Chapter 44: The Rook and The Dragon Prince

“You can open your eyes,” Elric thought.
“I do not want to. I believe if I open them, I will see my body smashed upon the ground,” Saffron replied stubbornly, her eyes still squeezed closed. She heard a halting grumble which she took to be him laughing.
“Go on,” he nudged her with his snout. She cracked one eye open. She was lying sprawled on the ground from when she slipped off of his back once they landed. Snow drifted down lazily onto her face and her back was soaked from the snow. With a groan, she pushed herself into a sitting position.
“Where are we?” she asked, still a bit dazed.
“Look around,” he replied and looked over her shoulder, his golden scales shimmering in the feeble sunlight. She squinted her eyes and realized they were in the gardens of Avolire. Æðelfrið was walking across the grass towards them, a blanket draped over his arm.
“Welcome home,” he said and passed the blanket to Saffron.
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Saffron sipped the hot cider that Æðelfrið had pressed into her hand. She was draped in a blanket next to the roaring fire. Elric was settled next to her, his bulk a comfort. Saffron was grateful to the large doorways and sweeping ceilings of Avolire. She had not noticed before how the hallways were wider than the castle. All of the doors were large enough that Elric comfortably could walk through them.
Æðelfrið was watching her eyes trace the doorframes when he spoke. “I think I know what you are musing over, miss, and you are correct. This estate was built with dragons in mind, although the king did not know that at the time. It was Maeve who requested the adaptations. Orion didn’t question her; he just did as she wished.”
“That is exactly the conclusion I was drawing,” she replied with a smile at the grizzled old man. He returned her smile. “May I be so forward as to ask how you came to know about the dragons?” Her face burned as she ventured the question.
“Not forward at all. If you can keep an open mind, I will tell you my story. An abbreviated version,” he said with a small smile and leaned back into his chair, his hands wrapped around his own steaming mug of cider.
“I think I can manage,” she replied and placed her hand on Elric’s flank.
“Well, Saffron, I have known about the dragons since the first egg was brought to this land. I was charged with watching over it but that was back when I was a young man.”
“And when was that?” she asked, shocked. He chuckled.
“It has been a few years. So, I have watched over this line since Elric’s great-great-great-grandfather was brought here. There are others but my only charge is the Haileye family.” He took a long draught of his drink and studied Saffron over the mug.
Her face was pale, but her eyes were bright with questions. “I have more questions than I believe we will ever have the time for so perhaps after we can return Elric to his other form, I can ask a few. The one I will ask however is, how can we change him back?”
He stroked his beard, his eyes lost in thought. “I am sadly lacking in experience of curses. I have seen my fair share, but I lack the knowledge of them.” Saffron felt her hope shatter. She caressed Elric’s scales sadly. She felt his hope diminish as well.
“That is not to say that there isn’t someone who can help,” he said hurriedly at her crestfallen expression. She lifted her eyes back to his, tears shining in them.
“Who? Who can help?” she asked, feeling her heart swell.
“Who could we trust enough?” Elric thought.
“Your grandfather,” Æðelfrið replied. Elric’s head snapped up.
“My grandfather? He still lives?”
“He does.”
“But why have I never met him? I thought everyone on my mother’s side was dead!” Elric’s thoughts became more agitated.
Æðelfrið sighed. “After your mother married the king against her father’s wishes, she was cast out. There is nothing against marrying a human, just not one that criminalized dragons. Your father’s father outlawed magic and with that, all creatures of magical descent.”
Elric glowered and Saffron felt the heat roiling inside of him. She caressed him gently. “So, she married the enemy?” Saffron asked. Æðelfrið nodded.
“In a manner of speaking, yes. The dragons were exiled but the Haileye family had kept their abilities secret and were able to live amongst humans such as you have, Elric. Your grandfather viewed it as a slap in the face when she said yes to the proposal. After she left for the castle, he closed his store and left. He has not been seen since.”
“How are we to find him?” Elric questioned.
“Before he settled into town with your grandmother, he kept a rook in the Jagged Bluffs. I would wager that is where he is now.”
“How far?” Saffron asked, never having heard of the remote mountain range.
“Across the waters of Kircola,” Elric supplied.
“That is a far journey, then,” Saffron replied. Æðelfrið nodded.
“It is. It will be quicker by flight certainly,” he said and looked pointedly at Elric. “Plus, I would not bet on any captain allowing you aboard his ship.”
“I would think not,” Elric mused. “We will need supplies though. It is a long journey for a human,” he thought and pressed against Saffron.
“And a saddle,” she retorted. “I am not inclined to spend a week clinging to your back.”
“Very well,” Elric snorted.
“I will begin collecting what you need as well as a map. I’ll also need to give you this,” Æðelfrið said and pulled something from the pocket of his jacket. It was a ruby pendant that matched the ring upon Saffron’s finger. “This was your mother’s. With this and her ring, you should be granted an audience.”