The Dragons of Ice and Snow

by J. J. Thompson

  He underlined the site in his notes, canceled the spell and sat back, breathing a sigh of relief.

  He'd found it. Malcolm and Aiden were going to be all right. Simon felt a little weak as the tension that he hadn't even known was there seeped out of him. He closed his eyes and laid his head back on the chair, taking a moment to regroup.

  “Master, wake up! You will get a sore neck sleeping like that.”

  Simon sat up with a snort and looked around wildly.

  The study was dark and he had to squint to see Kronk standing in the dimly-lit doorway.

  “Kronk? What happened? What time is it?”

  “Late evening, master,” the earthen said as he tapped across the room and jumped on to the desk. “You fell asleep, I suppose. I've been busy with my chores and didn't check on you. Are you all right?”

  Simon rubbed his eyes and glanced at the two candlesticks on the desk. He lit them with a thought and looked out of the window.

  The little guy was right. The sky was turning purple and the countless stars had already made an appearance. He stood up and opened the window behind the desk.

  A cool breeze blew in, smelling of grass and rich earth. He leaned on the ledge for a moment to clear his head.

  “Thanks for waking me up,” he said over his shoulder. “I think this last week caught up to me. Between worrying about Malcolm and Aiden, worrying about Aeris and his scouting trip, worrying about Liliana...”

  Kronk hopped down from the desk and then leaped to the window ledge. For a small animated piece of rock, he certainly is agile, the wizard thought, not for the first time.

  “You can't carry everyone's burden for them, master,” the earthen said a bit sharply. “You keep forgetting that all of this casting that you've been doing takes it toll on you. It drains your energy and if you don't get enough rest and food, you could collapse.”

  He paused to give Simon a hard look.

  “Like you did once before,” he added ominously.

  The wizard simply accepted Kronk's reprimand meekly. He'd learned his lesson once. If he pushed himself too hard, he could find himself flat on his back and useless. And that would benefit no one.

  “You're right, as usual,” he said as he watched the starry vista thicken above him. “Sometimes I feel like it's me against the world. Well, against the world that the dark gods want to create. What we really need is another wizard, or ten, to share the load.”

  “Perhaps you will find another one day, master,” Kronk said in a more moderate tone. “But as I told you before, wizards were not that numerous even in the days of high magic. Now? Except for your old neighbor Heather, who turned out to be evil, you may be the only one to live on this New Earth of yours.”

  “There's a cheerful thought,” Simon said as he leaned his head against the window frame. He breathed in the evening air and felt more awake and alert.

  “Could you do me a favor?” he asked as he returned to his desk and sat down. “Could you put the kettle on? I'm going to call Aeris and see how he's doing and then Clara to let her know that I located some wolf's bane.”

  Kronk began to nod and then broke into a broad smile.

  “You found some, master? But that's wonderful!”

  “Thanks,” Simon replied, feeling a little more cheerful. “Sheer dumb luck, but it's there. Now we just have to wait for the next full moon. I wonder when that is, exactly?”

  “Eleven days, master,” the earthen said as he jumped down from the window ledge and started to cross the room.

  “Really? How do you know that?”

  “I just do, master. The earthen can feel the moon's ebb and flow, just like I can feel the distant echoes of earthquakes. They are a part of what we are.”

  “Huh. That's interesting,” Simon said under his breath as he watched the little guy scurry from the room. “All this time and he's still full of surprises.”

  Aeris responded right away when the wizard called him. At first though, Simon thought that the spell was malfunctioning. All he could see was a foggy gray haze in the mirror. He knew that the area that the air elemental was searching was approximately twelve hours ahead in time from the tower, which would make it morning there. So what was he seeing?

  “Hello?” he said tentatively. “Aeris? Are you there?”

  “Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?” the air elemental responded.

  “Okay, then why can't I see you? Why can't I see anything?”

  “Probably because I'm traveling invisibly in the middle of a frozen wasteland. It's a rather grim place, to be honest.”

  “Yeah, I can see that. Or rather I can't see. Um, anyway...how are you doing? Anything to report?”

  “Not really. A whole lot of frozen nothing, actually. I have seen several dragons, flying very high. They pass quickly, always north to south and back again. That at least gives me hope that I'm moving in the right direction.”

  “No sign that they detected you?” Simon asked anxiously.

  “None. I'm sure that they haven't. I've still got many weeks of scouting ahead, I believe. This area is vast and featureless. The primal white dragon could be anywhere. And this blasted medallion you gave me is just pulling me vaguely north. Not much of a help, really.”

  “Damn. Sorry about that. Well, you know what you're doing, so I'll leave you to it. But remember...”

  “Yes, yes. Be careful. Run if I get into trouble. I know the drill, my dear wizard. I'll be fine.” He paused and then added casually, “How's Kronk doing? And Ana?”

  “Oh, they're fine. I don't see Ana that often. She likes to roam the local streams and rivers, or so she says. There isn't much for her to do around here anyway. As for Kronk, I think he misses you. At least, he was pretty down the whole week after you left.”

  “Was he? Ah well, it was probably just gas or something.”

  Simon barked out a laugh.

