The Dragon's Song

by Claire Fogel

  Kevin’s mouth was hanging open. “Oh, no, babe. Not your mom.” He was sitting on the edge of the deck chair and reached over to grab my hand.

  “Do you think she was grabbed by men hired by Gaynes? Oh, stupid question. Who else could it be?” After a minute he asked, “Who’s searching the forest? You can’t see anything out there at night.”

  “Yes, I’m sure it was Gaynes’ men. The Highway Patrol has had both exits from Thornewood blocked all day, so they couldn’t have left town. Every vacant house and building has been searched, so where else could they have gone? They have to be in the forest.”

  He shook his head. “I doubt they’ll find anything until daylight. We don’t even have a full moon tonight.”

  Adam leaned over and whispered, “You haven’t told him about Rowenna?”

  I shook my head. I hadn’t seen Kevin since the game Friday night.

  “What are you two whispering about? What aren’t you telling me, Cara?”

  “Uh, Kev, I’m not really keeping anything from you. I just haven’t had a chance to talk to you privately in a while.”

  “Okay, what don’t I know?”

  “The last time I spent a few days in Elvenwood, I made a new friend. Her name is Rowenna. Last spring, she’s what we would have considered, um, a mythical creature.”

  Just then I heard her rough voice in my head. I held up one hand to Kevin.

  Cara, I don’t see any people, but I see a shiny black box in the south side of the forest, not far from the wide road.

  I spoke out loud, excitedly. “That’s probably the automobile they were driving when they grabbed Mom. If there’s no one outside the black box, they’re probably still inside it.”

  Kevin whispered to Adam, “Who’s she talking to?

  “She’s talking to Rowenna.”

  Can you send your father and his men here? I’ll circle this area until they arrive.

  “Keep circling. My father and the police will get there as soon as possible. I’ll call him now. Thank you, Rowenna. I’m so grateful.”

  Out loud I said, “Dad, Rowenna has found them. At least she’s found their SUV. She didn’t see anyone outside the car, so maybe they’re still inside it. It’s on the south side of the forest, not far from the road. Rowenna is in the air, circling the area. She’ll keep circling until you get there.”

  We’re on our way, Cara. I could kiss that dragon.

  I couldn’t help smiling.

  I took a deep, deep breath and leaned back in my deck chair. I had to concentrate on breathing slowly, until I felt my heart slow down.

  Adam reached for my hand. “I’m guessing Rowenna found them. Fill us in.”

  “She doesn’t see anyone on the ground, but she saw what she described as a shiny black box parked on the south side of the forest. She’ll circle that area from the air until my father and the police get there.”

  I had a sudden thought, a very bad thought. “I hope they haven’t hurt Mom. If there’s even one scratch on her, my father will kill them before the police can ask a single question.”

  Adam said, “I thought you were worried about what Rowenna would do to them.”

  I looked at him. “Rowenna can burn them; but my dad might use his knives. And he will, if they’ve hurt Mom in any way.”

  Kevin grabbed my arm. “You know I love your mom as much as you do. Please tell me who Rowenna is. A super-hero who can fly and burn people?” His eyes were almost bugging out of his head.

  Adam and I looked at each other and nodded. “That’s exactly who she is, Kev. She’s a dragon, a very large, beautiful, fire-breathing dragon. My father thought they were extinct. They’re not, at least not in Blackthorne Forest.”

  For once, Kevin was speechless, his mouth hanging open again as he shook his head slowly. Finally, he said, “A dragon. Who would ever believe it?” He snorted. “I’ll probably wake up in the morning and find this was all a dream.”

  We could hear police sirens just as Rowenna glided down, landing in our backyard. I stood and ran to the railing. The dragon’s magic wrapped itself around me like a soft quilt.

  “Rowenna, did you see my mother? Is she all right?”

  Your father lifted her out of the black box and set her on her feet. He wrapped a blanket around her and carried her to the white vehicle with the flashing lights, so I believe she is all right. I would like to wait here until she arrives home.

  “Did the police catch the two men who took her?”

