“And the realm needs you, Giddi,” Marlies said softly, placing her hand on Master Giddi’s arm. “Even though you’ve given so much.”
To Fenni’s surprise, his master didn’t shake her arm off, or bluster, or even flinch. He stood there, gazing at the sky, eyes shiny with tears, while Marlies waited silently beside him. At long last, Master Giddi shook his head, his face lined with deep sorrow. “The past is over and we must both move on.”
She nodded.
Giddi cleared his throat. “So, what’s the first order of the day?”
Who was she, to bring back such sad memories that even the toughest wizard had tears in his eyes? The only emotions Fenni had seen his master show were mirth, frustration or his blustery gruffness. He hadn’t known Master Giddi had a tender bone in him.
Jael returned, holding two bulging sacks. “Your herbs, Master Giddi. I have another sack somewhere.”
“Not mine,” Giddi answered, waving a hand at Marlies. “Master Healer Marlies from Dragons’ Hold, this is Jael of Naobia. How about you brew us a cuppa, Jael?” Master Giddi and Marlies each loaded a sack into the dragon’s saddlebags. They went over to a log, the silver dragon included. Giddi flourished his hands and the snow dissipated off the fallen tree in a cloud of steam. As Marlies sat, Master Giddi observed, “Your cloak is ripped.”
“It’s only a corner. I was fighting a tharuk in Western Settlement and its tusk got caught.” She shrugged. “The tharuk came off much worse.”
This rider looked weary. She must be tougher than she looked.
“I’ll make you a new one, although invisibility cloaks take a while. What else do you need?”
Marlies hesitated. “You. At Dragons’ Hold.”
His master’s face shuttered. “Marlies, I’m not coming to Dragons’ Hold.”
“Giddi, the realm needs you. With this rift, we won’t withstand Zens. Our young trainees need to ride together, fight together, like we did.”
Jael poured water from a waterskin into three mugs, and Liesar opened her maw and breathed over the cups. Soon they were steaming. Fenni added soppleberries to the cups, passing them around.
“No, Marlies. Those days are over.”
“But dragon riders need wizards. We need to work together. The whole realm will be overrun if we don’t defeat Commander Zens and his tharuks.”
Master Giddi shook his head, bitter lines etched in his face. “I’ll do more harm than good.”
“No, Giddi. We’re older, wiser. We won’t make the same mistakes.”
“Leave saving the realm to the young. We’re still trying to undo the damage I caused.”
“You caused? It was Mazyka’s mistake, not yours.” Marlies drained her cup and handed it to Fenni. “I’ll see you soon, to collect my cape. I don’t care about history, Giddi. We have to stand together.” She climbed upon Liesar and flashed Giddi a smile. “Don’t give Starrus too much of a hard time. Leave him some vestige of pride.” She waved at Master Starrus, who was scowling from a window. Her mighty dragon tensed its haunches and leaped into the air.
Fenni’s hair stirred in the breeze from the down-thrust of the dragon’s wings. Gripping Marlies’ cup, he frowned. Mazyka was the wizard who had opened the world gate and let Zens in. Why was Master Giddi shouldering the blame for her actions?
Jael shook his head grimly.
Master Giddi kicked the log. “Sharding dragon riders. To the Egg with the lot of them,” he cursed.
His voice shot through Fenni’s mind. “No gossiping. Keep your trap shut.” Not a muscle twitched in his master’s face. Not an outer sign he’d mind-melded with Fenni.
Fenni gazed at the silver dragon’s blazing scales as it grew ever smaller in the sky.
§
Wizards ringed the clearing, perched in trees, sitting on the roofs, and gathered in a group at the edge of the forest, but not too close—no one wanted to get caught in the crossfire of a wizard duel. They’d been watching for a while now. Fenni’s stomach was as a pond of frogs. Soon it would soon be his turn.
Velrama, the blonde who’d made the archway in the ice wall, was pitted against an older boy. She was good, blocking every flame the boy threw.
“Hey, Sorcha, you’re being bested,” someone called.
Face red, Sorcha flung a fireball at Velrama’s knees, but she froze it with a wall of ice. His blush deepening, Sorcha shot a plume of flame at her. She caught it and flung it back. Scowling and gritting his teeth, he threw a giant fireball that exploded over Velrama’s head, raining molten fire.
“Enough.” Master Giddi’s bellow shook the air. He raised his hands and doused the fire, then flung a hand at Sorcha, throwing him across the clearing to land in a snow drift.
Master Starrus shook his head. “Sorcha of the Flatlands, you know the purpose of the wizard trials is to demonstrate control over your power. Today, you lost control. Even though you have demonstrated great ability, you have failed. Velrama of Last Stop, your control in the face of his anger was exemplary. Master Reina will present you with your wizard crystal.”
Sorcha clambered to his feet and stomped into a cabin, slamming the door.
The woman from the Wizard Council placed a leather thong with a turquoise crystal around Velrama’s neck. Fenni wanted a crystal so badly, but his flame was still erratic. How in the Egg’s name was he going to show his skill against Jael? He mustn’t lose his temper, no matter what Jael flung at him. Or he’d never get to fight tharuks.
Master Reina called the next contestants. It was a routine demonstration with carefully-conjured and defended flame. No one wanted to repeat Sorcha’s mistake. At the end, both contestants were awarded turquoise crystals.
“Jael of Naobia and Fenni of Montanara,” called Master Reina from a table
