Talking To Dragons Read online

  “What’s so dreadful?” Shiara demanded. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

  “No, of course there isn’t. Oh, dear, Kazul will be terribly unhappy about this.”

  “Who is Kazul?” I asked.

  Suz looked at me in astonishment. “You don’t know? No, you don’t. I haven’t told you yet. Kazul is who you’re going to see.” He cocked his head to one side as if that explained everything.

  “Why should I want to see Kazul?” I said. “And why should he care about me, or Shiara, or anything?”

  “She,” Suz said. “And of course you want to see her. You have the Sword of the Sleeping King, don’t you? I’m afraid she’ll be dreadfully upset if you bring someone with you, though.”

  “Well, I’m not going to leave Shiara alone in the middle of the Enchanted Forest,” I said firmly.

  “No, no, you couldn’t possibly do that,” the lizard agreed. “That wouldn’t be right at all. Dear me, whatever are we going to do?”

  “You don’t have to worry about me,” Shiara said indignantly. “I’m a fire-witch; I can take care of myself.”

  “You are?” Suz turned his head and looked at Shiara so intently that his eyes crossed. “You really are! How convenient! Everything’s quite all right, then; Kazul won’t mind a fire-witch at all.”

  “Who,” I said very slowly and carefully, “is Kazul?”

  The lizard stared thoughtfully at me for a long time. “I don’t think I ought to tell you any more,” he said finally. “You’re quite safe, you really are, but it wouldn’t do at all for Kazul to lose her temper with me. Oh, dear, no.”

  “Quite safe? In the middle of the Enchanted Forest, with wizards after us?” Shiara said sarcastically. “You’re crazy.”

  “I am? No, I’m not at all! How very rude.” He turned his back, looking extremely offended. Shiara stared at him. As I said, an offended lizard is an interesting sight.

  I sighed. “Shiara.”

  Shiara looked at me. I just stood there. After a minute, she looked down. “Well, it is dangerous to be out here, even if you do have that stupid sword,” she said defensively. “What’s wrong with saying so?”

  “It wasn’t very polite,” I said. “And you promised you’d try.”

  Shiara glanced up at me, then sighed. “Oh, all right. I’m sorry, Suz.”

  The lizard twisted his head around and looked at Shiara for a minute. “You are?” He ran around the branch again and wound up peering at her upside down from underneath the limb. “No, you’re not at all. How disappointing. I accept.” He ran back up on top of the branch.

  “Accept?” Shiara said.

  “Your apology,” the lizard said with dignity. A dignified lizard looks even odder than an offended one.

  “Oh.” Shiara looked at Suz doubtfully.

  “If you won’t tell us who Kazul is, will you at least tell us how to find her?” I said hastily. I didn’t want Shiara to say anything that would offend Suz again, and she looked like she was going to. Besides, I was curious.

  “You won’t have any trouble,” the lizard assured me. “Just head for the castle. Kazul will—” He broke off in mid-sentence, staring at the kitten Shiara was holding. “What is that?” he asked disapprovingly.

  “A kitten, of course,” Shiara said.

  “You’re sure it’s under control?” Suz seemed a little nervous. I looked at the kitten. It was watching Suz with a great deal of interest.

  “What do you mean, under control?” Shiara said. “She’s a perfectly well-behaved kitten. Morwen wouldn’t have given her to me if she wasn’t.”

  “Cats are not— Did you say Morwen?” Suz peered at Shiara.

  “Yes, I said Morwen. Can’t you finish a sentence?”

  Suz ignored her. “You’ve been to see Morwen? I didn’t know that. Oh, dear me, I must be dreadfully behind. Why, all sorts of things could be happening that I don’t know about! How perfectly dreadful. I must really get back to work at once. Oh, yes, indeed I must.”

  The lizard ran down the branch and disappeared behind the tree trunk. “Wait a minute!” I said. I ducked around the back of the tree, but Suz was nowhere in sight. I shook my head and went back to where Shiara was standing.

  “He’s gone again,” I said. “And he still didn’t tell me what castle he’s talking about.”

