Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Read online

  “Ah yes. That. Well master, when we trapped the cattle, and I think you will be happy with our choices, the bull went berserk, as you can well imagine, and began hurling itself at the barrier.”

  The little guy looked distressed.

  “The beast was slamming into the rock over and over again and was going to injure itself.”

  “Yeah, I'm not surprised. Bulls are very protective of their harems. So why is he now chasing Aeris all over God's creation?”

  Kronk laughed his deep bass rumble.

  “When Aeris saw what was happening, he intervened and got the bull's attention. It took some yelling and a few rather well-chosen curse words to do it, but he finally distracted the animal and got it to chase him. I'm guessing that he's trying to tire it out so that it will not begin harming itself again.”

  “More curse words from Aeris?”

  “Yes master. And I'm sorry to say that they are words he learned from you. No offense intended.”

  “None taken.”

  Simon had to laugh. He did have a tendency to drop the occasional f-bomb when he stubbed his toe or a spell went wrong. Apparently Aeris had been listening.

  “Well, I can't fault him for saving the bull from injuring himself. The herd needs a bull for protection and procreation, so he's doing the hard-headed beast a favor. Not that the animal will ever appreciate that.”

  Both Simon and Kronk watched while Aeris continued to lead the bull on a merry chase. The wizard leaned against a tree as he looked on appreciatively. He hadn't seen a good comedy in years.

  It took quite some time, but the beast finally gave up trying to squash the elemental. It stumbled to a stop, snorting loudly, and Aeris disappeared at once. Simon watched nervously to see if the animal would try to free its captured cows; the females were still mooing mournfully. But apparently the bull decided to go after his scattered herd instead and turned around and trotted wearily into the forest, fortunately at a point far from the wizard and Kronk.

  “Well, that was fun,” Aeris said lightly as he popped into view a few feet away from Simon.

  “Was it? I'm glad you thought so. You're lucky that beast didn't perforate you.”

  “Oh please,” the air elemental responded with disdain. “That lunkhead couldn't have caught me if it had been twice as fast. Anyway, it stopped bashing itself to death on that enclosure that Kronk made and that is what is important.”

  Simon and the elementals emerged from the trees and walked over to where the trapped cows were still bawling with fear. They sounded a little less terrified than they had, perhaps because they weren't being harmed, but how they would react to being dumped into a walled-in pasture was anyone's guess.

  “Are you absolutely certain that having milk and beef cattle is worth this?” Aeris asked as they stared at the thick tilting stone walls.

  “I think so. We'll have to see how they take to their new home. I mean, if they can't be domesticated, then I won't keep them. I'll bring them back here to rejoin their herd.”

  “That would be best, master,” Kronk said with approval.

  “So, how many did you manage to capture?” Simon asked. It was impossible to tell from the overlapping mooing coming from the temporary pen.

  “Five adults and one calf, master,” the little guy said proudly. “The mother is a milk cow with her child, while the four others are beef cattle. All appear young and healthy.”

  “So six. Hmm.”

  Would one milk cow be enough, Simon wondered. After all, how much milk did he really need anyway? Of course, if he could make butter as well, then that would use up more. Hmm. It did open up some possibilities. If he got a lot of milk, he could store it for several days in the deep cold storage and take it to Nottinghill Castle to trade once or twice a week. He knew they had children there now and kids loved milk.

  He smiled down at the little guy.

  “I think that will do nicely, my friend,” he said happily. “Call the other two earthen, would you? Let's take the cows back and see how this goes.”

  Kronk nodded and slipped into the earth.

  “It could be a disaster, you know,” Aeris said to him quietly while they waited.

  “I'm aware, thanks. Like I said, if the cows stay wild, then they are of no use to me and I'll return them. This is an experiment, after all.”

  When the three elementals popped out of the ground, Kronk asked the obvious question.

  “How are you going to get them back, master?”

  “Yes, I've been wondering that as well,” Aeris added with a sly gleam in his eye.

  Simon ignored him.

  “Simple enough. There's too much stone for me to just Gate the whole enclosure and the cattle too.” The tilted walls towered a dozen feet over his head. He looked at Kronk and the other two earthen.

  “So can you guys lower the walls to where we can just see the cows' heads? Keep them tight so the animals can't jump out, but get rid of some of the mass? I should be able to Gate that much in one go.”

  “Easily, master,” Kronk said with assurance. He nodded at his fellows and the three of them trotted over to their barricade and rested their small hands on the stone.

  There was a moment of hesitation and then the large sheets of rock began to sink slowly back into the ground. The meadow rumbled and shook slightly as the stone was reabsorbed into the earth and Simon looked around, a bit nervous that the bull might be lured back to the field by the noise.

  Fortunately that didn't happen, because the cows began mooing frantically again.

  The walls slowly lowered to the point where the five bovine heads were exposed and then stopped. Strangely, now that they could see again, the cows seemed to calm right down. They noticed Simon and, instead of reacting fearfully, a couple stretched out their necks toward him, wide-eyed with curiosity.

  “I think they like you, my dear wizard,” Aeris said with some amusement.

  “If they do, they have great taste,” he replied with a smile. “How you doing, ladies?” he called out loudly.

