Legon Ascension (14 page)

* * * * *

Hundreds of miles away, Emma felt her foot slip on something. She would never know what, but she slipped. She was in an unfamiliar part of the woods this morning hunting for mushrooms. Laura sent her on Sasha’s old chore, which up to just recently was kind of fun. Now that she was careening down a hill she wasn’t enjoying herself. There was a ripping sound, which meant her new apron wasn’t so new anymore, and then SMACK! She came to a rather abrupt stop in what at first glance was some sort of pond. She lifted herself up and slopped mud and who knows what else off.
 

She looked down at her ruined cloths and winced at what was mostly likely a bruise on her side. Something in her hair moved and she screamed, grabbing the spot and pulling out a tuft of muddy hair and what appeared to be some type of beetle. She threw it and slumped back down in the muck. She was so angry she could cry and that’s just what she thought she would do when an Elk bounded into her little slice of heaven. It was a cow and she looked frightened. For a fleeting second, Emma wondered if getting trampled by an Elk was on today’s agenda as well, but a thud in the distance make her pause.
 

She looked at the Elk. “What was that?” The Elk didn’t respond but jumped at another distinctly louder thud.
 

Emma stood, all thoughts of yuck gone. What was that sound? There was a whooshing sound as a giant brown figure fell from the sky onto the Elk, who tried too late to run. Emma felt her throat tear on the inside with her scream. The Iumenta dragon turned its head to her and she screamed louder, seeing part of the Elk hanging from it mouth. As the two locked eyes, she turned and ran as fast as she could. She didn’t know where she was going, and it didn’t matter. She crashed through underbrush, feeling her skirt tearing around her. From behind there was a crack, a roar and a THUD as the monster took flight. Leaves were catching in her hair and branches whipping her face. She was panicked and didn’t know what she was doing, just that she had to run. The sun was obscured as the dragon closed overhead.

Please let the trees protect me, please!
She thought as the dragon almost seemed to chuckle overhead and she was surrounded in a brown glow. Her body rocketed up and through the canopy, her face burned as a branch slashed a gash across her cheek. She tumbled through space high above the trees, cart wheeling toward a clearing. Before she hit there was another flash of light and she slowed then hit the ground, knocking the wind out of her.
 

She rolled on her back and looked at the figure bearing down on her. The brown scales leached light from the surrounding sky and the dragon’s black teeth glistened in a sick impression of a smile. As she attempted to stand, the dragon landed in front of her. Two of its claws barely missed her head as they passed on either side, pushing her to the ground and holding her with unimaginable force. Did she scream? Did she beg? What was she to do? She chose option one, screaming and crying to try to throw the beast off. It chuckled again as it stabbed its mind into hers.

The voice was surprisingly female. “Stop your sobbing and screaming, ape!”

She went quite silent, though the free parts of her body vibrated with fear. The dragon twisted its neck, lowering a massive yellow and brown eye level with her face.
 

The voice came again, cold, cruel and taunting. “What are you doing, girl?”

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t speak.

“I asked you a question, ape. You’ll answer if you want me to kill you painlessly.” She felt the joy in its mind, and she knew she was going to die.

“P…p…please don’t hurt me. I didn’t mean to disturb you, please don’t.”

“WHAT WHERE YOU DOING?”

“G… g… g…getting mushrooms.”

“Why?” the dragon asked, this time less sharply.

“I’m the healer’s apprentice. She told me that we…”

She was cut off. “What town?”

“Salmont.”

The dragon let up some pressure and she could feel it’s hesitance to kill a healer. Aware of her thoughts, the dragon looked at her. “Don’t think yourself too special, but healers in the area are hard to come by. I dare say you will be missed.”

The thoughts weren’t of concern for the welfare of Salmont, but more of the workforce and possible need for healers soon.

“Wh…wh…why do we need healers soon?”

“It is not your place to question me. Hmmm, Salmont.” The dragon’s thoughts grew abruptly angry. “Do you know an Elf?”

“A what?”

“Elf, idiot girl! An Elf—pointy ears, a sickening love of plants—an Elf fool!”

“No, they don’t live here.”
 

