CHAPTER 5
✧
Erif finished his letter to Tama. The knowledge he would see her again made this long wait bearable. He closed his eyes for a moment and saw her smile and her golden hair. He smiled and shed a single tear.
The boat would arrive sunrise next, as it did once every moon cycle. The guardian would verify that Erif was still alive. Perhaps this time he wouldn’t look so disappointed to find Erif healthy. The guardian would then hand over some bread, dried vegetables and perhaps some ointments in case Erif was injured. The Provincial Overseers were apparently at least pretending they wanted Erif to survive during his exile on this island. Erif was on his own for the rest of his needs.
But most valuable of all, the guardian would deliver Tama’s latest letters. These would inspire Erif to keep hope alive one more moon cycle. Erif hoped his letters would do the same for Tama.
“She does love you sincerely,” said a deep voice.
Erif jumped at the sound.
“Zul, do you always have to sneak up on me like that?”
“I did not sneak,” said Zul, “spirits are merely quiet by nature.”
Erif laughed and folded his letter. He put his seal on the letter and placed it in a wooden box he had made. He sat back and looked up at Zul, who now stood over him. The spirit’s tattered robe fluttered in the light breeze.
“Tama and I have been apart a long time, Zul. And there are more seasons to go. Will our love hold out all this time?”
Zul put a hand on Erif’s shoulder.
“This is one area I do intervene in,” Zul said. “I do all I can to keep the love between you and Tama strong.”
“You can do that?”
“In your cases, it is not much work. Few people have such passion for each other as you and Tama.”
Erif smiled at the thought. He reached for a long, leather-wrapped object and unwrapped it. He held a gleaming sword up to Zul. It was two thirds as long as a man was tall. Its two edges had been ground over and over until razor sharp.
“You have done well,” said Zul, “after all your practice it is still sharp.”
Erif stood up and smiled. He began to walk towards the beach, where he had been practicing recently. The spirit did not follow.
“You are to train in the rocks up on the hill,” Zul said.
Erif paused and looked back at Zul.
“Why?” asked Erif, “That is such a long walk.”
“Rail does not live on a beach,” said Zul.
“Ah,” said Erif, understanding.
“You need to get used to the unstable footing of rocky terrain.”
“A challenge,” said Erif, “sounds fun.”
Zul smiled back.
Erif began up the trail that led to the hills. Zul followed at his side.
“Do you have any idea how much you’ve changed?” Zul asked.
Erif blushed a little, and then picked up his pace.
✧
Raef sat outside his house after mid sun meal, trying to sharpen the family carving knife against a stone he had found. He would soon celebrate his seventh season and he wanted to impress his father. He had been working a long time without much result. Folor came out to see what he was doing.
“I’m sharpening the knife, Father!” Raef said.
“Well, you won’t get far with that rock, son. Here, I’ll use the whet stone on it. That will make short work of it.”
Folor took the knife from Raef and walked into the house.
“Can I help?” Raef asked, starting to follow.
“It will be faster if I do it.”
Folor disappeared into the house. Raef slumped to the ground outside the door.
“Ho, Raef!” someone called.
Raef looked up to see DeAlsím walking along the road toward Raef’s hut. Raef stood and walked to the road to meet DeAlsím. Raef’s mother stepped out of the house.
“DeAlsím,” said Malta, “what a surprise! What brings you here?”
“My master released me after mid sun meal, so I came to visit Raef.”
“Well, that is very thoughtful of you, DeAlsím,” Malta said, “Raef has had a hard time with friends lately.”
“Mother!”
His mother smiled down at him.
“Raef, go along with DeAlsím. Irah and I are off to distribute alms. We may also stop by the Healing Lodge. I hear Prime Keeper Bremen is ill.”
Irah emerged from the house with her alms basket and started down the road with Raef’s mother. DeAlsím waited until they were out of sight then motioned Raef to follow. DeAlsím led them out behind the house and into the forest. The sound of a whet stone scraping against an iron blade came from the house where Folor was working. Raef followed DeAlsím silently into the trees. He was pretty sure he knew where DeAlsím was taking him. Raef felt his stomach flutter, but he did not turn back. DeAlsím seemed very excited, though he said nothing.
DeAlsím walked straight for the deep forest. Before long they passed the large tree marking the old boundary of Raef’s roaming range. DeAlsím seemed to know the area well, and they soon came upon the overgrown path that led down into the ravine. Raef felt his stomach quiver more forcefully as they followed the faint path downward. The air felt cool and damp on his face. Once they were on the ravine floor DeAlsím rushed ahead and burst into the hidden clearing. Raef followed but entered the clearing more cautiously. The dragon was there, sitting up and blocking much of the sunlight. DeAlsím walked right up to the dragon’s chest, then turned to face Raef. The dragon’s head loomed over the greenling.