  One of the cows mooed gently and tilted her head, trying to see him better. The other four just watched him with interest.

  “They are not reacting the way wild animals should, master,” Kronk told him as he and the others returned to Simon.

  “No, they aren't, are they? Maybe they are more intelligent now, like Chief and the mares. That would be good, and bad.”

  “Why bad?” Aeris asked.

  “Because, if they are intelligent, I couldn't take them to Nottinghill Castle for slaughter. I mean, it wouldn't feel right, you know? Milking them, okay fine, but eating them? I don't think I could.”

  He walked forward and looked up at the large heads sticking out of the pen.

  “My God, they're big,” he muttered. “And I have a feeling that they're going to hate Gating.”

  “Everyone hates it,” Aeris said from behind him. “Fortunately it's quick and they won't be distressed for long.”

  “I hope so. Okay, everybody come over and touch my robe or the barrier.”

  The three earthen skittered across the grass and grabbed the bottom of Simon's robe, while Aeris touched his shoulder.

  “Okay. Now the fun begins,” the wizard said worriedly. “Gate!”

  Chapter 17

  The cows were frightened by the Gate, naturally, but settled down quickly. The earthen had raised the height of the fence and had extended it to enclose the lake and Simon felt secure in releasing the five cows and the calf once they were calmed down again.

  He did take the precaution of casting a Shield spell around himself and backing off twenty yards or so before Kronk and his fellow earthen lowered the barricade and freed the cows.

  The first reaction of the calf was to race away in a burst of speed that would have put a greyhound to shame. Its mother trotted after it, mooing loudly, and the calf slowed down, sniffing and poking its head into every corner of the field.

  “Is the baby a male or a female?” the wizar
d wondered out loud.

  “No idea. Would you like me to ask its mother or go over and lift up its tail?”

  Simon gave Aeris a look of disgust and turned away to watch the cattle.

  The cows were easily distinguished from each other. The milk cow had the obvious hanging teats but was also almost pure white, as was her calf. Kronk hadn't caught the cow and calf with the racing stripes, but Simon thought that these two were even prettier.

  The four beef cows were solid looking and, well, beefy, but all were so black that they were almost purple. Except for their faces. Each had a different pattern of white spots or blazes on their heads.

  Once they were free, the beef cows immediately split up and began to roam the pasture calmly, exploring everything just as the calf was doing, but more sedately. One of them cautiously approached Simon, who took a chance and dropped his shield before she ran into it.

  Okay, so she's not so bright, he thought. She is a cow, after all.

  The bovine stopped a few feet from the wizard and looked down at him. Her head was at least a foot higher than his own and it was very large. She tilted it slightly to look at him with one deep brown eye and he stood still and waited tensely.

  “Careful,” Aeris said quietly from somewhere behind him. “Don't spook her.”

  “I wasn't going to,” he muttered irritably. “Shush.”

  Finally the cow lowered her head and snuffled up his robe with her big, wet nose. Her head was bigger than Simon's torso.

  She backed off when she was done, snorted softly and turned away. She ambled across the pasture and began munching on the long grass.

  “Whew! That was a bit nerve-wracking,” the wizard said in a shaky voice.

  “It certainly was, master,” Kronk said. He was standing next to Simon's right knee and the wizard wondered whether the little guy been ready to leap into battle if the cow had attacked. Knowing Kronk as he did, he was sure that that's exactly what the earthen would have done.

  They watched the cows together for a few more minutes and then Simon turned back toward the tower.

  “Okay. It's been a good day but I think I want to sit down for a bit. I'm tired and hungry and my head hurts. As usual.”

  He looked around and frowned.

  “Where are the other earthen, Kronk?”

  “I sent them back to the wall, master, with thanks for a job well done.”

  “Ah. Excellent. Thank you for that. Could you stay out here for a bit and keep an eye on our new residents? Let me know if they start to freak out or something.”

  Kronk chuckled as he followed the wizard to the back gate.

  “I doubt that much would make these animals 'freak out', master, but I will be happy to watch over them for a while. I think they will be fine, but you never know.”

  “Thanks again. Aeris, would you head up and tell Brethia that she and Orriss can go back to their regular duty shifts?”

  “Will do,” the air elemental replied and he shot straight up toward the top of the tower.

  Simon walked through the gate and plodded tiredly around the building. He glanced at the stable and wondered how the horses would react to the cows and vice-versa. But he was simply too exhausted to care and shrugged as he walked by. They'd work it out.

  After an invigorating cup of tea and some slices of bread smothered with jam, he felt much better and his headache subsided enough for him to think. And he began to smile.

  Amazingly, they had actually succeeded! They had rounded up some cows and put them out to pasture without harming any of them, which was the important thing.

  Nothing feels better than success, Simon thought happily. And now that they'd managed to do that, he felt encouraged enough to begin to fantasize about the other things he wanted to try to achieve; like getting a dog.

  “You look as if you are a million miles away, master,” Kronk said to him as he walked in through the open door.

  “Hey there. Do I? Yeah, I guess so.”

