The Dragon's Back Trilogy

by Robert Dennis Wilson

  “Take it easy, husband,” said Sara gently, “Or you won’t be finding anything but a Bridge t’ the Gryphon’s good Land.”

  “Yes, dear,” he replied with a weak smile. “I’ve already been sorely and severely reminded of my limitations today. I might ‘ave scaline fer brains but that’s not a lesson I’ll soon ferget!”

  Jason caught his eye before he quietly sang to the dear man and his wife,

  “But then, at last, I heard this answer,

  ‘Sufficient for you is My grace,

  For My power is made perfect

  When you are at your weakest place!’” 16

  “Would that we’d heard an’ heeded that a’fore we tried t’ take the Field t’day,” said the white-haired man and a tear trickled down from his eye. “I know that song right well an’ I think yer right. I fear we’re about t’ come into some mighty hard times!”

  “That reminds me,” said Jason softly. “Speaking of hard times and their causes, I was wondering what the blackrobes had carved into those planks they spread around the field today. Can I go look at the ones they used in their battering ram?”

  “I was kinda wonderin’ the same thing,” Gideon replied. “Go ahead an’ look at it, but mind y’ don’t touch that ugly thing. They might’ve poisoned it just t’ do some more damage!”

  From nearby Jason hollered out the sayings one by one as he found them.

  “Swimmers don’t use thorns so none of their champions will be allowed to fight for our party.”

  “All Swimmers are intolerant of others; therefore we will not tolerate them.”

  “Swimmers want to restrict the liberties of others, so we will restrict them.”

  “Anyone who speaks against the River…”

  “Enough, son,” interrupted Gideon, “we don’t need t’ hear any more o’ their lies. Iffin that’s what they spread among the Party t’day, it’s a wonder they didn’t chain us all up ‘neath the Falls!”

  Jason quickly returned to the others. Even though he hadn’t touched the planks he felt like his hands had been soiled so rubbed them continuously on his tunic as he commented, “And to think they invited you Swimmers to be a part of this Party! They sure aren’t very hospitable to their own are they?”

  “It’s a sad thing, son,” confided his adoptive father. “The planks of our Party used t’ tell people what we stood for. Now they only tell ‘em what we’re against! The First Games used t’ be a test o’ wisdom, strength, and rightness, but now they’ve sunk down into a big thornbattle where the leaders sling, shoot, throw an’ jab each other with thorns, rocks, or even mud!”

  Sara had finished her ministrations so, with both of their help, Gideon struggled painfully to his feet. Together they left the Playing Field. Using his adopted son as a crutch the old man hobbled toward one of the small alcoves chiseled into the wall of the canyon. These man-made shelters were used as storage areas to hold personal supplies and foodstuffs for the competitors’ noontime meal.

  When they reached this refuge at last and found a resting place in the shade, Gideon called Jason and asked him, “Now what happened t’ that pretty young lass you’ve been running around with all morning? You two’ve seemed mighty chummy together!”

  Until that moment it had not occurred to the young bard that someone else’s permission should have been garnered for a proper and official relationship to begin. He had lived so long without a parent’s guidance that he had forgotten that ‘fathers’ (even adoptive ones) have responsibilities in the lives of their sons.

  Jason blushed and rose to formally sign his apology with his sword, then added, “I am sorry, father, that I did not consult you. What is your pleasure in this matter? She is, by the way with her family. Her father, Lot, was also injured in the Games.”

  Both Gideon and Sara smiled at Jason’s quick and submissive response. “Whatcha say, dear?” the old man asked his lifelong mate and counselor.

  “‘The future’s under the Gryphon’s paw’, she quoted softly and went back to her work.

  “Son, we offer you no chains or ropes. Yer of an age an’ mind capable of searchin’ out the Gryphon’s tracks fer yerself. Ye’ don’t need us old folks muddying up the waters! I’ll only give ya’ what I know is some wise advice. The people ‘ere today tried t’ rush the Gryphon into doin’ what they thought He should do. Don’t you go a makin’ the same mistake. Wait till ya’ see His footprints before ya’ try t’ walk in them! That goes fer politics, but specially fer matters o’ the heart!”

