“M-miss?”
Guinevere turned around abruptly to see a small, young man looking at her carefully. She could tell he was nervous about approaching her. Indeed, even now people only stared at her even though they’d undoubtedly seen her around town more than once. She looked at him, waiting for whatever he had to say.
“Do you need help?”
Guinevere studied him but a deep sadness filled her. That was the same way she had met Doran. He’d asked her for help and now she loved him. A small tear welled up in the corner of her eye and she quickly looked away. She shook her head and walked away, wanting to be alone for at least a brief moment.
“Not now,” she said to herself.
She wiped away the tear and took a few deep breaths. She looked up at the sky, bright and clear now. Doran absolutely had to have woken up already and found she’d gone. Would he think she disappeared again, like last time? Guinevere knew it was for the best if he did think that. After all, it was not like she could have a future with him. She was a dragon that lived in the forest and had an Elder to care for. He was a human. There was simply no way around that, at least not for them to share a life.
“Not now,” she berated herself.
She stood up and strolled back toward the market, looking around carefully to make sure Doran was nowhere in sight. The small, young man who’d approached her earlier met her gaze and he quickly turned away with his face red. She felt sorry for making him feel bad but there was nothing she could do at this point. All that mattered now was figuring out a way to get what she needed from the vendor. Without any sort of clear plan, she walked straight up to the stand.
Behind it stood an older man with white hair and plenty of wrinkles on his face. Even though he appeared frail at first glance, it was clear he was actually quite strong. He gave her a kind, toothless grin and asked how her morning was going. She’d heard Doran start speaking to people in the same manner so she imitated him.
“Well, sir, and yours?”
The old man's smile grew and he replied, "Quite well. It's a lovely day out. I haven't been able to work my stand for some time now."
“Why not?”
“First, I was not well. Then when I got better, I had to travel two towns down to take care of some family business. After that, you see, I was quite tired.”
“I see,” Guinevere told him. Then she thought of something Doran would probably say and she said, “Sounds rough.”
“It was a bit rough but I made it through. I’m a tough, old bird.”
“Strong,” Guinevere told him in earnest.
“Thanks. Now, what can I do for you?”
“Oh…” Guinevere stared down at the basket that contained what she needed. It was a basket full of acorns and she only needed one. She reached out to point at it silently before quickly withdrawing her hand.
“You want acorns?”
“I need only one,” she muttered, eyes cast downward. She felt her cheeks blush. This was not a good plan.
“Just one, you say? Well, go on then, take it!”
“I can’t. I don’t have… any exchange.”
“Exchange? What’s that, you say? Oh, you don’t have money!” The old man laughed wholeheartedly before reaching out and grabbing an acorn. He extended it out to Guinevere and said, “Take it. It’s just one acorn!”
“Thank- thank you,” she stammered.
She quickly turned around and ran in the opposite direction. She tried to stay out of the main areas of town because that was more than likely where she might run into Doran. She ran the list through her mind one last time and remembered there was one last thing she needed to collect. Sage– the thing Doran had told her would be ready on his land in a few days. She knew there had to be some she could collect by now.
Guinevere could not bring herself to go over there right away. As much as she wanted to run over, collect the sage, and then run back to the forest, it was too hard. It was too nerve-wracking. There was also the factor of it paining her. She could not bear the thought of having to walk past the cottage where he’d allowed her to stay and where they’d shared their most intimate moments together. She sat down under the shade of a large tree and rested against its trunk, eyes closed. A gentle breeze made her long, light blonde locks move beautifully in a sweeping motion. She felt the small chill over her skin, which placated her heart a tiny bit. If only she could stay here with tranquility surrounding her until all problems simply ceased to exist.
But she knew that was impossible. Nobody was going to take care of the things she needed to get done. She stood up and turned to start walking in the direction of Doran's land. She was not sure where exactly on his land she could find the sage but she could not wait any longer. If she deliberated too much, the night would fall and that would only cause trouble for her. Guinevere took a deep breath and started running toward Doran's land, thinking she would search on the edges of it first. Luck was on her side when the first little shrub she found had exactly what she needed. She gathered it quickly and turned to run back to the forest but something inside her made her turn to look in the direction of his house.
She felt something tug at her heart as she felt it jump into her throat. She felt sick. Her heart beat faster and tears slid easily down her cheeks. She watched him sadly knowing there was no future for them together. He was sitting on the porch outside his house and even from this far she could tell he was unhappy. It hurt to know this was her last glimpse of the man she loved. “Goodbye,” she muttered before running off to the forest.
Chapter Fourteen
“It is fortunate you were able to return so quickly,” Althaeda told Guinevere, “Your Elder did not have much time left.”
“When will we know?”
“Know if the treatment worked?”
