Chapters 3 & 4: The Crossing

The path disappeared soon after they entered the woods even Drake's footfalls made no sound in the deep loam. Some of the trees were incredibly ancient and so large the black dragon would have to stand on his hind legs to reach the beard like moss that hung from even the lowest branches. "Creepy." Gunther's voice sounded loud in the unnatural silence.

Even blindfolded Wodan tossed his head and pawed the ground uneasily. The elf was forced to dismount and lead the pony. So Gunther opted to travel on foot as well. He patted Drake's neck before sliding to the ground. "I do not expect you need a rider to guide you, do you old horse?"

"Old horse?" the dragon snorted derisively but smiled at him none the less. Through the bond they shared there was no doubt the young squire meant the epithet as a term of endearment and not an insult. In the same way he called Gunther 'elf-boy' before his true heritage was known Drake suspected 'old horse' had hidden meaning for his boy. The dragon made a mental note to ask him about it later. For now he walked carefully behind the cart ready to grab it if Wodan tried to bolt into the strange green mist that closed around them as they pressed deeper into this pass between worlds.

The mist thickened and churned till they could barely make out the leafy giants that inhabited this primordial world. Faint lights glimmering in the darkness like will-o-the-wisps; amber and blue, violet and rose hazy colors danced in the mist. "Nar'o-way…musnt-stray." Pip cheeped launching from his keepers shoulder.

The little lizard was somehow aware that the others could not sense the path through the murky darkness the way he could so he flew in lazy circles guiding them through the neither world. He danced through the air spiraling and zigzagging through the trees. It was not for nothing they were named jewel lizards for like a brilliant gemstone his bronze scales glinted in the deepening twilight.

There were no birds or insects here. But Pip filled the hazy world with music of his own. Flickering about the edges of his mind Gunther found himself straining to make out the words. Though he never let it be known, Gunther was a bit of a composer and in that strange formless world he felt compelled to join in. In a clear tenor that would have taken any in the castle by complete surprise he sang:

Give way…give way, night turns the day.

My world, thy world…none can say.

Both realms turn again to tales of old

No one knows what the future holds

All is wrought by the maker's hand

Though shadow descend upon the land

The blood price was paid, truth let fly

Come nigh…come nigh…spirit cracks the sky.

The wind kicked up, and as if summoned by the words of the song the four travelers felt skin and hide prickle as it does sometimes just before a lightning storm breaks. "That song…where did you…how did you?" Werian gasped in open astonishment.

Gunther shrugged "Pip, it is his song, I was only copying."

"But the words!" the elf marveled and looked to the dragon for confirmation. "Drake?"

"I heard him Warin. Who can know the secrets that lay hidden in this place of dreams?" Drake said, though Gunther had no idea what the other-worlders were going on about.

"Iz-way Iz-way…Nar'o-way!" the jewel lizard directed pointing. The others could do nothing but follow. Beneath them was naught but insubstantial mist but somehow the trail arched upward finally breaching the canopy. The wind increased and it seemed they were traversing a great green thunderhead. Above them was the great cavern of the sky, velvet littered with a multitude of shooting stars that trailed lightning of green and gold in their wake. It dazzled the eyes and took ones breath away.

It seemed they had only gone a little way before the unseen trail dipped down again and the misty darkness seemed all the more foreign after they had seen the brilliance of the heavens above. In an eternity or an instant the passage between the worlds was made. The mist receded and the trees seemed more like the usual sort. When the travelers emerged from the vale on the other side, dawn was just breaking over a world quite different from the one they had left. They had arrived in Middanġeard.

Chapter Four: A Two-edged Trust

Orlena: a Dragon's name meaning: gold light, Latin

Gunther, Drake and Werian walked abreast of one another, leading the heavy laden mountain pony out of the wood. The warm gold of sunrise had at first colored the path they traveled but as the sun climbed higher in the sky its hue became more muted. Strangely hued clouds resolved themselves in the air above and soon choked the sky with violet mounds. All the colors seemed slightly skewed. The packed earth trail they followed seemed a washed out grey and the leaves on the trees around them seemed more silver than green.

