The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding (Book One)

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  ***

  When Jaax descended upon the Sloping Hill earlier that afternoon, something strange and wild had stirred deep within the shadowed forest. The eyes of a peculiar being, eyes so much like an animal’s, opened ever so slightly to reveal a smoldering within. Its soul had been awakened, realizing that something familiar and something important had entered this part of Oescienne.

  The creature lay absolutely still, contemplating the spirits of the two new life forms inside the boundaries of this province on the forgotten edge of the world. The larger essence was a familiar one; there was no doubt about it. But how do I know this soul? the being wondered. For years, maybe even centuries, the curious creature had lived in this feared forest, sensing the ebb and flow of the life around it, but never before had its core been stirred so violently.

  The creature spent only a few more minutes trying to grasp some memory imbedded deep within, but with no luck. The younger spirit it now sensed, an infant, was different and new. Her life force was strong and enduring and there was something unusual about this one that differed from all of the others living in Oescienne.

  Unable to discern who the young new comer was and unsure of whom the larger one might be, the creature rose from its lair deep within the Wreing Florenn. As quickly and quietly as possible it began following the source of the spirits the way a hound follows the scent of a deer.

  Hurry, thought the creature guided only by its intuition, for the large one is fading and it will soon be gone. The being covered the ground rather smoothly, not making a sound against the dead, damp leaves stuck to the muddy forest floor. A rare smile crept across its face; a silent appreciation for the rain that had fallen a few days ago making the ground damp and quiet underfoot.

  Finally the aura of the familiar, larger spirit grew stronger, and just as the creature peered around the last tree on the edge of the forest its gaze fell upon something shocking.

  “Impossible!” it rasped, speaking aloud for the first time in many years.

  The sound of the creature’s own voice startled it, forcing it behind the nearest tree for fear of being heard or seen. Finally, it braved exposure and peeked out across the small, fallow field and towards the front of a little stone cottage. The house was small and the bare trees in the orchard behind it blocked the view like a gray lattice screen.

  Frustrated and irritated at the hindrance, the creature slinked northward seeking a better view of the two dragons standing in front of the house. The older dragon was easily recognizable. His presence in Oescienne had become as comfortable and familiar as an old scar. Oh yes, it was easy to spy on him from the forest, as long as one stayed as far away as possible to avoid detection.

  The creature narrowed its eyes in perusal, now recognizing the younger dragon as the other presence it had felt. The being knew this dragon, knew him well. But where had he been since the last time . . . ? Never mind that, thought the creature bitterly, he’s here and he’s found something very important, very important indeed.

  Just as the Tanaan dragon turned away for flight, the creature caught a glimpse of the powerful spirit it had sensed before. It looked like a Nesnan child, an infant, wrapped in a bundle of colorful cloth. The creature’s eyes glittered and crackled in slight confusion as a cold wave of disappointment poured over it. What could he possibly have a child for? And why does her life force feel so important?

  A sudden blast of strong wind caused by the dragon’s passing overhead made the creature cower once again. This was no place to stand and think about what it had just witnessed, so it quickly ducked behind a large eucalyptus tree and drifted like a semi-solid smoke back into the heart of the trees, muttering to itself the entire way.

  As Jaax soared over the Wreing Florenn in the last light of day, his long shadow skittering across the tops of the dark trees, the creature crept over the forest floor with, for the first time in many, many years a glimmer of anticipation. I don’t know what that dragon was doing with an infant, but I intend to find out. And why would an infant’s spirit call so strongly to me? it wondered. I may not know now, but I have all the time in Ethoes to find out.

  With a flicker of determined patience, the creature disappeared into the depths of the woods to do what it did best, to wait.

  -Chapter Three-

  Dreams, Dragons and Making Friends

  The mist was always the same, low to the ground but rising quickly as if being brushed up by some mighty, undetectable breeze. He was always there too, a figure shrouded in an emerald, cowled cloak. His behavior seemed restless this time but the only way to tell for sure would be to look at his face. Unfortunately, it was hidden beneath his shadowy hood like always. The stranger stepped forward, slowly cresting the top of the small knoll that marked the boundary of the forest and the small orchard. Sometimes he seemed cautious, sometimes he seemed amused, but he always kept silent, at least that is how Jahrra always perceived him.

  As the man stood gazing down at her under the shadow of his cloak, Jahrra could almost feel his eyes locking with hers. She’d always wondered if this strange man was young or old, brutal or kind, dark or fair, but he’d never shown his identity, not once. She wondered if he had black hair or blonde like hers.

  She even wondered, with delight, if he was an elf, like the brave elves in the stories her father and Master Hroombra told her. In fact, the only thing she did know about him was that he was tall, much taller than her father and that he never said a single word to her.

  Jahrra looked up once more at the stranger hoping to see something of his identity. But he bowed his head ever so slightly, causing Jahrra to wake with a start.

  “Jahrra dear, time to get up, breakfast is ready!”

  Lynhi stepped into the room a few moments later and looked down at the young girl in slight bewilderment. “Oh my, did you have another bad dream?”

  “Oh no, Nida, I was just startled awake is all!” Jahrra replied through a yawn. She often called her mother Nida and her father Pada. She’d been calling them this for as long as . . . As long as I’ve had that dream. Since forever, she thought.

  The dream of the tall stranger had been frightening at first, but when it started recurring Jahrra became less and less fearful of her enigmatic visitor. She couldn’t remember the first time it had come to her; all she knew was that every now and then while she slept she would end up in a misty orchard all alone except for her imaginary companion.

  “Don’t linger too long, your food will get cold and you’ll miss the wagon to Master Hroombra’s,” Lynhi called over her shoulder on her way back downstairs.

  “Master Hroombra!” Jahrra squeaked as she leaped out of bed.

  She always enjoyed visiting Hroombra at the Castle Guard Ruin on the edge of the Great Sloping Hill. Once a week she met with the dragon to learn all about Oescienne and the stories of old. He told her tales of real elves, the ones who can perform magic and live forever. He also told her stories of the Tulle people and dwarves who lived outside of the boundaries of Oescienne.

  When she was at Master Hroombra’s Jahrra heard stories of all the strange and wonderful creatures of Ethoes, including all the other dragons of the world. The stories about the dragon Raejaaxorix were Jahrra’s favorite. She would sit in wide-eyed wonder, her ears prickling to hear more about the noble dragon that fought against the terrifying beasts and menacing bands of raiders roaming the countryside terrorizing the weak and the innocent.

  Hroombra reveled in telling Jahrra these stories but he never mentioned the fact that the Tanaan dragon had a role in her life. He still feared the younger dragon wouldn’t keep his promise about checking in on the girl. For now, Hroombra found solace in his decision by telling Jahrra stories of Jaax from years ago, before he became as embittered as he now was.

  Six years had passed since the younger dragon had brought Jahrra to her foster parents, and he hadn’t been back since. Hroombra had received word from him on several occasions; a letter
or two informing the older dragon of his various diplomatic activities, but not once had he mentioned a possible visit to Oescienne. Hroombra didn’t let it get him down, however. Jaax was known for avoiding emotional situations and this one was no different. He would come around in his own time.

  Hroombra expected that Jaax would receive quite a surprise when he eventually returned. Jahrra was no longer an infant and she’d grown to be quite a handful. She was always climbing trees, splashing over creeks and running through fields. She was constantly exploring and having a great time: building forts from piles of pruned branches her father had created, gathering wildflowers to spruce up the kitchen, or bringing in lizards and other crawling things she insisted were her friends, keeping her frustrated and repulsed mother constantly on edge.

  Lynhi never knew if she might find some strange caterpillar on the kitchen table or reach her hand into the dirty laundry to find a family of snails living there. Soon, however, Jahrra would be starting school with the rest of the local children. Despite the fact that Lynhi was looking forward to fewer encounters with unidentifiable bugs and reptiles, she and Abdhe were anxious about the approaching school season.

  They worried mostly about Jahrra’s interaction with the other children; she’d only ever known them and Hroombra. The isolation of their orchard, the fact that no other youngsters lived close by and the lack of time and finances to visit town more often had forced Jahrra to grow up with the farm animals as her friends. They made good companions, but they couldn’t teach her about living in the great world that existed beyond her home.

  Another of her parents’ concerns was the girl’s stubborn personality. They feared she wouldn’t listen to her schoolmasters and might cause trouble with her peers once her classes began. She was bright and very eager to learn, but mostly only what Hroombra was willing to teach her.

  When Abdhe and Lynhi approached the elderly dragon with their concern he simply replied, “Life itself is an ongoing school lesson. She’ll be fine. It may be rough at first, but she’ll learn when to ask questions and when it’s time to listen. Don’t worry so much, she isn’t as misplaced as you think she is.”

  Hroombra’s reassurance calmed them a little, but they still had their doubts. They thought that perhaps her human characteristics might stand out among the mostly Resai group.

  Nevertheless, Hroombra assured them that no one would ever guess she was full-blooded human.

  “The others have never even seen a human. They wouldn’t know what one looks like. Even if some of their parents have seen humans before, it’s been so long since there were any in Ethoes, I doubt they’ll notice.”

  Abdhe and Lynhi knew that Jahrra had to grow up thinking she was a Nesnan elf for her own safety, but being a Nesnan in an elite Resai school wouldn’t be easy. There had always been great debate over those who found themselves in the middle of these two races, whether they were Resai or Nesnan, and whether they could prove it with family records. Many feuds were fought and many grudges set, simply over something as silly as who was more elfish than the next person.

  It had become a status war and Hroombra, Lynhi and Abdhe hoped that Jahrra wouldn’t get caught up in the middle of it. What Abdhe and Lynhi knew, however, was that above everything else Jahrra’s true identity must be kept secret. But for now, the only thing they need be concerned about was getting Jahrra to her first day of school on time.

  Jahrra traipsed downstairs into the kitchen of the small cabin breathing in the rich aromas of bacon, eggs and fried potatoes. These scents along with the anticipation of another great story of dragons and unicorns and other mystical creatures from Hroombra had finally coaxed her out of bed. Her hair looked like a tangled haystack and her eyes were gritty but she was now fully awake. She took a deep breath and thought a little about the dream of the hooded figure still lingering in her mind. She often wondered if he could be someone she’d once known or someone who existed in real life. Maybe he’s my true father coming to visit me in my dreams! she mused before forgetting it altogether.

  This thought often made her feel guilty, so she dashed it aside immediately if it ever pushed itself to the front of her mind. Jahrra knew that she was adopted. Abdhe and Lynhi had told her that her true mother and father died when she was just a baby. She loved them both very much but always wondered what her real parents had been like.

  Jahrra sighed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and shuffled across the rough stone floor and down the stairs to meet breakfast. She would think about her dream later when there weren’t so many smells distracting her nose and stomach. She entered the tiny kitchen to find her mother working over the food on the stove. Her father was sitting at their little dining table, smoking his pipe and fidgeting with a tool.

  “What’re you doing Pada?” Jahrra asked through a yawn.

  “I’m just fixing my ball peen hammer. Look, the metal part has loosened from the wood.”

  Abdhe lowered the tool so she could see. He wore his usual brown work pants, white shirt and faded vest. His age-roughened face was covered in stubble and his feathery light hair floated around his head as if it wasn’t attached to anything.

