The Dragon Princess and the Cook

Chapter 7 - Winds of Change

Willow was not the only one to venture within the nightmarish blanket of grey and black that night... A little further north from her, Duran Safoak was pummelling through the thick air frantically.

He'd promised to do his fair share of tasks for the Festival of Light, but time had bested him and bested him badly. Now, all he could do was reach Glision as quickly as he could and hope that he hadn't worried his friends.
Below him, there was a faint amber glow breaking through the clouds, the wavering light of a roaring fire. Up in the dense fog, the young dragon had lost almost all sense of direction. It took a moment before Duran realised that he was passing the becon of Glision. If that had been lit, it must mean that the Anúr lights were out. Almost instinctively, he looked upwards in hopes of catching a glance, but there was nothing to see...
Disheartened, Duran picked up the pace a little. The rain battered down against his blue scales, and the wind seemed intent on knocking him from his path. But with his strong will and no small amount of perseverance, the young dragon soon touched down upon the smooth cobblestone of the festival plaza where Tren's tent could be seen, gleaming in the darkness.
Duran hesitated for a moment, wondering what his friend would have to say after seeing him arrive so late. Then, with a huff, he pulled the elven canvas aside and stepped in.
"Duran!" exclaimed Tren as he stumbled backwards. The boy had been examining the white ribbons tied to his hands with a gentle smile across his face and a tint of colour to his cheeks. He tried to stand up and pretend he'd been tending to some food, but his reaction was too slow, and by the time he'd reached one of his cooking pots, Duran had seen everything.
"What happened to your hands?" the dragon asked, examining the white ribbons a little more meticulously than Tren would have liked.
"One of the ropes slipped from me when I was trying to tie the tent down, it's just a little burn, probably be nothing by morning," answered Tren, giving his dark blue friend his most assuring smile. As unconvincing a gesture as it was, it seemed to do the trick. With a thump, Duran slouched down against the cool bricks, too tired to press the boy for any further answers and hardly feeling that he had any right to after leaving him all day without the help he'd promised.
"Sorry I couldn't come sooner..." the dragon eventually apologised.
Tren simply smiled and brought a bronze pot over to the fire he'd kept gently burning. "I'm just glad you're okay. I take it you've heard Fession's latest announcement?" he asked, stirring the pot's thick liquid contents as he spoke.
Duran nodded grimly, "it's getting worse... There was a time when the Harrowmen would not dare to step foot here, now they've openly targeted the princesses?" The dragon released a slow sigh before continuing. "That's partially the reason why I took so long in Vastadia. Since this attack took place, King Fession ordered the captain of the guard to bring the best of his troops before him... Naturally, I assumed I'd never made the pick, but..."
"You mean you actually met King Fession!?" Tren blurted in, forgetting for the moment about his rather intimate encounter with Princess Willow.
"Yes," Duran nodded calmly, "me, Uranan, Tyle, and Ansa were taken to the king's quarters this afternoon."
"What did he want?" urged Tren, hardly able to contain himself. The blue dragon looked away for a second, evidently a little reluctant to share what he had to say... While his news was indeed good, it would mean a change that was not exactly agreeable.
"He wishes to elevate our positions. Instead of guarding the gates of Vastadia, we're to guard the royal family, wherever and whenever they need us."
"That's great!" Tren cheered, not realising that his friend had more to say. He knew all too well of Duran's dream. The young dragon had aspired to be one of the royal guards since he was a child.
"The thing is... I'll be needed at Vastadia on a much more consistent basis," The blue dragon looked away again, wondering whether his friend had caught on yet. "Tren, I've been offered a place at the castle."
"You're leaving?!" the boy gasped. Duran simply nodded, unable to think of a better response. Half a minute or so of silence followed, and then something unexpected happened. Quite to Duran's surprise, a bowl of warm stew was set on the cobblestone besides him, it's pungent scent filling the dragon's nostrils, rousing the hunger he'd kept pushed back during his flight from the mountain city of Vastadia.
"I saved some for you," explained Tren with a warm smile. "You are going to need your strength if you're planning on moving!"
