Bird and Lore found the others in the hall where they had left them. Apple looked as if he wanted to say something, but a quick glare from Bird silenced him. His face fell and he turned away while motioning for everyone to follow him.

After a short walk they arrived in front of a large wooden door guarded by two dragons in their bestial form. They snorted and let them pass into the chamber beyond.

The first thing Bird noticed was the sound of flowing water. All along the walls water ran in thin sheets distorting the marble behind it. The water fell into troughs causing them to bubble from the constant churning. Four pillars stood in the middle of the room each connected to its neighbor by an ornate arch. In the center of the square of pillars sat a dragon with her hands clasped tightly in her lap and her head slightly bent back allowing her long dark hair to flow over her back and on to her pillow.

A second dragon woman kneeled behind her massaging the seated woman’s neck and temples. She looked up, her blue eyes sparkling as she watched the group enter. “Avalon!” she shouted springing to her feet. She sidestepped the older dragon and dashed across the floor to leap into his arms. Apple caught her and smiled before kissing her. “Oh, I’ve missed you, don’t leave me again!”

“This female has been driving me towards the edge of madness with her incessant whining about you. ‘Is he back yet? Can you tell me what he’s doing? Is he thinking of me?’” the Oracle said while resting her chin on her palm. “Do me a favor and take your fiancée with you next time Avalon.”

Bird felt herself disconnect from her body for a moment only to come crashing down hard. Lore noticed the stricken look on her face and pulled her into his side. He flinched as he felt her fingers dig into his skin. “Bird,” he whispered gently. She shook her head then pulled away, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.

Oblivious, Apple gave his fiancée a second kiss before setting her down. “Sorry I took so long, my love.” He turned and beckoned Elys forward. The older dragon kneeled before the Oracle and held out Bird’s book. The Oracle breathed out a sigh of relief as she took the tome in her hands.

“So it begins,” the Oracle said solemnly. “I weep for those who are not prepared… I do not have any urgent tasks for you. For now return to your regular work.”

“Oracle, what of our charges?” Apple asked. The oracle looked at Bird and Fel as if seeing them for the first time. She looked them over with care before speaking.

“The child can go to Nana, as for the man, he can go to Kiyl for weapons training. His future seems uncertain at this point. All of you are dismissed except for, Yena.”

Lore quickly led Bird out of the room with Fel right on his heels. Apple proceeded more slowly with his fiancée while Elys walked beside them. Adwin lingered for a moment, his hand in Yena’s. She kissed him swiftly on the cheek before turning to face the Oracle. Bird craned her head back to catch a last glimpse of Yena before the doors to the Oracle’s chamber closed.

Lore stopped in the hall suddenly and faced Apple. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be taking Bird to see Nana if you take Fel to Kiyl.”

“Don’t you think that as her guardian that I should take her?”

Lore smiled brightly. “Kiyl’s training ground is on the way to your quarters while mine are near Nana’s. You know as much about Fel as I do so I do not think that it would be a problem. Besides, I’m sure that there are many people waiting to speak with the Old One, so the sooner you reach your quarters the sooner your work can be accomplished.”

Apple stared for a moment then sighed. “Fine, I will. Sera, do you mind?” Apple’s fiancée smiled at him.

“I do not mind. Your cousin is right though, many have come asking for you. ” The couple locked eyes and Sera blushed before Apple leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

Bird rolled her eyes. Suddenly she was yanked off balance by Lore. “Since this is settled I’ll be on my way,” Lore said. He pointed at Fel. “Please behave yourself, you’re representing me, I don’t want my good named sullied.”

“Like you have a good name,” Apple said. Lore placed a hand over his heart and stumbled back.

“You wound me, how can I continue this long existence? Bird, lend me your bosom so that I may die comfortably. Hold on, never mind, I see that you lack a bosom sufficient enough. Alas I must live,” Lore moaned as he covered his eyes with his arm.

“Bird, will you be fine with Lore?” Apple asked while chuckling. Bird just shrugged her shoulders. An ache had begun to build in her chest, growing worse when she looked at Sera hanging on to Apple’s arm.

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered then turned away from them. Lore immediately took her arm and led her away, but not before waving back at his cousin.

***

Nana had just completed instructing her class when Lore and Bird made their way back to her. She smiled whole-heartedly and embraced Lore once again. “Come to see me so soon?”

“Nana, the Oracle said that Bird should be instructed by you. Do you have any quarters available for her?” Nana pursed her lips and looked Bird over.

