Yspaddaden - Chapter 16

 Tabari, Thorma.

Yosh sat still, staring at the city below him, trying to concentrate on the busy commotion that comprised the awakening place. He focused in on individual people, trying to learn what they were doing, where they were going, why they were out so early in the day. The cool air cascaded over his scales and it sent chills through his large body. Maybe this wasn't the best weather for his practices. But he ignored the cold and went back to observing the town below. He sat on the hill high above them, watching, waiting for his companions to wake. Once they did, their journey would continue and they would enter the city, purchasing supplies for the next part of the trip. He let out a little unused air and again attempted to focus on the city below them. He noticed a woman carrying her small child, and he watched them, following their path. The woman seemed not poor, yet her plain clothes told him she was not altogether wealthy either. She entered a shop that seemed to sell spices and herbs and stayed there for a few minutes, eventually emerging carrying a package alongside her child. Yosh felt sorry for her as she struggled to hold both the baby and the package. Where was this woman's husband, and why was he not out shopping with her? Did she even have one? The woman vanished behind a building and Yosh lost sight of her in the crowd. But then another person caught his attention. A young man, following closely behind a beautiful young female. The man held a bouquet of red flowers, and seemed to be trying to talk to the girl. The man could not see the girls face from behind her, but Yosh noted the sly smile she sported, no doubt enjoying the torment he was getting. The young man seemed agitated, yet determined, as he offered the girl the flowers and seemed to profess himself to her. She turned then, smile gone so as not to encourage him too much, and glanced at the flowers. She finally took them and nodded to the man, telling him something, possibly a place to meet later in the day. Yosh smiled along with the man as the girl walked away, smelling her flowers. The man waited until the girl was out of sight before dancing a bit in the street. Several people noticed his oddity and laughed at him but he seemed not to care. Yosh shared in the young mans triumph. Love was always a nice thing to see, especially in the world today.

His lungs were burning fiercely by this point, but the Dragon knew he could withhold himself a little longer. His concentration shifted from the people below to his body, as he focused inward, noting all the details. His mouth closed, his feet growing pale purple from lack of oxygen, he nonetheless stood stock still, eyes closed now, wishing that he could withstand the pressure. His brain ticked away at the seconds almost unconsciously as he counted upward toward his goal. Only another few moments. Only…

"Yosh?"

The Dragon leapt from his trance, shocked, and gave out a cry of fright, all the air bursting from his lungs. A large flame of fire accompanied the pent up oxygen and his head swung to the side accidentally, brushing the tops of the trees that sat next to him. Thankfully the tops were still coated with frost and they did not catch fire, but the frost did melt rather fast and fell swiftly toward the earth, drenching the girl in cold water. Cara stood stock still in shock as the water that had been ice fell over her, coating her entire body, soaking her to the skin. She breathed out in horror and shivered immediately, cursing nothing in particular. Yosh grimaced at her words and began apologising profusely.

"Oh Cara, forgive me! I had no idea you were even up, you startled me! I am so sorry, it was merely a reaction from the fright. Are you alright?"

Cara could do nothing but nod her head slowly. The only movements she seemed capable of were convulsive shivers, racking her body. Yosh knew all the words that should be said had been, and decided now to act. He swung past her and aimed his head at the fireplace that had burned out in the night and snorted, sending a spurt of flame toward it. It caught the logs that still sat there, untouched, and began to flame up, warming the campsite. Yosh then placed a large clawed hand on Cara's back and gently led her toward the open flame. She shuffled toward it, sitting gently on a log that served as a chair. It took her a full minute to warm up enough to where she could speak without the rattling of her teeth drowning out her words.

"What, w…were you doing, that required so, m…much attention?"

"Again I apologise. I was holding my breath, seeing how long I could go without breathing in."

Cara nodded stoically. She spent another minute regaining her composure as Yosh sat by, still not sure if she was mad at him or not. His fears were stilled when she spoke.

"How long?"

He grinned. Cara, ever the forgiving one.

"I was going on twenty-seven minutes when you startled me. I was hoping to reach a full thirty."

She nodded in acceptance.

"That would have been five m…more minutes than you ever have."

"Yes, and as it is, I still beat my old record by almost three. The concentration methods you gave me were quite helpful.

Cara finally smiled at him as she nodded her approval. By this time Cherise had begun to stir and shivered in her waking. She pulled her blanket quite close and opened only one eye, surveyed the campsite, then closed it and pulled the blanket over her head.

