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They were going to be in so much trouble.
Dell could hear her mom’s warnings now. Dell, you know better! Your father and I taught you better! You aren’t allowed in the Deep Woods without an adult, snacks, and a compass. No, two adults and a compass! It’s far too dangerous to go there alone. People get lost on the way to the Grove of Rest all the time, you know, and that path is well marked and clear of brambles and tree roots. The Deep Woods are not a place to play in, young lady! But they weren’t playing in the Deep Woods, Dell stubbornly reminded herself as she ducked under a low hanging branch. They were conducting an investigation.
She liked that word, investigation. It made their activities sound important and worthy of the Dragonguard’s notice. But why wouldn’t they be? This was a vitally important investigation, one that the ancient Dragonguard absolutely would have undertaken back when they existed! It wasn’t playing, it was serious business, and they would stay in the Deep Woods until they found what they were looking for. There was something funny going on there, something beyond the usual mysterious stuff that happened in Mistria, and Dell and the Dragonguard would not rest until they figured out what it was. The air was heavy with summer humidity and the promise of adventure, but still. They were going to be in so much trouble when they got home. Unless…
“You know, dragon horn beetles are supposed to make their homes in the Deep Woods,” Luc explained as he clambered over a fallen log. “I’ve only seen illustrations in books, but if we’re lucky, we might find one today!” His backpack caught on a stubby branch on the log, but he hoisted it up and over before waiting for the others on the other side. Dell scrambled over the fallen log before helping Maple over.
“I hope we find a crystal apple! Oh, or a crown!” Maple cheerfully added. She scanned the forest floor, as if treasures would reveal themselves if she looked hard enough. Dell rolled her eyes and planted her fists on her hips.
“Remember, we have a job to do! Beetles and crowns can wait! We have a mystery on our hands!” Dell declared as she took in their surroundings. They stood in a clearing beside the pond. The still water reflected the boughs and foliage that hung over it, along with little traces of the clear summer sky. Mist and water droplets clung to the mossy rocks below and around the waterfall. The Deep Woods were beautiful and full of mysteries just waiting to be discovered, and they were going to discover one today. Dell knew that they wouldn’t be in trouble for going into the Deep Woods if they discovered something serious and important, more important than a beetle or a crown or even a sword.
“We don’t know for certain that there’s anything weird in the woods,” Maple said, trying to sound reasonable. “It’s all just rumors. Mom says we shouldn’t pay attention to gossip. It’s bad manners.” Even so, she looked a little skeptical. She squinted as she peered into the shadows cast by the pine trees, as if she could spy a mystery lurking behind the thick trunks and dense underbrush.
“It isn’t gossip!” Dell retorted hotly. “Celine said she almost fell into the pond, but she felt something grab her and pull her back onto the bank! Someone whispered to Miss Juniper when she was lost in the woods and led her to the main road! Someone left bundles of wood for Ryis when he needed them! It all happened, and that’s not gossip!”
“And someone is buying supplies from Mister Balor. He leaves packages on a tree stump, but there’s no reason for anyone in Mistria to be sneaky about groceries.” Luc pointed out, and he wrinkled his brow and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
“That is a little more than gossip. Mister Balor keeps an organized ledger, even if his room is a mess. But I don’t know why anyone in Mistria would keep groceries a secret. Eggs and milk aren’t very exciting,” Maple said. “Or anything that anyone would need to hide.” She folded her arms over her chest and frowned as she peered into the shadows again. The woods seemed impossibly large and full of possibilities, with secrets hidden in every shadow and down every winding trail. Yet it somehow also felt cloistered and stuffy as the towering trees blocked out all but the smallest traces of sunlight and sky.
“There must be a rational explanation,” Luc offered, playing the mediator once more. “So, what do we know for certain? What can we prove?”
“Well…” Maple said slowly, tapping her finger against her cheek like Lady Adeline did whenever she was deep in thought. “Someone had to clear away the brambles that blocked the path. Lady Adeline was making a plan and was going to collect the funds to do it, but then one day the brambles were just… gone.”
“And we know that someone is buying groceries, and they bought gardening tools, too! Mister Balor said so. All of that is real!” Dell added quickly. “And we have all the stories from everyone else who entered the forest after the path was cleared! But if the adults aren’t going to get to the bottom of this mystery, we’ll have to do it ourselves,” Dell declared, and she stepped closer to the bank of the pond, wondering where exactly her older sister had been standing when she almost fell into those cold, clear waters. Celine said that someone had pulled her back. That is, she said it felt like someone grabbed her by the waist and tugged, but when she turned to look for her rescuer it was as if no one was there. Perhaps it was the wind, Celine said with a nervous laugh over dinner, and quickly changed the topic.
Dell couldn’t stop thinking about Celine’s story. The pond, the rush of wind that shook the heavy limbs of the pine trees and made the peaceful waters of the little forest pond roil like water in a saucepan, the feeling of something wrapped around Celine's waist and pulling her back— that was the sort of thing that happened in her adventure stories, or in the games Eiland brought to the Inn on Friday nights. It was the sort of stuff that Miss Juniper talked about, ley lines and energies and witches and magic. Magic! If magic was possible anywhere in Mistria, it would be here in the Deep Woods, where it felt like anything could happen.
Dell leaned over and stared into the waters. Little fish swam below, darting like silver needles through the water. There were no frogs, though, at least none that she could see. But she could hear them croaking in the shade, just like she heard the insects and birds calling through the forest. Maple carefully approached the edge of the pond and stood beside her. Their reflections wavered in the water as a light summer breeze blew through the forest.
“I suppose someone has to be behind all the weird things going on lately. Reina also said she found a basket full of bell berries on a stump in the woods just when she needed them to bake a tart,” Maple said, almost like it was an apology for her earlier doubts. “Besides, a good ruler should make regular surveys of their lands. We should conduct a proper census of everyone in Mistria, too. Lady Adeline said she ought to get to that, even if it is nothing more than a formality.”