  His eyes were fixed on the hammer in intense concentration. “I’m trying to attach a metal strip to keep it in place.”

  He had such old hands, Jahrra thought, but they were experienced hands. They had made so many things grow and had created so many wonderful objects that they’d become tools themselves.

  “Alright, breakfast is ready. Jahrra! You’re not dressed! Go get dressed while I make your plate,” Lynhi scolded in a terse voice as she scraped some eggs onto a chipped plate.

  Jahrra scuffled back upstairs in a disgruntled manner. She hated having to change clothes all the time, and she was hungry. Once back in her room, she quickly pulled on her new school uniform, a plain white shirt and a blue plaid jumper. Jahrra cringed as she pulled the jumper over her head. Yuck! she thought, I hate dresses!

  Her mother had insisted that it was more of a long shirt and not a dress at all but Jahrra wasn’t fooled. She could sniff out a dress if it were buried in the back of an immense closet jammed with clothes. Unfortunately, it had to be worn to her new school. The only way that Lynhi convinced Jahrra to wear it at all was by threatening to keep her from attending Hroombra’s lessons. Jahrra would do anything to keep visiting Hroombra, even wear a pudgy, itchy, bulky dress.

  Jahrra quickly pulled on her long socks over her bare feet, squirming as she tried to move in the restrictive uniform. She didn’t usually wear anything so formal but was always running about in long pants and shirts that were too big for her, her hair streaming wildly behind her like golden silk.

  Jahrra yanked at her collar as she scurried back downstairs as fast as she could, anticipating potatoes and eggs. The sun was poking its fingers through the trees in the east when she finally sat down to a plate of steaming food. The little bit of fog that lingered on the edge of the woods was slowly creeping away and the golden sunlight pierced through the cool autumn air like a hot knife through butter.

  “Hroombra tells us that he’ll be taking you to your first day of school.” Lynhi began the conversation somewhat cautiously, setting down her half-eaten toast. “In fact, he told us that he’s sure there’ll be at least fifteen other students in your class. You’ll get to meet other children from around Oescienne, how does that sound?”

  Jahrra sat poking at her bacon with her fork. She didn’t like the idea of sharing Hroombra with anyone else but she answered her mother nonetheless, “Good I suppose.”

  “Just good? I think it’ll be great for you to meet someone else your own age. You’ll make friends and play games and learn so much more. Aren’t you looking forward to it?”

  Jahrra thought about this for a while and then figured it would be nice to see what other children were like. She nodded with a small smile and got back to breakfast. Lynhi in turn looked at her husband who gave her
a quick she’s-going-to-be-just-fine look before returning to his work.

  Jahrra finished her breakfast and dumped the plate into the hot, soapy water waiting in the sink. She grabbed the thick wool sweater her mother had knitted for her, pulled on her mud-crusted boots and ran out the front door, jamming it shut behind her.

  “Now be careful, and mind your manners! And be sure to keep your shoes on the entire day!” Lynhi shouted after her, following her halfway to the closed door.

  Abdhe chuckled behind her.

  “What?” she asked in a snappish manner, turning to glare at him with her hands on her hips.

  Abdhe smiled, thinking amusedly of how much his wife sometimes reminded him of a spirited child stuck in an older woman’s body.

  “You worry too much. If she makes a few mistakes the first day, it’s not the end of the world. We’re all entitled to some mistakes when we’re first learning.”

  When Lynhi continued to glare down at him with her lips pursed in slight annoyance he took a wearied breath and continued, “She isn’t the only one going to her first day of school you know. The other children are facing the same fear that she is. Relax, she’ll be fine.”

  Lynhi eased a little and moved to gaze out the front window.

  “I hope you’re right,” she said as she watched their young daughter skip down the path.

  Abdhe simply smiled and chortled and shook his head as he fidgeted some more with the hammer that refused to cooperate with him.

  As Lynhi peered out the window like a mother bear eyeing her cub, Jahrra sprinted to the end of the rocky path that led to the main road. She eventually stopped to catch her breath and glance back at the little stone cabin. It looked the same way it did six years ago when she first arrived here; nothing had changed but perhaps a little growth on the trees in the orchard and a little more moss on the roof.

  The small, two-storied structure was the image of home to Jahrra. She simply adored the way that none of the stones in the walls were smooth, but rather they were rough and jagged like they’d been chipped off of some huge rock by a giant’s pick. The tiny house always smelled of earthly things like old smoke, dried lavender, soil, leather and eucalyptus oil. Sometimes it would smell of the wildflowers she or her mother collected in the spring and summer and every night and every morning it held the aroma of home cooking. Jahrra could always count on that.

  The first sound of rickety cart wheels in the distance caused the young girl to jump out of her reverie and release a small yelp of fright. Once she saw that it was only the mail cart creeping up over the hill in the distance however, she grinned in relief. The mail cart always picked Jahrra up on the days she met with Hroombra and it was always driven by Mr. Dharedth the mail carrier. The mailman was a kind soul, not grumpy like most letter carriers in town. He was big and jovial with brown hair, brown eyes and a full beard, one that he was quite proud of.

  Jahrra would ask him about it sometimes since her father didn’t grow a beard.

  “How do you get your hair to grow on your face like that?”

  “Well, Little Jahrra,” Dharedth would say cheerfully, “it takes time, patience and the ability to keep oneself groomed.”

  Jahrra would sit on the wooden seat next to the mail carrier and ponder this question on their drives to the Castle Guard Ruin.

  “I think I’ll try to grow one myself,” she would answer after spending some time lost in thought.

  Dharedth then laughed warmly, telling Jahrra not to try too hard. He didn’t think a beard would look too becoming on a young girl. Jahrra would smile up at the middle-aged Nesnan man, one of the few people she talked to besides Hroombra and her parents.

  As Jahrra made a mental list of all the questions she’d be asking her new classmates, the wobbly old hay wagon she’d heard only minutes ago pulled up and stopped in front of her drive. The mail cart, a retired hay wagon now full of stuffed canvas bags, was pulled by a fat, tired looking dapple-red horse that sagged sluggishly as soon as the cart stopped moving. Jahrra beamed as Mr. Dharedth gave a gapped-tooth smile above his bristly beard, his form partially blocking the two other children that were already sitting in the cart.

  Jahrra’s heart caught in her throat when she saw them. She had no idea she’d be meeting her new classmates so soon and she suddenly lost the gumption she’d felt earlier. On a normal morning Jahrra would skip up to the cart and hop on, but today she approached warily, keeping her head low and her eyes veiled.

  Dharedth rested his arm on his knee, one hand loosely holding the reins and smiled down at Jahrra.

  “What’s the problem Little Jahrra? Don’ you feel well today?”

  His brow furrowed with concern and his smile began to fade.

  “Um . . .” was all Jahrra could muster as she started to turn pink.

  “Well, cheer up! You have some classmates here who’re headed to school just like you. Why don’ you introduce yourselves?”

  The mailman turned to the two children sitting behind him. They looked as timid as mice but luckily Dharedth was patient and knew how children could be shy when meeting others for the first time. Jahrra braved a glance up at them: a boy and a girl about her age sitting in the back of the cart. They both had very dark hair and green, slightly slanted eyes. Their uniforms were the same as Jahrra’s but instead of looking hand-sewn like her own the girl’s jumper and the boy’s vest and pants had most likely come from a tailor. Jahrra quickly returned her gaze to the ground and continued to stand in silence, pushing the loose soil around with her toe.

  “Oh, for goodness sake!” Dharedth exclaimed, chuckling in amusement, “How’ll you three last in a classroom full of children if you can’ even introduce yourselves here?”

  Finally, the girl in the cart spoke.

  “Hello,” she said in a quiet yet friendly voice, “my name is Gieaun and this is my brother Scede.”

  Jahrra could now see that the girl named Gieaun had cool green eyes and her brother Scede had a little bit of brown mixed in his own. They both, however, had black hair that reminded Jahrra of the shining, silky feathers of a rooster’s tail. Jahrra gave them a genial grin back.

  The girl was all smiles now that the ice was broken but the boy seemed much more bashful than even Jahrra. Jahrra took a deep breath and introduced herself to the siblings and then, after a questioning glance to Dharedth, jumped up into the wagon.

  On the ride to the Castle Guard Ruin Jahrra learned that Gieaun and Scede lived about three miles down the road from her on a ranch.

  “Wood’s End Ranch,” Gieaun piped more confidently now that the cart had started moving once again.

  Their parents raised sheep and horses and even traded with merchants outside of Oescienne. Scede, it turned out, was seven months older than her and Gieaun was four months younger.

  Jahrra began asking the two siblings questions of her own, such as: “What’s it like where you live?” and “What type of tree do you like to climb the most?”

  Gieaun was happy to answer these questions having many for Jahrra herself. Scede nodded every now and again, still reluctant to speak.

  “He’s really shy,” Gieaun whispered knowingly. “We’ll be lucky if he talks at all today!”

  The ride to Hroombra’s went by much quicker with two other children to talk to along the way, even if one of them only listened. Before they knew it the group reached the remains of an old stone building perched near the edge of the bluff. A narrow but long dirt path ran from the road to the crumbling stone structure.

  Once Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede were out of the cart and the mailman was well on his way, the three children walked slowly up the small path gazing around in wary interest as they did. Jahrra naturally led the way, having been to this place many times before. It didn’t take them long to traverse the trail and at its end they found themselves standing on a wide patch of earth free of the tangled field grass but littered with weathered stones.

  “What is this pla
ce?” asked Gieaun in a small voice as they stood in the ancient courtyard.

  “This is the Castle Guard Ruin. It’s where Master Hroombra lives,” Jahrra said knowingly.

  “Oh,” Gieaun answered simply, a little too frightened to question any further.

  “I wonder where all the other students are?” Jahrra inquired aloud as she crossed over a circular area that was about ten feet in diameter. She had always imagined a great tree might have once grown here, guarding the building that used to be.

  The three children gazed up at the stone wall looming before them. It was quite large and continued around to the other side of the building. The roof, one built of poles and large wooden slats, looked much newer than the ancient stone. In one corner there stood a large circular tower, easily twenty feet tall, with a conical roof of wood. A few windows, looking like empty rectangular eyes, stared at them from just below the tower’s peak. The entire building backed up into a tiny hillock that dropped off at the edge of the bluff on the opposite end.

  Jahrra, having seen the Ruin a hundred odd times, shuffled over to sit down on the stone steps in front of the doorway.

  “I guess we should wait here until everyone else arrives. I wonder where Master Hroombra is.”

  “Who’s Master Hroombra?” Gieaun asked, dusting off a place to sit next to her.

  “Oh just wait, you’ll love him!” the other girl replied.

  She neglected to tell her friend that Hroombra was a dragon, but Jahrra had grown so used to him that she hadn’t even thought that perhaps Gieaun and Scede had never seen one before.

  The two girls continued to chat while Scede walked around the old courtyard, kicking stones and drawing in the sand. After several minutes of loitering around the edge of the Ruin, Scede gave up and sat down next to the girls.

  Gieaun and Jahrra were so busy talking about their summer adventures that they hardly noticed Scede stiffening next to them. Something was moving from behind where they sat and he was the first one to notice. It sounded like something rather large, something much larger than an animal or an adult shifting around inside the old building.

