When they were close, Lamwen climbed, his angle steep as his wings pumped to raise them high into the air. Her grip not as firm as it had first been, Amicia leaned back and looked down, taking in Adiarwen from above. Spying what could only be her father’s prison, she gave up wiping at her tears and let them flow freely.
Gwirwen will pay for this, she fumed. Her breathing ragged, she felt the rage within her; but this was not the time for it. She needed to get on the ground and visit Ziradon if she were able.
“May we land?” she asked of her guide.
“I will make a turn and approach from the north. You will be able to speak to him, but again, I don’t know for how long. If anyone discovers us here, we will both be killed.”
“I understand,” she replied, her heart racing with a mix of excitement and terror.
As promised, Lamwen made a wide circle. Coming in from the north, they landed a few hundred yards from the arched stones, where the foliage began. As she climbed down, Ami again removed the streaks from her cheeks. Seeing the redness of her eyes and flush in her skin, the beast wavered.
“Kaliwyn, I am sorry for all you have endured and for what is to come.”
“It’s not your fault,” she replied, forcing a smile she hoped appeared genuine. “Our reunion will be glorious, in any case. After this, we must also determine if and when I will be able to regain my dragon form.”
“Go and speak with your father. I will remain here in the shadows of the trees, but I can be there in an instant if you need me. If anyone sees you, run back to me, and do not stop,” he commanded.
Thinking of the hamar gem and what Meena said about it, she grinned. “I’d like to try something.” Reaching into her shirt, she pulled her merdoe out, removing it from her neck. Clasping it tightly, she closed her eyes. Taking steps backwards, she moved away from the dragon but still faced him.
“Kaliwyn!”
“Yes, I’m here,” she giggled, turning and strutting across the open space. “You can’t see me, can you?”
“N-no,” he stammered, watching… nothing. “How have you accomplished this?”
“A trick the wan taught me. I am hiding within a shadow. I have never done it with the merdoe, but Meena says that I don’t really need the gem. The power is mine, and I simply must learn to focus it,” she boasted.
“Be careful, my queen,” Lamwen warned, shaken by her abilities and her cavalier attitude towards them. “You may be a powerful dragoness, but there is always someone stronger.”
“Ah, Lamwen,” she laughed, breaking into an easy jog as she approached her father’s cell. Massive in form, she looked up in awe at the size of the rocks and the grotesque way that they had been pulled up into the unnatural formation.
Arriving at the base of one of the pillars, she placed her free hand against the rough surface. Feeling the stone, it was coarse, with veins or rows of deeper grooves. I want to remember every detail, she sighed. The day I regained my name… and my father. Her emotion’s up and down, as a ship caught in a wild storm, she rode atop the waves at the moment, her joy warming her to the tips of her toes.
Working her way around, she came to a gap between the pillar and the next. Standing in the open space, she could see a massive creature lying on its side in the center of the open chamber formed by the arches. Keeping her hand closed firmly, she wondered for a moment if Ziradon would be stronger and able to see through her hidden state.
“I smell you,” a deep voice growled, “mortal of the rim. Why have you come, and how did you get here?”
Instant bliss washing through her, Amicia released the merdoe. “Oh, father!” she squealed, running towards him and falling against his neck, as if she had done it a thousand times before. Fresh tears stained her face even as she laughed with glee.
“Father,” the Supreme Dragon gasped, turning his giant nostril and inhaling deeply. “Kaliwyn, could it be?” Blinking rapidly, his eyes filled, and her question of dragon tears was answered as a single drop spilled over, wetting her when it dripped upon her.
“Yes, my lord, it is I!” she gasped, laughing at his reaction. “Lamwen has delivered me that we may speak. I have so many questions, and I…” She faltered, unsure how to explain.
“You have come to me,” he observed, his voice rasping, as he seldom used it. “My sweet princess.”
“Yes, father,” she agreed, clinging to him once more. His smell different than that of Lamwen, she sighed, “I know you. I remember the scent of you.”
“Had you forgotten, my child?”
“Yes, I had. For all my life, I have been a mortal of the rim. I only learned this very day about all that I was before that. I’ve been on a journey for so long, learning in bits and pieces, and growing stronger all the while.” Taking a few steps back, she gazed up at him. “I wish I could share it all this day, but I can’t stay long. I promised that I would go back and not get caught, but we will return.”
“We?”
“My friends have been with me since I came to Eriden,” she explained quickly. “Quite a mixed lot we are. Elf and dwarf, nymph and siren, and, of course, mortals of the rim. We will find a way to restore my form, and you will be freed, my beloved king.”
Clenching her fists, Ami recalled her hatred for the dragon who had claimed her father’s crown. “And Gwirwen will be punished for his treachery. But I must go for now,” she sniffed, taking a few more steps back, then turning to hide her tears.
“Kaliwyn,” the aged dragon hissed. It pained him to hear such words fall from her lips, as they were not the kind utterances of the child he had known and raised.