“That settles it! This is a job for the Dragonguard!” Dell announced, and she turned away from the pond to face the rest of the forest. The woods were big, the tree and scrubby undergrowth so thick that they could hide anything, but they prepared for a long search. Maple packed lunch (jam sandwiches, peaches, and trail mix) and water in her bag. Luc brought a compass and map of the woods; one he copied from one of Eiland’s books. And Dell brought the biggest stick she could find (mostly because no one would give her a sword, though to be fair it was a very good stick). Their hunt for the mysterious resident in the woods would be easier if they brought an adult (two adults) with them, but who would agree to spend an entire day in the woods? Who would be willing to help them without laughing at the idea? More than that, would any of the adults even believe them when they said they were looking for a mysterious person who was living in the woods?
Dell considered the handful of adults that might have agreed to accompany them. Her parents never would. Her mom would remind her of how dangerous the Deep Woods were. Her dad would make a terrible joke but agree with Mom. Luc and Maple’s parents would do the same, though without the bad jokes. A lot of the older adults were busy or would be uninterested in spending a summer afternoon in the Deep Woods. Celine and Reina would have come, and neither of them would have laughed at their investigation, but both of them were busy foraging for summer herbs with the new farmer today. Mister Balor had to manage his wagon. Lady Adeline and Ryis were always busy, and so was March (not that March would help them anyways). Doctor Valen had even more work, and Mister Hayden had to work on his farm. Miss Juniper might have gone with them, but she had to run the bathhouse with Dozy. Eiland might have agreed to come along, but if Eiland came along they would have to look after him because he’d start looking for artifacts and get himself lost.
So, who else was left? No one. But it was fine. It was better that the Dragonguard investigate this on their own. They had a map, they wouldn’t step off of the marked paths (they wouldn’t stray far from the paths, which was pretty much the same idea), and more than that they didn’t need any adults getting in the way of their investigation. Most of the adults in Mistria wouldn’t have let them walk in the Deep Woods anyways, not after the earthquake. The path had only recently been cleared, but they could now explore the forest freely. But they would do this properly, in an organized fashion, like Eiland and Mister Errol did when conducting a dig.
“Luc, do you have your map?” Dell asked. Luc dug through Maple’s bag and pulled out a sheet of paper before smoothing it out on a big rock beside the pond.
“We’re approximately here, next to the pond,” Luc said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before pointing to the spot on the map. “We can start at the Grove of Rest and search for clues before we make our way back here. We’ll stick to the main paths but mark down all the areas where someone might have traveled recently. Like down that path.” Luc pointed down a shaded, overgrown trail half hidden behind the thick trunk of a pine tree.
Dell couldn’t remember ever visiting that part of the woods before, even from before the earthquake. Even from here, the path looked twisted and hidden behind ferns and wild blueberry bushes. It was likely that the path hadn’t been used in years. Many of the trails in the Deep Woods were similarly overgrown, which made Dell wonder how their mystery person could travel around without ever being seen. How did they do it? Why did they hide? And could they teach Dell how to sneak around without leaving a trace?
“Officially speaking, we are conducting a canvassing of the woods!” Maple declared, pulling Dell out of her thoughts. “Onward, Dragonguard! To the Grove!” She marched off, head held high and braids swinging, the pale beads at the end of her braids knocking against each other rhythmically with every step. Dell was quick to take the lead, swinging her stick before her to push some of the worst of the overgrowth out of their path. Luc took up the rear, map and compass in hand, quick to offer his suggestions when the path split into two, each leading further into the woods.
The Grove of Rest was exactly as it should be. At least, it was how Dell remembered it being: shady, cool, and quiet. The massive trunks of the pine trees wrapped around the stone monuments of the dead, lifting them up towards the skies. Dell remembered who some of the monuments were dedicated to, and quietly tiptoed past as they began to investigate the Grove. The twin ones over there were for Olric and March’s parents, who died before she was born. The tree to her left held the stone marker for Mister Hayden’s grandma, Miss Greta. Dell didn’t really remember her, save for the fact that she and Mister Hayden both laughed like a thunderstorm. The other memorial stones were too high for Dell to read, but she knew some of them too. That one was for Doctor Valen’s father. Another belonged to Lady Adeline and Eiland’s grandfather. One even belonged to Dell’s Great Aunt Beatrice, though it was so high up that she couldn’t even touch the stone without climbing up the tree trunk. Not that she would, even though it was a very nice, climbable tree.
“Lots of footprints here!” Luc announced. “Not that that’s a surprise. Now that the main path is clear, everyone wants to visit again. Oh, look! A loam caterpillar!” Dell turned to find Luc already on his knees, watching as a fat, fuzzy looking dark green caterpillar inched its way through the grass. Luc had his notebook and pencil out and began to write in the pages.
“Loam… caterpillar… Spotted on the 15th… in the Grove of Rest…” Luc muttered as he wrote. “That’s good! The population is doing well after the earthquake!” He stood up and started walking among the memorial trees, though Dell couldn’t tell if he was looking for footprints or for more insects. Dell turned her attention back to her surroundings, searching for anything that appeared out of place. But everything looked like it ought to, and Dell could barely contain her disappointment. Half the fun of a mystery was the work you put into uncovering it, but she hoped they would find some clues to direct their search! But no, all they found were the memorials and a single loam caterpillar.
“Dell! There’s something here by your great aunt’s tree!” Maple called out. “It’s— oh. They’re just flowers. Maybe Celine left them?”
“She might have. What are they?” Dell asked. She made her way through the memorial trees towards Maple. Maple was crouched in front of the memorial tree for Dell’s great aunt. The skirt of her pale orange dress was spread out over the grass like a giant marigold.
