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“Mom and Dad say that now that the new farmer has cleared the way to the deep woods we’re not allowed to play there, but the Dragonguard needs to patrol all of Mistria! Plus my sister said that there’s a ghost and Mister Balor keeps finding strange notes and piles of money and Ryis said there were bundles of wood waiting for him… There’s definitely something going on in there and I’m going to find out what!
…But if it’s something dangerous, I don’t want Luc or Maple getting hurt, which is why I’m going to check it out on my own!”
Dell closes her journal and tucks it away in the back of her closet next to the Dragonguard armory (current contents: three swords donated by the farmer and a slingshot). She hesitates, wondering if she should arm herself, but decides that today’s mission is just reconnaissance. With that settled, she sneaks out of her room, through the dining room, and across the store floor to the front door. She gingerly opens it, freezing at the creak of the hinges (that her dad keeps muttering about getting Ryis to grease but he always forgets to ask). When no shouts come, she opens it further and slips through the crack of the door before closing it behind her. It’s barely light out – probably close to 6 AM – but it’s the perfect time to head out into the deep woods and catch whatever is haunting it. She books it down the street, feet slapping the cobbles as she runs. She rounds the corner by the mill so if anyone is out for an early morning stroll they won’t spot her, and heads out of town.
The sun is truly up by the time Dell makes it past the carpenter shop and up the hill, and she pauses to have a quick snack of trail mix before continuing on through the gnarled tree arch that marks the entrance to the woods. The woods are alive with birdsong and the buzz and chirp of insects this summer morning, and Dell heads into the heart of the woods towards the pond where her sister had said the ghost saved her from falling into the water. When she gets there, the water is still, like a serene mirror, and Dell looks down at her reflection, curious. It’s her, alright, her hair held back by her headband, her dingy brown overalls that her mom has been begging her to let her wash, cerulean eyes and freckled nose. A frog sitting on a lily pad beside her croaks, its song causing the water nearby to ripple, distorting her reflection, and for a moment she swears she’s got large, gray horns atop her head now. She leans in closer, trying to make out the details as the water begins to smooth out.
Right in the middle of her face a catfish suddenly pokes its head out of the water, mouth agape as it tries to catch a fly, and startles Dell, causing her to rear backwards in shock. With a splash! the fish resubmerges and the hypnotic spell is over. When Dell gets back up and stares at the pond's surface again, she looks normal.
Hm. No ghosts here.
She heads west next, towards a grove of pine trees where Ryis would go to gather wood. Shoes crunching on the dried needles below her, she walks around the trees, examining mushrooms and avoiding the brambles that threaten to snag her clothes. The woods smell earthy and fresh, the scent of the pine needles mixing in with damp earth and treerot from the rainstorm the day before. A sweet floral smell catches her attention and she spots a hydrangea bush, so she skips over to it and picks a few blooms to use as a peace offering to her sister whom she knows will eventually come looking for her when her parents realize that they can’t find her. She meanders towards the northern part of the grove, but steers clear of the Grove of Rest, not wanting to disturb those who rest there among the pines. After wandering around for about half an hour, she decides that she’s not going to find any mysterious stacks of wood and turns back.
But Mister Balor had mentioned the tree stump with old coins on it… maybe if she found that it would prove something. She heads back towards the entrance of the woods, eyes peeled for any glint of gold. She doesn't spy any, but a stump hidden behind a massive tree does get her attention. She can see a path through the trees on the opposite side of the stump, which blocks access to it, but she’s not stuffy Mister Balor who’s concerned about dirtying his clothes! She’s Dell, head of the Dragonguard! So she climbs up and over the stump, dropping down to the other side, and follows the path that winds through more pine trees.
It doesn't take long for the woods to thin out and crumbling stone walls to begin to appear. Heart thrumming in her chest, Dell creeps forward, wondering if Mister Eiland knows about this place. She stretches out her hand to touch the ruins, but pauses when she catches the faintest sound of a song – not from a bird, but from a lute.
That can’t be right. Why would there be the sound of a lute all the way out here? Dell shakes her head, certain that she was just imagining things, but all the same she then pauses, holds her breath, and listens. She can hear the whine of mosquitoes, the splash of a fish snatching a fly from the surface of the pond, a blackbird singing for a mate, the susurration of the wind through the pine needles as it kisses the trees.
But no lute.
