Their pursuers were dead, mangled and burned, and yet Aethur felt little relief. For the moment the knight, whose name was revealed to be Henry Morgraig, had set up a camp so that they may rest before moving on. The dragon had done short work of the fleeing rider, coming back to them with his muzzle caked in blood as well as his paws. It bought them some time to rest at least, but Aethur knew they would not stop trying for him and his sister to reach Albien controlled ground. Alina at least had woken up from her fall. Nonetheless, they needed at least a moment of respite, and sir Henry knew that.

Especially after Aethur learned of the order’s fall. It has been a suspicion lingering at the back of his mind that to truly shatter all hope for the people they wished to conquer they would next extinguish the dragon order. He simply did not think it would happen so swiftly. Henry had revealed to them also that he was not exactly the last, as two dragons did escape from Dragonstone castle alive, one being his dragon companion, Cyrvanyx. Until then Aethur had just assumed the big green dragon served that role and they escaped together. Knowing he guessed wrong opened several questions that his curiosity could not leave unanswered.

“I admit myself surprised, sir.” He had said before taking another sip from the waterskin before handing it back to Alina. Her only response was a soft hint to a smile. Still, she would not speak and her eyes remained distant. “I had assumed this companion of yours here was from the order also?”

“Merely an ally of circumstance.” The dragon answered swiftly before Henry beat him to it. “We have the same enemy and that is that.” He stopped cleaning his muzzle with his tongue to glare at Aethur. “So do not expect me to call you ‘your majesty’ and lick your backside.”

Taken slightly aback by the creature’s brashness, he failed to respond in a proper way and just gaped at him. It was Henry who retorted instead, throwing a branch at the now smirking dragon.

“Hey!” The dragon complained.

“I know what I said about not being a vassal, but you are talking to the last heir of the king! Even to a dragon as old fashion as you that should mean something!” There was a barely contained anger in Henry’s voice.

The dragon snorted. “I see nothing kingly about him or his sister. No crown, dirty clothes, matted hair and not that I am an expert at reading human ages but he seems a child to my eyes.”

“Steel your tongue, dammit! You are talking to the rightful king!” Henry yelled, shooting up from where he was sitting. The dragon’s frills raised, ears flattening back. A gesture of surprise or fear, Aethur knew from his studies of dragons. Even the dragon was taken aback by the angry outburst. Meanwhile, Aethur himself seconded every word the dragon said. There was nothing about him that made him appear regal and royal, not that his slumped position against a tree in a forest, shivering from the cold helped with that. No, if he wished men and even dragons to see him as a person worthy to follow he would give them more than just the blood flowing through his veins. People he did not know well, but dragons, them he studied a great deal.

In fact, this was the second time he had ever truly met a dragon face to face, despite the admiration he has for them. From muzzle to tail tip he took a moment to look him over. His scales were all an emerald green, with a few golden markings upon his wing joints and his back from what he could see, easy to miss. His stature was larger than most dragons he had seen or read about. That, alongside the way he acted, told him that the region he hailed from must not have much contact with the humans dwelling in the highlands while his size speaks of a connection to the ancient blood of dragon high kings. Such a dragon would of course be full of pride and would not merely kowtow to a human even if the blood of Rhodri runs through their veins.

“Leave it, sir Henry, please. There is no need to defend my perceived honor.” Aethur spoke, his eyes set at the dragon still. At the corner of his vision he saw Henry sitting back down with a grunt. Clearing his throat before he went on, Aethur then switched to draconic. “I would not expect a dragon from the western highlands to care much about human courtesy.” That got the dragon’s attention, just as he had hoped, his golden eyes narrowed and peering into Aethur’s. “Tell me, dragon, what clan do you hail from? Sky piercers? Maybe Black talons?”

Aethur tried to study every little movement the dragon made that would show emotions. A twitch in his frills, a tilting of the head. He was thinking, calculating, Aethur believed. It took a few seconds before he gave an answer alongside a slight bow of the head. “The Black talons is where I hatched.” His speech was slow and deliberate, as if he was considering every single word.

“Hmm, I see.” Aethur added his own bow. “An ancient clan. Not much is known about them from the outside, except that they like to keep to themselves and follow old traditions. I wonder how someone that grew up there ended up here.”