  Simon watched as the little guy tapped over to the fireplace and placed a small log in the middle of the low-burning fire to keep it going. Then he jumped up on the kitchen table and looked at the wizard quizzically.

  “Is something wrong, master?”

  “Not at all. Just the opposite actually. I was thinking about our new cows and how well it went today, everything considered. And about what other animals out there that used to be domesticated that we could bring home to help us.”

  The little guy looked intrigued and nodded slowly.

  “Interesting. What sort of animals, master?”

  “Oh, you know. Useful ones, like maybe some chickens for eggs. Or pigs for pork. Or maybe,” he hesitated, “a dog.”

  Kronk looked at him keenly and smiled his slow smile.

  “You want a dog, master?”

  “Well, yeah. I've always loved dogs. Cats too. We had pets growing up, you know, and I thought it would be cool to maybe take in a puppy or two.”

  The little guy watched him without comment.

  “Um, what do you think?” Simon asked him anxiously.

  “I? I think that whatever you want is fine with me, master. You know that I enjoy being around animals; the more the better. We have as much land as we could wish for and my brethren and I can easily clear more if you wish to expand the open area around the tower. So if you would truly like a working farm-like home, with sheep and chickens, pigs, whatever you'd like, then we can do that.”

  He smiled and winked.

  “Even a dog or three. Your wish is my command, master.” He looked around before continuing. “Aeris will complain though, just so you know.”

  Simon chuckled and then stretched, his head feeling better than it had in days.

  “I can handle Aeris, don't worry about that.”

  “You can handle me? Why do I need to be handled?”

  The wizard grimaced as the air elemental came sailing down the stairs.

  “Brethia and Orriss are back on schedule, by the way,” he said as he flew over to join them at the table. “You were saying?”

  “Nothing important. Just that I want to try and bring in more animals,” Simon told him. “You know, make the place more self-sufficient.”

  “Well, I think that is a splendid idea. Why, did you two think I would object?”

  “You do not like noise and chaos,” Kronk told him seriously. “Master would also like a dog or two. Would it not bother you to have such creatures running in and out of the tower?”

  Aeris looked puzzled.

  “When exactly did you decide that I hated animals?” he asked Kronk, obviously baffled. “You have known me for several years now and yet I wonder if you really know me at all.”

  “Well, in Kronk's defense, you can get a little,” Simon paused and chose his words carefully, “irritable. Sometimes. By small things.”

  “That was the old me,” the air elemental told him loftily. “I've changed a lot since then. Loosened up and all that.”

  Simon got up and cleaned his cup.

  “Loosened up? You?” Kronk said incredulously. “When did this remarkable transformation occur and where was I?”

  The wizard bit his lip to keep from laughing and kept his back to the elementals while he worked at the sink.

  “You obviously aren't terribly observant, Kronk,” Aeris retorted. “I am much calmer than I used to be. It's called personal development. You should try it sometime.”

  Before the little guy could continue the argument, Simon turned around as he dried his dishes and looked at them both.

  “Let's not get too sidetracked here. Aeris, you reported that you spotted some wild dogs in Florida, right?”

  “That's correct. I saw several packs actually. Why? Are you thinking of taking a trip down there to catch a puppy?”

  He sounded a little dubious and Simon frowned at him.

  “That's exactly what I was thinking, oh calm one. Why? You disagree?”

  Kronk folded his arms and watched Aeris
with a jaundiced eye.

  Aeris looked at them both and shook his head.

  “Why are you two ganging up on me? No, I don't disagree. But may I remind both of you that Florida is now the domain of the red dragons? In fact, I'd guess that most of that country to the south, what was it called? America? Yes, well, I'd guess that the dragons have claimed it all by now. Are you sure that you want to risk being burned, again, just to find a dog?”

  Simon put away his cup and a few plates before answering. Was he willing to risk his life, again as Aeris pointed out, just to get a pet? That was a bit crazy.

  “Maybe not,” he said dispiritedly. He leaned back against the counter with a sigh. “It was just a thought, you know.”

  Kronk nodded silently and looked just as dejected at Simon felt.

  Aeris looked from one of them to the other and then threw up his hands in disgust.

  “You two give up too easily,” he said forcefully.

  “What?”

  “Do you actually believe that the only dogs to survive are down south? Why not look closer to home? Your home city, Ottawa, must have had many dogs, did it not?”

  “Well yeah, of course. But the winters here are bad now, Aeris. You know that. How many dogs could have adapted to that?”

  “How should I know? Have you actually tried looking?”

  Simon stared at him blankly and then noticed Kronk's look of surprise.

  “Perhaps we did not see the forest for the trees, master?”

  The wizard had to grin at that.

  “Perhaps. Okay Aeris, since this was your brilliant idea, how about doing some scouting for me?”

  “Now you're talking,” the air elemental said vigorously. “I could use something to do, beyond my usual chores, which I love to do of course.”

  “Of course,” Kronk rumbled.

  Simon glanced out of the window and saw that the sky was beginning to turn red.

  “Okay, but I don't want you out there after dark. You can start in the morning. I'll leave it up to you to decide where you go to search. And keep an eye out for anything else that might be of interest to us, right?”

  “Right.”