The Sorceress of Aspenwood Trilogy Pack

by Sam Ferguson

  Kyra was already awake in her room by the time the knock came at the door. Given the meeting she had witnessed, she had known to expect the Keeper of Secrets in the morning, only she hadn’t been there in the morning, because she and Leatherback had tried to run away. It was only logical that the Keeper of Secrets would try to call upon her again. Linny had been agreeable enough to leave early as well, without asking where she had been the day before, affording Kyra the opportunity to speak as freely and openly as she wished with the stranger.

  She opened the door and saw Headmaster Herion looking down at her. His expression was somber, without warmth or mirth.

  “Kyra, I bring a visitor. Please,” he gestured toward the room and she knew that she was to let them in.

  She sat down upon her bed, while Herion moved toward the wall that had recently been repaired and traced a finger over the new stones. A moment after that, a tall, heavily muscled man ducked into the doorway, turning slightly sideways so that his shoulders would fit through the opening. Kyra studied him carefully.

  The Keeper of Secrets had not appeared so large from her previous vantage point in the secret room, but now that he was in the same room she was, she could see that he was large enough to make Feberik Orres look average. He stood just under seven feet tall, with shoulders nearly three feet wide. A broad, barrel-like chest puffed his black, silken tunic out to dangle over his much thinner waist.

  Feberik was strong and thick, complete with a bit of a gut that protruded out in front of him, but not so with this man. He was all muscles and grit, lean and shapely. His skin was well-tanned, lined with a few scars that she could see. The sleeves on his tunic were made to accommodate his burgeoning muscles, but even with the extra width and a V opening on the sides, the sleeves struggled to hide his bulk. A long, wriggly vein ran from under his sleeve and down his right bicep until it disappeared inside his elbow. As he crossed his arms, his muscles grew taught and pulled at the skin. From the look of him, he might have been the only man she had seen that could beat Feberik in a contest of strength.

  “I am a friend,” the Keeper said in a low, but soft voice.

  Kyra realized that he had caught her staring at his arms and immediately averted her gaze. “I am Kyra Dimwater,” she replied.

  The man nodded. “Let me look at your eyes,” he said.

  Kyra turned her face back up to his. The man’s green eyes narrowed and stared into her, as if searching for something he had lost a long time ago. As he stared at her, she studied his facial features. The scar under his left eye was intriguing. Jagged and thick, it spoke of a terrible wound and she could only wonder what kind of monster had gotten close enough to deliver such a blow. Like many warriors, he had a rather square jaw. The hair along the sides of his head appeared much brighter in the full light, almost like silver. The hair on top of his head was darker, but also had a fair amount of white in it as well which she had not noticed before. Yet, despite the age suggested by the man’s hair, there were no wrinkles upon his face, except for nearly imperceptible creases on either side of his mouth and faint crow’s feet near his eyes.

  “You think me old?” he asked.

  Kyra frowned, afraid that perhaps this man had read her thoughts somehow.

  “My name is Mindaugas Reif. I am the Keeper of Secrets.”

  “He is of the same order as the priests from Valtuu Temple,” Headmaster Herion put in quickly as he turned away from studying the patch in the wall. “He and the priests intend to visit your dragon today.”

  “He isn’t my dragon,” Kyra replied evenly. “He is my friend, but I don’t own him.”

  Mindaugas smiled and let out a short chuckle. “Would you accompany me and the others?” he asked. “I wouldn’t go without your knowledge, but it is important that I go and see him.”

  “Why?” Kyra asked. “The priests see him regularly enough.”

  Mindaugas turned to the headmaster. “Headmaster Herion, might I have a word with Kyra Dimwater in private?”

  Headmaster Herion frowned. He glanced between the two of them for a few moments before finally nodding. “I’ll be right outside, if you need me,” he told Kyra.

  She watched him leave and then Mindaugas pointed to Linny’s bed. “Can I sit there?” he asked.

  Kyra had to fight the urge to correct his use of the word ‘can’ and did her best to nod politely.

