Page 51 of Dragon Fire

And if the worst should come to pass, and the Citadel was breached, there would be need for the good wizard’s powers. If the Citadel released just one of its prisoners into the world, it could easily mean death or enslavement of thousands if not millions of souls…and war on a massive scale that had not been seen since ancient times.

Gryffid would be needed then, as he had been needed of old. But if he doubted himself, he would not be as useful as he had been a full strength. If there was a traitor in his court, then that traitor would be working to undermine the wizard at every turn—or so Seth believed.

He would make it his business over the next days, while he was in residence here, to keep a sharp eye out. Perhaps he, as a newcomer to the island, would see something others did not. Seth would tell the others to be equally as watchful.

The wizard had left Hrardorr with an impossible choice. Gryffid had come down to speak with Hrardorr that morning before breakfast, thanking him for defending the island and wanting to give him a reward for his bravery. Hrardorr didn’t want a reward for doing his duty or being what he was. No, he wanted for little in life. There was only one thing he would wish for if wishes really did come true, and that was something even a great wizard could not restore.

Gryffid had told him as much, answering Hrardorr’s unspoken wish as if he’d plucked it directly from Hrardorr’s mind. Perhaps he had. The wizard had almost unbelievable abilities. Perhaps mind-reading was among his many talents. Then again, it didn’t take a wizard to realize the one thing Hrardorr wanted most in the world was to see again.

“I can’t give you your sight back,” Gryffid had said quite plainly. “If the healers have not been able to make progress, then neither will I, but I can offer you something almost as good. It would require a sacrifice on your part, though,” the wizard had warned as Hrardorr’s emotions went flying skyward, then plummeting down again on a sickening ride. “If you were to bond with a new knight, I could probably devise a spell that would allow you to see through his eyes. At least when you are together, though the ability could be useful at other times, as well, if a bit disorienting.” Gryffid shrugged. “Perhaps, over time, you’d learn how to manage the view from elsewhere—wherever your knight is—while your body remains in another place.”

“I have vowed never to take another knight,”Hrardorr told the wizard in a solemn voice.

“Yes. So I understand,” the wizard said, not unkindly. “I know you have your reasons. For one thing, you have not been given adequate time and space to mourn the loss of your previous bonded knight. Your heart and soul must still be raw in the places where he was joined to you.” Gryffid reached out and placed an open hand on Hrardorr’s shoulder, in a gesture that was oddly comforting. “I know what it is to lose those we care for. I have lost more people to the next realm than you will ever know in all your years, my young friend.”

Hrardorr thought about the wizard’s words and, for a moment, sensed the eternity of his years. He understood, deep within, that the wizard had seen more—and lost more—than Hrardorr would ever know. It was a humbling thought.

“How do you go on, Master?”Hrardorr asked, unable to censor his words, even if he’d wanted to.

Gryffid sighed, breaking the quiet of the poignant moment. Hrardorr felt released, and as if he’d delved almost too far into the abyss.

“I will not say it is easy,” Gryffid went on. “Losing those we love is never easy. Knowing in our minds that they continue on, in a new place, without us, in ways even I cannot fully comprehend is small comfort to those of us left here, alone, lonely, struggling without them.” Gryffid patted Hrardorr’s shoulder and stepped back. “In your case, you not only lost your bonded knight, but your eyesight, as well. Either one alone would have been cause for great sadness and retreat from the world, but to have both happen at the same time… Frankly, I’m amazed you have carried on as you have, Sir Hrardorr.”

The fact that the wizard used Hrardorr’s title indicated a level of respect that was not lost on the dragon. This mighty wizard respected him? How could it be? Hrardorr was dismayed, but the wizard kept talking.

“You have almost single-handedly saved not only the town of Dragonscove, but my island. Certainly, others helped, but only after they saw you doing what no creature of your kind has ever done before. You are unique in your heritage, to be sure, but there’s more to what you did than just your ability to flame and swim. It is your courage, my friend. Your willingness to help, even when you are hampered by the sense you lost. Your willingness to lay everything on the line to protect others, to help those in need and save innocent lives. You are selfless almost to the point of folly, truly.” Gryffid paused to huff out an amazed-sounding laugh. “You are a dragon among dragons, Sir Hrardorr. The lands have not seen your like in eons and perhaps never will again. Though I suspect there will be more matings among the sea dragons and your land-based brethren in future. The ability to flame is something the sea dragons have lost over the years, but I suppose, now that they’ve seen what you can do, they’ll want that back. And the Mother of All plays a hand, of course.”

