dragon to grow up,” Anders said, thinking of Zahara’s life when she was younger.

  “Yes, Nagano is an ideal place for dragons to thrive,” Ivan said looking at Anders, curious about that comment.

  For the next several days, the three of them marched through the forest along the base of the Frozentip Mountains, which, according to Ivan, separated Westland from the Everlight Kingdom. Every now and then Anders could see the glacier-capped peaks poking up above the clouds. Each night, Anders would sneak away to visit with Zahara and tell her what he learned about the elves that day. She was just as fascinated by their culture as he was and probably more excited to meet them.

  Finally, after several long days with little rest at night, the three travelers reached the camouflaged city gates of Cedarbridge. An expansive wall of tightly woven plants created a living barrier protecting the city’s limits. Anders told Zahara to wait until he thought it was safe for her to reveal herself to the elves. He didn’t want to take any chances of having Zahara taken away from him until he was sure they would help find her parents.

 
Ivan spoke a strange tongue that Anders assumed was Elvish, because when he finished the gate swung open. “Welcome to the Enlightened Forest and Cedarbridge, the city of elves,” Ivan motioned his arm across his body in perfect timing with the gate as it opened.

  Anders and Max stared in awe at the beautiful sight. Homes built in trees, natural bridges and staircases leading from one to the other. Entire structures constructed of growing plants surrounded them as they entered the city. Beautiful wood carvings adorned each door and each structure’s intricate details stood out. Anders took it all in.

  Everything is a wonderful work of art, he thought.

  Before they’d gone very far beyond the gates, an elf woman walked up to them. She wore her silver blonde hair pinned up at the back of her head, exposing her pointy ears. She had beautiful green eyes and wore a blue dress intricately woven with a pattern Anders had never seen before.

  “Follow me,” she said in slightly accented Landish and motioned for them to follow her. Max, Ivan, and Anders did as they were instructed.

  “Where are we going?” Anders asked Ivan.

  “She is leading us to the High Council. There we will discuss the location of Merglan’s hideout,” Ivan said.

  They followed a well-worn path that wound through the forested city. At the base of an enormous tree, they entered through another beautifully carved door. Spiral stairs spun along the inside of the tree’s trunk, leading them upward to the canopy. They came out into a large courtyard nestled in the crotch of the large tree. Leaf-covered branches extended out and up from the platform’s edges, growing in all directions high above their heads. In the center of the courtyard, seated around a large table, seven elves awaited their arrival. Every one of them looked over at Ivan, Max and Anders when they entered the platform. Only one seat remained unoccupied at the table.

  “We weren’t expecting you to bring visitors,” one of the elves said to Ivan in perfect Landish as he moved into the remaining chair. Anders and Max stood behind him.