  Scede elbowed his sister and the two girls stopped talking immediately, looking in the direction where the disturbance was coming from. The children glanced at each other and quickly scuttled behind the massive boulders bordering the steps.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a great beast stuck its head out from around the far corner of the Ruin. Jahrra had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. She’d been so caught up in her conversation with Gieaun that she’d allowed herself to think that anything dangerous could be lurking around the Castle Guard Ruin.

  The terrifying monster was none other than the dragon Hroombra, easily the size of her little cottage if not bigger, and he was peering between the edge of the wall and the curve of the tower on the northern end of the building. Gieaun and Scede looked terrified but Jahrra broke into a bright smile, her blue eyes shining with mirth.

  Hroombramantu inhaled deeply, looking very old as the morning light cut deep shadows into his wrinkled hide. Jahrra wondered if he knew that the children were there because she was getting the impression he was trying to sniff them out. She was almost tempted to sneak up on him and surprise him but another glance at her new friends told her that maybe she should introduce them to her mentor a little more gently. It was obvious from their terrified expressions that they’d never seen a dragon before. Well, at least a friendly one.

  Hroombra stopped sniffing abruptly and turned to look directly at Jahrra. Her grin widened and she skipped towards the looming reptile not at all fearful or cautious of him. Gieaun and Scede simply looked on in horror.

  “Young Jahrra?” Hroombra sounded quite confused indeed. “What are you doing skulking around in the shadows?”

  “I was going to sneak up on you but I thought that if I actually frightened you and caused you to shout my new friends might faint!”

  Jahrra giggled cheerfully, hoping that Gieaun and Scede would see now that Hroombra was harmless. When she looked in their direction, however, she noticed that they still crouched behind the stone rubble.

  Hroombra smiled and spoke, “It seems you’ve been distracted with the task of making friends. It’s alright children, you can come out. I won’t eat you.” The voice was deep, soft, kind and definitely not hostile. “Come on. I assure you no harm will befall you.”

  Hroombra’s speech wasn’t coaxing but patient, proving that he’d dealt with many terrified children before. Jahrra immediately stood up taller and told her friends that she’d known Hroombra her whole life and that he was a wonderful storyteller.

  “Come now, everyone out in the open!” the great dragon said once more, “My name is Hroombramantu for those of you who don’t already know, and you can call me Master Hroombra. Now what should I call you?”

  By this time Gieaun and Scede had mustered enough courage to crawl out reluctantly from their rock barriers. “I-I’m Gieaun,” answered the girl in a voice that could have belonged to a mouse.

  “And you?” Hroombra nodded towards her brother.

  “Scede,” Gieaun put in, her voice still small but audible. “He’s, my, my brother. He doesn’t say much. He’s shy.”

  Now that Gieaun had spoken and realized she wouldn’t be swallowed after all, she became a little more confident.

  “Well, Gieaun and Scede, it’s nice to meet you two. But we must get moving. The day won’t wait,” Hroombra said.

  “We’re not staying here?” Jahrra asked in surprise.

  “No.”

  “What about the others?”

  “They’ll meet us in town.”

  “Town?”

  Hroombra smiled at his small pupil’s incessant questions. Most schoolmasters would’ve grown impatient by now but not Hroombra. He took a small breath and answered, “In Aldehren, where the schoolhouse is.”

  “Why can’t we stay here?” Jahrra pressed, becoming slightly upset.

  “Oh, no Jahrra, you must go to school and be taught by a teacher of your own kind. A dragon may be a good tutor for you on occasion, but it’s not for most children,” Hroombra said seriously.

  Jahrra stood with her brow furrowed. What’s wrong with having a dragon as a teacher? she wondered to herself.

  “Well then, shall we get going? It’ll take quite a while to get to the schoolhouse. Unfortunately I’m not as young as I used to be or else we could fly there. We’ll have to make do with walking.”

  Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede looked up at Hroombra in disbelief. Walk?! All the way to town? Jahrra thought with horror. She was certain it would take her more than a day to walk to town.

  Hroombra realized what they were all thinking and smiled once more. “Don’t worry! You three can ride on my back. We’ll arrive faster that way.”

  Jahrra’s expression of disbelief turned to one of enthusiasm and even Scede and Gieaun brightened as they imagined riding atop a dragon. Jahrra scuttled over to the decrepit stone staircase that flanked the doorway into the Ruin. She smiled at her friends confidently as she climbed the stairs and came level with Hroombra’s thorny back.

  Gieaun and Scede watched in awe as she grabbed a hold of one of Hroombra’s worn spikes and hauled herself onto his cool, rough back. Once she gained her balance and breath Jahrra beamed down at her friends. “The trick,” she breathed, “is sitting between the spikes.”

  Hroombra turned his great head, almost knocking Jahrra off balance, and grinned down at the two timorous children that stood before him.

  “Now it’s your turn.”

  Scede reluctantly climbed the steps, swallowed and took a deep breath. Jahrra thought he looked a little like a kitten determined to make a big jump. He grabbed the bony spike just behind Jahrra and pulled himself up with excessive force, almost throwing himself clear over Hroombra’s back. His sister was next, releasing a tiny squeak as she pulled herself up. Finally the t
hree of them were perched precariously upon the great dragon’s back, looking a lot like stranded sailors lying across the keel of a capsized boat.

  Hroombra turned his great head to view the children once more and chuckled at the sight.

  “I promise to walk slowly,” he said, “but it may take some getting used to.”

  And with that the great reptile left the ruined building behind, crossing the wide field and heading north along the old road that twisted down the side of the Great Sloping Hill.

  -Chapter Four-

  Surviving the First Day of School

  Hroombra’s ambling trek down the twisting dirt road was both soothing and refreshing to the anxious children. The road itself was wide and smooth like a great lazy snake creeping through the autumn-dried fields. The view of the farmlands and distant ocean from the bluff’s edge was off to their left but Jahrra had trouble seeing past the few trees that grew on the brink, even from the height of a dragon’s back. Instead she turned her sights to the looming Wreing Florenn on the other side of the road, looking like a sleeping monster basking in the early morning light.

  Jahrra felt Scede shift behind her to get a better look at the landscape surrounding them. Once he was finally settled she relaxed a bit and breathed in the scent of fresh morning dew, smiling inwardly as the group crossed the Danu Creek. The bridge that spanned this small waterway was wide and made of heavy logs, creaking irritably as Hroombra set his weight to it.

  “Have no fear,” he said, shocking the children into an attentive posture, “it’ll hold.”

  Jahrra had no doubt that it would but when she glanced back at Gieaun and Scede she could tell they hadn’t been so sure. Between the creaks and groans of the old bridge Jahrra heard the bubbling of the shallow water below. She was sure that if it wasn’t for Hroombra’s deep breathing, the noisy complaints of the bridge and the anxious sounds coming from Gieaun and Scede every now and then behind her, she would’ve been able to hear the water trickling over the bluff’s edge several yards away.

  Gieaun and Scede released two small sighs of relief when Hroombra finally stepped back onto solid ground. Jahrra sighed too, but not out of concern. The cool morning air felt wonderfully refreshing as it coated her lungs, leaving the distinct taste of fire smoke behind. She smiled dreamily, leaning into Hroombra’s vast, soft neck and listened to his deep, strong heartbeat.

  It wasn’t long, however, before Jahrra was pulled away from her relaxed pose. The view from the road was beginning to shift and she could now see the fields far below, their dark furrows of earth dressed in the rich colors of early autumn’s ripening crops. Jahrra and her new friends now passed the time searching for the slivers of white dunes and glinting sea peeking between the trunks of tall trees, pointing and gasping at the delightful sight.

  Hroombra chuckled and picked up his lumbering pace forcing Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede to grasp for his spikes to keep from sliding off. He gently ruffled his leathery wings before folding them back up again as they resumed their light flapping sound as they brushed against his flanks.

  About halfway down the winding road, Jahrra saw something that took complete control of her attention. “Oh, Master Hroombra! What’s this place again?” she squealed as she pointed at two degraded stone towers tucked into the woods to their right.

  They resembled the tower at the Castle Guard Ruin but besides the dead ivy and forest debris piled against them, they looked relatively undamaged.

  “Those two turrets once marked the entrance to the great castle of Oescienne. Very long ago there was a bridge spanning between the tops of them with a massive gate at their base. Anyone wishing to visit the king or queen would have to enter through that strong gate. This way the king’s soldiers could make sure no one wishing harm upon their majesties entered the castle grounds.”

  Jahrra looked on in wonder, trying hard to picture every last detail her mentor described. Behind her she could sense Gieaun and Scede leaning forward to get a better look and she imagined they too were trying to picture it.

  Hroombra continued on as the children listened, “The entire castle was once surrounded by a great wall. There was another much larger tower just on the other side of this road, on that small hill there.”

  Hroombra nodded to a smaller path leading down to a hillock jutting off the western side of the road. Jahrra couldn’t see a tower; all she could see was a small grove of trees with a ring of weathered stone resembling a fire pit and the bare earth within it.

  “What happened to the king and queen?” Gieaun queried in a meek voice.

  Hroombra turned his great head, a troubled look etched on his creased face. “That, my child, is a story for another time, but not for today.”

  Although Hroombra had used a gentle voice the hint of sorrow lingering within it caused Gieaun to hunch down like a scolded dog. Jahrra realized with mild irritation that they wouldn’t be visiting the castle ruin today. She slumped a little and like Gieaun, she wondered what had happened to the king of Oescienne. If there was a castle and people to guard it, how could there no longer be a king? Jahrra shook her head, trying her best to be content with the sights around her as they continued on down the hill and into the farmland. She would have to find out the answers to her questions another day.

  The trip to Aldehren, which would have taken an hour in a cart, took twice as long with Hroombra’s slow pace. The children didn’t mind, however; they used this time to get to know their carrier and it wasn’t every day one got to take a ride on a dragon’s back. Gieaun got up the courage to ask Hroombra if he could breathe fire and he happily demonstrated this by breathing a stream of deep red flame that seemed to split the air. The children clapped in delight and even Scede smiled and joined in.

  When they finally reached the bottom of the hill Hroombra promptly turned northwest taking the road with a sign that read Aldehren, Hassett Town and Toria Town. The fields that stood between the Great Sloping Hill and Aldehren were practically deserted but the few people that were out on this fine morning stopped to watch curiously, or cautiously, as the huge dragon carrying three young children passed by.

  Jahrra thought they looked like rag dolls bent over their fields, nurturing the delicate plants that stood stark and helpless in the chill air. Some of the farmers leaned against shovels and rakes in order to give their aching backs a rest. Jahrra waved hesitantly but the people just continued to stare like living statues, probably too far away to have seen the gesture. Their tiny crude stone houses littered the flatlands like large boulders overgrown with sod. If it hadn’t been for the narrow tendrils of smoke curling from their green roofs, or the glint of the sun reflecting off their minute windows, Jahrra would’ve dismissed the huts as eroding piles of rocks.

  Jahrra sighed and turned her attention back to Hroombra’s stories, failing to notice the other farmers coming out of their houses to see the rare sight of a dragon walking through their fields. These people had seen Hroombra before, of course, and they even remembered seeing a large dragon flying overhead some five or six years ago. It was an uncommon sight to see a dragon and was well worth a break in their important work to stop and take a look, even though they knew this particular dragon lived atop the flat hill looming above them.