"Y-you don't mind?" Duran stammered, switching glances between Tren and the food he'd been given so thoughtfully. He knew well enough that he happened to earn the bulk of the rent that he and his two friends owed each week. Without him, things were likely to become quite the struggle for Tren and Talla...
"It's your life, Duran," the human began, listening to the sound of the wind pummelling the side of his tent as he slumped down against Duran's warm scales. "I won't deny that you'll be missed, but you've always had my back, so it's only fair that I've got yours."
"Thanks, Tren," the blue dragon nodded gratefully, taking a slight sip of the stew he'd been given. "I've got two days to pack everything and leave before my position at the castle starts, I just hope I'm up for it."
"You'll be great, Duran!" assured Tren as he helped himself to a ladle full of his friend's late lunch. "Before you know it, you'll be among Fession's finest guards, mingling with the royals!" he grinned.
"I'll be sure to give my greetings to the princesses for you!" added Duran with a sly grin. His comment struck Tren swiftly, and the boy coughed harshly on some of the stew he'd helped himself to, besides himself with alarm.
"Duran, what are you -"
"I didn't hatch yesterday, Tren. I know you too well..." the dragon explained smugly, taking a large gulp of his stew before continuing, "whatever happened in Orslock last night, I knew you hadn't told me everything, and when my messenger came with the latest announcements, telling me of the Harrowmen and the mysterious human who thwarted them, I started to piece things together."
"The papers didn't give a name, that could be anybody!" Tren abruptly objected, hoping to keep his friend guessing at the least, even though he already knew that his initial reaction had likely given everything away...
"I don't know anyone else who's crazy enough to go wandering through Orslock that late in the afternoon. You're the one who rescued Princess Maylan, aren't you?" Duran continued once he'd finished off his meal and freed a piece of meat from his pointed teeth.
With a sigh of defeat, Tren gave up. "All right... Yes, that was me. Though it was nothing quite as heroic as the morning announcements suggested, I just saw a chance and took it..." the boy confessed.
"I'm proud to know you, Tren," muttered Duran, "and don't worry, I can understand why you'd want to keep your deeds quiet. Nobody will hear anything from me, not even Talla," the young dragon assured, giving a grand smile as he stretched his tail and rose to his feet.
Tren followed in turn, and the two began to prepare some food for those who had gone to watch the becon of Glision being lit. They would be cold, wet, and hungry by the time they returned. Tren knew he and Duran would need a surplus of meals ready and waiting for them.
It wasn't long until Talla and the rest of the spectators returned from the outskirts of the city. The young peregrine quickly learnt of Duran's arrival and was also told of the news he had concerning his new position as a royal guard. She took the news a little more drastically than Tren, hardly able to believe that her old friend would be moving away within the week.
Nevertheless, the three friends took the rest of the night in their stride, waving each of their customers off one by one before taking the time to pack the tent away - which was no easy task thanks to the bitter wind and icy rain that the night had brought with it.
Once done, the trio left the tent and supplies that Woarn had provided them with under the shelter of a nearby tree. Then, they left the plaza and followed the sodden cobblestone road back home.
The clouds churned restlessly, and lightning flashed across the sky in violent streaks of white as Tren and Duran walked on, their peregrine friend opting to take shelter within her human friend's coat for the time being. It wasn't long before the three were back within the four sturdy walls of their old home. It felt strange to Tren, knowing that the friend he had known for nearly all of his life would soon be miles away. The room that was once his would be all but empty, and the hearth the normally glowed with the radiant light of dragonfire would soon be left cold...
With all these thoughts running through his mind, Tren leant against his bedroom window, tapping at the droplets of rain that stuck to the glass as the storm passed on.
His assumption that the downpour was coming to an end could not have been more wrong. On the contrary, it seemed to have worsened... Tren shivered as a gust of wind collided with the window and passed through the seams, sending a blast of cold air coursing through the room. Pulling the curtains to, the boy silently made his way towards his bed. He wanted to dwell upon his concerns for a moment longer, but a warmth quickly returned to him as he remembered the brief time he and Princess Willow had shared, and the kiss she had left him with... With a smile, Tren plummeted down onto his bed and left his worries for the day to come.