The dragon roared at her as the probe in her mind dug in painfully. Her fear pushed the probe back. The sound made her ears hurt and she screamed again. “Please, I don’t know, I’m sorry, please, I’m so sorry.”

“What are you sorry about, you worthless little twit?”

Between sobs she tried to say that she was sorry she didn’t know an Elf.

“Why would you want to know an Elf, idiot girl?”

“So I could tell you and you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Her head throbbed at the laughing in her head and from the dragon’s mouth. “That would merely condemn you to death. Pathetic beast, go on your way.”

The dragon’s wings unfurled and it took off, leaving her on the ground shaking. Emma rolled and vomited. She couldn’t get up. She was terrified, so instead she curled in a ball and waited.

Chapter Eight

The Shifting Veil

“I was once asked what it was like when I realized that I was not alone, as then like now, all I can say is thank you.”

-Confessions of Love, The First Wife

Barnin slumped in his saddle as he crested the hill and the white towers of Manton came into view. He was tired, sore and had a funny itch from some plant he slept on. All in all it was good to be home. The mid-afternoon sun was glistening off the harbor, casting the hillside city in shifty shadows. It reminded him of some epic tale from when he was young.

“Ah, Barnin the great,” he said aloud. One of the new guys gave him a look. “What, you don’t think I’m great?”

The man chuckled. “You’re amazing, sir.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Of course, the city was packed, the streets clogged with midday traffic. He longed for the small town days in Salmont as he made his way to his apartment.
 

As he dismounted, a small boy came running up to him. “Bed your horse, sir?”

“Do what to my horse?” he asked a little shortly. He didn’t know who this kid was, but surely he wasn’t stupid enough to steal a horse from a soldier.

A nasal voice from behind him answered, causing him to spin on the spot. “He wants to know if he can take your horse to its stall, feed it and all that.”

“Keither!” He hugged the boy, well, tried to hug him. He was a lot to hug. “What are you doing here?”

“I live with Elves, remember? Anyway, give the kid a break.”

A year ago Keither wouldn’t have so much as looked Barnin in the eye, let alone tell him to give someone a break. He tossed the kid a coin and said a silent prayer that Keither was right and that he would still have a horse tomorrow.

“Help me with my pack?” Barnin asked Keither.

Keither picked up one of the many packs Barnin had at his feet. They walked in the dimly lit entrance to his building and up to the top floor. The place was quiet and catered mostly to soldiers, meaning it was nearly empty all of the time. They walked into the one room apartment and Barnin gave the soft bed a fleeting look.
 

“Just set that on the bed.” He stripped off some gear. “We can grab something to eat if you want, but do you mind if I clean up real quick?”

“Go for it. I’ll contact Sara and see if she’s available for lunch. She may not be though, they keep her busy.” Keither’s eyes went slightly out of focus.

Barnin left the room with a towel in hand. He hated magic. It made his skin prickle, and while Keither wasn’t doing magic, the mind talk stuff was just the same in his book.
 

If there was something you could count on in Manton, it was a hot bath. With the place all but empty he had the center bathroom to himself. It felt fantastic to clean off all the grime from the road, and shaving with hot water wasn’t bad either. When he returned to his room, Keither was sitting on the bed reading a book.

“What ya reading?” he asked, not actually caring.

“It’s a history of house Evindass.”

“They have those?”

“Yes,” Keither said slowly. “It’s called a library.”

Barnin snorted. “I can still beat you up, you know that?”

Keither rolled his eyes. “I haven’t heard that in a while.”

“Just so you know. Is Sara meeting us?”

Keither rose from the bed. “She is, but she doesn’t have much time.” He gave Barnin a look. “Why are you scratching yourself so much?”

The itching was getting pretty serious now, but he wasn’t about to admit that he slept in poison oak or something. “Shut up. Where are we going?”

They made their way to a little bakery, where they saw Sara sitting outside at a small table. She was in the standard pale green of healers, so Barnin figured she came from the training house. She hugged him when he got to her.

“Hello Barnin, how are you doing?” She looked him in the eyes the way all healers did.

“I’m good. Tired, but good. You don’t need to fix me.”