  The three children were so caught up in Hroombra’s stories that they hardly noticed the miles ticking by. The next time Jahrra bothered to take in her surroundings she realized just how far they’d traveled. The vast farmlands were tapering off and a few small hills, looking like nodules covered in tawny velvet, rose up around them. A few small clumps of scattered woodlands spread out like a great, patchy quilt of green, red and gold, and the flat farmland was beginning to dip and climb into rolling fields.

  Hroombra rounded the last small grouping of hillocks and finally the town of Aldehren tumbled into view. Jahrra clutched tightly to the spike she’d been hanging onto as Gieaun and Scede craned forward to get a better look. The low, primitive cabins of the fi
elds had been replaced by sturdy houses built of cultivated stone with smaller, fenced-in yards surrounding them. In the distance Jahrra heard the buzz of society and soon Hroombra’s large claws were clicking against smooth cobblestones instead of digging into soft earth.

  The empty street quickly became dotted with people scurrying about on their morning business. As soon as they saw the giant reptile ambling down the center of the road, however, they froze on the spot and gaped with fear and awe. Jahrra found it funny how Hroombra left a wake of silence behind him as they made their way deeper and deeper into the heart of the city.

  Several small children, too young yet to go to school, clung to their mothers’ skirts, eyeing the great dragon warily. Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede waved merrily, encouraging several of them to smile and trot cautiously after them only to be discouraged by their chastising parents.

  “Master Hroombra,” Jahrra said quietly so that only the old dragon could hear, “why’s everyone staring and getting out of the way like that?”

  Hroombra took a while to answer but finally he turned his head slightly and said, “Because they never see dragons, Jahrra. I come into town seldom and I’m the only dragon in Oescienne.”

  “Why are there no other dragons in Oescienne?” Jahrra pressed, wondering to herself why she’d never asked him this before.

  Again, Hroombra paused before answering, “The complete answer to that question is something not ready for such young ears to hear.”

  Jahrra squished up her face, revealing a small dimple on her left cheek. When Hroombra used that phrase it meant he wouldn’t be telling her the whole answer. Why do adults always have to be so secretive? she wondered in frustration.

  Jahrra forgot about her ire when Hroombra began talking once again, “I will tell you this however: the world is a large place with many people and many different ideas, and one of those ideas is that dragons are troublesome creatures. People hear stories and fear we might burn down their village or eat their livestock. Most dragons don’t do this but too many people believe the tales they are told. Most of my kind now live in secret places where we can be at peace, but not all of us. Does this answer your question?”

  No, Jahrra thought ruefully even as she signaled her compliance, at least not all the way. She wondered why people believed the stories about dragons being dangerous but she withheld any other inquiries. When Hroombra ended an explanation with another question she knew he was finished with the topic.

  Jahrra soon forgot about the distracted and disapproving townspeople. She was dazzled by the shops with their crooked hanging signs and intricate window displays. The stores had everything for sale from professionally tailored dresses and suits to garden tools and small wagons. Every so often she’d catch a glimpse of a grungy, gritty alley and just as soon as it appeared it disappeared once again. She was always amazed that buildings could be built so close together and wondered what it would be like to live so near to one’s neighbors.

  Jahrra breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into Hroombra’s great neck for comfort, closing her eyes and allowing her other senses to take over. The sun felt like a warm fire as it beat down upon her face creating quite a contrast compared to Hroombra’s cool, scaly skin. She heard the clinking of harnesses, the clucking of chickens, the bleating of sheep and goats and the snorting of horses. She listened to the shouts of more children running away from the dragon walking down the street and she even heard the chinking of the blacksmith’s shop several blocks away.

  Familiar smells of smoke and manure filled the air and the clean swish of a horse’s tail nearby finally convinced Jahrra to open her eyes. The scene had changed; there were no longer crowded stone and wooden houses surrounding them but a few compact cottages propped up between small groves of young redwood trees. They’d left the main road and were now on one of the more narrow paths leading away from the center of town.

  Jahrra blinked and glanced over her shoulder. Gieaun and Scede looked distracted by the stables on the left but directly behind them Jahrra saw life returning to normal on the main road. The people who’d been avoiding Hroombra quickly filled in the space he had created, leaving behind no evidence that three children riding a dragon had ever passed through.

  The lane Hroombra took rose gently, twining between the redwoods that dappled the path in shade. Soon the dull red walls of a stone cabin pushed their way through the ruddy brown and deep green of the trees. The cabin was rather large and Jahrra noticed that it had a steep sloping roof, a towering chimney, and great dust coated windows. Oak and laurel trees gathered in the gully around the schoolhouse like chilled campers hunched around a fire and several large chunks of granite littered the yard.

  “Well, children,” Hroombra said, sounding slightly out of breath, “welcome to your schoolhouse.”

  Hroombra stopped just outside the front of the building and allowed the children to slide off of his back. Once on solid ground the three of them gazed around in wonderment. Although the structure was built amongst trees, there was a small hollow and a tiny meadow on one side of the yard. To the building’s right, in another small clearing, Jahrra spotted tables and benches. The whole scene had a musty and shaded atmosphere, but Jahrra smiled brightly anyway, feeling for the first time that she might truly enjoy school.

  “It looks like we’re the first ones here,” Hroombra commented casually, taking in the dormant scene.

  The schoolyard was vacant and the road below was deserted, but soon the emptiness was disrupted by the sound of a horse and carriage drifting up the main road. The children and dragon looked in the direction of the faint clatter and saw a very clean and beautiful yolk-colored carriage emerging over the small incline of the road. This cart was much nicer than the hay wagon Jahrra always took to the Castle Guard Ruin. It was obviously a well-maintained family vehicle and was drawn by two matching snowy horses fitted with intricately carved leather harnesses.

  Once the carriage pulled up to the path in front of the schoolhouse, Jahrra found herself gaping in surprise. Now that the horses were closer she saw that their harnesses were encrusted with tiny, yellow rhinestones. Gieaun and Scede shifted behind her and she turned her head to see what had caught their attention. Right behind the first carriage were four or five more exactly like the first, also drawn by two white horses.

  The lead carriage came to a complete stop and a young footman hopped down and opened the door, completing his task flawlessly despite the shocked look he flashed towards Hroombra.

  A matching girl and boy, both with hazelnut brown hair and clear, brown eyes, stepped out of the carriage. They were shortly followed by a dozen or so other children. The twins, for there was no mistaking that fact, wore the same uniform that Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede wore but theirs looked to be made of silk and satin.

  Jahrra could only imagine that these children came from a palace and she hoped, with a small thrill that they might even be pure elves. Their ears looked pointed at the end, and they had an air of richness and importance floating about them. As she stood there gaping in wonder, the other carriages unloaded more blue and white clad students of various ages.

  Despite their intimidating appearance however, Jahrra was glad to see the other children and couldn’t wait to introduce herself. She’d gotten along so well with Gieaun and Scede that she figured it would be wonderful to make friends with all the new students, especially if these children were really true elves. She quickly ran over to greet them, Gieaun close behind and Scede trailing back.

  Before Jahrra could say anything at all, however, the brown haired girl looked up from fussing with her uniform and let out a blood-curdling scream. Jahrra froze and felt her heart jump into her throat. What’s the matter? she thought as she stood staring at the girl in confusion. Only, the girl didn’t seem to notice Jahrra; she was standing with her eyes fixed on something just over her shoulder.

  Jahrra turned to look and then realized what had caused the girl to scream:
Hroombra. Hroombra stood back, still as stone and blending in with the gray shadows of the trees. Jahrra almost laughed. How could these children not have noticed Hroombra before now?

  “A dragon! We have a dragon teaching us? This can’t be right!” the girl shouted, sounding half outraged, half frightened.

  Jahrra was taken aback and quickly jumped to Hroombra’s defense.

  “He- he’s Master Hroombra and he teaches me once a week,” she faltered. “He only wanted to bring us to school on the first day.”

  The girl finally noticed Jahrra and looked her up and down, sneering rudely. “When did they start letting Nesnans in to study with the Resai?”

  The hazelnut haired boy sniggered along with most of the other children. Jahrra inched away, feeling the full blast of the girl’s acidic tone. She had thought school would be an exciting adventure where she’d make new friends, but it seemed she was making enemies before class even begun and she didn’t even know why. By now all of the other children had started murmuring and backing away from the dragon and the three children that had come with it. Jahrra looked back at Gieaun and Scede for support but they only let their eyes drop, moving away charily from the crowd of upset students.

  “He won’t hurt you!” Jahrra blurted out desperately.

  But the girl who’d screamed and the boy standing next to her started shaking their heads in disgust and began gathering the other children together as far away from Hroombra as they could. Jahrra stood on the pathway feeling like the only person in the world. Why doesn’t Master Hroombra just tell them he won’t hurt them like he did with Gieaun and Scede? she thought, feeling smaller and smaller as so many wary pairs of eyes darted between her and the towering reptile standing behind her.

  “We don’t make friends with people who know dragons.” The girl whispered haughtily to her friends, “My mother and father told me that dragons sometimes eat children.”

  Jahrra was shocked to hear such things. Hroombra would never hurt anybody!

  The old dragon sighed and shook his great head, shocking Jahrra back into the present. He’d been listening and watching the children the whole time and he knew there was nothing he could do to make this easier for Jahrra except to leave her and hope her classmates would find a way to put aside their differences.

  “I’d best leave you now Jahrra,” he said quietly for only her to hear. “I fear I’m causing you harm by being here.”

  Jahrra whipped around, terrified at the thought of Hroombra leaving her alone with this horrible group.

  “Master Hroombra! Don’t leave!” she pleaded, running frantically after him.

  Hroombra stopped and turned around to speak to her, “Jahrra, I can’t explain why those children say what they say but you must stay and learn to be patient with them. You’ll be alright. You have Gieaun and Scede. Try not to let the others get you down, just focus on your lessons and know that your family awaits you back at home.”

  Hroombra gave Jahrra one last encouraging grin then turned to leave. Jahrra watched him go, fresh tears beginning in her eyes. The twin brother and sister took another besmirching look at Jahrra and then the girl glanced at Gieaun and Scede and said, “You know, you still have a chance to be our friends. But you can’t talk to her anymore.”

  The girl finished her speech with a jerk of her head in Jahrra’s direction. Jahrra hadn’t even heard what the girl had said; she was still trying hard not to cry. Gieaun just crossed her arms and stuck her chin in the air, a gesture that contained more gall than Jahrra had seen from the timid girl all day.

  “We don’t want to be your friends,” was Gieaun’s reply. “We like Jahrra and Master Hroombra.”

  The awful girl just glowered and said, “Fine, you can’t be part of our club then.”

  The other children seemed too reluctant to defy this girl so they just stood there, looking between her and Jahrra. A malicious glare from the mean girl quickly made up their minds and they all stayed right where they were, except for the older children who tapered off on their own, eager to talk about the huge dragon who’d brought three first year students to school.

  Gieaun and Scede walked over to Jahrra and put their arms around her shoulders.

  “Don’t listen to them,” Gieaun murmured encouragingly. “We’ve met them before in town. Their names are Ellysian and Eydeth. They’re twins and their father is richer than anyone else in Oescienne. They think they’re better than everyone else so they’ll treat you badly. Just ignore them.”