  “Now, that’s bard’s truth, father. Bard’s truth, indeed!”

  “By the way, son, I hear tell that’s she a mighty fine young woman, able t’ hold her own (an’ onto the Gryphon as well) even in the Pit O’ the World! That takes a heap o’ doin’ fer a young un’ in this day an’ age!” The injured old man raised himself up on his elbows to wink at his young son.

  Sara broke her silence to quietly add a further clarification to her husband’s cloaked comment, “I’ve been told that she’s like a fish in the water. I imagine it would take a mighty strong Swimmer to keep up with her. What do you think, husband? A young man would have to be very motivated to Swim with her!”

  ~ ~ ~

  “That one would make a fine catch!”

  “Mother! He’s not a fish!”

  “Yeah, an’ ye’ got some pretty nice bait t’ dangle on the hook for ‘im!”

  “Daddy, not you, too! I can’t believe you just said that! Well, this girl’s not going to do any dangling. (At least not deliberately!) If that young man gets on the hook, he’s going to have to put himself on it and pull himself in, too!”

  “What do you mean, Shanna? Don’t you like that young bard?”

  “Of course I do, Mom. And ‘like’ doesn’t begin to describe it. But I’ve done quite a bit of reflecting on this matter in the past. Even more in the short time since we’ve met and now been apart.”

  “Mos’ young girls do! Reflect on that subject, that is!”

  “All right, Daddy, enough of the funny stuff. I’m trying to be serious! And besides, no, they don’t. At least not in the way I’m talking about! The young girls today spend most of their time getting reflections, but only in polished scaline. Reflections of themselves! That’s not what I meant and you and Mom both know it!”

  “Yes, we do, darlin’,” responded her father. “We both ‘ave seen how much y’ love the Gryphon an’ want t’ follow in ‘is footprints. We’ve been askin’ fer years that the Swimmer-Son would bring someone t’ ye’ as special as y’are yerself!”

  “Thank you both for that. I really hope you know how much I appreciate it. What I’m trying to tell you is that I agree wholeheartedly with your request to the Gryphon. I, too, have been asking for Him to send someone to me. But if I’m going to strictly comply with the spirit of that request, (much as it goes against what I feel) I have to wait for the Master to do the bringing. I can’t go out shopping like Mom does on market day. Knock that melon on the top with my knuckle to see if it’s ripe! No, I’m not going to be like the other girls. The only image I want to reflect on is the Gryphon’s Son! If He puts someone else in a part of that image, well that’s up to Him. In His time. In His place. And in His way!”

  “Shanna, I think that for as long as I live I will always remember this day. Not for the bad, but for the good. For today I’ve seen two wonders come straight from the Gryphonsland. I’ve seen a boy prove his manhood by standing up against the very dragons, though they clothe themselves in Swimmer’s skins. And I saw a young girl transformed into a woman before my very eyes!”

  “Stop, Mom, you’ll make me cry and then what would he say to see me all puffy-faced again… Does this… Does this mean that you approve of him?”

  “With all of my heart, dear. With all of my heart!”

  “Aye, an’ that goes fer me as well.”

  THE SWIMMERS’

  PSALM

  Wear not the chains of worry

  When you look at evil
men,

  Never think their well-filled packs

  Are worth the effort to carry them.

  For, like the grass that fuels your fires,

  Soon they all shall be cut down

  And wither like a flower

  Planted on barren, dewless ground.

  Learn to swim, yes, with the Gryphon

  And do the good works He would do;

  So shall your Heartland be always fertile

  And He will share its fruit with you.

  Thirst only for the Gryphon’s Dew

  And in His sweetness delight to live;

  Only then can you be certain,

  That when you ask, He then will give.

