Hello everyone! And Happy Easter (for those who celebrate, for the other, enjoy the chocolate anyway)
I know, this is late. I swear I am so very bad at tracking time. I'd be a rubbish Time Lord (sorry, Doctor Who day, it was bound to appear somewhere).
This chapter will be a little bit different but I hope you will still like it... I'm a bit anxious about it, I admit.
Also, Facebook reminded me that I've began this story 3 years ago! How did that even happen? Gosh! I cannot thank all of you enough for still reading and encouraging me via reviews or follows!
Anyway, enough ramblings, with a last thank to my fabulous Beta, I leave you to read!
Enjoy!
Chapter 41:
Alenora looked out of her window to see children running out of the hut that served as a school. She smiled at their happy cries as they each headed towards their respective homes. She shook her head as little Amy tripped and fell, staying dazed on the ground for a moment, before springing back up and carrying in on her way.
She had always loved children even though she didn't have any of her own.
She turned her back to the window and returned to her working table. She had been grinding fennel seeds for a batch of cough medicine while her apprentice was out collecting other herbs. Her mind wandered as she resumed her work and then, she felt a ripple go through her, and not any ripple. Magic. Magic and the call of a dragonlord at that. The pestle and mortar in her hands clattered to the table.
She couldn't believe it. A dragonlord was calling out to her!
She had thought they had all been killed by Uther Pendragon!
Her mind became a turmoil of unanswerable questions. How had a dragonlord survived? Who was it? And most importantly why had they waited so long before calling her? Why now? Would she get her dragon form back?
She shook her head. She would soon find out the answers to all those questions as she could already feel the irresistible tug to go, to follow the trail of magic that would guide her to the dragonlord.
Without further hesitation she began packing. She didn't know how far she would have to go so she took a sleeping mat and a blanket as well as enough food to last several days.
She had just finished when her apprentice returned, carrying a bulging bag full of medical herbs. He stopped short as he noticed she also held a bag.
"Alenora? Are you going somewhere?"
She sighed quietly. In all the excitement and the unexpected prospect of reuniting with her kin, she had forgotten about the life she had constructed in the meantime and her responsibilities.
"Come here Jackson. I have to talk to you."
Looking worried, the young man obeyed, sitting down at the table, his eyes fixed on her. She suddenly was unsure of how she would explain to him why she had to leave.
"I have received word from an old family member and… I need to go to him, immediately."
"But… You're going to come back, aren't you?"
Alenora winced at his needy tone. She was going to miss him. He had been a great companion and a talented apprentice.
"I… I doubt it Jackson."
"But the people here need you! You're our physician!"
"And I have taught you everything I know. You will be a perfect replacement."
"Me?"
"Of course you!"
"I can't do it!"
"Yes you can. All you have to do is trust your instincts. You will know what to do."
Silence fell as Jackson's eyes filled with tears and he suddenly launched himself at her.
"I will miss you so much!" He cried in her neck.
"I will too but I'm not worried, you'll do fine without me."
She held him for a moment, thinking back to when she had found him wandering alone in the forest after his father had been killed by bandits.
"Come now Jackson. I really have to go."
Reluctantly he nodded and released her.
"Will you write to me?"
Alenora smiled sadly.
"Of course." She lied, patting his head. "Now, I believe you have work to do."
He nodded.
"Goodbye then."
"Goodbye Jackson. And take care of yourself."
With one last hug, they parted way and Alenora left, looking back one last time towards the village that has been her home for almost 30 years. Then she turned and entered the forest.
It took her five day of almost uninterrupted walking before she finally felt that she had arrived. The tug had been getting stronger and stronger, compelling her and making her forget about time and distance until the moment she reached the shore of a lake. She recognized it immediately. It was the lake of the Isle of the Blessed. The very heart of magic.
She had always believed it to be abandoned after the Purge but there was no mistaking the knowledge that this was her final destination.
She followed the shoreline until she found the old guardian of the boat and managed to find a coin to give him.
It took almost no time to cross the lake and when she disembarked she was surprised to be greeted by a man and a dragon. By her estimate the dragon couldn't be more than 5 years old and was a sparkling white she hadn't seen in centuries.
"Hello." She said, bowing slightly to the man, wondering if he was the caller. "My name is Alenora."
"Welcome Alenora. My name is Gwaine and this is Aithusa."
The dragon bowed respectfully but Alenora sensed she was tense.
