“Seeing folks?”
“Ye’re a gifted healer, sir, that ye are. And I have a lot o’ friends back in the old neighborhood with pains and sickness, complaints and such, who are wantin’ to be looked at by ye. Some of them have been askin’ after ye for a good while now, after they’d seen what ye had done for my little Lynette. I told them, ‘Wait,’ says I, ‘wait till he feels a bit stronger, and is up to it.’ Did I do right?”
“That was very considerate of you, Praeger, and yes, I am doing better. But are there no healers where you lived?”
“No good ones to speak of, sir. A country witch here and there who can deal with yer everyday toothache or croup, and a few studied sorts as charge more than we folk can afford. Some of the friends I mentioned haven’t got much to pay ye, sir, but they’ll gladly give ye a pail of milk or a good chicken for your trouble, such as they can spare, and ye with yer good heart and all…. Ye know so much, sir, and I’ve never seen anyone do what ye did with yer hands.”
“I just don’t want to infringe on someone else’s livelihood, that’s all. Of course, I’d be happy to see anybody you want to recommend, Praeger. It seems I’m being paid by the Crown anyway, so I might as well make myself useful. I can’t promise to fix everything, but we do have quite a good stock of salves and potions here. Tell them to come around anytime I am here, and I’ll be glad to do what I can.”
“Thank ye, sir. Ye’re a good soul, sir…” He took his leave, and headed toward the house, whistling happily. Tvrdik hardly had the time to consider what he had just gotten himself into when he heard the click of his front gate, and turned to see Mark and Delphine just arrived.
“Good morning, Sir Wizard,” the girl called cheerfully, “Did you sleep well in your own house?”
Seeing Delphine’s lovely face brought back the memory of his nightmares, and he frowned, “Well, I did sleep long, but I had the strangest dreams – not very restful.”
“Takes some time to get used to a new bed,” Mark offered.
“I’m sure that’s it. In any case, welcome friends. What am I thinking, keeping you standing out here? Can I get you anything? Some refreshment?”
“No, it’s alright. Mark is just leaving, and wanted to stop by on the way out.”
“Leaving?” Only then did he notice that the bard was draped in carry-sacks; his harp and overnight gear, presumably.
“Yes, I was able to cover myself for my engagements all week, and wanted to lose no time in going to see Nyree. She will listen to our plan, I am certain of it, and has the authority to call together all the members of our guild if she sees reason. But she rarely leaves her home these days… I must go and seek her out.”
“That will be wonderful, Mark. Is it very far?”
“Not very. A day’s journey, perhaps, on foot. I won’t be away long. You will look after my bride, though, won’t you? I’d feel better knowing she was under someone’s wing, times being what they are…”
“Mark!” Delphine protested.
“Of course, Mark. It will be my pleasure. Don’t worry. But wouldn’t you rather go with him, Delphine?”
“Not a chance. Rel is beside herself already, since Tashroth also left this morning to go and rally all the dragons. He travels faster than Mark, but has great distances to cover, and many stops to make. He might be gone the entire week, and though my sister realizes the necessity of this trip, she is always at sixes and sevens when they are separated for any length of time. She would just explode, if I were to go as well.”
“And she could not go with Tashroth?”
“She is the regent, remember? She can’t be spared just now, with so many things to attend to on a daily basis. And she should not leave the king alone, either. Besides, Tash needs the flexibility to speak with other dragons without a human present. Many of the others are not as well-disposed toward people as he has been. They are still cautious and suspicious in the presence of humans.”
“I see. Please tell her that she is welcome here any time she has a moment to herself. We can talk strategy, or just visit. Both of you. My home is your home. Mark, do you need anything? Provisions, equipment, ideas for how you will present our case to the Guild?”
“No, thank you, Tvrdik. I think I am all set, and I am sure I can explain everything properly to Nyree. She is an old friend, a mentor, and, I feel certain, a likely ally. She can take it from there. I should be on my way. The sun is already high, and I have miles to cover before nightfall.”