Gunther was struck by the strangeness of it all nervously he fiddled with the rotating bands on the pommel of Jane's sword. click…click…click: the runes shown through small windows in grip. He wondered how many hours it had taken Jane to solve the puzzle only to tell him out right. He still wasn't sure he believed her reasoning for sending the blade with him. It seemed very strange…obscure, like the sky here. "Is it always so overcast? Gunther asked finally, "I expect it will rain any moment."

"We do have sunny days on occasion, though rarely." Warin smiled at him "But what you see are not rain clouds."

Click…click, went the sword again. Gunther looked at the sky appraisingly, the clouds certainly seemed ominously heavy too him. He wondered how the elf could be so sure.

Drake answered his unasked question. "War wizards conjure the clouds to mask a wing practicing their tactics or readying for attack. Those are for concealment not the natural sort."

"Then there could be other Dragons about?" Gunther asked wide eyed, unconsciously leaning into Drake's side. All his life he had never even considered the possibility of a threat from above.

"I expect there are. But the clouds obscure their view of us just as surely as our view of them. Even if one should drop below the clouds they should be too busy to take note of us anyway." the dragon rumbled, sending a comforting jet of warm air toward the boy. "But that doesn't mean there is no danger. Perhaps we should get that blade of yours bonded…just in case."

"Blade…bonded?" Gunther echoed confused.

Drake had felt the blade sleeping even while it hung sheathed at Gunther's hip, now that he had been toying with it, Drake had all he could do not to cringe away from the blade. The black dragon knew how demanding such a weapon could be, could it be Gunther did not? Perhaps Jane hadn't had the time to tell him… Now that he thought of it, she might not have known herself. Drake thought it best to explain, "A dragon blade is made from the bones of a dragon and is one of the few materials that can rend dragon hide. If a rider is going to wield such a blade he needs to ensure it cannot accidentally harm his mount. That requires magic."

Gunther carefully aligned the runes as Jane had instructed, combining 'Birth and Blade' closest to the cross guard positioning the rune for 'Love' went in the middle and 'Death' was at the outside end. Then he carefully withdrew the pommel on its chord and spun it experimentally. The weighted end let out a low moan but Werian leaned over and caught the chord arresting its movement before it could wail the way Jane used it to signal dragon.

"In battle…you spin the sharp end." The elf said, "But unless you would like to take off one of Drake's wings…I would not recommend trying that till AFTER it is bonded to him."

"Perhaps you had best explain what I am to do." The squire said eyes-wide at the suggestion.

"It is between you two." Werian said, the words caught in his throat. He had been a dragon rider and the memory of the bond he had shared with his precious Orlenastill pained him. The barbed ballista bolt that pierced her heart it tore away a piece his as well. All his skill as a healer could not bring her back, or diminish the ache that came with loosing her. Pip helped…but only to an extent. Elves were long lived to be sure…but the core of his being argued they were not meant to outlive their dragon partner.

Drake looked intense. His former master Cazar Inwidsorth had forced the bonding on him through sorcery and the pain of it still seared his soul. As soon as the young dragon had recovered from the shock he tried to flame the power thieving wizard in retaliation, but the blade turned his attack aside. Protecting rider as it did Dragon. He had never felt so helpless, even now he did not revel being placed in that position again. "Do you trust me?" Drake asked.

"Do you even need to ask?" Gunther frowned…what he had with Drake was new to him but there was no denying he had never been so close to another living soul in his whole life.

Drake nodded understanding the depth of feeling behind the boy's words. "Kneel," He directed. "Drive the tip of the blade into the ground so it will stand on its own."

