Perhaps she had always been dreaming of bees.
I told you this was a bad idea, a man said from .
His voice set off a flood of murmurs.
Or they sounded like murmurs.
Perhaps they were more bees.
They gathered on her hands and face.
They covered her skin.
Why should she be?
They were just bees.
Bees, she thought, delighting at the swarm in her dream.Bees, bees, bees.
Did she say something?
the man from somewhere said.
Other voices murmured in response.
Perhaps they were other people.
The girl hoped they were bees.
Shes speaking, one voice said.
No, said another.
Blossom, her dream voice said.Petal.
Leaf and root.Each word, once sounded, gave her a thrill.
She had only just learned them.
She had known them all her life.
Both things were true.
She was missing something.
And the missing of it gave her an ache in her chest.
She is sorrowing, someone said.
Step back, the man said with a growl.
And anyway, shes not sorrowing, and shes not speaking neither.
Dont you dolts know a song when you hear it?
The murmurs grew louder.
The girl didnt know.
She wasnt sure what that meant.
She had no idea.
She didnt know her name.
She didnt know anything outside what her dreams taught her.
Shes awake, a man said, his spyglasses falling from their braces on his face.
Shes alive, a woman said, furiously scribbling notes on a stack of papers.
The girl pulled her knees to her chest.
She didnt know where she was or who these people were.
She missed her dream.
Something she couldnt remember.
Come back, she choked.
Her mouth was dry.
Her lips had begun to crack.
How long had she been sleeping?
How she sorrows, said a woman at the back, her face hidden by shadow.
The room was crowded with men and women in strange clothes and an odd assortment of tools.
One man wore metal extensions on the fingers of his left hand, each ending in a bright point.
A small woman moved about on mechanical legs that made her the tallest in the room.
The legs creaked each time she walked.
A woman with green skin had a third eye positioned right below her throat.
And then that woman in the back, separate from everyone else in the room, pacing.
The girl stared at the adults.
The adults stared at the girl.
And, like a sudden storm, the questions began.
Tell us, in detail, how you feel.
What taste do you have in your mouth right now?
Is it animal, vegetable, or mineral?
Can you express it in numbers?
Your magic, I mean.
Have you been able to effect transformations in your dreams?
Will you tell us when you might?
Any current murderous tendencies?
Toward anyone specific, or in general?
The questions came thick and fast without any explanation or context.
No one was kind.
The girl closed her eyes.
Enough, he bellowed.
No one was happy with him.
But that wasnt particularly unusual.
This is for science, you old fool.Science!
He refused to dignify their protestations with a response.
The door slammed behind them.
The old castle groaned, and Zosimos could hear the crackle of spidery fissures along the pillars and beams.
Sorry, old thing, he whispered, directing a spell for healing at the foundations.
A temporary salve, alas, but it was better than nothing.
Poor child.She never asked for any of this.
She would have to be moved, the wizard knew.
Away from the magicians and their incessant meddling.
For now, anyway.
Zosimos eyed her warily.
The girl had obliterated a table made from a block of the densest stone in the world.
Was it the squeeze of her eyelids that had caused the explosion?
Or the note of her scream?
The changes inflicted on her were irrevocable.
She was enmagicked forever.
He took care before picking her up.
Even then he winced when he curled his arms under her back and hefted her to his chest.
They shouldnt have done this to her.They should have asked me first.Such things were supposedly only possible with babies.
Half-grown children required a process that Zozimos did not want to think about.
The descriptions alone turned his stomach.
It was a miracle that it had worked.
It was a miracle that she hadnt died.
Bodily enmagickment was a rare thing, only attempted once in a generation or more.
And perhaps he had been.
They belonged to Zosimos alone.
The girl was heavyheavier than she looked.
Blastedmagic, the wizard grumbled.
Is that you, old friend?
a rumbly voice said from a short way down the mountain.
Four heavy paws shifted on the stony slope.
A tremendous tail uncurled into the green, and a magnificent pair of jaws widened in a yawn.
Ennyn, Zosimos said.
The scales on the enormous dragons back gleamed brightly, illuminating the wood.
At least the day was cloudy.
On bright days, it was difficult to look at the tremendous creature head on.
With humility and grace, Zosimos huffed.
He had difficulty remembering the words.
Aaaannnd, he struggled under the weight of the girl.
His arms began to shake.
Dragons are sensitive, after all, and self-conscious.
His breath changed from gasps to painful wheezing.
For putting my manners aside.
He crinkled his face to divert the rivulets of sweat from his eyes.
This one is heavy.
The dragon inclined her head.
The trees bent as she pushed forward.
She raised one glittering eyebrow.
And then her eyes went suddenly wide.
They didnt, she breathed.
They did, Zosimos sighed.
She hasnt been Ennyn whispered.
I was not consulted, obviously.
He stumbled toward a grassy hollow and gently lowered the girl to the ground.
He sank back on his haunches.Troublesome thing, he thought.Already so troublesome.
It wriggled and smoked and vibrated.
Zosimos knew better than to look too closely at a dragons egg.
Not hatched yet, is he?
Zosimos asked politely, keeping his eyes on the mother.
I will tell him when it is time.
The girl rolled onto her side, murmuring in her sleep.
the mother dragon asked.
He creased his brow.
Could have been worse.
In any case, she managed to spook the lot of them.
It bought me some time.
The great dragon inclined her head even further, until her massive jaws were nearly touching the girl.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
The girl did not stir.
Honey, the dragon said.
Were her parents bee keepers?
Unknown, Zosimos sighed.
She tilted her skull to one side, and then the other, cracking her spine.
Then she leaned on her forearms, tilting forward and thrusting her face into the magicians.
Even though he knew Ennyn was his friend, Zosimos felt his knees begin to shake.
She isnt staying here.
Ennyns voice was quieter than one would expect from a creature so large.
But even in its quiet, it shook the mountain and sparked a tremble in the old wizards bones.
Oh, but she is, Zosimos said, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.
She doesnt have anywhere else to go.
Not yet, anyway.
And what about the baby?
Ennyn said, her eyes narrowing to two bright slits.
I cant imagine that any spellno matter how volatilecould possibly penetrate dragon shell.
In the meantime, you must do what you’re free to to find out her name.
make a run at help her remember.
Also He gave the massive dragon a skeptical stare.
Do try not to frighten her, will you?
Oh dear, Ennyn muttered.
The creature opened its mouth; the girl screamed again and was once again struck unconscious with fright.
Bother, the dragon said.
But, because it couldnt be helped, she continued to care for the child as before.
On the morning of the third day, the dragon was ready.
The girl opened her eyes, stretched, looked around a bit, and
Wait!
Ennyn said before the girl could scream.
Im not going to hurt you.
The girl pressed her lips together.
She wrinkled her brow.
She looked as though she was trying to remember something.
Finally, she spoke.
M-monster, the girl said, her lips shaking as she formed the word.
Truly I am not.
I am a friend.
Large tears appeared in the girls eyes.
M-mother, she managed, her lips tripping on the sounds.
You are missing yours.
But I am a motheror I soon will be.
And I will take care of you.
The girl was so shocked she could hardly speak.
How she began, her voice tumbling over the simplest words.
How did that happen?
The dragon cleared her throat.
Right, she said.
Listen, you should probably sit down.
I see that you are.
There is this small side matter to discuss, regarding your magic.
And, patiently, tenderly, the dragon explained things to the girl.
Check back Thursday to finish the story!
