********************

  CHAPTER TEN

  *********************

  “Your Grandfather was the traitor?” Lothinar said, emotionally reeling. something about hearing it, however, was beginning to make a little more sense.

  ”Yes, he was,” his mother confirmed again. “And our family paid for it with years of abuse and anger. My father barely spoke of it. He tried to shield my sisters and me from the worst of the repercussions. It didn't work. There is always a price to pay."

  "That's terrible," said Lothinar. I have aunts?"

  "Yes, but I haven't seen them in years. One of them is very likely dead. She tried to emulate my grandfather. She wanted to help the dragons. She went to talk to the emperor. No one has seen her since."

  "The dragons?" Lothinar asked. "The original flying kind?"

  "Yes," Ardwella replied. "Our family knew a few of them."

  "But they've been dead and gone for over five hundred years!" protested Lothinar.

  Elves, he thought, when not killed by accidents of nature or rampaging dragons, tended to live quite a long time. It wasn't unheard of for one to live up to 500 years, but at that age, they were no more than withered skin and bones. His mother was definitely not that. Sitting here in front of him, she barely looked 30. In fact, she was incredibly beautiful.

  “Just how old are you, mother?” He asked, realizing he had no idea.

  ” I'll be 572 years old next week,” she finally hesitantly said, seeming reluctant to admit it out loud.

  "How is that possible?"

  "A lady must keep some of her secrets...I will tell you eventually."

  ”And father?” He asked, his mind reeling as he tried to connect the dots.

  ”218 she mumbled slightly,” then again more clearly, “A-hem, yes, actually, I believe 219. I think I owe him an apology. I missed his birthday a few days ago.

  “Well,” thought Lothinar, “That might explain some of the awkwardness when I last stopped by. He probably assumed it was for that, and of course, I didn’t say anything. I obviously forgot too.”

  ”Well,” said Lothinar, considering the vast difference in their ages, “I guess that means you probably didn’t know each other growing up.” Then he laughed.

  She gave him another one of those looks.

  ”No, life was still pretty difficult for me and my sisters back then, even though we were all beautiful. Some people even tried to take advantage of us, as you might imagine. I actually spent quite a lot of time traveling around, moving along when someone figured out who my family was.

  ”The teapot!” Lothinar said, realizing.

  ”An old friend,” she said, smiling and looking at it.

  ”Eventually, people stopped asking. I must have outlived most of the suspicions “

  "So," Lothinar said with a scowl, "I have genetic reasons for being handsome as well as notorious?"

  She smiled strangely, looking at him.

  Then Ardwella frowned, feeling the need to explain something. "My grandfather was not an evil man. I knew him when I was young, from before the dragon attacks began. He was one of the kindest and compassionate people I have ever known. He was also very powerful in magic, much like you. You remind me of him. Quite a bit, in fact."

  "Well, obviously, the council felt that his actions were bad enough for him to be tried and put to death," sighed Lothinar.

  "The trial was a farce! There was so much anger in those times. When villages were lost, they needed someone to blame", she said fiercely. "Most people were convinced that the dragons were too dangerous to be allowed to live. My grandfather warned the dragons about what was coming and helped some of them escape immolation. That was his crime. The emperor feared the possibility that any living dragon would come back for revenge. For the most part, the dragons were just killed. Changing them physically and flesh-sculpting their race into a water-bound creature actually came quite a bit later."

  "Altering multiple physical traits on any living thing, as you know from your plant shaping, takes a long time and incredible amounts of magic. Many people didn’t think it was worth the effort in power, but 'Clipping their wings', so to speak, definitely took the fears down a notch. It was a compromise that kept them alive. Dragons flying again isn’t something most people will accept."

  Reaching the obvious conclusion, he added, ‘When they find out about Tundor, they will probably not hesitate to kill him.” He finished.

  ”And anyone helping him.” She added, looking grim. “So far, that’s just us. I think your father is still on the fence”

  "Being a traitor to your race is kind or frowned upon.” He said, but suddenly smiled. "It certainly takes it up a notch from accidentally leaving toenail clippings in the bed!" He said, vividly remembering the time his mother had chased his father around the house with a broom for over an hour. Unfortunately for his father, it had not been the first time for that trespass. After that, it finally was the last.

  "Of all the things you should remember from your childhood, you always seem to enjoy bringing that up," She said abashedly. "It was not my finest moment!"

  "I think it was!" Lothinar chuckled, then finally broke loose into a full barrage of laughter.

  ”Sometimes I felt that I was raising the both of you!”

  His mother couldn't help but join in before growing still and serious once more, feeling the need to return to more difficult subjects.