Gunther obeyed carefully, hoping Jane would not be cross if the weapon were somehow damaged by what they were about to do. But she had said he was to use it to protect Drake and if this was the way, then she could not very well complain could she? He smiled to himself recalling the redhead was rather good at finding things to complain about. The merchant's son had learned long ago that even negative attention was still attention. Though his fellow squire insulted him… she was speaking to him, which was more than he got from some of those at the castle.

"Fold your hands over the hilt." The black dragon told Gunther his massive bulk looming over the boy.

Gunther felt small…helpless, till he looked into those luminous golden eyes. "What is next?" he asked.

Drake did not answer, he leaned in and breathed. Scorching air and fire poured from the dragon's mouth and nose. Gunther closed his eyes tight. He did not have time to wonder if this was how it would feel to sit inside smithies furnace. The flame poured down all around him he could feel the heat licking his shoulders, chest, cheeks. The sword hilt grew hot in his hands and the fire danced across the blade but did not touch him.

Against all reason Gunther inhaled deeply and felt as if a spark had caught in his chest. The warmth spread through his veins and his limbs tingled with it. Then all at once it was over. He opened his eyes and saw Drake smiling at him. He expected to see the grass around him burned to a crisp…he half expected to be burned to a crisp himself, but excepting for a few singed hairs on his forearms and the mild tang of smoke clinging to his hair and clothes there was no sign anything had taken place. "WOW" Gunther gasped astonished.

"One more step," the dragon whispered softly, "Take the blade and lay it flat…over my heart, here." He pointed a talon to the place.

Gunther shook getting to his feet but did as Drake directed. He could not help but see the deep gouges that marked Drake's shoulder and chest. Claw marks from another dragon. A deep scar from a ballistae bolt also marred the scales of his side. Either wound could have killed him. The boy gently caressed each mark as he placed the blade as directed.

Drake was holding his breath, eyes scrunched closed just as his had been. Gunther could feel the dragon cringe at the contact of blade against scale as if he too had been singed by its touch though there was no visible mark. Through the bond they shared Gunther could feel how unsettled the dragon felt. One wrong move and this blade could slay him in seconds. "You trust me too." He whispered "I will not let you down." Gunther understood the Runes meaning on a deeper level now. The bond between dragon, rider and weapon was forged by love overcoming death.

"It is done." The dragon said finally opening his eyes. "But promise me you will not use the blade till Werian and I have the chance to show you how. Just because it will not pierce my scales does not mean I want it poking me in the eye.

"I promise" Gunther said taking the sword away. The blade had a bluish cast he had not noticed before and when he looked slant-wise at it, the keen edge shone with rainbows. The weapon still felt warm to the touch. "Do you think we could make it so it could not hurt Pip either?" the squire asked thoughtfully.

Werian was taken entirely by surprise, "Would you?" the elf asked.

"You are his keeper. Do you think he would trust me enough?" Gunther wondered, "I would feel awful if something happened to him, especially by accident."

"Jewels are trusting by nature, it gets them into trouble." Warin explained and called the little lizard to his wrist then cuddled Pip against his chest for a moment. Holding the little creature firmly he instructed Gunther to touch the tip of the blade to Pip's back, between his wings, "Quickly while there is still some heat to it."

Gunther did so. Pip keened once and looked indignant at them both, but the unpleasant contact was so brief the jewel lizard quickly forgot why he had been cross. Soon he was blithely pouncing on acorns in the tall silvery grass.

"That was a prudent thing you did just then." Drake said flicking Gunther's hair with a gentle caress of his tongue. "I would not have thought of it…but I am glad you did."

"I am tired…do you mind if I ride for a bit?" the squire asked weakly.

"Whatever you like elf-boy." Drake smiled back, positioning his forelimb so Gunther could easily climb up between his wings and position himself comfortably astride the leather riding harness Smithy fashioned to Drake's specifications. The young squire fastened the leather straps across his thighs and leaned forward against Drake's neck. He hadn't realized just how much bonding with the blade took out of him but No sooner had he pillowed his face in his folded arms when he was asleep.