"Thank you. What are they?"
The dragon smiled broadly, showing rows of pointed teeth.
"Kiran berries," he said.
24
A Promise Fulfilled
So I hurried back to my friends.
And we hurried back to where we had met the Nain.
Along the way I told them everything that had happened. It felt wonderful to be able to share the story, even the parts that the dragon had originally wanted kept secret, without having to hold anything back. Clemency seemed to have forgiven me, and Ida—well, Ida is Ida. She sat in the corner of the wagon and stared at me, smirking occasionally and making rude comments.
But that's nothing new. I hope she has forgiven me as well.
With Char, it's like nothing ever happened.
All the way to the Nain outpost, Clemency handled the driving, which was good, because the ground between the dragon's lair and the rocky foothills was hard to navigate. Char, Ida and I were occasionally sick. Amariel slept most of the way.
WHEN AT LAST THEY GOT TO THE BURNED OUTPOST, THE NAIN were waiting for them. Garson had seen them coming from a lookout in one of the higher peaks of the foothills. As a result, Tuck was lying on a stretcher, waiting for them.
The Lirin forester was doing much better. True to their word, the Nain had patched him up and bandaged him, though he had been kept in their prison, which had seemed to have no visible impact on him. By the time the children saw him, he only had a sling on his arm and a bandage on his chest.
When Ven told the Nain the story of the dragon's lair, that Scarnag actually was Ganrax, and what his demand for amends was, the Nain were silent for hours. Tuck, Char, Clem, Ida, and Ven sat in the wagon and played cards or mumblety-peg while the Nain discussed what to do. Finally, they returned in the middle of the mumblety-peg championship, announcing they had made a decision. Everyone was happy except Ida, who always won mumblety-peg games and hadn't gotten to her turn yet.
A procession was set up, with Nain guards led by Garson escorting them with great solemnity inside the foothills through a tunnel hidden by many layers of rock slabs. Even Tuck was allowed to come inside, an honor few Lirin had ever experienced.
The tunnels within the hills did not appeal to the Lirin forester and the human children, but to Ven it was like returning home, even though he had never been inside one in his life. Something about the way the stone sang inside the earth, the way it smelled, the colors of the different layers of rock was just beautiful to him. It made him feel happy deep inside, probably back in his blood to a time when Polyphemes still lived underground, before Magnus the Mad decided to go upworld, move to the seashore, and open a factory building ships. It made him giggly, the way his father and brothers got when they were drinking rum.
"Criminey, mate, get over it," Char whispered as they passed a waterfall inside the mountain, running in silver sheets down the rock walls. "You're embarrassin' yourself."
"Sorry," Ven said. "This is just so exciting to me. I wish I could stay longer. I hope I get to come back."
"If you say so," said Char doubtfully.
"Ick," said Ida. "Get me outta here fast—I'm startin' to get hives."
The air inside the mountains got warmer the farther in they went. They saw many more Nain, guards and soldiers mostly, as the network of tunnels grew and expanded to many crossing paths. Garson had to check in with each guard to allow them through every checkpoint. It was starting to look a little like an anthill when suddenly Garson stopped and pointed to an opening on the left.
The children and their forester guide followed him down an immense winding staircase made of stone that led deeper into the dark. Ida was starting to get nervous, so Char took her hand, something that made her go from nervous to agitated. Tempers were getting pretty grim until they finally saw a light at the base of the stairs.
They descended the staircase one at a time. Once they got to the bottom they were led along a final tunnel, where the light grew brighter and brighter, and the air got warmer and warmer. They could hear the sound of rushing water in the distance, and it grew louder as they approached.
Finally, when the light and the heat and the sound were at their most intense, Garson led them through one last opening.
There, in an elevated chamber, was a huge nest of Black Ivory.
In it was an oval gemstone that looked like an opal, pearly and colorful and smooth. It glowed in many colors, casting a glorious light around its hidden nursery, causing the walls to shine softly. The moment he laid eyes on it, Ven knew why the Nain had taken it.
