“Wow,” Zollin said, unsure what else to say. “That’s amazing.”
“I know. When I was done there was a huge cavern deep in the mountain. It was incredible. Afterwards, I named each dragon. A little over half of them left to go on their own. The others stayed with me.”
“That is incredible,” Zollin said. “I wish I could have seen it.”
Brianna smiled and nodded. She understood how he felt. For months she had seen him doing the most incredible magic, but she couldn’t feel what he felt or understand how he did those things. Her magic was different than Zollin’s, but she understood what he meant and she was actually happy that he could relate to how others felt around him.
“So, what are you going to do now?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I came to help.”
“Well, I won’t turn you away. I need all the help I can get. I really have no idea what I’m getting myself into.”
“Do you think Mansel will trust me?”
“I don’t know,” Zollin said. “He’s not the same guy we knew. He’s seen and done some horrible things. I think he really wants to find a quiet place to heal his wounded soul with Nycoll.”
“What is she like?”
“I don’t know really,” Zollin said. “When we found her, she had tied herself to one of the pilings under the dock.” He pointed toward the path that led to the shore. “She was hiding from the army, which for some reason doesn’t seem to care if certain groups pillage, rape, and burn their own villages.”
“And the army is from Falxis?”
“Half of it; the other half is from Osla. We heard rumors that King Zorlan had the Oslan generals killed and took control of their troops. Anyway, Nycoll had been in the water for almost two days. The seawater had caused the rope she used to help her stay hidden through the night become impossible to untie. Even Mansel couldn’t get it loose. I had to use magic. Needless to say, she was in shock, and dehydrated. Other than that, she seems fine. She’s shy, a little older than Mansel, and a widow. He said her husband was a fisherman who was lost at sea. She seems sad to me, but she was happy to see Mansel.”
“Will he go with us to Osla, now that he’s found her?”
“I think so. I guess they both will. We still have a long way to go though. And with armies fighting in Osla, I’m not sure what we’re going to find.”
“What armies?” Brianna said. “Didn’t you say the Oslan army was with King Zorlan?”
“Yes, but the witch has brought the army from Ortis with her.”
“This is confusing,” Brianna said.
“It is, and dangerous too. Are you sure you want to get mixed up in it?”
“I want to be with you,” she said. “I can take care of myself, and my pride will make their own decisions. But we can help you, Zollin. I really hope you see that.”
“I do,” he said, moving closer to Brianna. “I was just surprised, that’s all.”
Just then the ground shook as Ferno landed roughly, not far behind them. The big, green dragon stomped forward several paces, then gently laid a deer carcass on the ground.
“Oh, great, supper’s here,” Brianna said, smiling.
“That whole deer is for us?” Zollin asked.
Ferno shook its head and flames flew from its nostrils, causing Brianna to laugh. “No,” she said. “We’ll take what we need, and the dragons will take the rest. Did you find more meat than this?” she asked the dragon.
The beast looked deeply into Brianna’s eyes and she smiled.
“Good, it’s past time you fed well. We’ll stay here at least until sunrise, then we’ll decide what to do.”
Zollin dropped to one knee and used his knife to remove one of the deer’s back legs. Then he stood up and backed slowly away from the dragon. “Thank you,” he said.
Ferno growled, but there was less menace to the dragon’s response than before. It picked up the rest of the deer and flew into the darkness. Zollin let his magic flow out and found that the other dragons were feeding nearby. They had found a herd of deer and were enjoying their meal.
“They are amazing,” Zollin said.
“Yes, they are. Each one is different,” Brianna explained. “They’re intelligent too, but young. And you may have noticed they’re a little protective.”
“Yes, I picked up on that,” Zollin said, laughing.
They cleaned the venison meat and then Brianna cooked it. She could heat the meat almost instantly, making sure that it was well cooked all the way through. They took the food back to where Mansel was resting with Nycoll. Zollin built a small fire and they divided the food, setting aside a portion for Mansel and Nycoll to eat when they woke up. Zollin felt his eyes growing heavy as he ate, and afterward they both slept soundly, with one of the dragons standing watch over the camp.
The next morning dawned bright and clear. Zollin woke up anxious to see the dragons again. Nycoll wasn’t ready to see the dragons up close, so she stayed with Mansel and they hung back while Zollin and Brianna met with the pride in the clearing where Nycoll’s cottage had stood.
Zollin was amazed at the dragons. They were proud, but also curious. He felt their rough scales and leathery wings. They sniffed his clothing and nudged him with their tails. Then Brianna talked to them, while Zollin waited.
“Zollin is the wizard I told you about,” she explained. “He is going to fight a very powerful evil wizard. The same wizard that has enslaved Bartoom. There are armies that are going to fight each other. It will not be a safe journey, but I am going with him. Zollin is my mate, the first member of my pride. You must decide if you will go with us. I’ll let Zollin explain what we’re doing.”
“I’m not sure what we’re going to find,” he said. “Offendorl is the master of a group of wizards who call themselves the Torr. They’ve controlled magic in the Five Kingdoms for centuries, but they aren’t good. I have to stop Offendorl and any more like him. I could use your help, if you’re willing.”
Brianna waited for a moment, letting the dragons send their mental response to her. Then she laughed.
“What is it?” Zollin asked.
“They want to see you do some magic,” she said.
“Are you kidding? I’m not a traveling performer, you know.”
“Come on, they’re curious. I’ve told them about you, but they’ve never seen a wizard do magic before. Show them what you can do.”
Zollin sighed. He wasn’t angry, just a little embarrassed. He was proud of his magic and what he was able to do, but being put on the spot was new. He’d performed tricks in Brighton’s Gate on the night when Quinn decided they should tell everyone who Zollin really was. At first the townspeople had been entertained, but when trouble showed up at the small mountain village, they had blamed Zollin.
He decided to levitate the rocks around what had once been Nycoll’s well. The soldiers had knocked down the walls of stone, and what was left was an untidy pile. Zollin let his magic flow into the rocks, then he lifted them simply by thinking the command. He raised his arms, holding his hands out toward the rocks; it wasn’t necessary, but it seemed more theatrical. The rocks spun and bobbed, then followed each other like children playing follow the leader. Zollin sent them soaring into the air, then diving back down to earth. The dragons watched the rocks, their mouths open slightly and their tongues licking the air.
Then Zollin settled the rocks back on the ground in a neat stack, leaving only one to float in the air. It shimmered almost like mirage, then seemed to melt before their very eyes. The dragons bobbed their heads, growling happily. Then the liquid rock reformed, only this time it took the shape of a woman, with high cheekbones and long, flowing hair tied back neatly with a simple ribbon.
Zollin let the stone bust float down on top of the pile of stones. Tig was especially curious and began nosing closer and closer to Zollin, who suddenly sent a ball of fire straight into the dragon’s face. The other dragons didn’t exactly laugh, but they roared in a chuckling sort of way. Tig staggered back surprised, but not hurt by the fire. Zollin knew enough about dragons to know that simple flame didn’t hurt them. He then sent a billow of fire skyward and the dragons turned their heads up and joined him.