Frozen Wonder

[Trinn]

They paused at the mouth of the cave, and Thane peered outside with a new sense of dread. He spotted Serena swaying on her feet and placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Don't worry about getting back down." he said, face pale. "We have a ride." No sooner had he spoken the words then the ground buckled under their feet and a rush of wind tore past them through the tunnel. A dark shadow fell over the hole, blocking the light from the crystals. And then a silver eye was peering in at them, silent anger burning within.

"Move!" He heard his mother shout from outside. The black dragon swung his head away, and there, perhaps even more frightening than a giant dragon eye, was Thane's mother standing with hands on hips, glaring into the cave. "I have never in my life thought that I had raised my son to run off with one of our guests in such an outlandish fashion. And to dangerous caves nonetheless!" Thane was silent, knowing any argument was useless. Teodora stomped into the cave entrance, nostrils flared and eyes enraged. She looked at Serena to make sure the girl was ok, then turned that furious gaze to Thane.

"You and I will have a more private discussions about this back home.Right now I need to get the both of you back to safety. Your father has been worried sick Serena. He will be glad to see you are alright." Grabbing Thane by the arm, she practically hauled Thane outside.

Torreck was settled on his haunches and cocking his head at the crystals. He touched one with the tip of his snout, then drew back quickly and snorted. The crystal almost seemed to glow brighter afterwards. The black dragon then looked at Thane, and Thane thought he saw something akin to pity in the dragons eyes. Great. "Up with you." said his mother, and Thane meekly obeyed. Better that way. "You too." she said to Serena, pointing to a spot behind Thane. He leaned down and offered his hand to his partner in crime.

[Tismri]

Serena stumbled when the dragon landed at the entrance. She stared nervously at Teodora as she stormed inside. She stopped beside the dragon and turned to the enraged woman, her expression contrite but resolute.

"Please do not reprimand him too much, my lady," she pleaded. "I was the one who dragged him up here. I was searching for something, and I did not want to come alone." She checked on the condition of the tome she found; in the open air, it was more susceptible to damage than it had been deep in the cavern. "None of this was his fault, and I do not wish him to be blamed for it." She turned and took Thane's hand, mounting the dragon.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him so his mother wouldn't hear.

[Trinn]

Teodora eyed Serena carefully.The girl trying to take the blame for Thane was admirable, but foolish. She knew her son too well to believe he would let someone drag him around. No, she knew the girl's pretty face had something to do with it. Men! Thane came from her own loins and still acted like a pig. It seemed men had no shame no matter where they came from.

"Not your fault." Thane whispered back to Serena as he helped her up. He gave her as mischievous a grin as he could muster, winked, and then faced forward again, hoping his mother would not see.

Teodora mounted up in front of Thane, and a second later Torreck launched his great bulk into the sky. Thane watched the crystals dwindle away. He was both glad and strangely reluctant to be leaving. Perhaps they should have given that skeleton a proper burial before they had left? Or perhaps the bones of the dead weren't meant to be disturbed no matter where they lay.
~~~

It seemed only minutes before they were returned to the castle. Torreck landed in a large open square somewhere in the middle of the palace. The grass was torn up in several other spots from dragons coming and going. Mostly Torreck and Trinity though. He wished his father were around to soothe his mother. But alas he was on his own. His mother dismounted and snapped at the ground for him to do the same. Trying to retain some of his dignity, Thane dismounted slowly and with precision. He smiled up at Serena and reached his hands up to help Serena dismount. "If you slide down, I will catch you, Serena. I promise I won't let you fall." A sudden thwap sounded as his mother's hand whirled through the air and smacked the back of his head.

"Stop flirting and get out of the way. She is our guest, not a tavern wench." Teodora tsked at him. Dignity now out the door, Thane stomped away rubbing the back of his head. "Come now," he heard his mother say, "Your father will be wanting to see you."

[Tismri]

Serena watched the crystals fade away beneath her, each individual light melding together into a single luminous glow Their mystery still fascinated her, but that was true of all cases of wild magic in the world. Some answers, she believed, were never meant to be found. If all mysteries could be solved, then where would the sense of wonder go?

Upon landing at the castle, she returned to the present, knowing the lecture she was in for. It was something she had heard many times over the years; it was never enough to stop her wanderlust to discover history's secrets. She looked nervously up at at a window where her father was looking down with disapproval. She looked down where Thane was offering to catch her until his mother smacked him on the head. She couldn't help a giggle at the sight. She slid down from the dragon's back and landed safely on the ground. She took a step toward the entrance before pausing next to Thane. She gave him a small smile.

"Thank you for coming with me," she told him sincerely, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek before going inside to face her father.