“Jahrra, the lessons you’ll be receiving and those who’ll be training you must be kept a secret. You cannot tell anyone about them. And in case you’re thinking of telling the whole world just to upset me, remember that this request comes from Hroombra as well. Luckily your mailman friend wasn’t overly curious, but in case we see anyone else they’ll receive the same explanation I gave him.”
Jahrra risked another look at him, but when she saw more than just sternness and no trace of smugness in his gaze, she quickly focused her attention on the road straight ahead and nodded in subtle obedience. Had that been fear she saw behind Jaax’s stony green eyes? Fear or not, Jahrra could see that this issue was very important to the dragon. As much as she disliked him, however, she felt that on this matter it would be best to do as she was told, no questions asked.
Jahrra cleared her throat as they came to the bottom of the hill and said, more to disrupt the awkward silence than anything else, “So these lessons are going to be like my Kruelt lessons? Top secret?”
Jaax didn’t answer for a while so Jahrra shot him a sideways glance. He was smiling, though his eyes were trained keenly on the path ahead.
“So,” he drawled, “Hroombra has finally started teaching you the language of the dragons.”
Jahrra nodded. “Do you speak it?”
“Tehna.”
Jahrra’s heart skidded to a halt. She knew tehna meant yes, but she was suddenly terrified Jaax was about to start speaking to her in Draggish.
As if reading her thoughts, the dragon said “Shall we continue the conversation in Kruelt?”
“No,” Jahrra said too quickly.
She immediately flushed. Now she was going to have to tell Jaax just how much of a challenge the language was for her. One more point against me, she thought miserably.
She was surprised when he answered, “Very well, another day perhaps.”
Jahrra had been so absorbed in their conversation that she was surprised to look up and see a crossroads ahead marked by a crude sign. The arrow that pointed eastward read Aldehr Lake & Edyadth and the one that pointed northward read Raenyan Wilders & Glordienn. She remembered taking the eastern road when she and her friends went to Aldehr Lake once, but Jaax motioned her to lead Phrym down the northern road this time.
“I thought we were going into Aldehren,” she commented, her voice overtaking the soft plodding of dragon’s feet and horse’s hooves and the delicate swish of Phrym’s tail.
Jaax waited a long while before answering, “We’re not going into the city but to the home of two elves, Viornen and his wife, Yaraa. They’re old friends of mine and just happen to be excellent trainers in the arts of combat. They can teach you basic defense and attack maneuvers, fine tune your horsemanship and perfect your archery.”
Then his grim mouth tweaked into a tiny grin. “Not to mention, they’re the only people in this province that I can trust with this task.”
Jahrra blinked at him and secretly wondered if Jaax truly trusted anyone. But elves! she thought with a thrill.
The path they now followed ran snuggly along the base of a range of steep hillocks. Jahrra looked around warily and frowned, despite the bright sunshine warming her skin. The trees along the dreary road appeared to be sick with a cold and the empty wood and its depressed surroundings would surely turn away any traveler that happened by; except for one girl and the dragon following her of course.
Well, this path sure goes well with Jaax’s personality. My new trainer is probably just as bad as he is. Jahrra thought with a sigh, forgetting the wondrous images of magical elves she had envisioned earlier. She tried with all her might to make light of the situation, but she simply couldn’t find anything pleasant to look at, even the occasional lizard or bird was dull and comatose.
They continued down the trail for another half hour or so and gradually the intermittent oaks became so crowded that any light making its way through the thick canopy was stopped before it could reach the ground. These trees, Jahrra noticed, looked less depressed than the others, but she was convinced it was only her imagination. A few more turns around the dusty lane proved her wrong, however, when they came upon a bright cottage tucked back into a secluded gully.
Jahrra gaped in surprise, astounded at the contrast the cheery white house made against its boring surroundings. It was a single storied place, constructed of stone and topped with a red wood pole roof. There was smoke of a peculiar purplish color rising out of the tall chimney, and the front door, a rich blue in color, was open to a stone path that led out onto the road.
Window boxes, painted to match the door, overflowed with flowers, and a trail of herbs, vegetables and wildflowers complimented the white fence surrounding the entire place. Glittering sunlight, looking like beams of golden magic, spilled through a great gap in the leaves of the tall oaks, giving Jahrra the impression of a fairy cottage she’d once seen illustrated in one of Hroombra’s books.
“I’ll approach first,” Jaax spoke, jolting Jahrra from her quiet survey. “Yaraa and Viornen know me, and they’re wary about strangers.” He turned to gaze down at her. “That’s why they live so far away from town.”
Jahrra nodded numbly and watched as Jaax casually approached the beautiful little cabin. She finally felt at ease when a man and woman came out of the charming setting and approached the dragon peacefully. They were too far away for Jahrra to get a good look, so she busied herself with soaking up the enchanted scene while she waited. She raked her eyes over their small but impressive garden, picking out the plants she knew. She detected the fragrance of jasmine floating on the air, brushed aside every now and again by the smell of something wonderful cooking inside: a savory blend of roasting poultry and sweet, fresh bread. Her mouth watered against her will and she longed to climb down from Phrym and stretch out her legs, but she feared if she moved it would cause this wonderful place to disappear back into the dreary wood.
Several fat, mottled chickens wandered around in the yard clucking contently and looking for grubs. They were guarded by a watchful, grey-speckled rooster that gave her an accusing glare. A ruddy colored sow and her piglets ran by making quite a racket and kicking up dust off of the dry road. The family of pigs was trailed by a scraggly gray deer hound that seemed to find endless joy in harassing them. Jahrra smiled as the noisy bunch hustled by, completely ignoring the marble-gray semequin and his rider.
Jaax turned his head then to look back in Jahrra’s direction. She saw him and quickly straightened in the saddle. She tried to look attentive, but the dreamy atmosphere made it hard to do so. It was almost as if this small house and its surroundings had been enveloped in some sort of magical bubble. It glowed with enchantment while the trees, hill and road nearby seemed to be sleeping under a cloak of dust and grime.
Jahrra kept her eyes on Jaax, hoping he would signal what she should do next. After several minutes of gazing directly at her without so much as blinking, he gave a single nod, letting her know it was safe to approach. She led Phrym slowly towards the edge of the path where the dragon and the two elves stood. She felt a strange tingling over her skin as she moved closer to the cabin, and she thought she could hear faint singing in the corners of her mind. She shook her head and focused on reaching Jaax, wondering if Phrym was being affected in the same way she was.
Once Jahrra moved closer to the couple, she could see that there was no mistaking them as elves. The man was slight and shorter than most adults she knew, and the woman was just the same. They both had dark green-brown eyes and long, rich brown hair that shone like gold. The man had his hair pulled back neatly into a ponytail and the woman’s was fashioned into a long braid. They both stood attentive with their hands clasped behind their backs, the sharp features of their faces looking rather statuesque. If Jahrra had to guess their ages, she wouldn’t know what to presume. The couple looked younger than middle-aged, but being elves they could be hundreds or even thousands of years old.