Those of you who read my D/G fic of the same title as this chap might remember I'm a fan of Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Maybe it's because, like Ginny or Eris, I can identify with the heroine, lol. Cimorene was the youngest daughter of the King of Linderwall, and her parents found her very trying. :D
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Chapter 9- Dealing with Dragons
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In the dungeon laboratory that remained cool even in summer, Severus lowered the flame beneath a cauldron. After a final stir, he glanced toward the storage cupboard. The potion needed to simmer for another hour, so he decided to use the time to inventory.
"Once the Elixir of Courage reaches potency, the only task left to accomplish is filling out Ministry paperwork," Mordred said from his perch on a nearby stool. Over the last year, the old wizard had taken to spending more and more time in the dungeon under the guise of supervising. What the master had actually done was shared secrets learnt in a lifetime of potions making. The experience far surpassed Severus' expectations.
He knew it was due to their friendship. The Welshman was one of the few people with whom Severus let down his guard. Not completely, but it was enough. The honest exchange of ideas and opinions had given each a high regard for the other. The younger man smiled briefly. "I look forward to being addressed as Potions Master."
"Few beside apothecaries will think much of it, but I will always be proud to claim you as my finest apprentice."
Severus huffed in amusement. "I am your only apprentice."
Mordred chuckled. "True, but after you have gone , I believe I shall continue to open my doors. In my dotage, I find company more agreeable than solitude."
"You could always marry," said Severus.
"Dera cannot abide this castle for more than a few days at a time," replied Mordred with a wry smile.
"Is there any reason you could not maintain two homes?" asked Severus.
Long white hair shook, as the Master said thoughtfully, "No…no there isn't." With a smile, he said, "To repay you for the sound advice, I will assist with the inventory."
Severus examined the stores to determine what needed replenishing while Mordred composed a list. The elderly wizard looked up in surprise when he heard salamander wool called out. "How did that become depleted?"
"I made firegel."
"You needed more? For what purpose?"
Mordred's brow creased in puzzlement. It slackened in astonishment when Severus admitted, "To facilitate my dealings…with a dragon."
"Why would you be seeking out a draig, a dragon?"
Severus hesitated briefly and then asked, "Would you be willing to keep a secret?"
The wrinkles around dark eyes creased. "I have so many secrets kept inside, they would fill the dungeon if I let them out." Mordred said, "There's room for one more."
"Very well…I have been charged with the task of determining whether an accord with dragons is possible."
Astonished laughter filled the dungeon. "You can't domesticate them, much less make a pact!"
Personally, Severus agreed, yet he quoted the letter Lucius had sent last week, "A treaty with giants was also thought impossible, until it was done."
"And how many wizards died in the attempt?"
Severus replied, "That was a sacrifice they were willing to make."
"You-Know-Who, and those who bear the Dark Mark, but not the families of the wizards they sent to their deaths!"
Like a Morsmordre in the sky, the mention of exactly who was ordering the expedition into the mountains cast a shadow of dread over the chamber. Although Severus wished otherwise, no countermanding of Voldemort's orders was possible. If a wizard died attempting to carry out his task, there was always someone else to send. Although Severus found it galling to be treated as expendable, he said only, "It is the Master's will."
"Master of death and pain, perhaps…is the lure of power so strong the end justifies that man's means?"
Mordred's tone was pensive, his expression concerned. Like Eris, he asked out of a genuine need for understanding, and received a truthful answer. "Yes." Legilimency was not required to read the disappointed acceptance in the old man's eyes. Severus braced himself to hear the response.
"So be it. Have you prepared a list of items needed on the journey?"
"No."
Shaking his head, Mordred reached for a quill and a piece of parchment. "Then we need to remedy that."
"We?"
"First item, firegel, which you have obtained…to anoint skin, as clothing can be made fireproof with a charm..." Mordred looked up and said, "Yes, we- I cannot allow my apprentice to wander off into danger unsupervised."
"Sir…I do not think…"
"No, you are certainly not thinking," said Mordred, "Have you any experience scrambling up mountains, circumventing dragon keepers or approaching a dragon lair undetected?"
"Do you?"
"Yes." Mordred met the sceptical look with a challenging one. "You intend on discovering whether dragons can be made allies through Legilimency, correct?" When he nodded, the old man said, "Then use it to determine my experience, boy."
Severus gazed into canny dark eyes and saw…
Two wizards with dark hair scrambled down a mountainside behind a blonde woman. Each of them carried sacks across their backs. When they reached lower altitudes, the trio stopped to rest. The woman conjured a goblet of water and drank before offering it to the man who kissed her in thanks. The second man stepped toward her with his lips opening and closing like a fish. The wizard she'd kissed reached into his sack and pelted his friend with…
"Dragon dung?" asked Severus, breaking eye contact. "You risked your lives for dragon dung?"