“I dunno. They’ve got five petals?” Maple answered. “They’re all white, with a light purple center.” Dell looked over Maple’s shoulder to the ground just below the tree. There, sitting at the base of the pine tree, lay a handful of pale five-petaled flowers. The dappled sunlight fell on the flowers, highlighting their purple centers.
“Those are temple flowers!” Dell exclaimed, crouching down to join Maple. “They’re really rare. Celine’s book says they grow in really specific conditions— I’ve never seen them either.” Celine would be so jealous! Dell wondered if she should take one of the flowers from the little bouquet for her. But they were left under Great Aunt Bea’s tree, so maybe she could bring Celine to visit tomorrow. The flowers would still be there, right? Even if they were wilted, they’d still be recognizable.
“D’you think our mystery person left these?” Maple asked in a hushed voice. Dell didn’t know what to say. It seemed possible. Dell knew she hadn’t left them, and her mom and dad hadn’t come to the Grove of Rest recently either. Celine could have, but if she found a super rare flower, she would have dug one up to study, not picked several and left them at Great Aunt Beatrice’s memorial stone.
“They kinda look like fog orchids,” Luc observed, having wandered over to join them. “Maybe they’re a related species?”
“Dunno. I’ll ask Celine,” Dell replied, her eyes wandering from the bouquet to the ground surrounding it. The grass was slightly bent, as if it had been walked on recently. The ground was damp from yesterday’s storm. In some places the earth had the thick consistency of mud. Dell’s eyes drifted from the tamped down patches of grass and wildflowers to the muddy ground. There was a divot in the earth, an elongated depression in the mud that didn’t seem natural. In fact, it seemed to be… man-made?
“Luc? Maple? Do you see that?” Dell asked, her heart racing, and she pointed at the deep, narrow furrow in the earth.
“That’s a footprint! Definitely a clue!” Maple exclaimed, darting forward to examine the disturbed patch of mud. She drew back quickly, her expression surprised (and maybe a little worried). Dell scrambled to join her, eager to see what Maple saw, and stared down at the footprint.
From up above it was easy to tell that the indentation was a footprint. It was large, much larger than her own feet. It was long and narrow and deep, as if the person walking sunk a little into the mud. The spot where the ball of the foot was located was deeper than the rest, as if they had to push off with all their might to free their foot from the mud’s grasp.
“I… I think they’re barefoot. And they haven’t… they haven’t trimmed their toenails in a long time,” Maple whispered. “That can’t be comfortable. How do they walk with such long nails?” The anxious tightness in her voice gave way to outrage, but Dell noticed how Maple shuffled a little closer, until the puffed sleeve of her dress brushed against Dell’s shoulder.
“That’s… are you sure they’re nails? They look more like claws than toenails,” Luc asked, quickly joining Maple to examine the footprint in the mud. He swiftly pulled a small magnifying glass from the pocket of his shorts and peered down at the print through the glass.
“But that’s definitely a person’s foot!” Maple replied. “So, they have to be toenails, right? Ugh, maybe we should tell Mister Balor to bring a set of nail clippers to the woods with the groceries. They can’t be comfortable like this!” Whatever nervousness or fear that overcame her at the first sight of the footprint was now gone, replaced by a need to take charge like she usually did. Dell pointed at the footprint with the end of her stick, lingering near the toe marks that tore gouges into the mud. It sort of reminded Dell of Dozy’s paw prints when he tore across the beach to chase seagulls during the summer, one of the few times Dozy wasn’t sleepy and calm.
“Maybe they have long toes? Reallllly long toes,” Dell suggested, though she had to admit that the elongated toe marks were extremely pointed at the ends. But it was a person’s foot, with a heel and an arch and five toes (even if they were long and pointed). So, whose foot was it? And why were they leaving flowers at the Grove of Rest under her great aunt’s memorial stone and tree?
“There’s another footprint this way!” Maple announced, and she shot over to a patch of dirt in the sun. She pointed down at it. Dell and Luc followed, Luc scrambling to open his notebook to a blank page to write down his observations.
“Footprint at… Grove of Rest. Five toes, elongated. Appears human,” Luc mumbled as he wrote. “We should come back with Eiland and Mister Errol and make a cast!”
“That will have to wait,” Dell announced when she reached Maple and the new footprint in the dirt. It wasn’t as good of a print as the one in the mud, but it was still visible and possessed the same traits of the previous print. The print curved towards the right in a smooth, shallow arch. The shallow depression in the earth pointed towards the surrounding shadowy forest. Dell lifted her head and shaded her eyes with her hand, searching for more signs of the owner of the footprint.
“There’s even more down that trail,” Maple confided, and she pointed further down a path that led through the woods. It was overgrown, but Dell saw that the worst of the underbrush was cleared out. Did the mysterious person who made these footprints do it? It appeared that they left the flowers behind at the Grove of Rest, which suggested that they were… thoughtful? Kind? Helpful, even? The size of the footprint (and the overgrown nails that looked more like talons digging through the mud) was intimidating, but the flowers… a terrible person wouldn’t leave flowers at graves. An awful person wouldn’t quietly order groceries in secret or leave woodpiles for carpenters or collect berries for cooks or save older sisters from their misadventures. So, they probably weren’t a bad person, just a strange one. They’d fit right in in Mistria, where everyone was at least a little odd.
“Then we’ll follow them,” Dell decided, brandishing her stick in front of her like a sword once she got to her feet. “But we stick to the path. No wandering off.” If the path led to nothing or if it got too dark and late in the day to continue on, they could turn and follow the footprints backwards to the Grove of Rest.