“It’s…” The dragon stopped then hesitated as he kept looking into Aethur’s eyes. “It is a long story; one I would rather not tell. Your knowledge is surprising and your draconic flawless, I admit, but I do not like that look in your eyes. Do not try and read me like some scroll, your majesty.” The added majesty was emphasized in a mocking tone while the former sounded like a semiserious warning. Aethur knew that being distant from strangers, especially humans, was part of their old ways. That did not stop his curiosity from wondering what his story was however. His mind would need to keep wondering for the moment though, for Aethur bowed his head in understanding.

“I meant no disrespect, dragon. I merely have a curious mind, especially when it comes to your kind.” Aethur amended, looking at the dragon to see his reaction.

It was harder to read his expression than before. From what Aethur could glimpse though, he seemed slightly irritated, his frills twitching. “Keep your curiosity to yourself. I am a dragon, not an attraction to be studied.” The dragon averted his gaze then, resting his puzzle upon his paws, seemingly done with the conversation.

Aethur did not object or try to dig deeper. For now, he was satisfied with leaving him to it. His eyes went to his sister instead, her form laying down upon the forest floor. She was facing away from the rest of them, but he knew she was awake. “Is the princess alright, your majesty?” Henry asked as Aethur was looking his sister over.

A sigh escaped Aethur involuntarily. It was a hard question to answer. The fact that Alina did not even rouse to the question at all already told part of the answer. “I don’t know, sir. She…” He wanted to put a hand upon her shoulder and look into her eyes to see if they were still as distant as usual lately, but he did not. “She has been silent ever since we escaped Caer Brenin. Most of the times she is not truly there, like the whole time her mind is wondering outside her own body, not seeing or hearing the world around her. She barely eats and…” He paused, mouth agape. “And I don’t know, sir. I just don’t know what is going on with her.”

Henry nodded as he spoke and leaned back against a tree. “Hmm.” Murmured the knight, biting his lower lip. “I have held back from asking for I know it must be a horrid memory, but… how did you both escape? Did you witness any of the horror with your own eyes? Has she?” His voice was low and soft. Aethur appreciated the thoughtfulness of Henry. He himself also held back from asking details about the order’s fall, as when Henry told of it he felt as if the knight had left out something that hurt too much to retell in the moment.

Steeling his heart to bring his mind back to that fateful day, Aethur leaned forward. “To keep it brief, as I wish not to dwell upon this memory for too long, I was in the library when the sudden attack happened. The whole city was preparing for a siege, not a sudden assault after the traitors opened the gates. Truly all I can say is that I was reading a book when the royal guard streamed in, Alina in tow. They then guided us swiftly to the secret exit, which just so happened to be placed in the lower library.” Images flashed before his eyes of the expression upon Alina’s face, the tears on her cheeks and the blood on her beautiful violet dress. He clenched his fists. “I cannot say what she has seen. All I can say… more than me. I wish it were not so.”

“I see…” The knight trailed of, his eyes absently gazing into the sky. “I cannot say for certain, your majesty, but I have seen young men who were not battle ready act ill despite being physically fit. Restless nights, no desire for food or drink. One young lad I remember lost both his brothers in his first battle. It was like he was… broken. Losing people so close can…” Henry gulped for a second before moving on. “It can affect people differently. Some who lose all they love are shattered to the core while other will move on and find purpose in life anew.”

Aethur looked to his sister. Still her face was turned away from them all, lost in her own world of misery and torment. The only times she did anything beyond laying there is when their lives were in imminent danger. Worry began to build in him as he thought how long this may yet last or if maybe it would not stop. What was there he could do to help her though? He couldn’t say no matter how much he pondered the issue. All he knew was that he felt obligated to do something.

For a while longer they lingered there together in the shade of tree line. Eventually sir Henry remarked how they have been staying put long enough. As much as Aethur hated to travel in his tattered clothes he could not disagree for surely it would not take long for more riders to follow, even without any escapees to tell the tale of Henry’s rescue. The sooner they crossed the Doran river, the better. It was perhaps the widest river in Albia if his memory served him right and thus the long bridges make for an easy chokepoint in a fight. Surely the lands west of the river can still be seen as Albien, making the rest of the journey to Caer Morgraig a cakewalk. Maybe they’ll even get a welcome parade.

