“Yes Romy dear?” Sarah’s voice emanated from the little tree. “I didn’t know Kate was entertaining company these days. Should I come up there?”
“Oh, no. Sarah I just called to let you know that dinner will be a little late tonight, Kate’s gone swimming for answers and I have to keep the guests entertained.”
“Oh, well bring them along too. No reason for me to have late supper when you can cook for four anyway. But, did you know that those rocks are wobbling again?”
“Which rocks?”
“You know the two rocks that are kept by the fireplace? I keep telling Kate that they’ll hatch soon, but she doesn’t listen to me.” Marten and Endis walked over to the large rocks, which stood by the fireplace.
“What are they going to hatch into?” Romana asked, half certain that Sarah wasn’t lucid at the moment.
“Oh, they’re going to be baby dragons! Isn’t it exciting?”
The two princes jumped back like they’d been stung.”
“Crazy place this.” Endis muttered “Who keeps dragon eggs by their fireplace?”
“More efficient than using matches to light the fire, I suppose.” Marten joked.
“So when are you coming down? Now would be good.”
“Of course.” Romana replied, knowing that it wasn’t wise to argue with Sarah unless you wanted every tree root you passed to suddenly lift up and try to trip you. “Just be gentle with them.”
“Gentle as a sapling, got it.”
“And no uprooting the house to move it to another place while they’re there.”
“Okay.”
“And tell the willow tree not to attack them.”
“Alright. Now get going.”
“Fine.” Romana replied, almost certain she’d covered everything. “Follow me.”
“Oh, before you go, can you water this tree? I swear Kate’s neglecting him.”
“Of course.” Romana replied, picking up the ornate watering can from beside the tree and soaking the roots. Before she led Marten and Endis outside to the oak tree and turned herself corporeal. “A small word of warning to you.” She began “Take a deep breath and don’t move.”
As the roots came twisting round their ankles, she laughed at the expressions on their faces. Now she saw why Sarah had fooled her into doing the same for the first week, their pursed lips and rigid-as-a-board posture was hilarious.
The way they fell over after reappearing outside the house was even better.
With a flick of her wrist, Romana lit the torches outside the front door of the house and wasn’t surprised by the door swinging open for her. Marten and Endis winced at both.
“Don’t be such babies.” Romana told them. “It’s just magic, simply an extension of Sarah herself.”
They quickly schooled their expressions into calm masks, but it wasn’t fooling anyone. Ah well, best get this over with, she thought as she led them through the house and into the cosy kitchen Romana had revealed when she’d started tidying the a bit.
“Romy!” Sarah gasped from the living room. “A little help?”
“What’s wrong?” Romana asked and she ran into the next room to find Sarah struggling with a pile of books that were trying to cascade from the shelf.
So far several branches and most of Sarah’s limbs were keeping them in place, but they appeared to be stuck without a way of putting the books back.
Romana sent a wave of gentle air magic to push the books back the way they had been, but unfortunately this triggered a mini-explosion of dust that caused Sarah to start coughing loudly even as the branches disengaged.
“Thanks Romy, I don’t suppose you could get the book on top down for me?”
“What is it?” Romana asked even as she levitated the book down from its place.
“One of my old diaries, from when I was a young priestess. I want to check something. Could you get rid of the dust? But blow it away from me this time.”
“Sorry.” Romana apologised while removing all dust from Sarah and the book and leaving it in a small pile on the floor, where it was quickly swept under the carpet by a helpful root. “I brought you those visitors.”
“Oh yes, two princes in my own little tree…yes you’re right, not something that happens every day…no silly, I meant that two princes coming to visit doesn’t happen every day, not that you being right is an irregular occurrence. Oh, hello your highnesses!”
“Good evening.” Endis replied smoothly, with Marten echoing. Clearly they were both aware they were in a room with someone who was definitely not always all there.
“Oh my, they bow as well, how sweet they are…should I curtsy?…Yes I think that’s what you’re supposed to do…” Sarah did an absent minded little bob while clearly still listening to the trees.