The forest grew darker as they walked. The trees towered over them, their branches blotting out the sun. The great canopy trapped in the heat and humidity like a lid on top of a boiling pot. Dell wiped the beads of sweat forming on her brow with the back of her arm and kept going. The shadows grew even deeper, and with every rustle of the leaves and shrill cry of the birds above one of them would flinch or jump, but they continued on. They were the Dragonguard, and they wouldn’t turn back now, just when they were at the start of their investigation! They continued on with Dell at the lead, following the footsteps as they passed by the recently cut foliage that previously blocked a narrow winding path that led deeper into the woods. Maple nearly stumbled over a tree root poking out of the dirt path, but Dell reached back and took her hand.
“Stick close,” she ordered, brandishing her stick in front of her as if it could combat the twilight gloom of the forest. Streaks of sunlight poured through the boughs of the trees, but it wasn’t nearly enough sun to push back all of the shadows.
A shrill, vibrating note cut through the thick, heavy air under the canopy. The warbling song rose in pitch, then fell, forming a strange and merry tune that banished the oppressive atmosphere within the woods. A light breeze blew through the branches, cooling the sweat on Dell’s brow. Maple, who was clutching her hand so tightly it hurt, eased her grip. Luc was utterly silent. When Dell looked back, she found him staring in rapt attention into the shadows where the strange song was coming from. With one final, lengthy trill, the song ended and the forest went silent. Slowly the sounds of the birds and insects and rustling leaves returned to the woods, but after that solo the rest of the forest sounded dull by comparison.
“What was that?” Dell asked softly.
“That’s a singing katydid!” Luc said in a hushed, awed whisper. “They’re very rare. It sounded like it came from up ahead, further down the path.” He pointed up ahead. The forest before them was beginning to thin out. The light was brighter, the trees spaced further apart, and the path widened until the three of the could walk side by side with plenty of room between.
“That’s where the footsteps lead,” Dell replied, following the path the footprints created. They seemed new, undisturbed by weather or time, and the thought that they might have finally found an answer to their mystery pushed Dell forward. She picked up the pace as the forest grew sparse and the light grew stronger. She was close to running, Maple’s hand in one of hers and Luc’s in the other, until they stumbled into a grassy clearing drowning in sunshine.
The pine trees grew thickly on three sides of the clearing. The last side was blocked off by a low, unnaturally smooth cliff. It was as if the cliff and the trees formed a protective wall that kept the rest of the forest (and Mistria) shut out. The grass was thick and lush, like a dense carpet under their feet. Many narrow paths cut through the grass and wildflowers, winding around the trees and bushes to join one larger path that led to a series of wide stone steps. The footprints continued up the dirt path, where they reached the steps and left a trail of dusty prints. Dell lifted her head, following the prints until she tilted her head all the way back and her eyes widened until they felt like they would nearly pop out of her head. She felt Luc’s hand slip out of hers, even as Maple’s tightened like a vise. Dell breathed in deeply and began the climb up the steps, eyes fixed ahead as they followed the footprints.
Pillars lined the path, leading up to a door set into the cliff. It wasn’t a cliff, Dell realized, but a stone wall built into the side of a hill, the great stone bricks so carefully locked together that, from a distance, it appeared like one smooth, perfect surface. But as they approached Dell saw that that wasn’t so. Delicate stonework was carved into the wall along with the bricks, such as decorative pillars and an arch around the large, bright red door. It all looked old, as old as the walls and pillars around the Eastern Road or the buildings in the Western Ruins. Eiland said that those were made ages ago, back in the days of… Dell couldn’t remember when. Really, she barely even noticed the pillars and door and fancy carvings, because her attention was fixed on something else completely when they reached the top of the stairs. At the top of the stairs, under the shade of the pine trees with their legs dangling in a small ornamental pond filled with blooming waterlilies, sat a man.
Dell nearly dropped her stick in surprise as she stared at the man, who was someone she didn’t recognize at all. She must have made a sound, a gasp or a squeak of some kind that revealed their presence, because the man started, then turned his head to face them.
His hair was long. Very long. It swept over his shoulders and down his back in loose waves and was a deep blue-green color that reminded Dell of the shadows of the spruce trees that surrounded them. His skin was a soft, cool gray brown, scattered with pale marks that ran down his bare arms and curved under his eyes. He had bright eyes, orange like a harvest moon. The man watched the three of them with a curious expression on his narrow face. His eyes were blown wide, pupils nearly overtaking the orange of his eyes, and his mouth was slightly opened. It was as if he was surprised to see them, though Dell was more surprised to find someone, anyone, at the end of the footprint trail. It was one thing to find evidence. It was another thing entirely to find a PERSON. The lower half of his legs were hidden from view, swallowed up by the water in the ornamental ponds, but Dell was certain that he would have mud-covered feet with excessively long nails. No, not nails. Talons. His hands, which were resting on his lap, also had long, sharp-looking nails. Talons. But that wasn’t all. No, that wasn’t all. A set of bone white horns curved up and away from the man’s face and sat on his head like a crown. And behind him, twitching slightly in the grass, was a long tail like a lizard’s, gray and white scales glimmering in the sunlight.
They froze. The world froze. Dell found it hard to breathe, hard to even think as she stared at that long tail. Lizard tail. Dragon tail. Dragon tail, dragon talons, dragon horns— no wings, though. Dragons were supposed to have wings, weren’t they? But dragons weren’t supposed to look like people. They were supposed to look like… like dragons! But this man looked like… well, a man! Save for a few additional features. And limbs.
Was this the person hiding in the woods? Was this the person ordering groceries from Mister Balor? Did he leave the wood bundles and berries for Ryis and Reina? Was he the one who was ‘messing up the ley lines’ like Miss Juniper said? Was he the one who saved Celine from falling into the pond?
