For Peace

The Cave

"Today's the daaayy," Hvitur sang, dancing around Asha. "Aren't you excited?"

"Yes, and no. I mean, I'm going to miss the sky. And the mud. And-"

"Shh! No complaining! We are going on a new adventure!"

"Okay, okay, I'm not complaining. I'm excited, too." Her smile widened. 

"WE are going to help fulfill a PROPHECY, and save ALL OF THE DRAGONS IN THE WHOLE WORLD. And then they'll make a statue of us!"

"More like a statue of the dragonets, and a little inscription at the bottom that says dedicated to Asha and Hvitur, the best parents ever."

"Shh! You can't say that out loud! Kestrel will rip your tail off, set it on fire, and beat you with it."

Asha wrinkled her nose. "That's graphic."

"So is Kestrel."

She laughed. "Okay, fine. Dedicated to ALL of our guardians, even though some of them were super mean and grouchy and don't deserve it."

He thwacked her with his tail, and she dissolved in giggles.

"We should go!"

"Hvitur, we don't have to go for another hour."

"Well then we can BEAT THEM ALL THERE!"

She sighed, covering a laugh. "Hvitur, no. We are going to arrive on time like sensible dragons."

"Since when have I been a sensible dragon?" he asked.

"That is a good point. But I am a sensible dragon, and I am not letting you go to the cave an hour early."

"Well, alright, fine. We'll only get there twenty minutes early, because I still want to beat everyone there!"

"You," she said, nudging him with her snout, "are a goober."

"True. And you," he said, nudging her back, "are the best friend ever."

"Don't I know it," she said, and grinned.

And also the most beautiful and amazing dragon in existence, he added in his head. He couldn't say it out loud, because of course all of this was friendly banter between friends, and how could he say everything he thought about her if that's all they were?

Yes, well, maybe I'll tell her eventually. 

But only if I can find some evidence that she feels the same about me.

Unfortunately, everything she did could be taken romantically, but could just as easily be a 'we're best friends!' kind of thing.

This is stupid. But hey, I've got eight years to figure it out. 

If I don't by then I guess I'm the stupid one.

"Let's go flying!" she suggested, pushing him towards the door.

"Oo, YES! Perfect idea! Now we can go to the cave!"

"Hvitur, that's not what I meant," she protested as he lifted into the sky.

"Race you there!" he called giddily.

"Hvitur!" Asha said, grabbing his tail and yanking him down to the ground. "Do you want us to get caught? It's right in the middle of Skywing territory. They notice you, and you're dead."

"Oh, yes, right. Minor detail."

"Minor detail!" She thwacked him with her tail. "Listen, you newt. You need to be careful, do you understand? If you die, I will be very mad at you forever."