“Alright, then. Safe travels and good fortune. Come back to us soon with good news.” The two men shook hands, and then Tvrdik backed away while Mark and Delphine kissed goodbye. An odd twinge went through him, seeing their closeness, but he dismissed it. Mark backed through the gate, burdened with his packs, and started up the Riverwalk, waving to them as he rounded the first bend and disappeared.
“Delphine, will you stay awhile?” Tvrdik invited.
“I will,” she lifted her chin in defiance of gloom, “and the first thing we had better do is get back to your exercises.”
“What?” exclaimed the mage.
“Come on. That arm will never be back to normal if we don’t keep them up. And don’t try to tell me you have been doing them on your own, because I won’t believe it.”
He hung his head in guilty admission, and allowed her to escort him back to the house, where she started him on his regimen of stretching and strengthening moves. He was surprised to see that he was stiff, and had lost some ground since their last session.
“You see,” Delphine scolded, “you do need me. I apologize for falling down on the job. I promise to come over often and remedy that.”
“Do.” he replied, and they both laughed, though Tvrdik was also wincing as they worked on retraining his injured muscles.
“Why is the place so quiet?” Delphine asked.
“Hmmm…Stewart has also gone on his pilgrimage to round up all the talking animals for our cause. Lynette is out, I think, picking wildflowers for the tables, and should be back presently. Mr. and Mrs. Praeger are in the back assessing the work required to convert the dormitories for their use…”
“Oh.”
While they were hard at work, and Delphine was a taskmaster that day, Lynette did come in with arms full of flowers to place around the house, and Mrs. Praeger, discovering that there was company, insisted on bringing them tea. After they had finished the exercises and were enjoying their tea, they chatted about one thing and another, and Delphine wandered into asking many questions about the healer’s art. Tvrdik was happy to answer her inquiries, but since her interest did not wane, he felt inspired to say to her, “You know, you really have a knack for this sort of thing – a wonderful mind and a real way with people – not to mention that tough streak that won’t let anyone get away with whatever is not good for them.” He cocked an eyebrow and rotated his left shoulder a few times by way of illustration. “If you were interested in learning something of the healer’s art, I could teach you a few things. I know it isn’t your first love, but some skill could come in handy. You never know.”
Delphine was exuberant. “I would love that. Would you really teach me? I’ve always been drawn to medicine, but here, it’s considered more of a man’s profession.”
“Nonsense! One should follow where one’s talents and inclinations lead. Are you finished with your tea? I’ll give you a sample today. Come out with me to the garden.” She followed him out to the front garden where all the herbs grew in ordered profusion. Tvrdik took her around the large plot, showing her each precious plant, explaining how to recognize it, and what its medicinal properties were. With each, he made her repeat back to him the plant’s name, its description, and uses. There were quite a few different species to deal with in Xaarus’ garden, so it was predictable that after an hour or so, Delphine finally laughed and called out, “No more, stop! My head is swimming. It can take
in nothing else.”
“Oh, sorry. This is a sort of a passion of mine, and I’m afraid I get a bit carried away.”
“Don’t apologize. I loved it. I’ve learned so much today, and, despite appearances, I really think a lot of it is sticking. I just need a break.”
“Well, that’s enough for today. Come back anytime you want another lesson. In fact, Praeger asked me today if I would be willing to do some work on the town and farm folk hereabouts. If people start to show up, you could learn a lot in person on real cases. I could use an assistant…at least while Mark is away.”
“That sounds like a fine opportunity. I would love to see you in action close up, and to help out in any way I can. You must let me know if you start to get patients.”
“I will. Good gracious, what time is it? I had almost forgotten, I am supposed to meet with Ondine to go and see the Unicorns. Do you want to come?”
“Ooooh, I’d love to, but I’d better be getting back to the palace. Rel and Darian will be wondering where I’ve gotten to.”