“Good afternoon,” the man finally said in a soft, deep voice that rolled over Del like a wave crashing on the beach. “I was not expecting visitors today.” He lifted one hand (large, wide, with long fingers and even longer nails) and hesitantly waved at them. His movements were stiff, slow, and awkward, as if he didn’t quite know what he was doing. But he did not move from where he was seated on the ground. Maybe he didn’t want to scare them by getting up? Or maybe he didn’t want to run around in the dirt and grass with wet feet.
“The… we followed the footprints,” Dell explained, her mouth somehow dry. “The ones you left behind.” The man tilted his head slightly to the right, as if he was considering her statement carefully and trying to decide if she was telling the truth. Eventually he nodded and smiled slightly. It was just a quick, tiny twist of his mouth, but when he smiled Dell felt the great anxious ball of fear wriggling around in her stomach and throat relax. All the tension in the air faded away in that instant. She heard Luc breathe out a great, heavy sigh of relief, and Maple’s iron grip on her hand relaxed before she let go to smooth out the wrinkles in her skirt.
“I see,” the man observed. He remained seated, his back rigid and upright, and he dropped his hand to rest on his lap again. He was wearing blue-green clothing in a style Dell had never seen before, not even in the illustrations of her favorite books. Something about the clothing and the way the man wore them suggested they were from a time and place completely removed from the Mistria they lived in now. It felt old. He felt old, even though the man looked around Celine’s age (or maybe a little older).
“We aren’t lost,” Dell said suddenly. “Just so you know. We aren’t lost or scared. Just surprised.” It was somehow important, vitally important, that this man know that they weren’t lost or frightened.
“That is good to know,” the man acknowledged. “You have surprised me as well. Very few can sense my presence in these woods. Even fewer know that I am here.”
Fewer? That was more than none, which meant at least one person knew that this man was here! So, who else knew about the man in the Deep Woods, and why hadn’t they said anything to anyone else? Why hadn’t they said anything to them? But Dell couldn’t linger long on her sense of betrayal, not when there were so many questions to ask. Who are you? Where did you come from? When did you come here to Mistria? Why are you living in the woods? Don’t you get lonely? Why are you hiding?
“Why aren’t you wearing any shoes?” Dell asked, then dropped her stick and clapped her hands over her mouth, utterly mortified by what she just said.
“Dell! You can’t ask people why they don’t have shoes!” Luc whispered, stating the obvious in a clearly horrified tone. Dell fixed her eyes on a tuft of grass growing between a narrow crack in the flagstone path. A ladybug perched on one slender blade, which bowed under its weight. She never could keep her mouth shut. She always blurted out the first thought that came to her head. She couldn’t even make a terrible pun to soften her thoughts, like her dad did. No, she always said the first thing, the very first thing, and it was always the wrong thing to say!
“I am not offended,” the man said. His voice was so gentle that Dell compulsively glanced up at him only to find that he was smiling. He had a… a nice smile. His eyes crinkled up at the corners, and his mouth was somewhat lopsided as he smiled. He shifted his weight, turned towards them, and slowly lifted one foot out of the pond. Water sluiced down his bare skin, and Dell noticed that his nails were very long. Just like his fingernails, they were like talons, long and pointed. The man wriggled his toes slightly before dropping his foot to the grass. The other foot followed, and the man stretched his legs out in front of him. Long legs. Ridiculously long legs. This man was tall. Very, very tall. But Dell wasn’t particularly scared, not any more. She cautiously crept closer, with Luc and Maple close behind, until they were just out of arm’s reach. The man remained seated in the grass, though he bent one leg up and rested his forearm on his knee. He seemed in no great hurry to get up.
“But to answer your question, I fear I have no shoes that would suit me. But it is of little consequence. I have no need of them, especially in summer,” the man explained. “Though the winter, I confess, may prove more complicated.”
Complicated was one way to put it. Uncomfortable was another. Dell glanced at the man’s bare feet and wondered if the pale scales scattered across his skin made his feet tough enough to not need shoes. Lucky. Dell couldn’t get away with even stepping out into Celine’s garden without a pair of shoes on. This man could wander the entire forest without needing them! Adults really could get away with anything.
“You ought to buy shoes,” Maple said, her voice clear and a little loud. “You’ll need a cobbler for that. Mister Louis is an excellent tailor, though, and will find something to suit your needs and tastes.” She spoke decisively before planting her fists on her hips as she looked around the clearing, as if searching for more things that were in need of fixing. Maple was good at that, finding things and people who needed help. They all did what they could for the town— that was the Dragonguard’s job, after all— but Maple was very good at it.
“He’ll be here for the Saturday market. You can place an order then,” Luc offered helpfully. “I got a new pair of hiking boots recently. See? They’re really sturdy.” Luc lifted his leg to and turned his foot to display his new boots, which were tightly laced and tied off with a double knot. Caldarus examined them carefully, though he did not move from his spot on the grass.
“So they are. I will consider it carefully, young ones,” the man said, dipping his head slightly. A tendril of teal-green hair fell over his shoulder, and he carefully plucked it between his thumb and forefinger before tucking it behind one long, slender, pointed ear. Was he an elf, like from a fairy tale? No, elves didn’t have horns or talons or tails. She would have said he looked a bit like a dragon, though that wasn’t right either. So, he had to be something else, something… something very different from anything Dell ever read in a storybook. Would Miss Juniper know what this man was? Who he was?
“I’m Maple. This is Dell, and my brother Luc,” Maple introduced herself with a polite curtsy, dipping her head slightly.
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance,” the man said, his low, rich voice filling the clearing. “I am Caldarus.”
A hush fell over the clearing. The song of the birds and the insects faded away, and even the distant rumble of the waterfall went silent as the four of them stared at each other. Caldarus watched them carefully, his face betraying nothing. Yet Dell saw the way his fingers and toes curled slightly, as if he was… as if he was scared. But what did he have to be scared for? They weren’t particularly scary, were they? Caldarus…
“That’s… an unusual name,” Luc said hesitantly, his expression somewhat puzzled. “Isn’t Caldarus the guardian dragon of Mistria?”