"Do you know how much it cost back then, before the Ministry stepped in and regulated it? Dera and Baudwin both cultivated plants which responded best to that particular fertilizer, and I wanted dragon scales, so we all felt the prize worth the risk. That wasn't our first time up the mountain, either."
The apprentice frowned. "You needed powdered dragon scale for a potion?"
The master cleared his throat, looking away as he said, "Ahem…No, I…have a dragon scale collection. Keep them mounted on the wall of my bedchamber. Dera says the effect is like a multicoloured mirr…ahem…"
Severus decided to take his word for it. The two men avoided each other's gaze while they composed the list until Mordred said, "When shall we leave? In the morning?"
"So soon?"
"The long scramble won't get any shorter."
Did Mordred expect him to laugh? Severus curved his lips politely and sat down to wait for his Elixir of Courage to come to full potency.
"Bottle some of that for us to take along," said Mordred, rising to leave.
Severus imagined standing on a high summit overlooking a sea of peaks. Swallowing hard, he nodded. That was an excellent idea.
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He returned to quarters illuminated by dozens of enchanted candles.
"Happy Anniversary!" Eris greeted, handing him a glass of sparkling wine.
Severus smiled a bit, remembering how ill at ease he'd been that first night, asking that a bottle be sent to his room. He had already booked the best room at the inn. He had flatly refused to order champagne for one. Eris had laughed softly and assured that anything with bubbles would do.
She was laughing softly now. "The couple that ran the inn thought you were a jilted bridegroom drowning your sorrows, didn't they?"
He smirked. "True, but since they gave me a discount on the room, I could not complain."
Eris touched her glass to his. "I have never regretted choosing to spend my life with you."
Severus set their glasses aside in order to clasp her fingers in his. He was more comfortable showing his feelings, but for her sake, he said, "You are my truest companion in every sense of the word." After pressing a kiss to the back of each soft hand, he said, "Whatever the future holds, I will hold true to you."
Later, once the wine was gone and all but a few candles were extinguished, Eris reached beneath the bed and handed him a box. Severus opened it and stared blankly at the shirt, trousers, and cloak lying within. They were old, serviceable ones.
"I made them fireproof. Your gloves and boots are dragon hide, so they didn't need it."
He asked, "How did you know?"
"I went down to the kitchen to play with Gruffydd- he loves dangling string- and heard Mordred tell him you two needed a rucksack of food for an expedition in the morning." Her smile was wobbly. "I knew he didn't mean hill walking."
"No." Severus tried to lighten the sombre mood. "Shall I bring you a dragon scale for an anniversary present?"
"I'd rather have you return in one piece."
He kissed her tenderly. "I will do both."
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Before what Mordred called 'The Quest' began, a third member joined the party.
"We must away, ere break of day, to find our long-forgotten gold!" sang Baudwin, striding into the kitchen. He noted Severus' blank astonishment and asked Mordred, "What's with him? Isn't Tolkien required reading in Muggle Studies anymore? It damn well should be!"
"I recognised the line from The Hobbit, but what I do not understand is what you are doing here," grated Severus.
"I like six eggs with my ham when starting on a journey: fried, not poached, and mind you don't break them," Baudwin said to Gruffydd, who winked and began conjuring.
"Is he mental, does he believe himself to be Thorin Oakenshield?" demanded the apprentice of his master.
Mordred chuckled. "No, no, he's more hobbit in temperament, always wanting to stop and eat." In a carrying whisper, he added, "And look at those hairy toes!"
Severus looked. Hastily glancing away, he said, "This was supposed to a secret."
"Secret?" Baudwin interjected, "A picnic after some hill walking?" He jerked his head toward the retainer who had his back to them and said, "I'll keep it a secret if you and Mordred insist."
The younger man caught the implication that Baudwin was Mordred's Secret Keeper and sighed in exasperation. He watched each man wolf down a breakfast he and Eris together would not be able to consume, and wondered how they would be able to walk, much less scramble up a mountain.
After the three had Apparated to the mountain range where wards and dragon keepers contained Welsh Greens, he found out.
Potions…Mordred and Baudwin each drew several from the rucksacks they carried.
"Strength, Stamina, and Speed," said Baudwin, pointing to each flagon in turn.
"Balance, Breath, and Bounce," said Mordred, gesturing to his own small cache. He saw Severus' brows rise and said, "If you fall, do you want to break your neck, or would you prefer to bounce?"
He would rather feel like a dunderhead than die. "Bounce."
Baudwin conjured three shot glasses and handed them out. He reached for the first flagon. "Cheers."
Severus removed two flagons from his cloak pocket and said, "Elixir of Courage and Indigestion Reliever."
Mordred placed a hand to his stomach. "Bless you, boy."
After the trio consumed the potions, Baudwin chanted several spells to neutralise smell. "There. We'll muffle sound when we get nearer to the peaks. The dragons and their keepers will never know we're coming."
"Shouldn't we use Disillusionment Charms to prevent them from seeing us?" asked Severus.
The old friends exchanged glances. "Of course," said Mordred. "I was testing you."