"We'll take you to the other dragons. I'm afraid you will have to wait before you can get your form back." The man explained as he began to walk back inside the castle.
"Why is that? And who called us?"
"Emrys did. But he isn't available at the moment." The dragon answered, the coldness in her voice clear even through the stuttering language typical of hatchlings.
"It's quite alright. I'm in no hurry."
"Well, that's a relief." She heard Gwaine mumble.
She was about to ask what he meant when he knocked at a door before opening it.
"This is where you can stay. We're in the third room to the left down the corridor if you need anything." Gwaine said, stepping back to let her entered.
She was amazed to see almost 20 people in the room, sitting in small groups. She hadn't been expecting there to be that many.
"I'll be fine. Thank you." She answered after a beat.
The long haired man nodded and began walking away.
"Wait!" She interrupted suddenly. "Aithusa said that Emrys has been the one calling us and was unavailable. Did he do it alone?"
"He did." The man confirmed, shoulder squared and arms crossed in defense.
"Is he alright?" She asked, knowing full well the power needed to do a calling ritual that would reach dragons in human forms.
Gwaine hesitated, glancing down at Aithusa.
"He… has been unconscious since the calling." He finally answered.
"I'm a physician. I could take a look at him if you want."
This made Aithusa growl protectively.
"Maybe not now. But I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."
She nodded and watched as human and dragon made their way back to their room before turning to the other human dragons.
It took only half a day for Alenora to understand Gwaine and Aithusa's cold welcome. Half of the human dragons complained about the time it took for Emrys to wake up while the other half were constantly arguing that it couldn't be Emrys as he was just a legend. The latter were encouraged by the first ones to arrive who had seen Emrys and described him as nothing but a weak boy barely out of childhood.
Alenora had personally never thought much about the Once and Future King and Emrys' legends, but she knew that if this man had managed to call them all and not die in the process, then he must be very powerful. The fact that they had no news of him awakening made her worry, not for her but for him. That was why she took to asking Gwaine again and again if she could go and see him, just to make sure he was really alright.
Her insistence was rewarded more quickly than she thought as Gwaine came to her the evening after she arrived. Now that she had settled in the castle, it became clear that he was worried sick.
"So, tell me, Gwaine, what's your story here. You're not a dragonlord, are you?"
The man let out a small laugh.
"No. No, I'm not. In fact, I'm a knight of Camelot. But I'm first Merlin's, well Emrys', friend. I was supposed to make sure nothing happened to him."
He shook his head dejectedly.
"Guess that didn't work that well." He added. "Anyway, here we are. However, I can't promise I'll manage to make Aithusa move. She's stubborn as a mule. Hasn't left his side in 5 days."
"Don't worry. I know my way with stubborn hatchlings."
And it was true. Before the Purge and Uther's ruthless dragon hunt, she had been responsible of caring for the young dragons of her tribe and they were often strong minded and stubborn.
She followed Gwaine into the room he shared with Aithusa and the mysterious Emrys and finally understood what the other dragons said.
The man lying in a corner of the room near the fire didn't look like much and yet she could feel the aura of warm power emanating from him.
She approached cautiously, careful not to look threatening to the young dragon. She kneeled down a few feet away and began talking in the dragon language, hoping it would make the dragon trust her.
"I just want to make sure your dragonlord is alright. I am a physician. I know what I am doing. I promise I won't hurt him and you can stay close. But we have to know if something is wrong."
It seemed she was convincing because slowly the dragon stepped back. Alenora approached and began examining the unconscious man in front of her. She listened to his heart and chest, feeling his pulse. She could find nothing wrong with him except a slow pulse and slightly cold feeling of his skin that were obviously due to his unconscious state.
"You were right." She announced, straightening up. "He is simply exhausted but I can tell you cared for him well as he is not too dehydrated. I trust he should wake up soon enough."
"Thank you." Aithusa answered, once again lowering herself next to her dragonlord, sharing her heat with him.
"He is lucky to have both of you. Such loyal friends are rare to find." She commented, looking at the pair of them then up at Gwaine. "Keep giving him thin soup and water and we will all carry on waiting."
She pushed herself up, brushed the dust from her dress and left with a small bow. She couldn't help but think that for such a great destiny, Merlin didn't look very impressive. And yet, she knew that there was nothing more deceptive than appearances. She was quite curious to see what he was like awake.
So, how did you like this?
And now, I'm back to wait for Doctor Who!
Don't hesitate to message me, tell me what you think!