  “I have a special position, given to me many years ago. While I can’t tell you all of the details, I can say that I am a friend of dragons. I am a follower of the Old Ways. I long for the return of the Ancients to the middle kingdom.” He smiled softly and looked at her with his intense, green eyes. “The priests are here to ensure that Leatherback does not succumb to the taint. This is a fear that I share. I must say that I have not seen or heard of a dragon in the Middle Kingdom during my lifetime that did not ultimately succumb to the terrible curse.”

  “So you have come to kill him then?” Kyra asked pointedly.

  “I can see your patience is running thin, so I will get to the bottom line. No, I haven’t come to kill him. All of the reports I have received say that he is pure. He has never shown any signs of aggression toward any of the priests, and they have found no evidence of the taint in him.”

  “So why did you come?”

  Mindaugas smiled. “Partly to see him for myself. I should like to see another pure dragon.”

  “Another?” Kyra repeated questioningly. “I thought you just said you hadn’t heard or seen any other pure dragons.”

  Mindaugas smiled slyly. “I said I hadn’t seen or heard of any in the Middle Kingdom.” He paused, letting that sink in for a minute before continuing.

  “Where have you seen them?” Kyra asked quickly. Perhaps the Keeper of Secrets knew a place that was safe for dragons. If he worshipped them like the priests of Valtuu Temple, then surely he would want Leatherback to be safe from the blight!

  “I have seen only one in my lifetime,” he replied. “He was the one who made me what I am now.”

  What he is now. What was that supposed to mean?

  “Can Leatherback go there, wherever the other one is?”

  Mindaugas frowned. “No, I’m afraid he cannot.”

  “Why not?” Kyra demanded, frustrated that the possibility to save her friend wasn’t even going to be explored by the man.

  “As the Keeper of Secrets, I am sworn to silence on many things. It is part of the job. However, please understand that if it were possible, I would have suggested it myself. I would be more than eager to see your fried safe and protected from the blight.”

  “Then how did the other dragon stay safe and not succumb to the blight?” Kyra asked pointedly.

  “He didn’t. I served him faithfully for many years, and then I was forced to put him down when the blight overtook him.”

  There was pain in his eyes and he had to clear his throat and look away for a few moments before he could speak again.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  Mindaugas nodded and then said, “The second reason I came is to see you. There is a prophecy about a young warrior who will overturn Nagar’s Blight, and banish it from the Middle Kingdom forever.”

  “You think that could be me?” she asked. The notion was intriguing, but she didn’t fully trust Mindaugas. He had yet to prove himself to her satisfaction.

  Mindaugas shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I am sworn to follow any and all leads that might result in finding the chosen one.”

  “What about me makes you think I could be the one?”

  “Because you have a dragon, and you have helped it remain pure,” Mindaugas said bluntly.

  Kyra shook her head. She had read many legends of chosen heroes, but she had never believed such things could ever be real. “I have help,” she explained.

  “You mean the satyr and the aspen grove?” Mindaugas replied evenly.

  “How did you…” she stopped herself.

  Mindaugas pointed toward the door. “First, th
e priests told me about the satyr and the grove. They could see his imprint, so-to-speak, a magical signature left behind by him. Later on, Headmaster Herion told me about him after he received a letter from Njar just before Caspen Manor was attacked. Don’t worry, I am not here to meddle with the satyr. He has not shown himself to be an enemy, and I have no need to make new ones.” He laughed then and gently slapped his knee, looking to her as though she should have gotten the joke. “A Keeper of Secrets has no shortage of enemies,” he explained after wiping a tear from his right eye.

  “I am born of a vampire,” Kyra said, interested to see how he would react in front of her. To her surprise, he neither balked nor hesitated.

  “I don’t care about that,” he replied. “A person is judged on their character, not their skin color, religion, or ancestry.”

  She was shocked. The priests had certainly viewed her differently for the most part. “Not everyone shares that opinion.”