Anybody would have.
Or any Nain at least.
There was just something about it that made you want to protect it, to keep it warm, to help it be born. I can't explain it any better than that.
Rushing below the elevated chamber was a river of molten gold. All the light and the heat and the sound they'd been hearing
and feeling was coming from the river. Ven's skin pricked at the sight of it.
The liquid gold danced like water. It looked just the way iron looked in the forges of the Polypheme factory. It made Ven laugh, knowing if he had described it to his brothers, they would have thought that he had had one too many turns at the forge.
Solemnly and with great awe, the Nain wrapped the egg carefully, leaving it in the Black Ivory nest, and carried it all the way back through the tunnels to the wagon, where they secured it and wrapped it with pots of molten gold to keep it warm on the journey. While the companions had been gone, a crew of Nain craftsmen had been refitting the wagon and its wheels so that it was no longer rickety or unstable but as smooth and solid a machine as anyone could have asked for.
Nain are good at this kind of thing—it's our specialty.
Ven and the others thanked the Nain and said goodbye. Before they left, Garson asked Ven if he could come back someday and take him, and perhaps a few other Nain, to meet the dragon, to see his library, and start learning their history again.
Ven thought about Madame Sharra's reading. "I'd be happy to, if the sands of Time don't run out on me first," he said. The older Nain laughed, not having any idea how serious he was.
The ride back to the Enchanted Forest was vastly easier than our first journey had been. The wagon rode beautifully, I had made amends with my friends, and we were in the presence of this magical egg that just felt good to be around. We didn't talk much, because it was a little like having a sleeping baby in the wagon with us. I was grateful for the silence, because it gave me time to think.
And because we didn't have to discuss Amariel yet, even though I knew that was coming.
Because the moon was almost full.
And soon it would be waning again.
25
One Delivery Down,
Two More to Go
BY THE TIME THEY WERE IN SIGHT OF THE ENCHANTED FOREST, word of their arrival had undoubtedly reached the king, because an entire contingent of Lirin soldiers, an honor guard, and Alvarran himself were awaiting them.
The face of the Lirindarc king was still solemn, his expression still intimidating, but there was surprise in his expression that even he could not hide. He stood with the same group of soldiers who had originally accompanied him with one added, a beautiful young woman with light eyes, fair skin and long dark hair. She wore trousers and a doublet, like the soldiers, but with different insignia, and she stood behind the king, smiling, holding a square wooden box with an intricate inlay on the top and around the edges.
The Lirindarc king was clearly struggling to contain his amazement when the wagon rolled up in front of him. Ven hopped down and walked up to him. He stopped, then bowed politely.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," he said cheerfully.
"Stop being so smiley," Alvarran replied. "It's disturbing on a Nain."
"I'm sorry—I can't help it," Ven said. "I've brought the egg—"
"So I see. How did you get it?"
Ven shrugged. "The Nain wish to make amends," he said. "They don'
t feel they stole it—they found it, and have been taking excellent care of it all this time, as you can see. They wish you, and the dragon's mother, peace."
Alvarran stood in stony silence for a moment. Then, abruptly, he turned to the young woman and waved her forward. She came, moving quickly and gracefully, stopping by his side.
"Here is my end of the bargain," the Lirindarc king said. The young woman handed him the box, which he in turn handed to Ven. "Give this to King Vandemere—with my, er—blessing."
"I will," said Ven. "Thank you very much, sire." He winced at the word, remembering Vandemere's promise as well. "By the way, you're right—the burning on the border of your realm was not done by a dragon, but it wasn't the Nain preparing for an attack, either."
"No?" said the king. "Then what was it?"
"Human farmers have taken possession of the lands formerly tended by the Gwadd," Ven said. "They are burning the scrub and the grass to expand their plantings. The sparks from their grass fires carry a long way on the wind."
