waiting for her reaction.
“ But
you're safe now, aren't you?” was the first thing she asked.
He
smiled, touched by her concern.
“ For
the moment, yes. A bit hungry, to be honest, but I doubt if a dragon
could reach me down here. Kronk should be almost home by now and I'll
contact him once I finish speaking to you.”
“ And
the paladin?” Clara asked flatly. “Do you really intend
to speak with her after what's happened?”
“ Of
course. We don't know if she betrayed me or was attacked. Better to
know one way or the other, don't you think?”
The
cleric began walking and Simon could tell from her surroundings that
she was making her way back to the town hall. She nodded and greeted
several villagers as she went, but her face looked strained.
“ I'm
not sure, my friend. Right now, if she's in league with the dragons,
she, and they, may believe that you are dead...or dying. A dead
wizard is no longer a target or a threat. However, a live wizard,
trapped underground? Remember last year, Simon. Remember the dragon
attack on the dwarven stronghold. Dragons can attack you beneath the earth. If this Liliana should tell them of
your survival, it is possible that they could find a way down there.”
“ But...”
Simon began. Clara cut him off sharply.
“ But
nothing. Right now you are basically defenseless. The only thing
keeping you alive, I believe, is the fact that the enemy thinks that
you are no longer a danger to them. Do you really want to inform them
otherwise?”
Simon
watched as the cleric entered the hall and walked quickly through it
to her quarters. She went into her bedroom and reached for a small
mirror lying on a table.
And
suddenly Clara was looking out of the surface of the water directly
into the wizard's eyes.
“ Ah.
There you are. Now we can speak face to face.”
She
studied him closely and Simon tried to smile. Her intense examination
of his face stopped him before he could even twitch his lips.
“ You've
lost weight, again,” she stated. “You can't afford to do
that, you know. You're too skinny to begin with.”
“ Yeah,
thanks Mom,” Simon said and Clara smiled grudgingly.
“ Fine.
I worry about you. That's what friends are for, isn't it?”
“ I'm
watching out for him, lady,” Aeris spoke up suddenly and rose
up until he was looking at the water over Simon's shoulder.
The
cleric looked at him and nodded approvingly.
“ I
know you are, Aeris. You're a good friend to Simon.”
She
looked back at the wizard.
“ If
you called me looking for advice, then here it is. Wait. Wait until
you are back in your tower with your wards to guard you and your
spell-book in hand. When you are, then by all means contact this
so-called paladin and try to get some answers. Impatience now could
have dire consequences, Simon and frankly, we can't afford to lose
you.”
“ I
agree,” Aeris said shortly.
Simon
looked from Clara to the elemental and back again. He rubbed a hand
over his face, still tired and now very hungry.
Maybe
they're right, he thought. Whether you talk to Liliana now or a few
days from now will make little difference. It was his feeling of
betrayal that was urging him to call her and get to the bottom of
things.
If
he was being honest with himself, Simon had to admit that he was
deeply offended by the thought of someone breaking their word and
playing him for a fool. It wasn't something that he would ever do and
it was galling to think that it might have been done to him.
He
blinked several times and looked at Clara again.
“ All
right,” he said wearily. “You and Aeris are making sense.
After all, what could it hurt to wait until we're home and safe
before I speak to Liliana, right?”
The
cleric seemed to sag with relief and Simon saw Aeris nodding out of
the corner of his eye.
“ Now
you're making sense, my friend,” Clara said and managed to
smile. “Get back home, eat, rest up and then tackle this
problem.”
“ I
will. Thank you for the
“ But
you're safe now, aren't you?” was the first thing she asked.
He
smiled, touched by her concern.
“ For
the moment, yes. A bit hungry, to be honest, but I doubt if a dragon
could reach me down here. Kronk should be almost home by now and I'll
contact him once I finish speaking to you.”
“ And
the paladin?” Clara asked flatly. “Do you really intend
to speak with her after what's happened?”
“ Of
course. We don't know if she betrayed me or was attacked. Better to
know one way or the other, don't you think?”
The
cleric began walking and Simon could tell from her surroundings that
she was making her way back to the town hall. She nodded and greeted
several villagers as she went, but her face looked strained.
“ I'm
not sure, my friend. Right now, if she's in league with the dragons,
she, and they, may believe that you are dead...or dying. A dead
wizard is no longer a target or a threat. However, a live wizard,
trapped underground? Remember last year, Simon. Remember the dragon
attack on the dwarven stronghold. Dragons can attack you beneath the earth. If this Liliana should tell them of
your survival, it is possible that they could find a way down there.”
“ But...”
Simon began. Clara cut him off sharply.
“ But
nothing. Right now you are basically defenseless. The only thing
keeping you alive, I believe, is the fact that the enemy thinks that
you are no longer a danger to them. Do you really want to inform them
otherwise?”
Simon
watched as the cleric entered the hall and walked quickly through it
to her quarters. She went into her bedroom and reached for a small
mirror lying on a table.
And
suddenly Clara was looking out of the surface of the water directly
into the wizard's eyes.
“ Ah.
There you are. Now we can speak face to face.”
She
studied him closely and Simon tried to smile. Her intense examination
of his face stopped him before he could even twitch his lips.
“ You've
lost weight, again,” she stated. “You can't afford to do
that, you know. You're too skinny to begin with.”
“ Yeah,
thanks Mom,” Simon said and Clara smiled grudgingly.
“ Fine.
I worry about you. That's what friends are for, isn't it?”
“ I'm
watching out for him, lady,” Aeris spoke up suddenly and rose
up until he was looking at the water over Simon's shoulder.
The
cleric looked at him and nodded approvingly.
“ I
know you are, Aeris. You're a good friend to Simon.”
She
looked back at the wizard.
“ If
you called me looking for advice, then here it is. Wait. Wait until
you are back in your tower with your wards to guard you and your
spell-book in hand. When you are, then by all means contact this
so-called paladin and try to get some answers. Impatience now could
have dire consequences, Simon and frankly, we can't afford to lose
you.”
“ I
agree,” Aeris said shortly.
Simon
looked from Clara to the elemental and back again. He rubbed a hand
over his face, still tired and now very hungry.
Maybe
they're right, he thought. Whether you talk to Liliana now or a few
days from now will make little difference. It was his feeling of
betrayal that was urging him to call her and get to the bottom of
things.
If
he was being honest with himself, Simon had to admit that he was
deeply offended by the thought of someone breaking their word and
playing him for a fool. It wasn't something that he would ever do and
it was galling to think that it might have been done to him.
He
blinked several times and looked at Clara again.
“ All
right,” he said wearily. “You and Aeris are making sense.
After all, what could it hurt to wait until we're home and safe
before I speak to Liliana, right?”
The
cleric seemed to sag with relief and Simon saw Aeris nodding out of
the corner of his eye.
“ Now
you're making sense, my friend,” Clara said and managed to
smile. “Get back home, eat, rest up and then tackle this
problem.”
“ I
will. Thank you for the
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