  Mindaugas nodded and frowned. “Prejudices exist, but they shouldn’t. It’s as simple as that. As far as I am concerned, I want to see what your desires are, and what kind of person you will become. Let’s go and visit your dragon. It would be a good thing for me, and perhaps I can have the priests ease off a bit as well. I have no desire to interfere so long as the dragon is unharmed by the Blight. For all I care, you can hunt shades and vampires until the end of your days. However, if you want to try and make something more of yourself, then perhaps I can convince you to come with me to Valtuu Temple. There is a test I would give to you. It is dangerous, there is no hiding that fact, but if you pass it, you would have even greater abilities than you do now, and you would be able to permanently protect Leatherback from Nagar’s Blight.”

  So, there it was. Mindaugas had found the right words to say, and now Kyra was hooked. She still wondered how Mindaugas might be using her, but now she at least had more incentive to see what this test was all about. The chance of saving Leatherback from the blight was something she couldn’t pass up.

  “Very well, let’s go.” Kyra stood up and opened the portal to the sanctuary. “Let me first go and tell him you are coming. The priests can guide you to the grove.”

  Mindaugas nodded. “Very well,” he said.

  Kyra used her portal to arrive ahead of the others and tell Leatherback who was coming. To her surprise, he seemed notably less wary about the meeting than she. The large dragon continued to doze, snoring lightly every other breath while Kyra waited for the priests and the Keeper of Secrets to arrive.

  To pass the time, the two of them discussed whether Kyra might be able to find good maps and charts in Kuldiga Academy’s library to guide them on their journey north when the time came. They spoke for several hours, planning what they would do once they were able.

  Kyra even tried to figure out what kinds of spells she would need so they could both pass over the formidable mountain range.

  It was late afternoon by the time the others arrived. Warty gestured for the other two priests to hang back while he and Mindaugas approached.

  Kyra tapped Leatherback on the side. “They’re here,” she said.

  The dragon opened his eyes and then his head twitched up when he caught sight of the Keeper of Secrets.

  “I told you he was big,” Kyra commented.

  Mindaugas undid his sword belt and left it in the grass before coming all the way into the aspen grove. He was all smiles, beaming like a child might upon receiving a puppy. His arms went out wide and he bowed to Leatherback.

  “Shall I start the exam?” Warty asked.

  Mindaugas shook his head. “There is no need,” he said. “You and the others may leave. This creature is not tainted.”

  “With all due respect, Keeper, you have not the gift of True Sight.”

  Mindaugas turned, his smile vanished and his tone grew harder. “You may go.”

  Kyra glanced to Leatherback, but the dragon was already putting his head back down over his crossed forelegs. She watched as Warty reluctantly left the grove and the other priests joined him on the long walk back.

  “So, this is Leatherback,” Mindaugas said as he came closer.

  Kyra nodded.

  “Does he speak yet?”

  Leatherback turned his head to regard the Keeper of Secrets. “I speak.”

  Mindaugas put his right hand up over his heart and laughed. “I knew it!” Mindaugas shouted. He pointed at the dragon and wagged his finger. “I knew your mother,” he said.

  This caught Kyra by surprise. Surely the man had to be mistaken. Njar hadn’t mentioned anything about Mindaugas before, and he had told her all about Leatherback’s parents.

  “It was only a brief meeting, but I knew her.” Mindaugas came up and reached out a hand to Leatherback’s long snout, lightly patting the scales next to Leatherback’s nostrils.

  “You knew his mother?” Kyra asked.

  Neither of them heard her. Mindaugas’ green eyes were now locked on Leatherback’s right eye and the two seemed to be… speaking.

  “Leatherback?” Kyra said. No response. She folded her arms, a little affronted that she was being left out of whatever conversation they were having. She started tapping her foot, then she began pacing. Finally, she went over and sat on the rock that Njar often sat upon during his visits. She had no way of knowing exactly how much time had passed, but it felt like hours before Mindaugas finally broke away from Leatherback.

  The large man turned back toward Kyra and was wiping tears from his face. “You have a very special friend,” he said as he came to lean on the boulder she sat upon. “A very special friend indeed!”