  “Aeris, you know that he doesn't eat.”

  “Of course. I'll continue as I have been for now and we'll talk tomorrow, right?”

  “Yep. I'll call you around the same time. Good luck.”

  He broke the connection and then cast the Magic Mirror spell again and got in touch with Clara.

  She was thrilled to hear that he'd found wolf's bane and promised to tell Malcolm and Aiden the good news right away.

  “How are they holding up?” he asked her, thinking about the two men still caged like animals.

  “Surprisingly well, actually. We dug up a chess board and some playing cards from that destroyed town to the west of here, so they've spent the time either using those or working out.”

  She grinned and rolled her eyes.

  “And singing, if you can believe it.”

  “Singing? Really? Singing what?”

  “Oh, don't ask me. Some sort of rap from the old days. They have fairly decent voices but I remember calling that stuff 'rap crap' back in the day and I haven't changed my opinion. Seems to make them happy though, so there's that.”

  Simon had to laugh at her description.

  “Yeah, I was never a fan myself. Give me old time rock any day. Oh, when you tell them that I found wolf's bane, also let them know that, according to Kronk, the full moon rises in eleven days. I guess that means that they will have to endure one night as beasts before we can give them the talismans that we'll make from the flowers.”

  “I'll tell them but they're going to hate that.”

  “Better than the alternative though, isn't it?”

  “It is. They requested heavy chains to bind them when they began changing into werewolves the last time. I assume they'll do the same again.”

  Clara sounded distressed and Simon looked at her sympathetically.

  “It's only this one last time, my friend,” he said gently. “And it's at their request, after all.”

  “I know. I know that. But still... Anyway, I'll let them know. Thank you for this. I'm sure that our friends would say the same.”

  The wizard waved
away her thanks with some embarrassment.

  “You and the guys would do that same for me. I'll call back the day before the next full moon. See if you can find containers for the ground-up flowers. Something that they can wear around their necks would probably be best.”

  “I'm already on it, Simon,” Clara said with a satisfied grin. “I've given instructions to our blacksmith. He grumbled a bit about making jewelry instead of weapons or armor but I think he sees it as a challenge. He assures me that they will be ready in a week.”

  “Excellent! Okay, I'll talk to you soon then.”

  The cleric smiled and waved and Simon broke the spell.

  He sat back in his chair and savored the moment. Malcolm and Aiden would soon be freed and Aeris was still okay and scouting. All good. He still wished that he'd received a signal from Liliana, but she remained silent and he was sure that she wouldn't allow communications until she had something to talk about. So that was that.

  He got up, stretched and went downstairs.

  Kronk had lit the candles around the room and put on the kettle. He'd set out Simon's cup along with the box of dried chamomile tea and a pot of honey. The front door was open, so the wizard assumed that the little guy was doing his usual tour of the grounds: checking that both the front and the back gates were closed and locked and seeing to the horses.

  Simon made his tea, sliced up some dried meat and bread and was eating a sandwich by the time the earthen returned.

  Kronk closed the front door as he entered and joined Simon at the kitchen table.

  “Everything okay out there?” the wizard asked around a mouthful of food.

  “Yes master,” the little guy replied as he stood in the middle of the table. He cocked his head a bit and looked puzzled.

  “I haven't seen Ana for quite some time though. I thought she said that she liked it here, but she's always gone.”

  “Well, I told her from the start that she's free to do as she likes. So if she wants to roam,” Simon said as he began eating a second sandwich, “then she can roam.”

  “I suppose that is true, master. I just...”

  Kronk's voice trailed off and he stared at the fire crackling in the fireplace.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing, master. Well, nothing definable. It's about water elementals, that's all.”

  He turned to look directly at Simon.

  “You probably know that Ana and her people are closer to nature than other elementals?”

  The wizard swallowed the last of his sandwich and washed it down with some tea before answering.

  “No I didn't, but that's hardly a surprise. Aquamastis was overjoyed at being summoned to Earth and then being allowed to take possession of the Ottawa River. I know that in legend, water sprites come up time and time again.” Simon scoured his memory. “They weren't always benevolent either, if I'm remembering correctly.”

  “Yes, master, precisely. They are considered...” Kronk seemed to be searching for the proper word. “Amoral is the term, I believe. Water is where they wish to be, always. That Ana said she wanted to stay here was a surprise to me, considering how much her people dislike existing on land.”

  Simon toyed with his teacup and looked at the earthen speculatively.

  “So what are you saying exactly? That I can't trust her? You've said yourself that elementals can't harm their summoner. So even if she wanted to, Ana couldn't do anything to hurt me. And why would she?”

  “I am not saying she would, master. All I am saying is that she is spending an increasing amount of time elsewhere. And as for an elemental not harming the one who summoned them; master, you have changed the rules! We are swimming in unknown waters now.”

  “Nice metaphor,” Simon said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't help. “And how did I change the rules?”

  “You set us free, master. That has never been done in all of the ages that mankind has existed. I have never known a wizard to free an elemental, and yet you did. Do you not see what kind of power that gives us?”

  The wizard leaned forward on his arms, watching Kronk closely.

