That night for the first time in weeks Morgaine couldn’t sleep. She felt really bad about lying to Celestria and it was eating at her conscience. She went to the aviary and mews to check the birds, who were all sound asleep including Skye. She didn’t want to wake Skye, but she also wanted someone to talk to. She even considered waking Declan, but what could he say to him with out telling him everything?

Instead she just walked the palace grounds nodding to the guards that she passed and thinking to herself about her life and how things had turned out. At four she had been a normal happy child, the only child of a sheep farmer and a midwife.

Then the dragon had come. Before that things had been so simple and she wished that they could be again. She wished that she had never seen a dragon; but did she really? If she had never seen a dragon she would have never lived with Arram or known Skye or the other birds and she wouldn’t be at the palace now.

She didn’t miss her parents and never really had, but she did miss the dragon and she now wondered why she hadn’t gone in search of dragons after Arram died. Why had she come here and not to the dragons? Because you’re afraid of dragons, a small part of her said, and you aren’t afraid of people.

She milled about for a long time and into the late hours of night. There was no moon and everything seemed to be shrouded in darkness and it was so still. Nothing moved and there wasn’t a sound anywhere. It all seemed unnatural, especially when she realized that there were no owls, or any other night creatures for that matter, out and about. Almost scared, she stopped in her tracks.

Why do you not sleep ground-sister? someone asked. Startled Morgaine looked about for the source.

“Who are you? Where are you?” Morgaine asked, her voice giving a small tremor of fright.

You needn’t use your voice. I can hear your mind clearly, the mystery speaker said.

Who are you? Morgaine repeated with her mind.

Who I am is unimportant right now. As to where I am, all you need to know is that I’m above. The owl was right a storm comes, it brings good and bad, but mostly good. The storm comes with the winter, refine your mind speaking skills and tone your body and mind, this storm is just a test if you pass it you’ll never be the same again, but the changes will be good.

How will I know when the storm is upon me? she asked desperate for more about this omen.

Learn your lessons well. Celestria is a good teacher and trust your mentor, Declan, he means you no harm. Remember there is a calm before the storm, the speaker said and was suddenly gone. She didn’t know how she just knew that the speaker was gone.

The next morning Morgaine was sure that there was something different about herself, that somehow her late night visitor had changed her. She went to the mews first thing to let Skye out as she did every morning and found that she could sense all the birds in the mews and here their conversations before she could see them.

Did whatever it was that visited me last night do this to me? Morgaine thought.

It must be, Skye said. You’ve never been able to mind speak before.

She gasp, Skye’s voice was clearer than it had ever been and she was right she had never been able to mind speak before. I guess the changes are for the best, Morgaine thought to herself and no one else. She wouldn’t know just how much she had changed until she went to breakfast and noticed that Declan was staring at her.

Finally she asked politely, “Is something wrong?”

“It’s your eyes Morgaine,” he said uneasily.

“What about them?”

“They’re blue.”

Morgaine took out a small mirror that Celestria had given her, looked and sure enough her once brown eyes were a crystal blue. Becoming fascinated she stared into her own eyes and suddenly they changed to a misty green. Startled Morgaine dropped the mirror and it shattered on the ground. Suddenly she was terrified of herself and what other changes she might find. She ran from the room and from the palace to the fields and ran until she dropped from exhaustion and cried herself to sleep as if tears would wash away the odd color of her eyes.

She awoke sometime later, she didn’t know how much, and Skye was next to her.

I hate this, Morgaine complained. don’t want eyes like this even if that thing said the changes were for the best!

Declan is worried, Skye said right off then asked. Why do you not like having dragon eyes?

Dragon eyes? she questioned. Does this mean that the thing last night was a dragon and haven’t they changed me enough already?

If it was a dragon and it said that this was for the best I would listen. Dragons can see the future some times, Skye advised wisely.

I know and they can do magic too, she remarked bitterly.

All animals can do magic, you know that already so don’t be bitter. Hasn’t my magic saved you a number of times?

Yes Skye, I just wish your magic could undo my eyes, I did so love them as brown, she sighed.

Well now they will change with your mood. You had better get back to Declan and explain all of this, he’s been worried sick, it’s the least you could do.

Morgaine and Skye made their way back to the palace and slipped in. Declan was pacing among the mews and muttering to the birds when Morgaine walked in with her head bowed and her eyes studied the floor.

“I’m sorry about running out before and making you worry,” she said sincerely, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him knowing her eyes were a shade of pink in embarrassment and shame. When he remained silent she added, “I suppose you want an explanation for my eyes and I’m willing to tell you everything.”