  “So what? Nobody else has been telling us anything either.” Shiara glared at the branch where Suz had been sitting. “I don’t think he’s very polite. He didn’t even say good-bye.”

  “He keeps going off like that,” I said. “I think that’s just how he is.”

  “Well, I can’t say I’m sorry he left,” Shiara said. “Come on, let’s find that stream Morwen was talking about. I’m getting thirsty.”

  We started walking again. Shiara put the kitten down, and we took turns keeping an eye on it as we walked. It had a marvelous time, jumping on leaves and attacking bushes while Shiara and I talked about what Shiara was going to name it. Finally she decided on Nightwitch. I didn’t think that was a very good name, but Shiara liked it, so I didn’t say anything.

  By the time we found the stream, Shiara and I were tired and hungry as well as thirsty, so we decided to stop. We each took a drink; then we sat down and opened the bundle Morwen had given me. Just as I had expected, there was a packet of food right on top—meat pies and apples and gingerbread. Shiara and I each ate some, and we gave one of the meat pies to Nightwitch. There was some left over, so we wrapped it up and put it back in my bundle before we started off down the stream.

  We tried to stay close to the bank most of the time. It’s easy to get lost in the Enchanted Forest, especially if you don’t really know where you’re going. If we got out of sight of the stream, we might never find it again.

  In a couple of places the trees grew in thick clumps, right up to the water’s edge, and we had to choose between wading and going around. I didn’t like the dark look of the forest near the tree clumps, and the water was only ankle deep, so we waded. Nightwitch did not approve of it at all.

  The forest got darker as we went along. I was sure, now, that the trees were bigger, and they were certainly closer together even when they weren’t growing in tight clumps. We spent more and more time in the stream, but the water wasn’t very cold, and the pebbles on the bottom were smooth, so it wasn’t particularly unpleasant. Even so, I was glad when the woods started to open up again. Then I saw the clearing a little ahead of us. A minute later, I saw the person sitting in it.

  She was a Princess. She had to be. Her hair was long and golden and not tangled at all, and her eyes were very blue, and her skin was very white, and she was very, very beautiful. One dainty foot was peeping out from under her blue silk gown. Her hands were folded in her lap, and she was looking at them with a sad expression.

  Shiara poked me. I realized that I was standing in a stream with my shoes in one hand and Morwen’s bundle in the other and my mouth hanging open. I swallowed and waded over to the bank. I wanted to put my shoes back on before we got any closer. I had seen at least two Princesses before, that I knew of, but both of them were enchanted and didn’t look at all like their usual selves when I met them. When I finished with my shoes, the Princess was looking in our direction.

  I stood up hastily and hurried toward her. Shiara followed. When I was within speaking distance, I stopped and bowed. The Princess smiled sadly.

  “I bid you such poor welcome as I may,” she said in a musical voice. “Alas! That I can offer you no refreshment. For I am in great distress.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “I fear not,” said the Princess. “For you are yet a youth. Alas, and woe is me! For I am in great distress.”

  “All right; so tell us about it,” Shiara said. She sat down on the ground and looked at the Princess expectantly. I frowned at her; I didn’t think that was the proper way to address a Princess, though I wasn’t positive. Mother had taught me a l
ot more about dragons than she had about Princesses.

  “You are kind to inquire of my sad tale,” the Princess said. “It is not long to tell. My father was a King, much beloved of his people, and I his only daughter. Being lonely after my mother’s death, my father remarried to a woman comely but proud, and under her influence have I suffered these seven years. And now the King my father is dead, and my stepmother hath cast me out, to wander alone and friendless through the world. Alas! For I am—”

  “In great distress; you said that before,” Shiara said. “Why didn’t you throw her out when your father died? It would have saved you a lot of trouble.”

  The Princess’s blue eyes filled with tears and she bowed her head. “ ‘Twas not within my power to work harm against her, alas. And now I seek some Prince or hero who will take pity on my destitute state and return me to my proper place. Woe is me! That I should be without help in such distress.”

