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Aiden's Quest

Page 40

by Dane Bagley


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  The late spring began to feel like an early summer. The days were warm and the evening comfortable. Jashion and Myrtle walked along a tree lined path along the back wall of Cardsten. There were many couples frolicking along the path, playing in the gardens, or soaking their feet in the fountains. Jashion was not in uniform. He had no interest in garnering attention.

  The fright from the dragon had subdued, and the people of Cardsten, at least those who’s son’s and lovers weren’t heading to war, had settled back into life as usual. Myrtle looked lovely in red, both her lips and her dress. Her eyes were no longer red, but a perfect blue and white, fluffy clouds surrounding a clear blue sky.

  “I’m in red, until you return. I’m glad you’re not wearing black; it would be so mournful. I wear the color of your conquests,” she had told him when he came by. A pair of cardinals landed on a tree nearby. Their stunning red against the luscious green leaves was breathtaking. Jashion was glad that he wasn’t in his red uniform. They’d have stood out like a couple of birds amongst the crowd.

  Myrtle hadn’t drunk any. She was perfectly sober, and she was composed. Jashion had never spent time with a young lady who wasn’t drinking. It was nice. She no longer laughed at his speech. He tried hard to suppress his accent and imperfections. Sometimes she smiled at his efforts. He smiled back.

  For the first time, he became aware of how all eyes lighted upon Myrtle as they strolled along. She, of course, was aware, but tonight she was unaffected. Jashion wasn’t jealous or irritated, he felt proud. Jashion had felt proud before. He’d had the sole attention of the great beauty of Dargaer, Siccly Turner. He’d felt proud then. He’d also felt something else. Something warm, and agitating, and exciting, and humbling. He’d begun to have feelings for Siccly, as she turned and swayed, smiled and stared. Those feelings emerged again tonight. It reminded him of… He quickly put that out of his mind. But it emerged again, a bit later. She, like Siccly, was so exquisitely lovely, so completely vulnerable and yet had no idea. Dromreign was just as alive and just as big of a threat as before. No, a bigger threat. Dargaer also had protection. They had kept the dragon away. But, the dragon found a way in, and all was lost.

  A thought began to develop in Jashion’s mind. It started vaguely, and it wasn’t coherent. Somewhere inside of him he knew that he was readying to fight Agedon, to stop them from attacking Dromreign. But, it didn’t seem that way in his mind. He’d spent years with Aiden. Somehow he knew that he was on his way to kill the dragon. He looked at Myrtle, she looked back and smiled. He would protect this beauty by his side. He’d avenge the first beauty who was taken. Jashion felt proud again. A different pride. Not for what he had, but for what he would do. His thoughts didn’t make sense, except somehow to him.

  Myrtle had never gotten a second look, a second chance before. She’d spent some time with Jashion, and then he was gone. This had happened to her numerous times before. But, here he was again. She had not grown tiresome to him; instead he was more pleased with her the second time around. She noticed that he was staring at her, his walking had slowed. She stopped and looked at him. He looked at her as he had looked at her the first time—like he knew her, like he was looking for something, some memory, something more than just appreciating her appearance.

  “You’re looking at me funny,” she said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

  She laughed. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you looking at me. I just want to know why you’re looking at me the way that you are. Is it good, or is it bad?”

  “It’s…well, you…um…I can’t explain.”

  “It’s okay. You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

  Jashion snapped out of it, and was back with Myrtle again. She could tell he was back and she began to feel happy. They laughed and talked, and an hour after the sun had gone down Jashion walked her home.

  Jashion didn’t know how to say goodbye. Neither did Myrtle. Jashion was looking at her again. He hadn’t tired of her. She liked that. She leaned up and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “You be careful,” she said. Jashion reddened a little. She liked that, too.

 

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