Dream of Dragons

by Alex Alcasid

  Danna stared at the princess, mouth agape. The motion stretched her dark mage markings across her face, making her look even more ghoulish. Wisps of yellow and green blew around within the markings. “You wish to save the heir of the Beastmen? All on your own? In the Plagelands?” she looked to Loren, then to Kae.

  “Yes.” Loren heard confidence in her voice, but didn’t feel it. “After he’s back on the throne and in command of the Beastmen, I intend to pay a visit to Sagna and its queen.”

  Danna looked as if she had been struck. “You are to challenge Haedria!” she said suddenly, her hand flying to her chest. “A foolish idea if I ever heard one. And yet, how amusing!” she laughed again.

  The mage raised her hand. With a single loud snap of her fingers, the brawl stopped. Men from all walks of life suddenly stopped in their tracks, fists stilling in mid-swing. They rubbed at their sore and broken jaws or sat heavily on the floor, and the air was filled with the sounds of miserable, pained groaning. Outside, tied to a post, Cassendir came to his senses. He realized he had been sitting in wet mud, his Kespian silk robe was ruined, and his ribs were somehow bruised.

  “You wish to challenge Haedria!” Danna said again between laughs.

  Kae bristled. “What’s so funny?”

  “Haedria Dagan, Queen of Sagna and the Witch of Fire? She is the Fourth of the Daughters!” Danna said, grinning ear to ear. The yellow and green within her mage markings seems to shine brighter. “My, my, I would love to see this! Best of luck then, daughter of dragons. Imagine I will be seeing more of you in the future.” She chuckled. Danna reached up and pulled the hood back over her face. She pushed past Loren and Kae, stepped over or on the scattered victims of her magic, and was out the door of the inn without a word.

  “Wait! Danna!” Loren shouted, chasing after her. “What did you mean there is red in my family?” She crossed the threshold of the inn and was left standing in the moonlight, alone. Danna was nowhere to be found. “Cassendir! There you are, are you alright? Which way did she go?”

  “Which way— what?” Cassendir groaned. His head lolled side to side and his face was contorted in pain. “I didn’t see anyone. Can you please untie me? What happened?”

  Loren sighed. She felt more frustrated and defeated that Danna got away than she was relieved that Cassendir was well. She shook her head. She should be grateful that her friend is no worse for wear. Where has all this vengeance and rage come from?

  Her eyes went wide. Loren touched her dragon pendant. It was slightly warm to the touch, and familiar in her hand. After the queen explained the history and purpose of the dragon pendant and its magic, she began to worry that it was controlling her, and not the other way around.

  Cassendir groaned again, and Loren rushed over to his side to free him.

  “You know, princess.” Kae said from the inn’s door, chuckling. “We might as well stay here the night. Cassendir looks like he could use a proper bed. You do too.”

  The princess looked to Cassendir who was struggling to stand. He kept a hand to his sore middle, and soft blue light flowed inside his mage markings as he tried to heal himself. In the inn, the men were getting their bearings and stumbling out of the door. A merchant passed out in the mud, and a rat Beastman in expensive silks with a chunk missing from his ear flipped him over and began to drag him to the side and out of the way. Loren sighed. She took one of Cassendir’s arms and put it over her shoulder to help him walk.

  “Please negotiate two rooms for us, Kae.” She said. “I’ll pay whatever gold the innkeeper asks for.”

  The innkeeper gave them their rooms for free. The innkeeper’s wife saw the entire encounter with Danna and told her husband that it was because of the two young ladies he could drink beer in peace again. Out of gratitude, although it was more because his wife told him to, the innkeeper offered Loren and her friends their rooms for free, with dinner and lunch to be brought up to them. The two girls set up Cassendir in the room beside theirs. They were supposed to take only one room instead once the innkeeper offered them for free, but the scholar launched into his protest. He insisted that it would be improper for him to share a room with two unmarried young women. Again. The girls rolled their eyes and left him in the other room with Ma’trii to watch over him. The two retired to their own room.

  “Hey princess,” Kae said with a laugh. “This is the exact same room we took the first time we came here, except its all clean. Do you think the innkeeper remembers us?”