“He is,” Caldarus replied pleasantly. He didn’t elaborate, but Dell looked at him carefully. Caldarus looked like a person, but his scales, horns, and tails suggested that he wasn’t fully human. They looked like they belonged to a dragon, though that sounded ridiculous. Dragons weren’t around anymore, if they were even real in the first place. But she couldn’t deny that Caldarus looked a lot like a dragon. His horns, especially, were like the ones on the small statue of Caldarus in the museum. Caldarus turned his head, and Dell caught a glimpse of bright red peeking out through his thick teal hair. It was an earring, one that looked similar to the ones that decorated the ears of the enormous statue of Caldarus on the new farmer’s land.
So was Caldarus… no, that was impossible. Caldarus’s horns and earrings might look like the guardian dragon’s, but all the stories said he fell into a long sleep ages ago! This Caldarus couldn’t possibly be that Caldarus, if that Caldarus was even real! That Caldarus was thousands and thousands of years old. This Caldarus was probably a distant relative (if the guardian dragon was a real dragon who really existed and if this Caldarus was actually a dragon as well). If that was the case, he was probably named after him, that was all, and he just happened to have horns that looked exactly like all the old statues. That happened all the time! Mister Landen liked to say he looked like that bust of a Caldosian emperor in the museum (and he did sort of look like him, just a little).
Yet there was something about Caldarus’s smile that reminded Dell of her dad whenever he had an especially awful pun he wanted to unleash on the world. It was as if he knew something they didn’t, but he wasn’t about to share it just yet. He was waiting for the right moment, for when the joke would be at its best (or at its worst). Even so, Dell wondered if telling a good (bad) joke was Caldarus’s aim. There was a little bit of hesitation in his eyes, as if he didn’t quite know how he was supposed to talk to them. It was as if he wasn’t sure how to talk to anyone. The rhythm of their conversation was uneven, and Dell couldn’t help but wonder why. Why was Caldarus alone? Why was he keeping his presence a secret? How did he even do it? How had no one spotted him until now? Why all the secrecy in the first place? Why would Caldarus hide away in the Deep Woods? Wouldn’t it get lonely, being here by yourself?
But maybe Caldarus was used to being alone. His appearance wasn’t… well, it wasn’t exactly normal, though Dell was a little jealous of his height and claws and horns. But other people might find Caldarus intimidating. They might even find him frightening! Maybe Caldarus hid in the Deep Woods so he wouldn’t scare anyone. Maybe wherever he came from wasn’t as accepting of him. Maybe he didn’t know how the people in Mistria would feel about him!
Well, then someone had to correct him, and who better than the Dragonguard? They knew everything about everyone in Mistria (mostly everything about almost everyone), and they could catch Caldarus up on everything he didn’t know. They could introduce him to the rest of the town! But who should they talk to first? Lady Adeline and Eiland were obvious choices, but as soon as Dell thought of them, she realized she would have to tell her mom and dad about Caldarus first. Luc and Maple would obviously tell their parents, and from there it was crystal clear that the news would get out to everyone in Mistria. Telling one person would be like telling everyone, so they ought to be very, very choosy over who they first told. And Caldarus would have to be okay with it as well.
“Are you the one ordering groceries from Mister Balor, Mister Caldarus?” Maple asked, turning the conversation back to practical matters. She sat down in the grass and spread the skirt of her dress out around her. Dell was quick to follow, dropping the ground with a heavy thud and sigh. Luc sat down gingerly, carefully setting his notebook to the side in a patch of sunlit grass.
“Yes. I am excessively grateful for all he has done for me, considering how unusual the circumstances are,” Caldarus replied. “It is kind of him to go out of his way and deliver my purchases to the woods.” He dropped his head back until his face was tilted towards the sun, then closed his eyes. He seemed to be at peace here in the clearing, and Dell, rather suddenly, worried that they were intruding. They were, if she was being honest. They chased after Caldarus’ footprints all the way to his… house? Was this where he lived? Maybe he didn’t want their company. Maybe he was just being polite and waiting for them to leave. Now that they knew it was Caldarus in the Deep Woods, their investigation was over. Or was it? Caldarus lived out here alone for a reason, didn’t he? They should at least learn why.
“Do you… like being alone, Mister Caldarus?” Dell questioned. Caldarus lowered his head and opened his eyes before turning to look at her. He didn’t look annoyed at her query. It didn’t seem like he wanted them to leave, at least not yet.
“It is not my preference, but my health keeps me from venturing far from these woods. Besides, I do not know how to go about introducing myself to the people here. As you can see, I am…” Caldarus paused, as if searching for the right words. As the silence grew longer, Dell wondered if the right words existed at all. Eventually Caldarus shook his head and sighed heavily, and his breath matched a sudden breeze that swept through the clearing. The sun glittered off his polished horns and the silvery scales on his tail. His tail twitched in the grass, then went still. It reminded Dell of the way a nervous animal would stomp their hooves or flick their ears or tails. It was a… what was it Mister Balor said whenever he played cards with Maple and Luc’s dad? A tell! And that twitch told Dell that Caldarus was more nervous than he seemed.
“It is a problem I have wrestled with for some time now, ever since I… found myself here. As you can see, my form is… unusual. It is neither fully human nor fully dragon. I hardly know how to explain my presence to myself, never mind the good people of Mistria,” Caldarus finally said. “Perhaps it is for the best that this decision has been taken out of my hands at last.”
“You are a dragon! I knew it!” Dell exclaimed, then flinched when two elbows nudged at her sides. Being sandwiched between Maple and Luc was a dangerous place to be. Their elbows were sharp!
“Dell, you can’t just say that! He might not want to talk about it!” Luc whispered as Maple loudly cleared her throat.