"Curse that merc and his adventure! Couldn't he have waited, and gone searching for this stone in the summertime? Curse this cold too! I don't understand how you two can be out there in it!"

Yosh smiled.

"It is summer in Ynwfn, where Yspaddaden now travels. When we get there, we will be right in the middle of the warm season."

Cara answered her sisters railings.

"And, believe it or not, I'm probably more cold than you are at the moment. Our beloved Dragon tried to kill me this morning with a shock to my bones."

"I did no such thing! It wasn't my intention to attack you so! I already apologised once, do I have to once more?"

Cara stood and headed toward where her sister lay.

"Only if you think you must."

Yosh snorted at her in derision and Cara grinned back at him to show she was only teasing. She shoved her sisters blanket down and placed her feet inside the roll to join her in the warmth.

"Move over, share some of that summertime you got in there."

Cherise screamed as if a knife had been placed forcefully in her belly as Cara's feet brushed up against her bare stomach. Yosh simply watched with mirth as the two girls began fighting over control of the warm blanket.

"I swear to you, if you don't get out of my bag, I will…"

Cara laughed and shoved her sister.

"You'll what? Beat me? We both know who the better fighter is between us. It takes me mere seconds to subdue you in any skill. Your threats hold no fear for me."

Cherise cried out again.

"Oh, your feet are so cold!"

Yosh decided to intervene. He swung his head downward and picked up the bag in his teeth. The two of them were caught up in the middle, swinging high above the ground. They both cried out in shock and stopped squirming so much. Yosh spun around to give them a thrill and then tossed his head, causing the sleeping roll to turn upside down. The two girls fell out roughly to the ground, landing in a tangled pile on the frost covered grass. They rose quickly, stamping their feet on the cold ground, breathing heavily from the fright. Cara recovered quickly and stood there, feet firm, staring at the Dragon. Cherise still bounced around like a flitting faery, rubbing her hands against her bare arms, breathing heavily into the freezing air. Yosh tossed his head once again and threw the roll to the side. He then looked down at his Riders and snorted at them. He did not expel any flame, but the hot smoke that blew forth covered the two of them, heating them both immediately. Cara breathed a sigh of relief and Cherise stopped her antics as the melted frost on the ground rolled away.

"Now that I have your attention, please listen. You both know our mission here in Thorma and I do not have to remind you of the importance of our meeting. Now, you know as well as I how much I enjoy joining the two of you in your games and having fun, but now is not the time for such things. We are going to be meeting with one of the oldest elves this land has ever seen, and I assure you, two young humans dancing about in the cold half dressed would not impress. There is a place for fun and games, but this morning is not that time. It is time for us to become what most people see us automatically as. Dragon and Riders. You know of the prestige those titles carry. That is what we must be today. Now, are we up for it?"

Cara and Cherise, both humbled and emboldened by his words, nodded their acquiescence and understanding. They glanced at each other, and started to laugh at the appearance each beheld. What would others think, if they were to happen upon this campsite and see them now, two twin sisters, clad in almost nothing, scampering around a blazing fire, fighting for a patch of warmth found in a blanket? Their mirth could not be hidden and they both laughed aloud at the situation. Yosh sighed and groaned. He hoped they could become civil long enough to complete their meeting.

Barto

The old elf sat in the middle of his room, hands steady at their task. He dipped the plumage once again into the bottle of ink and brought it low to the parchment, slowly scratching at the surface, forming the words that told the story. The ink sat wet on the parchment, the contrast between the blackness of it and the yellow of the background stark. He could only form but a few words before returning the tip of the feather again to the small vial of ink. The only sounds that could be heard in the room was the scratching of pen on parchment, the crackle of fire in the middle of the room, and the slow, soft breathing of the old man. He sat crossed legged on the mat, a tiny table before him. His long gray hair hung across his back in a tied up tail, a single, almost imperceptible, streak of red running straight down the middle. His ornate, layered clothing was spread out around him, the blue robe hiding his body. His honorary brooch, given to him by the faculty at the University, was pinned regally and proudly upon his breast. His dark eyes flickered in the firelight, focusing strongly on the story before him. He raised his utensil once again, a feather taken from the tail of a phoenix bird. The red and blue and black of the feather seemed to sparkle in the yellow light. He smiled. Appropriate he would use this pen for this story.

