About a Dragon
Page 100
“And you did.”
Her tears turned to sobs. “You can’t take her from me now. Please. Don’t take her from me now.”
The god tilted Talaith’s head. “I do this for you, what will you give me, my little Izzy?”
Now she understood what her mother had been trying to tell her all this time—with gods there was always a price to pay. But for the woman who gave her life for her there was no other choice.
“My undying loyalty. That is all I have to offer. All I can willingly give.”
The god smiled her mother’s smile. “That is all any god can ask, my little Izzy.”
Her mother’s body stood and the god held out her mother’s hand. “Then take my hand, little Izzy. Your dragon kin awaits you.”
* * *
Morfyd dropped her arms. “It’s no use.”
Briec rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. “Try again.”
“I can try until the end of time, brother. But Rhydderch Hael will do what Rhydderch Hael wants.”
For hours he and his kin waited. Morfyd had healed everyone’s wounds. The lot of them shifted to human and put on their clothes. Then they waited for Talaith and Izzy to return. But still nothing. Even when Morfyd tried again and again to call on Rhydderch Hael, hoping he’d send them back, nothing happened.
“So now what?” Even Gwenvael’s frustration was showing. “We can’t leave them there.”
Frustrated herself, Morfyd growled, “I wasn’t planning to.”
“Then do something!”
Angry, Morfyd stood, the hood of her midnight-blue cloak hiding her white hair, but not her angry crystal-blue eyes. “If you have any brilliant ideas, little brother, then please feel free to share them. Otherwise, shut up!”
They barely glanced up as Fearghus glided to a stop beside the lake. “Well?” he demanded.
Briec, who’d been leaning against a tree, sighed. “Nothing yet.”
“I’m sorry, brother.” And he knew Fearghus meant it. For once, the two brothers understood each other perfectly.
“And the battle?” Gwenvael asked.
“Fought and won.” None of them were surprised. Not with Annwyl in that particular rage.
“And your mate?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her. I think she’s still hoping to find some troops left.”
Morfyd paced impatiently between her brothers. “Maybe a sacrifice,” she said to herself. “My blood may—”
“No, Morfyd.” Briec shook his head. “That’s unacceptable.”
“But, Briec, if it works—”
“Wait.” Éibhear stepped forward. “Hear that?”
They all became quiet, staring at the burned circle that now marked the last spot Talaith stood.
Éibhear’s head snapped toward the trees. “In there. I hear crying.”
Briec moved first, following the direction Éibhear pointed. His family right behind him, except Fearghus who flew over the treetops.
As Briec moved, he could hear the crying. Izzy.
He found them quickly. Izzy, sobbing hysterically over her mother, and Talaith, laid out under a tree.
Briec knelt beside Talaith as Izzy looked up at him. “I can’t wake her up.” Those simple words felt like a knife through his heart. Everything that meant anything, gone.
Morfyd moved beside them, motioning to Gwenvael to take Izzy. Telling her it would be all right, Gwenvael picked the girl up. Like a young child, Izzy wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist and openly sobbed into his shoulder.
Moving quickly, Morfyd grabbed hold of Talaith’s wrist, then put two fingers to her throat. Frowning, she bent down over the other woman’s face.
“She breathes.” The brothers sagged in relief while Morfyd looked to the skies. “Fearghus!”
“What’s wrong?”
Watching Fearghus lower himself to the ground, Morfyd said, “She’s freezing.” She quickly removed her cape and wrapped it around Talaith. “I need to get her back to Garbhán Isle and warmed up.”
Lifting Talaith in her arms, Morfyd rushed toward Fearghus. “Meet us back at the castle.”
Briec watched his sister climb onto Fearghus’ back and his brother lift into the air. He was about to follow, ready to yank off his clothes and shift, when Gwenvael stopped him. “I don’t think it’s me she wants.”
Confused, Briec turned and realized Izzy was blindly reaching for him. He moved closer and immediately she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his neck.
He stared at his brothers, unsure of what to do with a sobbing girl in his arms.
Gwenvael leaned into him and whispered in his ear, “Tell her it’ll be all right.”
Holding her tight and rubbing her back, Briec said out loud, “It’ll be all right, Izzy.”
“Don’t…worry…about…anything,” Éibhear whispered against his other ear.
“Don’t worry about anything,” Briec said softly and Izzy held him tighter. He closed his eyes and hugged her back. “We’ll take good care of your mother, Izzy. I promise.”
She gave a little nod. “All right then,” she said through her tears.
His brothers walked off and he followed, Izzy still clinging to him. “Let’s get you home, little Izzy.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
She woke up, but didn’t move for a good five minutes. It was in her training. Sometimes it was smart to pretend you were dead or unconscious until you knew exactly how horrifying your situation.