“Sarah, I’m going to start cooking dinner.”
“Be careful of the trees.” Sarah got nervous in the way she always did when Romana began lighting fire near any tree. “I’ll entertain while you cook if it’ll help.”
“Sure.” Romana replied, knowing that with Sarah it was best not to treat her like an invalid even if her powers sometimes rendered her insane for long periods of time. “But dinner will only be around fifteen minutes.”
“With your speed it always is.” Sarah replied, pouring through the book on a quest to find something.
Romana blurred into the kitchen and began to put together the ingredients for soup, trying to go as fast as possible because she was worried about what Sarah might be saying to the princes, and the trees made themselves soundproofed whenever she was around. When she’d finished the soup and it was heating on the stove she quickly breezed around the table setting out wooden bowls and cutlery, she buttered bread quickly, but when she soup still wasn’t quite hot enough she used her magic to feed the gas flame a little, making the soup boil at double time. And the worst part of this was that she had to do it all looking as normal as always because if the trees saw her worrying then they would tell Sarah.
Putting on a smile, she served up the soup and fetched them all into the dining room; thankfully the guests weren’t covered in leaves or mud when she saw them, but with Sarah that did not necessarily make it all okay.
Chapter Three
DON’T EVER FORGET
Dinner was eaten in silence, as Sarah announced that the trees were telling her something important and she wouldn’t be able to hear them if everyone was talking. Instead of using mental communication, which Romana knew she could do, she simply left it at that, but just as everyone finished their soup Sarah made a surprise announcement.
“Katelyn is lost in the woods just north of here.”
Romana dropped the bowls she’d been carrying to the sink in her shock. “Where is she?” She asked Sarah, “How long will it take me to get there?”
“You can’t go silly. It could kill you; your powers are too unstable without your familiars.”
“Can you teleport her here?” Romana asked. “Make her a path of trees? Anything?”
“No, there are no oak trees, but there are plenty of pines, which will make it easier to protect her from the group of slave traders following her.”
“WHAT!” Romana practically screeched. “I’m going.”
“You can’t part the veil.” Sarah informed her, “You’ll never get off the island unless you learn to part the mist veil.”
“Sarah I have to go. I don’t care if I have a familiar or not.”
“You should care, Romy. You don’t want to save her only to burn her to a cinder do you?”
“No, of course not.” But Romana was in no way rational.
“Can I get a letter out?” Marten asked, “I can send the royal guard to protect her. The traders wouldn’t dare try and fight the elite squadrons for one human.”
“Please.” Romana pleaded with Sarah.
“Oh that’s easy. I can do that with my hands tied behind my back.” Sarah got up and walked over to a branch, running her finger over it, causing the b
ark to fall away. Then she took her thumb and index finger and made a pinching motion, causing a sheet of the wood to slice away in such a thin slice that it was almost exactly like paper. Then, as a rather disappointing anti-climax she pulled a pencil from her pocket. “Quick, quick.” She urged, as Marten wrote out his orders in swift note form, and signed with his royal seal.
Sarah took the note and pasted it back onto the tree, before healing the bark over it.
“What now?” Marten asked impatiently
“Give me a second.” Sarah replied. “Rearranging stubborn pine trees to form a wall takes a while you know. Okay. Trees in defensive positions, letter sent, anything else, perhaps you’d like me to pull a rabbit from a hat as well.”
“We’re fine thanks.” Marten replied, dryly. “How long till my troops reach her.”
“Three minutes tops. I have the tree’s pointing the way. But now there’s something more important I need to talk to Romana about.”
“What could be more important than Katelyn’s life?” Romana asked, incredulous.
“That is between you and me.” Sarah walked into the next room and Romana gave a sigh before following. The door shut behind them, and the room became soundproof. “So rude for princes.” Sarah replied. “The moment we’re gone they’re theorising what the ‘crazy lady’ wants with Romy.”