  "Not everything you have heard about the dragon war is true, you know. People have been told that dragons would dive from the sky and lay waste to homes, burning crops, killing and.... eating....." His mother choked on her words, Although it might have happened somewhere, my grandfather said that most of those stories were lies. "

  "If you believe that, then I'm not surprised that you were so fearless and friendly with Tundor a few minutes ago. Lothinar observed. "I'm not sure I could have done that, having just met him."

  "It helped that he was on the ground and still relatively small, but I guess I still trust my Grandfather’s decision to help them and his gift.”

  “What does that mean?”

  "He had a fairly rare gift. "He was a Soul Seer."

  "I have never heard of that," replied Lothinar, pausing briefly. "What does that do?"

  “When it comes to the dragons, especially a throwback…one like Tundor,” Ardwella explained, “Their magical power is likely to be much more developed. Or rather unchained. It allows them to more easily share feelings across something my grandfather called 'a bond’.” I have the ability to see a little bit of their soul, and I think part of your recent difficulties come from the possibility that you as well!"

  ———————

  Tundor and Candasar were resting, after eating, in the bay shallows near the beach of Candasar’s cove

  Candasar let out an amazing burp.

  “Deer and a half, that’s got to be a record!”

  ”Not for me,” Tundor grinned. “Let me know when you get to three. That would be something!”

  ”I don’t think that’s fair! Look how huge you are getting now!”

  ”Yeah, I don’t really understand it myself.” Tundor said. “It’s like whatever magic the elven magicians used on us is breaking down. I'm turning back into an ancestor type."

  ”Yes, Candasar admitted. It’s as if something about you, in particular, is resisting the shifting spell from working the way they intended.”

  ”Well, obviously, I was born like this or started changing soon after. I’d have to talk to my mother, and I don’t think that is a particularly good idea right now”

  ”No, probably not,” she agreed. “But sooner or later, you are going to be so big and vicious they won’t be able to deal with you”

  ”Well, even now, I don’t think that I have a lot to worry about, from them at least, especially on land. There it’s going to be the elves. One of them has obviously already spotted me. The dragons we know now really don’t do well out of the water. That was clearly done by the elves on purpose. Even if the clan dragons bring large numbers, I could probably just run away. Drowning me was their best play. Thanks to you it didn’t work out for them. I’m substantially bigger now. That’s going to come as a surprise. What I worry about is how to protect you when you really can’t leave the lake”

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  “We need to figure something out,” Candasar said.

  ”What’s that?” he asked

  ”My grandfather looked more like you, which means he had at least some of the ability to resist the elven magic that locked the ‘normal us’ away. I’m his granddaughter and obviously don’t have as much of that. The elven restrictive magic is still working on me. I look like the rest of them.

  “Are you thinking that there is something we could do about that?” He asked, trying to follow her thoughts.

  ”Well, I don’t know. I’m not really sure how I’d feel about losing my flippers and growing feet like yours,” she admitted. “I’ve been stuck in this body shape a lot longer than you”

  ”That sounds painful to try something like that,” he said with concern.

  ”Actually, I had been thinking that my children…” she stopped suddenly, embarrassed. ”Would inherit your natural resistance as well as the magical reinforcements that I’ve been sculpting my eggs with for years”

  ”You were hoping to hatch primal dragons!” He exclaimed

  “I hadn’t really thought it all the way through.” She admitted, “But something like that.”

  ”I could get behind you on that, he said, then backed up a step when he saw her blush. “When the time is right, I mean”

  They both laughed.

  ——————

  “I wonder where Tundor’s gone off to?” Lothinar suddenly asked.

  ”He left hours ago.” Ardwella replied. “I could feel him leave the area. “Anyway, he’s well out of range.”

  Reaching out with his mind Lothinar confirmed it. Suddenly realizing that a link he shared with the dragon was not working. “How could I have missed something like that?” He asked out loud.

  ”It takes some practice.” She replied, “And from my experience, you will need more time."

  "I appreciate your thoughts." he said. He stretched as he got to his feet. “There is only one place that he could go, I suppose “

  ”You’re right, I’m sure.” She nodded. “Perhaps it’s time I met the female dragon as well!”

  ”That’s fine, Mother, but I think by now I’m in a lot of hot water for not checking in. I definitely have to do that.”

  ”I’ll need a few hours, and you should probably go and do whatever you can to appease Dad.”

  ” That’s a good idea,” she agreed

  “Tell him I’m sorry I missed his birthday and will come by as soon as I can.”

  He turned to go, then stopped suddenly.

