Unraveled Homecoming

by J. L. Shelton

  “Fine,” he angrily relented, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Let’s try to get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

  Chapter 50

  “Remember, you’ll have to hold him securely yet gently,” instructed Leto as he helped Garin carry his brother out of the tower. Wrapped in both Garin’s cloak as well as Mattie’s, Renard resembled a bear cub more than he did a man. But if he wasn’t going to freeze on his way to Belladonna’s, then a furry package he had to be. “You don’t want him to fall, but crushing him would be easy if you are not careful.”

  “Now I’m really not sure about this idea,” grumbled Garin, even more nervous about transporting his brother than he was before.

  Mattie had more confidence in him than he felt. “You’ll get him there in one piece.”

  Perhaps, he thought with a sigh as they continued trudging through the snow, the rising sun at their backs.

  Even with the Draconian’s help, his muscles were beginning to scream at him from carrying the dead weight of the unconscious prince. Regrettably, putting plenty of distance between them and the Watchtower was necessary for this insane idea. And if it weren’t for the fact that his brother’s fever had grown worse overnight, he would have called this whole thing off!

  Then we would have been stuck with Leto for another night, Mattie reminded him with a chuckle. He’s the only other way we have to get safely down from here.

  Good point.

  He felt her sigh at his grumpy attitude, but she didn’t press him. She knew why his nerves were on edge. While she had done this once before in order to save her father’s boat from an attacking river monster, Garin never had a need or an inclination to don this form. It downright scared him to death, to be honest. Phrases like “unnatural” and “dangerous” kept coming to his mind.

  How in the hell his father-in-law had convinced him to do this in the first place would be anyone’s guess!

  Finally—or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at it—they were nearly one hundred feet from the tower. Mattie quickly brushed away as much snow as she could before Renard was gently deposited onto the ground. Now Garin felt fully committed to this plan, if only to get his brother back to someplace warm.

  Almost as if Leto had read his thoughts, the Draconian quickly rattled off a final set of directives: “Remember, we are each keeping to the King’s Road. I’m heading north until I find a good spot to land and transform back into something less noticeable. Mattie’s taking the southern route, and hopefully she’ll find her cousin before she needs to turn around. Luckily for us, this form allows us to retain our magic so she’ll be able to spot him easily. Garin, just keep to the west until you are close to the border. Belladonna’s house will be slightly north of the road, so veer that way when you’re about a mile or so out.”

  “And how in the hell am I supposed to know if I’m that close?” asked Garin as the older man began to move further away and to his right.

  Leto waved a hand at the Watchtower and chuckled, “Oh, you’ll know.”

  The answering growl in his throat was stopped short by a gentle kiss on his cheek. His wife disturbed his foul mood just enough for him to turn and give her a wry smile. This time her lips quickly found his own.

  “For luck,” she said with a smile before she began moving away and towards his left.

  “I am so going to need it,” he mumbled as he gave her a little wave, envious of her obvious excitement.

  “Now!”

  The shout had been hale, strong, and left no doubt about the wisdom of its owner. From anyone else, Garin would not have hesitated to obey. Even with the temptation to ignore the command on principle alone, he knew the Draconian was right about getting this scheme under way. And for the first time ever, he now understood how the old geezer had convinced his people to follow him to these shores.

  Leto wasn’t a king anymore, but he sure as hell remembered how to act like one!

  He’s just a show off, commented Mattie with an eye roll. Then she sent some encouragement and understanding his way. Remember, it’s similar to any other transformation. It won’t hurt like the first time, I promise.

  He gave her a short nod in response. She nailed the main reason for his reluctance—unimaginable pain. It had been among the top five worst agonies of his life! Why in the hell would he risk experiencing that again?

  Just as Garin was about to talk himself out of the whole idea, Renard let loose a pitiful groan. Despite going on a tirade about his siblings yesterday, a part of him would always give a damn about his various brothers and sisters. And the youngest one of the lot needed him to step up and act like the elder brother he was.

  For that reason, Garin closed his eyes, steeled himself, and called on the dragon.

  ***

  Mattie often described her transformations as being akin to molten metal pouring itself into a new form. Garin had never heard that comparison before, but it was an apt description. There was a moment of fluidness as the human form gave way to another, like water flowing from a container into one of a different size.

  And the size this time was massively large!

  Having learned long ago how to switch forms at a speed and frequency that surprised even his father-in-law, the process to become a dragon seemed to be taking forever. Worry nipped at the back of his brain before he finally began to feel wings growing out of his elongated back. Would this one always be so achingly slow for him?

  Physical strength filled his body on a scale he had felt only once before, pushing the concern aside. The difference was so vast it was as if he had become a part of the mountain itself. The very thought caused his eyes to snap open.

