Snowden felt at ease with Ashley. He had yet to tell her about Braxam as he didn’t want to worry her. Ashley’s sorcery was becoming extremely powerful. The dragon didn’t believe that even Ashley realized how strong she was getting. Her sorcery was already on a par with many of the students that had lived beneath Firestorm Mountain. While Snowden didn’t believe Ashley would be as strong as Cathy had been, she wasn’t going to be too far behind. This astonished Snowden considering how much time had passed.
Back up over Beaver Mountain they flew until the cave entrance came into view. Just as Snowden was preparing to land, the flying harness that Ashley was using snapped. It parted and caused Ashley to lose her balance. In panic, Snowden turned trying to keep Ashley from falling. For a few seconds, Ashley managed to stay on. Those few seconds and Snowden’s skillful flying probably saved Ashley’s life. She finally lost her grip and fell from the dragon. It was nearly fifteen feet to the ground and she struck it very hard, rolling partially down the steep slope.
Snowden landed next to her in a panic, hoping his young friend wasn’t seriously injured. Snowden looked up and saw another human form running toward them from the trees. The dragon recognized Ashley’s father.
“Ashley!” Harmon yelled in fear as he ran up to his unmoving daughter and the dragon. In all his years, he had never seen the dragon awake until recently.
Harmon bent down and scooped his daughter up holding her in his arms. Grabbing his amulet, he quickly cast a spell to check on her injuries. With relief, he saw that she wasn’t seriously injured just a few bruises and scrapes. She had been knocked unconscious from the fall.
“Let’s take her back to your lair where there is more protection from the cold,” spoke Harmon, looking at Snowden and hoping the dragon understood him.
Harmon carried Ashley back to Snowden’s lair with the dragon following closely. Once they reached the lair, Harmon was surprised to see two of his light globes lighting up the small cavern. He saw several blankets on the floor and lay Ashley gently down upon them. He also noticed the glowing embers from a recent fire. Feeling a presence close behind him, Harmon turned to gaze at the white dragon. Even he could see the look of deep concern and worry in the dragon’s deep yellow eyes.
“She will be fine, Snowden,” said Harmon, realizing the dragon was distressed. “It was an accident, and it was your flying ability that saved Ashley from serious harm.”
Snowden sat down and gazed at Harmon and Ashley. The dragon had been aware for quite some time that Ashley’s father had been following her to the mountain and keeping a careful watch from outside. He had sensed no malevolence or anger coming from him, so Snowden hadn’t said anything to Ashley.
Harmon took the lid off his canteen of water and reached into his backpack, taking out a small scarf. He put some water on it and placed it on Ashley’s forehead. After a few more moments, he heard a loud moan and her eyes snapped open.
The first thing Ashley saw was her father bending over her. In a weak voice, she asked, “Dad, what are you doing here?” She could see they were back in Snowden’s lair, and the dragon was watching from behind her father.
“I saw you fall,” her father replied with concern in his eyes. “I was afraid you were seriously hurt. If not for Snowden’s natural flying skill keeping you from falling until the last possible second, you might have been.”
“You saw me flying on Snowden?” stammered Ashley, realizing her secret was out.
“I’ve been watching you and Snowden for several months,” her father confessed. “I’m surprised the dragon never told you.”
“I’m sorry, Ashley,” Snowden spoke into Ashley’s mind. “I knew your father was watching, but I felt it best not to say anything. If he had wanted you to know, he would have told you.”
Ashley tried to sit up and felt pain shoot through her entire body. It seemed as if every bone and joint hurt. There was no way she was walking back down the mountain feeling like this. She also knew she was too bruised to let Snowden fly her back down either.
Lying back down, Ashley looked at her father. It was time to ask the question that was running through her mind. “How much do you know?”
Harmon looked at his daughter with a gentle smile breaking out on his face. He had known this was a question he would have to answer eventually.
“I know that you are a sorceress and that you can talk to Snowden as well as understand his thoughts.”
“How long have you known?” Ashley asked, her deep blue eyes focusing on her father. She wondered why he hadn’t said something earlier.
Harmon was silent for a moment. There was no longer any reason to hide anything from his daughter; it was time for the truth.
“Since right after you were born I knew that you would be a sorceress,” he spoke in a calm voice, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “I saw it all in a dream two weeks after your birth. I was the one who slipped the sorcery books into your bed.”
Ashley struggled to sit up and her father helped her, taking several long drinks from the canteen he handed her. “But how did you know your dream was about me?”
“In my study there is a book of prophecies written by one of our ancient ancestors. It predicted the birth of a great sorceress who would awaken the dragon and become his rider. You fit the prophecy perfectly. I have been following you for months, watching you and Snowden fly together.”
“When we get home, I need to see this prophecy,” responded Ashley, shaking her head in disbelief at all she was hearing. All these years she had tried so hard to hide her sorcery from her father and he had known her secret the entire time.
Her father reached forward and pulled her amulet out from beneath her shirt. It was glowing dimly. “Do you remember when I first gave this to you?” His eyes searched and found hers.