“Yes,” Guinevere said with a hint of desperation.
"By sundown, the answer will come. Now you must leave your Elder alone to have some rest. Let us go on a hunt together."
“Even you will not stay with my Elder?” Guinevere was concerned. This did not seem like a good idea. “What if something happens while we are away?”
"Then it was meant to come to pass. Guinevere, listen to me. Do not question what I say for I know what is best for healing."
“I apologize,” Guinevere said as they started to walk toward the area that was best suited for hunting.
It was difficult, however, to focus on catching food when all she could think about was her Elder. The last thing she wanted was to return to their den only to find the worst had happened while she was away. She sat and looked up at the sky, watching the sun set slowly. As soon as twilight hit, she ran to Althaeda and begged for them to return.
“Very well, we shall wait outside the den. But you must remain absolutely silent.”
“I will. I will,” promised Guinevere.
The two of them headed back and she sat with her eyes fixed on the entrance of the den. She was eager for Althaeda to say they could go inside to check on her Elder. All she wanted was to go in and find a strong, white dragon. She wanted the suffering to end.
“When will you know if it is time?”
“We will know when it is time, trust me.”
Guinevere remained silent. She had no idea why Althaeda was so certain but she did not dare question her again, at least not out loud. None of it made sense and all she wanted was to know the fate of her Elder. Guinevere did not even want to think about what would become of her if the treatment did not work and she lost her Elder. As if her mind had been read, she saw a large figure emerging from the opening of the den.
“Guinevere,” her Elder cried out in a strong voice, much like the one she was used to hearing.
The large, white dragon walked in her direction and Guinevere felt a bubble of emotions swell in her chest. She charged forward and rested her head on her Elder. She was happy beyond words, relief spreading through her like never before. Now she understood what Althaeda had meant when she said they woul
d both know when the moment came.
“It worked! Madame Althaeda, it worked, right?”
“Yes,” Althaeda informed her happily, “The treatment has cured your Elder.”
“Thank you,” the Elder said, “To both of you.”
“Your sweet Guinevere really did all the work,” Althaeda said.
"But without your guidance, none of it would have been possible," Guinevere told her.
She rested her head on her Elder once more. She shut her eyes and basked in the moment. The moon hung overhead with twinkling stars surrounding it, a soft breeze moved through the forest, and her Elder was well. She no longer had to worry about life on her own, at least not anytime soon.
Chapter Fifteen
A few days and nights had passed since Guinevere’s Elder had been healed. At first, everything had been a celebration. The two of them had been officially welcomed to the clan by the green dragon and health had been honored. The den was given to them permanently. Guinevere knew her new dwelling grounds were objectively nicer than where she once called home but she was attached to the other place. Still, it was thanks to her Elder that she knew this place would feel like home someday as well. At least that was what she liked to believe.
As time wore on, however, Guinevere was unable to brush away a deep feeling of sadness that had started to well up inside her. Eventually, she felt tragically sorrowful. It did not take long for her to realize why she felt so miserable– she missed Doran and she missed him terribly. She tried to hide this from her Elder but one day it was too much to bear. She needed to speak about it with the one dragon in the world she trusted more than herself. Even though she knew there was no advice to be sought, perhaps unloading the emotions would be helpful enough.
“I’ve not wanted to burden you,” she told her Elder in a downtrodden voice.
“My sweet Guinevere, do you not think I’ve noticed? I know everything about you. I know there is something deep within you that has caused heartbreak. I have only been biding my time, waiting for you to speak of it.”
Guinevere cried and told her Elder about Doran. She spoke of how he’d helped her the entire time. She told of his kindness and how she’d caught glimpses of his rough edges but she just knew he was not a malevolent human. She hinted at their intimate moments but did not go into detail, a burning shyness running through her veins.
“I came to realize I love him,” she told her Elder at the end, “But how could I have fallen in love with a human? There is not future for us. I know it. I just don’t know how to forget him and it is causing me a great deal of pain.”
“I will not presume to tell you what to do, sweet Guinevere. All I can do is provide you with comfort and let you know that the only way to heal is with the passage of time.”
“Is that a guarantee?”
“I cannot promise you will ever forget him,” her Elder said sadly.
“I think… I need to take some time for myself,” Guinevere said.
It was with that statement that she took off into the night. She soared freely above the trees, enjoying the wind beneath her wings. She flew and flew, in circles at times and in no general direction at others. She knew she sometimes passed over the dwellings of other clans of dragons. She even flew past a couple dragons but they each minded their own business. It was as liberating as she remembered it but still, there was a nagging feeling that she was missing something. She flew down closer to the tops of the trees and noticed she was approaching the first line of safety. She headed down to the ground and started running between the trees.