“I’m sorry, Mister Caldarus. Dell loves dragons. We all do,” she explained smoothly, and she sounded a lot like Lady Adeline as she talked. “We are part of the Dragonguard. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Maple politely dipped her head and smoothed out her skirt. Caldarus’ eyes went wide, his pupils almost overtaking the vibrant orange of his irises.
“So, the Dragonguard continues on,” Caldarus murmured, his voice barely audible over the sound of the wind rushing through the grass. “After all these years, it remains.” He sounded surprised. No, more than surprised. Awed, like the very concept of the Dragonguard existing was somehow beyond him, like they were something incredible, not him. It was a little overwhelming, really, especially when Caldarus was a dragon himself. An actual dragon! Dragons were real! Could they all turn into people? Could Caldarus turn back into a full dragon? Why didn’t he? Those questions could wait, though, at least until Caldarus was more comfortable with them. The first thing they had to do was make sure he knew that he was very, very welcome in Mistria, and that the Dragonguard would take care of everything for him. That, Dell thought proudly, was something they were very good at. Lady Adeline called them Mistria’s Welcoming Committee, after all!
“We made it. Or remade it, I guess,” Dell cut in. “Which is why we’re here. With all the weird stuff going on after the earthquake last spring, we had to investigate the area once the path was cleared. It’s what the Dragonguard does.”
“And that’s how we found you!” Luc concluded. “I suppose you were the one who left the flowers at the Grove of Rest. And the one who left bell berries for our sister?”
“I often leave flowers at the grove, when I am able. And your sister… she is a chef, correct? A mutual friend said she required them,” Caldarus replied. He raised his hand and pointed past them down the flagstone path.
“There are bell berry bushes down that way, at the foot of the steps,” he explained. “If you wish to pick some, you are welcome to them. They are abundant this time of year.” Dell was tempted to take him up on his offer. There was nothing better than Reina’s bell berry tart, and there was no better way to get a fresh slice than to help gather ingredients for one. But Maple had other ideas, for she jolted upright and pointed at Caldarus (which was a lot ruder than what she did).
“You’re the one who left all that wood for Ryis, then!” Maple exclaimed. “And you messed up all of Miss Juniper’s lines!” Caldarus, for his part, looked a bit surprised (and pleased with himself) at Maple’s statement. His smile was slow to overtake his face, like a sunrise, but soon he was almost grinning.
“Ryis is the local carpenter, yes? I did leave wood bundles out for his use, after a friend said he had a need for materials. I am pleased he found them,” Caldarus replied. “As for the ley lines, I suppose my presence has shifted them somewhat. It was by no means deliberate.” He did sound apologetic, though Dell didn’t think that Miss Juniper would care if the changes to her lines were an accident or not. She’d be angry about it either way. But Dell decided not to point that out in favor of asking Caldarus another question. She had hundreds, but one remained lodged at the front of her mind.
“Which means you must have helped Celine when she almost fell into the pond,” Dell said. “It was you, wasn’t it? How did you do it? Celine never saw you!” The way Celine described it, it was as if a hand, or arm, wrapped around her and pulled her from the water’s edge. Yet all she saw was empty air. All she felt was the wind whipping through her hair. So how did Caldarus do it? What did he do? Was it some kind of dragon trick, being able to appear and disappear from view? That would be useful. She’d never lose at hide and seek if she could do that! The answer, however, wasn’t what Dell expected.
“I cast a wind spell, which was somewhat taxing,” Caldarus promptly explained. “I hope I did not startle your…” He trailed off and glanced over at Dell, as if he hoped she could provide an answer or assistance.
“Celine’s my sister. And you did, but not too badly. She’s fine,” Dell assured him. Celine would feel even better if she knew what happened and who helped her that day, but Dell wouldn’t bring that up. Caldarus had helped Celine, after all. Dell didn’t want to make him feel bad about it!
“So, you never leave the woods? Even though you're all alone here?” Maple asked as Dell mused over what other questions she could ask. If you’re a dragon, where did you wings go? Who is your mutual friend in Mistria? How old are you? You can use magic? If magic is real, like you and Miss Juniper say, can anyone use it? Could you teach me? Do you have a favorite color? What do you like to eat? Is it hard to sleep with horns on your head?
“I do not often venture out from under the boughs of these trees. It is detrimental to my health. But I find the Deep Woods to be pleasant. Nature is a wonderful companion, and I have learned much during my stay at the temple. The Dragon Priestesses left a great deal of reading material behind,” Caldarus explained patiently. He folded his now dry legs underneath him, making himself more comfortable in the grass. A little blue bird fluttered down from the trees and landed beside Caldarus. It hopped through the grass until it reached the ornamental pond, then dipped its head to drink before it flew away.
“Eiland is going to be so jealous,” Luc whispered as he eyed the door set in the stone wall with wonder. “The Dragon Priestesses were around ages ago!” Dell had to agree. Eiland (and Mister Errol) would be very excited to meet Caldarus and explore his home. Eiland might cry if he saw books (or scrolls or whatever) owned by Dragon Priestesses.
“But you don’t leave, and no one knows you’re here except for us,” Maple pressed on. “So how do you get the things you need? What if Mister Balor is out of town and can’t bring things to you? What if you need shoes for winter? What if you get sick, and can’t get help?” Maple’s voice grew firmer, and she stood up. She brushed her hands on her skirt, then folded them behind her back before going on.
“And what if your friend can’t come and help? What if they’re busy, or out of town, or sick themselves?” Maple continued, and she began to pace in the grass. Caldarus watched her, his expression earnest. Dell realized what Maple was doing. She’d seen it before, dozens of times. She was laying out a situation and identifying problems so that she could offer a solution. Caldarus was out here alone, but he didn’t have to be. He clearly didn’t want to be, not if he was helping everyone in Mistria, not if he had a friend here. So, all he needed was for someone to introduce him to the rest of the town. And that, Dell knew, was something the Dragonguard was more than capable of.