  “Sounds like a lousy excuse to me,” Shiara muttered under her breath. Fortunately, the Princess didn’t hear.

  “I’m afraid we can’t help you get your kingdom back,” I said. “I’m very sorry. But if there’s any other service I can do for you, I’d be happy to try.”

  “Daystar!” Shiara’s voice was horrified, and suddenly I realized what I’d said. I swallowed. At least I’d only promised to try.

  “There is one thing,” the Princess said. She raised her head, and her eyes were very bright. I went cold. The Princess smiled sweetly.

  “Give me your sword,” she said.

  7

  I STARED AT the Princess. Then I shut my mouth and swallowed again, hard. Mother wasn’t going to like this at all. I was just about to draw the sword and give it to her, when Shiara said, “Wait a minute, Daystar.”

  I stopped and looked at her. She looked at the Princess. “Daystar hasn’t got a sword.”

  “What?” the Princess and I said at the same time. The Princess frowned. “I am not blind, to be so easily deceived. See, there it is.” She pointed to my scabbard.

  “That,” said Shiara triumphantly, “is the Sword of the Sleeping King. So it belongs to him, not to Daystar, and Daystar can’t give it away.”

  The Princess looked very puzzled. I thought for a minute. Shiara was right, but she was wrong, too. I mean, it was obvious what the Princess had meant, even if she hadn’t said it right. I sighed and reached for the hilt.

  Shiara turned on me. “Daystar, what are you doing?”

  “Giving her the sword,” I said, tugging at it. The sword wouldn’t come out of the sheath. “You know as well as I do what she meant.”

  “Well, if all those wizards and sorceresses can be picky about the way people say things, why can’t you?” Shiara was so mad I expected her hair to start burning any minute. “You can’t even get it out of the sheath! You only said you’d try to do what she wanted; well, you’ve tried. Isn’t that enough yet?”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry, Shiara, but it’s my sword, and I’m not a wizard. I just have to do it.”

  “Daystar, you... you...” Shiara gave up and just glared.

  I tugged at the sword again; Shiara turned her back. The Princess was still looking puzzled. I shook my head and unbuckled the whole swordbelt. I looked at it for a minute, then held it out toward the Princess. “Here,” I said. “Take it.” My voice seemed very loud, and I realized that the woods had gotten very quiet. The Princess smiled and took hold of the scabbard. I let go of the sword.

  There was a rumbling noise, and the Princess said, “Oh!” very loudly and dropped the swordbelt. The point of the scabbard hit the ground, and there was another rumble, and an enormous geyser of water shot up into the air.

  I saw the Princess cringe and Shiara fall backward. Then I couldn’t see anything but white spray. A voice said, “All hail the Holder of the Sword!” The words echoed hollowly around me as the fountain vanished.

  Shiara and the Princess were both staring at me, wide-eyed. All of us were dripping. The sword was standing upright in front of me, in the middle of a pool of water about four feet across. It was about halfway out of the sheath, and the blade shimmered in the sun. The Princess burst into tears.

  “I knew not that this weapon was of such potency,” she said between sobs. “Alas! For I cannot hold the sword, and who now will be my help? Alas, and woe is me!”

  “You mean you don’t want the sword anymore?” Shiara demanded.

  The Princess nodded. She was weeping too hard to say much.

  “And Daystar can have it back now?”

  The Princess nodded again. She was still weeping. I sighed and dug out my handkerchief. It was wet. I squeezed it out and offered it to the Princess anyway. She took it without thanking me and cried some more.

  “What am I to do?” she kept saying. “Who now will be my help? Alas! For I am in great distress!”

  “Oh, help yourself,” Shiara said crossly. “Daystar, are you going to take that stupid sword?”

  I hesitated; then I reached out and took hold of the hilt. The blade flashed once, and a brief shock ran through me as the hilt came to rest. I ignored the feeling and took hold of the scabbard. It came free almost at once. The water closed silently behind it. I took a closer look at the bottom part of the sheath; I wasn’t even surprised when I saw that it wasn’t wet.

