Tarragon: Key Keeper

Chapter One

ANWEN STARED OUT THE DIRTY window of the Volkswagen bus as it climbed the longest stretch yet. So far the scenery didn't leave much to the imagination. Especially not when she compared it to the descriptions from her great grandmother's diary. Yet again, she had to tell herself to slow down and remember they'd only just left the valley below.

She'd arrived in Blaucii via the Express only the day before. The city had been nice, full of the latest conveniences. And the hotel she'd stayed at had been more than welcoming.

The place she was going to now was pretty much guaranteed to have a less modern take on life. She wasn't excited about that. Already, she missed the warm beds and the restaurants. Not to mention the transportation hub in the major parts of the city. She was sure they wouldn't have that in the village.

The low scrub hills blurred together as she thought about the previous stretch of her journey, the most enjoyable so far. The bullet train from Tawny Falls had held every modern convenience. It also had the most comfortable arrangements Anwen had ever experienced. She'd felt a little sad to bid the roomy Express goodbye. But she'd exchanged it for the less than ideal confines of the much older vehicle she now rode in. She tried to convince herself it would all be worth it in the end.

Anwen shifted her weight to one side, trying to find a more comfortable position on the depleted cushioning. With a sigh, she gave up on the attempt and pulled out the diary, now much dog-eared and worn from constant reading. It wasn't hard to find the precise passage she wanted.

"I look forward to the time when we will see the Village of Lindwurm once more, and the mountains of the Drakonii Range. Therein sits the ancient city of Tarragon, home of the Keepers. Though I have never seen it with my own eyes, I can picture it as if I had just been there. The mountains rise majestically all around. The sapphire blue waters of Lake Wyvern shimmer across the way, keeping sentinel over the Sacred Island.

We Porters were once the Keepers of this place, living in a city of stone, the likes of which no one has seen in so many years. It is there that I hope, one day, to return, as we are destined to do. One day."

Closing her eyes, Anwen shut the book. Her thumb traced the outline of the dragon pressed into the leather front of the book. The dragon's wings spread majestically above its turned head. Its tail wrapped around itself at the bottom, almost making a figure eight. She opened her eyes to mentally trace the pattern.

Noticing a subtle change in scenery, she looked out the window once more. Unable to place the exact difference, she pulled out the map she'd purchased down in the valley and set it in her lap. She tried to follow the thin line representing the road but wasn't sure where to start. She hadn't paid too much attention to their progress.

A pale-skinned arm reached across the map and pointed at a bend in the line, causing Anwen to look up in surprise. It took her a moment to register that the young man who'd been sitting by her the whole time had finally moved. He'd sat as silent as a stone the entire ride. Asleep. Or so she'd thought. But his finger now pointed out their exact location on the marked paper, making her wonder.

"I believe we're about here," he said in a warm tone.

Anwen looked down at the location he'd pointed to and nodded, trying not to appear as flustered as she felt. "I think you're right."

She looked up again to thank him, but paused as her hazel eyes met his brilliant blue ones. She noted his light brown hair and clear complexion. After realizing she was being rude, she shook her head, a faint blush forming across her cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare."