Dragon of Eriden - The Complete Collection

by Samantha Jacobey

  “Edeill,” she replied loudly, crossing the distance between them and placing her hand against his beautiful hair. “I am so glad to make your acquaintance,” she added with a formal air.

  “I hear you are telepathic,” he dared whisper into her thoughts. “Will you share with me?”

  Holding her curled lips in place, she nodded as she replied, “But of course!” in kind.

  Bowing slightly as he stepped back, near a dozen others came forward to stand behind him, presenting themselves to the assumed leader of the band of misfits. “These are my best,” the alpha informed her, indicating his crew.

  “They will do nicely,” she agreed. Hesitating only a moment, she added, “We must go east. Can you get us there?”

  “I’m afraid that due east would not be possible,” he replied with a doubtful glance at the others. “The cliffs on the back side of Adiarwen would be impossible to climb. However, we can take you south and east. If you can navigate the land of the dwarves, you will eventually find that which you seek,” he assured, assuming they searched for the eastern shores.

  Nodding, she agreed, “Deliver us to the dwarves then, and we will take our chances with them.”

  Lying upon the ground, the pack of wolves accepted their passengers, each of them taking a single member of the party except for Baldwin. Still carrying the siren, he helped her out of the pack and then placed her onto the back of a wolf before he climbed on behind her. “I hardly recall the last time we rode in such a fashion,” he chuckled.

  “Ha,” Amicia laughed, taking her place behind the head of Edeill. “You were so close to death, it’s a miracle you made it,” she added. “Hang on,” she commanded of her friends as the line formed and the stiff strong legs of the northern pack spirited them away from the dark mountain of the trolls.

  A Fireside Chat

  A fire burned brightly in the center of the haphazard group, with the wolves lying in a larger ring around them. The clearing that they occupied barely large enough to hold them, the trees pressed in and hung over the relaxed forms of Edeill’s pack.

  Leaning back against the giant wolf’s side, Ami waited patiently for their stew to boil so they could enjoy their evening meal. The sun low in the sky, the warm air of summer would soon be spent, as the nights were still cool in the north.

  “Can I sit here?” Rey asked, plopping down to join her before she could reply.

  Noting the mortal’s affinity for the girl, the pack leader probed covertly, “Is this man your intended?”

  “He courts me,” she confessed, staring fondly at Reynard Daye. She had not agreed to marry him, but she could not deny that it was a possibility. Feeling it rude that they should speak where the others could not hear, her cheeks flushed, and she said aloud, “I don’t feel right using the telepathy in front of the others.”

  “Then we will converse openly,” Edeill agreed in his low, grating tones. “We could have carried you into the darkness,” he boasted, looking around at the group of weary travelers. “You seem awfully tired considering you did little more than ride this day.”

  “It’s been a long week,” Piers interjected with a laugh. “We’ll be better after a good night of rest, and tomorrow we can push further if you like. How long will it take to reach the lands of the dwarves?”

  “Three days,” Edeill informed him with a slow nod, curious that the Mate behaved as if he were in charge rather than the girl. “You are the leader of these people?”

  “I am. I was the first mate on our vessel before we arrived and have continued to see to the group and all its additions,” he replied, raising his cup of water as a toast to Animir, who sat across from him in the dark dirt.

  “Interesting,” the old wolf replied softly.

  “Can you tell us what you know about the oracle?” Amicia asked, changing the topic of discussion abruptly. “We usually have story time with our evening meal, to keep us sharp,” she added, grinning at the Mate.

  “The oracle?” he growled in reply. “I am surprised you know of him or that you dare speak of him so casually.”

  “We’re only curious,” she shrugged. “Yaodus told us about him last night, but I have learned getting more than one point of view on any story helps hone in on the truth.”

  “The truth,” the giant wolf laughed, glaring at her with a single eye as she still rested against him as if they were old friends. “You are a peculiar creature, Amicia Spicer. Perhaps you should share first. What have you heard about Eriden’s oldest resident?”

