Dragon of Eriden - The Complete Collection

by Samantha Jacobey

  “Happy Rey Daye,” her sweet voice called, catching his eye from the other side of the narrow strip of land.

  Kneeling, he waited as she picked her way to him, each of them wearing large grins. When she reached him, he scooped her up, hugging her tightly as he carried her to the safety of the more solid, marshy ground.

  Tears on their faces when he put her down, their joy at being reunited was evident. Helping to pack his things, they quickly prepared to head home while she shared a few tidbits from her adventure, while saving most of what happened for the group.

  When they were ready, Rey placed her pouch onto his chest and helped her to climb in. Facing out so she could see where they were going, the pair set off on their march across the swamp.

  “Well, it’s been five days,” the Mate announced, taking a seat to claim his spot at their new table. A long flat surface about three feet wide and ten feet in length, it held a bench for each side that would accommodate their party perfectly. He had completed the construction earlier that day, placing it to the north of their structures and running parallel to the forest and the mountains across the way. Smiling at his craftsmanship, the stew his wife had prepared would be their first meal upon it.

  “Aye,” Amicia agreed, seated on the large rock before her quarters and braiding her hair. Doing so reminded her of Reynard. Well, everything she did reminded her of Rey, and she fought the urge to cry all the more.

  “I smell dinner,” a voice called from the woods a moment before a scruffy man cleared the trees, a small dark-haired siren strapped to his chest.

  “Rey!” Zaendra screamed, leaping up from her seat next to the Mate to greet him.

  Giving the girl a hug, the young man squeezed her tightly from the side so as not to squish the mermaid in between. Then releasing her, he knelt to place Lin’s feet on the ground. A circle of friends had formed around them, and he rubbed his hands anxiously on his pants as he stood to face them.

  He had had five days to consider his actions and those of the girl who had taken his name. It didn’t take much to realize she might harbor some regrets, and he wasn’t all that anxious to find out if Animir would share his bunk that night.

  As the group parted, Amicia awaited outside the crowded space. A gap opening between them, everyone watched and waited to see what the verdict would be. Their eyes meeting, Rey grinned, not moving as he took her in. “You look beautiful, love.”

  “And you,” she beamed, not afraid to take the first step, or three as the case may be. In his arms in an instant, she wept openly. “Dear God, you’re really here!”

  Uncomfortable at the display, their friends quickly disbursed, giving them some room and a few minutes to say their hellos in private. Hugging her against him, Rey lowered his mouth to hers, searching for relief of his fears and doubts.

  Her heart pounding inside her chest, Amicia opened herself to him. If she had ever held misgivings in the connection between them, they were swept away by the raw emotion that flourished within her. “I was so afraid I would never see you again,” she whispered when he finally broke off to breathe.

  “Oldrilin did the swimming,” he laughed. “I just sat at camp for a few days and waited.” His forehead pressed against hers, he whispered, “It was a very long few days, to be certain.”

  Feeling a tug at her pant leg, Ami looked down to find Lin staring up at her. “Ami miss Lin as well?” she asked in her tiny mermaid voice.

  “You know that I did!” Amicia grinned, kneeling to take her small friend into her arms. “I see you made it back all safe and sound. So, tell us. What did you discover?”

  “Allow me to serve the bowls,” Meena suggested, indicating the table. “You pour the water and sit, and we will be ready to hear in a few minutes. I’m sure the story will keep for that long.”

  “Where’s Lamwen?” Hayt asked. “He will probably want to hear the tale as well.”

  “I’ll call to him,” Amicia agreed, reaching out to her large friend. “Lamwen, we have need of you. Rey and Oldrilin have returned.”

  “About time,” he growled. “What’s the word?”

  “We don’t know yet. We await your arrival that we all may hear at once,” she explained, grinning brightly at her husband as she did so.

  Zae serving the cups and Meena the bowls, the group quickly gathered around their table and sat on the two long benches, Rey claiming the tent end facing the mountain with his bride across from him, facing the trees. Taking small bites, the air around them crackled with excitement as the dragon arrived and came forward to sit at the clearing end of the row among the moss and grass.

