A Dragon Born Read Online Free Page B
Author: Jordan Baker
result in more ridiculous talk of names, but she had to say something.
"Of course, I am who I am."
"Good," Keira said. "It is important to know such things."
"So I'm a squirrel?"
"No." Keira shook her head. "You are Squirrel and you are you."
"Oh, that makes perfect sense." Ariana could not help her sarcasm but Keira either did not notice or she simply ignored it.
"I am glad you are coming to see that," she said. "I have been asked to bring you to the center of the rings. It is very strange that the elders should allow one so young to stand among them, but they have asked and it is their realm to decide such things, so I will do as they ask."
"And what if you decided not to do as they ask?" In her frustration, Ariana was feeling belligerent.
"I would not deny them in this way," Keira said.
"But what if you did?"
"I would not. They are the elders. They are the light and the heart of the tree and I am but the shadow cast by a leaf, not a branch nor a twig, nor even a leaf. A leaf does not sway the tree and I am not even that, merely the shadow of the leaf."
"One leaf might not sway the tree, but the tree does not sway itself. That takes many leaves," Ariana told her, turning the idea over in her mind. "The shadow of the leaf does touch the tree and, depending on where the light falls, the shadow can touch many places, while the leaf itself stays fixed on the branch."
Keira smiled again, pleased at what Ariana had said.
"Perhaps you are no mere squirrel, but that will be for the elders to decide. With the coming of dawn, we will travel to the center of the trees. Take your rest and be ready at first light."
Keira swung herself out of the opening of the hollow and leapt to a nearby branch, flitting off into the forest and Ariana lay back on the small bed and sighed. She was not sure how long she had been here, but it had been many days since she had awakened in the forest, healed of her wounds, but kept here, unable to leave the forest, like a prisoner yet not. She gazed up at the intricate patterns of bark inside the hollow of the tree and remembered how she had been trapped within it, held by the tree itself and now it seemed like a memory from the distant past. She reached out with her power and felt the tree around her, its gentle energy flowing from its roots to its branches. The tree murmured at her power, as though awakening from a deep sleep.
"Tree," she said aloud. "Why is Keira so confusing? She speaks in riddles."
"She speaks in words, as do you," the tree whispered. "Words are riddles enough."
"Yes, but most of the time the things she says are like riddles. It is as though she wants to confuse me."
"Words are riddles," said the tree. "Keira wishes to teach you things that have no words, that is all."
"What about you? You don't speak in riddles, and you can use words."
"I do not like words, but they are part of you so I have learned to speak them, just as you have learned to speak with me."
"Yes, but why not be plain about things? Why talk of leaves and squirrels?"
"They are thoughts that contain many words, many thoughts."
"But why not just use many words? If something is hard to explain, then take more words to explain it. Don't just say things like the branch has many twigs or the river flows in more than one direction."
"Words change their meaning. I cannot speak of the river, for I know it not, but a leaf will always be a leaf and a squirrel will always be a squirrel."
"But I won't always be a squirrel," Ariana pointed out.
"Perhaps not, but you are not merely a word, nor are you rooted to the earth. It is your nature to change."
Ariana reached out her hand and touched the tree, feeling the almost imperceptible warmth of the living wood. The tree responded to her touch, vibrating softly, and she felt the gust of a cool breeze rustle its leaves, the gentle sway of its branches, the damp earth nestled around its trunk, the trickle of water deep underground at its roots. It was always like
"Of course, I am who I am."
"Good," Keira said. "It is important to know such things."
"So I'm a squirrel?"
"No." Keira shook her head. "You are Squirrel and you are you."
"Oh, that makes perfect sense." Ariana could not help her sarcasm but Keira either did not notice or she simply ignored it.
"I am glad you are coming to see that," she said. "I have been asked to bring you to the center of the rings. It is very strange that the elders should allow one so young to stand among them, but they have asked and it is their realm to decide such things, so I will do as they ask."
"And what if you decided not to do as they ask?" In her frustration, Ariana was feeling belligerent.
"I would not deny them in this way," Keira said.
"But what if you did?"
"I would not. They are the elders. They are the light and the heart of the tree and I am but the shadow cast by a leaf, not a branch nor a twig, nor even a leaf. A leaf does not sway the tree and I am not even that, merely the shadow of the leaf."
"One leaf might not sway the tree, but the tree does not sway itself. That takes many leaves," Ariana told her, turning the idea over in her mind. "The shadow of the leaf does touch the tree and, depending on where the light falls, the shadow can touch many places, while the leaf itself stays fixed on the branch."
Keira smiled again, pleased at what Ariana had said.
"Perhaps you are no mere squirrel, but that will be for the elders to decide. With the coming of dawn, we will travel to the center of the trees. Take your rest and be ready at first light."
Keira swung herself out of the opening of the hollow and leapt to a nearby branch, flitting off into the forest and Ariana lay back on the small bed and sighed. She was not sure how long she had been here, but it had been many days since she had awakened in the forest, healed of her wounds, but kept here, unable to leave the forest, like a prisoner yet not. She gazed up at the intricate patterns of bark inside the hollow of the tree and remembered how she had been trapped within it, held by the tree itself and now it seemed like a memory from the distant past. She reached out with her power and felt the tree around her, its gentle energy flowing from its roots to its branches. The tree murmured at her power, as though awakening from a deep sleep.
"Tree," she said aloud. "Why is Keira so confusing? She speaks in riddles."
"She speaks in words, as do you," the tree whispered. "Words are riddles enough."
"Yes, but most of the time the things she says are like riddles. It is as though she wants to confuse me."
"Words are riddles," said the tree. "Keira wishes to teach you things that have no words, that is all."
"What about you? You don't speak in riddles, and you can use words."
"I do not like words, but they are part of you so I have learned to speak them, just as you have learned to speak with me."
"Yes, but why not be plain about things? Why talk of leaves and squirrels?"
"They are thoughts that contain many words, many thoughts."
"But why not just use many words? If something is hard to explain, then take more words to explain it. Don't just say things like the branch has many twigs or the river flows in more than one direction."
"Words change their meaning. I cannot speak of the river, for I know it not, but a leaf will always be a leaf and a squirrel will always be a squirrel."
"But I won't always be a squirrel," Ariana pointed out.
"Perhaps not, but you are not merely a word, nor are you rooted to the earth. It is your nature to change."
Ariana reached out her hand and touched the tree, feeling the almost imperceptible warmth of the living wood. The tree responded to her touch, vibrating softly, and she felt the gust of a cool breeze rustle its leaves, the gentle sway of its branches, the damp earth nestled around its trunk, the trickle of water deep underground at its roots. It was always like
Readers choose
The Dutiful Wife
Allison Wettlaufer
Paul Greci
A Knight of Silence
Lawana Blackwell
Michael Cordy
Richard Levesque
Al Ewing
Amy Rae Durreson