  I looked up. The Princess had just about stopped crying. I looked at the sword. Then I looked back at the Princess. “Are you sure you don’t want this?” I said finally.

  “Daystar!” Shiara sounded like she wasn’t sure whether to be mad or horrified.

  The Princess didn’t seem to hear her at all. “I cannot take it!” she cried. “Oh, indeed, I cannot! Alas! That I am so helpless in my time of need!”

  “Well, if you didn’t want the sword, why did you ask for it in the first place?” Shiara said angrily.

  “I fear I have deceived you,” the Princess said tragically. “Yet I myself have been misled. Alas! I beg of you, forgive me! For indeed, I am, I am in great distress.”

  “Distress? Ha!” said Shiara. “You better tell us the truth, right now, or you’ll find out what distress is.”

  “Shiara—” I began.

  Shiara turned. “You shut up. You obviously don’t know anything about handling Princesses, so let me do it. Now,” she said to the Princess, “explain. And it better be good.”

  “I am a King’s daughter,” the Princess said. “My father would have me wed the Prince of a neighboring kingdom, to bring us wealth. Yet I could not, for I do not love him, but another. My father listened not, for all my pleading, so my love and I fled into the forest. We wandered far, and great was our suffering, yet were we happy, for we had each other. But I, being unused to travel, became tired, and my love at last set me here and bid me wait for him. And here have I stayed these two long days, and I fear me some evil may have befallen him. Alas! That we are parted!”

  “What,” said Shiara, “does all this have to do with Daystar’s sword?”

  The Princess sighed again. “I was seated here, as you see me, bewailing my bitter fate, when lo! A man appeared, most wise and powerful of aspect. He told me my love was imprisoned by a mighty sorceress, and at that news I wept bitterly. Then he bade me desist from my grief, for the means of delivering my love was at hand, to wit, a sword most magical. And he himself made promise of aid, if I would but attain the sword. And this have I attempted, and I have failed. Alas, and woe is me!”

  “I don’t think I understand,” I said. “Why didn’t you tell us this to begin with?”

  The Princess began to weep again. “My unknown friend instructed me in what I was to say; and told me that all would be well once I had the sword in my own hands. And in this he deceived me, for the touch of the sword burns so that I cannot hold it. And the cause is that I deceived you, and tricked you into offering me the sword, and the sword knew, and it will not abide in my hand, and now am I utterly without hope.”

  “What did this person look like?” Shiara as
ked unsympathetically. “The one you were going to give the sword to.”

  The Princess seemed a lot more interested in explaining how wise and powerful and helpful the man had been than she was in giving a simple description, but eventually we managed to get some idea what he looked like. Tall, dark-haired, blue eyes, and carrying a staff....

  “It sounds a lot like Antorell,” I said finally.

  “Antorell?” Shiara said.

  “That wizard I told you about, that Mother melted. He must be back; she said he might try to make trouble for me in a day or two.”

  “Oh, great. All we need is another wizard looking for us.”

  The Princess didn’t seem to be following the conversation at all. “Alas!” she said finally. “There is nothing left for me but grief; I have no means now to save my love, so I shall die with him. I shall fling myself in yonder stream and make an end.”

  “You are even dumber than Daystar,” Shiara informed her. “That stream isn’t deep enough to drown in; you’ll only get wet. Besides, if that stupid wizard lied about the sword, how do you know he didn’t lie about your love? Who is this person you ran off with, anyway?”

  “He is a knight,” the Princess said, her eyes lighting up. “Poor in goods, yet rich in spirit, of most pleasing aspect. His eyes are a hawk’s, his arms are mighty, and his sword is bright and—”

  “He sounds like he can take care of himself,” Shiara said. “I don’t think you have to worry about him.”

  Shiara’s words had a marvelous effect on the Princess. “Truly, you believe this?” she said, and her face lit up even more. “Then here will I abide his coming, for surely he will return to me. Ah, joy! That we shall soon be once more together!”

  Shiara looked disgusted. “I’m sure you’ll be very happy. Come on, Daystar, let’s go.” She stood up.

  “I don’t think we should leave her here by herself,” I said.