“All right,” he said, his voice horse, “Let’s have it.”

“To tell you everything I’ll have to start when I was four on the day the dragon attacked our village. My ma and I were outside when we saw it my ma started callin’ for my da and he came running out and the dragon struck him down. Ma and I began to run and the dragon struck her down too. I tripped and fell breaking my leg.

“I started to call for my ma and da, but I knew that they were gone and wished that the dragon would kill me too. It was the only time I’ve ever missed my parents and at that moment I wanted to be with them more than anything, but the dragon didn’t attack. It just looked at me strangely, like it didn’t know what to think and it picked me up gently and took me to it’s lair, a cave in a near by mountain.

“There Jade, that was the dragon’s name, told me that she was sorry for killing my parents and that it was a mistake, and it was understandable. Someone from my village had killed her hatchlings and set a trap for her.

“Jade nursed me back to health and I stayed with her a month before she said that I had to go back to my village. That was her mistake, she took me back at night but a dragon slayer ambushed and killed her. I took her death harder that of my own parents and I didn’t talk for the first year I lived with Arram. That’s how I discovered I could understand birds and talk to them.

“That’s how I know all your birds names and can let Skye be lose. I can talk with them,” she said and proceeded to tell Declan everything that had happened since she arrived in the palace. When she was finished he remained silent, digesting what he had heard and Morgaine wished he would say something even if he was angry. Finally he said slowly, “I can see why you didn’t tell me this before, I probably wouldn’t have believed you if it wasn’t for your eyes.”

“So you’re not mad?” she asked, he hadn’t sounded mad but she just wanted to make sure.

“How could I be mad at you when you’ve done nothing wrong? If you say this dragon’s gift has made it easier to talk with the birds it must be good,” he said earnestly and Morgaine looked up at him. “And frankly you’re eyes are quite striking.”

She hesitated a moment then asked, “Declan, do I have to tell Lord Taliesin? I mean I know from what Skye overheard he’s interested in whatever kind of power I have, but he wouldn’t make me use it for his personal gain, would he? And I’m afraid of what he might do to me.”

“I think you’ll have to tell him just to explain your eyes, but he wouldn’t exploit your power and as far as I can tell the only use it would have is to teach the falcons better and your own personal enjoyment. And as I said before you’ve done nothing wrong, not really, why would he do anything to you?”

“He might think I was a witch. Once in my village they burned a woman they thought was a witch so I was careful to not ever let anyone know or even suspect what I could do so they’d never have a reason to burn me.”

Declan laughed and said, “Morgaine you really think much too little of the people of Sario.” She blushed. “Here there are numerous magicians, both men and women. And I don’t think that there’s been a witch burning in Sario in over a hundred years, you have nothing to worry about by telling the Lord Taliesin, but who else you tell is you choice.”

Morgaine told Lord Taliesin the truth and he assured her that he had just interested in what she could do, not trying to use that power for his own uses. She didn’t mention anything about witches or being burned, it would have been far too embarrassing. She also told Celestria the truth and how the dragon had said Celestria was a good teacher.

“What do you think it means?” Morgaine asked after she had told her.

“I don’t know, I’ve never thought of my self as a teacher,” she said puzzled.

“Maybe it’s something as simple as you teaching me to be a friend because I never had a real friend till I met you,” Morgaine said sincerely.

“I think you’re right.”

People did notice the change in Morgaine’s eyes. They were often a shade of blue or green, but sometimes a ruby red, when she was mad, an amethyst, when she excited and a crystal white when she was scared. Many people avoided her if they saw her eyes were some strange color.

She found it increasingly hard to hide her feelings, especially from Declan and Celestria who seemed to memorize what each shade of each color meant. One thing that did make her very happy, about her eyes, was when she discovered she could see as well in the dark as an owl and maybe better because she could see color.

Her work with the birds was always interesting and she soon found that she could always sense when they where near and she could call them from anywhere and all obeyed. There was one thing she wouldn’t do, call birds to her or even talk to them if she was hunting them. Declan understood and respected this, but thought it odd that she continued to eat bird meat herself and Morgaine told him that most game birds knew it was there fate to be hatched, reproduce and be eaten by a predator.

Not long after her eyes changed Morgaine started to notice that something was wrong. When she entered a room people looked away and as she left she could hear them whispering. She ignored it of course and told herself that it wasn’t her they were talking about, but she knew it wasn’t true. Things had been whispered about her behind her back her whole life, she had thought that the people here were different; apparently she was wrong.