The prince smiled at the wishful thought as he rode on the horse formerly belonging to one of their pursuers. Alina was sitting behind him, carefully holding onto him. Not for of rode Henry, his armor cleaned now of the blood splatters. The dragon too had cleaned himself. He flew overhead as the rest of them traveled. Aethur wished dearly then to fly upon that dragon’s back. It was something he had dreamed often in his childhood, to see the world from above, free of all worries and duties. That was true now more than ever. In his childhood he did not have the weight of the realm on his shoulders. Their travel did not slow for many hours. The day dragged on in a mixture of boredom and anxiety of meeting another patrol. Aethur did not think his backside could get any sorer, but once Henry stated it would be better to set up camp as the dark was approaching the prince nearly fell of his horse.

Henry had spotted a lone farmhouse alongside an old barn that have been abandoned while no sign of a struggle or fight was seen. Willingly they must have left their homes and fled west. It pained Aethur to know that the people, his people, were so afraid of the invaders that they would leave behind their homes without a fight. The barn proved a great place to find shelter from the cold and the weather. Rain had just begun to tickle down from the sky so Aethur thanked the gods that they found the place just in time. Once they all settled in around a small fire Henry started rain was pouring down on the roof, dripping through the cracks in the shoddy craftsmanship. At least they had fresh meat from the dragon’s hunt, the parts that the dragon was willing to part with cooking over the fire. He was quite in luck to have caught such a healthy deer at this time Aethur had said when the dragon brought it. The dragon, of course, said it was nothing but skill before he strode of to the fire. The prince chuckled at that.

There was a somber silence in the barn only broken by the almost comforting downpour on the roof. Alina was curled up in a bedroll that Henry provided while the two men sat around the fire. The dragon was laying on his belly still busy enjoying his kill raw and licking the blood off of his muzzle with every messy bite. Aethur once again looked to his sister, seeing her gaze into the fire with that now all too familiar distant look. Her reddish hair was still a mess, some of it clinging to her face. It didn’t seem to bother her at all, despite in the past her hair was often a thing she prided herself on. That and her eyes. He locked away, fists clenched. Seeing her wither away broke his heart. They had both lost so much and he would not lose the only family he has left to self-destruction. He could stand the silence no longer.

He scooted closer to her and put a hand on her side. As expected she did not react, her gaze fixed to the fire. “Alina?” Aethur spoke softly. “I know that you are going through a lot. I know that… that you want to give up after everything. I have felt it too, but we can’t. You can’t! I need you, sis. We are all that’s left and we have to fight ‘till the bitter end!” His words seemed to fall on deaf hears. The only reaction he got was a glance, which at least was better than nothing.

A scoffing sounds came from the dragon. “This will get you nowhere, princeling.”

Henry was about to berate him again, but Aethur held up his hand. Glancing at her, the prince saw that his sister had averted her eyes from the fire to look at the curled up dragon. He furrowed his brow in thought and followed her gaze. “What then would you say could get me somewhere, dragon?”

That earned Aethur an annoyed glare from the dragon. His golden eyes burned into his before turning their course to look at Alina, causing their eyes to meet. The dragon cocked his head slightly and Aethur saw his expression change, soften even. He could swear that despite the dragon’s approach he could see compassion deep in his eyes, hidden somewhere behind his high and mighty attitude. “Well…” The dragon started and let out a defeated sigh. “When someone very close to my heart felt down or even awful, be it due to a bad day or something far more serious I would…“ He cleared his throat and looked away from the curious gazes of everyone else. “I would sing.”

Not being able to hold back, Henry burst into laughter. Aethur in the meantime only smiled and Alina looked surprised. That alone gave Aethur hope, seeing her react even if it was just her opening her mouth and her eyes going wider. He knew what he had to say next. Not before the dragon berated the knight however.

“Yes, ha ha, very funny.” Growled the dragon through grit teeth, his narrowed eyes fixed and the laughing knight. “As someone supposedly living with dragon every day for years you should very well know that song is a part of many of our kin in the mountains!” He stamped his tail on the ground to fortify his point, but it did not seize the knight’s laughter. Why it made Henry laugh that hard was beyond Aethur because the dragon was right. Several old clans from the highlands use songs in various parts of their culture, such as festivals, funerals and in mating rituals. Perhaps he was merely overthinking it, as he often did, for when he imaged this particular dragon sitting down on a stage and regaling a fine piece of music to a tavern he could not help but chuckle along. Another glance told him that Alina was smiling, if only a subtle one. That made him smile too.

The whole time the dragon was throwing death glares at the two of them, a subtle flush coming to his face. Aethur could almost swear that the dragon was blushing. “I-I am sorry, truly.” Henry said at last when he managed to compose himself. “I meant not to insult. It was just-“ He held back another cascade of laughter just barely. “Just so surprising, you know. You, singing? Of all the dragon’s I met that seems very unlikely.

