Dream Searcher

9

The short man furrowed his brows, "why are you here?"

Adria fumbled for an answer. "I- I needed some fresh air and Kieran was-"

"Kieran brought you?" The man asked.

"Well- yes."

"I always knew he was trouble." He grumbled. "Off with you then."

Adria practically ran all the way back to Kieran's home. She had some thinking to do that would keep her up all night. If dwarves were real the Kieran wasn't deranged. But if they weren't real she was the mad one for thinking so.

Adria hadn't slept much that night and when morning came she felt drowsy. Her backside hurt from the long ride the day before and her stomach growled with hunger. Kieran had a steaming hot bowl of porridge set out ready to eat. She decided it was for her so she ate it. It warmed her stomach and filled her. When the porridge was finished she went out to see if she could find Kieran. She found him near the river bank with her ax.

"Your awake." Kieran said, when Adria didn't reply he continued, "Can you use this thing?"

Adria shrugged, "I wouldn't carry it around if I couldn't."

"Show me." Kieran handed her the ax and drew his sword.

Adria heaved the ax up so it hovered just above her shoulder. Kieran brought his sword down on her she raised the ax to block his blow.  In one quick smooth motion Kieran diverted his blow the sword came swing at her side. Adria blocked it just a second too late and the ax was nocked out of her grasp.  Kieran raised the sword to her chin.

"Surrender?" He asked.

Adria raised her empty hands, "I surrender."

Kieran sheathed his weapon. "You may need a bit more practice. If you want I can teach you."

"I think I did fine." Adria replied tartly.

"If fine is you loosing in a matter of seconds, then yes you did fine. If I was really a attacker you would be dead."

"Alright you can teach me."

"Are you any better with the bow?" He asked, humor evident in his sparkling blue eyes.

°°°

Kieran taught Adria to use her axe and bow, in the morning for two days they went out for a lesson. It made Adria wonder why the Searchers had sent her, he didn't seem as bad as they had said.

"Today, Adria," Kieran said on the third day, "I want to try something a bit different. Go saddle your horse."

Kieran and Adria road to a lake, glassed over with ice. It's long white expanse was broken off by dark green pine trees. Kieran led Adria on to the ice. It's smooth surface was cracked like scales under the surface. She struggled to find her balance. Once she found it Kieran drew his sword, "you need to learn to use your balance. To know when it's off." He said.

Adria nodded and lifted the axe. They fought, Adria skidding arround the ice in an unbalanced manner. She found herself on her bottom several times. When Adria got the hang of fighting on ice she moved more smoothly, each stroke meeting Kieran's blade. Kieran began to make his strikes faster, the axe slipped from her grip and landed  solidly in the cold ice. Below the surface a single eye opened. Adria tried to pull it from the frozen water to no avail.

"Let me try." Kieran said. Adria stepped back her breath appearing in white puffs.

Kieran tugged at the axe. The ice groaned. He gripped the axe with two hands and it came free. The ice cracked. Kieran gave the axe to Adria, "we need to get off this ice." He said. The crack spread. An icy claw broke from the lake. Adria and Kieran ran. The head of a dragon cracked through. Ice shards falling from it's cold fangs. Its eyes were a cold blue, they never left the two people running across the lake. When it fully emerged from it's frozen shell it opened it's large wings and took to flight. Adria and Kieran mounted their horses and we're racing away. It's breath came like a blizzard. Icy and cold. It's wings moved the air creating whirlwinds of snow.

Kieran tossed Adria a rope, "Tie that to Remrocks saddle." He shouted over the noise of the dragons wings. Adria beat her eyelids in an attempt to keep out the cold weather. She did as Kieran told, tying the rope to Remrocks saddle.

The wind whipped at Adria's bare face tearing at her exposed cheeks. The ice dragon screeched from above sending another gust of cold wind whipping past the two riders.

Adria heard the batting of wings and the angry cry of a bird. She look up and saw the dragon in combat with a giant bird. The birds feathers were a light blue and larger than a young tree. Its eyes were a sharp gold that had locked on the dragon in rage. The icy dragon swiped at the bird with his razor sharp icicle like claw hitting it's wing. The bird fought to stay in the air but fell into the white banks of snow. Adria turned back to Kieran to see him watching the exchange also.

"We need to help it." She yelled. Her voice barley audible in the billowing wind.

"We can't." Kieran called back.

Adria frowned, "I'm going to help it." She untied the rope from Remrock's saddle with icy cold fingers and urged Remrock forward towards the injured bird.

"Easy there." She said soothingly but her voice was snatched away in the wild wind.

Adria dismounted and approached the bird from foot. It struggled to rise but soon gave gave up letting Adria near the injured wing. Feather shafts were broken off. Blood seeped trough a deep jagged cut. Adria removed her long scarf wrapping it around the injury. The ivory scarf soon became a dark red soaked with blood. The bird was panting heavily. If it died after saving her life, Adria would never forgive herself.