  What Gieaun said comforted Jahrra and even though Scede still wasn’t talking, his comforting gesture was nice just the same.

  The small group of the youngest children waited a while longer for their teacher, on separate ends of the schoolyard of course. Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede found a large granite boulder resting against the side of the hill with a great sprawling oak wedged between. While the three new friends sat waiting for their instructor they quietly endured the unkind comments drifting across the meadow to their side of the schoolhouse.

  As Jahrra listened, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally spilled over.

  “A dragon!” the girl called Ellysian exclaimed, managing to sound amused and shocked at the same time. “And did you see her uniform? How horrible! I bet it is made of old potato sacks that her mother dyed blue!”

  Gieaun hugged her new friend tightly when she saw the look of hurt and confusion on Jahrra’s face. “Oh, don’t listen to her! She screamed the first time she saw me and Scede. She was frightened by our dark hair!”

  Jahrra looked at the two siblings, eyes wide with surprise. Gieaun closed her eyes and nodded somberly.

  “She had no idea that anyone could have black hair, and when my mother walked by her and her mother I could hear her saying, ‘Mama! What kind of people are those? They have hair like a crow!’ Scede and I were upset at first but then our mother said to us, ‘Just imagine how sad it is that she knows so little.’ ”

  They then had a good laugh and Jahrra soon stopped crying. The three of them had been so caught up in the talk from across the yard that they almost didn’t notice a man on horseback coming up the path. When they finally noticed, all three of them sat stark still and appraised the man who could only be their school teacher.

  He looked younger than middle-aged and his clothes were not as fine as most of the other children’s, a fact that somehow warmed Jahrra’s heart. He wore brown pants and a faded dark green riding jacket, along with a pointed hat complete with an exotic bird’s feather.

  The man slid off of his tall chestnut horse and led it around to the back of the school building. Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede watched as he took the horse to the small stable out back, not once acknowledging the curious students glancing his way. After he was done caring for his horse he turned and walked over to the children. He immediately noticed that Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede were on one side of the schoolyard while the others were on the other.

  “What’s this?” he asked in a warm voice, his hands placed casually on his hips. “Did these three try to bite you?” He lifted one long arm and gestured towards Jahrra and her friends.

  Ellysian and Eydeth blushed at the comment but kept their faces stern. Jahrra, on the other hand, saw the amusement in their new teacher’s eyes. She smiled. She was glad to have another person with a light heart here; the other children were much too serious for her.

  “I’m waiting,” the man said, crossing his arms and tapping his foot in a falsely annoyed fashion.

  It was the boy Eydeth who spoke up first. “That girl is Nesnan, and those two Resai want to be her friend.”

  Jahrra frowned. So what if she was Nesnan or Resai? What did it matter if she had less elf blood in her veins then the rest of the class? It mattered to Eydeth and Ellysian, apparently.

  The man raised one eyebrow and scrutinized Eydeth for a while. “What’s wrong with that?” he finally asked.

  Jahrra allowed hers
elf a more abundant grin.

  “She’s lower in class than us! We can’t learn with her, our parents won’t have it!” Ellysian insisted, stamping her foot in a small fit.

  The man curled one hand under his chin and gazed at the group in a pensive manner. By now, even the oldest students had stopped what they were doing to gaze on in interest. Finally, after what seemed like several minutes, the man spoke, “My mother was Nesnan, and therefore I’m half. Will that be a problem as well?”

  Ellysian simply stood where she was, mouth clamped shut, not knowing what to say.

  “How about we forget about who is Nesnan and who is Resai and focus on our studies instead? Now, everyone into the classroom, we’re wasting the day!”

  The man walked briskly up the stairs and pulled open the door, smiling in Jahrra’s direction. Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede quickly ran over to the building and went inside.

  “Come on everyone!” The man called out to the quiet crowd. Slowly and reluctantly they all piled into the building, Eydeth and Ellysian coming in last.

  Once inside, Jahrra narrowed her eyes and gazed around the spacious room. It was quite large with many windows that let in little light due to a thick layer of dust. At the front of the classroom was a huge black board for writing and in the right hand corner was an enormous stone fireplace. The room was lined with small wooden tables and chairs, and at the front there was a larger desk and chair for their teacher.

  Maps covered the wall on either side of the chalkboard, and Jahrra stared at them in wonder. One map had the word Ethoes scrawled across it, the other Oescienne. Jahrra didn’t yet know how to read all that well, but she knew those two words from looking at the maps Hroombra had shown her. She approached the front of the room to get a better look at them and was severely disappointed to see how devoid of details they were.

  These maps merely showed brown land masses surrounded by black, squiggly lines with a few cities shown as red dots. They weren’t colorful and stuffed with landmarks, lakes, rivers, trees and mountains the way maps should be. Jahrra was irked. She’d only ever seen a map of Oescienne at the Castle Guard Ruin and was eager to see one of Ethoes with all the details. For now she’d have to do with the boring, brown blob representing their world.

  “Alright, everyone find a seat,” their teacher said loudly over the murmuring students.

  Jahrra and her two friends found desks near the front of the room and the other seats gradually filled in behind them. To Jahrra’s profound relief, Eydeth and Ellysian sat as far away from them as possible.

  Once everyone had chosen a desk and the murmuring finally dissipated, their teacher addressed them, “Today we’ll just be introducing ourselves and making this classroom our own. As you can see it’s rather dusty from lack of use. I also have many pieces of parchment for you to draw pictures of yourselves, your families and some of your favorite things. And yes,” he paused and shot a stern look at the older students rolling their eyes, “I even want to know what your favorite color is, Brethen.”

  Jahrra risked a peek behind her where she could see a tall, floppy haired teenage boy being jabbed and prodded by his snickering friends. She smothered a grin, liking her new teacher more and more by the minute.

  The man clasped his hands together cheerfully and then continued on, “So, let’s start with me. My name is Mr. Cohrbin. I’m two hundred and eighteen years old and I live here in Aldehren. I’m originally from Aenaith in the northern part of the province and I first came here to teach about fifty years ago. My favorite hobbies are hiking, gardening and reading. My favorite color is brown.”

  Jahrra smiled inwardly, feeling optimistic for the first time since arriving at the schoolhouse. The rest of the class soon followed suit, and everyone gave their names, where they lived and their favorite things to do. Jahrra explained that she lived in a small stone cottage on the Great Sloping Hill, that she lived with her parents and that they owned a small orchard. She told the class that she didn’t have a favorite color, she liked them all, and that what she liked best was starry skies, climbing trees, catching bugs and exploring.

  Eydeth and Ellysian sniggered as she spoke, but luckily Jahrra didn’t hear them. Scede even opened up a little when he and Gieaun told the class that they lived with their parents on a large ranch just outside the tiny village of Nuun Esse, also on the Great Sloping Hill. They said that they loved riding horses and watching the sun set on the ocean, which they could see from the bluff’s edge.

  When it came to be Eydeth and Ellysian’s turns the twins made no effort to be humble. They not only spoke of their mansion in the northern canyon of the affluent city of Kiniahn Kroi but also of their vacation home in Hassett Town. They mentioned how their father was the richest Resai man in Oescienne and how he owned half of the Raenyan Valley.

  The twins talked about how many outfits they had a piece, or how many music lessons Ellysian had taken or how many trophies Eydeth had won for fencing, or about how many different places they’d visited. The list went on and on. Jahrra sat listening to the two, almost entranced by how much they had but annoyed at how much they still wished they had.

  After introductions the day went by rather smoothly. The students helped clean out the classroom (something Ellysian and Eydeth refused to do) and then they got to decorate their tables. Jahrra thought this was absolutely wonderful and soon everyone was busy drawing and gathering together what they would be keeping on their desks.

  Around mid-afternoon the class let out and the students went outside to wait for their rides home. The carriages that had brought the twins and all the other students were waiting as they emerged. Ellysian and Eydeth climbed into the lead carriage with everyone else left to fill up the others.

  Jahrra wondered why the rest of the class rode in these carriages and Gieaun quickly explained, “They’re just showing off. Most of them live nearby. Eydeth and Ellysian are just trying to get them to be their friends by bringing them to school.”

  Jahrra stared after the retreating wagon train, glad that the mean children were finally gone. A few minutes later Mr. Cohrbin emerged from behind the stone building on his horse. “You three haven’t been forgotten, have you?”

  His voice was kind once again and Jahrra replied, “We’re waiting for Master Hroombra, he should be here any minute.”

  Just as Jahrra finished explaining the great dragon came clambering up the narrow path, detaching himself from the shadows he matched so well. As soon as he saw their teacher, Hroombra gave a great, wide smile.

  “Ahhh, Cohrbin! I was hoping you’d be the school master again this year. How did the first day go?”

  Cohrbin nodded at the children and led his horse over to where Hroombra stood. “If it isn’t Hroombramantu, out and about! I haven’t seen you in ages.”

  He looked genuinely glad to see Hroombra and Jahrra grinned happily knowing that her teacher didn’t have nasty things to say about him like her classmates had.

  “I don’t often get out, only on special occasions and a first day of school is a special occasion.” Hroombra beamed at the children and they smiled right back.

  Hroombra and Cohrbin chatted for a little while longer, discussing everything from news around Oescienne to the politics of the classroom. The three friends merely played around the little yard as the adults spoke, grateful that they were free to explore without the twins to make malicious comments. Hroombra watched them out of the corner of his eye, glad to see Jahrra in higher spirits since the morning.

  “So, tell me Hroombra,” Cohrbin asked quietly as he leaned forward in the saddle of his edgy horse, “any news from outside the province?”

  Hroombra turned his amber eyes back on his friend. He’d known Cohrbin for a long time and he knew he could be trusted.

  “As far as we know, the Tyrant remains dormant. There has been little change in the east but there’s a strangeness hanging in the air, a sensation I can’t describe. Almost like the prickl
ing feeling one senses before lightning strikes. I don’t know if it bodes ill will or good.”

  “Perhaps the time is drawing near for the child of the prophecy to be born,” Cohrbin whispered cautiously, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. “There has been much talk in the north about it you know. More than usual, so I’ve heard.”

  Hroombra stiffened but not so much for Cohrbin to notice. Have the elves of Crie been careless? he wondered with icy fear. His alarm only intensified when Cohrbin spoke again. The Resai man had settled back in the saddle and was now gazing casually at the children.

  “Now I know the two dark haired children, their parents raise sheep and horses on the Sloping Hill. But the blonde girl I’ve never seen before.”

  A casual change of subject in Cohrbin’s eyes perhaps, but not in Hroombra’s. His friend’s first mention of the prophecy and now this curiosity about Jahrra, as innocent as it may seem, made Hroombra even more uncomfortable. He trusted Cohrbin, but not nearly enough to convey to him the deep secret he kept.

  The dragon took a deep breath, “She came to two friends of mine as an infant. Her parents died shortly after her birth but she’s been a blessing to my friends Lynhi and Abdhe.” Hroombra kept his answer short and simple.

  “Well, I have my hands full with the usual privileged, troublesome children this year but those three are definitely a delight to have in the class.”

  Hroombra breathed a mental sigh of relief, grateful that Cohrbin’s interest in Jahrra didn’t linger. The two adults spoke for a little while longer until the children came skipping up, ready to be on their way home. The group said their goodbyes and soon they were once again atop Hroombra and heading south. Once outside of Aldehren the three children spilled everything about their first day at school.