  “I don’t know if he does, but he will now.” Loren replied. She busied herself with removing everything that she had packed in the castle and sorting them all out on the now mercifully clean floor. She had packed several sets of linen underwear, tunics, one pair of riding trousers and one pair of soft leather trousers, and a bag of provisions. There was hard bread, dried meat, fruit, and cheese, a flask of water. If she ate sparingly, what she had right now would probably last a full week. But that didn’t account for her friends. She looked over to Kae, who had spread herself on the soft bed, and smiled. The huntress could take care of herself, she knew. She could find food and water, and Loren would have to rely on her skills. All the princess really had was gold and not much else in the way of useful survival skills. Kae was rough around the edges, but she was loyal and had a good heart. And the way she looked at Loren back in the forest, how worried she sounded that they would never see each other again…

  “Loren?” Kae said.

  “Yes?”

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Loren blinked in alarm and quickly looked back to her pack. She realized that she had been staring at Kae, smiling even, for quite some time. Her hands flew as she repacked her bag hastily, her heart racing in her chest, her pulse in her ears.

  From where Kae lay, looking at Loren upside down, the princess could hear the huntress’s laugh. Loren’s movements slowed. What did Kae think of her? Was it all just good fun? Did she see the princess as a good friend and travel companion only? She knew the huntress lived alone in the forest with only a wolf for company; she never really went on adventures as the daily struggle for food was hard enough. Was she only tagging along with the princess’s mad schemes because she was bored? Was it pity?

  Loren sighed, and shook her head. “Nothing, nothing. I’m tired, just lost in thought. Will you be going to sleep soon, Kae?”

  “Yeah. That was a lot of walking and talking.” Kae answered. The huntress flipped over onto her stomach and watched Loren unpack all her things a second time. Loren started folding all her clothes and packing them meticulously again. “I have to admit, kicking Cassendir was fun. I hope I didn’t break anything though.”

  “I’m sure you didn’t. And he had enough magic to heal himself, I’m sure he’s fine. Ma’trii is in his room with him right?”

  “Yeah. Ma’trii will alert us if something’s gone wrong with Cassendir.”

  Loren sighed and stood. She was finally done with her pack. “Thank you, Kae.”

  “For what?”

  “Well…” Loren looked back at her. Her expression was unreadable. “For everything. For following me this far, for tolerating my ideas. I do not understand why you’re still with me. I mean, everything you said about the Plaguelands—“

  “Loren.” Kae said with such finality that the princess stopped. She looked up at the huntress, realizing that while she was rambling, Kae stood and approached her. The huntress was a little taller than her, with a frame muscled through hard work and a rough life. She smelled of earth, sweat, and wolf. Her dark hair was tied back out of her eyes, those sharp, dark and intense, hunter’s eyes—

  “Loren!” Kae said again. She chuckled, and Loren realized she was staring at her. Again.

  “You keep staring at me. Maybe we should just head to bed.” The huntress continued. She turned away, but Loren saw a slight blush on her cheeks. “You did say we have to hurry and find the prince, right? Gonna need all the rest we can get if we have to go through the Plagueland
s.”

  Kae sat on her side of the bed. She bounced on it, chuckling softly to herself. Loren noticed that the huntress did that often, bouncing and laughing on beds. She thought it was a quirk, just something that Kae does, until she approached and sat in it too. It dawned on her suddenly. Kae was used to sleeping on the ground, with barely a roof over her head. A bed was a luxury. Anything soft and warm, out of the cold brisk air of Aldoran, was a luxury.

  The huntress lay on the bed with her back to Loren, as they had a couple times before. Kae always respected Loren’s space, always trying to move as little as possible in her sleep so as not to disturb the princess. As Loren rested her head against the feather pillow, she thought that perhaps the huntress didn’t want to have much more to do with her. With a sigh, Loren shifted onto her side, her back facing Kae.

  “Good night.” She said.

