The Dragon and His Rider

Chapter 19

The trek up the side of the mountain is laborious. Despite it being summer, snow litters the ground an flies through the air around them. Oscar is in the lead, only thinking about getting to Jovena. They are 3/4 of the way to Waergawicm, 3/4 of the way to Jovena. Oscar pushes his horse to its limits, ignoring its protests and his numbness.

"Oscar! Wait!" Beadurinc calls after him. "The wind is getting to strong! Come back!"

But Oscar ignores him. He keeps moving on. Ice begins pelting him and wind tries to push him off the cliff. But he doesn't stop. He would never quit on Jovena.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Jovena lies on the gem trodden floor, asleep. Eedris is curled against her belly, half asleep. Flicks of Jovena's dreams flash through Eedris's mind, making him agitated. To distract himself, he listens to the screaming winds outside, happy to be in his warm cave. At one point he believes to have heard a clicking from a horses hooves on the mountain above him, but he ignores it. Becoming bored, he brings himself into sleep. His dreams become Jovena's, and Jovena's dreams become his.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Oscar subdues his horse into Waergawicm, tying it's reins to a neighboring stalagmite and then looks around him. All he sees is gray and black. And a feint golden glow in the distance.

Remembering the golden glow of the rocks that are the Zeph teleports, he sprints towards it, slipping and sliding all the way on the icy floor. When he finally reaches it, he is exaugshted. Oscar observes the Zeph stone, admiring the golden dragon on it. Then a glint of red brings his attention to the sword stuck in the golden stone in front of him, with strawberry-red gems in the hilt. Fear courses through Oscar. This is not Jovena's sword. This looks nothing at all like Daithi.

"How? Jovena has the witches key around her neck at this very moment. Or does she..." Oscar takes off running to his left, the only way anyone could have gone if they were still in the cave. Then all of a sudden, he's falling.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Jovena jerks out of her her sleep and jumps up the same moment Eedris does. A scream is echoing through the cave, painting their ears. That only means one thing, though: someone's coming down the tunnel that Jovena fell through. Both leap up and go over to where the person with be falling out at any moment.

Jovena steps under the tunnel to try and see who it is. She catches a glimpse of Oscar's feet before he crashes into her, knocking her onto the floor and. Eedris growls at the newcomer and starts nipping at his leg, angry he hurt Jovena.

"Ow! Ow!" Oscar says scampering away from Eedris, off of Jovena.

"Ugh..." Jovena says, standing up. "What happened?"

"Jovena!" Oscar says in both delight and panic, for now Eedris is chasing him around the cave.

"How'd you get in here?" Jovena asks him, suprised. "I thought that only Riders could get in here."

"I don't know!" Oscar says. "Now help me! There's an angry lizard after me!"

"Eedris! Stop it!" Jovena says, nothin her mind and out loud. Eedris nips one last time then walks with his head held high in accomplishment back to Jovena.

"Eedris, you said?" Oscar asks, panting. Jovena smiles.

"Yes. This is my dragon." Jovena says proudly.

"And she my rider." Eedris tells Oscar through telepathy. Oscars eyes widen and he turns to the baby dragon.

"H-He just s-spoke to me!" Oscar stutters. "In my head!"

Jovena stifles a laugh with her hand. "Well, how else is going to communicate?" Jovena says finally.

"I-I don't know!" Oscar says angrily. "But you should have warned me first!"

Jovena sighs. "Sorry."

"And what have you been doing in here?" Oscar asks.

"Well... I was asleep before you came." Jovena tells him.

"So you've been sleeping while the elves and I have trekked up the mountain to find you after you disappeared and left us? Unbelievable!" Oscar shouts.

"Oscar! I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Jovena says, standing up and going over to him. "If I did, I would have been looking for you guys as well."

"Really? Truly, you would have?" Oscar asks.

"I swear on my soul." Jovena tells him. Oscar sighs happily and hugs her. They both notice at once the slime they're covered in.

"Ewww!" They says in unison. They wipe as much as they can off of them selves and then go and sit down, Eedris is Jovena's lap, and Oscar to her right.

"So how are we getting out of here?" Oscar asks.

"I have no idea." Jovena says. "Eedris?"

"There's a small opening over there, I can sense it, but I don't know if either of you could fit through it." He tells her telepathically. Jovena tells Oscar what Eedris said.

"So I guess we just... wait, then." Oscar says. They both nod in agreement.