Dawn's Light

Chapter 44

"So, are you really just going allow him to tell you that you cannot go?" Xan looked to Celia as they exited the room and reentered the hallway.

"I can't exactly argue with the guild master," Celia briefly shuttered, then motioned for Xan two follow her down the passageway. "He is the head of the entire town. I can't exactly tell him that I plan on disobeying his order. He would do everything in his power to stop me."

"So you are planning on leaving again," Xan nod as he followed. "So why are you taking me somewhere now?"

"Because it would be too obvious if we left now, and I think Irin would enjoy bathing in the waterfalls, and maybe we can get some privacy down there as well." She warily glanced up and down the hall. "Sound travels surprisingly far through these tunnels. If we cannot talk in private at the falls, I will take you a hidden hot spring. I believe Verbena and I are the only ones that know about that place."

'That does make sense,' Irin's ears remained upright as he listened for signs of eavesdroppers, 'I do not hear anyone or anything besides our footsteps in the vicinity, but I do agree we should be safe rather than sorry.'

"I guess that is correct," Xan stated, then decided to change the subject, "I do know that when Irin and I are tested, we are going to pass so perfectly we immediately receive the highest rank." He puffed up his chest a little bit.

Celia stifled a laugh, "I highly doubt you will even make knight rank, much less master rank, and you will never receive the guild master rank. You may end up with guard or innate, but I believe you will at least receive something higher than initiate. Your experience makes me sure of that fact."

"So I'll be higher than you?" Xan teased with a grin slathered across his face. "So initiate is the lowest possible rank?"

"Well, you can be unranked, but that really means you aren't currently tied to any guild yet," Celia replied as she secretly rolled her eyes. "But I could catch up, depending on what you receive and my punishment." She rounded a corner and walked down a ramp as the sounds of flowing water reached her ears. "Almost there," Celia promised as she glanced back to the rest of the group.

After walking deeper underground for several more moments, they emerged into the waterfall room. Glowing mosses and mushrooms still illuminated the room and the multiple waterfalls around the parameter glittered in the light. Thankfully, the room was vacant of other humans and/or dragons. At least for now, the duo of rider and dragon teams had the area to themselves.

Once she entered, Verbena immediately trotted over to one of the dragon-sized waterfall stalls and placed her shoulder under the gentle falling water. 'It still feels nice,' the young dragoness purrs as the clear liquid flows over her fur.

Irin watched Verbena for a moment, then trotted to the stall next to hers. After he sniffed the clean water, he cautiously tested the temperature with his nose. 'This does feel nice,' he cooed and moved in such a way that the cool water could run over his head and down his neck. 'I can see why you enjoy this, Verbena.'

Celia picked up a pair of brushes from the nearby bucket, then walked over to Xan and offered the metal bristled object. "Here, try brushing out Irin's fur with this. He will like it," she promised. "Almost every dragon here enjoys being groomed with a brush, and it will remove tangles in their fur.

Xan glanced between the object in Celia's hand. After a moment, he accepted it and gently rubbed his hand against the multitude of tiny metal strands. "I've never thought to brush out his fur for him."

"Here, it is considered an important part of bonding with dragons," Celia trotted over the now-wet Verbena. "My best guess for why is that it gets both of you together for an extended period of time, and the dragons definitely enjoy it." She paused as she began to gently detangle Verbena's fur, "it is kinda nice to see Verbena enjoy being brushed out as well."