  She didn’t answer right away. Those men did not run away, Cara. Don’t worry.

  I breathed a deep sigh of relief. Mom was okay. “We’re so grateful to you, Rowenna. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

  She bent her long neck and nodded, her golden eyes half closed.

  “You must be tired. You were searching the forest for so many hours. Is there anything I can do for you?” I asked her.

  She made that huffing sound that always seemed like laughter. No, Cara. I’ll just rest here on the soft grass until your mother gets home. Dragons can fly long distances without rest. I’m fine.

  It suddenly occurred to me that Kevin hadn’t made any sound other than a gasp when she landed in the yard. I turned to see him totally wide-eyed, mouth hanging open, hands clutching the arms of his chair.

  “Kevin, are you all right? Would you like me to introduce you to Rowenna?”

  He stood slowly, clearly trying to pull himself together. His eyes still fixed on the huge creature in the backyard. “Yes, please.”

  I turned to Rowenna. “This is my best friend, Kevin. I’m afraid he’s in shock at the moment.”

  She lifted her huge head, opened those golden eyes, looked straight at Kevin, and said, Hello, Halfling. I will always protect the Elves and their friends. You have nothing to fear from me.

  I told him what she’d said.

  Kevin let out a noisy breath he must have been holding.

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Rowenna, and I want to thank you for finding Cara’s mom tonight. She means a lot to me.”

  Rowenna nodded to him and half closed her eyes again. She wouldn’t admit it, but she looked tired.

  I heard the police car’s sirens getting closer and then they pulled up in front of our house. Rowenna’s head went up, her golden eyes wide open.

  Cara, should I stay here?

  Adam said, “It’s so dark tonight, if she closes her eyes, she’ll be hard to see out there.”

  Rowenna promptly closed her eyes. I’m only waiting until I see Alicia.

  When I heard a car door slam, I ran into the house, Kevin at my heels, and opened the front door as my father brought my mother up the porch steps. She was wrapped in a blanket, her hair a mess, and her pretty face had no color at all, but she looked up and smiled at me.

  As soon as they came through the door, I threw my arms around her and squeezed her. Kevin leaned over me and bent down to drop a kiss on her head.

  She hugged me back and whispered, “I love you too, but please let me go upstairs and clean up. Then I’ll come back and hug everybody.”

  “Do you want some help, Mom?”

  She shook her head. “I’m all right, dear.” She walked upstairs to her room slowly, trying not to trip over the blanket wrapped around her.

  I looked at my father and got a shock. His normally handsome face was haggard, as though he’d aged fifty years in one night.

  I grabbed his arm. “Dad, are you all right? Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? I think we have some brandy in the pantry.”

  He took a deep breath and put one hand on my shoulder. “I think the brandy will do me the most good right now, sweetheart. Your mother should have some too. She refused to go to the hospital, or even let the paramedics check her out. She insisted we bring her home.”

  That sounded like my mother. I went to the pantry and brought out the bottle of brandy. It had been in there so long, I had to dust it off. I poured a small glass for my father and he and Kevin sat down at t
he kitchen table while we waited for Mom.

  It was only a few minutes before Mom came downstairs, dressed in her comfy old sweats. She’d washed her face and combed her hair, but she was still far too pale.

  My father refilled his glass with brandy and handed it to Mom. “Please, Alicia, drink this.” He smiled weakly. “For medicinal purposes, of course.”

  She drank it down quickly. “Is Rowenna here? I need to see her.”

  “She’s been waiting for you, Mom. She’s out in the backyard.”

  “I think she saved my life.” She rushed out the back door.

  We followed her outside to see her rush down the steps and walk straight to the huge dragon resting in the grass. Rowenna’s eyes opened wide when she saw Mom heading for her. She bent her long neck so that she and my mother were at eye level. Mom placed her hand on the dragon’s face and began speaking to her. She spoke softly so I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I could hear Rowenna’s words.

  Alicia, I told you I would find you. You will recover from this experience. You’re a strong woman and Cara needs you. I will never be far if you need me. The Elf Prince loves you, and he is in more pain now than you are. You must take care of each other.

