Aerylae looked around the room with interest. The walls were a deep purple and the ceiling was hung with thick dark blue sashes and lanterns. Around the walls and piled haphazardly on shelves were all manner of odd things: unusually shaped clay pots, strange herbs and glass bottles filled with mysterious liquids
"This is Warlic's shop," Robina said, striding over to a corner where a large bell hung. She tugged the long red rope hanging from it.
"Warlic?" Aerylae asked.
Just then, a man stepped from behind one of the curtains. Aerylae eyed him curiously.
He wore a long, heavy dark blue velvet robe. The edges of the draping sleeves were embroidered with copper thread and encrusted with green pearls. He wore two large golden cuffs just below his shoulders, each hung with an emerald. The high collar of the robe held three circular gold discs with a ruby in their centers. A wooden staff with gold inlays and green stones hung from his back.
"At your service," he quietly, the tone of his voice belying amusement. His grey eyes twinkled at Aerylae from behind their thatch of elegant grey hair.
"Aerylae, this is the wizard Warlic, one of the greatest in Lore. Warlic, this is Aerylae. She helped me and Robina out of a tricky spot with Drakels on the way back from the journey."
"She did more than help us out, Artix, she saved our lives!"
"Forgive me," Artix said sarcastically. "I had forgotten."
Warlic looked at Aerylae long and hard. She shifted uncomfortably under his incisive gaze. "Interesting," he said finally, before looking away. "Robina, Artix, I trust you have brought what I asked?"
"Right here," Robina said cheerfully, and withdrew a cloth-wrapped package from her belt purse.
"Thank you, my friends. Perhaps Galanoth and Cyrus will stop fighting with each other long enough to be able to test this for me." Gracefully, he strode over to one of the longer blue curtains and brushed it aside, turning for a moment and beckoning to the three people behind him. "Well? Aren't you curious to see what the fruits of your labor shall bring?"
Artix, Robina, and Aerylae followed him to a small room much like the first. It was obviously Warlic's workroom. A large clay pot bubbled happily on a small fire pit cut into the center of the room.
Warlic took the staff from his back and began passing it over the pot, chanting under his breath. Carefully he unwrapped the package and dumped the herbs it contained into the cauldron.
There was a puff of purple smoke. With a small 'pop', the cauldron let out a blinding flash of light.
"By the earth lord Warlic, what are you making?!" Robina shouted, rubbing her smarting eyes with the back of her hand.
"It's a dragon detection potion," Warlic answered, pouring the contents of the pot into a glass bottle and corking it.
"Dragon detection?" Artix asked, his brown eyes confused. "But why –"
"There has lately been a large amount of powerful magical residue in this area. I know of no other creature to attribute this to but dragons."
Aerylae sucked in a long, slow breath. The last time there had been a dragon war she was young, but she remembered it well. The two neighboring villages to hers had been completely and utterly destroyed. There had been no survivors.
"Then all of Lore is in grave danger," she said.
"Yes." Warlic nodded. "Grave danger indeed."
Aerylae, Artix, and Robina walked back to their horses in silence. Finally, Artix spoke.
"I am leaving for the Paladin Order early tomorrow, and Robina is bound for Krovesport. Where do you go, Aerylae?"
Aerylae felt now she could explain what she planned to do. "I hope to train as a guardian," she said shyly.
To her surprise, Artix did not sneer, but offered help.
"Things are quiet with the order right now and it might be best that I stay in Battleon to see if my help is needed with this dragon mess. I am willing to help train you."
"I…um…that would be wonderful Artix, thank you," she said sincerely.
"Good," he said brusquely. "I believe Yulgar has some rooms available at the Inn. Robina, are you joining us?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I must get back to Krovesport. If what Warlic says is true I must ready the rangers. And Cyrus and Galanoth will certainly welcome our scouting abilities."
"Of course," Artix pecked her on the cheek. "Send word if you uncover anything interesting."
"Now, brother, when have I ever kept anything from you?" Robina said, grinning impishly.
"More times than I care to remember."
"You wound me. Well, Aery, I will certainly miss you. If Artix gets uppity don't hesitate to put him in his place."
Aerylae hid a grin at the disgruntled look on Artix's face. "Yes, Robina. May your lord be with you on your journey."
"The same to you both!"
Robina swung herself up onto her horse. With one last wave, she nudged the animal's side and it galloped past them, on the road to Krovesport.
"Uppity. Pah." Aerylae heard Artix mumble. "Come." He said, pointing at the largest wooden building. "Let us see what Yulgar has in the way of accommodations."
The rooms Yulgar supplied were small, but a fire burned cheerfully in a small hearth and the wooden bed in the corner was piled high with good wool blankets. Moving to the window, Aerylae saw that the sun had set and the sky twinkled with stars. She yawned, overcome by a sudden wave of exhaustion.
Artix chuckled behind her and she turned, surprised but too tired to be embarrassed at her momentary show of weakness.
"You've had an exciting week, haven't you." His voice was warm but behind it Aery sensed the disregard for a peasant girl, his vision of her as a starry eyed innocent caught up in the adventure of a lifetime.
"Oh, yes, until now I didn't know that there were other people on earth besides the ones in my village!" Too late Aerylae realized how harsh her words sounded. Artix's face closed itself up once more. "I…" she said.
"Forgive me. I hadn't meant to insult." His voice was icy. "But praytell, why did you leave your village, then? Surely, someone as worldly as you must have had their reasons for living there."
Aerylae pressed her face against the cool windowpane. So many thoughts swirled through her exhausted mind. "Goodnight, Paladin."
She wasn't sure if he whispered "Goodnight, Aerylae" or the sound was of the door closing as he retired to his room.