They were on the outskirts of the realm of dragons, Arlo knew from the maps he had stored away in his pack. Caedmon didn’t seem concerned, although Arlo could not understand why. Everything he had read of dragons described them as fierce and unreasonable creatures.
“Dragons don’t like to be bothered, if we pass through more or less unnoticed they will ignore us.” Had been Caed’s only response when Arlo expressed his concerns about traveling out in the open through the dragon realm.
They followed Caed silently as he led them through. Arlo couldn’t help but scan his eyes through the rocky terrain in hopes of witnessing a dragon despite his fear of them. Dragons were almost lore to him given the lack of history or knowledge the faery realm had on them.
“Have you ever seen a dragon?” Rowan asked Caed.
“Sshhh.” He quieted the girl. “We need to pass through unnoticed.” Caed whispered removing his hand from the girl’s mouth.
Rowan crossed her arms, but her fear of the unknown did keep her mouth shut.
They climbed up a small mountain, the air thinning as they ascended. “Why not go around the mountain?” Arlo whispered out.
Caed took a deep breath and pulled out his waterskin taking a long drink out of it, he handed it to Rowan at her slight tug on his hood.
“It’s safer above the mountain, the dragons live inside the mountains. So we must step lightly.” Caed responded in a low whisper.
Rowan handed Caed back his waterskin and began walking forward. Her foot slipped before either of them could catch her and she screamed loudly taking a single tumble before Caed was below her. Her eyes were wide with fear as Caed’s hand covered her mouth. His eyes were frantic and wide.
Arlo instinctively placed a protective barrier over the three of them, although he didn’t presume it to outlast a dragon.
The stony ground below them began to vibrate.
“Caed...” Arlo whispered.
Caed stood still, his hand still clasped around the girl’s mouth.
“Caed...” Arlo warned again, his wings already a flutter.
“Keep still. If we fly, he will chase us.” Caed whispered. “Don’t scream.”
The ground vibrated more violently below them and they began to hear the large crunching steps of something very large underneath the mountain they had been climbing.
The girl whimpered underneath Caedmon’s hand.
“Don’t make a sound.” Caed commanded harshly to the small child now shaking like a leaf.
A large red-scaled dragon emerged from underneath the mountain, his golden eyes the size of the boulders they were now pressed against. The heat radiating from his body burned Arlo’s skin to be near it.
“Faeries...” his voice boomed out. “And a little human.” The dragon’s body moved slowly as he eyed them.
“We are passing through.” Caed said in a calm low voice. “Please allow us passage.”
“You awoke me, Caedmon the Hunter. I don’t appreciate being disturbed. And you have a human child in your midst. Humans are forbidden in my realm.” As the dragon spoke out his breath threatened to knock them back.
“Please Great Egan, allow us to pass through. We don’t want any trouble.” Caedmon said in a low voice.
The dragon Egan cocked his large head to one side. “And what will you give me in return for safe passage through my realm?”
Caedmon reached slowly into his pack and pulled out a large stone. It appeared clear until Caed lifted it up into the sunlight and it seemed to explode in many different colors dancing off the stone and against their skin. Arlo knew this stone well, it was from the faery realm. It was the Arenoan Stone.
“You won’t ever see this stone again, Great Egan. Please take it and let us pass through.” Caedmon said his voice still low and even.
Egan the dragon stared the stone down for a long moment before huffing out his nostrils. “Leave it and go.” The dragon finally said turning his head away from them.
Caedmond sat the stone down on the rock and picked Rowan up, lifting his wings to the air. Arlo followed suit and they fluttered quietly away.
Arlo could hear from behind Caedmon that Rowan had begun to cry. Arlo couldn’t really blame her, he had never felt that level of fear before. Finally they fluttered down to the ground once again outside of the dragon realm.
Caed didn’t seem bothered by the interaction at all.
“He knew your name.” Arlo said to Caedmon as they walked further on. Rowan plucking up flowers ahead of them. “How did he know your name?”
“Do you really think that was my first encounter with a dragon, Arlo? I’m a hunter faery, I enter dragon realm more frequently than I care to mention. We were unlucky that we happened to disturb Egan, he’s a bastard. Most dragons would rather stay in their caves than bother with a noise as mild as a child’s scream.”
Arlo was silent for a long moment, “You gave up your Arenoan Stone...” he said in almost a whisper.
Caed nodded his head.
Receiving an Arenoan Stone was a tremendous honor, especially to receive it as a hunter. Arlo had received multiple through his time at the monastery that he had never really understood why some people held them so precious, but he knew for a lower faery receiving the Arenoan Stone was the greatest honor they could be given.
“I’m sorry—“ Arlo tried to begin.
“Don’t apologize to me. Don’t pity me because I gave up what is merely a trinket to you.” Caed took a few steps ahead of Arlo, but stopped and turned back around.
“It was just a stone, and it saved your life. So instead of giving me that look of pity maybe a thank you would better suit you.”
Arlo said nothing. He knew Caed was not yet done yelling at him.
“I don’t want your pity, Arlo. I never wanted your pity.” Caedmon said.
Rowan had stopped walking and was now watching the two faeries from a short distance.
“Thank you.” Arlo finally said. “For saving our lives. For everything that you’re doing to help me. We wouldn’t have survived without you today.”
Caed stared at him for a long moment before finally turning and continuing forward.
Arlo watched him walk further away, unable to move from his spot. Caed had caught up with Rowan who in habit reached up to grab the end of his roughed wing.
Arlo wished more than anything that Caed would bring up the past so that they could just get it out in the open, but he wondered now if he ever would. Arlo wished even more that he wasn’t so cowardly he couldn’t bring it up himself.
He fluttered his wings to catch up to the other two now trailing farther ahead of him.
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