Snapping his jaws at Henry caused the knight to reel back slightly. “My voice would often be requested at festivities! Merely because you have a skewed view of me does not change the fact that my singing voice is to be envied by my fellow kin!”

“Right, of course.” Henry agreed in a mock tone, holding his hands up in surrender. “I am sure you also got all the females around your clan to lift their tails for you.” He lifted his voice, attempted an impression of a female dragon. “Oh my, what a voice you have. I wonder what else you can do with your tou-“ He was cut off as the dragon threw a fist full of hay in his face.

“Bah!” Henry exclaimed as he frivolously tried to free his beard and hair of strands of old hay. “Why thanks I’ll be finding remnants of that in my clothing all the way to Caer Morgraig until I can take a bath.”

It was the dragon’s turn to laugh now, his eyes still resting on Henry. “Your impression was horrible by the way. Sounded more like someone robbed you of your balls.”

All Henry gave as a retort was a tsk sound, busying himself with getting rid of all the hay covering him. Instead Aethur took the initiative. After seeing Alina’s reaction, he thought perhaps the dragon had a point. “If indeed your voice is so great, dragon, could you give us a song perhaps? I find myself curious to hear what a dragon’s song may sound like. I never had the privilege.”

“Neither will I give you that privilege!” He spouted back with a raised voice. “My voice is something I shared with my clan and loved ones, not strangers.”

Aethur felt his shoulders sag when he recognized the finality in the dragon’s statement. “Very well, I understand. I hope that one day one of us may earn that privilege then.” Grumbling was the only response. There was no persuading him, he thought, not after Henry laughed at him so. Silence fell over the barn once again as the dragon curled back up. The knight meanwhile took the meat from the fire and handed portions to Aethur and his sister. He held the portion for Alina in front of her, but as expected, she did not take it. After the dragon curled up she retreated back into herself almost right away. Her eyes did not even meet with the food presented to her.

Henry and Aethur locked eyes at her non-reaction and the prince saw his own worry reflected in the knight. “Princess, please. You must eat something.” Henry said, his tone soft. Once again she showed no reaction. Henry just sighed and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders towards Aethur. “I am sorry, your majesty. I am no wiser than you are when it comes to this.”

There was no good response he could think of. Aethur just leaned back with an exhausted sigh. Both men ate their portions in uncomfortable silence, the third piece of meat only getting cold. Perhaps for the time being all they could do was get to Caer Morgraig and figure out what to do with her then. One last time he followed his sister’s gaze, which once more ended on the curled up dragon. Mind wandering, Aethur sat listening to the rain drizzle on the roof, still wanting to just do something.

In that barn was where they slept that day, the weather outside getting only for the worse as evening carried into night. However, Aethur found he could not rest on the makeshift beds of hay they made for themselves. Not far from him Alina lay curled, appearing so small and unmoving. Sir Henry seemed to have little problem with sleeping, close to the fire as he was. The flame had become a lazy tiny thing, barely lighting the barn up anymore. Just barely Aethur could see the green scales of the dragon shimmering in the dim light. The prince sat up further when he saw the dragon’s golden eyes reflecting the light back as well, seemingly watching them. His movement must have alerted the dragon that he was awake for as soon as he sat up his eyes met his for a moment before averting from them completely. Was he watching us or just…

He stopped his thought and theories, instead getting up to confront the now turned away dragon directly. Upon his approach he saw the dragon look him up and down, eyes narrowed in what he could make out to be an annoyed look. “May we talk, dragon?” He asked in a soft voice.

“You may use the name the knight gave you.” He answered dismissively and turned his head away, voice thankfully also kept low.

Aethur could not contain a humorous smile. “Emerald tempest, I remember. May we talk, Emerald tempest?” He said and allowed no hint of humor to leak from his mind into his voice. If he saw correctly in the weak light his frills raised slightly at his words. How he wished to see his face, for Aethur was sure the dragon expected him to make fun of the name as Henry did.

Grumbling, the emerald tempest answered. “We are already talking now, so yes.” His head turned back to face Aethur. “Although I do not know what there is to discuss.”

“I am just curious.” Aethur admitted, sitting down at the dragon’s side. Part of him wished to lean back against him, but dared not to strain the dragon’s patience with him. He would have to handle it diplomatically. Not that he was that experienced in the matter, but he was when it came to dragons. “I saw you watching my sister.” His eyes wandered towards her. “Why?”

