The Dragons of Argent and Silver (Tales from the New Earth #6) (25 page)

“
So what can I do
for you?” he asked Ethmira. “Are you having trouble? Or
is this just a social call?”

“
It's actually a bit
of business and pleasure both,” she replied as she watched
Simon take out two cups and a tin box of dried tea.

“
Both?”

“
Yes. I wanted to
see you in person, of course. It has been a while since we're met 'in
the flesh'. But also, Daniel gave me a task to perform before he
passed; a task that he was very insistent should be done by myself
alone.”

Simon added powdered tea
to the cups and stepped over to the fireplace to grab the kettle.

“
He did? What sort
of task?”

Ethmira waited for him to
make the tea, nodded when he asked if she wanted honey in it and then
accepted the hot cup gracefully.

“
Ah, as delicious as
I remember,” she complimented him after her first sip.

“
Thanks. Are you
hungry? I can make something.”

“
No, no. I'm fine,
thanks.”

Kronk and Aeris had moved
to stand on the table and watched both of them quietly. Ethmira
glanced at them several times and the wizard wondered if she was
reluctant to speak in front of them.

She sipped some tea and
then untied a pouch from her belt and set it down on the table
between them.

“
Um, what is it?”
Simon asked. He was reluctant to touch the bag for some reason.

Ethmira stroked the canvas
gently and then pushed it toward him.

“
This bag contains,”
she hesitated, “Daniel's ashes.”

Simon had been reaching
for the pouch. He snatched his hand back and stared at her.

“
What?”

“
His ashes. His last
request was that he be laid to rest in the city he was born in.”

She contemplated the bag
for a moment and then patted it one last time.

“
My people do not
believe in this sort of thing, you know” she said. “When
we die, our bodies are consigned to the earth to become one with
nature. But Daniel requested this and we could not refuse him. So I
have brought his ashes to you, Simon, as he asked me to. Whether you
choose to honor his last wish is now up to you.”

Simon looked at the pouch,
not quite sure what to say.

The room became somber and
silent.

“
Master, I mean no
offense but returning to the city would be extremely dangerous,”
Kronk said, breaking into Simon's thoughts. “Ottawa is a
wasteland now. You know that there are rogue Changlings living there.
And what sorts of monsters now stalk its deserted streets is anyone's
guess. It would be very risky to go back there.”

“
Risky? It would be
madness,” Aeris said firmly. “I know you respected your
friend, my dear wizard, and I hate to sound harsh, but the man is
dead. Life is for the living and traveling to that city could mean
your death as well.”

“
Blunt speech,
little ones,” Ethmira said. “But I have to agree. I
brought the ashes to you, Simon, because I came to love Daniel as a
friend. But I would not think less of you if you buried him here and
cherished his memory in your own way.”

“
No, I'm sure you
wouldn't,” Simon replied in a low voice.

He reached out and picked
up the pouch. Did it feel strangely warm? Was there a faint beat,
like the pulse of a distant heart? Surely it was just his
imagination.

“
You wouldn't think
less of me, Ethmira, but I would. I am alive today only because of
Daniel. I would just be another nameless casualty of the dragon
attacks if he hadn't told me to get out of Ottawa before the Night of
Burning. Should not his last wish be respected if only because of
that? How could I ignore it and still live with myself?”

Ethmira nodded once.

“
I knew you would
say that,” she told him with a sad smile. “Your loyalty
is one of your strengths, and occasionally, one of your weaknesses.
The choice, of course, is yours.”

She finished her tea and
stood up, picking up her bow and slinging it over her back in one
graceful motion.

“
You're leaving
already?” Simon asked in surprise.

He stood up as well and
followed Ethmira to the door.

“
I am afraid I must.
There are events occurring in the elven realm that require my
attention. Leaving even for a short time was risky, and our time runs
swiftly now, but I had to honor my word to Daniel.”

She grasped the wizard's
hand in both of hers and pressed it tightly.

“
If you are
determined to journey to your ravaged city, take great care. We do
not want to lose our only wizard ally and I could not bear to lose
yet another dear friend.”

Simon was touched by her
concern.

“
Don't worry about
me,” he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
“Cautious is my middle name. Well, actually my middle name is
Robert but you know what I mean.”

Ethmira laughed and shook
her head as she stepped out into the morning sunlight.

“
Ah, my friend.
Never change. Now, there is no need to see me to the gate; I must
move quickly to get back to the portal. It will not remain open for
long.”

She looked around one last
time, smiled affectionately and nodded at the wizard.

“
Be careful, Simon.
And be well.”

He opened his mouth to
respond and found himself speaking to empty air. Ethmira had moved so
swiftly that she had virtually disappeared.

“
I forgot that they
could do that,” he said as Kronk and Aeris joined him on the
front steps.

“
Yes, they don't use
that skill very often,” Aeris told him. “It takes a great
deal of energy, I believe. She must have really been in a hurry.”

Simon sat down on the top
step. Kronk moved to sit to his right and Aeris floated on his left.

“
I wonder if there
is trouble in the elven lands, master?” the earthen asked. “The
lady seemed quite anxious to return.”

“
What sort of
trouble?”

The little guy twitched
his shoulders, his version of a shrug.

“
I do not know,
master. But even with the dragons purged from their world, the elven
realm still holds many dangers. The elves are not the only sentient
race that lives there.”

“
They aren't?”

That was news to Simon.

