Chapter 20

There is a big crack of thunder and the sound of splintering and exploding wood. Sorbo goes flying outside only to find that Dakota has destroyed another imagined dark creature with her Wand of Creation. Shaking his head Sorbo goes back inside.

Their first full winter comes and goes. As spring is influencing life all around them, Cathy has decided to go back to her coven for a while. She, like Sorbo, can feel something growing between them, but neither of them wishes to risk unsettling Dakota and distracting her from her school studies and magical lessons, which Katarina has thankfully agreed to take over temporarily. Her combat skills, which Sorbo is proud to say, are coming along nicely. If her magic is not strong enough when she puts the final piece of the Staff of Creation together, not only will it not help defend against Loki and his minions, but it will also unmake Dakota.

Between the fairies and Dakota’s magic, flowers and plants are flourishing and blooming everywhere. The fragrance is overwhelming, but very soothing. Their home has long since been a home, but now it is changing with the season.

And like all things from creation, change is inevitable. Dakota continues to grow and progress at a phenomenal rate. She is still petite and very pretty, but soon the days have turned into months and she will be ten-years-old very soon.

As the summer progresses, Dakota and Sorbo explore every mark of the Andromeda Mountains taking advantage of its beauty before the snow returns shortly. Sorbo has once again given himself leave to let Dakota explore a little more each day, as she becomes an individual. For the first dozen times he follows her in secrecy, but she busts him every time. Since Dakota had taken to the centaurs, and them to her, a herd of them moved into the area and once after great soul searching Sorbo let her ride around with them for a few hours without him.

Yes she still is a little girl of nine-years-old, but she needs to embrace that part of her childhood now for very soon destiny and prophecy is going to take over and not only are dark times going to be abundant, but her life will be mostly dictated from then on. She is going to be the greatest power ever as the White Sorceress, but she will also be defined by it and only her pure heart will see her through it.

As the summer days get long, more than once they go down out of the mountains to the nearest lake and camp there. On a clear day you can see the lake from the edge of the courtyard as you look south.

Once peace, harmony and familiarity take hold, time continues to tick by. Soon it is autumn and Sorbo turns forty-four years old. He is once again in top shape and his battle skills are finely honed.

Once again Dakota has started sleeping in her own room. Only when Cathy is there does she offer up her bed and sleep with Sorbo. He is not entirely sure she doesn’t know what she is doing. Her knight’s attention and time are hers.

Dakota, for his birthday, thought it would be sweet to dye his old sword pink so it would look pretty. Sorbo stares at it in shock for about two minutes before he can force himself to say, “Thank you. Ah, Dakota?”

“Yes,” she says, with a big smile.

“Just stay away from my other sword, the Sword of Might, okay!”

“Why, don’t you like it?” She says, getting a little frown on her delicate face.

“Sure, but it might be hard to get the enemy to believe I am a fierce warrior if I go to war with a pink sword.”

Dakota thinks about it for a second and then her eyes go big and she giggles while nodding her head. “Yeah, okay!”

Autumn comes and goes and the first snows fall. If the rest of the winter is going to be anything like the first snowfall it is going to be a very long and hard winter. In front of the comforting fire do always Sorbo and Dakota so lovingly cuddle. They discuss what she has learned earlier in the day from either Cathy, who has long since returned, or Katarina, or even from Sorbo himself. He knows it is one thing to have the strength to wield the sword, but to work so hard that in extreme moments where muscle memory and practice see you through those moments are invaluable. Being able to talk about it clearly helps keep it clear in your mind. Body and mind must be one if you are going to be a legendary warrior.

This time when Cathy leaves to go home to her family for Gift Day, Sorbo gives her an extra long hug, but so does Dakota because Cathy, like Katarina and Braylard, has become another member of the family.

Another Gift Day has come and gone. Dakota has more clothes and another wood carving from Sorbo, but this time it is a centaur. While exploring, Dakota has taken to collecting rocks and minerals and she gives her favorite one to Sorbo. It is a dark gray rough feeling rock with a band of gold streaming through it. They put them all up on the mantle with the other carving of the unicorn and Sorbo’s Cross of Service, once given to him by a king and queen and then again by a beautiful little girl who saved his soul.

By the time Dakota’s tenth birthday rolls around the Andromeda Mountains are under attack from the worst snowstorm of the season. Knowing there is no safe way for Dakota and him to ride to The Gathering, Sorbo arranges for Lender, the golden dragon, to give them a lift.

Since it will only take a matter of hours to reach The Gathering they have decided not to leave until the first night is already here. By the time they are ready to leave Dakota can’t walk because she is so wrapped up in coats and blankets, looking like a fat goblin. Except for the frozen nose Dakota enjoys getting buffeted around in the storm.

When they reach the City of Divinity the storm wouldn’t dare intrude on the festivities so they are in full bloom. There is no need to trumpet the arrival of the White Sorceress this time because the roar of a huge golden dragon, who is spiraling down towards the gathering crowds in the courtyard, pretty much does it for them. The people hurry to get out of the way. With all the delicacy of a gargantuan creature of light, Lender lands and lowers his neck so that Sorbo and Dakota can dismount. The crowd isn’t fully aware of who has just landed until Sorbo unwraps the princess, and then the cheers go out. The whole time Andromeda is just standing on the platform patiently with a big smile on her face.

As they walk up to Andromeda the crowd goes silent and the ceremonies have officially begun. This time, as to a preplanned idea, Sorbo kneels with Dakota between his legs and she also holds onto the Sword of Might as the Blue Flame of Creation engulfs the city in its momentary grandeur.

Once again they fall into the same rhythm of getting updates from her kingdom and the efforts going on about the Isle of Lakes. It appears Dakota’s idea of sending five thousand Knights of Andromeda to combat the inner turmoil is starting to pay off. For the hundreds of deceived and deceiver fools who aren’t dead or in prison have gone into hiding. Once the people see the royalties and forces of light can protect them better than any false gods, the people lose their fear of the threats from these zealots and start standing up to them by way of turning them over to the authorities. Once again peace and harmony, for the most part, reigns. Of course this is normal, because the one thing you can count on from humans is for them to be human.

The mornings are for heads-of-state matters and the evenings are for Dakota’s sister witches, but the days belong to the great adventurers. Dakota drags Sorbo around to places he didn’t even know existed within the City of Divinity.

She takes him into a museum that has an art gallery within it. Bones from creatures of the past loom large as they mockingly smile at you telling you to appreciate life while you have the chance. Every five seconds Dakota is dragging Sorbo to another discovery. Finally they end up in the art gallery and they are looking at paintings of celestial events and beautiful spiraling galaxies. Dakota’s eyes glitter with the millions of stars that surround them.

Dakota walks up to a painting that shows a castle setting in the middle of a shimmering green meadow. “Isn’t it beautiful, Sorbo?” Just then she puts her hand appreciatively on it and there is a bright flash.