  “What power?” he asked.

  “The power of choice, master! You think that it only allows us to come and go as we choose, but it does not. If we were unscrupulous or dangerous to you, it would give us the choice to do you harm.”

  “Wait. Hang on a second. Kronk, you all pledged yourselves to me. You gave me your word, remember?”

  “Of course I did, master. I wish to serve you in all things. And Aeris, grumpy though he might be, wishes the same. And as we told you then, if we broke our vows, the consequences would be fatal. Our leaders would obliterate us in an instant. They are creatures of honor.”

  “But Ana swore to serve me too,” Simon reminded the earthen.

  “Yes master, and therein lies the problem.”

  Kronk stopped and looked around almost furtively. He stepped closer to the wizard and lowered his voice to a whisper.

  “The ruler of the water realm is known to be, shall we say, flexible in her interpretation of the concept of honor.”

  “Meaning?” Simon asked under his breath.

  “Meaning that any results that serve her purposes and those of her people are considered honorable. If you'd like some proof of that, master, try crossing the river that Aquamastis now claims for his own without his permission. Even though you are the one who summoned him, I assure you that the results could be...unfortunate.”

  Simon whistled between his teeth.

  “You're serious? Yes, of course you are. So Ana...”

  “Could be pursuing her own agenda, or that of her ruler. We cannot know for sure.”

  “Or she could be completely innocent and wandering the countryside exactly as she claims to be doing.”

  “Very true, master. I am just giving you the facts. It is up to you to decide what to do with them.”

  “Yeah, well...”

  Simon stood up and put the kettle over the fire again.

  “I'll give it some thought. Thanks for bringing it up though. God knows I have enough on my plate, but if something does come from that direction, at least I was warned.”

  The silence that followed was suddenly broken by a distant gurgle. Simon and Kronk exchanged a confused look and then both turned and looked at the sink. A faint echo, like the sound of water draining, burbled for a few seconds and then faded away.

  “Huh. Funny the sounds that wells make sometimes, isn't it?”

  “Yes master. Funny.”

  They looked at each other again and then Kronk jumped off the table.

  “I am going to check in with my friends on the wall, master. I want to make sure that everything is secure.”

  “Good thinking. Oh, by the way, thanks for staying back to examine the walls in Nottinghill. It's good to know that their defenses are still secure and intact.”

  “My pleasure, master. It's always wise to take precautions, isn't it?”

  Simon stared at him thoughtfully.

  “Yes. You can never be too careful, I suppose.”

  Chapter 18

  Life went back to being routine around the tower over the next few days. The only break from normalcy was when Simon Gated to check out the meadow where he'd found the wolf's bane.

  Kronk offered to accompany him but Simon asked him to stay home and keep an eye on things. He didn't expect to be away for long.

  He memorized the coordinates of the location, pictured the meadow in his mind and cast the Gate spell.

  Unfortunately, when he appeared knee-deep in thick, rich grass, he'd forgotten that the western part of the continent was several hours behind the east, and the sky was just beginning to glow with early sunrise.

  Simon could barely see the area around him, but instead of summoning a light, he stood there leaning on his staff and taking in the scene.

  He was standing on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains and his view of the distant horizon was clear and unobstructed. The edg
e of the world was glowing with pink and gold and the rich scents of the awakening Earth were thick in his nostrils.

  The wizard smiled as the world woke up. He had never had the chance to travel to western Canada in his previous life, and Canada no longer even existed, but now he was sorry that he'd never taken the opportunity. It was quite simply the most beautiful vista he had ever seen.

  Simon never knew how long he stood there and drank in the view, but eventually he realized that he could see everything clearly, the grass and flowers bobbing and waving in the light morning breeze. He turned away from the sunrise and looked over the meadow, searching for the wolf's bane.

  And there it was. Growing up through the tall grass, the large flowers with their broad colorful petals seemed to nod at each other, like a gathering of friends chatting about the good old days. It made him smile to see them.

  The wizard waded through the grasping brush and grass and stood at a respectful distance to examine the wolf's bane plant. He hadn't forgotten the warning that the plant was extremely toxic.

  Pretty, he thought, but I wonder if it does what Aethos said it does? Well, we'll see soon enough.

  After a final look around and a sniff of the invigorating mountain air, he chanted the Gate spell and headed for home.

  Each evening Simon contacted Aeris to check on his progress. It was becoming increasingly obvious that finding the primal white dragon was not going to be a quick and easy task. It was also getting harder to keep a straight face every time he spoke to the air elemental.

  Aeris was getting bored. The unending vista of ice and snow was making him restless and Simon had to endure an increasingly long litany of complaints each time they spoke. Several times he bit his tongue to keep from reminding the elemental that he was the one who had wanted to feel useful again.

  It had actually passed the point where the wizard was irritated by the complaining. He'd begun to find the whining hysterically funny and had to wait, red-faced, until the conversation ended before laughing so hard that it brought tears to his eyes.

  Kronk walked in one evening, a few days before the full moon was due to appear, hopped up and watched with a surprised expression as Simon sat pounding on the kitchen table, laughing like a lunatic.