6.  Frost and Fire.

​

  Evadel rushed the children out and down the road.  She was running early, and most grateful for it!  Imelwain's mother was not pleasant company, at least not when you were asking to place her son in danger.  Ev made a mental note that she would have to approach Imelwain and warn him about diplomacy with regards to any adventures he decided to undertake.  'I want you to promise me that you will never wake anyone up by pinching their ear and telling them to, and I quote, "Leave now!" at far too early in the morning children.'  Evadel huffed as soon as they had passed a decent distance away.  She didn't want any more trouble, but that had just been rude!

  'Yes lady Sierinde.'  Dubrick replied in monotone, his head hanging.  'Can we go back to sleep now?'

  Cynthia alone seemed awake.  Evadel almost cringed as the girl laughed at her.  'You went and put a poker on the lord's saddle back there!  She's rather overprotective.'

  'Yes, so it seems.'  They were, it seemed, very early.  'Well, sleep more when we get to our meeting point if you want, but try to find somewhere dry.  There's bound to be dew.  I do not want any of you catching the sniffles.'

  As much as she expected to be left waiting, they were in fact being waited on.  Imelwain was leaning against the last post of the bridge, half dozing.  Ysen'theiril was more active, and her grin was enough to make Evadel wish she had stopped to rest a while back.  'What are you two doing here so early?'

  'The boy fell asleep early, he's just not used to being up at this time.  As for me, you know I'm always early.  I never miss my worm.'

  One of her charges groaned.  'That was bad Ysen.  Well, if we are all gathered we may as well start.'

  The two veterans quickly drafted a plan of attack.  Ysen had crude maps prepared.  She always came prepared.  Maybe that was how people were, if they were to wake every day hours before dawn.  Evadel didn't know, but she doubted anyone would choose to be like that.  Beds, and sleep, were far too delightful.

  It took longer to get the attention of their recruits, or rather to keep that attention focused on the plan, than it did to lay out the plan.  Even so everyone was on the same page while dawn was just considering if it should bother to start, the false light of early morning showing off hints of what was to come.  The weather seemed fair.  'Hmmm, no rain for us.  That's good.'  Ysen mused.

  'Why?'  Peter looked confused.  'Wouldn't rain make stuff not burn?'

  'Yes and no.  It may make it harder to burn things, but that doesn't stop a fiend.  If something wet does burn, you get a lot of smoke.  A fiend based on smoke and fire, and wet weather... let us just say rain is not the best weather for hunting a Smalgor.  We probably have a few hours before it comes to us, but that's a guess at best.  It could show up any time, so keep looking for smoke.  Now, we should get in position.'

  With the sun peeking over the horizon sleep had become a dream that was not soon to be fulfilled.  The group trudged off, and even Imel showed only a little enthusiasm.  'What, no charging off without thought, yelling excitedly?'

  There was a note of sympathy in the teasing, and a smile crossed Imelwain's face for a moment.  'Not with waking up so early.  What a joykiller!'

  'Ah, sleep deprivation.  Working miracles on the overeager since time began.'

  'Oh shush.  I'm not that bad.'  The spring was already returning to his step, and with a sudden surge of enthusiasm Imelwain grinned.  'A real fiend!'

  Dubrick slapped his own forehead, letting his mind rest a moment.  'Did you really just say that?'

  'Come on!  This is going to be so much fun!'

  'Aah.  Heh.  I...'  Dubrick sighed in frustration.  'Sometimes another perspective just isn't what you need.  You know?'

  'Oh yeah, who needs all those boring concerns!  You got that one dead on!'  Imel, of course, missed Dubrick's intended meaning completely.  In retrospect, however, Dubrick admitted to himself that it was quite fair.  Sometimes you really just want somebody to agree with you... no matter how crazy you are.

  They soon had gotten into the intended positions.  It didn't take long for the fiend to show up either.  In fact, the exact way everything seemed to be going to plan made Evadel and Ysen very nervous.

  Gerald made his move.  A gust of wind hit the fiend, laden with sand.  The smoke almost completely vanished, and thousands of tiny lumps of very hot sand slammed into the ground nearby.  A mockingly humanoid face in the flame snarled.

  At this the rest of the crew rushed out, and started flinging sand at the fiend.  Unable to burn the material, the best the fiend could do was to hiss at them.  Assaulted from all sides, and thrown off balance, it was a perfect target.

  Imel stepped up behind Peter, and followed one of the tosses with a surge of power.  Lightning flared, and the hot sand popped and crackled.  Steam formed, and the fiend shrieked in dismay.  All in a single moment, and yet somehow it all seemed to last for hours.  Then, with a small flicker, the last heat was absorbed and an odd chunk of ice remained.  The odd shape, and the disturbingly pained look on what had passed for a face for the fiend, lent an eerie quality to the ice.  Knowing what had happened here only made it worse.

  Gerald and Cynthia were both shocked, and Imelwain was surprised that Dubrick and Peter were handling things so well.  'Did you just freeze fire?'  Cynthia asked, 'With lightning?'

  'Yeah.'

  'Freaks!'  His hands thrown above his head, Gerald faced Evadel.  'Why are there so many freaks here who do magic without doing magic!'

  'Oh come on Gerald!  Didn't Mr. Melnin teach you anything?  These are abilities.'

  'Those are supposed to be weak, rare, less awe inspiring.'

  'Not all of them.'  Ysen'theiril noted.  She pushed past the pair, and caught Imelwain as he collapsed.  'In this case the ability is more than this young man can withstand.  It drained him so far that he will be asleep until tomorrow to recover.  We are lucky that he managed that much power too, as we won't have to deal with an angry fiend coming unfrozen later.'

  'I have the fears of a mother to go assuage.  We can talk about this tomorrow.  Now go rest up at the theater, all of you.'  Evadel grinned.  'You earned it.  A job well done.'  She was not looking forward to talking with said mother.

  With some complaints the children did head toward the theater, and Ysen even went without complaining.  As much as she was a pain, Evadel was reminded that she was also a friend.  Ysen knew when she could push Ev's buttons, and when not to.  That, she had learned through long years of experience, was a gift that only care and attention to a person could give.  And, with that in mind, the arduous task of letting one woman know her son was still alive became less imposing.  She even smiled as she walked.  The words "I told you so" seemed pretty sweet right now!