"You passed with flying colours," added Baudwin. The men evoked charms to dispose of empty flagons and blend with the landscape.
With a sinking feeling, Severus followed the trail of pebbles disturbed by feet and the muffled noise of wizards making their way up the slope. After a half hour, he asked with studied casualness, "When was the last time the two of you journeyed up the mountain?"
"Not so long ago," said Mordred, sounding just ahead of his Apprentice. He changed the subject. "Have you read many dragon legends, Severus?"
"No. I do not know much about them, except basic physiology, and that they seem intelligent creatures."
"Well, they don't hoard gold and certainly don't prefer silly virgin girls to sheep," Baudwin's voice came from ahead and slightly to the left.
"What about virgin sheep?" Mordred said laughingly, "I prefer lamb to mutton. Why wouldn't a dragon?"
"I'll be sure to share that revealing comment with Dera," taunted Baudwin. After a moment's silence, he yelped, "Merlin, my hand…you hexed me!"
Mordred's tone was smug as he warned, "You'll get more than a Stinging Hex if you…"
"Dragon keeper, behind us- be still and for gods sake be silent!" Severus whispered fiercely.
Once the patrolling wizard on his broomstick had become a speck in the distance, Mordred said, "I should've added Augmented Sight to the rucksack."
They continued to climb up the challenging terrain, Severus reflecting that without the potions, he might not have been equal to the task. Safely moving over steep ground was difficult enough with enhanced abilities. As they scrambled up the exposed rocky ridge toward the summit, the young man was grateful to have taken a double dose of courage.
He disliked heights.
Without artificial calm, Severus knew his brow would be perspiring and his hands slippery. He would have seen the sheer drop to one side and had to combat nausea. Aided by the potions, he coolly remained focused and kept scrambling toward his goal.
It was reached much sooner than expected.
Not long after they'd used a spell to mute footsteps, and tied themselves together with an enchanted line of string, they came upon a lone dragon. The massive creature was sunning itself on a rock; green scales almost iridescent in the light. Severus took one look at deadly claws and cursed Lucius for cavalierly volunteering his services.
"Ahem…go on, we'll keep our wands at the ready," whispered Mordred.
Severus took a step forward. Small, dislodged pebbles rolled down the slope. The sound, like the whisper, was barely audible, but it was enough to cause the dragon to open its eyes.
Immediately, Severus delved into the mind of the beast. A series of images flashed into mind…
He was riding wind currents…diving to snatch a sheep for dinner…crunching bones with his teeth…watching as a dragonet emerged from a brown egg speckled with green…firing narrow jets of flame at small flying creatures that kept him from escaping invisible boundaries…
The connection was broken when the dragon sprang upwards, the wind generated by its wings blowing Severus to the ground. The wizard held his breath, not wishing to breathe the dust billowing up. He waited until time had passed and the Green did not circle back to ask, "Is everyone all right?"
There was a tug on the line, as if someone was rising to his feet. "I'm fine…I just haven't been that close to a dragon before," said Mordred.
"We always snuck around the edges of their lair," Baudwin chimed in. He started to laugh. "Metres away, old friend. We were only metres away from a dragon!"
Severus was still reeling from the experience. He said, almost to himself, "They are in no way like giants. There is intelligence, a reptilian cunning, but they have a fear and loathing of men that makes any attempt at communication futile."
"Not to mention fatal for the poor bloke who attempts it," said Baudwin.
Mordred shuffled forward until he could pat Severus' arm. "You have accomplished your mission. They cannot ask for more."
Severus looked around and saw something green shimmering on the rock where the dragon had perched. He walked over and picked it up.
"That is a small scale, most likely from a claw- keep it as a reminder of your time in Wales," Mordred said, his voice directly behind his apprentice.
"I will need no tokens," said Severus, pausing to reach out to find and put his hand on the old wizard's shoulder, "to remember my finest master." He heard the shaky breath the other man took and was heartily glad they could not see each other. Severus cleared his throat and called out, "Baudwin, where are you?"
"Behind the rock! That Green was here long enough to leave behind more than scales. After I complete a drying spell, there will be enough for all of us!"
Severus said, "Dung…the real treasure of dragons." When Mordred chuckled, he added, "I will assist you in gathering some for Madam Bowen."
"Thank you."
Severus put the scale in his cloak pocket. "No," he said quietly, "Thank you."
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A/N: Partings are such sweet sorrow! Severus and Eris are leaving Wales, but won't part from readers until after the next chapter. People who've read my previous Severus stories know I'm also a Tolkien fan. (and a Princess Bride fan, and too many others to mention. :D) The readers who gave reviews worth more than gold last chap were…...♥ cupcakeswirl ♥ die Loreley♥ Elspeth Bates ♥ Fauzia ♥ FNP ♥ GraceRichie ♥ Machiavelli Jr ♥ MollyCoddles♥ sunny9847 ♥ and ♥ The Ravishing Enchantress ♥