She chuckles to herself – of course she was imagining things! It’s what she does best! – and takes a step forward. The song of the lute starts up again, clearer, and Dell is certain she’s no longer imagining it. But what could be making the music? The ghost? A lost traveler? Some creepy haunted music box that was uncovered by the earthquake and has been playing non-stop in the hopes of enticing little girls into the ruins, only when she touches it, it will reveal itself to actually be a mimic and it gobbles her up?
Okay, maybe let’s not hope it’s the last one, but options ‘A’ and ‘B’ sound fun!
Dell creeps forward, doing her best to move silently like Ryis taught them that one time he took the Dragonguard out birdwatching. The music seems to be coming from deeper within the ruins, and she resolutely presses onward. She climbs up stairs that are in surprisingly good repair – Mister Eiland would probably love to know why – and soon arrives on a landing with a small flower garden, much like the one Celine has out in her yard. She pauses to admire it for a moment – it’s two tidy rows of heather and daisies – and then continues on, following the music. She walks past some ruinous pillars to a space with two small reflecting ponds, but she doesn't bother to examine them; she’s determined to find the source of the music before it stops again.
More stairs await her, but the music is much louder now, making her certain that she’s about to reach the source of all the mysteries of the deep woods. But now that she’s so close, her bravery is faltering. What about option ‘D’ – the Witch Queen? Even if Dell had a sword with her, the Witch Queen could bewitch her in an instant and make her march into her cauldron where she’ll boil her up into a soup! Dell’s ready to handle ghosts (a new friend!) or rescue a lost traveller (who might pay Dell handsomely for rescuing them!), but she’s not ready to face the Witch Queen (death and doom!)!
The little blonde girl takes a step back, scared, ready to flee, but she pictures the conversation she’ll have with her friends; they’ll be disappointed to learn that she went this far without them and then chickened out.
She can’t have that.
She’s the head of the Dragonguard and has sworn to protect Mistria at all costs! …But there’s nothing wrong with sneaking a glance first to make sure it’s not the Witch Queen and then running away to get backup if it is.
With newfound bravery, Dell cautiously climbs the final steps of the ruined temple, and there, standing in fancy robes while plucking away at a fine lute (much nicer than anything Mister Hemlock has), is a man. At least, she thinks it’s a man. They’ve got dark jade hair longer than Mister Balor’s, but so does Mister Stillwell and he’s a man, and she doesn't see any curves beneath the robes – at least not like Miss Juniper or Reina have – so yeah, that’s probably a man and therefore not the Witch Queen. But enough about if it’s a man or not, because are those horns on his head?!?! Crouching, barely breathing, Dell sneaks up a little further to get a better look and is that a tail?!?!?! Wowza, what has Dell found???
As she shifts her weight, the ruin step crumbles beneath her footing and she slips, though she catches herself before tumbling backwards. The sound, however, alerts the horned man and he stops his playing and looks over at her.
“Are you alright?” he asks, his voice deep and commanding, yet still gentle.
Dell gives a small yip of surprise and scuttles down the steps to hide around the corner of the landing.
“I mean you no harm,” says the man. “Seldom do I have visitors. Please, won’t you join me in my temple for a meal and a cup of tea?”
Dell’s heart is racing at the stranger’s words; she’s been found out and he’s inviting her inside! She can hear her mom’s voice now, telling her the sensible thing to do is to go home and not go into some strange man’s house and eat his food, but she the pictures the disappointed faces of Luc and Maple when she tells them that she got this far only to turn around and not find out why he has horns and a tail. So she grits her teeth and steps out from behind the wall. The strange man is now standing halfway down the steps, looking down at her with a soft smile. His golden eyes show nothing but kindness and concern, and Dell is captivated by the depth within them.
Holding the lute in one hand, he reaches out with the other. “Come, these steps can be dangerous as they are centuries old. Let me help you to the temple.”
Wordlessly, she reaches out and takes his hand. It’s warm and soft, similar to Mister Balor’s merchant hands and not rough like Ryis’ of Mister Hayden’s.
He introduces himself when they reach the top. “My name is Caldarus,” he tells her as they walk up to the imposing stone doors of the temple.
“Dell.”
“Ah, the farmer has told me much about you. You are the head of the Dragonguard, are you not?”
Dell straightens up at this. “Yes! That’s right! I’m here to protect Mistria! …Mister Caldarus, why are you out here?”
“I enjoy playing my lute to the creatures of the forest.”
“No, I mean, why are you living in the temple?”
“Ah. I cannot reveal myself to the townsfolk for having a dragon living amongst them may cause a panic. So I shall protect the people of Mistria from the temple.”