  “What did you talk about?” she asked.

  “He brought me up to speed on everything that has happened since his hatching.”

  “Everything?” Kyra asked, glancing nervously back to Leatherback.

  Mindaugas nodded. “Don’t worry, I am not here to enforce the rules of Kuldiga Academy.”

  “Oh,” Kyra managed to say.

  “I also asked for his permission to train you. I told him who I am, and what I am working for.”

  “Why not just ask me for permission?” Kyra said agitatedly.

  “Because I don’t want him left in the dark on this any more than I would want you to come against your will,” Mindaugas replied. “I will say that it is very important, possibly the most important thing you will ever do. If you are even a little inclined to come with me, then I would urge you to do so.”

  “What did you say?” Kyra called out to Leatherback.

  The dragon smiled and nodded his head. “This is a good man, Kyra,” Leatherback replied. “I say we finish hunting the vampire, and then you should go with him.”

  I should go with him? Kyra repeated in her head. She barely knew the man, but now she was supposed to trust him indefinitely? That didn’t make sense.

  “He speaks to me in the language of the dragons,” Leatherback said. “I wasn’t trying to exclude you, it was a sign of trust between him and me.”

  Kyra listened to her friend and then realized that she already trusted Mindaugas as well. Even if she hadn’t, she had always asked for Leatherback to have faith in her and her judgment, which hadn’t always worked out well. In light of that fact, she accepted her friend’s explanation and decided to go along with it.

  “I understand,” Kyra said with a smile. At that moment, Mindaugas’ words about banishing Nagar’s Blight came back to her then, and she knew that Leatherback was right to trust him. She turned to Mindaugas.

  “Very well, after we settle the issue with the vampire, then I will come to your temple, if that is so important to the both of you.”

  Mindaugas smiled. “I will need to leave. There is much for me to prepare back at the temple.”

  Kyra shook her head. “If I am to do something for you, then why not help us fight the vampire?”

  Mindaugas turned serious and his mirth vanished. “It isn’t that I don’t want to, but there are other matters that will need my atte
ntion before I can prepare the temple.”

  “I thought you said this would be the most important thing I could do with my life, so why risk losing me to a vampire?”

  Mindaugas smirked and nodded. “I like your spirit,” he said. “The truth is, each Keeper of Secrets is charged with searching for the Champion of Truth, the prophesied hero I spoke of who can destroy Nagar’s Blight. Each Keeper before me has had their own idiosyncrasies and particular methods for finding and training candidates. What I will say is this, I have high hopes for you, but if you are killed by a vampire, especially considering you will have the help of a dragon, then you would not pass the Test of Arophim anyway. At the risk of sounding cold, this last fight you have will be a sort of final screening process before I am willing to begin your training.”

  “That is callous,” Kyra said.

  Mindaugas nodded. “If you knew the prophecies the way that I do, you would see the wisdom in my methods, though I admit it does seem harsh to the uninitiated.”

  “Trust him, Kyra,” Leatherback said once more.

  “I must be off,” Mindaugas said before she could respond to her friend. “I am satisfied here, both with him and with you. I will inform the headmaster of your decision to join me after you resolve the matter with the vampire. He hadn’t seemed overly fond of the idea, but I expect he will respect your wishes.”

  “Are there others?” Kyra said before he could start his next sentence.

  “Other candidates?” Mindaugas asked.

  Kyra nodded.

  “I have put forward three candidates in the past. My predecessor found seven, and his predecessor had found four. None of them passed the test.”

  “Are there other candidates right now?”

  Mindaugas stopped and smiled at her. “You have a sharp sense of perception. There is one other I wish to look at, but I have not decided whether to include him as a candidate yet.”

  “Who?” Kyra pressed.

  “A boy, trained and raised by elves before he started studying here.”

  “Lepkin,” Kyra finished for Mindaugas.

  The Keeper of Secrets nodded. “I need to interview him still, and I haven’t heard as much about him as I have of you, but everything I have heard indicates he may be a worthy candidate.”