Her tears turned to sobs. “You can’t take her from me now. Please. Don’t take her from me now.”
The god tilted Talaith’s head. “I do this for you, what will you give me, my little Izzy?”
Now she understood what her mother had been trying to tell her all this time—with gods there was always a price to pay. But for the woman who gave her life for her there was no other choice.
“My undying loyalty. That is all I have to offer. All I can willingly give.”
The god smiled her mother’s smile. “That is all any god can ask, my little Izzy.”
Her mother’s body stood and the god held out her mother’s hand. “Then take my hand, little Izzy. Your dragon kin awaits you.”
* * *
Morfyd dropped her arms. “It’s no use.”
Briec rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. “Try again.”
“I can try until the end of time, brother. But Rhydderch Hael will do what Rhydderch Hael wants.”
For hours he and his kin waited. Morfyd had healed everyone’s wounds. The lot of them shifted to human and put on their clothes. Then they waited for Talaith and Izzy to return. But still nothing. Even when Morfyd tried again and again to call on Rhydderch Hael, hoping he’d send them back, nothing happened.
“So now what?” Even Gwenvael’s frustration was showing. “We can’t leave them there.”
Frustrated herself, Morfyd growled, “I wasn’t planning to.”
“Then do something!”
Angry, Morfyd stood, the hood of her midnight-blue cloak hiding her white hair, but not her angry crystal-blue eyes. “If you have any brilliant ideas, little brother, then please feel free to share them. Otherwise, shut up!”
They barely glanced up as Fearghus glided to a stop beside the lake. “Well?” he demanded.
Briec, who’d been leaning against a tree, sighed. “Nothing yet.”
“I’m sorry, brother.” And he knew Fearghus meant it. For once, the two brothers understood each other perfectly.
“And the battle?” Gwenvael asked.
“Fought and won.” None of them were surprised. Not with Annwyl in that particular rage.
“And your mate?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her. I think she’s still hoping to find some troops left.”
Morfyd paced impatiently between her brothers. “Maybe a sacrifice,” she said to herself. “My blood may—”
“No, Morfyd.” Briec shook his head. “That’s unacceptable.”
“But, Briec, if it works—”
“Wait.” Éibhear stepped forward. “Hear that?”
They all became quiet, staring at the burned circle that now marked the last spot Talaith stood.
Éibhear’s head snapped toward the trees. “In there. I hear crying.”
Briec moved first, following the direction Éibhear pointed. His family right behind him, except Fearghus who flew over the treetops.
As Briec moved, he could hear the crying. Izzy.
He found them quickly. Izzy, sobbing hysterically over her mother, and Talaith, laid out under a tree.
Briec knelt beside Talaith as Izzy looked up at him. “I can’t wake her up.” Those simple words felt like a knife through his heart. Everything that meant anything, gone.
Morfyd moved beside them, motioning to Gwenvael to take Izzy. Telling her it would be all right, Gwenvael picked the girl up. Like a young child, Izzy wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist and openly sobbed into his shoulder.
Moving quickly, Morfyd grabbed hold of Talaith’s wrist, then put two fingers to her throat. Frowning, she bent down over the other woman’s face.
“She breathes.” The brothers sagged in relief while Morfyd looked to the skies. “Fearghus!”
“What’s wrong?”
Watching Fearghus lower himself to the ground, Morfyd said, “She’s freezing.” She quickly removed her cape and wrapped it around Talaith. “I need to get her back to Garbhán Isle and warmed up.”
Lifting Talaith in her arms, Morfyd rushed toward Fearghus. “Meet us back at the castle.”
Briec watched his sister climb onto Fearghus’ back and his brother lift into the air. He was about to follow, ready to yank off his clothes and shift, when Gwenvael stopped him. “I don’t think it’s me she wants.”
Confused, Briec turned and realized Izzy was blindly reaching for him. He moved closer and immediately she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his neck.
He stared at his brothers, unsure of what to do with a sobbing girl in his arms.
Gwenvael leaned into him and whispered in his ear, “Tell her it’ll be all right.”
Holding her tight and rubbing her back, Briec said out loud, “It’ll be all right, Izzy.”
“Don’t…worry…about…anything,” Éibhear whispered against his other ear.
“Don’t worry about anything,” Briec said softly and Izzy held him tighter. He closed his eyes and hugged her back. “We’ll take good care of your mother, Izzy. I promise.”
She gave a little nod. “All right then,” she said through her tears.
His brothers walked off and he followed, Izzy still clinging to him. “Let’s get you home, little Izzy.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
She woke up, but didn’t move for a good five minutes. It was in her training. Sometimes it was smart to pretend you were dead or unconscious until you knew exactly how horrifying your situation.
