A Dragon Born

by Jordan Baker

  "I would rather not fight him at all," Ariana said.

  "Then you should not have called him a coward."

  "He struck me."

  "You could have struck him back. That would have been fitting, but now he has made a fuss about his honor and, unfortunately almost the entire court was present when it happened, so word has spread around the entire forest. You have caused quite a stir."

  "Can't Laurana just tell people it was a misunderstanding? She is the queen."

  "She is the queen, but she does not rule by individual decree except on certain matters. The Elven court is different from the court of Maramyr in many ways, but there are some similarities. Did you father, King Gregor, not have a council that he consulted?"

  "Yes, he did. The Royal Council managed the kingdom after his death, with my uncle as regent."

  "And your father respected the members of the council," Rolan told her. "I attended the Court at Maramyr many times and was impressed with how your father sought the wisdom of the council, but there also were times when he would make a decision that the council disagreed with, but that was his right as king. He rarely invoked that right, and found that working with the council was often more effective than forcing them to his will. Queen Laurana has the right to make such decisions on matters pertaining to the defence of the forest and some of our older traditions, but on most other matters she must convince at least one of the other thrones and, as you can see, one sits empty and Quenta sits in the other, which creates something of a quandary."

  "Why is one of the thrones empty?"

  "It was vacated many years ago and has yet to be filled. Only a member of the House of Solari may preside over the court and the last to sit there was your mother."

  "So, why not pick another Solari?"

  "There are none," Rolan told her, "except you, of course."

  "Me?"

  "You are a daughter of the House of Solari, are you not?"

  "I suppose I am."

  "Now you can see why Quenta does not want to recognize you. He sees you as a threat to his position."

  "But even if I wanted to sit on a throne in Elvanar, how could I threaten his position?"

  "Very easily. In order for a decree to pass, two of the three seats must agree. In the absence of a third member on the triumvirate, the members of court vote. If a majority of the court members vote for something Quenta wants, then he can overrule the Queen, unless she uses her veto, which is something she would not do lightly."

  "But can't he just veto something?" Ariana asked.

  "No, only the queen has the power to forbid something." Rolan thought for a moment. "That's not true. The members of court can also veto a proposed decree, but their vote must be unanimous."

  "Why does it matter?" Ariana asked. "If I am a Princess of Solari, I could just take my seat and even if Quenta doesn't want me to be recognized, then Laurana and I can outvote him."

  "Ah, but there's the rub. Even though the court has already recognized you, in order for it to be official, two of the three seats must agree. Since you are not yet recognized, you cannot yet vote. We members of the court voted that Laurana should make the decision, but for it to be official, Quenta must agree. You see the dilemma?"

  "Yes, I do."

  "So, while it showed great resolve for you to stand up to Quenta and a declaration of strength when you called him a coward, the chance of him recognizing you went from very small to none," Rolan explained.

  "Unless I beat him," Ariana said.

  "Exactly. Now we have much work to do if you are to have any chance to defend yourself against Quenta. He is very skilled with the blade."

  "And I am not," Ariana said, feeling even more discouraged than she had before.

  "Your fight will not only involve blades," Rolan told her, "but we must do what we can to improve your skill. Now, I want you to think about running the trees, moving through the forest the way you learned so quickly."

  "The trees taught me," Ariana told him, though they had not so much taught her as guided her steps. "They told me what to do."

  "Then take what you learned and do the same for the blade. Where does it need to be, when, and how must pressure and speed does it need? Feel the blade instead of thinking about it."

  Ariana sighed and readied her sword again.

  "I will try," she said. Rolan noticed that Ariana had absentmindedly brushed her hair over the burned side of her face before raising her blade.

  Rolan sighed and lowered his sword.

  "Before we begin again," he said, "I would like to show you something."

  Ariana let her sword drop to her side in frustration. She knew she had only days to practice and the elf had constantly reminded her how every moment would count. Rolan sensed her irritation.

  "Come," he said. "This will not take long."

  They sheathed their swords and Ariana followed the elf as he leapt from the wide branch and began making his way through the forest. They had traveled a good distance from the center of the forest to find a quiet place to practice, and now, Rolan led her even further away, working his way downward, from branch to branch, and finally dropping from the trees to the forest floor. Ariana realized it had been many days since she had really walked on the bare ground, apart from the stone floor of the palace, and she noticed that she could feel the life in the short grasses and the moss beneath her feet. It was different from how she felt when she touched the trees, but she was still connected to the forest. Ariana also noticed that something was different about the forest, the further they continued in the direction Rolan was leading her and she felt a kind of sorrow growing with every step.

  They emerged from the trees into an open place, where Ariana discovered what caused the sadness in the trees. The clearing was a scene of destruction. Giant trees, as big as a house were splintered to pieces as though they had exploded from the inside. Old, dead wood was grey with years of weathering and charred edges could still be seen where a fire had ravaged through the area. The clearing was very large and the way the trees were scattered about, it also seemed as though the land itself has twisted in a vortex. Rolan continued onward toward the center of the destruction and Ariana followed him.