  “Oh, and before we visit the dragons, both of us are going to need to come up with some sort of swimsuit!”

  ”That goes without saying.” she said.

  —————-

  Lothinar had returned to the warden headquarters. He had found his coworker Ardwynn lurking around outside. Rather she had found him, reaching up to tap him on the back as he prepared to turn his key in the door lock. He had jumped, spinning around with a little yelp. Now, he was trying his best not to look guilty. In his hand, he clutched a sheaf of papers that contained his weekly report. He had hastily scribbled it out and had intended to tuck it inside on the desk where Cantrell could find it. Once he had done that, his plan had been to run back out to the cove by Candasar's cave. The forest report package also contained an apology for missing the meeting. It was, however, rather vague on the reasons for doing so.

  "You're in trouble, you know!" Ardwynn replied, smirking, trying to suppress a smile at having been able to sneak up on the very competent forest warden.

  "You mean I AM trouble," Lothinar replied cockily. He had suspected for some time that Ardwynn had more than a professional interest in his life. He had not been opposed to exploring that further himself, but the timing didn't ever seem to work out right. Their line of work was generally a solitary one. He had a great deal of admiration for Ardwynn as the only woman to be employed as a warden in many years. It took superior skills, intelligence, and toughness to make the cut. There were a lot of male and female applicants, and few passed the screening process.

  "No, seriously," she replied. "Cantrell is out looking for you.... right now"

  "It's no big deal," Lothinar said, quickly looking back and forth up the narrow street on which the office stood. "I got busy"

  "Do you know how long it has been since you missed a meeting?" She asked. "Anybody else, maybe, but you, no. His alarm bells must be ringing!"

  "Can I be flattered at my excellent reputation with you, yet somehow dismayed that my reputation has landed me in hot water?"

  "You can't have it both ways, you know, wonder boy," she smiled sweetly. "So, what have you been up to?"

  Lothinar groaned and wondered if he could just run away.

  ----------------

  Cantrell was frustrated. None of the other Wardens had any information in their weekly reports about seeing Lothinar while on their patrols. That was not completely unusual. Not only that, Cantrell had stopped by Lothinar's parent's home and spoken with his father. He was informed that the elf had not seen his son since earlier in the week. Lothinar's father Alberad said that Lothinar had not seemed himself. That was a bit cryptic, but that was all the father would say.

  The work the Wardens performed was not intrinsically dangerous, but they were out in a wilderness for much of their time, Things could happen. Unplanned things. The Wardens had been screened and carefully selected to be able to take care of themselves and they worked alone for long periods of time. There were exceptions when taking on unusually dangerous missions. Considering the risk factors in the region, his group of wardens was spread pretty thin.

  One of the bigger concerns for Cantrell was that there had been some reports that the men who inhabited the town at the far end of the lake had been drifting into the preserve. They were hunting deer, even though they had been told not to. A few here and there he was willing to let slide, but according to the reports of the Wardens at the meeting, the deer head count was substantially down. It also seemed that some kind of pressure was spooking the deer into moving farther away from their water source at the lake. Cantrell needed to get to the bottom of that soon.

  Now, with Lothinar missing, he was becoming concerned that his Warden might have run into an aggressive human hunting party and had tried to confront them on his own. That had the potential for unfortunate results. Since Lothinar's territory was one of those closest to the human settlement, that was certainly a possibility. Whatever the reason, he had been completely unable to find him. Therefore it came as a surprise to see not one, but two of his Wardens practically standing on the outpost porch. Thankfully one of them was Lothinar. Walking past them both with a nod, he turned the key in the lock and opened the door. "I expect you both will be coming in?"

  "Actually...." began Lothinar...

  "That was not a request"

  --------------------------

  Ardwella had made it back to the house she shared with her husband Alberad without incident. It had been quite a while since she had been so vigorously traipsing through the forest. Although she did not, for mysterious reasons, look it, she really was getting up there in years. She could feel the weight of it inside if not yet physically. The things she had seen and the secrets she carried had laid an unnatural burden on her soul. She had considered never marrying, but then there would have been no Lothinar. In addition, there was something somewhat suspicious about an unmarried female elf who looked as desirable as her. Being married stopped a lot of annoying questions before they even started. She really didn't know how Alberad would react if he knew about the vast differences in their ages. Sometimes, it seemed that he was almost about to ask, but something held him back. Perhaps it was the sheer impossibility of the scale at which she had robbed the cradle that prevented his daring to delve deeper. He had presented her to his respectable family as "His Young Bride," and nobody had ever questioned it. She had done her best to be a dutiful and considerate wife. It was too bad that it was all going to start crashing down now, but that had always been inevitable.