“Well, say hello from me, and don’t be a stranger.”
“And good luck to you. It’s all beginning to come together, isn’t it, Tvrdik?”
“More quickly than I might have hoped. We still have a ways to go…”
“One step at a time. It will happen. I can feel it.”
“I hope I can trust your intuition. Will you be alright going back by yourself? Mark would never forgive me if I let something happen to you…”
“Don’t be silly. It’s a beautiful day. A walk in the gardens is good for me.”
“I give you your leave, then, Delphine. I will see you soon.”
“Thanks for the tea - and the lessons. I promise I will practice what I learned. Goodbye.” She let herself out the gate onto the Riverwalk and hurried back toward the gardens and the palace.
The Praegers had already gone to the market for supplies, so Tvrdik just left them a note, grasped his staff, closed and blessed the front door, and dashed through the gate himself, in the opposite direction, headed for his special sanctuary, where he was to meet Ondine. In only a few minutes, he was pushing through the brush, and emerging on the familiar flat rock. Throwing a pebble in the river, and whistling their special little crooked tune, he waited. In a breath, the sparkling blue figure appeared from beneath the moving stream, a petulant frown on her freckled, ageless face.
“Hurry, Lovely Man. Long journey. We may come late – not see them.” She took off, moving upstream, while he followed along as best he could along the riverbank, keeping her little blue curls in sight. Sometimes, it was a bit of a scramble through brush, thorns, and steep muddy slopes along the bank. But eventually, the river began widening, winding out of the wood and through green, grassy fields, dotted with wildflowers here and there. An occasional farm or cottage popped up on either side, but Tvrdik cast a spell of invisibility over himself and Ondine, so as not to waste time explaining himself to anyone they should run into along the way. Farmhouses began to appear with more frequency, and then they were crossing through the city, bustling with people, shopping, selling, and plying all manner of trades. Maintaining their focus, the invisible travelers moved with purpose, emerging from the city limits in record time. Residences and streets yielded to more farmland, and farmland gave way to green, rolling hills peppered with isolated copses of trees, and low bushes. It was beautiful country, and a mystery why people had not yet bent this area to their use. Perhaps they somehow sensed the faerie quality it seemed to radiate, and gave it a wide berth out of respect, or superstition.
Tvrdik lifted the invisibility charm, as Ondine slowed her pace. He hugged the riverbank now, so as not to lose her. Together they rounded a bend, defined by a dense arbor, and found themselves peering into a large, grassy area almost entirely surrounded by trees, where light and shadow played chasing games across the landscape, and the stillness was broken only by the buzzing of an occasional bee, or the flutter of butterfly wings. It was a magical place, hidden from the casual eye, removed from the main road, which at this point had left the river’s side. The Maygrew ran all along one side of the clearing, and was lost in the trees on the far side. But the naiad and mage halted at this spot and exchanged a meaningful glance. Ondine pointed, though she needn’t have, for there, clustered at the other end of this little protected clearing, stood the entire herd. Unperturbed, they grazed or stood dreaming, tails swishing. They gathered in pairs and trios to share gossip or quiet companionship. Some were perfectly white, some black as onyx, some dappled gray. Smaller than horses they were, slender, but sturdy, perfectly proportioned with flowing manes. Their cloven hooves pawed at the grass, and a shimmer of opalescent light seemed to emanate from them. And their horns spiraled from broad foreheads in polished, delicate bone, ending in wickedly sharp points; one would not want to be at the business end of those! It was impossible to keep from staring at them. Tvrdik realized he had been holding his breath as he took in the remarkable sight, and now he consciously released it in a gusty sigh, uttering the single word, “Glorious.” Ondine shook her head and put a finger to her lips, but it was too late. Across the field, they saw one of the largest unicorns, white with a yellow-gold mane, lift his head and turn to look right at them. They had been discovered.