  Kae didn’t reply. Loren tried to think none of it and tried in vain to force her doubts and insecurities out through a long exhale. It didn’t work, but the adrenaline from the past couple of hours was wearing off. Loren could feel her body getting heavier with each breath and her eyelids began to fall, but still her mind ran a mile a minute. She thought of Kae, of Danna, of her mother and father back in the castle, and of her dragon pendant. The rage and pride were not like her, and yet they were not like Lind either. She thought she knew the dragon quite well, having grown up with the large blue and gold beast in the caves beneath the castle. He was always patient with her, even as she would climb his claws and grab at the spines along his back to clamber on and play with his wings. If it wasn’t from Lind, where was the change coming from? And why?

  “Princess?” Kae’s voice was soft in the darkened room.

  Loren’s thoughts snapped back into the present, and she opened her eyes. “Yes, Kae?” she asked, but there was no reply. The princess looked over her shoulder, and saw Kae awake, and looking right at her. Loren’s heart leaped into her throat. “What is it?” she asked again.

  “What do you want to happen?” Kae said. Her voice was soft but it sounded loud in Loren’s ears.

  Loren’s gaze darted all over the place. She looked at the covers, the ceiling, the back wall, anywhere but Kae’s sharp and curious gaze. She couldn’t meet the huntress’s eyes. “What do you mean?” she muttered. “What do I want to happen with what?”

  With us? The princess wanted so badly to say.

  The huntress only smiled.

  “Kae?” Loren said again.

  The huntress’s face was inches away from her own and she saw they way Kae’s eyes were unfocused, how her expression went lax as sleep slowly took over. She saw Kae slowly closing her eyes. Her eyelashes were long, the princess realized, and they fluttered as Kae attempted to fight sleep. Maybe she was thinking of more to say, but exhaustion overtook her. Loren chuckled silently at the thought. Maybe in her sleep-addled state, Kae thought she already voiced her question, received an answer, and was satisfied with it. A lock of dark hair fell over Kae’s face as her breath evened out, becoming long and deep as the huntress drifted off.

  Loren realized how peaceful Kae looked while she was asleep. She had never gotten this close a look at her before, since they used to sleep with their backs to each other. The hair on her face seemed to tickle her nose, as Kae exhaled a puff that sent the lock of hair flying an inch away, only to come back and settle in the same spot. Without thinking, Loren reached over and gently pushed Kae’s hair out of her face.

  “Loren…” Kae muttered in her sleep.

  Loren froze. Her pulse raced in her ears again, and she stayed as still as possible. Kae said nothing else. Loren pulled her hand back to her side and smiled. Maybe Kae was dreaming. Maybe it was a dream about her. The princess pulled the covers over herself to hide her giddy smile and resolved to go to sleep this time. She didn’t turn away from Kae.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next morning, Loren found the bed empty when she woke. She felt a tang of disappointment when she saw the empty space beside her, then immediately scolded herself. They were just friends, sharing a bed out of necessity. Nothing more. The princess shook her head and sat up, taking stock of the room. The light outside was bright, it must have been mid-morning. Kae’s pack was still on the floor, as were her boots. The bag was open, showing that the huntress’s belongings were a bedroll, old flasks and other containers for water, and several bundles wrapped up in a cloth. She didn’t have much in the way of spare clothes. Loren winced. Just the night before while Loren was packing, she must have looked like she brought her entire wardrobe on their journey. The princess vowed to buy some nice new things for Kae at the next possible opportunity. Perhaps as well as more knives for her knife belt and some arrows. And some soap.

  As Loren was pondering her gift list for the huntress, the door to their room opened. Kae walked in, dripping wet and wearing only a towel around her body. She saw Loren awake and the blush that spread across her body made her skin look as red as a tomato.

  “Princess!” she stammered, clutching the rough towel closer to her body. “I didn’t think you would be up so early.”

  “I was worried I would sleep in too long.” Loren said lamely, turning away and hiding her face to give Kae some privacy. She hoped her jaw didn’t drop too noticeably. She heard Kae’s footsteps quickly cross the room to her pack, where she presumed the huntress was rooting around her things for extra clothes. “You were able to bathe?” the princess said, then mentally smacked herself. Of course Kae was able to bathe; she just walked in dripping water and clothed in only a towel.