“I think there is a spare bed in the women’s hall. She will have to be paired with one of the other students.” She turned to address Bird. “As you should know I like to encourage camaraderie among my students, I believe that it teaches students to work well together to achieve impossible goals, but we are not without competiveness. Without competiveness we would not be able to achieve the miracles that we accomplish with our power over magic. Magic is a gift of the Creator to us, his children, and should be used wisely.” Nana put her hand to her lips and blushed. “Look at me lecturing her already, Lore if you please get her settled in the dorm then bring her with you when you come to dinner. “ She patted Lore on the arm before shooing them both away.

“Wow, Nana likes you,” Lore remarked when he was sure he was out of earshot of his grandmother.

“How do you know?”

“My grandmother only gets eager to lecture those she likes.”

“Great, so I get to expect many lectures from a scary dragon lady named Nana,” Bird grumbled. Lore flicked Bird’s braid.

“It’s not as bad as you think, Nana is wonderful teacher. She is one of the First and remembers much of what has been lost to us. Many were relieved when she left the battlefield, not just because she was an incredible warrior, but because of the wisdom she holds.”

Bird felt more respect for the ancient dragon as Lore told her another tale of Nana facing down a platoon of 67 tigers of the Red Tiger Army of Heaven while protecting a caravan of followers heading towards protected ground.

Lore led Bird through several halls and a garden before they reached the hall for Nana’s female students. The group ranging from young children to old women watched her warily as they entered the reading room. Lore smiled brightly then pushed Bird in front of him and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Good evening ladies, this is Bird, as of today she will be joining you. Who is in charge of this hall?” A woman looking to be in her late forties stood up and curtsied.

“My name Lina,” she said in broken teranese as her salt and pepper hair fell into her eyes. “I take care of women. How old?”

Bird curtsied as best she could and the women chuckled behind their hands. “I’m Bird, I’m 18.” Bird heard more giggles and balled her hands into fists. She felt Lore’s hands tighten on her shoulders and she sighed. Lina motioned to one of the women sitting with her and spoke to her quickly in another language before beckoning to Bird.

“Sarene take you to room. She be partner,” Lina said as she placed Bird’s hand in the other woman’s. Bird looked over her shoulder at Lore as she felt her body tremble. He smiled and pointed to the door.

“I will be waiting for you in the garden once you are settled. Relax for a few moments, get to know these women; I know you feel tired,” Lore said. At once Bird felt just how weary she was. She had not realized the toll their travel had taken on her. The constant threat of Hunters and Seekers made for poor sleep for her and Fel.

“Alright,” Bird said as she fought a yawn. For a moment she wondered if Lore had worked some spell upon her. Before she could react, Lore gave her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead.

“Do not be scared,” he whispered into her hair and then he was gone. Bird felt the stares of the other women on her as Sarene took her hand and led her into the women’s sleeping quarters.

Bird looked at the few items she had laid out on her new bed. She had two spare changes of clothing, a sleeping gown, brush and comb set bought by Lore, a ribbon for her hair that Yena had given her and a small knife that was given to her by Apple. All of these items had been given to her during their long journey to Uler . None reminded her of the home that was now gone.

Instantly tears rose in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away before Sarene could see them.

“Do you like the room? The window faces the east so that it catches sunlight in the morning. My last roommate changed rooms, we did not get along well, but hopefully you and I will. I have an older sister two doors down from us, you’ll meet her later. Dinner is served just before sunset so make sure to wash,” Sarene rambled as Bird quickly stuffed her sparse belongings into a trunk located at the foot of the bed.

Bird smoothed down her shirt and flashed a quick smile at Sarene. “Thank you for showing me the room. I’m sure we will get along fine, but I have to go now,” she said quickly. Sarene stopped speaking, leaving her mouth open for a moment before returning the smile.

“Yes, yes, where are you going?”

“My guardian’s cousin and their grandmother would like to have me for dinner,” Bird replied as she crossed the short distance to the door.

“Have fun then,” Sarene said while pushing back her hair. The woman suddenly looked lonely to Bird. Feeling guilty she gave a short wave goodbye and left the room quickly.

Lore was waiting just outside the door into the women’s hall when Bird stepped into the garden to look for him. Not seeing him, she began to look around at the flowers that she had hardly glanced at before. For a moment Lore considered interrupting her, but instead held back to watch her. Bird paused in front of a patch of lilies and ran her fingers over the petals before dipping her head to smell. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she wandered further away.

The dragon began to shadow her, pausing when she paused and sniffing the flowers that she sniffed. Eventually Bird made her way to a small fountain in the middle of the garden. Suddenly a wave of water rose up and doused her leaving her to sputter and shake her hands free of water droplets.