  Place your plans and place your futures

  Underneath His mighty paw

  For only then will He watch o’er them

  And always guide you lest you fall,

  He’ll make your righteousness go forward

  To beam out like a shining light,

  And your justice like the noonday

  Will dispel the shades of night.

  Rest in Him upon the waters –

  Wait quietly, patiently in His hands,

  Not burdened by chains like those who prosper

  By making schemes and wicked plans.

  Take up no thorns, forsake their poison.

  Don’t carry chains into the Sea,

  For they can only bring you evil

  And evil will sink eternally.

  But those that rest upon the Gryphon

  Will soon inherit the Gryphonsland,

  Yet those still resting on the Dragon

  Will find they have no place to stand.

  For surely, shortly it will happen

  And the wicked will not be:

  Though you seek and diligently search,

  Even their place you will not see.

  But the meek? They will inherit

  The Gryphon’s wondrous land of light

  And in the abundance of His peace

  Will they forevermore delight. 17

  THE PRINTS

  AND THE POLER

  Jason and Shanna stood facing each other about an arm’s length away. An awkward silence hung between them like a thick curtain.

  Finally, Jason sighed and tentatively offered some neutral words, “How’s your dad’s arm? Will he be all right?”

  Shanna shrugged as she replied, “I guess so. He got cut up pretty bad when one of the boards splintered. Ma said it was a lot more blood than damage. She patched him up and he seemed fine while we ate. But I could tell he was in a lot of pain, though he wouldn’t of ever let on.”

  “Guess he’ll have to take it easy on his swordplay for a while. That wound has to make it hard for him to handle a blade smoothly… Did you have a nice meal, then, in spite of the injury?”

  “Well, you know my Ma and her portable feasts!” she said and a smile finally graced her lips. “You’d think she was trying to feed the whole Party with what we carried here. At least we didn’t have to carry the kitchen up to the top of the Dragon like you did! Just up to the Pass and then down here.”

  “Yeah, I remember. Anyway, your mother sure is a good cook. Sara does pretty well too, but she’s still nothing like the famed Joannah! I almost snuck away from my family early just so I could get some of the leftovers!”

  “Are you sure it was just for the leftovers?” she asked raising her eyebrows at him, but then paused as though suddenly embarrassed. “Uh, how’s Gideon, by the way. Did that giant really break your father’s leg?”

  “‘Fraid so,” he replied. “He’s tough, though – all that farm work – he should mend up fine in a couple of months. They started home already, right after noonmeal. I think he would have tried to walk the whole way, but Sara insisted they put him in one of the empty straw wagons!”

  “As rough as those things ride,” Shanna commented lightly, “he might wish that he had walked by the time he gets home!”

  They both laughed briefly, but then the silence returned. Jason looked down at his feet and found it difficult to stand still.

  Finally, he managed to say, “Nathan ate with us. I told him I wanted to find out how your Dad was, but that I’d be right back… You can come back with me… If you want to. To watch the Final Game. That is if it’s all right with your parents.”

  Jason looked up to find the young woman’s cheeks lightly colored with a rose blush.

  Quickly he added, “I don’t mean to rush you or anything. I… I just… Oh, Gryphon’s prints! I’ve never had this much trouble gettin’ my words out before…”

  “Jason?” she interrupted him. “That’s the issue here for both of us, isn’t it? ‘Gryphon’s prints?’ Trying to follow them, that is? Neither one of us knows which way they’re leading right now, so we’re both kind of mixed up…”

  “You’re right!” he exclaimed, both happy and amazed that she shared his feelings. “I was thinking the same exact thing. I don’t want to rush blindly ahead. I’ve never felt so confused in all my life. When you grabbed my arm and rested your head against my shoulder, my insides turned all jumbled and I thought my head would explode like a fermented ‘skin in the sun!”

