Both of them silently contemplated the pair of glittering, pulsing hearts for a few minutes, trying to think of a solution.
How do you use a crystal that weighs about twenty pounds to shatter another one just like it?
Simon could think of only one way, but it seemed a bit stupid and he waited for Ethmira to voice her own ideas.
Unfortunately the elf remained silently puzzled and finally Simon cleared his throat to get her attention.
“You have an idea?” she asked hopefully.
“Well, yeah. I do. But it might sound a little silly, to be honest.”
Ethmira made a reassuring gesture.
“Simon, at this point, silly could be just what we need. Please don't think I was judging you earlier when you tried to break the heart with that tool. It was an honest attempt, after all. I didn't believe it would work, true, but that doesn't mean it wasn't worth trying.”
The wizard had to smile. Obviously the elf could read him better than he thought.
“Okay then, here it is. If we place one of the things at the base of the tower, and brace it so that it doesn't move, couldn't we just drop the other one on top of it from the roof? I mean, it might take a few tries to hit it, but we certainly have the time.”
Ethmira stared at him for a long moment and Simon could feel his face getting hot.
At last she smiled broadly and shook her head.
“Yeah,” he said, looking away and feeling stupid. “I know it's a dumb idea but...”
“Simon, that's brilliant!”
He stared at her in surprise.
“What?”
“Brilliant. Why didn't I think of that? It's so obvious.”
“You would have. In time,” he told her with a mischievous grin.
The elf laughed.
“Perhaps.”
She glanced at one of the frosted windows.
“We have a few hours of daylight left. Let's make the best of them, shall we?”
“Sounds good. How do you want to do this?”
She thought a moment.
“I think we should take both of the things to the roof. Then we can drop one off, see where it lands and make that spot our target.”
Simon's eyes lit up.
“Hey, good idea!”
He put on his coat and gloves and picked up one heart while Ethmira wrapped up the second one in the length of cloth she had.
Simon led the way to the stairs and they climbed up toward the roof.
It took a few minutes to force the trapdoor open again. It had frozen shut and was covered with about a foot of snow.
But finally they stood in the blowing wind, the air cutting through Simon's coat and making him shudder.
“Which side should we use?” he asked the elf.
She turned toward the west. The sun was descending toward the horizon, but darkness was still a good two hours away.
“The wind is coming from that direction,” Ethmira said, “so let's use the opposite side of the tower. That way the drop shouldn't be affected by it.”
“Sounds good,” Simon replied and walked over to stand by the eastern edge of the parapet. He looked over and down to the ground and could see the path he'd worn in the snow where he walked around the building to the stables each day.
“Shall I?” he asked her and nodded downward.
“Go ahead. Just try to let it fall naturally instead of throwing it. Probably the best way to get a consistent result.”
“Got it.”
Simon held the heart over the edge of the parapet, its weight making his arms tremble with effort. Then he held his breath and released it.
Both of them watched the flashing crystal drop like a stone, spinning slightly as it fell. It landed on the soft snow beside the path and disappeared from sight. It didn't bounce.
“Perfect, Simon,” Ethmira said as she stared downward. “That is our spot. Here.”
She handed him the second heart in its wrapping.
“I'll go down and clear away the snow from the one below. Then you can make your first attempt.”
Simon looked at her solemnly.
“Let's hope it's our first and last attempt.”
She laughed.
“Doubtful, my friend. But I don't mind running up and down stairs.”
She pulled open the trapdoor, gave Simon a little wave and slipped inside, closing the door after her.
The wizard waited impatiently for Ethmira to get to the ground floor and around the base of the tower. While he waited, he unwrapped the ovoid and tucked the cloth into an inside coat pocket.
It took the elf a remarkably short time to appear below and he watched as she brushed away the snow from the heart.
It seemed to have impaled itself into the frozen ground and Simon's guess was confirmed when he saw his friend give the crystal a prod with the toe of her shoe. It didn't move.
“It's stuck into the ground,” she yelled up at him. Simon nodded.
“I noticed,” he called back. “At least it won't move between attempts.”
“Good point.”
Ethmira backed several yards away from the heart and then waved up at Simon.
“Any time you're ready.”
“Okay,” he shouted. “Here goes.”
He stood in the same footsteps he'd left when he dropped the first heart, and held the second one out over the edge.
I think it was about here, he thought, then with a quick wish for luck, he opened his hands and dropped the crystal.
He leaned over the parapet quickly and watched at the heart tumbled and flashed as it fell.
Maybe the gods of Justice were watching, or perhaps fate decided to cut him a break for once, but the heart smashed into its counterpart with an ear-shattering crash.
Ethmira flung herself to the ground and covered her head as shards of crystal flew in all directions. At the point of impact, an intense pulse of light shot outward, momentarily blinding Simon who had been watching closely.
“Damn it!” he said as he staggered back and closed his watering eyes. Spots danced against his eyelids and he wiped away tears and blinked rapidly to clear away the afterimages.
