The Dragons of Ash and Smoke (Tales from the New Earth Book 5) (44 page)

“
We've brought you
some refreshment. You've all been out here all night and you need to
keep up your strength if you mean to deal with those horrid beasts
that attacked us.”

Before Tamara could
respond, Malcolm stepped forward and beamed down at Nancy.

“
Oh bless you! I
could feel myself wasting away from hunger. You've arrived just in
time.”

Nancy snorted and poked
Malcolm on the lower chest, which was as high as she could
comfortably reach.

“
You're a horse,
laddie, and horses are always hungry.”

Everyone laughed while
Malcolm pretended to be wounded.

“
You see? She
doesn't love me anymore.”

“
Oh stop,”
Nancy said with a broad smile. “Now, we have sandwiches, fruit
and hot tea. Everyone help yourselves.”

Simon joined the others,
grabbing a couple of chicken sandwiches and a large cup of tea. He
hadn't realized how hungry he was until he began eating. He made sure
to thank all of the helpers when he was finished.

After Nancy had led her
troop back inside, the wizard cleared his throat to get everyone's
attention.

“
I may have an
idea,” Simon told them slowly, hoping that he didn't get
Tamara's hopes up too high.

She stopped and looked at
him, wide-eyed.

“
You have a plan?”

The wizard shrugged.

“
Maybe. I believe in
playing to one's strengths, so I think in this situation that I
should play to mine.”

“
Meaning?”
Malcolm asked tersely.

The big man's eyes were
red and both he and Aiden looked tired and twitchy, even after their
brief meal.

Simon raised an eyebrow
and the warrior grinned in embarrassment.

“
Sorry, I'm a bit
tense right now.”

“
We all are, my
friend. What I mean is, since I have a penchant for elemental magic,
why not use it to our advantage, considering the circumstances?”

He stepped away from the
group and turned to stare at a section of the courtyard ground that
wasn't covered in paving stones.

“
Kassus, I need
you,” he said firmly as he gripped his staff tightly.

“
What's he doing?”
Simon heard a small voice ask from behind him. Keiko had spoken up at
last.

In response, the empty
ground that the wizard was concentrating on exploded in a shower of
dirt and small stones that flew in all directions.

“
Shield,”
Simon said quickly and watched as the debris vaporized against the
barrier that snapped up around him.

The group behind him
wasn't so lucky and he heard several exclamations and at least one
curse as they were hit by bits of earth and pebbles.

The hole that had been
caused by the explosion was straddled by a massive figure made
entirely of rough, interlocking stones. Seven feet tall and almost as
broad, the earth elemental glared down at the wizard with fiery red
eyes. Its blank face still managed to convey emotion and it stared
balefully at Simon.

“
Sir wizard, you
have recalled me,” the elemental said in a voice like the
grinding of rocks. “You have need of my services?”

“
Perhaps, Kassus.
Thank you for responding. We both know that I am not one to try to
command you; I simply have a request.”

“
Ah. A request?”

The earthen sounded
intrigued.

“
State this request
then.”

Simon quickly explained
the situation while the group of five behind him watched silently.

“
So you see,”
he concluded, “if we attempt a frontal assault, we could very
well be condemning our friend to death. But I know that an earthen of
your power could transport Sebastian to safety before a battle,
leaving us free to deal with the goblins without worrying about him.”

“
I see,”
Kassus growled. “I need more information before I make a
decision.”

He stomped one heavy foot
on the ground that sent a tremor rippling across the courtyard.

“
Kronk, attend me,”
he said imperiously.

The little earthen popped
out of the same hole that Kassus had appeared from and stood looking
up at the powerful elemental.

Simon stared in surprise.
He hadn't known that the large earthen could do that.

“
You called for me?”
Kronk asked respectfully.

“
I did. Your master
sent you to spy on these disgusting creatures, these,” Kassus
muttered a string of sounds in his own tongue. Simon didn't think it
was complimentary.

“
These goblins,”
he continued. “Have you found their prisoner?”

“
I have. I drew
close enough to the string of caves to sense him. He is being held in
one of the deepest hollows in the underground complex.”

“
Is he alone at the
moment?”

“
He is,” Kronk
said. He looked apologetically at Tamara. “I can feel him
through the rock. He lives and, although I believe that he is
wounded, he is not critically injured. I cannot help him though. I do
not have the ability to do so.”

“
I do,” the
large earthen stated. “Lead me.”

The little guy nodded once
and jumped into the hole.

Kassus looked at Simon.

“
Have I your
permission to summon aid if necessary?”

“
Um, yes. Of
course.”

Without further comment,
the earthen stepped forward and sank out of sight.

There was a moment of
silence after Kassus disappeared and then everyone began speaking at
once.

Tamara hurried over to the
wizard and grabbed his arms.

“
Simon, are they
going to rescue my brother?” she asked frantically.

“
I guess so. Kassus
and other powerful elementals like him have minds of their own. By
the sound of it, it seems he thinks that this is his chance to get to
Sebastian and bring him home.”

“
But what if they
arrive and the goblins sense it and attack?” Keiko asked in her
unassuming way.

“
Then pity the
goblins,” Simon told her grimly.

“
Aiden? Have you
seen Miriam anywhere?” Tamara asked. “If that elemental
actually gets Sebastian out of there, he may need her skills
immediately.”

“
I hadn't thought of
that. She's probably back in the infirmary. I'll get her.”