  Her cheeks took on a darker color as she quickly said, “Jason, I’m so sorry for making you feel bad. I really didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “Hurt me? Now you’re the one being ‘silly’! You didn’t hurt me at all, or make me feel bad, either! What I did feel was the most wonderful and strange sensation I’ve ever had in my life. I wanted it to go on forever! It’s just that I… I’ve never been around people, you know, of my own age. You’re the only girl I’ve ever…”

  Jason suddenly stopped, realizing that he had again revealed much more than he wanted. His blushing face finished his sentence for him as he looked down at his feet again.

  The light touch of her hand as it briefly brushed his cheek startled him into looking up again. As momentary and fleeting as the soft breeze of a summer’s night, he barely felt it before it had passed.

  “Is that tear for me?” she asked, showing him the captured drop on her finger. He heard the surprise in her words and saw concern reflected on her face.

  Instantly, he sought to justify with words the stray moisture that had involuntarily escaped the well of his emotions: “I’m sorry. It’s just that…” He paused, took a deep breath, then started again, “Well, actually it’s two things… Two things are tearing at my insides right now and I don’t know how to handle either one of them. First, I don’t want to outrun the Gryphon. Everything we’ve seen on this field today proves the danger in that. If the emotions of politics can blind grown men, then how much more can what I’ve felt today turn me around in circles! And second… It’s the difference between us. Someone reminded me today that you’ve been a Swimmer most of your life, but I’ve only known the Gryphon for around a year. You need someone interested in you who’s more your equal in the…”

  Jason’s emotional words became a strangling snare about his throat. He could say no more.

  “So I’m a princess in a tower, is it? And the lowly commoner doesn’t feel worthy of walking ‘neath my window, let alone rescuing me?”

  If Shanna had not locked eyes with him as she said those words, he probably would have turned away from her in shame.

  But neither her eyes nor her words would release him until she had finished what she had to say; “Can’t you see that I (just like you) only have what I have because it has been given to me? Are not all beggars equally worthy or unworthy of alms from the King? In your short life as a Swimmer have you learned how to tell which of the dewcatcher plants best holds the morning’s bounty?”

  The mysteries of relating to women and girls he knew he did not understand; flowers and plants were another matter. Quickly he answered her, “Why, the young ones do. They form a better cup that doesn’t leak like the older ones.”

  “And why were you able this morning to rightly see things that even the master Swim
mers hadn’t noticed? You drink the same dew that they do, don’t you? You reflect in the same way. Perhaps, in some ways, the younger cups better hold the dew!”

  Embarrassed by her implied praise, he said nothing, taking the opportunity to once more study the lacings on the tops of his soft leather boots.

  Again the wisp of her touch on his cheek raised his eyes to hers.

  “You silly, none of the boys I know (even those that have been Swimmers longer than I) would ever have been able to do what you did today. As far as I know, none of them even would have been looking in the right direction to see the signs.

  “Jason, I don’t know what the Gryphon has hidden under His paw for you (or for me either for that matter). That’s best left up to Him. He’s made it part of our job as Swimmers to search it out. But even in that searching, we must let the Gryphon decide what our path should be. Look out on the Playing Field where the Parties are parading around their platforms. A perfect example can be found in the Games. Doesn’t it make sense that the champion who disqualifies himself before the battle starts will never know how he might have fared? He could have been the winner if he’d only put forth some effort!

  “I know you’re afraid of missing the Gryphon’s tracks. I am too! And that’s a good thing! But let me tell you, there’s something that’s much worse than running ahead of the Gryphon: at least a runner’s moving and only needs his direction changed. Do you know what that is? It’s standing still and telling the Gryphon what you can’t do! Jason ben-Timnon, true bard of the Heartland, don’t you dare tell the Gryphon that you can’t see me – if He hasn’t told you so! I will gladly walk with you to see your master. And, yes, I already have my parents’ permission to do so.”

  A bemused grin had replaced the sorrow and doubt on Jason’s face. When Shoshanna finished her long emotion-filled speech, he bowed to her formally and then, trying to straighten his face as he straightened his body, he said, “Yes, Ma’am! Right away, Ma’am! I couldn’t possibly think of doing otherwise! May I be so forward as to offer you my arm, Ma’am?”