  “Our teacher is great!” Jahrra remarked. “He let us decorate our desks.”

  “Yeah, and we got to draw and learn about the history of Oescienne. Did you know that humans used to live here?” Scede said in wonderment, no longer the timid boy he had been earlier that day.

  “Really?” Hroombra smiled, knowing all too well that they had. “You don’t say.”

  “It was fun,” Gieaun added, “except for the twins.”

  And then the three went into great detail about Ellysian and Eydeth and how they had turned the whole class against them.

  “Don’t worry, young ones. Most of them will grow out of it and learn that there’s nothing wrong with being different from one another. Just have patience.”

  “Like when growing a beard!” Jahrra piped, remembering what the mailman had once said.

  “What?” asked Hroombra in bewilderment.

  Jahrra told him all about the beard and the conversation soon returned to more pleasant talk. By the time the dragon and the children arrived at the Castle Guard Ruin it was late afternoon and Dharedth was already waiting for them at the top of the hill.

  “So, how did the first day go?” he asked with much eagerness.

  “It was alright,” Jahrra said simply.

  “Alright? That’s it?”

  “The other children weren’t very nice,” Gieaun explained solemnly.

  “Oh, I see,” Dharedth said knowingly. “Don’t you worry, they’ll soon see what wonderful children you three are, just give it time.”

  Jahrra looked up, feeling a little better. Maybe Dharedth and Master Hroombra were right. Maybe their classmates just needed time to get used to school as well.

  In no time the mail cart was clacking down the road carrying the new friends in the direction of home. Hroombra watched them slowly fade into the distance, looking rather grave in the rich light of the approaching sunset. He smiled as he recalled the first day Jahrra had been brought to him. She’d been all alone then, a human being in a world of Resai and Nesnan elves. He smiled once more as they turned to wave one more time before disappearing over the rise in the road, feeling truly grateful that Jahrra had made some real friends today. They’ll be a great help to her in the coming years, he thought soberly.

  The old dragon exhaled strongly, stirring the dust upon the road and mixing it with a plume of acrid smoke. He only wished that Jaax would visit soon. The younger dragon needed to see how big Jahrra had grown and he needed to update Hroombra on news of the outside world. The conversation with Cohrbin had shaken him at first but it was good to know that there was still uncertainty about Jahrra’s existence.

  The great reptile yawned and stalked into the one huge, remaining room in the Ruin. Winter was approaching and Jahrra would soon turn seven. The past six years had already gone by so quickly, Hroombra was afraid he would blink and Jahrra would be grown. He only hoped he was doing the right thing by withholding the truth from her until she was old enough to understand. As long as she was satisfied with school and her friends, however, he didn’t have to worry, at least not for now.

  -Chapter Five-

  Tricks and Traps and Fighting Back

  Jahrra’s first day of school was definitely not what she’d expected it to be, but with the encouragement of her parents, the companionship of her two new friends, and mostly from the promise that Hroombra would teach her on her days off, she willingly faced the inhospitable Resai twins day in and day out.

  To Jahrra’s great relief, the school week only lasted four days, leaving the last day free for her lessons with Hroombra. The old dragon would help her refine her writing and reading skills and teach her about the history of Ethoes through stories of times long past. Jahrra always looked forward to these lessons; at the Castle Guard Ruin she didn’t have to fear the laughter and taunting of her classmates.

  On weekends, Jahrra would either help out at home or go over to Gieaun’s and Scede’s ranch where she would learn how to ride horses. Learning to ride quickly became Jahrra’s favorite thing to do, especially since it meant spending time with her two best friends.

  Wood’s End Ranch was the largest piece of land on the western end of the Sloping Hill, easily a hundred acres if not more. It was called Wood’s End Ranch because it backed into the Wreing Florenn on its southern side. Jahrra didn’t hesitate to mention that her own orchard met the feared forest and asked her friends if they’d ever seen the terrible beast that was said to live there.

  “Father has told us many stories about the monsters of Oescienne, but we’ve never actually seen them,” Scede said matter-of-factly.

  Jahrra looked at him with wide eyes, too distracted by the fact that there were many monsters living in Oescienne to be disappointed that he already knew about the one in the Wreing Florenn.

  “Don’t worry, if you ever get to go camping with us I’m sure father will tell you all about them,” he continued after seeing Jahrra’s reaction.

  Jahrra crossed her arms and squished up her face, “I would like to hear about them,” she claimed. “I need to know what exactly is in the Wreing Florenn. I’m going to go looking for the monster someday when I’m older and braver.”

  Gieaun looked simply terrified at this comment but Scede, surprisingly, looked as if he’d nurtured the same idea for a long time. After much pleading and teasing Gieaun said that she’d only go with them when they were much older and only during broad daylight. The children laughed at their bravado. If only they could be so bold at school. The schoolhouse was Jahrra’s least favorite place to be since it had become a place of both emotional and physical conflict inside and outside the building.

  Her first few months studying with the other children had proven a challenge, especially with the twins and their devotees. They always had something negative to say to her and the younger students dying to be part of the popular crowd would chuckle and snigger in support of a recent slight to prove they disliked Jahrra just as much as the twins did.

  Eydeth and Ellysian often tried to corner her on her own, but luckily they often failed since Scede and Gieaun were always at her side. Jahrra was able to ignore them most of the time since she wasn’t completely a
lone, but they always found a way to get to her. She was convinced that if Eydeth and Ellysian hadn’t been part of the class her other classmates wouldn’t be so eager to ostracize her.

  “It’s because they’re afraid of Eydeth and Ellysian,” Gieaun often told her. “Not because they don’t like you.”

  Jahrra tried to take this to heart, but with or without supporters, the twins were always looking for ways to ruin her day. Very early on they noticed that Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede liked to sit in a far secluded corner of the schoolyard. Before the first week was over, the twins had made it their place to sit during recess.

  When Jahrra and her friends moved to another location, they followed. At first Jahrra had been intimidated by this tactic, but soon she learned to avoid her classmates by lingering inside after class had been dismissed. Once she saw where Ellysian was going she’d head in the opposite direction with Gieaun and Scede.

  “Thank goodness Ellysian is so snooty,” Gieaun whispered as they headed for their favorite corner of the yard for the first time in weeks.

  “I know. She’s so busy talking about how wonderful she is that she didn’t even notice us!” Jahrra said, unable to conceal a smile.

  Scede merely nodded, trailing after the two girls quietly as they crept across the yard. He may have opened up at home but he barely ever said a word at school.

  Jahrra knew that if she remained in the shadows and didn’t draw attention to herself, she could usually make it through the day. But no matter how hard she tried she never could quite shake them off for good. If Ellysian ever came down from her imaginary castle or if her horrible brother had the notion to realize they hadn’t tortured Jahrra and her friends in a while, the tables would turn.

  Eydeth had taken up the sport of hunting the “Dragon Dung Dweebs” as Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede had come to be known. While his sister sat at the lunch tables crowing about her six white ponies, Eydeth would sneak off, leaving the main crowd of children in order creep up on Jahrra and her two best friends. He would sneak up behind the great granite rock they sat on and listen quietly to their conversation, waiting for them to say something he could tease them about.

  One particularly awful incident occurred the day Jahrra told Gieaun and Scede about the nightmare she’d had over the weekend.

  “It was terrible! Strange men came to the Castle Guard Ruin and started teasing and throwing things at Master Hroombra,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “I had Nida and Pada take me to the Ruin first thing the next morning to make sure he was alright.”

  Jahrra was sitting on top of the flat, cold granite, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as the chill of the stone combined with the chill she felt from the image of the dream. Suddenly, Eydeth jumped out from behind the stone, nearly causing the three of them to tumble to the ground from fright.

  “Ha-ha!” the evil boy chirped, pointing a menacing finger in their direction. “The Dragon Dung Dweebs are over here crying about that stupid lizard!”

  Before the stunned friends could comprehend what was happening, Ellysian had them surrounded by her band of followers. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Jahrra watched and listened helplessly as the entire class, except for maybe five or so students her own age, closed in and maliciously chanted, “The Three D’s the Three D’s, nothing more than babies!” over and over again.

  Jahrra turned bright red and Gieaun and Scede moved in closer to her. This wasn’t the first time that Eydeth had snuck up on them, but Jahrra decided right then and there it would be the last. After Mr. Cohrbin came out to break up the commotion, Jahrra and her two friends remained on the rock for a little while longer.

  “I’ve had it!” she fumed. “How dare he? I only wanted you two to know about that dream!”

  Jahrra allowed one last tear of anger to run down her face, burning her skin like acid. Gieaun and Scede put their arms around her to comfort her and Jahrra took a deep breath.

  “I know what to do,” she said stoically after calming a bit. “I’m going to trick Eydeth, just like he tricks us. I’m going to build a mud trap and see how he likes to get caught!”

  Gieaun was surprised at Jahrra’s sudden thirst for vengeance. “Oh, Jahrra, do you think that’ll work? What if he tells on us and we get in trouble?”

  “It has to work,” Jahrra insisted. “And I don’t care if we do get in trouble!”

  During the next week they worked quietly on Jahrra’s plan. They dug a hole behind their granite perch and slowly filled it with water from the school’s well, making a muddy, boggy mess at the bottom of it. Gieaun and Scede even gathered some rotting vegetables from their garden to make the mud even nastier.

  Finally they covered the gaping hole with branches and leaves and simply waited for Eydeth to taunt them again. They didn’t have to wait long. Two days after they finished their trap they got their chance. Eydeth snuck up on them again and started teasing them, but this time the three friends were prepared.

  “That’s right,” Jahrra said, shaking nervously, “we are the Dragon Dung Dweebs, and here’s some dung to prove it!”

  She scooped up a prepared blob of muck off the top of their granite slab and launched it at Eydeth, watching in delighted horror as it splacked against his white uniform shirt. Eydeth looked down at the black muck sticking to his chest in hollow shock. He turned his squinty eyes up at Jahrra, his alarm slowly turning to anger as his face flushed red.

  “You’ll pay for that Nesnan!” he breathed and rushed at the low stone.

  “Quick, down the other side!” Jahrra hissed giving Scede and Gieaun a shove.

  By now the whole class had noticed that something unusual was going on in Jahrra’s corner of the yard. Eydeth wasn’t chanting like he usually did after scaring the Dweebs. Instead, he was shouting and scrambling up the rock. Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede slid down the back of their boulder, side-stepping their mud trap and secretly hoping that Eydeth didn’t notice.

  As they clambered up the trunk of the nearest oak tree, Eydeth heaved himself on top of the rock and it wasn’t long before he jumped down the side to follow them. He sprinted to catch up to his prey and as he made the last leap to snatch at Gieaun’s ankle, his own feet went crashing through the thatching that hid the mud-lined hole.

  The angry boy made a strangled screaming sound as he tripped face first into a trough of sticky, smelly mud. Jahrra watched breathlessly from a high branch in the tree as the boy started screaming and crying, his own sister reluctant to help him up out of the trap. Jahrra had to stifle a laugh as Eydeth dragged himself out of the filth, looking like an angry, muddy rat. The class sniggered and laughed at the fuming boy who was carrying on and on about how Jahrra and her friends had thrown mud at him.

