The Dragons of Ice and Snow (23 page)

“
You thought I was
dead,” Liliana said flatly. “Yes, not surprising. I felt
your attempt to contact me, my friend. I was on patrol at the time,
as I told you earlier, and could not talk.”

“
I didn't know you
could do that,” he said in wonder.

“
It is part of who I
am. I daresay your friend Clara could do the same, as could other
spell-casters like yourself.”

She settled into her chair
and it creaked under the weight of her armor.

“
So you thought that
I was dead or injured and came riding to the rescue?”

Simon felt a little
embarrassed, but the paladin's smile of appreciation set him at ease.

“
I don't know many
who would do that even for someone close to them, my friend. Thank
you. Now, what is this about a new spell?”

The wizard explained his
theory about dragon weaknesses. All three of the fighters listened
intently, Aiden nodding occasionally from across the room.

“
So you believe that
a dragon's strength is also its weakness?” Malcolm asked when
Simon had finished.

“
It seems so,”
he said. “At least, that's what has happened in my battles
against the primals I've faced.”

“
I keep taking you
at face value, Simon,” Malcolm said, looking a little
embarrassed. “But you have destroyed two of the most powerful
creatures on Earth.” He paused. “Gods, even saying that
out loud sounds incredible. But if you think that you've discovered
the dragons' Achilles heel, I have to believe you.”

Liliana was nodding
slowly.

“
Yes, I tend to
agree. And this new spell is...?”

“
I call it
Blizzard,” Simon said self-consciously. “It's a spell
that summons a storm of intense cold at a specific spot. The white
dragons use deep cold as their main weapon, so it is possible that
using the same sort of magic against them would have some affect on
them.”

The paladin frowned.

“
You don't agree?”
the wizard asked.

“
Oh, I agree. At
least, if your logic is correct, then it should work.”

She stood up again and
began pacing nervously.

“
The problem is that
we won't know if it is effective until you actually face a dragon. So
it's all or nothing. And if it doesn't work...”

“
If it doesn't work,
I'm screwed,” Simon said with a shrug. “Story of my life
basically. But, no risk, no reward.”

“
That's a rather
casual attitude, sir wizard,” Malcolm said with a frown. “No
offense,” he added quickly.

“
None taken. You're
right. But it isn't a casual attitude, my friend. It is the actual
truth. What I've faced,” he looked at the pacing paladin and
added, “what we've all faced, is so outside the realm of our
old reality that we're just staggering from battle to battle, hoping
to survive.”

“
A fair description,
Simon,” Liliana said. “I think that I can help you to
test your new spell. Not today. Too much has happened and I am too
full of grief to think clearly.”

Simon watched her turn
away and his heart went out to her. But what could he say? Some
things went beyond consolation.

She turned and stared at
the wizard.

“
When I have found a
new refuge and moved my belongings there and,” she looked
around and shook her head, “put my friends' memories to rest, I
will keep an eye out for patrolling dragons. If I can find one that
keeps a fairly regular schedule, and some of them are creatures of
habit, I will signal you with the lodestone that you said you made
for me and we can devise a plan of attack. That way, you can test
your spell and I...”

She gripped the hilt of
her sword so tightly that Simon heard her metal glove squeal.

“
I can begin to take
my revenge. For now, I thank you all, but I'd like to be alone.”

Simon reached inside his
coat and pulled out the half of the lodestone that Kronk had found
for him. He handed it to the paladin and she accepted it with the
ghost of a smile.

Then he stood up and
Aiden, with a last glance down the hallway, walked back to stand next
to Malcolm.

“
Are you sure you
wouldn't like to come back to Nottinghill with us?” the big man
asked her. “You could rest, heal up, perhaps meet some new
people.”

Liliana shrugged
irritably.

“
I have no need to
rest or heal, warrior. I am a paladin. And as for meeting new people?
Thank you but no. I'm not feeling very sociable right now.”

She stepped forward and
shook hands all around.

“
Thank you for
coming. I do appreciate your concern, truly. Forgive me if I seem
rude but...”

“
No need for
forgiveness, lady,” Aiden spoke up. “We understand. If
you need us, Malcolm and I, in the future, you have only to ask.”

“
Thank you both.
Simon, I'll be in touch.”

“
I'll be looking
forward to it, Liliana. Be careful. You're alone now and that makes
you more vulnerable than you were before.”

“
Does it?” She
smiled grimly. “Woe betide any beast that crosses my path now.
I shall show it no mercy.”

Simon had nothing to say
to that. He gripped his staff firmly and chanted the Gate spell.

“
Grab hold,
gentlemen,” he said to Malcolm and Aiden.

They each put a hand on a
shoulder and Simon smiled one last time at Liliana. Then he invoked
the spell and watched her fade into darkness, a feeling of deep
sadness rolling over him.

The wizard stayed for the
night in Nottinghill. When he and the guardsmen had returned, they
had spent several hours speaking with Clara about what had happened.

The cleric was shocked and
saddened by the news of the attack on Liliana's people but accepted
the paladin's wish to be left alone with her grief.

“
She will have to
sort this out for herself,” she said softly.

They were sitting around
the central fire in the town hall. The fire was burning even though
the day was still warm.

Simon sat alone on a
bench, his coat and staff lying next to him. He was sipping some tea
and staring quietly at the flames. The burning wood smelled sweetly
and he felt exhaustion creeping up on him.

“
That can't be
healthy,” Aiden objected. Both he and Malcolm had gone to the
barracks and removed their armor. Seeing them sitting side by side
wearing plain tunics and leather pants seemed strange to Simon.
Somehow they looked younger and more vulnerable.