“
Ethmira has never
mentioned that.”

“
Why would she?”
Aeris said in a reasonable tone. “Her people are proud and
independent. The only reason they asked for your help when the
dragons invaded was because that was a danger they were not equipped
to handle. They would probably consider other dangers a private
affair, not to be spoken about with outsiders.”

“
Hmm.”

Simon put his elbows on
his knees and rested his chin in his hands. It was a beautiful day
and he just closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight
and the mild sweet breeze gently wafting by him.

“
So, what about this
death city of yours?”

Aeris' sharp question
snapped the wizard out of his tranquil mood. He turned to glare at
the elemental.

“
Thanks a lot,”
he snapped.

“
What? You've
committed to taking your friend's ashes back to this devastated
place. You should at least map out a plan of action before you go. Or
were you just going to breeze in, plant Daniel like a seed and waft
out again?”

“
That was entirely
disrespectful, Aeris!” Kronk said sternly. “Daniel was a
great man.”

“
Of course he was a
great man!” the air elemental replied with a glare. “A
great man who probably wouldn't have wanted his best friend ripped to
shreds just to indulge his last wish!”

Simon ran his fingers
through his hair and pushed himself to his feet.

“
Guys, don't argue.
I'm going to do this but I won't rush headlong back to the city. It's
been what, four years since my last visit? I'll scout it out first
with Magic Mirror and then decide on the best place to lay Daniel to
rest.”

He brushed off the seat of
his robe and then smiled as he thought of something.

“
Hey, at least this
time I won't have to ride Chief there and back. I can Gate to the
spot I choose, do what I have to do and leave. Pretty
straightforward, really.”

Aeris grumbled but didn't
say anything.

“
Where's Ana, by the
way?” the wizard asked and looked around curiously.

“
Back at the lake,
master,” Kronk told him. “She was,” he frowned,
“testing the ground water for viability? Whatever that means.”

“
It means that she
wanted to make sure it's drinkable,” Aeris told him with a hint
of superiority in his voice.

“
Is that what that
meant? Well then, that is what she is doing, master.”

Simon smiled down at him.

“
Good. Too bad she
missed Ethmira though. Oh well, another time. Anyway, Aeris, would
you do me a favor and close and seal the front gate please?”

“
Certainly. We can't
be too
careful
, can
we?” the air elemental said with some emphasis and zipped off
toward the gate.

Simon shook his head at
Aeris' attempt at a subtle jab.

“
Kronk? Feel like
taking a walk? I want to go back and spend some time with the
animals.”

“
I would like that,
master,” the earthen said happily and he bounded down the steps
as Simon descended and turned to the left.

The two of them wandered
around the tower and out of the back gate. It was open but an earth
elemental was standing on the arch above it, keeping watch. Simon
waved up at him as they walked through the opening.

The pasture between the
tower wall and the lake was already covered with thick grass that
waved and shimmered like a surreal green sea. The horses; Chief,
Tammy, Sunshine and her daughter Sunbeam, were all grazing down by
the lake. Several massive cows wandered around the area, chewing
their cud and staring dully at the wizard and the earthen.

The sheep, as usual, moved
in a little group from one patch of grass to another.

Chief whinnied a greeting
as he spotted Simon and trotted up to meet him. The stallion's
massive horns, similar to those pictured on mythical unicorns except
that there were two of them, swung to the side as the horse was
careful not to impale the wizard.

“
Hey big guy,”
Simon greeted him. He stroked the smooth neck as Chief delicately
rested his chin on the wizard's neck and nickered happily.

The other horses watched
with interest but allowed the stallion his time alone with Simon
before each approached to receive some attention.

Sunbeam was as
lemon-yellow as always but she had grown quickly. She was no more
than a few hands shorter than her mother now, but slighter in build
and much more mischievous. She allowed the wizard to rub her neck,
then pretended to snap at him and ran off with a high-pitched squeal.

Simon laughed at her
antics and felt himself beginning to relax. Spending time with the
small herd always had that effect on him. He watched the horses as
they went back to grazing, then strolled down to the lake shore and
sat by the water.

He stared out across the
shimmering surface, watching the glints of sunlight as it reflected
off of the ripples. His thoughts were pulled reluctantly back to his
last visit to Ottawa, his hometown.

He recalled the journey
vividly. He had ridden Chief because his knowledge of spells at that
time didn't include Gate.

He snickered at himself
and Kronk looked at him curiously.

“
Sorry,” Simon
said. “I was just remembering my last visit to Ottawa. Not only
couldn't I Gate there, I knew practically nothing about my magic. Not
even Magic Mirror. I went in there totally blind to the dangers. God,
what an idiot.”

“
Not an idiot,
master,” the little guy said stoutly. “Simply innocent.
The world was being remade at that time, was it not? I remember it
too, you know. I never told you this, but I was so worried about you
when you left, I could barely go about my duties.”

Simon smiled at him and
patted his narrow shoulders.

“
I guessed,
actually. My God, things were so different then, weren't they?”

He looked over his
shoulder at the tower, rising up over forty feet behind its
protective wall.

“
We didn't have the
wall, or Aeris, or your fellow earthen to stand guard.”

“
Master, we had
practically nothing,” Kronk told him. “It was just you
and me. The three horses were here, but Sunbeam hadn't been born yet.
Your neighbor, the herb witch Heather, was still trusted. And it
wasn't until you returned from the city that you first met Ethmira.”