  The air caught in her chest, something in his reply gave her pause. “You speak as if he still lives,” she observed hesitantly. “The troll king said he had been killed at the start of the great war.”

  “Some say it is so,” the wolf agreed. “But the oracle was as old as the earth, the great provider. To think he could be removed from it so easily is folly.”

  “The plot thickens,” Piers mused, cutting his gaze over at Meena. Rubbing his hands together briskly, he leaned in so he could hear better. “Tell us what you know, then. Allow us to judge your words against those of your kinsmen.”

  “We are no kin to the trolls,” the wolf snapped.

  “Magical kinsman,” the Mate corrected with a twisted grin.

  “You are a scoundrel, sir,” Edeill hissed.

  “At your service.” Piers gave him a mock bow. “Now, shall you tell us or not?”

  “The oracle has been known by many names,” Edeill agreed to the sharing. “For as long as the earth has turned, he has walked upon it, swam within her oceans, and flown across her skies. He is the earth’s mate, as her equal and caretaker.” Turning his head slowly, he noted that all of their group as well as his own were hanging on his every word. “It is said he lived as a giant dragon, but that is a lie. The creator is an omnimorph, able to hold whatever shape he chooses. The only one of his kind since the dawn of time.”

  “So, he chooses to appear as a dragon,” Ami clarified.

  “Yes, it is his favored form. A giant crimson dragon, but a red wolf is another form he has taken,” Edeill explained. “In a time of great sorrow, he appeared to our kind and provided us with a means of escape.”

  “He is an elf with hair the color of flame,” Animir countered. “A thousand years ago, he aided Lady Cilithrand’s father in a magnificent quest.”

  “Oh,” the girl giggled, “I get it. Each sees him as one of his own. Curious then that Yaodus wouldn’t tell us he was a giant red troll.”

  “A troll,” one of the wolves scoffed, earning laughter from the outer ring.

  “He is a shape shifter, able to change his form at will,” their story teller insisted. “For centuries upon thousands of centuries has the great globe turned beneath the burning sun. At first, the oracle was alone, but soon he brought forth trees to shade him and plants to cushion his steps when he walked. But in time he grew lonely and called for other creatures to join him, and so the dragons flew across the skies. He spawned the fish of the waters, and the wolves to watch over the woods. Because of this, he was called the creator of all that was good.”

  “The centuries passed, and in the ages that followed, he added the birds to share the heavens and other creatures to share our lands, and we were given rule over them that they might be strong and flourish,” he explained, a few of those around him mumbling their agreement of his assessment.

  “He gave the mountains in the center of Eriden to the Dwarves to share with the Elves. He placed the sirens and the nymphs on the southern corners, while the trolls were tasked with the northwest. The northern and southern packs have watched over the forests in between, while the dragons kept the northeast for themselves, and all of our land was blessed,” he added quietly.

  “So, what happened?” Bally interrupted. “If everything was so wonderful, why did it all fall apart?”

  “Because each new creation believed they were superior to all that came before them. The dwarves despised the elves, and the elves plotted how to steal the moun
tains for themselves. The trolls refused to share with anyone, and the wizards forced any who dared to cross their desert to pay a heavy toll,” he replied, glaring at the wan, who hung her head.

  “We deserve to be destroyed,” she mumbled.

  “What of the men? The mortals. We’ve been told they were banished from Eriden because of some supposed ‘final prophecy’ that he made.”

  “Yes,” the wolf hissed, “they were the lowest of all the creatures. No magic were they given and easy prey to those who were ranked above them.”

  “But that’s not fair,” Ami spat. “If we are the lowest, how are we supposed to be the end of Eriden?”

  “That is the error in the interpretation of the oracle’s final prediction,” the old wolf laughed. “Everyone assumes that it will be a mortal.”

  “No, it says that it is a mortal,” Animir corrected.

  “A lover of mortal and dragon,” Edeill professed. “Those are the words spoken by my ancestors.”

