Realms were so dire.
Yet her words nagged at him. Though Odem and Ahmamay not have expressed so plainly the dissatisfaction of the people and the villainy of the leaders, they certainly had been cautious for years. Cantor knew the root of their caution lay in a distrust of the council. He’d long had the impression of something being wrong, even if Odem hadn’t spelled it out.
He shook as if getting rid of a bad cloak. Politics did not concern Cantor at the moment. The best approach to the problem was to ready himself. He’d find the right dragon soon enough. He’d follow that path set before him and allow life to be simple for a little longer. Enjoying his freedom sounded more enticing than investigating the King’s Guard. Diligently searching for a constant should provide enough excitement for now.
SURPRISE GREETING
T he scattered clouds offered welcome relief from Effram’s sun. He’d been walking for several hours with only a stop for a drink from his canteen and another stop to strip off his coat and hook it through the straps of his knapsack. For a time he enjoyed the scenery, congratulating himself as he identified different plants and birds and even some insects as he trudged along the wide dirt path. But as the sun began its descent in earnest and no one had passed him going either way, the hot, dusty road gradually lost much of its charm of being in a foreign land.
Wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, Cantor reviewed the solar systems in his mind. Dairine and Effram shared the same sun, but his home plane was a great deal farther away than the one he walked on now. That accounted for the extra heat.
The sight of a massive forest up ahead encouraged him.Soon he’d be in the shade. He quickened his step for ten or fifteen minutes and then slowed, as he didn’t seem to be getting much closer. To the side of the road, a farmer’s peach orchard bloomed. The scent from the small stand of trees wafted on the slight spring breeze.
In a couple of months, juicy peaches would hang from the branches. Cantor stopped, placed his hands on his hips, and acknowledged the turmoil that had swept over him. He’d just had a wonderful meal in a pleasant home, but the thought of gathering greens for Ahma and doing ordinary chores sucked that enthusiasm from his heart. He admitted a little melancholy over leaving the first part of his life behind with only memories to warm his heart.
Looking ahead, Cantor judged the distance again and acknowledged to himself that the woods had turned out to be farther away than he’d thought. He realized the trees were also taller than he expected. Plodding past the flowered orchard, he spotted a huge rock nestled in the grass. His boot had rubbed a blister on his heel, and he sat on the boulder to ease the pain.
At that moment, he would have welcomed Bridger back. Riding a horse or a dragon would have saved his foot and quickened the journey. But he hadn’t seen dragon, haystack, or horse since he left the Means’ farm. Encouraging the dragon to follow him hadn’t been an option. Bridger didn’t have the qualifications to be his constant. His usefulness would be hampered by his limited ability.
Shape-shifting dragons typically had three or four shapes they could easily form. Ahma’s Tom had lost some of his agility in his old age. He basically held the form of a dog, switched to dragon when the need arose, and rarely became the huge fish that graced some of Ahma’s tales of youthful adventure.Odem’s Nahzy shifted into a dragon or a large owl. The owl, fish, and dog shapes lent themselves to accomplishing missions. What could Bridger do as a haystack? Granted, the horse would come in handy, but in Cantor’s opinion, Bridger’s personality would not help in any situation.
The dragon had not shown himself all afternoon, and Cantor figured he’d taken the hint and gone looking for another partner. Being lonely on his first quest had never crossed Cantor’s mind.
Yet her words nagged at him. Though Odem and Ahmamay not have expressed so plainly the dissatisfaction of the people and the villainy of the leaders, they certainly had been cautious for years. Cantor knew the root of their caution lay in a distrust of the council. He’d long had the impression of something being wrong, even if Odem hadn’t spelled it out.
He shook as if getting rid of a bad cloak. Politics did not concern Cantor at the moment. The best approach to the problem was to ready himself. He’d find the right dragon soon enough. He’d follow that path set before him and allow life to be simple for a little longer. Enjoying his freedom sounded more enticing than investigating the King’s Guard. Diligently searching for a constant should provide enough excitement for now.
SURPRISE GREETING
T he scattered clouds offered welcome relief from Effram’s sun. He’d been walking for several hours with only a stop for a drink from his canteen and another stop to strip off his coat and hook it through the straps of his knapsack. For a time he enjoyed the scenery, congratulating himself as he identified different plants and birds and even some insects as he trudged along the wide dirt path. But as the sun began its descent in earnest and no one had passed him going either way, the hot, dusty road gradually lost much of its charm of being in a foreign land.
Wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, Cantor reviewed the solar systems in his mind. Dairine and Effram shared the same sun, but his home plane was a great deal farther away than the one he walked on now. That accounted for the extra heat.
The sight of a massive forest up ahead encouraged him.Soon he’d be in the shade. He quickened his step for ten or fifteen minutes and then slowed, as he didn’t seem to be getting much closer. To the side of the road, a farmer’s peach orchard bloomed. The scent from the small stand of trees wafted on the slight spring breeze.
In a couple of months, juicy peaches would hang from the branches. Cantor stopped, placed his hands on his hips, and acknowledged the turmoil that had swept over him. He’d just had a wonderful meal in a pleasant home, but the thought of gathering greens for Ahma and doing ordinary chores sucked that enthusiasm from his heart. He admitted a little melancholy over leaving the first part of his life behind with only memories to warm his heart.
Looking ahead, Cantor judged the distance again and acknowledged to himself that the woods had turned out to be farther away than he’d thought. He realized the trees were also taller than he expected. Plodding past the flowered orchard, he spotted a huge rock nestled in the grass. His boot had rubbed a blister on his heel, and he sat on the boulder to ease the pain.
At that moment, he would have welcomed Bridger back. Riding a horse or a dragon would have saved his foot and quickened the journey. But he hadn’t seen dragon, haystack, or horse since he left the Means’ farm. Encouraging the dragon to follow him hadn’t been an option. Bridger didn’t have the qualifications to be his constant. His usefulness would be hampered by his limited ability.
Shape-shifting dragons typically had three or four shapes they could easily form. Ahma’s Tom had lost some of his agility in his old age. He basically held the form of a dog, switched to dragon when the need arose, and rarely became the huge fish that graced some of Ahma’s tales of youthful adventure.Odem’s Nahzy shifted into a dragon or a large owl. The owl, fish, and dog shapes lent themselves to accomplishing missions. What could Bridger do as a haystack? Granted, the horse would come in handy, but in Cantor’s opinion, Bridger’s personality would not help in any situation.
The dragon had not shown himself all afternoon, and Cantor figured he’d taken the hint and gone looking for another partner. Being lonely on his first quest had never crossed Cantor’s mind.
Similar Books