  “So kind of you to wait for me,” he bowed.

  “Nonsense,” Piers clipped, his eyes darting over to their large friend. “You are one of us now, Lamwen.”

  His pulse slowed, the dragon narrowed his gaze as he stared at them, considering that sentiment. “Never has a dragon resided among other than his own kind,” he confessed in a deep voice. “We would rather live alone as outcasts than in the midst of those beneath us.”

  Bothered by his statement, Amicia placed her hands in her lap and looked up at him. His eyes large and round, they appeared distant, almost sad. “Tis true, love. You have a place at our table even if you do not fit within a chair.”

  “I thank you, princess,” he agreed, lowering his head and eyeing the returned pair as the siren sat beside him on the bench. “Shall we hear of your adventures, siren?” he growled, confident he would be deemed honest at any moment.

  “Alas, what you have said is true,” she whined. “I saw the elves with my own eyes.”

  “That’s unfortunate,” Hayt growled, chewing at his meat.

  “Indeed,” Animir seconded, also scooping at his meal.

  “What of Olirassa?” the Mate prodded. “Has she accepted my apology?”

  “Oh, yes, Mate,” Lin sighed. “She was most gracious and agrees to help when they are called.”

  “Are they well?” Amicia asked, concern growing in the back of her mind at how little had actually been said. But then again, Lin has never been much of a talker, she mused.

  “The sirens have suffered greatly,” Oldrilin explained, shaking her head as tears spilled onto her cheeks. “They were burned by the dragons, with scars that even nectar cannot heal.”

  Uncomfortable, Lamwen stiffened and growled, “Is this what I was called to hear?”

  “We know you can’t take it back,” Amicia soothed, “even if you wanted to. Do not feel judged by your past actions under the direction of Gwirwen. We all know who is responsible for the plight of the sirens.”

  “Hear, hear,” Rey cheered, lifting his cup of water as a toast to the truth in her words.

  Watching as Ami and Rey shared their meal, facing one another at the far end of the new table, a fire burned within Lamwen’s chest. He could see the connection between them had only grown stronger in the man’s absence, and he knew he would need to take great care if he wished to hide the jealousy within his heart.

  “I will feel responsible until I can make amends,” the dragon countered.

  “And soon you will get your chance,” Ami challenged, smiling up at him.

  Meena and Piers exchanged a glance with one another. If they had thoughts on the topic, they remained hidden, as they had larger issues to discuss. They had convinced the girl to keep the dark elf caged until Rey’s return, in hopes that he could convince her that bringing Kedoria out would be a mistake.

  Daring to broach the subject, the Mate made his comment smoothly, “I guess you feel Kedoria will as well.”

  “Kedoria,” Rey parroted between bites. “That name sounds familiar.”

  “That’s the dark elf,” Meena dropped evenly, no longer actually eating her stew. Lifting a spoonful, she spilled it over the side and back into the bowl anxiously.

  “The dark elf,” he paused, his next bite frozen in midair. “The one from Asomanee?” he gasped. When no one replied, he glanced from face to face until his ga
ze landed on his bride. She was the only one still eating, and she did not meet his stare.

  “Ami, what are they talking about?” he pushed.

  Licking her lips, she placed her utensil on the table next to her bowl. Her voice calm, she replied, “While you were away, I invited the dark elf to join us.”

  She could have gushed on with her reasons why, but she had two things on her side she hoped would be enough; one, the creature held great power and they would need all the help they could get. The second and more important, Amicia was in charge, and in the end, the decision was hers to make.

  “You mean you want me to share ranks with that thing that killed Bally?” he gasped, then wafted his spoon at the dragon and spilled the portion. “As well as the dragon who attacked the sirens, and us for that matter?” Clenching his jaw tightly, he waited for her reply. He had missed her so much, and in an instant, his rage threatened to spoil their reunion with a few choice words. When the pause grew long, he pushed the bowl back and stood. “I’m done.”