Afraid of his possible dislike of her plan, Ami fled, preventing hearing anymore. Closing her hand around her trinket, she pulled the shadow over herself, then stepped through the rocks before she broke into a hard and fast run. Not stopping until she stood before Lamwen once more, she waited, observing him in his hiding place.
His eyes fixed on her father’s prison, he waited for her return. His body tense, she could tell he was anxious for her safety. He loves me, she speculated breathlessly, and if he does not, he certainly pretends well.
The idea of his concern pleased her. She had not yet decided what she would do about Reynard and their vows, or with the fact that Lamwen was beneath her; but she would. And if she chose the dragon, she would never allow what was proper to stand between them, whether the dragon council liked it or not.
Relaxing her digits, the girl reappeared as she announced, “I have returned.”
“You were able to speak with him?” Lamwen asked coolly, leaning forward so she could take her place on his back.
“Yes. We did not share much, but he was pleased to see me, I am certain.”
“Of course he was pleased,” Lamwen gurgled, waiting for her word she was comfortable and he could take off. “I dare say you were the most important thing in his life before you were taken.”
“Rubbish,” she countered, giving him a pat. “I’m ready. And you can’t tell me a king doesn’t have things more important to worry about than a girl.”
“When that girl is his only child, there is nothing more important than that,” he replied, then leapt into the air before she could say more.
Flying to the west rather than straight south, Lamwen carried her over the northern forest. Looking down at the trees and ground below, Amicia sighed to herself. What a beautiful place.
Reaching out to the dragon, she asked, “How long will you remain with us?”
“I thought I was welcome any time.”
“You are,” she smiled at his surliness. “I wasn’t sure if you would take me up on that, though. You never came down the mountain before to meet my friends, not even once.”
“Things were different then.” Then he had believed he still held the rank of captain of the guard and favor in Gwirwen’s eyes. Today, he had nothing but the girl, her friends, and a few outcast dragons to rely upon; a grim prospect he had done his best not to think heavily upon.
Patting Lamwen’s neck, she returned to their conversation, her heart warmed at the simplicity of the lives of most of the races in Eriden. “You are welcome to join us, my friend. I feel I have much to learn from you now that I know who and what I am.”
“Yes, you do have much to learn, but I’m afraid there will be little time for lessons.”
“Why?” she demanded, sitting up straighter as he leveled out. Ahead, she could see the marshes and knew they would be there in a matter of minutes.
“I will explain when we have joined your friends. I have much to share, but I fear your Piers isn’t going to like any of it.”
“My Piers,” she giggled, leaning forward to breathe in his scent. Thinking of her father, she recalled how he had smelled. I never would have noticed such a thing before. Could simply knowing she was a dragon be changing her perception of things? Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that her life had been forever changed on that day, in so many ways.
As the camp drew near, a shaft of dread pierced Amicia’s heart. “Lamwen!” she gasped.
“Yes, princess?”
“Today, when you have your say with the others,” she faltered, unsure of her request, “will it be necessary to tell them of my secret?”
“What secret?”
“You know,” she groaned, “that I am a dragon. Must they be told?”
“Shouldn’t you want your friends to know?” he growled.
“I do want to tell them,” she quickly agreed, “but I want to do it in my own time and in my own way. Can you grant me this one request?”
“You want me to keep this as another secret between us,” he mused.
“For the time being. It would mean so much to me if they were to find out under the best possible circumstances, and I’m afraid having just lost Bally, and now you coming back, this is not the time.”
“If this is what you believe, I will honor your wishes,” he agreed.
“Thank you, Lamwen,” she shared as she patted his neck. “You are a dear friend to me, and I really am glad to have you back.”
Dragon’s Light
Approaching the clearing where he had retrieved the girl, Lamwen flew in a large loop to inspect the area. Seeing nothing of consequence, he landed between the camp and the cave.
Caressing his neck, Amicia smiled. “Thank you, my friend.”
“You are quite welcome, my queen,” he replied warmly, bending so that she could climb off.
My queen, she turned in her mind. His words brought a quickness to her breathing. He means it. So often those of Eriden had referred to her as royalty. I must live to their expectations and do all that I can to set things right, she silently vowed.
Her feet firm upon the earth, she looked up at him. “Will you come with me? We are expected to visit the gnomes at dusk, so our time will be limited,” she explained.
“I will await your signal to join you,” he promised, lying flat. “If I am asleep, you will have to wake me.”
“Asleep!” she gasped.
“I jest, Kaliwyn. It should not be more than a few minutes for you and your friends to settle, and I will join you,” he explained.
“Yes, that’s more like it,” she grimaced, considering if he were bound to follow her orders now that her status had been revealed. Leaving the thought, she turned, tromping across the rocks to the back side of the western slant.
Not able to see much over the top, she made her way around, where she paused. “What the hell are you doing?”
The group scattered, they were obviously packing, and what she should have asked is why.
“Ami,” Rey breathed, standing to greet her. Around him sat piles of miniature gear. Even their pot and elvish wine bottles had been diminished.