“Sorry about them. They’re just curious.”
“The dark one with the gorgeous eyes, he’s the one who bit you isn’t he?”
“Yes, Marten did mark me. But it triggered my magic.”
“Katelyn is safe, the royal guard have her.” Sarah interrupted. “Although her little horse is very tired, he could do with a rest.”
“That’s good.” Romana replied, almost shaking with relief. “But what did you want to talk to me about.”
Sarah’s eyes grew serious and a frown marred her face. “The trees are talking again, but so softly. Another royal visits this island, one I served long ago. She comes for her sons.”
“Who?” Romana was as confused as ever by Sarah’s riddle-filled speech.
“The Dragon Queen, the last red diamond dragon alive. But we hear whispers, oh yes the trees hear everything. She knows the eggs are here, she wants her children but she knows I am here, and she knows who you are.” Sarah whispered as if in a trance.
“Who I am?” Romana asked.
“She knows of your parents, knows of your life as it has been and as it will be. She knows who your familiars are, and how to prevent you from reaching them. She will kill me for to stop you from taking her sons from her.”
“Are you saying my familiars are to be dragons?”
“Oh yes. Kate was naughty. Kate knew you were coming, so Kate used a favour to take not just one egg but both. The only moonstone and red diamond eggs in existence and you will be tied to both, no matter what she does.” Sarah rushed over and grabbed the book she’d wanted earlier. “These are my journals. No one knows they exist; they contain secrets of dragon lore that should never be told to anyone else. When I die they will guide you.”
“You’re not going to die!” Romana told her. “Flee; use the oak trees to run away.”
“I ran for ten years after leaving the dragon temple.” Sarah replied, with a sad smile on her face. “I was so happy when as a thirty five year old woman I was taken in by Kate. I won’t run again. I’d like to die here, in my home. Just, take care of Bettie.”
“Bettie?”
“My familiar.” Sarah gestured to the bonsai on the table, one of many, but this one Romana had always admired. It was a beautiful cascading juniper, flowing down the side of the table with its leaves in perfect cloud like formations. “I love her so much. She keeps me safe and I keep her healthy.”
“You can’t die. You have so much to teach me. We can fight the dragon queen. Together we can make her go away.” She was in tears now. No way could one of the gentlest women she’d ever met deserve to meet her end like this.
“Here, take the book. I already had the princes moved away to stand with their troops so they can’t take advantage of you while you’re upset, and so they don’t get burnt of course. But you’re fireproof, and I hope you won’t mind staying with me.” Sarah paused seeming so calm even though she seemed certain that she was about to die. Romana was anything but calm. “Oh, and take this so Bettie can tell you when she needs watering.” Sarah forced the stone pendant she always wore around her neck into Romana’s hand. Her face was set with determination.
“Sarah, no I can’t just let you die. I can shield us from the fire.”
“Not against dragon fire. No, against that I would rather you kept yourself shielded. Even you, powerful as you most certainly are and able as you will be with practice, are not yet ready to shield two people. Just put the fire out as quickly as possible, okay, keep the trees safe.” Her voice broke slightly.
“I will. I will.” Romana promised, having learned to extinguish her fire on that first day. “Don’t die, don’t die.”
Sarah simply picked up Bettie and placed her in Romana’s arms along with the book. “Such a special girl you are Romy. Don’t ever forget how special you are. I was blessed to teach you. Blessed to know of this Isle, my life here was so perfect. Remember me like that, alright. Not as the crazy lady.”
Romana sobbed as she nodded.
Two seconds later trees screamed in anguish as the little cabin was engulfed in flames and Sarah turned to ash where she stood.
Instinct had Romana shielding; instinct had her creating a gale force wind to blow out the flames. Anger had her throwing fire back at the dragon queen, a scarlet gem that shone in the moonlight. Satisfaction roared through her as the howl of pain erupted from the dragon. Sorrow had her sinking to her knees by the pile of ashes that had once been her mentor.
