As a soft glow emanated from the now-complete spell, Essa watched with some considerable pride what occurred when she released it. While she shifted their perceptions back to the normal level a soft golden glow overtook the room, lighting the faces of those within with a warm caress. Gentle scents of Springtime permeated the air, and a feeling of well-being crept upon them. Then it seemed to dissipate, leaching into the very walls of the edifice. Behind, it left a companionable sense of well-being that promised to overwhelm all feelings of anger and strife. As the last wisps cleared and went their way to do their work, Essa smiled softly.
It was only then that she became aware of the stares of her compatriots. Lord MacBeatha looked at her with curiosity mixed (if she read his Dragon expressions aright) with some surprise. Lady Bronratha's expression was harder to decipher. A very little of surprise, but mostly intense and close observation as if seeking to determine if there might be anything false about her, she thought. Lord Sylvanus was easiest, of course, because she knew him best. The stiffness of his neck spines told of pride in her accomplishments and progress, and his eyes bespoke pleasure that she had accomplished so much. There was no quiver of the tail-tip, the Dragon equivalent of a smile. But then, she sighed inwardly to herself, that was a dream of far-reaching proportions. None of her predecessors ever had recorded a smile in their massive journals, at least not that she had yet discovered. A frown was his normal response, as he gently corrected all the mistakes. Superlative performance brought a bland, neutral expression of acceptance, the highest praise any seemed to have experienced.
Folding her diminutive right front leg and extending her left she lowered her head and curtsied, Dragon style, to the three Ancient Ones. Then she spoke in a properly self-depreciating manner.
"My Lords, my Lady, I beg that you forgive my presumptuousness. In my youthful eagerness to be of some small service, I may have overstepped myself. However, I sought only to be of assistance, however little that might be." Not until she completed her apology did she raise her head at all, and then it was a mere upturning of her snout to be able to look upon her teacher and his peers to see if she had made any mistake.
She felt Beathan release the wards that had been placed about the surfaces of the chamber. Of course, the spell that had been created within those wards was keyed to them and had experienced no difficulty in penetrating them. But they had been needful. Without those, the whole of the Melrose area would have experienced nightmares and waking dreams of a magnitude and content that surely would have brought remarks and inquiry. Even so, there might have been some leakage. Suddenly Beathan stiffened.
In flashing thoughts he turned their collective attention to the minor disturbance on the floor above. Elain was in Lisa's bedroom, each of the two girls engaged in soothing the other's disturbed mind. James and Carol were in the hallway outside in various states of undress, having obviously just been inquiring after the well-being of the other two. But it was Lisa who appeared to be the most disturbed.
(I should have guessed.) Beathan's thought came clearly as the golden and silver body of the youngest Dragon began to coalesce back toward his Human form. Rising, he bowed to the other two Dragons and then turned toward Essa. As he walked past her to the door of the chamber, she could have sworn that he winked at her. In moments, long before her befuddled brain could respond, he was gone.
|