  She found him at home. He looked sullen and sad. She sat down beside him on the couch and put her arm around him, leaning in.

  "The Head Warden came by earlier." He said. "He, of course, was looking for Lothinar. Did you manage to find him?"

  "You knew I would." she said with a supporting smile. "We share a common skill, AND I am his mother. I could probably find him if he were on the southern continent. Well, eventually... Probably."

  He smiled at that. "Not as confident as you used to be these days? Now that he is keeping company with a....." he shuddered. "Dragon!"

  "I told you this might happen," she said

  "Might is not a certainty," he replied. "I thought he might be spared from this crazy curse that runs in your family!"

  "You mean, you thought he might turn out more like you", she replied calmly, but her beautiful blue eyes blazed with an inner light. "It's not a curse but a calling. Some would even call it a blessing!"

  "Well, whatever we are calling it, it seems to have started to get OUR son into a great deal of trouble." He sighed, then, seeming to strengthen his resolve, pulled away from her and stood up from the couch. "What can I do to help?"

  ----------

  The three wardens sat in chairs in a small circle. Silently looking at each other.

  "I don't even know why she is here!" commented Lothinar looking at Ardwynn. "Please just tell her to leave." Ardwynn looked at Cantrel, who said nothing. She shifted in her seat awkwardly but remained seated.

  "I don't know how she fits into this," replied Cantrel, but to find her here at the headquarters at the same moment that I finally find you, should be looked into. One thing I have noticed is that whatever is going on between you two, and I'm not saying anything is necessarily wrong with that, but you seem to be on your best behavior when she is around. And right now, I'm hoping for some leverage on the truth."

  Ardwynn looked a little surprised and then slightly pleased by that statement from their boss.

  "Here's my weekly report," said Lothinar, holding out the crumpled and slightly sweaty sheaf of papers that he had prepared.

  Cantrell took it and scanned over the documents for a few awkward minutes while Ardwynn and Lothinar passed back odd looks to one another.

  "Everything in here looks pretty much in order," Cantrell said at last, "But what I am most concerned about is what I actually don't see here."

  "Um, what's that exactly?" asked Lothinar.

  "There isn't anything in this report that explains why you had to miss the gods dammed meeting!" exploded the Warden.

  "Wardens have missed the meeting before!"

  "Yes, but in their verbal or written reports, there is always an unusual fact. A reason that makes sense. There is always something out of the ordinary, or exceptional, or something! Yours reads like a bunch of hum-drum days. That is what makes this whole thing the MOST mysterious. And that is why I am going to ask you again. What is really going on?"

  Lothinar backpedaled furiously in his mind, trying to think of something that would stand out that might excuse his abnormal behavior. Something that could be corroborated.

  "Well, I did find an abnormal amount of what looks like huge bear shit in the woods. That's a messy job. You can't rush that!"

  Ardwynn rolled out of her chair, and in spite of himself, Cantrell found himself fighting back a laugh.

  "Do you mean to say that in your quest to answer the old question 'Does a bear shit in the woods?' You really meant to say, 'Does a bear, or some other very large predator, that some inexperienced fool might mistake for one, actually IS shitting in the woods? Because I, of all people, have not forgotten the possibility that there are DRAGONS around here!"

  "Oops! thought Lothinar. "Never underestimate the Chief Warden"

  "Maybe you had better show us what you found and where you found it. Can you help me that much?"

  Lothinar nodded. He hoped Tundor hadn't come back around the caves looking for him.

  "Can I come?" asked Ardwynn brightly. "I wouldn't want to miss this....."

  ----------------------

  Back in the nest that Candasar called home, The female dragon lay next to a deer that Tundor had placed on the shelf. She was already full from her gorging earlier in the day. At this point, she could not eat another bite. She considered the uneaten deer future food for magical muscle. She wasn’t going to risk her eggs again. She could only hope that whatever part of dragon physiology converted ingested meat into magical energy was awake and paying attention. Tundor was out hunting, or at least prowling around in the woods. Now that he was so large, there was almost no way they could share her little bed, at least for resting.

  "I don't think that there is going to be a better time to try this than now," she thought to herself. "Best be about it while Tundor is not around to witness the suffering"

  Arching her neck around, she put her left front flipper between her razor-sharp teeth and bit down with her large jaws. Then she pulled, and the blood started spurting. Through the agony, she fought for her focus, and with all the determination and willpower she could muster, she ignored the memory of the flipper with which she was most accustomed. Focusing on the torn and flayed strips of flesh, she thought of Tundor's feet and shouted, "Hell!"

  --------------------------