Dell stops in her tracks, mouth agape. “You’re a dragon?!”
Caldarus smiles. “Indeed. But do not worry, I do not eat little girls, and especially not friends of the farmer. In fact, I do not eat people at all! I prefer human delicacies like fried rice and seafood. And, of course, a cup of tea.”
Dell crosses her arms and looks at Caldarus skeptically. Sure, he’s got talons on his feet and scales on his tail and claws at the ends of his slender fingers, but.. “If you’re a dragon, where are your wings?”
He blushes. “I, unfortunately, was recently forced to take the form of a mortal and was not able to incorporate my wings – can you imagine how difficult it would be to sleep in a bed with wings?”
She considers this. “Okay, that’s fair. I guess it would be hard to sleep in a bed with wings. But wings are really cool, you know.”
“I will remember that next time I am forced to become mortal,” he says with a chuckle. He pushes open a door and reveals a tidy room – spacious and yet cozy – with rugs overlapping each other, a fluffy bed, and shelves of yellowed, aging scrolls. Near the front of the temple is an altar with a dragon statuette surrounded by ancient coins, and in the center of the room is a hearth with a kettle over the fire and cushions surrounding it.
He gestures to the cushions. “Please, have a seat. I will prepare some tea.”
Dell’s stomach gurgles – the trail mix she had for breakfast not providing nearly enough energy for a rambunctious girl such as her – and Caldarus halts midway to the kettle.
“Ah… or perhaps something to break your fast? I imagine if you’re out here this early, you haven’t had anything to eat yet.”
“That’d be swell. Thank you, Mister Caldarus!”
“Do you like eggs? Lately I have been trying my hand at omelets.”
“I love ‘em!”
“Wonderful,” he says warmly, and he moves over to a small counter with a mortar and pestle situated on top.
“I’ve found that grinding up the eggs makes them easier to chew,” he says conversationally as he works, the sound of eggshells cracking and crunching in his mortar.
Dell isn’t really paying attention to his words, though, as she marvels at her surroundings. “How old is everything here? Do you do magic? How big were you before you shrank? Is this a statue of you? What do you do all day?” she asks instead.
Caldarus chuckles good-naturedly. “Oh, I’ve been around for millennia, along with most of these scrolls. Ancient knowledge is stored in this temple, which indeed, was devoted to me. That statue is a fine likeness of my true form, albeit very small in comparison. Why, I was as big as this temple before I took this form!”
“No way! That’s so cool! Could you breathe fire? Do you still breathe fire?”
He turns around, grinning, holding the beaten eggs, milk, and cheese (and shells) in the mortar in one hand and a pan in the other. “I think I shall keep a few things about myself a secret, but I have been known to do a trick or two, even in this form. Now, it’s time to cook the eggs.”
He bends over the fire and pours the egg mixture into the pan, cooking it up. When it comes time to turn the eggs, he gives the pan a flip and the eggs break apart, but he doesn't look concerned at all. Dell watches with a doubtful eye, but scrambled eggs are also good!
At last he deems his food done and he divides the eggs onto two plates and passes one to his guest. “I apologize in advance… I am not very adept at cooking.”
Dell grins. “ Well, we can’t all be as good as Reina – she’s Maple and Luc’s older sister – but eggs are eggs!”
“I thank you for the kind words,” he says, and tucks into his food.
Dell does the same, her eyes on the dragon man, studying him as she absentmindedly eats, but after the first bite she pauses; the eggs are rubbery and gritty, the cheese smelly and potent.
“Um…” She’s not sure what to say. She’s encountered foods she didn't like before and was able to choke them down with a smile on her face, but never has she had something so inedible. She tries to remember what Aunt Elsie taught her about manners if she ever went to a dinner in the Capital. “The… texture is very… unique,” she concedes.
“Yes, I have gotten very good at pulverizing the eggshells so they are not as crunchy.”
“O-oh! That… explains it. And the cheese is… strong.”
“It is aged blue cheese, one of my favorites.”
Dell peers into her eggs and yes, she can see flecks of mold from the cheese now that she actually looks at the food and not her surroundings and host.
“...Ah.”
Caldarus sighs. “The food is bad, isn’t it? I apologize; I am still learning how to cook, as I said.”
“No! No, it’s alright!” she says, a rictus grin on her face as she does her best to be polite.
“How about some tea to cleanse the palate?” he offers.