“You are packing?” she managed as he reached her, pulling her into his arms.
“Yes. We thought it would be a good idea in case things didn’t pan out with the gnomes,” he supplied. “I see Lamwen is waiting. Does that mean he will now explain where he has been, or has he already shared?”
Closing her eyes, Amicia listened to the thump of her heart within her ears. “I’m so happy to see you,” she said, not answering his question. Her grip firm, she wondered if it were the last time she would ever hold him in such a manner.
When she finally opened her clear green orbs, she stared at their bunk; the one they had never slept in together. “I’m sorry, Rey,” she sighed. Their blankets folded and sitting on their bedding, everything else appeared to have been shrunken and or packed.
“Don’t be sorry, love,” he replied, releasing his grip but finding her hand to replace the hug. Wiping at a stray tear, he grinned.
Seeing the love in his hazel orbs, Amicia’s gut wrenched. Her secret eating at her, she glanced around at the others, who had all paused to watch them… and she knew. “Oh God.”
“What?” her husband asked gently.
“You already know, don’t you,” she observed flatly. “It’s not a secret.”
“Your dragon’s light is bright, Amicia Spicer,” Meena explained, straightening from her arranging of tiny bolts of cloth. “I told you the moment we met I could see it within you, and it has only grown in the time I have known you.”
“I see,” the girl half smiled, raising her chin. “Well, then I guess there is no need for formality.” Turning to the dragon, she waved, then suggested, “We should sit on the stones. He will come in as close as he can and share what he knows.”
“Has he already told you?” Reynard repeated, clearing their rock so he could sit beside her.
“No,” she clipped, taking the seat. “He took me to Dragon Rock, a small island off the eastern shore, where he explained my identity. Then we flew north, and I visited my father.”
“Your father,” Zae gasped, sitting to the girl’s left. “Ziradon lives?”
“Yes,” Amicia agreed, taken aback by the extent of her knowledge. “You even know who I am?”
“Of course, princess,” Animir agreed, smiling at her from across their pit. “All you have met in Eriden have known you are a dragon, and most have guessed of what line.”
“Then perhaps you can tell me how to regain my form,” she clipped, not amused that they had apparently neglected to share their knowledge with her.
“That we do not know,” Oldrilin whined, holding her palms up towards the sky. “Some magic is very powerful, and it took many to steal your form.”
“I see,” Ami acknowledged, accepting the explanation. “So, why didn’t you tell me you knew I was a dragon?” she accused, turning to her mate.
“I only learned while you were away,” Rey countered. “They kept the secret from both of us, out of love I suppose.”
“Love!” she bit back, glancing around the circle as the remaining seats were filled. “Love to lie and hide the truth.”
“It was for your own good,” Piers snapped. “If you are unable to return to your dragon form, we felt you were better off not knowing.” Looking up at the creature who had landed, but still towered over them as he sat, he continued, “Now, are we ready to begin?”
His lids half closed, Lamwen studied the mortal who appeared to still be in charge. “If you say you are ready, then I will begin,” he growled, unsure he liked the idea of his queen taking orders from him.
“We are ready, Lamwen,” the girl informed him more gently. “Please, start with the night of your disappearance.”
“Ah, the night I was called before the council,” the dragon began. “Pardodan came to summon me as I watched over you, and I stood before our leaders just after dusk. A great fire burned, as is our tradition. They questioned me, and I became aware by instinct that you were in danger.”
“I thought I might have been able to reach you, but I was attacked. The last time we spoke, I had been fleeing and arrived on the northern border here to the marsh. In the lush fields, I sprawled as the others caught me, beating, biting, and tearing at my flesh,” he documented, his head hanging as he described the events.
Up close, Rey could see the fresh scars on his face and neck and interjected, “They hoped to kill you.”
“Yes,” the dragon hissed. “I managed to take to the air, but I had been badly injured. If it had been by the light of day, I would not have survived. From the marsh, I flew out to sea, and my attackers gave up after only a short distance, thinking I had fallen and would not survive.”
“Did you go to Dragon Rock?” Amicia asked, her eyes wide.
“No. They know of that place, and I feared they would find me there. Instead, I flew straight out, refusing to give in to my exhaustion. When I could take it no more, I turned to the south and looped around, coming in to Jerranyth under the last of my power,” he explained.
“You sought the elves?” Animir asked in surprise. “Were you not afraid Lady Cilithrand would turn you over to the Supreme Dragon?”
“Afraid yes, but what choice did I have?” Lamwen spat. “I landed outside her window, as I have done many times. When I called to her, she came and had me sent straight away to one of the gardens. Furthermore, she commanded that I be hidden, and if any came in search of me, they did not discover my presence.”
“Well, that’s not right,” Reynard grunted. “Why would she help you?”
“For the same reason she gave Kaliwyn the hamar gem,” Lamwen laughed, the sound sinister.
“Cilithrand did not give Amicia the gem,” Animir corrected.
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