This additional Tarma and Kethry short story, "A Dragon in Distress," was co-written by Mercedes Lackey and Elisabeth Waters.
It is not technically a Velgarth universe story. The action takes place when Tarma and Kethry visit a different universe (a creation of Waters.)
This story was first published in Sword and Sorceress XII in 1995. It has not yet been included in any Valdemar/Velgarth publication. It has been republished as an individual ebook and in other anthologies.
Overview[]
Tarma and Kethry are called to another universe by a female who needs a Champion.
Characters[]
Characters appearing or mentioned in this story.
Major characters[]
- Lady Dragon - a friendly dragon who has given Princess Rowena sanctuary
- Princess Rowena - she's cursed so that every time she speaks, gems and coins fall from her lips
- Prince Florian - an annoying "rescuer"
- Tarma
- Kethry
- Warrl
Minor characters[]
Referenced characters[]
- King Mark - Rowena's father
- Frideswide - well-intended aunt who cursed Rowena
Places[]
Terminology[]
Story summary (SPOILERS)[]
Princess Rowena and her dragon foster-mother are in their cave, in the second week of being serenaded by an unwelcome prince outside.
Rowena received an annoying magical gift on her birthday: gems and gold coins fall from her lips as she speaks. The dragon rescued her before any humans found out, and enjoys the girl's company. However, concealing her gift means she can't easily convince would-be rescuers to go away. Chafing after two weeks of hiding, Rowena decides she will go out to pick berries after dark. Unfortunately, she does not return; she is held captive by the prince in another cave. After hours of flight time searching for her, the dragon begins to panic.
In Valdemar, Tarma, Kethry and Warrl are lost in the Pelagiris Forest. They find themselves on a diminishing magical trail that won't allow them to turn back. The trail ends at a clearing with a magical doorway. Suddenly Kethry charges into the portal with Warrl, and Tarma has to follow.
The find themselves on a mountainous slope. It's clear what happened - the magical sword Need sensed a woman in danger on this side of the portal, and signaled Kethry with pain. Need directs them up to a cave ledge, where they are surprised by an equally surprised dragon. Just as Tarma goes to attack, Kethry screams that the dragon is the one who called them!
The dragon apologizes for the spell that brought them, saying that she had cast it for any Champion nearby. Warrl goes to track the girl, and quickly returns to guide the party. Tarma challenges the prince to fight for her "lady love," and knocks him unconscious with her second strike. While discussing what to do with him, Rowena says he's a frog - and he is suddenly changed to a frog!
Grateful for their aid, Rowena offers them handfuls of gems and gold coins. Tarma is stunned that they are actually being paid for a rescue mission. The dragon scribes a magic circle and sends them on their way.
Tarma awakens, but instead of the forest finds herself on the Moonpaths. Her Kal'enedral instructor explains that Tarma and her companions' spirits had been wandering outside of the world, and their adventure was real and made a difference. However, their bodies had been lying unconscious in the dangerous spore dust of gade'shata mushrooms, which are used by shamans to walk through other places and times. Tarma's instructors have guarded their bodies.
She wakes again, this time lying on the grass, soaking wet from rain. As the others shake their heads to recover from their stupor, Tarma realizes that they must have made camp only a short time ago. Then she notices the depleted mushrooms beyond the fire, and realizes that the heat released the spores.
Kethry asks if it was a dream. Tarma says the answer is both yes and no, but urges that they get out of the area before she explains. The story ends as Kethry sighs, "It figures. Any job involving Need where we get paid would have to be a dream."
Story origins[]
According to Marion Zimmer Bradley, the authors "were both very busy, so they decided to collaborate on this story.
"Misty, along with her husband, artist Larry Dixon, was Guest of Honor at the Fantasy Worlds Festival [the previous] April, so she and Lisa were in the same place at the same time. Lisa was doing most of the running of the convention... but she spent an extra night at the hotel after the convention ended so that she and Misty could write this story."[1]
Publication history[]
This short story is available individually as an independent ebook.
(This link does not give us a commission, it's provided here only to point out a convenient and inexpensive source: Kindle - Dragon in Distress)
Since the first paper publication in 1995, it has been included in other ebook anthologies as well. For a more detailed history see the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB) entry, A Dragon in Distress.
- Sword and Sorceress XII, edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, 1995
- Dragon in Distress, solo ebook, 2010
- The Princess, the Dragon, and the Frog Prince, ebook anthology, 2012
- A Dragon and Her Girl, edited by Joe Monson and Jaleta Clegg, ebook anthology, 2020
Gallery of cover images[]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Bradley, Marion Zimmer. Sword and Sorceress XII, 1995, page 241.