The magnificent beast came trotting up to them across the green field, his expression unreadable. Tvrdik did not move, or flinch, or utter a sound, but kept his posture open and non-threatening. One hand was low on his staff and the other palm out, fingers unclenched. Ondine bobbed gently in the blue-green water, but her attention was fixed on the approaching unicorn. It stopped a few yards from them, and seemed to be sizing them up. In a light, but authoritative voice, it addressed them formally, “I am Wynne, leader of this herd. Who are you, and why do you trespass on our sanctuary?”
Tvrdik did not move a muscle and kept steady eye-contact with the beast, “I am called Tvrdik, and my companion there is Ondine, a water sprite. We have come here to seek you out, hoping to speak with you on matters of some importance.”
The unicorn tilted its head, “Speak now.”
So much for hospitality, Tvrdik thought. He tried to craft his argument concisely, “There is danger coming to this place about which you should know…”
“What danger?”
“Are you aware of the kingdom in which your land lies, and of those who rule it from the palace downstream?”
“We pay little attention to the affairs of men, but… yes, we are aware.”
“Those who now reign are honorable folk, who have always attempted to be fair and respectful of your rights…”
“That is a matter of opinion, but go on.”
“There is an upstart northern lord, from out of the hills, who desires to rule this kingdom himself. He is cruel and devious, and will use any means to accomplish his purpose – force, treachery, general destruction and mayhem. Everyone will suffer.”
The unicorn frowned. Several others in the distance had ceased cropping grass and were looking on in interest.
Tvrdik swallowed and continued, “There is a faction in the government who wish to defend the kingdom from this man in traditional ways, with armies and weapons. I represent another faction who would rather turn the usurpers back, but without bloodshed.”
“How is that possible?’
“We wish to use every other tool at our disposal – magic, cleverness, creativity, persuasion. But not to mortally harm anyone if we can help it. We have a source which has warned us that if we respond to the threat with violence, we will fail, and endanger our very future.”
“This ‘source’…how can they know such a thing? Is it divination?”
“Of a sort. He has travelled to the future and seen what it may be.”
“Is that possible?”
“Not usually. He is mage, and sought to learn the true nature of time. His explorations came
at a very high price, but he was able to send us this warning.”
The unicorn’s eyes narrowed, “You do not speak truth. There are no more mages. Not for years.”
“I speak of one who was thought to have vanished years ago. His name is Xaarus.”
“You know Xaarus?” Wynne took a step closer. Several of the other unicorns trotted up to join their leader, eager to hear the rest of the conversation. “Xaarus was a great friend to us. We held him in high esteem, while he lived and walked among us.”
“He lives still, and sends greetings,” Tvrdik seized the opportunity to press his case. “But he sought, years ago, to travel to the future, and now cannot find a way back. I am now his hands, and feet, and voice here. He can communicate his wishes through me.”
Wynne made a snuffling, scoffing sound, “Why you, boy?”
“I am also mage. I am his pupil and apprentice.”
There was a good deal of neighing and nickering at that revelation. Neither Tvrdik, nor Ondine had yet dared so much as to shift an inch, several sharp horns pointed straight at them. Wynne now took yet another step toward them and addressed the young wizard from an uncomfortably close position. His voice was low and intense, “Can you prove to me that you are mage, or that you speak for Xaarus the wise?”
Beads of sweat collected on Tvrdik’s brow, “I may be able to prove later, to your satisfaction that I have messages from the master, but I can certainly show you right now that I am mage.” No sooner had the words left his mouth, but he banged his staff on the ground and a wall of flame sprang up between himself and the beasts. They cried out and started backwards. Immediately, he made the flames vanish.
“I am so sorry,” Tvrdik said, “I did not mean to alarm you. I was trying to think of something dramatic and impressive, and I over-reached.” He rapped the staff again on the ground, and suddenly thousands of rose petals were floating down from the sky, pink and mauve and burgundy, fragrant and delicate, drifting down on all of them and blanketing the ground. Ondine giggled.
The Last Wizard of Eneri Clare Page 45