She continually tried to tell herself that it was just her imagination. After all, Declan and Celestria never mentioned anything about rumors to her. Surely they would if they heard anything like that, but there were other things that suggested things too. The boys who usually hung around the aviary and mews in their free time were no where to be found, something that she didn’t mind, but it was still an indication that something wasn’t right.

One day her suspicions of being talked about were all confirmed. Declan had gone to a village to the south to look into buying a bird and had given her the day off. She had been out all day with Skye and was about to return to the palace when a group of four boys she knew from the palace appeared.

“Look it’s the witch and her familiar,” one of the older boys snickered.

“What did you call me?” she asked trying not to let her anger show in her face or her eyes.

“You heard him,” another boy said. “We all know that you’re a witch and a demon.”

“Yeah, only a witch or a demon could have eyes like that. And we all know that the only reason you’re the falconer’s apprentice it because you put a spell on him and Lord Taliesin.”

Now she was too angry to care if they knew it or not. She knew that her eyes had changed to blood red because all the boys mouth’s dropped open and their eye’s widened. Skye, who was perched on her arm, tensed knowing what would come next.

Skye, she said. You take the one on the left.

Skye didn’t need to be told twice. As soon as Morgaine signaled by bobbing her arm slightly, she opened her wings and flapped once before diving at the closest boy on the left. She had no intention of hurting him, she just wanted to give him a big scare. Apparently Morgaine had a different idea in mind because when Skye looked she saw that Morgaine had leapt on the closest boy, who happened also to be the largest boy, and knocked him over. With clenched fists she was hitting him as hard as she could. It took a moment for the other boys to respond to what was happening. When they did it took all three boys to pull Morgaine away. As soon as the boy was up he punched her in the face and she spit in his.

Blood was flowing freely from Morgaine’s split lip, but she had to smile seeing that she had hit the boy hard enough so that his nose was bleeding, and she hoped it was broken.

“What are you grinning at?” the boy asked holding his bleeding nose.

“Just thinking of how satisfying it’ll be to tell people that I broke a squire’s nose,” she said grinning a bit wider, but regretting it because of how much it hurt her lip. The boy hesitated and for a minute she thought that he might be afraid that she really would tell people. Apparently the thought of everyone knowing that his nose was broken by a girl had the right effect and he said, “You know what, you’re all right girl and I’m pretty sure you’re not a witch.” The other boys looked slightly bewildered, and he explained. “Well if she were a witch she wouldn’t have punched me she’d just have waved her hand and put a spell on me.” He turned to the other boys, “She’s all right you hear me and any that says different will have to answer to me.” He winked at her then turned and walked away, the others followed.

Slightly confused by what had happened she returned to the palace and cleaned herself up. She never let Declan know what happen nor did she ever tell anyone that she was the one who broke the boy’s nose. After that though things got better, true to his word, Byron, as Morgaine later learned was the boy’s name, stood up for her. Every so often she would her hear about him “talking” to some of the other boys about things they had said about her. And every time that she saw him, he would always wink at her.

One day in mid-summer Morgaine was on her way to Celestria’s room her so they could go find some excitement and was running late when Declan caught up with her.

“You’re sure in a hurry. You and Celestria sneaking out again?” He asked and Morgaine opened her mouth to deny ever sneaking out, but he cut her off by saying. “Don’t worry I wont tell anyone, but since you’re leaving anyway and since I can’t get away could you two deliver a package for me?”

“Sure Declan,” she said and he handed her a package and a piece of paper with some directions on it. As she started to walk away he stopped her once more and slipped a gold noble into her hand.

She looked at him strangely and then at the coin and he said, “For your trouble.”

As she walked to Celestria’s room she thought about the coin Declan had given her. As an apprentice she was paid in room and board and Declan was in charge of her upkeep. If she needed clothes or boots he would get them for her, but he had never given her money. It made her suspicious of the package he had given her to deliver.

When she got to Celestria’s room she told her about it and asked what they should do and she answered, “The only thing we can do, deliver it for him. I’m sure that it’s nothing we need to be worried about.”

They followed the directions on the paper to a large house that was surrounded by high walls and they wondered if they were at the right place. They knocked at a door in a large gate. After a moment the door was opened by a short old man with olive colored skin. He had short gray hair, a long gray beard, small black almond shaped eyes and a pleasant look on his face.