  Mom patted the dragon’s scales one more time and walked back to the porch. We all watched as Rowenna’s large wings lifted her into the air. I hummed her song as she turned toward the mountains, and I heard her rusty voice in my mind say, Cara. . . friend.

  When I could no longer feel the dragon’s magic, we went inside. The clock on the wall showed it was after two a.m.

  Kevin put his arms around Mom. “Time for me to go home and let you get some rest, Mrs. C. I’m glad you’re safe. I think tonight aged me at least ten years.”

  Mom smiled and hugged him back, whispering, “I love you, Kevin. Get some sleep now.”

  I walked him to the front door where we simply held on to each other for a few minutes. Kevin whispered, “You and your mom are my family. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to either one of you.” When he finally let go of me, he said, “I’m bringing brunch in the morning. Don’t let your mom do anything, short stuff.”

  “Where are you going to get brunch, Kev? You can’t cook!”

  “I’ll raid the deli downtown and I’ll be here around eleven. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great. See you in the morning.”

  Despite everything that had happened tonight, there was a patrol car parked in front of our house again. Mom was home, but I knew we weren’t safe. My mother didn’t really look like herself. Not around the eyes.

  When I walked back into the kitchen, Mom and Dad were standing at the breakfast bar, each with a glass in their hand. The brandy bottle wasn’t as full as it had been.

  Mom looked at me. “I know you have questions, but they’ll have to wait. I’m going upstairs now, dear. Your father’s going to run me a bath and then maybe I’ll be able to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning, sweetheart.” She put one hand under my chin. “Don’t look so worried. I’m all right.” I wasn’t sure I believed her.

  As she turned to go upstairs, I looked at my father. His voice was soft. “Tonight I’ll take care of her, Cara. Tomorrow we can all take care of her.”

  I had one urgent question. “Did the police get the two men?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, Dad. Kevin’s bringing brunch in the morning so Mom doesn’t have to do a thing.”

  He finally smiled, but he still looked like he’d gone through hell tonight. I kissed him good night and he followed Mom upstairs.

  When I stepped back into the kitchen, I found Adam standing at the stove, actually boiling water in Mom’s hot water kettle.

  “You seem very comfortable in our modern kitchen.”

  He turned to me and winked as the kettle whistled. Lifting the kettle off the stove, he poured boiling water into the teapot, added the tea, and smiled at me. “I thought you might need some of this relaxing tea of Kathleen’s. You still look tense.”

  I snorted. “You’re supposed to be my bodyguard, Adam, not my nursemaid.”

  He turned those deep blue eyes on me. “Sometimes you need both. This is one of those times. You’ve been like a coiled spring all night.”

  He had me there. Those eyes of his could convince me of anything.

  After two cups of tea, I was still too tense to go to bed, so Adam and I sat in the kitchen quietly, occasionally mentioning Mom’s abduction and Rowenna’s assistance in rescuing her.

  “Adam, I don’t think they hurt her. I didn’t see any marks on her, did you?”

  His eyes were sympathetic as he reached for my hand. “Cara, she may just have been tied up, extremely uncomfortable, and scared. I’m sure she’ll talk about it when she’s ready. Other than being grabbed off the street and thrown into a vehicle, it’s possible that nothing else happened. Actually, your mother seemed better than I expected when she got home.”

  I thought about what he’d said and had to admit he might be right. I nodded. “Yeah, it didn’t look as though she’d been slapped around or anything. I couldn’t bear the idea of anyone hurting Mom.”

  “Your father is with her now, which is probably what she needs most.” He smiled and squeezed my hand. “Why don’t you go do some of that meditation you’ve been talking about and then go to bed. The sun will be up in about three hours.”

  As usual, he was right. I’d meditate in the shower and then try to get some sleep.

  “Okay. Let me get a pillow for you and I’ll say good night. If you’re tired, stretch out on the couch in the living room. You’ve been up all night too.”