  “You didn’t hear them?” Rey asked. “Was anyone alive today there to do so?”

  “Of course not,” the wolf snorted. “I am only a century old, and although I can expect to live many more, no creature lives for thousands of years.”

  “Except the oracle, who can take any form that he wishes but prefers to be a dragon,” Ami pointed out, the connection clicking.

  “Yes, the oracle is as old as time,” Edeill agreed.

  “And he loved the dragons and made them to be the greatest in all of Eriden,” Ami continued, “which is why they rule over all the others as their protectors. You think that the oracle himself will be the destroyer because he also loved the humans and refused to kill them, which is why he moved them to the rim.”

  “Ah, very good,” Edeill’s deep laugh rumbled. “Uscan said you were a brilliant young woman. The creator is the destroyer. I am certain, yes.”

  “Rubbish,” the Mate muttered under his breath. “He’s as good a story teller as you,” he nodded at Baldwin. “Much to say and not a word of it believable.”

  “Piers,” Meena gasped, “you should be so bold to speak to our hosts in such a manner?”

  “Such ceremony,” her husband laughed. “He has insulted you as well.”

  “There is no insult in the truth,” she confessed. “All of Eriden bears their flaws. My people are no different. Apologize,” she commanded, glaring at him.

  Studying her for a long moment, Piers rocked his jaw side to side, considering his words more carefully than he had a moment before. “My deepest regrets,” he said to the alpha, pressing his hand to his chest and bowing his head. “I have spoken out of turn, it would seem.”

  Loud laughter rolled from the wolf, as it did from those who surrounded them. “And now we see the true leader of your group.”

  “Certainly not,” Meena gasped.

  “But it would appear so,” Edeill assured in a softer tone. “Sensible ladies, both,” he nodded at the girl next to him as well. “Hear my words, sweet Amicia. The creator and the destroyer are the same, as nature intends. The prophecy is but a story, and you should not trouble yourself. You are in Eriden now, as will you remain all the rest of your days.”

  “Yes,” she agreed, her expression somber. “I was drawn to this land since I was a child, and I will be pleased when we find the place where we may finally build our home.”

  “Well, it won’t be tonight,” Piers laughed, undaunted by his wife’s rebuke. Standing, he claimed the ladle and served the bowls, passing them out to his charges.

  Watching him, the old wolf wondered at how the members of his party cared for one another. Elf and siren, nymph and wan, no rank could be discerned between them, even as he professed to see it. She is truly special, he mused, observing the girl who held his deepest concerns.

  The sun set, the group ate their meal in near silence. Amicia had hoped for clarity, but she had discovered none in the wolf’s words. To the contrary, his telling had seemed to only add to the displeased air that hung over the group. Pulling out her blanket to rest once the dishes had been washed and put away until the morn, she lay on her back and stared at the stars above.

  “Will you speak with me now?” Edeill asked.

  “I suppose,” she sighed. “What is it that you require?” Sleep would not find her for hours she felt certain if her scattered thoughts were any indication.

  “Tell me about the trolls,” he proffered. “How might one gain access to their home within the mountain?”

  Her heart leapt at the question, her pulse doubled in an instant. Clenching her fists, she searched for the right words, as making him angry would only leave them to walk the rest of the way to the dwarf mountains, if not worse. “Why would you need access to their city?” The troll king had been most disturbed by the wolves even coming near their home; could this be why?

  “I am only curious,” he replied smoothly.

  “I cannot tell you anything of their sacred dwelling.”

  “Cannot or will not?” he pushed.

  “Neither,” she snapped, unable to hold the anger from her reply. “I consider you a friend, Edeill, as I have Uscan and every other creature we have met along our journey. I would never betray my honor or duty to one for another. Leave my thoughts and do not speak of this again.” Turning onto her side, with her back to him, she pulled her blanket up beneath her chin to punctuate the end to their conversation.

  Leaving her to her slumber, the wolf stood and ambled into the darkness of the trees around them. “Uscan,” he reached to the south.