He trotted away while
Malcolm told them that he was going to speak to the guards at the
tunnels, in case Kassus' assault goaded the goblins into another
attack on the castle.

“
I'll join the
watchers on the wall,” Liliana said as the two big men had
left. “You never know when those dragons might decide to come
back.”

Simon nodded at her. He
took the opportunity while they waited to sit down on a low wall that
surrounded a lovely patch of flowers. He lay his staff down next to
him and rotated his shoulders. Then he slowly twisted his neck,
trying to loosen it up a bit. His body was stiff with the tension of
the past several hours and beginning to ache.

Malcolm was right, he said
to himself irritably. You are a delicate flower.

The sun had risen and the
courtyard was now bright enough to see into even the darkest corners,
so the wizard banished his light globe and really looked around for
the first time.

Someone had worked hard to
landscape the grounds. Several small, walled-off gardens splashed
color around the courtyard. The low buildings were all in good repair
and neatly kept. A peaceful place before the goblin attack, he was
sure that it would be again.

The walls of the castle
soared up fifty feet or more above the central court. On the south
side of the castle, the main part of the castle stood thick and
strong. Simon had no idea how many people could fit into the place,
but he could tell that hundreds of inhabitants could live comfortably
in the castle without anyone feeling crowded.

A gentle poof of air next
to Simon's head made him smile as he looked up at the guards
patrolling the outer walls.

“
Any news?” he
murmured, enjoying the feeling of the chilly morning beginning to
warm up in the bright sunlight. The scent of flowers was filling the
air.

“
The goblins haven't
left their hole, if that's what you mean,” Aeris replied.

He floated around into
Simon's field of view and looked at the wizard closely.

“
Are you all right?
You seem a bit...distracted.”

“
Do I? No, I'm fine.
We're just waiting for Kassus to return. He left with Kronk to, I
guess, try to rescue Sebastian.”

Simon turned his attention
to the elemental.

“
Why are you back
anyway? I thought that you were going to watch and only report back
if the goblins tried to make a break for it?”

“
Indeed I was.
However, for some reason the stupid creatures decided to seal the one
entrance into their warren under that circle of stones.” Aeris
shook his head and sneered. “Idiotic decision if you ask me.
Now they have no retreat. I'd guess that they were worried that
Malcolm and the others might attack to try to retrieve the mage, or
to exact revenge, and figured they would be safer sealed
underground.”

He furrowed his brow and
stared unseeing across the courtyard.

“
Perhaps they plan
to tunnel away now that their front door is sealed? That's a
possibility, I suppose.”

Simon picked up his staff
and stood up slowly, using it to assist him.

“
Well, if that's
their plan, they are in big trouble. Kassus' natural habitat is
underground. The goblins won't be tunneling away from him, I'm sure.”

Tamara was still standing
in the center of the grounds, speaking quietly with Keiko. As Simon
began to walk toward them, Miriam and Aiden came out of the main
castle and approached them as well.

“
Someone is
attempting to rescue your brother?” the cleric asked Tamara
just as Simon joined them.

The mage shrugged.

“
We aren't sure. One
of our friend's,” she nodded at the wizard, “elemental
allies has gone to check out the goblin hideout. It sounded like he
might try a rescue. In case he does, I wanted you available. Aiden
didn't tear you away from any patients, did he?”

The cleric smiled at
Aiden.

“
Of course not.
Except for Jenny, who is resting comfortably in her quarters, I have
no patients at the moment. So, any idea how long we'll have to wait?”

Tamara looked to Simon for
an answer but he could only shrug.

“
Not really, no.
Aeris here just informed me that the goblins have blocked the
entrance into their lair, so at least we know that they aren't making
a break for it above ground. Underneath? Who knows. We'll just have
to wait and see.”

“
Ah, wait and see.
My two least favorite things,” Tamara said tightly. She began
pacing again.

“
They blocked their
only means of escape?” Aiden asked incredulously.

Simon nodded.

“
But that's crazy.
What kind of leader would order something like that?”

“
One who doesn't
understand tactics would be my guess,” Simon replied. “Maybe
we just got our first real break.”

A clatter of armored feet
got everyone's attention and they turned to watch Malcolm and Liliana
hurry down the steep steps from the wall. Both of them looked
concerned.

“
What's wrong now?”
Tamara asked a bit crossly as the two joined the group.

“
Dragons,” the
paladin stated in a clipped voice. “Three of them coming from
the south. Probably the trio from last night.”

“
They're on the
attack?” Simon asked her.

Liliana laughed
humorlessly.

“
If they are,
they're being awfully leisurely about it. No, scouting is more
likely. They are still miles away but I think they are doing a
fly-over of the goblins' base. After that, they may or may not come
in this direction. The sentries are watching above us and will let us
know.”

“
Great. Just what we
need this morning; bloody dragons,” Tamara spat and began
pacing again, her robes swirling like a storm around her. Everyone
gave her a wide berth.

There really wasn't much
more to do after that. Simon decided to climb to the top of the wall
and watch the distant dragons. Aeris followed him and the two of them
stared as the three red dragons swooped and soared majestically over
the wild English countryside.

“
They are beautiful,
you have to give them that,” Simon said loudly as a brisk wind
blew past him making his clothing flutter and snap.

“
Maybe, but there
are many other kinds of beauty that I find more appealing and less
deadly,” Aeris answered dryly.