“Raef, meet Rail!”
Raef stood nervously, keeping to the opposite edge of the clearing. Rail was enormous. Its mouth could easily engulf an adult whole. The dragon lowered its immense head to the ground, its sickly pink mouth drooping open to expose its fangs.
“Can it really talk?” Raef asked DeAlsím.
“Of course, brave one,” said Rail.
The dragon’s voiced was impossibly deep, vibrating the air itself, though it was speaking quietly. Raef felt a shiver go up his spine.
“But I only speak to those who are worthy,” the resonating voice continued.
Raef shivered. DeAlsím stepped back to Rail and reached a hand up on the side of the dragon’s neck.
“Come over and touch it,” said DeAlsím.
Raef’s stomach sank. Rail seemed really ugly to him. Its sides looked oily, even slimy. Those long dragon hairs hanging down in its eyes and all down its neck and spine were scary, not comforting. And its open mouth drooled and looked kind of rotten inside. But DeAlsím was running a hand over the scales and smiling. Reluctantly, Raef walked slowly across the grassy clearing, staying clear of Rail’s great mouth and walking up to its side. Up close, the scales were more frightening. Each scale was a great, platter-sized thing that heaved with the dragon’s breathing. DeAlsím walked over to Raef, took his wrist and pressed Raef’s hand onto a scale. To Raef’s surprise, it was not wet or oily at all. It was cool and very smooth, nearly like glass. The light reflecting off the polished surface only made it look wet and oily. Raef smiled weakly in relief. But he was still frightened to be so close, actually touching the dragon. The dragon curled its neck so that its head came nearer.
“See,” Rail said, “I will not hurt you at all.”
Raef wrinkled his nose. Rail’s breath was foul. It had a rotten-sweet smell to it. DeAlsím smiled and seemed not to notice.
DeAlsím let go of Raef’s wrist and ran to the center of the clearing, stopped, then ran up to one of the dragon’s claws. The dragon began to lift the huge claw, but DeAlsím ran away, laughing. He did this over and over, getting close, but not touching the dragon. Rail occasionally extended a claw towards DeAlsím, but never quite touched him. Raef found it a little strange that DeAlsím, who was a greenling, was playing a game that Raef thought was for smaller ones than even he. Raef stood next to Rail’s side and watched DeAlsím and the talons.
Raef sensed something over him so he
looked up to find the dragon’s great head bent over him. Its eyes were fixed on Raef. Raef felt his stomach grow cold but slowly relaxed as he studied the beast’s face. In those green, catlike eyes, Raef did not see malice. There was no mocking, or anger in its gaze. This great beast that could crush any full grown man looked down on Raef and…it seemed to smile, if dragons can smile.
Raef’s fear subsided a little. He could still hear DeAlsím laughing and playing silly games, but the dragon only looked at Raef. Raef slowly reached out his hand toward one of Rail’s dark scales. His hand looked so small next to the glimmering plate. Raef carefully placed his palm against it. The dragon quivered at his touch. Raef held his palm against the scale and looked up. The dragon seemed to smile down on him. Raef smiled too.
Tired of standing, Raef removed his hand and sat on the grass next to Rail. He felt the dragon move so its side pressed gently against Raef’s back. DeAlsím finally collapsed in the grass. Rail moved its long neck over the greenling and bent over to nuzzle DeAlsím’s head with its huge snout. DeAlsím smiled up at the beast. Then Rail slowly curled its neck back over Raef, lowering its head down over him. Raef tensed, but kept still. He felt warm breath wash over him and then something touched his head. Rails snout was very soft, not like its hard scales. When the dragon sniffed, Raef’s hair was pulled up against the dragon’s snout. The dragon’s breath didn’t seem quite so bad now, Raef was more used to it. Raef looked up and smiled at Rail as it continued to nuzzle his head.
✧
Erif slapped the water with his sword. The ripples drove the image of the youngling and dragon away.
“You see!” Erif said, “it is too late for him now!”
“Not if he doesn’t want it to be,” said Zul.
“That is a lie!”
Erif stood up and paced back and forth, swatting the air with the long sword.
“I hate coming up here and watching this,” Erif said. “Why do you make me do it?”
“To remind you why you are training. To give you reason to survive out here.”
“Tama is the only reason I need to endure this place.”
“You know very well what I mean,” said Zul. “This has to be personal.”
Erif stopped pacing, poked the tip of his sword into the sand and leaned on it. He was tired from his training. Why did Zul have to wait until he had so little strength left to show him these depressing visions?
“Are you ready to see more?” Zul asked.
“No.”
There was no response from Zul. When Erif looked up, the spirit was gone. Erif exhaled slowly, then looked back at the water. The image was gone, but Erif knew Raef was still there. And the dragon had the youngling right where it wanted him.
✧
PART II - SECRETS