A Kind of Magic

Eighty

Their appearance caused a hush fall upon the camp so suddenly that they all would have heard Fiona's gasp should they not be so taken by the Highlanders' duel.

"Peregrine... no..." she muttered even as each of her friends reached out and held a part of her to prevent her from running towards the men.

Her heart recognised Peregrine, whose black hair whipped by the wind covered most of his face as he took a few steps away from his opponent, pointing his claymore at his chest.

Out of the lifetime of habit, her fingers reached to the bridge of her nose to adjust the phantom of the glasses that she hadn't used in months. But her eyes were not playing tricks on her, the other man, seemingly as tall as Peregrine and wearing the same shade of black, his hair tied into a ponytail at the nape of his head, was Lagon. He hadn't changed at all in the last ten years.

"You are only a servant of King Alaric, Peregrine the Grey, and his daughter's toy... you have no right over my son..." Lagon thundered, his sword clashing against Peregrine's as he trailed off. "The boy will stay with me, his father, until Alaric complies..." his words rang clear despite the clashing of swords, and they filled Fiona's head while she observed the duel as if it was a dream, feeling the heat of her friends' hands searing her skin through her clothes, Alexandra's vice like grip around her waist making her feel short of breath.

"What you are asking for, Ancalagon, is too much," Peregrine called before their swords clashed again, and Fiona hid her face in the palms of her hands as the sound of metal falling on metal in quick succession replaced his words for a long while. "Alaric is a fair man, and he might accept most of your conditions, but he'll never make you a regent. The boy has a mother and it's... her place... to fulfil until he becomes of age," Peregrine finished with difficulty, making Fiona's admiration for him grow. The man had an endless patience and understanding. Even now, he was trying to reason with the Highlander who had killed his parents only because he was Freddie's father, and Fiona had cared for him once. 

But not anymore, Fiona thought, forcing herself to lift her head and observe the duel. Lagon had made himself a stranger by having abandoned her when she needed him the most. To her, he was no different from any of the dragon shifters now standing around the fighting men in a wide circle.

"You shouldn't have come... or rather, you should have joined my ranks, Highlander, instead of debasing yourself as the king's slave and spy," Lagon taunted, changing the subject. "But it is your choice and I didn't care until you came here to spy on us," he said, bringing hid sword against Peregrine's again, "I even thought I'd spare you, knowing how she enjoys your attentions. See, I've never given her anything for giving me the boy, my only son. But, since you followed me all the way here and you won't be convinced to join my ranks, I must kill you."

"Try," Peregrine replied, shifting into his dragon form, sending the closest tents flying, even as Freddie who must have escaped the men who kept him from the duel until that moment ran out from the cottage, shifting into a golden green dragon even before he reached his father and stood in front of him, protecting Peregrine with his much smaller body.

The sight seemed to have shocked Lagon and he didn't shift until Fiona, her fright and love giving her enough strength to free herself from those well meaning hands wanting to keep her out of harm's way flew down the hillside through the rows of men like a dragoness to land at Lagon's feet.

"Fiona," the man muttered, apparently stunned by her being there. 

"You mustn't harm them, either of them," she said, feeling short of breath, stars clouding her vision like the thickening snowfall clouded the air between her and Lagon as she stepped away from him, her arms stretched in a vain attempt to accommodate both dragons standing behind her silently, apparently as surprised be her appearance as Lagon.