  I could have used one of his rare hugs, but he didn’t offer one so I gave him a gentle punch on the arm and ran upstairs, tossing a pillow down to him.

  The shower really did relax me as I stood there with my eyes closed, just concentrating on my breathing, the warm water beating down on me. I managed to turn the water off before I turned into a prune. After I dried off, I slipped into my favorite soft t-shirt and tried to get comfy in bed, but when I heard voices from Mom’s room, I got tense all over again.

  This was the worst. Mom was crying softly, probably so I wouldn’t hear her. But the walls in our old house weren’t very thick. I’d only heard my mother cry once before, and that was when she found out that I’d met my father. At least he was with her now. I could hear his deep voice comforting her. She kept crying as though her heart was broken, and I cried with her.

  I couldn’t stay in my room and listen to Mom crying, so I pulled on a pair of sweat pants and padded downstairs. I debated turning on the stove to make more tea, but I’d had enough tea tonight to float a small boat. My eye was drawn to Mom’s old rocking chair in the corner of the kitchen. I often sat there when I needed to think. I curled up in the old chair and put my head back, closing my eyes. I was rocking a little, when I heard his soft voice from the doorway.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I opened my eyes. “I can hear Mom crying. I can’t bear it.”

  “Come into the living room and sit with me. I don’t think either of us is going to sleep tonight.”

  I stood. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  Adam held his hand out to me. “It’s all right. Elves don’t need much sleep.”

  I took his hand and he led me to the couch, where he’d obviously been sleeping. I could see the imprint of his head on the pillow, and the afghan had been pushed aside.

  “You were sleeping. I’m sorry.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Maybe we can relax together. It will be dawn soon.”

  He made himself comfortable in the corner of the couch and I sat down next to him, close, but not too close. He looked comfortable, resting his head on the back of the couch and I tried to do the same thing, but I was too short so I simply leaned against his arm. I must have dozed off. The next time I opened my eyes, Adam’s arm was around me and my head was against his chest. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.<
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  I woke up when I felt Adam move his arm from around me. I sat up and stretched. Dawn had come and gone. I turned to him. “Adam, if you’d like to wash up, you can use my bathroom. There are clean towels on the shelf over the tub.”

  He stood abruptly, heading for the stairs. “Much appreciated. I won’t be long. Do you think you could make coffee while I’m washing up?”

  “Sure.” I followed him, heading into the kitchen as he went upstairs to my bathroom.

  I made coffee and then decided to keep busy by making fresh orange juice. I was sitting at the breakfast bar using the juicer when Adam came downstairs.

  “Thanks for the use of your bathroom. Is the coffee ready?”

  “Help yourself. You know where we keep the cups. Pour a cup for me, would you?”

  A minute later, he put two cups of coffee on the breakfast bar and sat down next to me. He had even added cream to my coffee. I looked up and smiled. “Thanks. Would you take over for me with the juicer while I run upstairs? I’ll only be a minute.”

  I ran upstairs, threw cold water on my face and brushed my teeth. I cringed when I looked in the mirror. There were gray circles under my eyes. Half my hair had come out of my ponytail during the night and I looked like I’d been mugged. Impatiently, I pulled the rest of my hair down, ran the brush through it, and went back to the kitchen.

  There were no sounds coming from Mom’s room. I hoped they were getting some sleep.

  When I sat down at the breakfast bar, Adam handed me my coffee. “Drink up, love, you look like you need coffee this morning. I’ll finish making the juice.” I sighed and drank my coffee.

  I looked at the clock on the wall and was surprised to find it was only a little after eight. I yawned. “I never get up this early on Sunday.”

  Adam smiled. “I’m usually up before the sun rises, so I feel like I overslept this morning.”

  “I just hope Mom and Dad sleep as long as possible. They both looked wrecked last night, especially my father. He looked twenty years older.”

  He nodded. “Yesterday aged him.”

  We sat there together until all the oranges had been squeezed, and we had two quarts of juice ready. I took the juicer to the sink, took it apart and washed it while Adam poured himself another cup of coffee.