The Quest For Hope

Dragon's Gate

Dragons Gate

The seasons turned quicker in the north, and it wasn't long before spring knocked on its door. The winter snows had begun to melt. Vibrant greens from the forest contrasted against the skies, and the rich, dark earth blossomed as the snow retreated. Beautiful wild-flowers in every colour sprouted around them like scattered jewels, bright visions of treasure laced within the ground.

Princess Elsa smiles, taking in new smells. A spicy Aroma hung in the air, tantalising her senses, lilac and perhaps mint. Her horse snorted. She patted him gently before dismounting.

Her feet sank into the muddy ground, the bottom of her rising boots now dirty, but Elsa did not mind. Spinning around with excitement, she raised her head to the sky and smiled as the sun found a way to shine down on her. 

"What do you think, Elsa?" Jack asked with a smile, brushing his hair out of his face.

"Oh, Jack," she said, throwing her arms over his shoulders. "I think we've found our home." She spun around to see more.  

The landscape rolled in the gentle hills, allowing for good vantage points. To the south, she could see the tree line of the great forest; the western plains rolled out before her in long waves, and the eastern flats looked as barren as they did from where she had grown up. Her eyes glistened as she looked north. Dragon's Gate stood in front of her, its high archway welcoming her s it had on the first day.

She recalled how the sun had appeared to wink at her from under the red archway that day. Today she felt the full scrutiny of the gate's eyes. She could see the trepidation in the eyes of a few members of her group as they glanced up, perhaps recalling childhood stories of dragons. For her, there was no fear, only a deep, growing fire inside. 

She knew, standing with the wind blowing in her face, that she was home.

"I can see it now," she said, smiling. "Our castle here, the stables down here." She pointed down the rolling valley. "You can have your tournaments field there. And the gardens, we must have gardens," she said wistfully. Already lost in thought. The possibilities were limitless as they imagined their future together. Something in the sky caught her eyes, growing closer and larger. 

"Jack?" She asked, pulling him near. "What kind of bird is that?"

Squinting his eyes, Jack looked up toward the sky. "Not any I have ever seen. Men, come quick," he said, motioning behind him to the other guards. "That, in the sky, have any of you seen it before?" 

The men all squinted, looking up at the approaching bird in wonder. The animal seemed to grow larger with each wave of its wings, undulating through the clouds as it swimming through waves.

The group watched, transfixed on the animal, and Pabbie approached to look. With astonishment, she jerked his eyes open, furrowing his brow. "That is no bird, Princess. Take cover!"

Pabbie ran, hastily grabbing Elsa's wrists and pulling her away.

"Pabbie, wait," she said, trying to free her arm. "What is going on?" She asked, rubbing her wrists where he had pulled it.

 "Princess, it's a dragon."

The dragon appeared above their heads, larger and quicker than before. Its blue body undulated through the sky, the scales on its body shimmering in the sunlight. Its wings expanded over the length of a tournament field. 

"Jack!" She screamed, running as quickly as she could back to their houses, trying to find cover in the landscape. There wasn't much to hide behind in this territory. The trees were low and spread out. 

The men had all scattered as far as they could. Pabbie camouflaged into the bushes with his green robe; some of the guards were already galloping off on horseback. Jack raced toward Elsa, sweat beading on his temples. Without thinking, he grabbed her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder, running as fast as he could to any shelter. Her dress swept in front of his face and her chest heaved into his back as the fear pounded through them both. He squatted down low and brought Elsa to the ground below him to protect her from attack.

"Where did you take us?" She asked, feeling the smooth rock beneath her. "Are we inside?" She asked, her voice trembling. 

"Dragon's Gate," he finished.

The wings beat faster and louder as the dragon approached, the force of the wind pushing them deeper into the rocks. Elsa took a deep breath, then gasped in horror when the dragon lurched toward them. 

"No!" She yelled with all her might, squeezing her hand around her shell necklace. Reflective rainbows seemed to flicker off the shell onto the smooth rock around them, and warmth radiated through her palm. Her body shuddered twice before falling limp. The dragon swooped beneath Dragon's Gate, right above their heads before moving north.

Once they were sure it had moved on, the other knights rushed to their side. Jack knelt beside Elsa, fanning her face with his hand, tears in his eyes, willing her to wake up. The other guards gave him a respectful distance, taking turns scanning the sky.

Pabbie stood to the side, rubbing his chin, raising his face to the wind. The dragons had been gone for hundreds of years. What could have brought them back? No answer came to him, but he had a feeling this was just the beginning.