“It was on my twelfth birthday,” replied Ashley, recalling her surprise and elation when her father had given her the beautiful necklace.
“This amulet belonged to our ancient ancestor who wrote the book of prophecies,” her father explained. “It’s the most powerful amulet any member of our family has ever possessed. It wasn’t to be used by anyone else until the sorceress in the prophecy was born.”
Ashley listened to her father in astonishment. She was becoming more confused with every word he said. She knew it was because she was still partially disorientated from her fall. When they got home, she would have to have a long talk with her father about all of this.
“I think you’d better lay back down and rest,” said Harmon, knowing his daughter was feeling very confused by what he had revealed. He could also tell she was still in a lot of pain from her fall.
“Mother is going to be worried,” Ashley spoke as she lay back down and closed her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” her father replied. “I told your mother awhile back what was going on. She knows that I have been keeping an eye on you. She won’t be worried because she knows we’re together. Now go to sleep and get some rest. Snowden and I will still be here in the morning.”
-
Ashley woke up the next morning and slowly sat up. She looked around Snowden’s lair, seeing the dragon watching her with his sun-like yellow eyes. Her father was nowhere in sight. Had she imagined everything? Standing up, she felt numerous aches and pains shoot through her body. No, she definitely hadn’t imagined falling off of Snowden.
“Hello,” Snowden spoke in Ashley’s mind. “Feeling better?”
Ashley tried stretching and after moving around for a minute, began to feel almost human again. “Better now,” she replied, smiling at Snowden. “That was some fall. I should have made the harness better. It was my fault, Snowden.” Noticing a warming fire burning close to her, she held out her hands, enjoying the heat.
“I’ll help make a more secure harness for you when we get back home,” her father spoke from behind her. He had just walked back into Snowden’s lair and was carrying more firewood in his arms. He walked over and stacked it on top the large pil
e he had already brought into Snowden’s lair.
“You will?” Ashley asked, surprised. “Does that mean you will let Snowden and I continue to fly together?”
“Only after I make a much better harness,” her father replied, firmly. “I should have done that to begin with when I realized that you were flying with Snowden.”
Ashley looked at her father and nodded. “I guess we’d better be getting back home. I don’t want Mom worrying more than she has to.”
Harmon nodded in agreement. He let out a deep breath and helped Ashley pack her things. With a quick gesture, the fire was extinguished. In moments, they were ready and, after saying goodbye to the dragon, they started down the mountain.
It took longer than usual to reach the area where the horses were waiting. Spirit neighed loudly upon seeing Ashley. Walking over to her horse, she petted Spirit on his neck while talking soothingly to the horse. She apologized for leaving him out all night tied up to a tree.
Her father quickly made an appearance after going farther into the trees to retrieve his horse, which had been hidden out of sight. The two quickly mounted and started back toward home.
“What now?” Ashley asked tentatively, still confused by a lot of what her father had told her.
“We need to spend some time in the study reading over the prophecies which I believe pertain to you,” replied her father, glancing over at his daughter. “After that I expect you to work on your sorcery every day until you have full control of your powers.”
“Then what?”
“In the spring when the Sorensons come back, we may have a surprise for them.”
“Do we tell anyone else about my powers?”
“No,” her father replied decisively. “For the time being only your mother, Stephen, and I need to know.”
“Does Stephen already know about me?” asked Ashley, wondering how her brother would take the news.
“Not yet,” replied Harmon, kicking his horse in the side slightly so they could speed up. “With all the time you need to put in practicing sorcery, it will be easier just to tell him. That way we won’t have to hide anything.”
Ashley nodded. How would Stephen take it when he found out that his weakness in sorcery might be because of her? She rode the rest of the way home in silence, thinking about the last twenty-four hours. So many things at home were about to change.
-
Several hours later, the entire family was in the study. Ashley’s father was sitting behind his large desk with Katrina standing just behind him with her hands resting on his shoulders. Katrina was gazing across the desk at Stephen and Ashley, who were seated in comfortable chairs waiting for Harmon to speak. Katrina was fearful of the future that was in store for her only daughter.
She could well remember how shocked she had been several months back when Harmon had shut their bedroom door and told her they needed to talk. When he told her about Ashley, she hadn’t known what to say. For a while, she had just sat there on the bed, staring numbly at her husband, finding it hard to believe what he had just revealed to her. Today she was feeling even more frightened by what he was about to say. She knew there had to be a reason for all of this, and she strongly suspected she wouldn’t like it.
Harmon gazed at his son and daughter. He had already told Stephen earlier about Ashley, and he could tell that his son still didn’t fully understand what was happening.
“I thought girls weren’t allowed to become sorceresses,” began Stephen, glancing over at his sister. “Her powers weren’t supposed to be developed.”
“In most cases you would be correct,” replied Harmon, knowing that Stephen was feeling a little bit jealous. “But Ashley is special as far as her abilities go.”
“What do you mean special?” Stephen asked with a trace of anger in his voice. “Do you mean she’s better than me?”
“Stephen!” Katrina spoke sharply to her son. She knew he was feeling pain about this secret being kept from him. “Ashley is your sister. She would never do anything intentionally to upset you. You know that!”