“Of course,”Hrardorr agreed by rote, his head still spinning.“Master, I am not the hero you paint me.”

“Nonsense.” Gryffid interrupted him. “You are all that and more. And you have a very big decision to make. My offer stands. If you choose a knight, I will work the spell that may allow you to see again…after a fashion. But I cannot and will not bind anyone to you in that way unless they are also bound to you with the knight’s bond. It would not be fair to either of you, and could be dangerous. If you bond to a knight, I know you will both honor the bond until one of you dies. That is the only way this magic I propose will work.”

Hrardorr wanted to shake his head, but didn’t dare. He might accidentally hit the wizard, which would be unforgivable. Despair filled him.

“I cannot take another knight, Master,”Hrardorr whispered, his thoughts, his heart…broken.“You ask too much.”

“Perhaps I do,” Gryffid replied, his tone filled with understanding and tinged with sorrow. “I am only sorry I cannot do more for you, my friend. You have saved my people and my land. I owe you a king’s ransom, yet I know that is not what you truly wish. I offer you a sad bargain instead, but it is the only thing I have to offer that can even come close to giving you what you most desire. For that, I am sorry.” Gryffid patted Hrardorr’s shoulder once more, proving that he had not moved too far away. “You are welcome here for the rest of your days, Sir Hrardorr. You are a hero among my people, and to me. For what you have done, you will always have my respect and thanks.”

Gryffid moved off. Hrardorr could tell by the flow of air as the wizard walked away.

“But keep my offer in mind. It stands, if you ever can bring yourself to act on it,”the wizard had told him silently.

That afternoon there was much activity on the beach near the dragon’s cave. Leo and Lizbet sat on the beach with Lady Shara while the other dragons frolicked in the waves. Shara couldn’t get her injury wet for a few more days yet, but she was healing well according to Seth and Lizbet.

Even Leo could see the wound was knitting as it should. With a bit more ointment and rest, they’d probably be able to take out the stitches soon. Maybe in a day or two. Then, it would be a few more days for the skin to knit more fully together. The scales would take a few weeks to grow back, though it might take more than one molt cycle for the scales to sit properly in the area of the cut again.

Sir Hrardorr had come back mid-morning and landed in the ocean, wading ashore with guidance from Xanderanth. Seth and Livia O’Dare showed up a short while later, riding on the back of a gryphon. A summit of sorts had taken place a short while later, involving the gryphon commander, General Falthith, Sir Hrardorr, Xanderanth and the leader of the sea dragons who had come ashore just after Hrardorr had arrived, a massive male dragon called Lord Skelaroth.

From what Xanderanth had passed along to Leo, Hrardorr was in charge of helping the sea dragons learn how to patrol and fight, should they be needed to defend the island again. Lord Skelaroth had agreed to help protect the island and the repository of magical objects and books in Gryffid’s keep, but to do that, he acknowledged that his people needed to learn some basic guard skills. To that end, they’d asked Hrardorr to be the intermediary, since he understood the limitations of land, sky and sea equally.

General Falthith was there to coordinate training flights around the island with select gryphon teams, who would show the sea dragons how gryphons usually patrolled and how they spotted problems from the air. Xanderanth would fly those patrols with the sea dragons at first, as group by group, the gryphons and sea dragons learned how to work together. Xanderanth and Leo would share their knowledge of such things from their perspective, and Hrardorr would help them put it all together so they came up with a workable system that utilized everyone’s greatest strengths at the end of the training period.

While the dragons and gryphon were ironing out details, Seth and Livia approached Leo and Lizbet, who were tidying up the cave and their campsite. Leo went to Seth at the other man’s beckoning, concerned at the frown on Seth’s normally jovial countenance.

“Is something wrong?” Leo asked, joining Seth by the fire that had all but died out.

“Could be,” Seth said quietly, making room for Livia to sit on the log they’d used the night before as a bench. “We need you to keep your eyes open. There is a strong possibility that one or more of Gryffid’s people is a traitor.”

“Surely not!” Lizbet had joined them, objecting to the idea that one of her fey brethren could betray Gryffid.

---