Of Spinning Gold and Song

| One | The Dragon

Raising a hand to my forehead to shield my eyes from the sun as it peeked through two unfortunately placed clouds, I scanned the crowd, trying in vain to find the source of all the wild commotion and hoping beyond hope that it wasn't what I suspected. Throughout eighteen years of life I had seen my fair share of crazy things happen, far more than one would expect from a little town on the edge of a relatively poor kingdom, but nothing so wild as this. People were jostling each other, elbows flying right and left with a plethora of curses and jeers. I drew back into the shadows, pressing my back flat against a tall tree in a futile attempt to keep from getting trampled.

The strangest thing was how suddenly it all happened. That was what caused me to worry. One moment I had been milling innocently through the crowds searching, the next it was like everything blew up. There was only one thing I could imagine that would throw this town into such a flurry and I didn't even want to think about that possibility.

To make matters worse, the clouds were gathering ominously above, their threat of rain anything but auspicious. The air had an unwelcome heavy feel to it so thick I could nearly grab a thick ball of it in my hands. Despite the ubiquitous humidity, I wasn't foolish enough to suspect anything but rain. Possibly even sleet, but in late March I doubted it was still cold enough.

The sun had crept behind another cloud, causing the sharp shadows to wane into a dusty haze that engulfed the whole square. I brushed a stray strand of hair off my forehead and my palm came away wet with sweat. I felt so disgusting, so in need of a bath and wished for the umpteenth time that I hadn't come. But then again, what other choice did I have?

A distant rumbling sound from far off and above shocked me from my foggy stupor and I cursed the skies it came from. I was all the way across town and while I didn't mind a little rain, getting struck by lightning would just be the cherry on this skies-awful day. Stretching out my hand palm up, I felt a slight wet droplet. The predictions were right; today would bring storms.

I still didn't know the cause for all the hubbub and figured I'd best just ask someone. It couldn't be good and I didn't want to be stranded so far away from home in the middle of a thunderstorm with a brute in our midst. I knew most everyone in the town anyways; lingering was foolish.

Peeling myself away from the safety of the tree as another deep bellow of thunder rumbled the land, I glance around hurriedly, trying to decide whether to inquire about the source of the commotion or merely rush back home. With a pang, I realized that Rosie was probably alone and terrified; skies knew I couldn't trust my imbecile of a mam. I closed my eyes for a moment trying to reassure myself that if it was anything bad Bradyn would go over to comfort her. He was practically our brother after all.

Just as I wasting time with my pondering, the sky suddenly decided to open up and pour. What was a few stray droplets moments before suddenly turned into a full on torrent, leaving me soaked within a matter of moments. My frock was plastered uncomfortably to my body, my hair stuck to my back and face making me wonder why I had chosen today of all days to leave it down. I typically always wore a french braid down my back.

Figuring that I'd already wasted enough time, I started rushing back home. Of course it only took a moment for me to realize that something was off. I was the only person heading south. Everyone else, practically the whole mob, was rushing north, the opposite direction from me and right out of town. Suddenly terror stricken, I reached out and grabbed the first person I could. It turned out to be a woman some years my senior, whose face was familiar but name had never stuck. I remembered her wedding some years ago and sure enough a babe was clutched in her shaking arms.

"Skies, what is it?" she demanded, hugging her child even closer to her chest.

"What's causing all the commotion?" I inquired, noting the way she clutched her child and thinking again with fear of Rosie.