  Walking away from them, he skirted the dragon with a cold glare and entered the forest on the worn path, arriving at the place that had become all too familiar. Wiping at his eyes, his feelings churned. I thought I knew her, he sobbed. How could she do this, like she has turned against all that we stood for.

  A short time later, a branch cracked behind him, and he stiffened. “I do not wish to speak. Please go.”

  “Even to your wife?” a small voice replied.

  “Especially to her,” he growled. “It would be unwise to share words in my state.”

  “You are angry,” she observed, sidling up to him. “That is fine. Then you will listen.”

  “Bah,” he grunted, still not looking at her. Wrapping himself tightly across the chest, he waited, knowing she would not give up so easily.

  Gathering her courage, Ami licked her lips. Having arrived next to him, she could see his profile, with his firm jaw and the dents in his forehead where he scowled.

  “We have all done things we regret, husband. Things that may even have hurt other people. Those things do not make us good or bad. They are simply things that we have done and actions we have taken. They do not define who we are. As you would follow any order given by the Mate, Kedoria believed she acted within her right, as her lord Galiodien commanded. And Lamwen with Gwirwen.”

  “Aye,” he spat, “give it enough time and we’ll have the whole bloody mess of them on our side.”

  “And then who would we fight against?” she giggled.

  “And who would we trust?” he shouted, turning to face her for the first time. His breath instantly stolen, he stared at her. Wearing the dress she had wed in, her hair hung loose to catch the rays of the moonglow as strands floated around her head.

  His gaze dropping, the shoulders of the gown landed near her biceps, leaving the creamy white tops to tempt him in their nakedness. In her arms, her folded blanket lay across them, and her bag sat at her feet. “What’s in the bag?” he scowled.

  “Only a few things I will need in the morning. My brush and mirror… and the like,” she replied quietly.

  Studying her, she had the look of an angel, her beauty cutting him to the depth of his soul. “And you think this will help?” he asked more gently, indicating her with an open palm. His loins coiled, his resolved slipped dangerously close to oblivion.

  “I am only happy you are home. I have missed you terribly these five days, and I do not wish to spoil our evening with a fight,” she whispered.

  Staring into her clear green orbs, he wanted desperately to look her over once more, her seductive attire mesmerizing. Part of him screamed he should look away and stand on his principle instead. In reality, he could do neither, as his love was too strong and his devotion too deep. Swallowing visibly, he sighed, “This isn’t fair, Ami. Using my love for you against me.”

  Smiling, she stepped towards him, freeing her right arm and placing it around his neck. Releasing the ribbon that held back his hair, she toyed with it. “What isn’t fair is leaving me alone for all these nights,” she answered, her voice dripping with honey.

  He had no hope of resisting. Pulling her against him, he kissed her deeply, then hissed, “Our discussion of the dragon and witch are not ended.”

  “As long as they are for the moment,” she smiled, scooping up her bag and leading the way to their private clearing by the pond.

  Blessed By Three

  The pair’s return to the camp the following morning felt far less painful than their first had, and Amicia hummed softly to herself when she warmed a kettle of water for tea with their breakfast. His smile equal to hers, it didn’t take the others much imagination to figure out how the fight ended.

  “So, I guess we have ourselves a dragon and a dark elf on our side,” the Mate jabbed cruelly.

  “Aye,” Reynard snapped, not taking his bait. Instead, he observed, “Did you really think I would stand against her on this? If you were dead set on stopping her, you should have done so while I was gone.”

  “We tried,” Meena joined in, “but she would not listen to reason.”

  “Aye,” Rey replied for the second time, “but there are two sides to every coin, and I can see both of them. If you are going to follow her, then you must accept her choices, the good and the bad.”

  Looking at each other, the couple decided to leave it be, at least for the time being. Piers had followed Amicia’s decisions often, but he could see holding blind faith in her would be foolish. In the end, he only hoped they had not come too far to be saved should her path prove to have been wrong.

