Rising From the Ashes: The Chronicles of Caymin (29 page)

Caymin pulled Cíana down to sit under the shelter of a rowan tree where the ground was clear of snow. “Because Péist is a dragon cub. At least, Enat believes he is. And Timmin wanted him. Wanted to control him and use him to drive the invaders and the believers of the Christ from our land.”

Cíana’s mouth fell open and she said nothing for several heartbeats. “A dragon cub. You’re sure?”

“I am not. But Enat thinks he is. The invader we caught had a dragon on the brooch holding his cloak and he said something about dragons in his speech. After the invaders were gone, Timmin asked me many questions, and then one day, took me to the circle of stones and made me call Péist. He tried to take Péist away, but his magic rebounded.”

Cíana gasped. “Like the day Enat fought Ivar to make you protect her.”

Caymin nodded. “I did not mean to, but my power rose to protect Péist, and Timmin was thrown back. Enat and Neela came then and made him leave the forest.”

“But what has this to do with the badgers?”

“Enat thought Timmin might try to find them and use them to force me to do as he wishes. She sent Beanna to them first, asking them to come to the forest for protection.”

Cíana’s mouth fell open again. “This is why they’re here?”

Caymin nodded.

“And was he after them?”

“It seems he was.”

Cíana sat there, absorbing all of this. “Timmin must be desperate, if he would go to such lengths to get Péist.”

“And Enat is worried that the protections around the forest may not be enough to keep him out.”

“The forest and the elders are powerful.”

Caymin’s expression darkened. “So is Timmin.”

The cold softened and the snow melted, carrying a hint of spring on the air.

“We celebrate Imbolc next moon,” said Enat one evening as she and Caymin sat near the hearth. Enat paused her writing in the book she kept, her book of days, she called it. “It will be one year since I came to you and we started our journey here.”

Caymin looked up from the arrow she was fletching. “You are right. I had not realized.”

“How would you like to celebrate?”

Caymin tilted her head. “I do not understand.”

“To mark the date. Humans often celebrate dates or occasions that are meaningful to them. I think ’twas very meaningful, the day I found you. I’d like to celebrate.”

Caymin bent her head back over her arrow shaft, tightly pulling the thread she was using to bind crow feathers Beanna had brought her. “Everyone will celebrate Imbolc, will they not?”

“Aye, they will. But we can do something additional.”

“Perhaps you and I could share a meal with the badgers?”

Enat smiled. “I think that is an excellent way to celebrate, since my coming took you away from them.”

Caymin’s stomach growled.

“You spoke of food,” Enat said with a chuckle. “What would you like to eat?”

“Porridge?” Caymin looked up hopefully.

“Porridge it is.”

“I will make it.”

Caymin set aside her arrow. Just as she poured the ground grain into two bowls, her head snapped up.

“What is it?” Enat asked.

“Péist! He is in trouble.”

Enat grabbed her staff and followed Caymin into the dark forest as she ran unerringly in the direction from which Péist continued to cry out.

“This way!”

Caymin scrambled over boulders and crawled under fallen trees, leaving Enat to follow. On and on she ran, following the sound of his cries in her head. She came to a small clearing, and even in the dim light from the quarter-moon, she could see that there had been a disturbance. Broken branches were scattered about, and the leaves and dirt on the forest floor had been dug and tossed over what remained of the snow. She knelt down and sniffed. Blood.

Caymin stopped to listen. She thought she heard running footsteps, but a moment later, Enat appeared and ran up behind her.

“What is it?” Enat gasped.

“I am not sure yet.” Caymin pointed. “A fight? Someone was injured.”

She and Enat paused, listening.

“Péist?”
She called out, trying to hear him, but all was quiet now.

She closed her eyes, reaching out and felt… not Péist’s thoughts as she had. It was different. “This way.” She crept toward an outcropping of rock and dropped to her hands and knees. “I think he is in here.”

She had to get on her belly to wriggle into the opening under the rocks. The pitch black of the crevice suddenly glowed with a faint light. She gathered her power, ready to throw a defensive spell if needed, but the light continued to pulse. Cautiously, she crawled forward and saw an orb, about the size of her head. It glowed with a white luminescence, waxing and waning from inside, as if some creature breathed within. She reached out and was surprised to feel that it was warm. She rolled it to her and gathered it in one arm as she wriggled her way back out of the crevice to where Enat waited.

“What is that?” Enat laid a hand on the object.

Caymin looked at her, her face illuminated by the light coming from the orb. “It is Péist.”

CHAPTER 19

The Dragon Egg

E
nat asked no more questions until they were well away from the clearing. Caymin carried the orb under her tunic to hide its light. She kept glancing behind them, fearful whoever had fought with Péist might be following them, but all was still.

They came to a dense thicket of blackthorn, a few white flowers already blooming. Enat whispered and the branches parted. They crawled under the hedge and Enat closed the wall of thorns around them again. She took the additional precaution of setting an enchantment to keep them from being overheard.