“These are great concerns, indeed,” Caldarus said gravely. “I cannot say I haven’t thought of them before, though I have not found a resolution to these problems. Does the Dragonguard have any suggestions?” Dell liked the way Caldarus spoke. It was as if he considered their thoughts as important as anyone else’s, and not something that could be brushed off as ‘kid’s stuff’. It was nice to be taken seriously. Maple and Luc clearly agreed, for Luc sat up a little straighter and Maple looked even more confident.
“As a matter of fact, we do,” Maple replied with a bright smile. “If you can’t come to Mistria, then we’ll bring Mistria to you!”
If Caldarus appeared surprised by their sudden arrival and the following conversation, then Maple’s declaration shocked him into silence. Miss Elsie would say he was flabbergasted, which was another very good word. Caldarus stared at the three of them, as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard. He clearly needed to hear it again.
“If you ever need help, just call on us!” Dell said. “We’re very good at helping. We’re the Dragonguard, after all!” And if they could convince Caldarus to tell them who his friend in town was, then they could coordinate with them and make sure Caldarus was never lonely or in need of assistance. But who could they be? Not Celine, of course. Dell loved her sister very much, but Celine couldn’t keep a secret for even a minute. Reina was more discerning, but Maple and Luc would have found out about Caldarus much earlier if she was Caldarus’ friend. Lady Adeline wouldn’t leave the rest of the town in the dark, and neither would Ryis. They were both too responsible to do that sort of thing. So, who? Eiland, maybe? But he was worse at keeping secrets than Celine! Dell peered closely at Caldarus, as if she could discover who his friend was by staring at him hard enough, but it was no use. She turned her attention back to the present to find that Luc was talking.
“We’re always exploring, so we can drop by and check on you regularly,” Luc assured Caldarus. “Between the three of us, you’ll always have someone around. And we’ll bring people here that can help you, like Doctor Valen or Miss Juniper!” Dell nodded approvingly at Luc’s suggestion. Doctor Valen always knew how to help someone who was sick, and if she couldn’t figure out what was wrong then Miss Juniper might know something. She was always talking about ancient things and old magic, so she might have an idea of how to help Caldarus.
“Indeed? That is a comfort,” Caldarus replied, his voice soft. “Juniper and I have met before, but not formally. I would welcome a proper introduction from such noble knights errant.“
“A knight errant?” Dell echoed. She knew what a knight was, obviously, but what did ‘errant’ mean?
“Knights on a quest, like in Celine’s stories,” Luc whispered in Dell’s ear. “Not Eiland’s, though.” That was a good clarification. Celine’s stories had lots of adventures and magic and the occasional romance, but Eiland’s stories tended to go on and on, with dates and battles and no magic at all, and there was never a clear ending.
“So, we agree! The Dragonguard will introduce you to the rest of Mistria, Caldarus! Which is excellent. None of the other fiefdoms have a dragon in their borders. You make Mistria even more special!” Maple said happily, and she clapped her hands together in a way that mirrored the way Lady Adeline clapped her hands together before she dug into her paperwork. “Now, we ought to start with—“
A low, growling sound filled the clearing, interrupting Maple’s speech. It rumbled like an earthquake, like an angry dog, like a— an empty stomach? Dell looked from Maple, then Luc, then up to Caldarus to find the man looking startled (and very embarrassed). He inclined his head slightly, and his hair slipped from behind his ears to cover his face.
“Forgive me. I have been teaching myself how to cook, with middling results,” Caldarus eventually said, his voice even and calm, though when he raised his head Dell spied a dark flush spreading across his cheeks and under the silvery scales on his cheeks. Dell took that to mean that Caldarus wasn’t eating well. What did dragons eat, anyways? Eggs and flour, if Mister Balor’s list was accurate, but if Caldarus couldn’t cook then it couldn’t taste good or be very nutritious. No wonder he was hungry!
“We need Doctor Valen, Miss Juniper, and Reina to meet you first, then,” Maple decided. “Is tomorrow morning a good time? We’ll even bring breakfast! But until then…” Maple opened her bag and pulled out their stash of jam sandwiches and trail mix. She divided the sandwiches and trail mix into four portions before handing Caldarus one. Luc joined her, taking out the bottle of water and the set of tin cups that went along with it. He poured the water out, taking care not to spill any in the grass. The peaches sat in a pile on the grass between all four of them.
“We can’t plan your introduction to Mistria properly on empty stomachs!” Maple declared before she turned back to join Luc and Dell. She handed out sandwiches and handfuls of trail mix on napkins, then sat down. As the sun cut through the canopy and lit up the clearing, the four of them ate an early lunch. Dell watched as Caldarus took a small, careful bite of the sandwich, watched as his eyes slowly drifted shut, watched as a smile overtook his face before he took another bite of the jam sandwich.
“It is very good. Thank you,” Caldarus finally said. “All of you.” Somehow, Dell could tell that he was giving thanks for more than lunch.
They were going to be in so much trouble when they got home. They weren’t supposed to go to the Deep Woods alone. It was far too dangerous, after all, and not a place to play in or investigate alone. People got lost all the time. But maybe, just this once, everyone would let it slide. Caldarus, after all, needed their help. What sorts of knights would they be if they left someone in need alone? Dell grinned up at Caldarus. Her hands and fingers were covered in jam and breadcrumbs, and she was sure she had grass and mud stains all over her clothes, but right now she felt like a noble knight who accomplished a great deed and was on the verge of setting off on another adventure.
“You’re welcome, Caldarus,” Dell replied, and she grabbed a peach from the pile and dropped it into his open hand. “Any time.”