Before she knew it, she had transformed into a human and was speeding through the forest. She ran and ran until there was not a single thought in her mind. It was only the night, the wind, and the muscles of her human legs working. She ran through the night and once day broke, she found herself standing in front of Doran’s cottage.
Her heart thumped in her chest and she stared at the door in a daze. How had she gotten here? What was she supposed to do now? She stared at the door sadly and shut her eyes, not wanting to look at it any longer. But that only opened up her mind to recall images of Doran. She saw him smiling, she saw his strong body and his handsome face, she saw the intimate moments they’d spent together. She felt warmth course through her body and tears spill from her eyes. This had been a terrible mistake. And yet…
“If only I could just see him,” she muttered sadly.
“If only you could just see who?”
Guinevere jumped about a foot in the air and then turned around to see Doran standing behind her. He looked confused, beaten down, but even a little hopeful. In that moment, just by looking into his gorgeous eyes she loved so much, she knew he had missed her this entire time. He answered all the questions she had but never asked with one look.
“You,” she admitted with a whisper.
The tears did not stop flowing. In fact, more came when he stepped forward. She shut her eyes and imagined his warmth every time he took her into his arms. She knew it would be a mistake to seek him out now but every fiber of her being wanted nothing more than that. She choked on her tears and gasped for air, struggling to hold back.
“Then why did you leave me again? Why do you always disappear?”
“Please, Doran. Please do not ask me questions I cannot give you the answer to.”
He stepped forward and she looked up at him. She immediately knew that was a mistake. Her legs felt weak and her knees buckled. She stumbled forward into his arms and he held her up, taking her lips with his at once.
There was nothing in the world that was like kissing Doran. It was impossible for her to put a stop to it even if it was for the best. Feeling his lips on hers again and enjoying it blissfully would only make it that much harder to go on in life without him. But she could not pull away. She could not deprive herself of what could easily be the last time she felt this. He pulled her in closer until their bodies were pressed together. He deepened the kiss and she fell into it, willingly. It did not matter that this made everything that much more difficult. This moment was one that would have to last her a lifetime, so she had every intention of enjoying it as much as possible.
When he finally pulled away from the kiss, Guinevere inhaled sharply. She opened her eyes and looked into his. If it were possible to memorize every single thing about him then that would be her new mission.
“I want to know everything,” he told her suddenly.
“What is everything?”
“I don’t know. That is what you have to tell me. I want to know everything about you, Guinevere.”
“You can’t,” she lamented.
He stared at her, unwavering. “Why not?”
“I just… I can’t tell you. It is not safe.”
“Is this the last time I’ll see you? Have you come to say goodbye?”
“Yes,” she cried softly.
“No,” he refused, “I will wait for you. I will look for you. You can’t just leave forever and leave me like this.”
“Doran, please.”
“I have been patient and understanding, now it is your turn to comprehend me.”
Guinevere’s heart sank. She could not let him wait a lifetime for her, someone who would never show up and be with him. There was only one way to make sure he understood why they could never be together. She took his hand and silently started walking toward the forest. He did not say or ask anything. He only gripped her hand tightly and walked beside her. She knew this was wrong. This was dangerous. Humans did not know dragons existed, her Elder had been perfectly clear about that. But after everything Doran had done for her and with how much she loved him, how could she let such a cruel fate of waiting for her take over his life?
They walked and walked. She knew traveling this way would take far too long. She stopped and turned to face him. He'd already seen how fast she was capable of running so why hide it now? Her secret would soon be revealed anyway. She wrapped her hand around his and held it so tight he looked at her
in shock. This was the first moment of much more with huge, frightening revelations.
“You have to trust me,” she told him.
“Always,” he responded.
It broke her heart. A single tear slid down her cheek. He was so receptive to her and he trusted her and all the while she had kept this colossal secret. She paused for a moment. She realized this was not just her secret she was revealing.
“Doran,” she started, “You have to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Not one soul in the world can know what I show you today.”
“I promise.”
She believed him. She held him tight and took off running faster than any human could run. He screamed in her ear at the speed with which they moved. He was afraid of losing her grip and being thrown in a different direction. Guinevere would never let that happen. It was not until they reached the edge of her forest, in the direction of her old territory, that she stopped running.
“How,” he coughed out a couple minutes later, “How do you run so fast. Guinevere, what are you?”
She was about to open her mouth to respond when they both heard a mirthless laugh come from behind the trees. Guinevere turned around to see a very large, frightening man emerge from the forest. She could tell he was a dragon in human form. Every step he took was with a sickening crunch. She gulped. Even just by looking at him she knew this was not a dragon that was kind– he had to be one of the trouble dragons.
Chapter Sixteen
Romance: The College Bad Boy: A Young Adult Romance Page 67