She smirked. “That’s up for debate, but let’s get food. I skipped breakfast.”

As they ate they made small talk and Barnin noticed, not for the first time, that Keither was paying a decent amount of attention to Sara. Barnin smiled into his glass, but at the same time he was proud of the boy. It was about time he figured out the opposite sex existed.
 

“So, how much have you learned?” he asked Sara.

She exhaled. “It’s the most amazing thing. I never thought I would enjoy healing, but I love it, it’s so incredible. You would not believe what we can… what is wrong with you? Why are you scratching yourself so much?” She looked at Keither for confirmation and he shrugged.

“I’m a man, we itch a lot,” Barnin said dismissively.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m aware. You didn’t get into poison oak or anything like…”

He cut her off, maybe a little too abruptly. “No, what kind of a moron would sleep in poison oak?” He shifted in his seat, fighting the urge to itch.

The smile on her face said,
He’s messed up
.

 
“Barnin, I didn’t say anything about sleeping in it. Please, oh please, don’t tell me that.”

“It was dark and the ground was hard, ok. We don’t stay at inns or anything,” he said defensively.

She was laughing now. “You idiot. You slept in poison oak? Did your parents drop you as a baby or something?” She got up and walked to him. “Here, let me take a look.”

“I’m fine, I…” she was giving him that look that all healers do, the one that said
shut it and do what I say
.

“Geez, do they teach you that look on the first day or something?”

She didn’t answer, but placed her hand on his chest with her eyes closed, muttering something. A slight silver glow wrapped around him and the itch stopped.

“There you go, all fixed. Ok, I have things to do. See you Keither. Barnin, please try to not sleep on the soft leaves from now on.” She walked off.

* * * * *

Keither watched her leave. As soon as Sara was out of earshot Barnin rounded on him.
 
“So why aren’t you with her?”

He was confused. “She has studying to do…”

“No, I mean
with
her,” Barnin said, emphasizing the ‘with.’

This was not a conversation Keither wanted to have with Barnin. “I don’t know, I think that when it’s time we will, you know, it will just happen.”

Barnin nodded. “You’re scared, aren’t you?” He continued, not waiting for a response, “Look, she’s a good-looking girl, and truth be told, she has a good personality. You need to get a move on before others do.”

“I know, I know.” And he did. He was aware that sooner or later Sara would get over her distaste for most men and pick someone.

Barnin held up his hands and to his surprise sounded sincere. “Look, Sara, has been through more than anyone should. She deserves a good guy. You’re a good guy Keither. Hold up, let me finish, I don’t need to tell you what it’s like out there. Life is short. Don’t wait for it to throw you a bone.”
 

He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to change the subject but Barnin saved him the trouble with a shudder.

“What is it?” he asked.

Barnin scowled. “What? Oh, nothing.” He paused. “Ok, doesn’t the whole mental network junk freak you out?”

This was an odd change of topic. “At first, but not anymore. It’s great if Sara and I need to talk, or if Legon is close by we can. How do you think Sara knew where we were today?”

Barnin didn’t like that. “So how can you not land her then? I mean, if she can find you and all, aren’t you two sharing dreams yet?”

Keither laughed and waved his hand in dismissal. “She doesn’t know where I am, I told her where. And no, we don’t share dreams—you can’t. And we don’t always talk with the link. Plus, even when you do, you can filter what the other sees.”

Barnin appeared to like the filtering part. “What do you mean you can’t dream together? Is that against the rules?”

“There are no rules, but the subconscious works differently. I could, say, access her mind enough to give her strength if her conscious mind was used to my contact. Or, I could maybe see if she was sick or injured. But actually see a dream? No. The subconscious is too convoluted for that. Even Elves that have been married for thousands of years don’t know what goes on in the other’s dreams.”
 

Barnin nodded his head in a jerk. “Well, ok then.”

After lunch things were a bit awkward, and Keither got the impression that Barnin was focusing on his mental protection, most likely suspecting him of reading his mind. He could have told him that once your mind was guarded you didn’t need to put more effort into it, that it worked on its own, but it was kind of fun to see his eyes squint from time to time. He was starting to look constipated and people were beginning to stare when they finally left.