“Simon! Are you all right?” Ethmira shouted from down below.
He moved slowly back to the parapet and squinted down at her, his vision still a bit blurry.
“I'm okay. Are you? Did any of those pieces hit you?”
She pushed a finger through a hole in her leather jacket, next to her elbow.
“One shot right through. Didn't hit me though, luckily. Come down, would you? And bring your shovel with you.”
Simon turned and walked to the trapdoor. His vision was back to normal and he heaved the heavy door open, slipped through and locked it behind him.
Why does she want a shovel, he wondered as he hurried down the stairs.
He grabbed the implement from where he'd left it beside the front door and then went outside and around the tower to where Ethmira was waiting.
She grinned broadly at him.
“You did it, my friend,” she said with satisfaction.
Simon shook his head.
“We did it, you mean. Without your help, it might have been spring before I found that second heart.”
She waved away his comment.
“Either way, we've destroyed the infernal things. I'm relieved to know that.”
She motioned for the shovel and Simon handed it to her and watched curiously.
Ethmira used the tip of the shovel to pushed through the snow and spoke to him as she searched,
“The fragments that exploded at the moment of impact flew all over the place. You'll have to gather them up eventually and bury them, or risk injuring yourself or the horses some day in the future.”
“Oh, I see. Good point. I'll dig around over the next few days and find what I can. Any I can't find will show themselves come spring.”
“True enough,” she agreed but kept poking and prodding the snow.
“
Um, so why are you still looking for them?” Simon asked in confusion.
“I'm actually looking for one in particular, of a certain shape.”
She found several shards and handed them to Simon with the shovel. He took each one and put it in a coat pocket.
Finally, Ethmira gave a little exclamation of satisfaction and examined a piece a little larger than the others.
“Yes, this will do nicely.”
She extended the shovel and offered him the shard, its sharp edges making it too dangerous for her to pick up with her bare hands.
Simon took it and looked at it closely.
It was a piece from the more yellowish of the hearts. Veins of green swirled within it and the violent shattering of the structure had snapped a hole through the center, making it look like a lopsided crystal donut.
He looked at Ethmira and raised an eyebrow silently.
She grinned at his expression but quickly became serious.
“Keep that piece on your person at all times. If you can find a way to dull its sharp edges, loop a piece of string or leather through it and wear it around your neck. But whatever you do, don't leave your tower without it.”
Simon had never heard the elf state something so firmly.
“Okay. Why?”
“It's a directive I received from the Elders. You have to wear it like a talisman, in case the gods of Chaos decide to try to take your magic again. Don't ask me how it works, because I have no idea. But a piece of a heart that was imbued with your own magic will block another dragon from using the same trick again.” She shrugged. “Or so they say.”
“Huh, that almost makes sense,” Simon said as he stared at the fragment. Then he slipped it into a pocket and accepted the shovel from Ethmira.
“Now, how about some more of your wonderful tea, my friend?” she asked. “I think we've earned it.”
“Absolutely! Come on in and I'll make a pot.”
Back inside, Simon took off his coat and gloves, changed into simple shoes and made some tea.
He and Ethmira then sat in companionable silence and savored the warmth of the fire that the wizard had built up.
After some time, Simon glanced at the elf as she stared calmly into the flames.
“You know, I don't feel any different,” he said tentatively.
She looked at him quizzically.
“Different?”
“Well, you know. My powers. I don't feel any magic yet.”
He looked at one of the unlit candles on the wall and tried to light it with his mind. As he suspected, nothing happened.
Ethmira followed his eyes and seemed to understand what he'd tried to do.
“Be at ease, my friend. It is not an immediate result, recovering your magic. Like a vessel that has been drained of its liquid, your body needs time to fill with energy again. If you remember when you lost your magic, it took some time for it to fade away, did it not?”
Simon nodded, remembering that his Magic Mouth spell fizzled out and that it took a while before he lost Kronk and Aeris. He felt a twinge of loss at the memory.
“So, how long will it take to get it back?”
“I have no idea,” Ethmira told him. Then she smiled gently, reached out and patted his hand.
“Try to be patient, Simon. And have no fear. Your powers will return, slowly certainly, but they will.”
Then the elf stood up and laughed lightly.
“Speaking of returning, I must get back to my own realm. It will be dark soon and I would like to get back before then.”
Simon scrambled to his feet as Ethmira walked toward the door.
“Are you sure?” he asked her, suddenly reluctant to be alone for another long winter night.
“I'm afraid so,” she said with some regret. “I'd like to stay and talk for a while, but my people worry and the Elders will want a full report on our success.”
She stopped by the door and then turned and took Simon's hand in both of hers.
“And we have been successful here, Simon. Don't forget that. We stopped the gods of Chaos and Darkness in their tracks. They tried to take away a weapon, you, from the battle for this world, and failed.” She smiled grimly. “And gave them even more of a reason to hate the elves than they already had. I find that quite satisfying.”
Simon had to chuckle at her tone.