  "What happened here?" she asked as they approached the center.

  "Sorrow, and anger," Rolan said. "Great sorrow that turned to anguish and great anger that turned to fury, blind and unbridled rage."

  "Who would do such a thing? Why would someone do this?" Ariana felt her heart cry out and she understood the pain and confusion she had felt from the forest as they had neared this place.

  "A child of fire," Rolan said. "A powerful mage, whose power is like fire incarnate."

  "But why? What reason would a mage have for attacking the trees?"

  "It was not reason that guided him. Nothing guided him, except grief and frustration. In his pain, he lost control and his power nearly consumed him. It was a very sad day for the forest, made more so by what happened here."

  "What would cause such pain, that someone would create such destruction?"

  "The death of your mother."

  "What?"

  "The mage that did this loved your mother very deeply. He loved both your parents, but your mother was everything to him. He was at Elvanar when he learned of her death, and he fled the palace quickly and without so much as a word, but we could see the fire already burning in him. It was not long before we heard the trees crying and felt them dying.

  "Many of us rushed to this place and managed to stop the fire before it spread but the damage had been done to this place. Even though there are a few new trees finally beginning to grow and grasses have sprung from the ashes, it will be many years before this part of the forest has recovered and perhaps these scars will never truly heal."

  Ariana touched the side of her face and she thought about what Rolan had told her.

  "What happened with the mage? What stopped him?" she asked, curious.

  "As with most fires, his anger burned
itself out and he realized what he had done and he stopped most of the fire himself, though the tragedy of that day did not end there. One of our members was angered by what the mage had done and, against the wishes of the crown and the court, sought revenge and challenged the mage. It was foolish and arrogant and it ended in his death."

  "Whose death?" Ariana asked. "The mage or the elf?"

  "The elf," Rolan said. "I doubt there are many in this world powerful enough to kill the mage. Zachary is a power unto himself. I think that was part of why your mother was attracted to him even though she was pledged marry your father."

  "There is so much I do not know," Ariana said. "I have heard of Zachary. He was the head of the Council of Mages, but I did not know that he and my mother cared for one another."

  "They did," Rolan told her. "It was difficult for both of them when the King commanded her to choose between Zachary and King Gregor, who also sought her hand."

  "The King? What happened to him?"

  "He was the elf who challenged Zachary. He foolishly chose to fan the flames and he too burned like the forest."

  *****

  Zachary poured more sweetwater into his cup and he turned when he felt someone approaching him. He saw Carly walking through the crowded tavern toward the bar where he sat.

  "Is there ever a time when you are not drinking, mage?" she asked as she reached over the bar, grabbed a cup and slid the bottle in front of her. She poured herself a large cupful of the drink then raised it to the mage. Zachary raised his cup to her as well.

  "I have always been a thirsty sort," he said. "And this establishment serves a fair batch of sweetwater. I wonder who makes it. I would buy a crate."

  "It's a secret pirate recipe," Carly told him with a grin. "You'd have to become a pirate to learn such mysteries."

  "Ah, ancient pirate lore," Zachary said. "If you shared such secrets, everyone would become a pirate."

  "It is an adventuresome life."

  "Thieving on the open sea?"

  "The sea is a thief."

  "How so?"

  "She is the deep waters and she takes what she wants, when she wants it."

  "But the water cannot save herself from the heat of the sun."

  "Then she merely becomes a cloud and then rain and then the sea once again."

  "You know many things for a pirate," Zachary said.

  "I know too many things for a pirate, though it is a life I have come to enjoy."

  "I take it you have remembered some things?"

  "Yes, I have," Carly told him.

  They sat in pensive silence for a few moments. Carly was not entirely happy about having been reminded of who she really was, but she had decided that such knowledge changed very little for her.

  "Thank you for your help with Aaron," Zachary told her.

  "Thank the Lady, Ehlena," Carly said. "It was all her doing, but I'm glad I was a help. You should speak to him. I have not spent much time with Aaron, and I know little of his history, but I know his heart and it is a true one."

  "That is why I will wait, until he is ready," Zachary said. "I learned long ago not to force things, and I often fail to remember that lesson, but I would rather not make that mistake."

  "The world offers many lessons to us all," Carly mused. "What is a mistake but another opportunity to learn another lesson."

  "Yes, and sometimes we have to learn them more than once, before we finally begin to understand."

  "You are wise for your years."

  "To one such as you, I may be young, but I have packed a great deal of living into my life, perhaps too much," Zachary said.

  "Why not stay by the sea, Zachary? Apart from the storms, which are Ehlena's fault, the waters are most often peaceful."

  "It is tempting," Zachary said, "and I may consider such an offer, but you know as well as I do that there are things that must be done to halt the power of this king who has become a god. If he is not stopped, once he has conquered the land, no doubt he will turn to the sea."

  "Only a fool would think to control the sea," Carly said, then she laughed as she took a sip from her cup, "although, if memory serves, you did something like that a few days past."

  "Well, I have always been something of a fool," Zachary said.