The dragon huffed angrily. “I was watching over all of you, not just her. I cannot have the humans who are to aid me against my enemy be killed by unknown assailants in the night.”

The prince met the dragon’s gaze, unafraid of the deep golden pools glowing even in the dark. “You know, feeling empathy for a human is no crime.” The dragon scoffed at his words. Aethur continued nonetheless. “I care not what expectations you have of mankind, what clan you come from or what happened that brought made the invaders such a hated foe of yours. What I care about is my sister and the people.” He sighed, looking away from the dragon for a moment before meeting his eyes again. In that moment the dragon did not look away and his expression appeared an enigma to Aethur. “That would be ‘my people’ now I suppose. What I am trying to say is… I saw some kind of reaction from her when you were talking about your singing and-“

“I already told you, I am not doing that for mere strangers, much less humans. No matter how royal they are.” The dragon interrupted him, but still did not avert his gaze. Neither did Aethur as he kept staring deep into his yes the whole time, lingering in a moment of silence before the prince shook his head.

“I did not mean to ask you that.” He shifted his pose so his whole body faced the dragon, leaning forward slightly. “All I ask is for some help. I see it in your eyes even if you don’t admit it. I do not want to admit that you care even. Just… “ He paused, his hand grasping at his hair as he thought how to continue. Just… just help me get her back on her feet. I saw her watching you. I don’t know what exactly it is, maybe just the fact that you are a dragon, but she reacts to you more than me or Henry. Please. She is all I have left of my family.” He choked back sudden oncoming tears, barely managing to compose himself. Nonetheless he did not know how to continue anymore. His eyes fell shut, head turned to the ground as he let out a shuddering sigh.

“I am unsure of what exactly you expect of me.” Aethur was not watching, but he heard in his softened voice that the dragon seemed conflicted and picking every word carefully. “Whatever curiosity the girl carries for me seems irrelevant. Besides, partaking in a conversation with this merry band is a pain for the severe lack of respect from at least one among us.”

Slowly Aethur shook his head. “I believe you mistake banter for disrespect.” He said, lifting his head to incline it towards Henry. “I agree that he can be a bit crass, but that comes to be when you live among soldiers and dragons for years I suppose. I do not think he means to wound you or your pride on purpose, only playfully so.”

Once again the dragon huffed. “Playful or not, he should show more respect.”

“Perhaps you should grant him some in return.” Aethur retorted.

All the dragon gave as an answer was a narrow eyed glance before he turned away. In that silence they sat for a time, long enough in fact for the remaining embers in the fire to go out and shroud the barn in almost total darkness save for the shred of moonlight that reached inside. Outside the weather continued to rage, even rattling the roof a little at one point. Aethur had closed his eyes, but sleep would still not come. Especially not while sitting there.

Barely did he even notice that his back was leaned against the dragon’s side the whole time as the silence accompanied by only wind and rain overcame the dark barn. The scales felt warm at his back and strangely comfortable. Maybe indeed he could sleep like this. After all, sleeping next to a dragon sounded like something his childhood self would have loved to experience. Then the serene atmosphere was broken by the dragon’s words, spoken soft and slowly. “I watched your sister because she reminded me of someone. Her far away gaze, not eating, not reacting. I have seen it before. That is why I was watching her.”

Every word from the dragon seemed deliberate, like every single syllable was thought over twice before his tongue formed the word. As he spoke the dragon’s eyes were looking away from him, but Aethur smiled in the direction of his head anyway. “So I was correct. You can help her?”

He heard the dragon sigh. Not of frustration or anger judging by the tone, but rather sadness. “I shall try is all I can say.” Even in the dark Aethur saw the golden eyes look back at him. “This does not mean that I am now suddenly your friend, just so you know.”

Aethur held back a laugh, only a chuckle making it out. “I understand.” He said clearly, bowing his head. “I do not expect that any more than I expect you to see me as your king. This act of kindness will do, emerald tempest. Thank you.” In that moment as he stared deep into those golden eyes he saw the dragon pause before he turned away with a nod. Whatever he was just about to say, he held back at the end.

No matter, Aethur thought. For he was hopeful that the dragon could help him see through the veil hovering over his poor sister. Even if he did not see him as a friend, Aethur saw buried deep in the green scaled prideful creature a good heart. That made the young prince smile as he closed his eyes one more time, leaning back further into the warm scales, only for sleep to finally claim him into its nocturnal embrace.