Denaeh chuckled. This dragon didn’t waste any time with petty sentiments, even going as far as dropping the required politeness for meeting very old acquaintances.
She clambered down the hill, and once she reached the bottom she said pleasantly, “Just allow me to slip into something more comfortable.”
And just as quickly as the light changes beneath a passing cloud, Denaeh became her younger self.
“You’re looking mighty well for your age,” Jaax commented drily.
“Aah, and you too, dear Jaax.”
The dragon sneered in disgust, and Denaeh’s smile faded.
“But you’re not here to chat and pay compliments, now are you?”
Denaeh no longer promoted her sunny demeanor, and she could tell an uncomfortable conversation was on the horizon.
“Why are you here, in this province?” Jaax repeated the question, unsmiling and severe.
“In case you haven’t noticed, this is a rather lovely part of Ethoes,” Denaeh waved her arm around pleasantly, “and the swamp provides ample cover . . .”
“Don’t try and lead me on with that rubbish,” Jaax interrupted with a snap of his teeth. “There are plenty of places in this world to hide, better places. Felldreim is far more appropriate for your needs, I should think. You came here for a reason.”
Denaeh simply stared at the dragon, knowing that he was right. She only hoped that she wouldn’t have to reveal all of her secrets.
“I have only been doing what you and many others have done.” she said, beginning to lose what remained of her cheerfulness. “I’ve been hiding from the rest of the world, yes. What does it matter where?”
Jaax was becoming irritated once again, and they were getting off track of the main issue. I can question her motives later, he thought, but right now I need to get to the root of all this.
“Listen, where you decide to live really isn’t what matters here,” he stated. “What I want to know is why have you entangled yourself in Jahrra’s life? Why have you been manipulating her?”
The question was simple, but Denaeh felt its cruel intent like one feels a dagger at their back.
“Manipulating?” Her calm voice burned and her golden eyes flared. “Far from it. I have been guiding her ever since she first wandered into my realm five years ago. You and Hroombramantu have kept the truth from her for her entire life. I have simply been helping her.”
The fire in the dragon’s eyes seemed as real as if he had just breathed it.
“What have you told her?” he growled. “You had no business and no right! And now, because of your meddling, she’ll be even more difficult to deal with when the time draws near for her to continue her education in the city of Lidien. She is my responsibility, not yours!”
His nostrils were smoking, but Denaeh wasn’t going to let a little thing like dragon smoke intimidate her.
“Is that so?” she asked with a little more gumption than one facing an angry beast should have. “When did she become your responsibility, Jaax? When you dropped her at the feet of the old Korli dragon, or now, now that the hard work of her upbringing is over with?”
Jaax was definitely piqued, but he brought his anger down to a manageable level.
“You have no say in this matter, Archedenaeh,” he said quietly, his jaw set firmly. “In fact, you should have never interfered in the first place.”
The small woman stared Jaax down for a few minutes before she responded. When she answered, her intentions were made very clear.
“She found me Jaax. I did not go looking for her. She answered a dare from her classmates and wandered into the Black Swamp on her own.”
Denaeh paused when she saw the fury building in the dragon’s eyes once again, but she continued on nevertheless, “Yes, I knew she was coming, but it was of her own accord. Don’t be angry that I influenced her, I couldn’t help it.”
Jaax narrowed his eyes, taking in every inch of this woman he did not trust. She seemed sincere, but she was leaving something out, something that was important. It didn’t take Jaax long to realize what it was.
“You knew she would show up here in Oescienne someday, didn’t you?” he almost whispered. “That is why you came to this particular province, not just to hide out, but because Hroombra was already here. Somehow, you discovered that he was in Oescienne, and that made your decision easy, didn’t it?”
Denaeh said nothing; she only stood still as stone, her flame-red hair the only thing moving in the damp breeze.
“You knew that if the human child was ever found that Hroombra would be directly involved with it. So you came here, and waited. Waited until you knew the child was present, only to lure her into your trap.”
Jaax wrinkled his horned nose in antipathy and curled his lip back into a disgusted snarl. “You can stand there and tell me that Jahrra came to this swamp on her own accord, but I don’t buy it. You drew her to you, the way a burning flame draws an ensorcelled moth.”
Denaeh rubbed her arms as if she were cold and took her time to answer.
“You can draw your own conclusions if you want to,” she finally said, her eyes lowered. “Nothing I say will change your mind. Furthermore, I didn’t “lure” her, as you claim. She came to me like I said, and I told her and taught her what I could while she was here.”
A look of fear flashed across the dragon’s severe face and Denaeh chuckled. “Don’t worry. I only gave her clues, and she hasn’t yet figured out the truth yet. She is convinced that she is Nesnan, and she only knows what you and Hroombramantu have told her about her past. I only hope you tell her soon. Believe me, time is growing short.”
Denaeh crossed her arms and turned to look deep into the forest.
Jaax let go of an exasperated laugh. “Don’t be so ridiculous. There has been no activity in the east in years. I have been scouting the provinces since I brought Jahrra here nearly two decades ago. The most activity I’ve detected is a few stray troops roaming the borders in search of a way to get into Oescienne, and they have already been taken care of. If anything was amiss or suspect, I would have noticed it.”
“Then you haven’t been paying attention!” Denaeh swung around and shot a fiery gaze at him. She let her eyes smolder for a few moments and then shut them, allowing her anger to subside. She put her hands to her temples and began to massage away the pain that had suddenly erupted there.
After a few moments she returned her wearied gaze to Jaax, her voice a worn and desperate plea. “We cannot deny that the signs are more prevalent now, even though you wish them not to be so. Jahrra needs to know the truth Jaax, she deserves to know. Her part in this may be starting sooner than you have anticipated!”
Jaax exhaled a frustrated cloud of hot smoke. Here he was, sitting in the middle of a swamp trying to reason with a crazy woman while Hroombra sat sulking in the Ruin and Jahrra was out somewhere fuming about her unfortunate situation. The last thing he needed was some old coot playing mind games with him.
“I’m not trying to play mind games with you, Raejaaxorix, but I would like to discuss something with you that you refuse to see.”
Denaeh had read his mind, just as she had read Jahrra’s so many times before, and now, Jaax feared, she was about to unleash the same lecture Hroombra had given him only a few hours before.
“Hear me out for once,” she said, holding her hands up in a gesture of peace. “I wish to help you with the child, Jaax, not turn her against you. You wish to convince Jahrra to leave her home, to remove her from my influence, to see her someday fulfill her role in the prophecy you hate to discuss. I understand that the prophecy brings up hard issues, so I won’t discuss that with you now, but I will discuss Jahrra.”