The trees that had once made up the cabin were ash, but from their stumps branches began to grow, and they carefully slid across the ground towards the ashes. Romana let it happen, knowing that this must be Sarah’s death rite, the time when her power would guide her into the next world.
The branches began to delve under the soil, before they pushed upwards directly underneath Sarah’s ashes creating a bowl of them. Each and every single last ash was collected until the bowl was full, and then it began to rise. More branches slid forwards, collecting at the base of what was becoming a pedestal and then rising and twisting upwards with movements that spoke of grace and of peace. Eventually, the bowl was hidden from sight as the branches merged into one, twisting upwards towards the moonlight creating a separate tree that continued to grow and grow until it was the tallest there. And just like Bettie, the tree was a juniper. Growing upwards just to cascade downwards turning the tree into a work of art, even as the trees around it formed a solid barrier to the outside world, their leaves reflecting moonlight onto the remains of her friend.
“You’re so beautiful Sarah.” Romana told the tree in a whisper. “And this is how I will remember you.”
The tree seemed to sigh, even as roots snaked out to remove the lingering after-effects of the fire. Romana helped, blowing away ashes with wind, and knowing that she would never use fire near this tree out of respect for Sarah.
She left the newly formed glade, and watched as the trees sealed shut behind her, keeping Sarah the tree wytch sheltered and safe, and Romana finally understood how wytches were so at peace with their deaths. They knew they would be remembered, not by people, but by the magic they’d governed over and the sisters they left behind.
Chapter Four
LAST RITES
“I was too late.” Kate’s broken whisper came from behind her and Romana turned to find a large gathering of wytches, possibly all of them, standing in mourning, eyes glinting with tears. No matter how mad they may have thought Sarah, no wytch liked the death of her sisters. “We shall hold the last rites in one hour, prepare yourselves, my sisters. Romana, would you lead us in Sarah’s last rites?”
“Of course, it would be a bit
tersweet honour.” Romana replied, knowing about the last rites from her books. After this last ceremony, no one would speak for the next twelve hours, a silent gesture of respect to their lost sister.
“Come with me.” Kate instructed, holding her hand out, her face wet with tears. “We will get you ready, and care for Bettie.”
Romana took the offered hand, and Kate teleported them into the fountain room. She left Romana by the fountain and went to talk to one of the robed gnomes, before returning.
“She’s really gone.” Romana realised. “Really gone.”
“Yes. But now, hard as it is for us all, we must carry out this one thing for her, even fresh from shock as we all are.” Kate took a cloth from her pocket and wet it from the fountain, using it to wipe at Romana’s cheeks, stained, as they surely were, with tears. “I will visit Joanna to get you a dress made.”
“And your dress?”
“I have my black gown already. I’ve often found it useful to have one ready for when one of our number dies.”
“What will I do now? Her last words she used to tell me that my familiars are the children of the dragon queen, and that she was being killed to stop me from taking the queen’s sons from her.”
“Sarah was a dragon priestess. As such, she was able to learn much of dragon lore, including the way to hatch dragon eggs without a dragon being present and to care for the young as they grew. No dragon will help you hatch these children, so Sarah has given you her journals, and amongst those pages there will be the way for you to hatch and train with your familiars. Along with her legacy, I would suggest that during the silence you do not meditate on Sarah, instead, read her life story. Appreciate the gift you have been given, and remember the friend you knew.”
“You’re an Ancient. I know that you can’t tell me the details, but Sarah will be happy in her next life, won’t she?”
“She goes unto her new life with my blessing, and the one thing that I can tell you, is that as long as Bettie grows and lives, then Sarah will always find her way to that little bonsai and always be the tree wytch. No matter how many times she must reincarnate and relearn life. But when Bettie dies, it will be the day that Sarah passes to the eternal lands, having learned all of the lessons of life.”
Kate's Legacy (Soul Merge Saga Book 2) Page 3