  “Honestly, Eydeth,” Ellysian said, her arms crossed and her face twisted in disgust, “you fell into the mud, you didn’t have it thrown at you!”

  Ellysian and the rest of the children slowly moved away, hiding their giggles as the filthy boy gaped and bellowed at them.

  Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede were beside themselves with glee.

  “At least he should leave us alone for a while,” Scede said between giggles.

  “Or he’ll be twice as mean,” Gieaun added nervously.

  “Either way,” Jahrra laughed, “it was worth it!”

  Though the attack on Eydeth hadn’t completely ended the assaults from either of them, it had put a dent in their dominance over Jahrra and her friends. They seldom ever came around the boulder any longer and only harassed Jahrra if she wandered too close to their side of the schoolyard. Whenever their behavior was particularly nasty however, Jahrra simply recalled what it had felt like to throw the ball of mud at Eydeth. That pleasant memory was usually enough to get her through a tough day.

  Jahrra gratefully welcomed the winter break when it finally came, thrilled to have a long vacation away from the tension at school. She was able to enjoy her very first birthday party with her two best f
riends, and Gieaun and Scede were even allowed to stay the night.

  “I can’t believe she is already seven years old,” Lynhi commented to Hroombra as they watched the three companions chase each other around the orchard pretending to hunt the wild beasts of the forest. “It seems just yesterday she was a baby.”

  “It’s amazing how quickly the time goes by,” Hroombra agreed solemnly. He’d dropped by for the day to wish Jahrra a happy birthday and to tell her a special birthday tale, one about unicorns.

  Like all good things, however, the much appreciated time away from school eventually came to an end. The first several days back at the schoolhouse went well but it wasn’t long before the twins were back into the habit of tormenting Jahrra.

  “Nesnan girl,” Ellysian chirped the second week back, “we hear that you live in a house that’s as small as a dwarf’s basement.”

  They’d dropped the phrase “Dragon Dung Dweebs” and were singling Jahrra out by simply referring to her as the ‘Nesnan’, ignoring Gieaun and Scede completely. Jahrra couldn’t possibly imagine why two seven year olds, who should be more concerned with playing tag and hide-and-go-seek, would put so much effort into tormenting someone else. Her mother and father and Hroombra had always said that all the peoples of Oescienne were equal, but for some reason the twins didn’t think so.

  When the name calling started to wear off they moved on to more cruel tactics. For instance, they still found it shocking that Jahrra was being tutored by a dragon and didn’t hesitate to make their disapproval known, in less than kind terms of course.

  One morning, Jahrra was telling Gieaun and Scede about her lesson with Hroombra the weekend before.

  “Have you ever heard of semequins!” she breathed excitedly, thinking she was out of earshot of the evil twins. “Master Hroombra told me all about them. They’re the most amazing creatures! He told me that they’re horses that have a unicorn mother or father!”

  “You mean you didn’t know about semequins?”

  To Jahrra’s great annoyance, Eydeth had heard her. “How dumb can you be!” he laughed. “My father owns over a hundred of them, the best in the land!”

  Gieaun and Scede gave Eydeth an annoyed look and swiftly made efforts to ignore him, but it was what he said next that captured their attention. He was irritated that his initial insult missed its target, so he tried a different tactic.

  “Don’t you dummies know that dragons are evil creatures that steal treasure and set whole towns on fire!”

  Many of the other girls and boys who had at first ignored Eydeth’s usual tirade gasped at this remark and stepped away from Jahrra as if she were sick with the plague. Jahrra tried to remain cool and tried desperately to think of a good retort, but all she could do was hang her head low and walk away with her two friends. She tried so hard to enjoy school but the silence one day and laughter the next truly disheartened her.

  A few weeks later Ellysian made another nasty comment about Nesnans right in front of Jahrra, but this time she reacted. Just as Ellysian finished telling a group of girls how the Nesnan people never did anything worth praising, Jahrra shouted back without thinking, “I don’t care what you say! Master Hroombra told me that we’re all the same!”

  Oh yes, that showed them, Jahrra thought to herself bitterly as the laughter around her strengthened. She flushed terribly as she once again became a spectacle.

  Eydeth had been right across the yard and quickly joined in the foray.

  “All the same?” he squeaked with delight. “You? The same as us? That dragon isn’t only horrible, he’s stupid too!” The evil boy could barely hold back his laughter.

  Jahrra just stood there, frozen in frustration and anger as the entire class laughed at her.

  “Stop it!” Gieaun shouted, seething with rage. “Master Hroombra isn’t horrible or stupid! You’re all just too afraid of Eydeth’s lies to believe anything else!”

  The laughter, if at all possible, grew louder. Jahrra felt like vapor being spread thin throughout the air around her. Gieaun quailed in shame. Almost every last person in the class was now surrounding Jahrra and Gieaun, pointing and making faces.

  “Dragon Dung Dweebs! Dragon Dung Dweebs!” they chanted again and again, resurrecting the old phrase once more. Eydeth and Ellysian stood back and watched with malevolent grins of satisfaction on their smug faces.

  Then, without warning, Scede did something no one was expecting. He’d been sitting on the great granite boulder beneath the oak tree when all of this had started. He’d watched helplessly as Jahrra walked over to defend herself and remained seated in fear as his sister joined her. But as the cacophony unfolded before him, his fear slowly turned to rage and he just couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “Stop it! All of you stop it right now!” he screamed as he jumped off the stone slab, looking as dangerous as an angry wasp.

  Scede’s sudden outburst caught everyone off guard and the laughing ceased instantly.

  “Master Hroombra is much smarter than any of you, and he’s nicer too! We know you don’t like us or him, and we don’t care. So why don’t you just leave us alone! And you had better watch out,” he pointed a shaking finger at Ellysian, “or you’ll end up getting a mud bath just like your brother!”

  Scede was breathing hard and his teeth and fists were clenched. Even Gieaun and Jahrra backed away, slightly afraid he might explode. Ellysian had turned white and the smile on Eydeth’s face became a hard frown as he recalled the memory of falling into the mud.

  Scede darted his eyes around, trying hard to think of something else to say, but nothing came to mind. Every child in the schoolyard, oldest to youngest, stood still as if waiting for him to strike at them like a snake.

  When he finally spoke again everyone cringed, but the only words he could muster were, “Why don’t you all go wait for your stupid wagons over there!”

  He pointed furiously towards the front of the schoolhouse and surprisingly, everyone obeyed.

  “Yeah, we will, and you can go wait for your hay cart over there,” Ellysian said, sounding like a deflated balloon as she and her brother turned and headed towards the front of the yard.

  Gieaun, Scede and Jahrra slowly walked back to their oak tree, the two girls keeping their distance. Like the victims of a massive earthquake, they waited for Scede’s aftershocks but they never came. They sat a long time, watching as all of their classmates quietly climbed into their respective carriages or rode off on their own horses they kept in the school stables.

  Finally, after what seemed like ages, the mail cart came creaking up the path. Gieaun, Jahrra and Scede climbed up next to Mr. Dharedth as if under a spell, content with riding all the way home in complete silence. The two girls had no idea what to say to Scede, but finally Dharedth, sensing the strange tension surrounding the three friends, spoke up, “What seems to be the problem? Ever since I started taking you to and from school eight months ago, you always talked up a storm on the way back. Why are you all so silent?”

  Scede was the one to answer, his voice strangely calm, “The other children were saying some mean things about Master Hroombra and Jahrra, so I yelled at them.”

  “Is that all? Well, ‘tis about time those ruffians get told a thing or two. Don’ worry,” Dharedth said seeing the look of dread on the children’s faces. “I won’ tell anyone you did it.”

  He smiled, and the icy silence surrounding the three friends melted away.

  “Did you see the look on Eydeth’s and Ellysian’s faces when you yelled at them? It looked like they’d seen a ghost!” Jahrra said, relieved Scede wasn’t going to erupt again.

  “I know. I was so afraid of you Scede! I’ve never seen you so mad, even after the time I kicked apart the sand castle you made at the beach,” added Gieaun, stifling a giggle.

  By the time they reached the crest of the Sloping Hill an hour later, they were their normal selves again. Dharedth pulled the cart to a groaning stop a
nd the three of them jumped out, waving goodbye as they began walking towards the Castle Guard Ruin. The school week was over and Jahrra had invited Scede and Gieaun to stay over for the weekend. But before they went home for the night, Hroombra had asked Jahrra to stop by after school on her way home.

  They trekked down the narrow dirt path leading from the main road to the Ruin, engrossed in a discussion about what had happened at school that day. Jahrra looked up and saw Hroombra standing beside the crumbled building and her heart leapt. She was hoping that the old dragon had a special story to tell them today, for why else would he ask them to stop by after school? She waved vigorously at her mentor’s figure and got back to her friends’ conversation. What Jahrra hadn’t noticed, however, was the other dragon waiting patiently just inside the Ruin and out of view, his eyes fixed entirely on her.

  -Chapter Six-

  Phrym

  Jaax wasn’t surprised the children hadn’t spotted him; he was standing behind the great wall, his head barely stretching through the large side entrance of the Ruin. His blue-green scales, like chips of aquamarine granite, blended seamlessly with the lichen plastered stone, his eyes standing out like pale emeralds set in a statue. The children were much too far away to notice that particular detail, however, but the young dragon’s silvery-green gaze remained unfalteringly focused on the little girl walking between the two dark haired Resai children.

  Jaax smiled, grateful for his keen eyesight. It gave him a chance to sum up Jahrra from afar, to get a sense of what she was made of before meeting her. He’d heard much praise from Hroombra already, but he had to make this judgment for himself.

  More than seven years had passed since he’d left her in this land and he watched now in amused amazement as she approached. She still had the same golden hair that he remembered but she looked much different from the infant he’d left behind. She was tall for her age and from this distance he could see that she was going to be strong and sturdy, not petit and delicate like the races of elves. Strong and sturdy, just like a human, he thought. He narrowed his intense eyes, pulling the young girl’s face closer into his vision. Her eyes were still blue, but now they were the blue of rainclouds retreating over the ocean after a storm, a blue that was only a shade or two away from gray.

  Jaax took a breath and focused his attention on her face. It was a determined face, slightly rounded with high cheekbones. He noticed a few freckles and a dimple when she made a comical face at what her friends were saying. She pulled at her collar unconsciously and he couldn’t blame her. The uniforms the children were wearing looked absolutely uncomfortable.

  As the companions drew closer to the Ruin, Jahrra shot Hroombra a cheerful look, but beneath the look of happiness Jaax detected something more. Fear, sorrow, anticipation, all of these emotions fought behind her eyes like swarming fish in a clouded pool. He cast these aside as simple childhood whims: a stubbed toe, a lost game, a beloved pet gone missing. What captured most of the dragon’s attention, however, was the fire and spirit he saw residing there.

  When the children were about a hundred yards from the Ruin, Jaax decided to leave behind his safe hiding place and face the child he had come to see. He felt a little guilty, for he only planned to meet Jahrra and then be on his way. For the past several years he’d been trying to find time to check in on Jahrra and Hroombra, but something had always delayed or thwarted these plans. Hroombra had been ecstatic when he’d received word of Jaax’s planned visit and the younger dragon now wondered if maybe he should’ve told Hroombra this stay would be an extremely short one.