  “Yeah. The innkeeper’s wife was very grateful for our help with Danna last night. I went down for breakfast and she said we could all use their private washroom before we leave. I left my leathers with her to wash.” Kae chuckled. “I hope the water doesn’t turn into too much mud.”

  Loren laughed with her, amused at the thought. The princess waited on the edge of the bed for Kae to finish dressing, but she heard a muttered swear from the huntress and almost turned around. “What is it? Are you alright?”

  “I thought I had an extra tunic. It must have fallen out at some point.” Kae answered with a sigh. “I guess I’ll have to sit around in a towel until the inkeeper’s wife is done washing my hunting leathers.”

  Loren was up and opening her own pack before Kae was finished speaking. Without a word, she pulled out one of her own cotton shirts and handed it to Kae, who at least had packed an extra set of trousers.

  “Princess, no, I can’t accept—“ Kae started, but Loren shoved the shirt into her hands.

  “Oh just take it!” Loren said with a laugh. “You can keep it. I think we’re roughly the same size anyway.”

  Kae smiled gratefully and wrestled the tunic up over her head. The towel fell slightly and Loren looked away a second too late, her cheeks burning. “It fits! Thank you, princess. You really didn’t have to.”

  “Well, I wanted to.” Loren mumbled, pretending to busy herself with the things in her pack. “What happened to Cassendir and Ma’trii?” she asked hastily.

  “Ma’trii went out to scout and maybe hunt a rabbit.” Kae answered with a shrug. “Oh, Cassendir wanted me to tell you to meet him downstairs once you’ve woken up.”

  “Did he say why?”

  “No, but I imagine it was important.”

  Loren sighed. She knew she should check on the scholar and see what he wanted, but even as she stood and turned towards the door, she hesitated. The princess didn’t want to leave the room. She didn’t want to leave Kae.

  “Princess? Are you alright?” Kae asked, seeing Loren standing still and staring forlornly at the ground.

  “What?” Loren almost jumped. “I’m sorry, just…. Just lost in thought. I’ll go see Cassendir.”

  “Great! If you see Ma’trii, tell him to stay by the road so I can find him when we leave.” The huntress smiled, and Loren left the room.

  The princess found the main dining hall of the inn empty. Even the innkee
per and his wife were nowhere to be seen, but Loren assumed they were off doing other duties. She left the inn and found Cassendir by the horse posts, talking to a merchant dressed in similar silks to him.

  “A half dozen coins then, and one of my notebooks.” Cassendir said. The scholar held up the amount of gold coins sitting in his palm.

  The merchant, a heavily tanned man with brightly colored silks wrapped around his head and face, scoffed. “What use are your notebooks, boy? Will I use them to wipe my ass?”

  Cassendir wasn’t deterred. “I’ve written down observations and information regarding the kingdoms of Aldoran and of the Beastmen. If you present this to the Royal Archives in Kespia, it will be worth more than the price of your horse.”

  “Information, hmm?” The merchant said. Underneath his head wrappings, he raised an eyebrow in doubt. “Hand it here.”

  Cassendir offered the merchant a small notebook from his pack. It was the size of his palm and bound in thin, worn leather. The merchant flipped through the papers and found it full of Cassendir’s scrawled notes in a dark ink. His eyes flicked over the pages, but it was clear that he didn’t understand a word. The scholar let out a soft breath and smiled.

  “How much would you say this is worth at the Archives?” the merchant said, sounding unimpressed. He snapped the little notebook shut.

  “One hundred gold pieces.” Cassendir answered confidently. “The scholars of the Archives and the Academy only dream of seeing what I have seen here. I’ve been inside the castle of Aldoran, and seen their magic and army. I know what they’re capable of.” Cassendir stepped closer to the merchant and tapped his notebook. He gave the merchant a sly look. “Trust me, this information will be very expensive.”

  “Cassendir!” Loren started, approaching the scholar. Selling sensitive information regarding how her kingdom and her allies operate was treason. Betrayal! And he was her friend!

  Cassendir turned back to the princess and gave her a subtle wink, while the merchant was stroking his chin and thinking of all the things he could buy with one hundred gold coins. Loren stopped, curiously and cautiously watching the two Kespians. She thought of how she could run down and catch the merchant if he decided to take the notebook.