  *****

  Upstairs at the inn, Aaron sat on the edge of the bed opposite Stavros, who sat in the chair. Ehlena reclined against the pillows and listened as the mage explained the basic workings of magic. She found it helpful since, even though she had the Lady's power and knowledge, calling upon either of them felt like she had to give up herself in a way and let the essence of the Lady take over, because she had known so little of magic before, and Stavros' explanations were as interesting and thoughtful as they were instructive.

  "I learned some of this from Ariana," Aaron told the mage. "She began teaching me the things she learned from Calthas."

  "Calthas," Stavros said with a smile. "He is a rather clever fellow. It was fortunate that you met with him, for I might not have found you otherwise."

  "You would have found him, Stavros," Ehlena said.

  "Yes, with enough help," Stavros said with a chuckle. "There is that."

  "Please, continue," she said.

  "We know you have the power of fire," Stavros said. "You inherited that from Zachary, but my brother told me of some things that suggest to me you may also have other magics as well. It is almost certain that you have earth magic in addition to fire. These are considered pure elemental powers. Most mages are able to use most elements to some degree or another, but very few can command it in its pure form and even fewer still can use more than one in such a way."

  "Why do you think I might be able to use earth magic?" Aaron asked. "Everything has been fire. Always fire."

  "Not always," Stavros said. "Tell me, Aaron, do you ever remember a tree blossoming in the middle of winter or grass growing where there was none before?"

  Aaron thought about it and he did remember something like that happening once.

  "Tarnath would leave messages for me at the town of Ashford to let me know how you were doing. They were written in a cipher only we understood, based on a game we played when we were boys. In them he mentioned such things."

  "Did he also mention the terrible headaches I was having?" Aaron asked.

  "He did," Stavros said, "but only in his last letters. With the priesthood searching for mages so relentlessly, it had been quite some time since I was able to visit. I am sorry, Aaron."

  "I know," Aaron said. "It was just difficult sometimes because it was always there."

  "It was your power, Aaron, which is always there. The difference is, now it cannot hurt you."

  "But it can hurt others. I saw what Zachary did."

  "I would imagine that your affinity for earth magic might make you feel even more outrage over such an act, but I can assure you, your father regrets what he did, to this day."

  "Please do not call him that," Aaron said. " Zachary might be the reason I was born, but he is not my father. My whole life I believed that my parents died and that Tarnath was really my uncle. Now I know it was all a lie."

  "Yes, it was a lie, Aaron, but it was told to protect you," Stavros said.

  "I know, but it doesn't change things. It doesn't change that I was the one who set the fire. It was my power that killed them, Stavros, power I inherited from Zachary, and even though he is supposed to be this great mage, I have seen what can happen when his power is let loose. I never want to let that happen. I don't ever want to use that power."

  "You cannot avoid it, Aaron," Stavros insisted. "It is not something you can control. Pure elemental power such as you possess is like rainwater filling a cistern. If it is not used, it will eventually overflow, and that is why you must learn to work with your power. Having power is one thing, but being skilled in its use and knowing how to direct it and bend it to your purpose is quite another."

  Aaron was still not sure what to think of what he had learned and
it was difficult not to believe Stavros, because talking to him was almost like talking to Tarnath. They had the same face, the same voice, even some of the same expressions, but they were also different and it was those differences that made Aaron suspicious. He was also frustrated because as much as he had wanted to know his parents, he was angry at Zachary because of the memory of what he saw. He was also horrified that he had done the same thing, making a fire that had killed the people who cared about him. That was something Aaron wished was not real but deep down he knew it was true. He knew the truth of it as well as he could feel Ehlena sitting on the bed an arm's length away from him, or Carly and Zachary down at the tavern of the inn, or the dark power that lurked far to the north and so much else about the world that he could now feel. It was overwhelming, this knowledge, this power, and he almost wished he could go back to just having headaches, as painful as they were.

  "What if I don't want it?" Aaron asked. "Can't I get rid of it?"

  "You cannot be other than who you are, Aaron," Ehlena said.

  "What about Carly?" Aaron asked. "She isn't who she is."

  "And yet, her power endures," Stavros said. "She can deny her identity, but she is still who she is."

  "But she is a goddess," Aaron said. "I am just me. Aaron."

  "Yes, you are you," Ehlena told him. "Always remember that, Aaron."

  "I wish I could forget." Aaron frowned. "I need to think about all of this and I am tired of staring the walls of this room. Am I allowed to go outside?"

  "Yes, of course," Stavros told him. "Can you see the marks I have put on the walls of this room?"

  "Yes." Aaron could see the white lines of power that glowed faintly around them.

  "If you can draw such lines, then the mages of the priesthood will not be able to sense your magic. It is important that you remain hidden from them, for they would love nothing more than to take control of your power."

  "Everyone wants power," Aaron said, his voice sullen. "What is the point of it?"

  "Many lust after power for its own sake," Stavros said. "I have often wondered why, myself, but whether it makes any sense, it is simply a truth of the world."