Dragon Dreams

Chapter 22: Past and Present (3/3)

The blue dragon took a few paces away from me until he reached the center of the clearing. He seemed to be searching for something on the ground. I followed his gaze and noticed a variety of smooth stones that lay nestled in tufts of grass. Rofar picked one up in his claws and placed it on a round rock that sat nearby. The stone sat on top of the rock a little precariously, but it didn't slip off.

Rofar stepped back and smiled at me. "Your first task is to push that pebble off the top of the rock. I will tell you that this is slightly different from the conjuring magic you have performed so far. Movement magic requires a great deal of focus on the process of how something is done. You can't just imagine the pebble sitting on the ground and expect it to fall there. No. You must direct your will to guide the object from the start."

I stood there looking from the rock to Rofar and back. What he had said still confused me, and it must have shown because the blue dragon spoke up again.

"Maybe you can make it wobble at first, then you can nudge it slightly, and finally you will be able to push it along the surface until it falls. Here, Stolvir can show you how it's done."

He nodded to the young dragon, who took a step forward and fixed the pebble with a hard stare, eyes narrowed. His tail ceased its lively motion as he went completely still with concentration. "Nuöves," he whispered. "Move."

The small stone rocked to one side, then started to slide along the top of the rock. A couple inches of skittering motion brought it tumbling down to the grass. Stolvir let his hardened gaze shift into a proud smile. He winked at me, prompting me to think, "Hmm, I guess dragons do that too. Or it's another thing he picked up from his mother."

"Right," Rofar said as he strode over to replace the pebble, "very good, son. Can you give it a try, Ayreth?"

"He said the word 'move' while he did it," I pointed out. "Does that make it easier?"

"You noticed that, I see. The word has no connection to the magic itself; it is just something you can do to improve your focus. Many dragons do this, and they use all sorts of words that they find helpful. You may remember, I even did it when I...when I made us invisible for the flight." I realized he had been about to mention the healing of my legs, but then remembered it was not meant to be shared.

"Use a word if you wish," he continued casually. "But know that you will eventually have to do it in silence. That is how you show true mastery of skills like this."

"Okay, I'll give it a shot."

I took a couple steps closer to the rock and fixed my gaze upon the pebble, trying to close out the surroundings. I was a little nervous about trying something like this for the first time. My attention was focused on the object in front of me, but I consciously tried to direct my spirit to center on the stone as well. Slow breaths passed in and out of my lungs, finding a rhythm like waves on a shore.

A stillness settled over my body as I started to try and exert my will on the small stone. As Rofar advised, I tried to focus on the process, imagining tiny movements that would slide the stone off its perch. I stared and stared, trying hard to make this tiny stone obey my spirit's command. "Move," I whispered.

Still, nothing happened.

"Move," I said a little louder. I knew I was trying too hard. My focus was slipping, and I had to admit it wasn't going to happen the first time. My frustrated thoughts strayed toward embarrassment at what I was doing. In that moment, I was aware of how patently ridiculous this was. Standing here, trying to use my mind and a spoken word to move this tiny stone, I thought it all was rather absurd.

"Okay, relax, young one," Rofar said mildly. "Take a breath, refocus, and try it again. In your mind, you should see the stone just begin to tilt. That tiny initial movement is a good goal to start with."

I blinked and nodded. Shooting a glance at Stolvir, I saw him standing next to his father with a carefree expression. He showed interest in my efforts but didn't appear smug or otherwise superior. I still felt his athka as an approachable wisp of thought in the periphery. "Weird," I thought to myself. "Knowing his past, his personality's not what I imagined. He's probably the most outwardly friendly dragon I've met so far."

Turning back to the lesson, I tried to heed the blue dragon's advice. It seemed like a totally pointless exercise, trying to make this tiny pebble move such a minuscule amount. When I imagined my training, I pictured something a little more...dramatic, maybe?

I went through the whole process again, this time trying to roll the stone just a fraction to the right. I played the motion over and over in my head like a movie clip, trying to envision all the details. "Move," I whispered again, trying to imbue that word with all my concentration.

This time, it felt different. I kept my eyes on the stone, waiting, almost ready to be disappointed again. Then, with comical understatement, it tilted just like I envisioned. I smiled at the small victory, and Rofar and Stolvir congratulated me heartily on the progress. "This might be a bit harder than I thought," I mused inwardly.

The afternoon slipped away into a repetitive blur of magic lessons. Stolvir soon went away to help out elsewhere, leaving me alone with my teacher. Rofar wasn't messing around, and he made me do exercises with the pebbles until I could scarcely look at one without reproach. In the end, I had developed enough in my skill to move the stones around with some degree of control. One time I even did it without speaking any words, which gained me a bit of favor as a student.

"Good job," the blue dragon said. "I think we can stop here for today."

"Nakhost, myhroth," I recited. "Thank you, teacher."

The phrase was becoming more of a habit for me. Rofar had started insisting I treat him with the deference a real apprentice would show his master. He said this would make the lessons easier for both of us. If I saw him as too much of a friend, then I couldn't be pushed to advance as quickly. I saw the logic in that and agreed to reframe our relationship. He was a bit more serious in this new role, but not severe enough to really discourage me. I actually felt good.

Off in the distance, I heard something. It almost sounded like a lengthy blast from a horn, but I knew it was entirely different. This was a deep, full-throated dragon's call. More musical than a rumbling roar, this sound was inviting. It spoke to me in a different language altogether.

"It's time," Rofar murmured. "We will now join the others at the great hall for the feast."

"Anything I need to know before we arrive?"

My master replied cordially, "Only that everyone will probably want to meet you. But you can just stay close to me and I'll help you."

"Sounds great," I muttered flatly.

The blue dragon looked puzzled. "Your tone does not match your words. Is this a human thing? I think Nyraz has informed me of this."

"I guess sarcasm doesn't really translate," I chided myself. "Yeah," I chuckled. "Sorry, never mind. I can handle the feast. And I just realized something else."

"What?"

I smiled. "I'm starving."

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