Dell hides the scowl on her face well; she’s always found tea to be bitter and unpleasant, preferring the sweetness of hot chocolate, but it would probably be better than the flavor of the eggs.
“Sure. Thanks, Mister Caldarus.”
“Of course.” He takes away the plates and pours out a cup of tea for her from the kettle over the fire.
“Just a touch of magic; despite remaining over the fire, you should find the tea to be the perfect temperature for drinking,” he says with a smile.
Dell sips the brew and yes, it’s not too hot for her tongue and so she takes a large swig, desperate to wash the stinky cheese flavor out of her mouth. The tea definitely does the job; it’s mellow and earthy – and bitter, of course – but it’s a welcome escape from the omelet. But overall? Not too bad.
“Hey, this is pretty nice, actually, though it could use a bit of sugar.”
“Thank you, I pride myself on my tea-making skills. This is spirit mushroom tea.”
Dell starts to pull a face of disgust, but then checks herself. “This is made from mushrooms? Weird. But you know, it’s still ok.”
“Very good.”
They chat a little more – well, it’s mainly Dell asking him about life as a dragon while he gives coy, vague answers, until at last the tea is done. Dell yawns and stretches, her arms reaching up high towards the vaulted ceiling of the temple. “Oh… man, I guess getting up this early makes me tired,” she realizes aloud. “I guess I’d better… be getting… back home…” With those words, she crumples onto the cushions, fast asleep. Caldarus continues to smile his warm, kind smile.
“Dell! Dell!”
Dell wakes with a start. Before her is her sister, hands on hips in annoyance. “Dell! Finally!”
Dell wipes her eyes and yawns again, sitting up, and as she does bunches of flowers – daisies, hydrangeas, and heather – cascade down into her lap.
“Are you alright?” Celine asks, her frustration melting into concern. “We couldn’t find you anywhere!”
“Hm? Yeah, I was just…” What was she doing? She looks around her – she’s near the entrance to the deep woods, leaning up against the collapsed tree that forms the entrance arch and surrounded by flowers. “I… I was picking flowers for you,” she says, thinking fast. “Since tomorrow’s your birthday.”
Celine blushes. “Dell! That’s so sweet of you! But you need to tell Mom and Dad when you leave the shop! They were so worried for you! And me! And Maple and Luc! And the whole town! We had no idea where you’d gone to!”
“Sorry,” mumbled Dell, lowering her head in shame. She knew that. So why did she go out on her own? And to the deep woods no less?
“Well, come on, let’s get back home and stop everyone from looking for you!” Celine reaches out a hand to help Dell up, and she takes it.
As they walk back to town, Dell apologizes again. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to scare anyone.”
Celine sighs. “I’m just glad you’re alright. But why go to the deep woods? There are flowers all over Mistria for you to collect!”
“I… I don’t know. I guess I just wanted a reason to go exploring.”
This gets a smile from her big sister. “Yeah, I understand. But at least take Luc and Maple with you next time – I mean! Don’t go into the deep woods, but take your friends with you when you go out!”
“Okay. Sorry.”
They return to the general store and Dell gets an earful from her mom, and her dad doesn't even use any puns when speaking to her, they’re so cross. For sneaking out she’s grounded until she cleans up her room and is on sweeping duty for a week (though she gets a break for Celine’s birthday tomorrow). As she trudges to her room to start the arduous task of cleaning, something nags at her thoughts – why did she go to the deep woods alone? Perhaps she’d left a clue in her journal. She digs it out of the back of her closet and flips to the latest page:
“Tomorrow is Celine’s birthday. I heard that there’s a special flower that only grows in the deep woods that you can only spot early in the morning, so I’m going to sneak out to see if I can find it and bring it back for her. It shouldn’t take too long, so I won’t bother Luc and Maple with this mission!”
Huh. That… makes sense, but she doesn't remember writing that. What does she remember, though? The smell of pine needles, the sound of insects and birds, the coolness of the trees compared to the blazing summer heat, the mermaid she met in the pond, the dragon who lives beyond the pond, the headless knight who protects the Grove of Rest, the gryphon who patrols the skies; all of them guarding Mistria.
Yeah, that sounds about right.
She tucks her journal away and casts her gaze around her room. Where to start?
Back in the deep woods, Cadarus plucks at his lute, allowing the dulcet tones to mingle with the song of the woods. He may be mortal now, but he can afford to expend a little bit of magic every now and then. …Maybe he should have asked her how he could improve his omelet before casting the spell, though.