Free Anilyia by John H. Carroll

odd,
only to be met with shrugs. Tathan shrugged too. “Well . . . I
guess we should get going.” The companions walked toward the
stables. Tathan and Sir Danth took the lead. Vevin and Liselle
followed, giving each other a knowing glance the others didn’t
notice.
    The horses were waiting outside. Their tack
was in place and an older woman was petting one of them. The sight
of the horses brought back hard memories for Tathan. These were
horses that desert warriors had ridden in the attack on his home.
He turned to Liselle to see that her face had gone pale at the
sight as well. The loss of their parents had been difficult and
while they had moved on, the memories still hurt and always
would.
    They reached out and held hands for a
moment. Vevin and Sir Danth put hands on their shoulders to support
them, for which the cousins smiled in thanks. Tathan mounted the
steed he had ridden on their previous journey.
    Liselle had changed to her travel clothes, a
green tunic and leggings that blended with the colors of the
forest. The bow her uncle had made for her was strapped across her
back.
    Vevin had switched from his robe to the
exceptional purple vest he cherished. Gold and silver filigree made
it shine when sunlight hit it. The purple leggings he wore matched
the vest. The one thing Vevin never wore was shoes of any sort.
    Horses didn’t fear him even though he was a
dragon and they would make a tasty treat. Vevin had explained early
on that dragons liked to charm animals. It made them much more
willing to be eaten.
    Last to mount a horse was Sir Danth. He did
so gracefully in spite of his armor. Once they were all atop their
respective mounts, Tathan led them out of the village to begin the
five-day journey to Brondaggiin where the Mother Tree resided.
    The day warmed and it was already hot by the
time lunch rolled around. Critters went about their business, while
the melodious sounds of birds filled the air. The insects didn’t
bother the companions. Vevin had a force around him at all times
that kept them away. Nothing bothered the suit of armor that was
Sir Danth. Liselle actually liked insects, especially bees and
butterflies who were attracted to her like a flower. The bees never
stung her.
    Tathan had learned a few tricks for keeping
away bugs. Monks at a monastery he had lived at taught him methods
for mentally accepting them. A thief’s guild he had worked for
taught him to welcome insects in order to repulse people so they
wouldn’t pay attention to him, while a mage had taught him spells
to drive insects off.
    They stopped next to a small lake for lunch.
It reflected trees and mountains in its beautiful, clear waters,
making a picturesque resting place. Water lapped the sandy shore
where they laid a blanket to eat. After they had begun eating,
Liselle tentatively asked, “You remember how the Druids suddenly
became pleasant after being angry this morning?”
    Tathan gave her a suspicious look. “Did you
have something to do with that? I figured it was Mother Tree.”
    “As did I,” agreed Sir Danth. “It would make
sense.
    Liselle shook her head. “It wasn’t Mother
Tree. It was . . . a spell I cast yesterday evening.” She blushed
in embarrassment.
    “You cast a spell last evening to calm
Druids this morning?” Sir Danth asked in wonder. “That shows
supernatural foresight. I am intrigued.”
    “No, not like that. It wasn’t foresight so
much as . . .” Her blush became deeper. “I cast a spell of peace to
relax the denizens of the forest after Vevin used the dragon
fear.”
    “Alright, but that was last evening. How
could it calm the druids this morning?” Tathan asked.
    Vevin interjected, “It was a slow moving
spell. Apparently it was much stronger and longer lasting than we
originally thought.”
    “How much more powerful and longer
lasting?” Tathan asked with a frown.
    “I don’t know, honestly,” Liselle admitted.
“We passed it again when we rode away from the village.” That