  “Edeill,” the grey wolf replied.

  “I have spoken to the girl. She is as you have said.”

  “Indeed, my brother,” Uscan agreed.

  “Yes, a more noble creature I have yet to meet. But you have underestimated the radiance of her power. No creature of Eriden will encounter her without knowing who and what she is, save herself.”

  “No, she has not yet realized what blood flows within her veins. But she will in time. We must be patient in her awakening. Being forced to see her true self might damage her ability to fulfill her destiny.”

  “Then we will wait,” Edeill agreed, turning to make his way back to the group. Stretching out next to Amicia, he watched her as she slumbered, waiting for the dawn.

  The Wandering Gnome

  A light fog coated the ground, masking the morning sun with its haze. Preparing their meal, Amicia tried to control her anger towards their guide, but his attempt to use her knowledge against the trolls disturbed her. Around her, the others chattered harmoniously, but she could not quite reach their level of enthusiasm.

  “We will depart as soon as you have eaten?” Edeill inquired, hoping to speed the process.

  “Yes, we will pack and be ready in no time,” Ami assured, avoiding looking at him as she tended to the food.

  Sensing her foul mood, Rey joined her. “Can I help?”

  “You can,” the girl forced a smile, glancing up into his hazel orbs. “I’ll fill the bowls with porridge while you hand them out.”

  “Agreed,” he said with a chuckle, calling to the others. “Everyone sit and I’ll give you a share.”

  A short time later, they ate hungrily at their morning rations, Bally joking, “Will we have better food once we find the dwarf kingdom?”

  “Unlikely,” Aelalle, the pack’s beta, grunted. Turning to clean himself after having devoured a fresh kill, he added, “They are more likely to eat you instead.”

  Frozen with her serving ladle in hand, Ami cut her eyes over at him, demanding, “I’d rather you didn’t tease us in this manner.”

  “Who’s teasing?” came his retort. “Edeill said we would get you there, but we never said they would accept you. If you want my advice, you should avoid them altogether if you are able.”

  “And you have suggestions on how we can accomplish that?” the Mate asked, also feeling cross with their latest wolf encounter. In his eyes, Edeill did not measure up to Uscan in so many ways, and hi
s followers behaved more like thugs than guardians of the forest.

  “We will deliver you to a part of the mountain that may be climbed. If you can pass over the top and not be noticed, you will be better off,” Edeill intervened, the conversation growing tense. Telepathically, he instructed his beta, “Do not provoke them. We have not yet gained the knowledge they can provide.”

  “We’ll have to turn east at some point,” Animir added as the group considered the suggestion. “The other end of the range is occupied by more of my kin, and we wouldn’t want to run into them, either.”

  “We’ll manage,” Amicia declared, taking her own bowl and having a seat to partake of it. Glaring around at the group covertly, she regretted their situation, but at the moment, a way out seemed unlikely. Instead, they would have to continue on and hope for it to work out once they were at the mountain.

  When they were finished with their meal, the group gathered and stowed their gear, then the wolves allowed their passengers to board. The fog slowly lifted as they continued on their journey, and they caught glimpses of the peaks they intended to cross in the distance, the very tips still touched by patches of snow that had not melted.

  Ahead of them, a small hunched creature hid among the shadows while roosting inside one of the gigantic trees. Craning his neck while moving to peer over, under, and around the branches, the small gnome observed their procession, grinning to himself at their folly, as few of the northern inhabitants actually trusted the great white wolves.

  Remaining still and quiet, he waited until they had passed, as they walked almost directly under him. His eyes glued on the girl perched upon the back of the leading wolf, he gasped, “What a beauty to behold.”

  Lumbering along behind, the rest of the pack presented each of the group’s members for his inspection, which only added to his curiosity; a more diversified group of travelers he had never imagined, or seen for that matter.

  When Rey passed, the siren snuggled in front of him, the gnome laughed out loud, bringing the procession to a halt, all poised and still as they listened for a second shout or any other disruption to the quiet of the trees.