A Girl Worth Fighting For

Chapter 8

The pass was cold and silent, but the little cricket threw small twigs onti a very tiny fire. Pax stepped towards Y/n, who was shivering from cold and put his blanket around her. He landed down behind with a nicker. The girl slightly smiled and rubbed her hand on his nose before her face went solum again.

"I was this close." Noya muttered as he picked up a broken arrow. "This close to impressing the ancestors, getting the top shelf, an entourage. Man. All my fine work."

Noya stomped his feet over to the dumplings in a bag and put one over the fire. He looked over his shoulder nodded at Y/n.

"Hi."

"I should never have left home." Y/n spoke.

"Hey, come on. You went to save your father's life. Who knew you'd end up shaming him and disgracing your ancestors and losing all your friends?" Noya said. "You know, you just gotta... you gotta learn to let these things go."

"Maybe i didn't go for my father." Y/n added as Noya started to cry about his lost position. "Maybe what I really wanted was to prove I could do things right, so when I looked in the mirror-"

She reached down and picked up her helemnet to see her reflection.

"I'd see someone worthwhile. But I was wrong." Y/n threw the helmet away and her eyes filled with tears again. "I see nothing."

Noya glanced at the helmet, sighing before picking it up and looking back at her.

"Now, that's just 'cause this needs a little spit, that's all. Let me shine this up for ya." Noya spat on it and held up for her. "I can see you. Look at you. You look so pretty."

Y/n looked away and Noya's smile faltered.
"The truth is, we're both frauds. Your ancestors never sent me. They don't even like me. I mean, you risked your life to help people you love. I risked your life to help myself. At least you had good intentions." Noya chuckled, Y/n fondly smiled at the dragon. The cricket stood up on the helmet and let out a series of chirps, while crying. "What?! What do you mean, "You're not lucky"? You lied to me?"

The cricket sadly nodded and Noya gaped at Pax.

"And what are you, a sheep?" Pax snorted and grumbled as Noya groaned. Y/n slightly shook her head at the others.

"I'll have to face my father sooner or later. Let's go home."

"Yeah. This ain't gonna be pretty. But don't you worry, okay? Things will work out. We started  this thing together, and that's how we'll finish it." Noya smiled as he wrapped his arms around her neck and she hugged him back with her hand. "I promise."

Pax soft snort caught their attention and they looked up to see the falcon flying in the sky, he let out a screech and dove to the snow. Suddenly a man's hand shot out of the snow and started to climb out. He grunted once he made it and looked at all of his fallen man covered in the snow. Shan Yu let out a loud yell that echoed through out the valley.
A couple of the men were still alive and pushed through the snow making their way to their leader as the falcon landed on Shan Yu's shoulder. He stood and looked down the valley to see the city in the distance, he walked off and his men followed.

Y/n let out a gasp from where she was hiding and she quickly grabbed her sword from the ground and ran for Pax. She climbed onto the saddle and turned him towards the city.

"Uh, home is that way."

"I have to do something." Y/n explained.

"Did you see those Huns? They popped out of the snow... like daisies!" Noya shouted.

"Are we in this together or not?" Y/n asked as Pax nicker benth her. Noya and the cricket exchanged looks before nodding.

"Well, let's go kick some Hunny buns!! Yee-haw!" Noya yelled as he climbed onto Pax and he took off like light as Noya continued to whoop in joy.