By the day’s end, Anders and Zahara could hardly walk to the dining hall. Luckily, Maija and Natalia had returned from their day’s journey and helped them hobble inside.
Before they parted ways after dinner, Ivan said, “Get some well-deserved rest. Tomorrow’s training will be longer and harder.”
Chapter 26
Memories
Maija followed as her older sister, Natalia, led her along a path at the cliff’s edge. She marveled at its magnificence and the sheer size of the massive rock walls streaking down in a jumble of vertical blocks to the forested valley below. The belly of the valley was lined on either side with hills climbing their way upward from the base and plateauing about a quarter of the way up the total height of the cliffs where they now stood, on the edge of Cedarbridge. Maija watched in awe as dragons occasionally stepped out from the rocky ledges below and flew away like a bird when a person gets too close. Each time, she paused to marvel at the magnificent creatures as they soared away above the trees, wings outstretched catching the air.
“Why don’t these dragons have riders?” Maija asked curious as to why there weren’t more dragonriders.
“Bonding with a dragon is a complex equation and one that not even the brightest minds in Kartania have solved. Many of the dragons that haven’t yet found a match do not want to be pressured into a situation where they would give themselves to another and live to regret it later in life. The bond lasts a lifetime and can only be given once. When the other half of the bond is gone, it’s difficult for the other to move forward. Luckily for me, you came back into my life at a time when I needed something to live for,” Natalia paused, scanning the expansive view from the cliff. “Many of the dragons that live in the Enlightened Forest have been bonded at one time, but Merglan and his dragon killed many of our kind.”
“I hate what he is doing, has done and what he stands for,” Maija said clenching her fists. She felt strongly toward the preservation of dragons and the use of magic for good. In her mind, a dragon’s beauty was unlike anything she could imagine.
“I agree,” Natalia said. “Dragons aren’t rapid in their reproduction either. There have been several newborns in my lifetime that the elves know of, but most dragons take their time when selecting a mate and don’t always have success when they’ve matched. And then there are the wild dragons of Nagano.”
“There are more dragons?” Maija interrupted.
“Yes. There’s a place to the northeast. A land we call Nagano, where the dragons first came to this world. They’ve survived there, mostly staying out of contact with humans, elves and dwarfs since the beginning of our world’s existence. It wasn’t until Merglan first attacked their lands and tried to take them captive, bending them to his will, that they agreed to send dragons willing to bond with skilled warriors of our choosing. That’s how the dragons came to stay here in the Enlightened Forest. To this day many dragons still live in Nagano, but no one dares attempt to contact them.”
“Why not?” Maija asked.
“Because wild dragons are very dangerous. Even if you were bonded with a dragon and went to see them, thanks to Merglan, they would likely view you as a threat and attack on sight.” Natalia said.
“I would love to see them someday.”
“Maybe once Merglan is dead and gone that would be possible, but now the closest anyone can get without being attacked is the dwarf kingdom at Mount Orena. They have tunnels that run through the mountains and places where you can look out at the vast valleys of Nagano. Unfortunately, at present our peoples are feuding politically; something to do with trade I’ve been told. Besides, the dwarfs hardly ever go to the overlooks anymore because wild dragons have a terrible thirst for wealth and the dwarfs mine gems, jewels and precious stones. They keep the overlooks heavily fortified so the dragons can’t enter.”
Dreaming up excuses for a reason to visit the dwarf kingdom, Maija was lost in thoughts of investigating Nagano when Natalia halted. Maija instinctively leaned around her sister, noticing an overgrown building, the vegetation appearing to suffocate any possible life within the dwelling.
“This is it,” Natalia said, raising a hand toward the forested house. “Our childhood home.”
Maija could see that the main structure of their parents’ home was built into a cedar tree larger than any other around. The outer walls of the house extended out from the main tree, built right into smaller cedars on either side. The home was perched along the edge of the cliff. She also noticed two large decks extending out from the main level, overhanging a good fifteen feet past the rock wall’s edge.
“Want to go inside?” Natalia asked.
Maija nodded. She followed as Natalia pulled back branches grown over the path leading up to the front door in the large cedar. Maija and Natalia had to rip moss, vines and ferns away from the nearly concealed door to gain entry to the house. Maija wiped away the last of the dirt and moss on the ancient wood to expose a beautiful entrance. A dragon’s head arched back, its forked tongue licking out past the open jaws of the carving adorning the door.
Natalia bobbed her head toward the rounded brass handle, suggesting Maija be the one to open it. She stepped forward, placing her hand on the knob and feeling the latch click as the mechanism opened. Still fighting the years of growth and neglect, Maija had to put her shoulder to the heavy door to force it open.