“You’re sure this is Péist?”

Caymin nodded, setting the heavy object on her lap. “He is not communicating as he did before, but I can feel… things. He is injured, but healing. Whatever or whoever he fought with hurt him.”

She looked up. “Did they, whoever they were, do this to him?”

Enat didn’t answer immediately. She picked up the orb and held it, pulsing in her hands, its light illuminating their thorny enclosure. “I think not,” she said at last. “I think Péist did this to himself.” She looked at Caymin. “Dragon lore tells us that dragons hatch from eggs, and that’s why no one recognized Péist for what he is. No one in our lifetime has ever seen a dragon egg. It may be that the worm-like Péist we have known is a stage dragons go through, much like a caterpillar. If so, then this is not truly an egg, but more a
khrusallis
.”

“What is that?”

“Certain creatures encase themselves in a protective shell as they grow, in order to transform themselves,” said Enat. “When they’re ready, they emerge as something very different from what they were. Many winged creatures, not birds, but other winged creatures, such as butterflies, do this.”

“You mean, when he hatches from this, this
khrusallis
, he will be a dragon?”

Enat shrugged. “I can’t know for certain, but I believe so.”

Caymin stared at the glowing sphere in Enat’s hands. “How long will this last? When will he hatch?”

“I’ve no way of knowing. The tales tell of eggs being carried from place to place for many, many winters without hatching.”

“How many?”

Enat shook her head. “I simply don’t know, Caymin. Those tales are only that, stories. But one thing I know is that in those stories, none of those dragons had already bonded with a human.”

The expression of wonder on Enat’s face sobered as she handed the egg back to Caymin.

“The tales also tell of wars being fought over dragon eggs,” Enat added.

“Then he is still not safe in this form.”

“No, he is not.”

Caymin hugged the sphere to her, feeling its warmth, feeling Péist inside. “What can we do to keep him safe?”

Enat thought for long heartbeats before saying, “This goes against everything we believe here, but I think we must keep this secret from everyone. Even Neela and Ivar. And you should not tell any of the apprentices.”

“Cíana knows,” Caymin said. “She heard Broc ask about Timmin, and she asked what she was speaking of. I know you told me to tell no one, but she asked and I did not know what to say.”

“Tell no one else,” Enat said firmly. “I know you don’t know how to lie, Caymin, but this is very important. We cannot let anyone know that Péist is now an egg. He will become a target for any who want to steal him. We must both lie and tell any who ask that he has left the forest. Can you do this?”

“To keep Péist safe, yes.” Caymin ran a hand over the smooth warmth of the
khrusallis.
“But where can we keep him?”

“Let’s take him to the badgers.” Enat nodded. “They’ll protect him as they once protected you. Only a fool would take on an angry badger.”

Caymin breathed a sigh of relief. “They will take care of him.”

When Caymin joined the other apprentices the next day, she watched them to see if any showed signs of having been in a fight. To her dismay, both Gai and Niall had cuts and bruises.

“Boys,” Una said with a shake of her head. “They were practicing sparring with staffs and didn’t enchant them for protection.”

“Why?”

“Because they wanted to see who was the better fighter, they said.” She laughed, but Caymin did not.

Tucked deep in the sett, covered by a mound of dirt, leaves and moss, was Péist’s egg. She couldn’t hear him as she had before, but she felt him, like a heartbeat, low and steady, and it reassured her.

Diarmit limped into the meetinghouse.

“What happened to you?” Cíana asked him as he dropped onto the bench.

“He tripped in the dark, going to the latrine,” Gai said, laughing.

Diarmit’s cheeks reddened, but he chuckled along as he reached for an oatcake.

Caymin stared morosely at the table, her chin resting on her fist. Péist was in danger from someone here, or from some unknown person hiding in the forest. Lessons on making potions or learning to float feathers did not seem very important at the moment.

Ivar came in and the others all grew quiet. Caymin didn’t bother to look up.

“Today, we are going to have you practice attacking and blocking one another,” said Ivar. Caymin felt the boys shift eagerly. “Not with weapons, but with magic.” At these words, she sat up.

Ivar moved around to better face them. “We have taught you how to use your power to move things, to call the elements, to heal. But sometimes, it is necessary to use magic to fight, to defend.”

“Like Timmin did when the invaders came?” Daina said.

Cíana caught Caymin’s eye. Caymin quickly looked down.

“Una and Niall have done this before,” said Ivar. “They will show you, and then we will work with you as you practice.”

They all went outside and watched as Niall and Una faced each other.

Niall smirked. “Ready?”

In answer, Una threw both hands in his direction as if she was hurling a stone at him. Caymin saw nothing, but felt the strength of her spell as it caught Niall squarely in the chest, throwing him onto his back.

Una put her hands on her hips. “You weren’t.”

She reached a hand out and pulled him to his feet. “Again?”

They faced off and, this time, Niall was prepared. When Una threw her spell at him, he blocked it. Caymin could feel the reverberation as it rebounded.