Free Her Majesty's Wizard #1 by Christopher Stasheff

now admitting it to himself. It a was a bitter pill to swallow. "So I'm not too sure of my abilities, you see. You could very, easily wind up dead."
       It rocked her, but she swung back quickly, frowning in thought for a moment. Then she lifted her chin and looked him squarely in the eyes. "No doubt I could; yet I know that I will not. You are the only chance I have, wizard, and the only one I'm like to have. I must stake my life and kingdom on you-and I know you will not fail me."
       Her total, hundred per cent certainty was unnerving. Matt took a breath. "I hope you're right."
       "I am." It was a simple statement of fact. "Take us out of this place."
       Matt took a deep breath and clasped an arm about her. It was far more pleasant than it should have been, under the circumstances.
       This time he chose a variation on the spell he'd used on the dragon:
       "I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine."
       The feeling was stronger than ever. There was tremendous power gathering around him, seeking a discharge route. It would take the first one it found, and if that happened to be right through him...
       But the woman at his side stood proud and determined, if not completely unafraid, and he couldn't let her see him doubting himself.
       "There shall we fly, to tarry till the night, Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight!"
       The universe swung around ninety degrees, and swung back. A small hurricane blasted Matt's face as light seared his eyes and a roaring filled his ears. The princess clung tightly to him, every flowing curve finding a corresponding niche in him. Unfortunately, Matt was in no shape to appreciate it. He just clung to her as something relatively solid in a crazy world, waiting for the earth to steady beneath his feet.
       Slowly, things settled down; the earth solidified, and Matt's eyes adjusted to the sudden sunlight. He took a deep breath and looked about him.
       He was in a forest, beside a small stream. A wide, sunlit meadow opened off to his right. The banks of the stream, on his left, were thick with flowers. He recognized wild thyme and violets. That must be eglantine, creeping over the low boughs, there, just above the dragon's head, and ...
       "Stegoman!"
       The dragon fixed him with a glittering eye. "So-again. I thought that I had done with thee, most foolish of wizards."
       Matt had an image to maintain, now. "Foolish? Hey! I got you free, didn't I?"
       "To open plains, thou didst say," the dragon reminded him. "I find myself within a wood."
       "Oh. Well, you can't expect perfection, can you?" Matt looked around. "I thought it was a nice place."
       "So I would guess," the dragon rumbled, "since thou didst seek it after me. Or hast thou come to be so fond of my company?"
       "Uh, little bit of both, actually." It was the first piece of scene, description verse that had come into Matt's head.
       Alisande pushed herself away from him, albeit a little unsteadily. "How now, Sir Wizard! Have you brought me to your tame, enslaved familiar?"
       "Enslaved!" Stegoman roared, torching two bushes and a stretch of underbrush in the process. "I, a shlave? What vile calumny and jackal'zh lie izh thish?"
       Matt leaped to the side, yanking Alisande with him. "Watch it-he gets mean when he gets high. Back off, Stegoman! The lady was jumping to conclusions!"
       The dragon paused on the intake, blinking blearily at Matt. "What shayesht thou?"
       "A misunderstanding," Matt said quickly. "The lady could tell we'd met before. Can you blame her for thinking we were in cahoots?"
       "Nay, truly! I see I was mistaken!" The princess cried. "You are, indeed, untamed and free, as all your people are!"
       Stegoman cocked his head to the side, thinking that one over. While he was thinking, Matt