“Having fun?” Lore said as he approached Bird. He watched as she glared at him before it turned into a mischievous smile to match his own. Before he could blink the water in the fountain coalesced into a stream and struck him in the chest knocking him into the flowerbeds. He spit mud and wiped his chin leaving streaks of wet soil. Lore felt his heart race with excitement as he curled his fingers into the damp soil then flung them toward Bird.

She immediately shielded herself then created mud balls of her own and flung them at Lore. Soon the two were shrieking with laughter and chasing each other around the garden. A few women from the hall peeked through the doorway into the garden to watch the pair as they continued their mud fight.

Bird was running away from Lore once more when she felt the hairs on her arm rise. As she took her next step forward the world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. Her right foot slipped through the air without touching the ground. Unable to find purchase, Bird’s body flipped over itself. As her head came around she noticed that the air around her and taken a silver shimmer. Through the distortion she could see Lore floating just behind her in his own silver bubble; his attention on something to their left. Bird turned her head to see Nana shaking her head at them. Clapping her one hand against her leg, Nana released the spell holding the two and sending them plummeting into the soft flowerbed below.

“Lorcan, I expect more maturity from you,” Nana said as she watched the pair slowly pick debris from their hair and clothing. “Look at this mess! My students worked hard to grow these flowers and I find you here tearing them up?”

Lore smeared more mud across his face as he wiped his mouth. “No, Nana, we weren’t tearing up the flowers, just throwing the soil.”

“Semantics,” the old dragon huffed. “Clean up this mess, bathe and then you may join us adults for dinner.”

Bird spit out the grit in her mouth. Her heart was still racing from running and her body thrummed with the energy. Suddenly she felt Lore’s hands under her arms lifting her to her feet. “Whoa,” she gasped.

Lore spun her around until she was facing him then moved a step back. “This is a chance for me to teach you a restoration spell. This one only works on living things. Yena is a far better teacher for this type than I,” he said taking Bird’s left hand in his own. “I will teach you the spell and then guide you to each target; agreed?”

“Yes,” she said eagerly.

“Close your eyes and feel the life energy of the plants.”

Bird closed her eyes and began to take deep breaths as she was taught before performing a new spell. She sent out a tendril of consciousness and connected with a small blade of grass at her feet. With a nudge from Lore she expanded her awareness. Distantly she heard him begin a chant. Once he had gone through it once he placed power into his voice. Bird joined her voice into his chant repeating each syllable that the dragon spoke. Pressure built up behind her eyes as their power merged and began to waver between them.

Lore took a step forward and waited for Bird. Noticing his movement she matched him step for step. As they walked they slowly released the spell, being gentle and careful to only release as much energy as each plant needed. They stopped in unison and absorbed the energy they had gathered into themselves. Bird smiled as she felt it hum within her healing every ache and chasing away her tiredness.

“Open your eyes,” Lore whispered into her ear. She did then giggled as she gazed at the renewed garden. Each plant was glowing with healing energy as if lit from within by the sun. “You did wonderfully Bird, of course not as wonderfully as me. Ouch!” Lore rubbed his shoulder as Bird moved away from him to look at the rest of the garden.

After shaking loose his arms, the dragon immediately cast a small spell and cleared the mud from the walk paths, the walls and themselves. Briefly observing his work he took Bird by the hand and walked swiftly toward the hallway leading out of the garden. “We must be quick, Nana is already irritated with us.”

Bird stumbled with Lore’s longer strides and without hesitation the dragon lifted her into his arms and began to walk more speedily than any human could. The halls and stairs were passed by so quickly that Bird failed to commit them to memory. They were soon in a dimly lit tunnel which widened steadily until it opened up into a field filled with the sunset light.

Lore paused on the border between shadow and light to set Bird on her feet. She gripped his arms tightly as she gazed at the table several yards away where many dragons she did not recognize in human form sat drinking and talking. Nana was the only one among them that she recognized, but even she was still a stranger. “Is something wrong?” Lore asked as he felt the tension rising in Bird’s body.

Bird’s lips pressed into a thin line before she answered. “I’m nervous. I have never been to a gathering like this even when my mother was alive. The only family she had was her sister and they hardly spent time together because they were so different and my uncle…” Bird shrugged and released Lore’s arms. “Nettie’s the only one I have left and the tigers have her.”

Lore took her hands into his. “You have me.” Bird looked at him. “You also have Avalon, Yena and Adwin. We will not abandon you.” Bird smiled and looked down at their joined hands.

“Thank you,” she murmured.