“
Alone with thoughts
of your friends being slaughtered? How can that be good for her?”

“
And what would you
have us do?” Clara asked him simply. “We cannot force
ourselves on her if she doesn't want our company, can we?”

“
Of course not.”
Malcolm said, with a look at his partner. “But I agree with
Aiden. Moscow is a ruin. Depressing enough, I'm sure. But now Liliana
is alone there, with dragons and perhaps drakes sniffing around,
searching for her. A grim prospect.”

They fell into a glum
silence, each alone with their own thoughts.

Finally, after Simon had
yawned for the fourth time in a row, Clara stood up and smiled at
him.

“
I think it's time
to call it a day, my friends. Simon, come along. I've got the guest
room all ready for you.”

He wanted to protest that
he should get home, but the wizard was so tired that he simply stood
up and followed her meekly.

“
Good night, guys,”
he said to the guardsmen.

They both wished him a
good sleep and then left the hall.

The next morning, Simon
had a quick breakfast with Clara and then got ready to head home.

“
Let me know when
the paladin contacts you again, would you?” the cleric asked.
“I'm worried about her.”

“
I am too, Clara.
And yes, I'll give you a call when she calls me. Talk to you soon.”

When Simon appeared in
front of his tower, he was greeted by three distinctly different
voices.

“
Master, you're
home! Welcome back!”

“
Where have you
been? You could have at least called to tell us you were still
alive!”

“
I hope my spell
proved useful, sir wizard.”

He rolled his eyes and
turned to look at the open front door. The three elementals were
standing beside each other. Kronk was beaming, Aeris was scowling and
Ana was watching him with polite interest. Simon had to smile.

“
And what are you
grinning at?” Aeris barked. “We, I mean, Kronk was
worried sick. He thought you'd been eaten by a dragon.”

“
No I didn't,”
the little guy said indignantly. “I was sure that master was
perfectly fine. You're the one who was pacing the wall all night,
muttering to himself.”

“
I was not! The
wizard can take care of himself. I barely noticed that he was gone.”

“
Did you get a
chance to cast the Blizzard spell, Simon?” Ana asked, after
giving the other two a puzzled look.

“
No, I'm afraid not.
Stuff happened and I never got a chance. And it's good to see you
again. I hope your visit with Aquamastis went well?”

He climbed the steps as he
spoke and the elementals moved back and then followed him into the
tower.

Simon hung up his coat,
rested the staff near the door and sat down at the kitchen table with
a feeling of relief. It was good to be home.

“
And hello to you
two,” he said to Kronk and Aeris as they settled on to the
table. “I hope there wasn't any fighting while I was gone?”

The air elemental sniffed
loudly.

“
I wouldn't waste my
time,” he said loftily.

“
No master, no
fighting. Aeris was too busy worrying,” Kronk said, shooting
Aeris a sly glance.

“
I was not!
Honestly, Kronk, you're worse than a child.”

“
If I might
interrupt your bickering, boys?” Ana said with amusement.

“
Did she just call
us boys?” Aeris asked Kronk, frowning.

“
I believe she did.
Hmm. I think I like it.”

“
Guys. Guys. Argue
later. First let me tell you what happened. It will also explain why
I wasn't able to cast the Blizzard spell.”

Simon repeated what he had
told Clara the night before almost word for word. As he spoke, he got
up, stoked the fire and hung the kettle over it.

He was sitting, sipping
his tea by the time he was done.

Aeris had forgotten his
irritation halfway through the story. He listened with wonder and,
Simon thought, a touch of sadness when he heard that Liliana had been
left alone in her devastated city.

“
That poor woman,”
he said softly when the wizard was done.

They all looked at him in
surprise and he bristled.

“
What? I do have
feelings, you know.”

“
Um, yeah. Sure,”
Simon said. “Of course you do. Anyway, that's why I didn't use
Blizzard, Ana. The battle was over by the time I arrived.”

“
I understand,”
the water elemental said. She rippled gently as she stood next to
Kronk.

The little earthen had
simply listened in rapt attention when Simon told them about the
events in Moscow. Now the wizard looked at him quizzically.

“
Any thoughts, my
friend?” he asked.

“
Thoughts?”
The deep red eyes became a little brighter. “Just one, master.
What happened to the dragon?”

Simon frowned a bit.

“
What dragon?”

“
The dragon you said
flew overhead a few moments before you saw the paladin returning. You
mentioned it and then said nothing more. What happened to it?”

“
It flew away, I
guess. Hang on. Out of that entire story, the one thing you took away
was the quick appearance of some random dragon?”

It was Kronk's turn to
frown at the wizard.

“
Master, the dragons
are your greatest enemies, are they not?” Simon rested his chin
in his palm and muttered a yes. “And yet, the only time you saw
a dragon during your trip, all you did was watch it fly over your
head. And then you and the warriors with you casually stood there and
waited for the paladin to wander across a large open area with a
dragon somewhere in the neighborhood. Don't you find that a little
odd?”

“
Well, no. Not
really. I mean, we were...”

Simon slowly stopped
speaking and stared at Kronk, not really seeing him.

“
You know, now that
you mention it, that was weird, wasn't it?”

He looked at Aeris, who
was watching him with some confusion.

“
Kronk has a point,”
he said reluctantly. “Your main focus these days, my dear
wizard, is destroying the monsters that almost wiped out your entire
species. And yet, when you saw the only dragon to made an appearance
during your journey, you just let it go. Why?”