With a whoomph, the long-closed door cracked open. Together, Maija and Natalia pushed a second time, this time nearly falling into the entryway, now flooded with daylight, chasing away the shadows from their parents’ beloved home. Maija glanced to Natalia, who smiled. Sweeping her arm out, she stepped inside their home for the first time that she could remember.
Once inside, Maija hesitated, almost losing her balance. She looked down to see if she’d miss-stepped or tripped on something that had seemed to throw her off balance when a sensation came over her. Like a hot wave of energy, she felt a force pulsing into her being and she was transported.
The years of abandonment and accumulation of dust vanished. A small girl with wavy amber hair and tan skin ran past her laughing. Another girl, older, was chasing her. She watched as they ran inside the house laughing. A man stepped into view from beyond the entryway; he was muscular and had hair similar to the two girls’.
He bent down and hoisted the younger girl into the air as she ran into his arms. She shouted playfully, “Save me Daddy, she’s gonna get me!” He laughed holding her with one arm wrapped around her waist and placing her snuggly on his hip.
“Give your sister a break,” the man said to the older child.
“But we’re just playing a game,” the girl replied innocently.
“I think your mother needs help with the saddles,” he said. “Why don’t you see if you can help her. And when you’re finished, you can continue this game, okay?”
The girl nodded, spinning on her heels and running off to find her mother. The man placed the amber-haired girl back down on the floor and said, “Maija, come with me. I must show you something.”
Suddenly the scene Maija had been watching melted away. The abandoned walls muddled in moss came back into view. She looked around confused.
“Are you okay?” Natalia asked, placing a hand on her sister’s shoulder. Maija saw a look of concern on her sister’s face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Maija searched for words to explain what she’d seen, “I… I remember this place,” she said. “I remember, Ormond, our father.”
Natalia smiled, her concern vanishing, “That’s great, Maija. Do you remember anything else?” she asked.
“I remember that we played here,” she said looking across the entryway. “I ran into Father’s arms and he told you to help Mother with the saddles; then he said he needed to show me something.”
Natalia’s eyes rolled upward as she searched for a memory of the exchange Maija described. “I think I remember that,” she said questioningly. “That was right before we had to leave, I think. Before we were separated.”
Maija stepped farther into the entryway. The space opened into a central living room and dining hall. Several doors lined the walls of the hallways leading off the entryway. Maija looked left and felt herself walking to the first door. She turned the knob and forced it open. This door opened much more easily than the front door but still required a push. A bed and a small table with two chairs filled the room. The same force of energy she’d felt upon entering the house rippled through her again, this time without the accompanying vision.
“I think I remember this room. I’ve got a feeling about it,” she said.
“This was your bedroom,” Natalia said calmly.
Maija gave her a weak smile and turned to walk out of the room.
“Do you want a tour of the rest of the house?” Natalia asked.
Maija nodded, “Yeah, I think that would be helpful.”
Natalia led her into the next room, “This was my bedroom. Often, you would come in here during the middle of the night and want me to comfort you when you were scared.” She smiled at the memory. Next, she gave Maija a tour of the living room and dining area, followed by the kitchen. “You might remember this,” Natalia said running her hand along the surface of the dining table. “You and I had several food fights here. Mother and Father didn’t like that very much,” she chuckled.
Maija smiled but couldn’t remember any of it.
“Come on, I’ll show you Mother and Father’s room,” Natalia said gesturing for her to follow. Maija trailed her up a flight of stairs built into the side of the cedar tree, wrapping their way up to the second floor. The master bedroom was one large space with a balcony extending out beyond the tree. Their parents’ bed sat in the middle of the room, facing the large windows and platform extending out from the side of the tree. A couple of desks and several dressers lined the walls of the circular room. Trunks overflowed with clothing and other items. Seeing them, Maija grew curious. She couldn’t feel any pulse of energy as she had when they entered the house and her room. The two began rifling through their parents’ belongings.
Pulling apart a pile of clothing, Maija discovered a leather-bound book. Several papers appeared to have been hastily tucked within its pages before it was thrust down within the stack of clothing. She opened the book carefully. The pages were filled with charcoal drawings.
Natalia noticed the book in Maija’s hands and said, “That was Mother’s. She drew all of those herself.”
“Really?” Maija said looking closer. “I didn’t know she was an artist.” She realized after she’d spoken that she really didn’t know anything about her mother, Isabella.
Landscapes she recognized from their walk along the cliff were dispersed throughout the journal along with drawings of dragons. The book also included human, elf and dwarf portraits. She found a face that she recognized. It was her father. Maija pulled out the free page and stared, studying the rough lines that defined his features.
“She was talented,” Maija said gently placing them back in the book and closing the trunk.
“Come on, I’ll show you the platforms where their dragons would land.”