He heard the visitors before they ever reached his door. His keen hearing, inherited by his race, told him of them before he saw them. Two people, possibly female. They were walking too loudly to be elves, and their feet fell too far apart to be dwarves. Human girls. They were the only two ascending the staircase, yet he felt something more, something external, and at the same time, completely internal. He could not place the feeling, and he set aside his pen to await their coming. They were just now approaching his door.

The knock came. The old man sat there, hands lying on his knees, eyes staring at the door to his left. There was not a sound. Then, another knock. He smiled at their impatience. Young humans, then. Voices began to bicker silently outside the door and it wasn't until he clapped to invite them in that they fell silent. It took a moment for them to open the door, no doubt composing themselves. There was that feeling again. What was it? It annoyed him that he could not figure it out. He had seen much of the world and knew much. What was this feeling?

The door opened softly and two young, beautiful females entered the room. He could tell right away they were sisters, twins. The similarities were striking. And now he knew exactly what the strange otherfeeling was. The purple streaks in their hair told him all he needed to know. The one leading, short blonde hair, glanced about the room before settling her eyes on him. She grinned and her companion did as well. They closed the door behind them and entered the room, striding confidently to the center, facing him across the fire. He remained in his seating position as they both raised their right hands and laid them over their left breasts in greeting. He nodded to them to sit and they did so, maneuvering so that the flame burned behind them. He did not move as they made themselves comfortable, then the leader spoke.

"Professor Barto? I am Cherise C'Vaneagh, and this is my sister Cara. Thank you for inviting us into your home. We bring greetings from Professor Manikold of the College. He sends his praise."

Barto nodded and smiled at them.

"I would always willingly invite people such as you into my home. This place sees too little of such young, pretty looking girls as yourselves are."

They smiled sheepishly at his veneration.

"Yet you dishonor me. You come here, appearing as two, and I know there are three. Does your companion not wish to meet me as well?"

Cara shook her head emphatically.

"No sir, of course not! We apologise if there is any unintentional insult to you. We are Dragon Riders and our partner awaits outside. The rooms and halls in the buildings in this town are too small to accommodate one such as he. And it is regarded as rude to speak to a stranger in the Dragons mindspeech uninvited. If you wish to open your mind to him, he would be more than willing to introduce himself."

Barto merely nodded his head in compliance and waited. Cara seemed to concentrate, telling the Dragon of Barto's allowance. Then he heard the voice in his head.

"Greetings, Barto of Uisnech. My name is Yosh Purplescales. I apologise. I did not mean to hide my existence from you. It is a very rude intrusion to force oneself to speak such as we are now. The architecture of this place makes it necessary however. I understand if you wish to speak only to my Riders. I assure you, they are quite verbose and skilled in conversation. Sometimes too much so, I'm afraid."

Barto smiled at the Dragons words.

"I understand completely, Dragon. There is no anger on my part. Please, I wish to include you in our conversation. I have heard much of the Triple Pair, and am eager to hear what you wish to talk to me about."

Barto could feel, rather than hear, the laughter of the Dragon in his mind.

"Thank you, Old One. Then simply keep your mind open when you wish to speak to me. I will hear. If there are thoughts you wish for me not to overhear, simply close off your mind to me. I will not anger and will not probe your memories. You have my word."

"The words of a Dragon are true indeed. Now, I'm sure the girls are growing antsy in anticipation."

The laughter could be felt again as Barto again focused on the two females that sat before him.

"Your companion seems very nice indeed."

Cherise nodded her head in answer.

"He is. He has been our best friend ever since he hatched for us. We were very grateful indeed to have been chosen by him."

Barto pushed aside the tiny table before him and stood. He walked silently over to the fireplace and reached for the pot of hot water that hung over it, ready to be used at any moment. He then reached for a set of teacups and started to prepare them for refreshment. As he worked he questioned.

"So please, quell a few rumours for me. You girls are the only set of Riders that have ever been Picked by a Dragon is that correct? Usually there is only one Rider for each Dragon?"

Cara nodded her head.

"Yes, generally that is true. The Kind and the Order were quite astonished when Yosh hatched for us. They debated for a while whether to even include us among their ranks, but the other Dragons quickly dispelled those ideas. It has never been done in the history of the Kind, and we have been the object of much study and scrutiny. By now though, Yosh has thoroughly convinced all that he knew completely that he was Picking two Riders. As my sister has said before, we are very grateful to him. Riding is a bit of a family heritage for us. Our great grandfather was the Rider Derrolf and he could trace his heritage back to Numa, Rider of Jewel, Mother of the Kind."