  “Would you like some breakfast?” Zaendra chimed in, now that it appeared safe to do so.

  “Please,” Rey grinned, taking a seat across from his bride and accepting his bowl of morning mash. “I thought we were going to eat better when we got here,” he observed, changing the subject the best he could.

  “You will once you’ve learned what’s good here,” the gnome king replied, joining them out of the forest.

  “Thirac,” Amicia greeted with a wide grin. “So nice of you to join us!” Toying with her meal, she hid her suspicions that he had never been far from them. She would have asked about their aid as well but didn’t want him to run away too quickly.

  As Thirac made his way into the camp, three shorter gnomes followed, each dressed head to toe in a shimmering grey cloak. Noticing the small staffs similar to Meena’s, each perfectly suited to their height, the girl sighed in delight. “You’ve come to help us.”

  “Yes. We’ve been watching you for days, actually, discussing exactly what aid we should provide,” Thirac explained as his three companions each stood quietly waiting for their introduction. “And the ossci have volunteered to walk among you.”

  “The ossci?” Piers asked, joining the discussion. Standing over the newcomers, he stared down at their miniature forms, even smaller than their siren. Dark and mysterious beneath their hoods, he pondered how much help the three could possibly be.

  “Yes,” Thirac agreed, “it’s a name for a special group of our highest ministers. They have very distinct talents beyond those of ordinary gnomes and will be able to help you greatly on your quest, we are certain.”

  “I knew you were a powerful people,” Ami observed, eyeing each of them in turn. “I could sense it the night I spoke before your gathering.” The three before her radiated an energy that enticed her, as if she could blend with it and share in their secret circle called ossci, almost as she had basked within it the night she spoke to their gathering.

  “And did you say you’ve been spying on us?” Hayt added, not happy at that bit of news.

  “Watching, really,” the old gnome shrugged. “We had to be certain who exactly we were giving aid, if you know what I mean.”

  “You’re giving it to the rightful heir to the kingdom,” Rey snapped, also put out by the subterfuge.

  “Yes, as we have determined. Please, allow me to introduce the ossci,” Thirac direct
ed, his manner friendlier than it had been since they met him, which only aroused their suspicions more.

  “By all means,” the Mate slurred. “We have awaited their arrival with bated breath.”

  “Piers,” Meena gasped, shaking her head at her husband’s typical surliness. “Please, continue,” she smoothed his words with a smile.

  Giving them a brief scowl, the leader of the land seemed undaunted by their odd behavior. Indicating the first, the shorter gnome stepped forward and pulled back his hood. The same height as the other three ossci, his skin appeared a pasty white and his hair a long and shaggy dark brown, that hung to his waist. Looking up at them, beady eyes the shade of red rubies glared from beneath the locks. His beard hardly more than a few strands, he stroked the hairs a few times.

  “His name is Ziyath.”

  “I’m a crafter,” the new gnome claimed, his countenance turned by a frown.

  “And what does a crafter do, exactly?” Zae asked doubtfully.

  “I’m a wielder of special spells. I mean, we all can conjure them, but I’m particularly good at it, mind you,” he growled, holding up a single digit as he spoke.

  “What kind of special,” Meena pushed, not easily taken in by such claims.

  “Ah, the wan,” he cackled, offering her his hand.

  Taking the small appendage, she knelt next to him, waiting for his reply.

  “You know of transposition?” he supplied in a low whisper.

  “Of course,” she agreed.

  “I can take you anywhere in Eriden in the blink of an eye,” he boasted.

  A small gasp escaping from most of their gathering, they were all pleased at the news, despite Meena’s doubtful expression.

  Stepping forward, the second male also pushed back his hood to announce, “I’m Mizath, a seer.” His grey hair short, it stuck out all around his smooth, round face, his bright sapphire blue orbs accenting his features.

  “And what do you see?” Amicia giggled, taken with the trio already.