"Idiots," muttered the king. "Agrarians, dirt pushers. Even I, a hunter-gatherer, know better than that. I guess I shall have to pay them a visit to discuss appropriate land management techniques and neighborly courtesy."
Ven smiled at the thought. "So if you didn't know it was farmers, how did you know it wasn't a dragon?"
Alvarran's mouth tightened.
"She told me," he said, nodding to the egg in the cart.
"Who?"
"The dragon."
At first Ven had no idea what he meant. Then he remembered the story Scarnag had told him of the Five World Trees, and the dragon Marisynos, who protected the one in the Enchanted Forest. He thought about how sad she must have been, and what a terrible choice it must have been to give up searching for her egg because to do so would mean abandoning the Tree.
"Well, I am glad everything is working out for the best," he said finally. "And now, if you will excuse us, sire, we will be on our way."
Alvarran exhaled. "Would you—would you like to see her, before you go?" The words came out with so much effort that Ven almost expected to see blood dripping from the Lirindarc king's mouth.
"Her, sire?"
"Sagia—the World Tree. Would you like to see her? She is the great wonder of the world. And you can meet—Marisynos—if you wish. I'm sure she'd like to—thank you." The words now looked like they were causing him pain.
Ven considered. "How far away is it?"
"A week's journey into the Enchanted Forest," said the Lirindarc king. "For us, at least. Perhaps two for you, since you are not used to forest travel."
"Thank you," Ven said. His disappointment was fighting with his ability to get the words out, so he used the same ones that he and Amariel had exchanged a million times. "I want to, but I can't today. One day, maybe. Goodbye."
Alvarran looked thunderstruck. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you again."
Ven bowed and walked away as quickly as he could, leaving the Lirindarc monarch shocked into speechlessness.
26
Making Amends
I CAN'T BELIEVE MY EARS," CHAR SAID AS VEN CLIMBED INTO the wagon beside him. "Did I just hear you turn down an invitation from the bloody Lirin king to see what is prolly the greatest wonder of the world, and meet a dragon that owes you for returnin' her long-lost egg?"
Ven nodded to Tuck. The Lirin forester just smiled and clicked to the horses.
"That's right," he said to Char as the wagon began to roll.
"You're daft!"
"That's right also."
"I can't believe it, either, Ven," Clemency said. "Your curiosity must be driving you mad right now."
"It is," Ven admitted. "I want to scratch my skin off with my jack-rule, it's itching so much."
"Then why did you pass up the chance?" demanded Char.
"Well, that's something else I have to tell you all. Now that we're underway, I have plenty of time to tell you, and the girls, the whole story."
So as the wagon rolled westward toward the southern bridge across the Great River, Ven told them the story of Amariel from the very beginning.
He explained his shipwreck, how he had been responsible for the explosion that had sunk both the Fire Pirate ship that had attacked them and his father's ship as well. He told them how the merrow had stayed with him, singing him songs and telling stories that kept him awake and alive through that lonely, terrifying time. He told them that she had left her family to follow him to Serendair, and that she had stayed, probably because she was as curious about him as he was about her. He told them that it had been she that towed their boat out of the harbor when they had to find the Floating Island in order to save Ida. He told them everything he could think of about her, how she was easily excited and easily hurt, easily offended and easily willing to help in any situation.
Then he told them how she had finally trusted him enough to give him her cap, how she had grown human legs and her gills had sealed shut. He described the transformation, which made everyone but Ida wince, and how the loss of her cap had made her begin to lose herself.
"So that's why I gave up going to see the Tree and the dragon, something that I would have loved to do," he said, watching the countryside roll by. "I have to get her back to the sea—it's more important than anything right now, even though I don't have her cap. The moon is full, and in a few days it will be waning. I don't know what will happen to her, but I think I should at least start by taking her home." And making a choice about whether or not to use a power that may do more harm than good, he thought, looking at the image on his palm.
"I think you're gettin' really brave, mate," Char said admiringly. "I mean it—you can just walk into a dragon's lair or out of a king's presence. When did that happen?"