“I don't know that I'd find that reassuring, but thanks. I'll try to be patient. Not that I have a choice.”
“Good.”
She opened the door and Simon shivered at the blast of cold air that blew into the room.
He grabbed his coat and followed her out into the fading daylight. At her questioning look, he waved toward the front gates.
“I have to lock the gate after you leave,” he said and Ethmira nodded her understanding.
They walked quickly across the front yard, Simon's shoes slipping on the snow. At the gate, the elf turned to look up at the tower.
“You have a wonderful home here, my friend. I'm sure that your little companions will be back with you soon. Until then, keep your gates and doors locked.”
She touched the wall next to the gate and closed her eyes for a moment.
“Your wards are still in effect and you should be safe enough until you regain your magic.”
“Ah, good to know,” he said. It hadn't occurred to him that the wards he'd cast on the wall around the tower might have faded when he lost his magic.
“Now I must go. Be assured that we are watching and will aid you when and where we can.”
“Thanks again,” Simon told her sincerely. “And thank your people for me. You've been the best of friends and I am very grateful.”
He hesitated a moment and added, “And say hello to Daniel for me, won't you? Tell him, well, just tell him that I'm okay.”
Ethmira smiled warmly, waved once and slipped out of the gate.
Simon watched her run lightly across the snow and disappear into the darkness of the forest before he put a shoulder to the gate and closed it firmly.
He managed to engage the stiff locking mechanism and seal the gate before he slipped and slid back to the tower and hurried inside.
He locked the door and took off his coat. Then he added another log to the fire and sat down in front of it to warm up.
Patience, he thought. Yeah, I'll be patient.
He was suddenly reminded of how he felt as a child on Christmas Eve, lying in bed and trying to sleep, but unable to keep thoughts of the next morning's presents out of his mind.
He'd tried to be patient then too. It worked about as well as it was working now.
Thoughts tumbled around in his head as he watched the fire, feeling his toes start to warm up finally.
At last he blew out all of the candles except one, picked it up in its holder and climbed the stairs. Tomorrow was another day. But whether he'd be opening any presents in the morning or not, he didn't know.
But impatient or not, Simon was exhausted by the day's events and slipped into sleep quickly, his last thoughts vaguely hopeful.
Chapter 6
The next morning, Simon woke up slowly, his mind groggy and his legs aching. When he peeked out from under his blankets, he saw that the frosted window was dark and gloomy-looking.
Cloudy day, he thought dully. Great.
The room was shadowed and he could feel the coldness in the air. He missed having a furnace. At least the heat would be steady all night.
I wish Kronk was still here. Not only was he good company, but the little guy never slept and would keep the fire burning all night, ensuring that the tower was warm and toasty all winter.
With a resigned sigh, Simon thought about getting up and standing on the cold floor in the dark. He grimaced and glanced at the candle standing on the table next to the bed. He frowned at it.
I'll have to take it downstairs and get the fire going before I can light it.
He sighed again and flipped back the covers. He began shaking immediately and looked dow
n at the goosebumps running across his body.
Maybe I should start wearing pajamas to bed, he thought and grumbled as he put his reluctant feet on the cold floor.
He stood up and quickly slipped on a robe before grabbing the candle holder. He glared at the candle in sudden frustration.
“Just light, for cripes sake,” he said to it angrily.
And the wick burst into flame.
“Holy crap!” Simon exclaimed and almost dropped the holder.
He stared in disbelief at the flickering candle for a minute, a slow grin stretching across his face.
“It's back. Yes! It's back.”
He laughed out loud, blew out the candle and lit it again with a flick of power.
“Merry Christmas, Simon,” he said, giggling like a schoolboy. “God bless us, everyone.”
Forgetting the chill in the air, he put on his slippers and hurried downstairs.
After building up the fire, he ran outside to use the outhouse and then returned to make his breakfast. As eager as he was to attempt to summon Kronk and Aeris again, Simon knew that he needed to take it one step at a time.
Food first, then he'd have to find the spell in his spell-book and memorize it. With the spells that the gods had given him wiped away, he would have to learn each spell again before he cast it. And then it would fade from memory and he'd have to learn it again.
I wonder how many spells I can memorize at once, he thought. When he'd started learning to use magic, he could only keep one spell in mind at a time. With practice, it had grown to two and then four.
But it was only when the gods of Justice gave him all of the spells that a master wizard would know, that he was able to call up incantations at will. Somehow he suspected that he was starting at square one.
He shrugged unconsciously. If that's the way it has to be, then so be it. Better to have to take baby steps than to have no magic at all.
When he was done with his tea and oatmeal, Simon went upstairs to his study and lit all of the candles on the table and in the wall holders, both for the light and the sheer joy of being able to use magic again. Then he sat down at his desk, opened his spell-book and found the summoning spell.
He read through it slowly, concentrating on each word to make sure he had them firmly locked into his memory. He closed the book, stood up and walked across the room to his work table.
The Dragons Revenge (Tales from the New Earth #2) Page 7