Stephen looked sheepishly down at the floor. Everything was just so confusing. “Yeah, I know,” he admitted.
Harmon reached forward and opened a book that was lying on the desk. It was an extremely old book, and only a weak sorcery spell that had been cast on it by its writer kept it readable. He opened it to the page where he believed the prophecies that were written about Ashley began.
“These prophecies were written just prior to Snowden coming to our valley.”
-
Behold the white dragon, for the dragon is the redeemer of humankind.
Many years will the white dragon sleep before the one he awaits awakens.
Another will also awaken, the great dragon Gilmreth.
A great battle will rage over the skies of the great mountain.
Dragon versus dragon and sorcerer versus sorcerer.
If humanity is to endure and reunite, then the white dragon must survive.
Only through the white dragon can humanity find salvation.
-
“Is that the future?” Ashley interrupted. She knew that sorcerers had already fought each other beneath Firestorm Mountain and caused the Worldfire. Was there another great battle waiting in the future as well?
“This is the prophecy that is just before the ones pertaining to you,” her father responded. “It’s why our family became the keepers of the dragon. You have spent some time with Snowden; do you have any idea what this prophecy might mean?”
“The one he is waiting to awaken is obviously Cathy Matheson,” Ashley responded, not understanding how that could be possible. Cathy should have died in ancient times. How could she possibly have survived?
“Who is Cathy Matheson?” Stephen asked. He had never heard that name before.
“She was one of the most powerful sorcerers living in the secret complex beneath Firestorm Mountain,” Ashley responded. “She was one of the original sorceresses. She was also Snowden’s first and best friend.”
“What secret complex?” Stephen demanded. He had no idea what his sister was talking about.
“How do you know all of this?” her father asked, his eyes growing wide at these revelations from his daughter.
“From Snowden,” replied Ashley, looking into her father’s eyes. “He has many of Cathy’s memories of her time beneath Firestorm Mountain when she was learning sorcery. Snowden has been transferring those memories to me so I could better learn to control my powers.”
“You’re saying that these memories are from one of the most powerful sorceresses ever to live and from her you have been learning sorcery?” her father asked, breathlessly. If this was true, Ashley’s abilities could be truly powerful.
“Yes,” Ashley replied, her deep blue eyes looking over at her father and mother.
“Wow!” Stephen said with excitement in his eyes. “You have to tell me all about this. What was it like? How many sorcerers were there? Do you know what caused the Worldfire?”
Ashley laughed and shook her head. “Slow down. I do know those answers, and when we have more time, I will tell you.”
“I think you’re going to have to write a lot of this stuff down,” her father said, amazed at the knowledge his daughter now possessed. “There are so few records from those times. You may be the only one that truly knows and understands what happened.”
“What about these other prophecies?” asked Katrina, wanting to know more about what was in store for her daughter.
Harmon turned the page and read the next prophecy aloud.
-
Beneath the mountain, the white dragon will sleep through the centuries.
A girl child of deep blue eyes will be born to the keepers of the dragon.
Sorcery she will learn when the dragon awakens. From the past, the knowledge will come.
The white dragon and the blue-eyed sorceress have a destiny to fulfill.
Gilmreth and the one who sleeps await.
-
“That sounds scary,” Stephen muttered quietly, looking at his sister. “I’m glad that I’m not you, Ashley.”
“What does it mean?” asked Katrina, feeling a cold chill run down her back. It sounded ominous.
“Do you know, Ashley?” her father asked slowly.
“Sorcery from the past has to refer to my learning about my abilities from the memories of Cathy Matheson,” responded Ashley, biting her lower lip. “I had a dream once about Snowden fighting Gilmreth above Firestorm Mountain. There were three sorceresses helping Snowden, one I didn’t recognize. One of the others was Cathy Matheson.”
“Who was the third one?”
Ashley looked at her father with non-blinking eyes. “The third one was me.”
“Oh, no!” cried Katrina, feeling weakness in her legs. She grasped Harmon’s shoulders tighter. “I don’t want you fighting dragons!”
“There is one other prophecy which clearly relates to you,” Harmon continued. “I believe this one refers to the present and the near future.”
-
The blue-eyed sorceress of the keepers of the dragon will fly with the white dragon.
The sorceress and the dragon will become as one.
A great threat will come from the north to threaten the keepers of the dragon.
The dragon of the earth will appear.
Conflict will arise between sorcerers and sorcerers and the dragons will meet.
The future of the valley will rest with the blue-eyed sorceress and the white dragon.
-
Stephen turned to face Ashley, his eyes wide with excitement. “Have you flown with Snowden?”
Ashley looked over at her father who nodded and then back at her brother. “Yes I have.”
“Is that safe?” asked Katrina, not happy about this revelation. Ashley was going to get hurt.
“It will be safe when I make a new riding harness for them,” Harmon assured his wife, reaching up and patting her hand.
“The prophecy sounds as if it’s talking about the conflict between us and the Sorensons,” commented Ashley, pondering what it meant. In some parts, it was very clear, but in others, it was vague.
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