Shaking her head and trying not to let it bother her, Jahrra decided that after dinner, she could help clean up. While she waited, she lay back down to rest her eyes a bit. Only, when she opened them again it was already late into the night. Just in front of her, the embers of the fire had died down to mere sparks, the heat not as intense as before. For a moment, Jahrra wondered if the cold had woken her, but upon further inspection of her surroundings, she realized she wasn’t cold. She turned over to peer out of the cavern entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of lightning, but something huge and dark mostly blotted out the sky. Jahrra almost screamed. Some monster, the master of this cave perhaps, had returned to its home only to find it overrun with a small troupe of travelers. But then the shape took in a great breath, letting it out with a flicker of emerald flame. Jahrra mimicked the shadow and sighed with relief, her heart rate slowing. It was only Jaax, guarding the entrance to the cave. Of course.
Feeling ridiculous, Jahrra turned over and tried to go back to sleep. The rumble of thunder and the rush of a gust of wind rippling through the trees outside reminded her of the perilous journey that awaited her. So turbulent and uncertain. Not the best thoughts to have while trying to fall asleep. Sighing again, Jahrra tried to focus on something else. The soft whiffle of horses breathing echoed strangely in the cavern, and she wondered what Phrym and his companions might be dreaming about. Hopefully, warm, green meadows and a long stretch of open land to race across. Jahrra smiled, but even those images didn’t help her much.
As she waited for the darkness to take over, she peered across the smoldering coals and caught a glimpse of Ellyesce, an indiscernible shape lying still on the other side of the fire. She thought once again about the strange elf who had so abruptly stumbled into their lives. She recalled his haggard appearance and his frantic exchange of odd words with Jaax. And most of all, she wondered why, from the moment she had seen him in full light, he had seemed so familiar to her.
Thoughts to ponder during the long hours of daylight travel, she told herself. Now, you must sleep. With the not so distant grumble of thunder echoing across the mountaintops, and the occasional crackle and pop of a hot coal nearby, Jahrra finally let go of her tumultuous musings and drifted off to sleep.
-Chapter Two-
A Lesson in Cards and Constellations
For two days, Jahrra, Ellyesce and Jaax stayed put in their cavern. The storm, having reached their side of the mountain that first evening, raged on, pelting the landscape with lightning, wind, rain, and at times, hail. By midday on the second day of their retreat, Jahrra was ready to leave, storm or not. She couldn’t imagine staying much longer without losing her mind to boredom. Her sketchbook and other volumes only held her attention for so long, and she was dying to get away from the clinging darkness of the cave.
On the morning of the third day, the travelers woke up to sheets of sleet that gradually turned to snow. Jahrra groaned and raked her fingers through her hair in aggravation.
Jaax, displaying the frustratingly calm patience only a dragon possessed, gave her a dubious look.
“Will this weather never cease?” she complained wearily.
“Eventually,” the dragon commented, “but likely not today, or the next. I anticipate at least two more days of captivity.”
Jahrra glared at him. His voice had a chipper note to it, and she couldn’t tell, for the life of her, why.
“Because the longer we stay hidden in here,” he answered when she asked, “the more likely the Crimson King’s men will grow weary traipsing through the snow. Besides,” he added with a sniff, “the snow itself will cover any tracks we’ve left behind. The weather, though foul, is a godsend.”
Jahrra didn’t completely agree with him. True, the snow covered their tracks, and yes, only someone who was mad would be out looking for them in this mess. The problem was, the Crimson King was mad and the longer they stayed in one place, the more likely their enemy’s servants would find them, in her opinion. However, she knew better than to start an argument with her guardian. Especially when they were confined to a small space together, and she had nowhere to escape to should the conversation grow as unpleasant as the weather.
Apparently done with their discussion, Jaax curled his neck around his body and proceeded to take a nap. He’d stayed up the entire night before to keep watch, despite his claim they were well hidden from scouts and spies. The storm had blustered on, dumping enough snow in the doorway to nearly block it completely. Jahrra wrinkled her nose at the wall of snow and reconsidered her earlier musings. Perhaps, the cave would be difficult to locate in the aftermath of last night’s blizzard, after all.
Jahrra stood and moved to sit closer to the cave’s clogged entrance. She crossed her legs and placed an elbow on one knee, setting her chin in her hand. In all honesty, she didn’t mind resting for a few days more. Despite being in shape from her sword practice with her friends back in Lidien, she had grown unaccustomed to long-distance traveling, and her achy muscles appreciated a break. She just wished she wasn’t so bored. She’d added all the details to the animals she’d seen and sketched on their journey so far, Phrym had been brushed and pampered so thoroughly his coat gleamed like silver, and she had read all of the stories in the books she’d brought along with her.
Just as Jahrra stood to polish her sword, for the fourth time, Ellyesce made an appearance at her side. She yelped and almost fell from her boulder. Gods and goddesses of Ethoes, why must he keep sneaking up on her? The elf didn’t seem to notice her agitation, however. He crouched down and pulled a box from somewhere in his cloak and held it out. Jahrra eyed it with suspicion.
“What’s that?” she asked, taking deep breaths to slow her racing heart.
Ellyesce simply grinned, the only feature visible from beneath his hood. “Astral cards,” he responded.
“Huh?” Jahrra said.
Ellyesce settled himself on a rock next to Jahrra and carefully cracked open the lid. He held the box out to her, and she peered inside. Stacked neatly together was a pile of paper cards, slightly yellowed with age, but otherwise, in good shape.
Intrigued, Jahrra lifted a hand, wanting to pick them up and look at them. Her fingers froze before touching the topmost card, however. Clearly, these cards were treasured by their owner.
“Go ahead,” Ellyesce encouraged. “There is an ancient magical charm cast upon them that keeps them safe from normal wear and tear.”
Jahrra gave him a dubious look, but shrugged and gently lifted the first card. The back consisted of a beautifully crafted design of thorny vines and red flowers, bloodroses she realized, set against a parchment with what looked like Kruelt writing on it. She narrowed her eyes and tried to make out what the words said, but the letters were small and covered in some places by the flower motif.
When she flipped the card over, Jahrra couldn’t help but smile a little. On two opposing corners of the card there was a small floral symbol. The face was pale green in color, and the center featured a pattern of stars with a faded dragon superimposed over it. The word Traagien was printed in an archaic, flowing script on the lower right, and likewise in the upper left, but written upside down. Jahrra realized why when she rotated the card around.