Delgar jumped as lightning struck a nearby tree, shattering the branches and blinding him. As the crash of thunder faded, Delgar blinked several times, trying to get the white-hot image out of his eyes. Finally, he looked across the barrow to see Daelyn staring at him.
“The guardian spoke to you, didn’t he?” the Tuatha de Danaan said.
Delgar nodded.
Daelyn gazed at the lifeless skeleton. “He spoke to me as well. What did he say to you?”
Delgar opened his mouth, but then closed it. The memory had already grown fuzzy; half formed images and words flowed through his mind, but nothing clear arose. Finally, Delgar shook his head. “I don’t remember.”
Daelyn nodded. “Probably for the better. The dead do not see things as the living do. Time, space, the great Road, all of it is meaningless to them. At least, we would say it is meaningless to them.” He looked out at the storm. “It is very hard to say what the dead would think.”
“Do you remember what he said to you?” Delgar asked.
Daelyn nodded. “It isn’t your concern.”
“Did you see him speak to me?”
Daelyn shook his head. “When you speak to the dead, you are half in their world. Even a Tuatha de Danaan druid cannot affect others when she is inside that world.”
“But why did he come?” Delgar asked. “Who summoned him?”
Daelyn smiled. “Both of us, I think. When the elements are out of balance, such as they are now,” he motioned to the storm, “the pathway between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead is more easily opened.”
Delgar frowned for a moment. “I wish I could have remembered what he said to me,” he muttered.
Daelyn blinked.
“It might have been news of Lera.”
“I don’t think that would be likely,” Daelyn said, looking outside. The roaring of the storm had begun to cease, and a couple of stars poked out of the clouds. The Tuatha de Danaan turned back to Delgar. “The dead are not subject to the living, and rarely answer questions. You should get some sleep. The pathways between worlds have been shut, and you will need your rest.”
Delgar nodded, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes. His dreams were filled with phantasmagoric images of the talking dead, but a single phrase returned to his mind: Magus Draconum.
“The guardian spoke to you, didn’t he?” the Tuatha de Danaan said.
Delgar nodded.
Daelyn gazed at the lifeless skeleton. “He spoke to me as well. What did he say to you?”
Delgar opened his mouth, but then closed it. The memory had already grown fuzzy; half formed images and words flowed through his mind, but nothing clear arose. Finally, Delgar shook his head. “I don’t remember.”
Daelyn nodded. “Probably for the better. The dead do not see things as the living do. Time, space, the great Road, all of it is meaningless to them. At least, we would say it is meaningless to them.” He looked out at the storm. “It is very hard to say what the dead would think.”
“Do you remember what he said to you?” Delgar asked.
Daelyn nodded. “It isn’t your concern.”
“Did you see him speak to me?”
Daelyn shook his head. “When you speak to the dead, you are half in their world. Even a Tuatha de Danaan druid cannot affect others when she is inside that world.”
“But why did he come?” Delgar asked. “Who summoned him?”
Daelyn smiled. “Both of us, I think. When the elements are out of balance, such as they are now,” he motioned to the storm, “the pathway between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead is more easily opened.”
Delgar frowned for a moment. “I wish I could have remembered what he said to me,” he muttered.
Daelyn blinked.
“It might have been news of Lera.”
“I don’t think that would be likely,” Daelyn said, looking outside. The roaring of the storm had begun to cease, and a couple of stars poked out of the clouds. The Tuatha de Danaan turned back to Delgar. “The dead are not subject to the living, and rarely answer questions. You should get some sleep. The pathways between worlds have been shut, and you will need your rest.”
Delgar nodded, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes. His dreams were filled with phantasmagoric images of the talking dead, but a single phrase returned to his mind: Magus Draconum.
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