“Ah, I’ve been expecting you,” the old man said. “I’m Shan Chi. You must be Princess Celestria,” he said looking to Celestria and bowing to her then he looked to Morgaine and said, “I would know you anywhere dragon lady, you are Morgaine,” he said bowing deeply to her and she knew that he had said those things because of her eyes. “It’s a great honor to meet you. Please come in both of you.”

He showed the inside the walls and to their surprise it was a huge garden, filled with strange plants, stone walk ways and lily ponds. Rather than it being a house surrounded by walls it was a house built along the walls and the whole courtyard was the garden.

“What is this place?” Celestria asked in awe.

“This is my humble home,” Shan Chi said smiling. “I can tell that you like it.”

“Yes very much,” Morgaine said. “We have a package for you from Declan.”

“I know, I’ve been waiting for it for a long time, but good things come to those who wait,” he said as Morgaine handed him the package.

“If you don’t mind my asking, what’s in the package?”

“Curiosity killed the cat you know,” he said smiling at Morgaine. “But I’ve never heard of it killing a dragon.”

He opened the package revealing that it contained the bones of birds. Morgaine could pick out several different kinds of birds that the bones came from. She was puzzled for a moment then everything became clear and she said to him, “You’re some sort of magician or wizard.”

“You’re right dragon lady,” he said bowing to her again. “I am a wizard and this is my school.”

“But why the bones?” Celestria asked.

“I use them to tell the future, they are oracle bones.”

They stayed and talked with Shan Chi for a while and he showed them around the garden and told them about magic. As they were getting ready to leave Shan Chi took Morgaine aside and said to her, “There is much we could learn from each other and I need help looking after my gardens. It would be good if you could come at least twice a week to help me. I would be quite willing to pay you for your help.”

“Thank you Shan Chi, I’ll talk to Declan and see what he thinks,” Morgaine said.

Declan approved of her going to help Shan Chi and so whenever she had time Morgaine would go to Shan Chi’s home and help in the gardens. She told him all about herself and he would be fascinated by anything that she told him. For helping in the garden he paid her and for telling him about herself he would give her advice about anything from problems with the boys at the palace to what the omens she had gotten over the last few months meant.

“You must prepare yourself dragon lady,” he would say.

“But how Shan Chi? How do I prepare myself?” she would ask.

“That not even I know, only you know that dragon lady,” he would answer.

The summer drifted into fall and Morgaine was disheartened by the coming cold, the summer had been so wonderful she hated that it had to end. The dragon’s words hung in her ears, The storm comes with the winter, there is a calm before the storm. Morgaine spent many long hours brooding over those words and every aspect of her life. She would just sit and stare into nothingness, thinking.

Declan found her like this one day in the aviary and walked up behind her very quietly so not to disturb her and she abruptly said, “The storm is almost upon me, it will be here soon.” Startled Declan walked around in front of her and saw her eyes a black color he had never seen before that seemed to look through him, like he wasn’t there. She came out of her trance like state and shook her head and said surprised, “This is it, the calm before the storm.”

“Are you all right?” Declan asked.

“Fine, well scared I guess of what might happen, the unknown, you know,” Morgaine said. “I just wish I knew what was coming.”

“Well not many can see the future and even then they’re not always right,” Declan said and surprised her by hugging her shoulders. “Things will be all right you’ll see. Now lets go hunt, things always look clearer in the meadows with a hawk on your arm.”

Morgaine liked Declan’s logic, in some ways he was a better philosopher than even Shan Chi, and he always made her feel better, but she wasn’t sure things were so simple. No, this was going to be a test, like the dragon said, and she would have to prepare herself.

Morgaine went to Byron to help her with this. He was a squire, soon to be a knight and she figured he could teach her fighting as well as anyone else. She asked him to teach her hand to hand combat and wrestling. He didn’t ask questions and just did as he was asked and when he saw she was good and really interested he taught her dagger fighting and helped her refine her skills on a longbow and crossbow. She was never as good as Byron, but it felt good to know how to protect herself, even just a little.

Do you really think all of this is necessary? Skye asked one night when she and Morgaine were just sitting in one of the high palace towers watching the sun set.

Learning to fight? Preparing myself? Of course it’s necessary, I don’t know what the dragon meant so I’m doing everything I can, Morgaine said standing to leave.

Why can’t you just forget dragons and concentrate on your life as it is now, Skye said, voice pleading.

Shame on you Skye. You’re the one who told me not to ignore omens or what animals tell me. I can’t forget this.

I know, I’m sorry I just don’t like what I think my dragon-cousin has in store for you, Skye said ruffling her feathers.

Well you can worry all you want, but I feel things will turn out for the best, Morgaine said laughing.