When Fire And Ice Meet

Epilogue

It was the middle of the night when Elsa awoke. She'd been dreaming all night of Huayra, and she could swear she could feel the creature calling out for her anxiously. As she sat up in bed and gazed at the moonlight silently spilling through her window, she wondered for the first time just what she and Braedey had created. If Huayra could really communicate with her creators, she was even more powerful than Elsa thought.

Who knows what other secrets are held within that magical beast? she mused, slipping out of bed and opening the window. The night was clear and still, but she could feel something coming. Something big. Something that belonged to her.

Suddenly she heard a soft, hesitant knock at her bedroom door. Elsa turned at the sound.

He feels it too.

She opened the door and met Braedey's searching eyes calmly. "What should we do?" she asked him before he could even open his mouth to speak.

"So, you feel her as well?" Braedey glanced around her room and blushed. "Sorry for disturbing you in your private chambers at this time of night. But, Huayra is coming after us, and we mustn't let her frighten anyone. Julia and some of the others know about her, but many of the guards do not."

"Let's go into the courtyard. If she lands there we can assure her we're alright, and then maybe she'll leave." A faint rushing noise met their ears. Wing beats. Elsa paled. "We should go now."

Braedey nodded. He grabbed Elsa's hand and she barely had time to react before he pulled her into the hallway. The warmth of his hand burned through her skin and made her heart race faster. Quickly, she followed him through the dark castle.

When they reached the courtyard, the purple fiery stone creature was already circling overhead. Several sentries on the castle walls cried out.

"Don't be afraid!" Braedey called out. "That's our dragon. She's fully under our command! I hope," he then added under his breath.

"Huayra!" Elsa shouted. "We're right here!"

Huayra gave a small keen and swooped towards the ground. Elsa felt a rush of both pride and fear as the creature hurtled towards them. She couldn't help but be reminded of the time Raleigh had dove at her and Braedey.

Thankfully, for such as heavy-looking creature, Huayra managed to land softly, and with it cracking the ground. Striding up to Braedey and Elsa, the dragon crooned lovingly in her throat and nuzzled them with her snout. The flames felt thrillingly cold to Elsa, but she heard Braedey murmur next to her, "You feel like live coals tonight, my dear beauty."

"Are you sure she's safe?" one of the sentries shouted a bit nervously.

"Yes," Braedey called back. "Huayra, you need to go," he said to the dragon gently but firmly. "Byron is barely getting used to me. The last thing these people need isanother unexpected visitor, especially one as terrifying as you."

The dragon looked at him mournfully. She pranced around a few paces and then suddenly sank to the ground.

"Huayra, you must," Braedey said with a touch of impatience in his voice. The dragon then sidled closer to him and flapped her wings once before lowering them.

"What is she doing?" Braedey said in bewilderment.

"Wait. I think she wants us to ride her," Elsa said as a flash of inspiration came to her.

A smile spread across Braedey's face and he looked over at Elsa excitedly. "That doesn't sound too bad. Why don't we take her in the sky a bit and then send her back to the forest?"

"Alright..." Elsa said slowly.

Braedey clambered onto Huayra's back and held out a hand to Elsa. She grasped his warm hand and he hoisted her up beside him. Unused to the broad back of a dragon as compared to a horse's, Elsa shifted her knees around and held onto braedey nervously. As an afterthought she sat up and created a ice saddle that enclosed her and braedey protectively.