  Jaax took a deep breath, set his thoughts aside for later, and stepped out from behind the stone wall. He moved gracefully for such a large and powerful creature and was so silent that the children didn’t hear him at first. To his great delight, however, Jahrra was the first to look up and see what had moved in the corner of her eye. She gasped, and stopped dead in her tracks.

  Jaax merely gazed down at her with a look of interest. Her blue eyes changed in an instant, moving closer to that shade of gray he’d noticed earlier. Jahrra was frozen in place and the two other children walked right into her, knocking her slightly off balance. When they looked up to see why she’d stopped they also caught sight of the Tanaan dragon that had appeared out of nowhere.

  “Whoa!!” yelped Scede, unable to stop himself. He quickly clasped his hands over his mouth and ogled up at the strange dragon towering above him. Gieaun stood rigid, mouth hanging open, looking very much like she did earlier in the schoolyard. The children were used to Hroombra’s calm presence but they could all tell right away that this younger dragon was nothing like Hroombra.

  Although slightly smaller than the Korli dragon, Jaax moved with the fluidity of a warrior, all well-controlled strength and raw power. It was clear that this dragon was a determined, dominant and clever creature with shrewd eyes that did not easily betray what he was thinking. Next to the placid and gentle soul that was Hroombra, Jaax was a lion poised for battle.

  “Hello children,” Hroombra’s greeting rolled through the awkward silence like distant thunder. He turned and acknowledged behind him. “I’d like you all to meet Raejaaxorix. He was once a student of mine.”

  Jaax kept his gaze locked on Jahrra’s face the entire time Hroombra spoke, making her feel uncomfortable. When she heard her mentor speak his name, however, she miraculously found her voice.

  “Raejaaxorix?” she repeated almost indecipherably, gaping up at Hroombra. “Like the Raejaaxorix in the stories you told me?”

  “Yes, the very same,” Hroombra said cheerily with a wide smile to match.

  Jahrra returned her gaze to the Tanaan dragon, but instead of remaining dark with veiled unease her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she beamed brightly. He was younger than she imagined him, since the stories Hroombra told her were from hundreds of years ago. Then she remembered how long dragons actually lived and regained some of her composure.

  “Stories?” Jaax found his voice as well, taking his stony gaze off of Jahrra.

  His eyes now landed on Hroombra and his mood went from interested observance to inquisitive suspicion.

  Jahrra jumped slightly when she heard the dragon speak for the first time. He had a strong, authoritative voice. It wasn’t as deep as Hroombra’s but it was much more intimidating. Where Hroombra’s voice earned trust and respect, this one demanded it.

  “Yes Jaax, I’ve told Jahrra many tales of the past, those of when you were still a very young dragon. When so many followed you.”

  Hroombra’s smile began to fade as his speech trailed off.

  Jahrra could tell that Jaax had somehow upset him and a tiny feeling of dislike began in the pit of her stomach.

  Jaax blew hot air from his nostrils, almost releasing out a snort as he did so. He turned his gaze to the distant Wreing Florenn before answering shortly, “I’m no hero Hroombra, you know that.”

  An awkward silence fell over the group, but not for long. “We’ll discuss this later, but for now I’d like to introduce the young children to you.”

  Hroombra sounded disappointed and uncomfortable, but Jahrra pushed this aside as she waited nervously to be introduced to the famous Raejaaxorix.

  “This is Gieaun, and her brother Scede. And this, of course, is Jahrra.” Hroombra nodded to the children as he named them.

  “I see you’ve grown up quite well, Jahrra,” Jaax remarked placidly, returning his gaze to the young girl, seeming to forget his rebuke of Hroombra. “I haven’t seen you since you were an infant.”

  Jahrra shot Hroombra a look of surprise.

  “That’s right,” the old dragon smiled. “He brought you here to us from the north, to your foster parents.”

  “Really?” said Jahrra in bemusement.

  She’d never really known how she’d come to be placed with her parents. Before now she always imagined coming to Oescienne with a large party of traveling merchants who had stopped to
trade with her mother and father, only to discover that they would be the perfect people to raise the orphan child they’d found in the wilderness. Jahrra suddenly wondered if Jaax might know something about her original home and perhaps her real parents, but she felt too unsettled to ask any questions.

  “Jaax has come to see how you’ve grown and he’s also brought something for you. Follow me.”

  There was a twinkling in the old dragon’s eyes as he spoke, and soon all three children were being led eagerly around the side of the Ruin and out into the field just south of the old building. Raejaaxorix brought something for me? Jahrra could hardly believe it. She was afraid to breath, thinking that such a simple act might destroy this strange dream.

  “Where’re we going?” she queried as she jogged to keep up with Hroombra’s slow but long stride.

  Gieaun and Scede were right behind her with Jaax taking up the rear. His gait was much smoother than Hroombra’s and when Jahrra quickly glanced back at his alert figure she came to the conclusion that he never let his guard down.

  “We’re going to the old stables that used to house the horses of the guards who, long ago, kept watch over the castle grounds from here,” Hroombra finally answered, tearing into Jahrra’s wandering thoughts.

  The three children quickened their pace and started guessing at what the great Raejaaxorix might’ve brought for Jahrra. Gieaun guessed a robe woven by fairies, Scede a magical stone from the elves, but neither Jaax nor Hroombra would give in. After several failed guesses Jahrra and her friends gave up and focused on reaching their destination.

  Jahrra scanned the edge of the field up ahead and discovered another ancient stone structure that must have been the stables Hroombra had mentioned. She’d never really thought about this other building before, imagining it was just the remains of an old storage shed.

  The old stables were in much better shape than the Ruin itself, however. Most of the roof had rotted away and the wood gates that once stood in the openings had long ago disintegrated, leaving a gaping entrance framed in stone.

  The group closed in on the stables and Jahrra immediately spotted something crumpled upon the ground. It looked like a discarded blanket lying within the stone walls. As she got closer, however, she realized that the blanket was in fact a tiny colt, grayish in color, huddled on a bed of fresh straw.

  “Ohhhhhh!” she exclaimed in pure delight as she recognized the rather small creature. Gieaun and Scede also ran over, emitting sounds of excitement at the sight of the foal.

  As the children sat adoring the tiny, sleeping horse, Hroombra turned to Jaax.

  “Tell me where you found him again,” he asked in a low voice. All the cheer he’d used with the children had vanished and now a look of deep concern settled upon his weathered face.

  “Just north of Lidien, at the base of the Hrunahn Footmountains,” Jaax answered grimly.

  He then took a deep, troubled breath and continued on, “His mother was the unicorn Nihll, and his father was a semequin. The elves that found and cared for Nihll told me a mercenary of Cierryon had wounded her. She was able to communicate to them that she was east of Lake Hronah in the Arghott Forest where her herd lived before the Tyrant’s men found them and killed them all. She was shot as well but somehow she lost them in the hills. She then traveled as far west as she could, gave birth to this young one and died of her wounds.”

  Jaax concluded his tale in a weary tone. He looked over at the children, who for now were well protected from such horrors.

  “So it seems the Crimson King is no longer dormant in the east,” Hroombra said in a serious tone, still not loud enough for the children to hear. He blinked at Jaax and whispered, “Then it has started?”

  “Something must have stirred his interest, yet I can’t say for sure how much time we have left. The Creecemind emperor has finally agreed to another meeting with me, but I’m afraid it will come to nothing, just like it did seven years ago. He remains stubbornly adamant about remaining neutral, at least until he sees the human child with his very own eyes.”

  Jaax paused to let Hroombra turn this information over in his head before he continued.

  Quietly and severely, he went on, “From my inquiries and observations throughout the west it has become clear to me that entire villages and towns are growing restless. Their citizens act like wounded prey being stalked. They know the Crimson King is watching and they know he means to attack but they don’t know when or how. It could happen in a month or ten years, I cannot tell you for sure. Some have even begun asking questions, more than before, questions I can’t afford to answer or to ignore. Yet we cannot take any risks; Jahrra must be kept safe from the outside world even if it means further distancing ourselves from our allies.” The Tanaan dragon took a deep breath and released it wearily. “At least for now.”

  Hroombra simply nodded in response to this statement. So, he thought, remembering Cohrbin’s comments, it was an ill wind I detected after all.

  “Then you must go,” the old dragon said somberly, looking away from Jaax. When he turned back around his eyes twinkled with emotion. “It seems to be a new habit of yours. Dropping off young orphans and then leaving the very next moment.”

  Jaax simply looked towards the dark forest once again, not knowing how to respond.

  “Go now, and be safe. Do what you must so that she can still live here in peace, at least for a while,” Hroombra said in a whisper.

  Jaax turned to look at him, matching his morose demeanor.

  “I shall,” he breathed. “Take good care of the young foal. I would have left him with the elves but I thought that Jahrra would need a good, strong horse when her fate called her. This little one will be perfect when he is grown.”

  “Very well,” Hroombra answered quietly. “You’d better be off then. I’ll explain to the children why you’ve left.”

  “Thank you. I hope to return again soon, when I know more.”

  Jaax glanced down at Jahrra. She was too busy mooning over the young semequin to notice him turning to leave. Yes, he thought, we must keep her safe, and secret.

  The young dragon walked back across the field and out to the road, rather stealthily for his size. He spread his great wings and just as silently, lifted off into the darkening spring sky. Hroombra watched him disappear like a dark cloud over the sun-gilded mountains, fearing for him the way he feared for Jahrra. He shook off his feelings of doubt and trepidation, despite an instinctual need for them, and turned to the three children.

  “So what do you think?” he asked, donning a fresh smile.

  “He’s marvelous! What’s his name?” Jahrra asked, not yet noticing Jaax was gone.

  “I think Raejaaxorix wanted to leave that up to you.”

  Jahrra tore her eyes away from the sleeping colt, finally seeing that the other dragon was nowhere to be found.

  “Where did he go?” she asked, sounding disappointed as her smile faded. She had so many questions to ask him about the outside world and about his many adventures, that is, when she had worked up the courage to address him personally. Now it seemed she would never get that chance.

  “You’ll learn, young Jahrra,” the old dragon answered in a wearied tone, “that sometimes we adults have many obligations to fulfill that you can’t understand. Jaax has many duties outside of Oescienne; he has many things he must take care of, things a young girl wouldn’t understand. We’re just lucky he was able to visit us at all.”

  Hroombra knew this was a lame excuse, and he saw how disappointed Jahrra was, but he could think of nothing else to tell her.

  “Don’t fret young one,” he continued after a while, “he’ll visit us again someday. But I don’t want you wasting your time waiting for him, for it may be a long time before he comes this way again.”

  Jahrra nodded, her eyes trained on the ground. She knew she should take her mentor’s advice, but she felt she couldn’t wait until the next time Jaax paid the
m a visit.

  “Well,” said Jahrra finally, looking down at the sleeping foal, “I guess I’ll call him ‘Phrym’.”

  Hroombra smiled as the name sparked a memory. He’d once used the word in a lesson, a dragon’s word, forgetting who he was teaching. Although he meant to teach Jahrra the language of the dragons some day, he knew that it was too soon. Jahrra liked the word, so he’d told her what it meant: ‘Phrym, it means friend in the dragons’ tongue.’

  He smiled down at Jahrra now, completely enchanted by the young semequin lying in front of her. “Yes, Jahrra, I do believe he’ll make you a good friend.”