Barto carried the tray full of hot water, tea leaves and biscuits back to them and placed it in-between the three of them.

"Indeed? Quite a family tree. You must be very proud. Any chance of carrying on the tradition to your descendants?"

He smiled wryly as Cara and Cherise gave each other uncomfortable yet curious looks and Yosh laughed silently in their minds. Cherise shook her head.

"As of now, there are no plans."

Barto poured them some water and placed the leaves in the cups, handing each their own.

"Pardon me, Master Dragon, for not including you in our repast. I have nothing that would constitute more than a mouthful for one such as you."

"Think nothing of it. I spied a flock of cattle when we flew in to the city. I'm sure I shall find likewise on the way out."

Barto turned back to the girls.

"I'm sure the story of your Picking is one full of potential, and I would enjoy hearing it at another time. Perhaps you three can return at some point to relay the tale. I always enjoy hearing the stories come from the people actually involved. They seem to become more embellished that way, and not all weighed down with truth." He chuckled at himself and the twins laughed. "But you did not come seeking me to tell tales. I'm sure you have some other, higher purpose in mind for our meeting." He looked them over now, noticing everything. He noted the dirt on their shoes, the dirt in their hair, the way they held their hot cups, as if the heat would not last long enough. They had traveled many days to reach him, and their purpose was urgent. "Tell me, why is it you seek me alone? I can assure you, there is no skill that I possess that you cannot find else where. I am too old to travel. I am too eccentric to be wise. I can see not how I can be of help. Why do you seek me?"

The one called Cara seemed about to answer, but it was the unseen Dragon that interrupted her and spoke.

"We seek your knowledge."

The girls nodded as Barto looked back and forth at them. Interesting. What did he know that no other would? He had to admit, his years as a historian and teacher at the University had made him quite knowledgeable in many things. But he had never focused on any one area of history. Except perhaps one. And only by accident. Surely that story was not what they sought? He had to hear it from them.

"What is it that you believe me to know, that you cannot find elsewhere? Did you not just fly away from the largest library known to mankind? Was there no documents to help you there? What can an old, wizened, world-weary elf know that others do not?"

Cherise leaned forward and stared at him with her piercing blue eyes. Barto glanced quickly over to her sister and noted those same eyes, staring at him. He looked back to Cherise as she spoke.

"We seek a story. It is told that only you know the full tale. It is not written in any text found at the Library. Will you tell us? Will you tell us about The Desolation of Juke? We have told you our heritage. Tell us yours. Is it true your father was Murra, half brother to Kilnbas, king of the elves?"

Barto's eyes drifted off into dreams, focusing on nothing as he remembered a childhood, long lost in history.

"You truly do not understand how old I am, do you? You seek a story that is older, even, than I. But you also do speak truth of my heritage. My father was alive during that time, and, as I remember it now, he used to tell the story to me as an elva. I've written it down somewhere, though I haven't read it in years." He seemed to practically leap from his seated position in youthful vigor, betraying the old man persona that he had bestowed upon himself. He walked briskly over to a bookshelf that sat against the wall and searched intently for a few seconds, before crying out and picking up a large leather bound volume. He hurried back over to the mini circle and laid the book on the floor in front of him. He traced the gilded letters that made the name on the cover. A History of Dragons and their Riders. By Barto. "I wrote this years ago. No one has ever seen it but myself. I was thinking of updating it and changing the name. If it were ever to become published, I'm not sure if I would enjoy the fame that comes from being a prolific author." He cackled to himself and the girls exchanged curious glances. "You know, you three really must return after your journey. I would very much love to include your story in the next volume."

Cara nodded her compliance.

"I'm sure my companions would agree. We would be honoured."

Barto felt the nod coming from the Dragon and noted Cherise's. He grinned, reaching for the book.

"Good. Then I shall tell you of what I know of Juke, the Traitor, and Popor, the Martyr."

He lifted the cover and it seemed as if he knew the exact spot the story lay, for his fingers went automatically to the appropriate chapter. The words leapt up at him as if old friends. A warm chill swept through his body, and he knew it did not come from the fire. He hesitated, memories flying about in his mind as the scents of old, musty parchments wafted up into his nostrils. And then he began to read.

"Chapter Nineteen. The Desolation of Juke."