"I think when Madame Sharra told me she didn't see my footprints going much farther," Ven answered. "When you stop worrying about dying, you start living more bravely. I've seen so much on this last journey, both good and bad. Mostly I now understand what King Vandemere said when he first told me about his journeys as a kid. The king saw a lot of magic hiding in plain sight, but he said the magic was mostly in the people. Now I understand what he meant. After meeting the Gwadd, and the Lirin, and even the Nain, I know what he means." He smiled at his friends. "But then, I've been seeing it all along, because I've known you."
Clemency sniffed out loud. Ven and Ida turned at the same time to see sentimental tears form in her eyes and spill onto her cheeks.
"Oh, please," groaned Ida as Clemency reached into her pocket for her handkerchief. She unfolded it neatly and raised it to her nose, then suddenly pulled away, a look of surprise on her face.
"What's this?" she asked, her brow furrowed.
She opened the handkerchief wider.
Within its folds was a fragile circle of what looked like red lace, encrusted with tiny white pearls.
Ven's face went slack with delight.
"Her cap! Amariel's cap! You found it!"
"This is it? This is what you were looking for?"
Ven held out his hand, and Clemency put the handkerchief carefully into it.
"This is it!" he said, his voice shaking with joy. "I can't believe you found it!"
Clemency's face was as red as the cap, and she was about to cry. "I can't believe I had it in the first place. I only have one handkerchief, and I haven't had reason to cry or blow my nose, so I didn't even think to look in it. I didn't think a cap would look like this, anyway. I probably wouldn't even have recognized it if I did look."
"Actually, that's my handkerchief," Ven said. "I thought it might have fallen out of the wagon during the fire in the fields. But how did you get it?"
"No," Clem insisted, "it's mine. I picked it up on the wagon floor just after I used it to bandage Char's head when the ravens attacked. I thought the red cap was a blood stain."
"Bleah," said Ida.
"Nope," said Char, pulling a stained handkerchief out of his poc
ket. "I didn't think you wanted this one back. Sorry, Ven. When we were searching our knapsacks and the wagon, I guess we never thought to look on ourselves."
"I feel terrible," Clem whispered, fighting back tears as Ven put the handkerchief back in his pocket with great care and buttoned it. "I don't really have a good reason why I didn't look harder, Ven. I guess—I suppose I was just jealous of all the attention you were paying to Amariel. If I'd known what she was, it never would have bothered me—I'm sure I would have tried to help her feel comfortable in the dry world, too. But I didn't know she was a merrow, I thought she was just a snotty rich girl with a tattered ballgown and a bad attitude. I feel terrible, I really do—and I'm so, so sorry." The tears won the battle and began rolling down her cheeks.
Ven passed her his clean handkerchief, smiling.
"I hope—you—can forgive—me, Ven," Clem went on, hiccupping in between words. "But I understand if you won't."
Ven laughed. "Of course I will, Clem. It was an honest mistake." He looked at Amariel, who was quietly humming to herself. "Once she gets back to her old form, she probably won't, but we'll work on that."
"First we gotta work on gettin' her back," said Char.
"I'm driving straight to the pier once we get to Westland," Tuck said casually from the wagon board. Once again, all the children in the back jumped.
True to his word, the Lirin forester kept the horses in steady canter, choosing the easiest and fastest paths and roadways back to the Great River. Ven used the jack-rule from a distance and saw that the ravens were gone from the northern bridge closest to the Inn, so they crossed there. They stopped long enough to leave the cookies Mrs. Snodgrass had given them for the trolls on the rocky bank, still in their parchment wrapper, and then traveled relentlessly west toward Kingston.
While the others dozed, Ven took Garson's advice and wrote a letter to his family. Rather than it being a goodbye, though, he began to chronicle some of the most important things he had learned in the course of his journey east of the river. He had just begun to explain the most critical realization when the Crossroads Inn came into sight in the distance. Quickly he tucked the letter into the depths of his journal to finish later.