Wrede, Patricia C - Enchanted Forest 02 by Searching for Dragons Read Free Book Online

talking about, and if he did manage to make it clear, they generally got upset and indignant. He didn’t want to upset the Head Wizard of the Society of Wizards, but he didn’t want to spend his afternoon cleaning up a magical mess in the middle of his castle, either. He reached out with a mental hand and nudged the invisible cords away from the staff.
    Zemenar did not seem to notice. “I have come to see you about a matter of much urgency to the Society of Wizards,” he said, stroking his long gray beard portentously. “I hope you will be willing to assist us.”
    “That depends on what kind of help you’re asking for,” Mendanbar replied. “There are some things I won’t do, and a few that I can’t. I’m sure you understand.”
    “Entirely,” Zemenar said, though he sounded a little put out, as if he had hoped to get Mendanbar to agree quickly, without asking any awkward questions.
    Mendanbar felt like rolling his eyes in exasperation. Everybody who lived in the Enchanted Forest knew better than to make a promise without knowing what they were promising. Did this wizard think that Mendanbar was stupid just because he was young?
    “We in the Society of Wizards have been having a great deal of difficulty recently with the dragons in the Mountains of Morning,” Zemenar went on. “That is the root of the problem.”
    “I don’t think I can help you with the dragons,” Mendanbar said. The strands of magic were drifting toward the wizard’s staff again. He gave them another nudge. “The Mountains of Morning aren’t part of the Enchanted Forest, so I can’t just order the dragons to behave. If you were having trouble with elves, now, I might be able—”
    “Naturally, we don’t wish to involve you in our dispute,” Zemenar interrupted smoothly. “However, one of the results of our quarrel is that the King of the Dragons has cut off the Society’s access to the Caves of Fire and Night.”
    “I still don’t see—”
    “‘The caves are the source of many of the ingre dients we use in our spells,” Zemenar broke in once more. “They are also the only place it is possible to make certain items we need for our research.” He paused and blinked, fingering his staff with one hand as if he thought there might be a rough spot somewhere along it and he was trying to find it without attracting attention. “We—the Society of Wizards—must have some way of entering the caves.”
    “Go on.” Mendanbar tried not to sound as irritated as he felt. He did not like Zemenar’s lecturing tone, he was tired of being interrupted, and he still did not see what the Society’s dispute with the dragons had to do with him. On top of that, the invisible threads of magic were moving toward Zemenar’s staff again, almost as if something were sucking them in. Mendanbar yanked at them hard, wishing he could do the same to the Head Wizard.
    “That is where you come in, Your Majesty,” Zemenar said. He sounded vaguely confused, as if he were trying to concentrate on two things at once, “You, ah, could be of great use . . . that is, you could help us enormously.”
    “How?” The strands of magic were gliding toward the staff more quickly than ever. Mendanbar could see that if he kept pulling at them he would soon be unable to pay attention to anything else. He thought for a moment, while Zemenar rambled, then he took hold of a fat, invisible cord and with a swift gesture threw it in a loop around Zemenar. The loop hovered three feet from the Head Wizard in all directions, spinning slowly. Other cords floated towards it and glanced off before they came anywhere near Zemenar or his staff. Mendanbar smiled slightly.
    The Head Wizard broke off his speech in midsentence. “What was that?” he demanded.
    “I beg your pardon,” Mendanbar said with dignity. “As the ruler of the Enchanted Forest, there are sometimes matters that require my immediate attention. I have dealt with this one.”
    Zemenar frowned, plainly