  Wonder and amazement flowed through him at what his vision had become! From this vantage point, he could see down into the valley and into parts of Crosshawk itself. In fact, two buildings by the crossroads stood out clearly. The first was the ugly stone monstrosity of the Magistrate’s offices, so out of place amongst the rest. The second was the Silver Pheasant, a warm and welcoming sight even at this distance.

  Then he noticed a faint mulberry glimmer far off and into the west. He began to follow the glow as it stretched towards the north. When the ribbon made a sharp turn and started to head for the east, realization dawned on Garin.

  So that’s what Leto meant about knowing where the borders of Crosshawk fell!

  The Watchtower maintains the borders as best it can, at the request of The Exiles. Thankfully that ward is still intact, for only certain eyes can see it.

  At hearing Leto’s voice in his head, Garin jumped! No warning could have prepared him for this! Luckily, his surprised leap had been away from his brother’s small and prone body. While both Mattie and the Draconian had told him of this possibility, the fact anyone but his wife could enter his skull made him nervous. Especially when the intrusion had come from the royal blue creature standing next to him.

  Leto’s new form stood but an inch or so shorter than Garin in height. White speckled here and there amongst the blue scales, making the creature resemble a rich sapphire as he glittered in the sunshine. Two long whiskers hung from the end of the large snout like a mustache, swaying when the humongous head tilted to one side. The expression in those cobalt eyes made Garin wonder if the creature was waiting for some kind of reply.

  He can’t hear your thoughts unless you intentionally broadcast them at him, Mattie gently said. And vice versa. Don’t worry; it’s not like our bond.

  Garin turned his head to look at his mate. It wasn’t fair that even in this form she was beautiful. She was at least a head or two shorter than him and maybe three-quarters his length, but her form had a sleekness that screamed her main advantage was speed and litheness. He looked down at his huge black arms, both powerful and clumsy compared to her slender amethyst ones.

  Now he had something to say to Leto! He lifted a gigantic hand and shook it at the Draconian. How in the hell am I going to get my brother safely off the gro
und with these things!?

  A chuckling dragon was both an amusing and terrifying sight. The blue beast’s entire body trembled with his laughter as his claws dug into the ground to help steady himself. How does one pick up any baby, regardless of species?

  Not helpful, grumbled Mattie, adding her opinion to the mix.

  Luckily she did, because Garin could hear the slight difference between their private conversations and these more public ones between dragons. A breath of relief exited his nostrils like a smoke-filled snort. There was no need to worry about the Draconian rattling around where he wasn’t wanted.

  We’ll get back to the prince in a moment, said Leto with a mischievous twinkle in those large eyes. If the plan is to have as many witnesses as possible, we should probably make sure everyone in the vicinity is awake before we do anything else.

  Mattie nodded her head in agreement. I think loudly announcing ourselves to the world is a wonderful idea.

  Fine, groused Garin after they stared expectantly at him. He just wanted to get Renard to Belladonna’s as soon as possible. If that meant letting these two get their way, then so be it.

  The Draconian went first, stretching his long neck to the sky. Teeth as sharp as death glistened when his mouth widened. The sides of his body puffed out when he took in a deep breath. Birds from the surrounding hills took off in flight when the monstrous roar shook the air!

  At first Garin was surprised that the sound didn’t bother him one bit. He chalked it up to just being a dragon when the Draconian’s next menacing trumpet was joined by Mattie’s, and the noise still had no effect on him. The same couldn’t be said of the countryside. The sound of two dragons sent even more animals and birds running for cover as the ground beneath their feet began to tremble!

  With a shrug, Garin joined the others with a roar of his own. Now that one shocked him! The rumbling came from deep within his chest, powered even more by the elements of Earth and Air. This was a sound that no one for miles around could ignore when his bellow carried across the wind, strongly echoing throughout the valley. The stones on the mountainside quaked while the ground violently shook!

  Even in his fevered state, Renard couldn’t ignore the roars any longer. Garin quickly stopped when he saw his brother madly sit up, closely resembling a fuzzy caterpillar as he managed to tangle himself within the two cloaks. Slowly lowering his head in a non-threatening manner, Garin could only hope Renard would realize they meant him no harm. The last thing they needed was for the man to hurt himself.

  Mattie and Leto thankfully stopped causing the mountainside to reverberate, both staying well away from the prince. Renard’s face was full of fear and wonder while he stared into the golden eye of a black dragon. The position wasn’t at all comfortable, but Garin was determined to remain still for as long as it took his brother to discover that they had no ill intentions towards him.

  The silence was eventually disturbed by a rather distressing and violent cough on the prince’s part. Thankfully, it was a short-lived fit, one that obviously had taken a toll out of Renard. A very ashen and haggard face turned back towards Garin, making it apparent that they needed to get his brother out of there!

  A process made simpler after Renard’s brow furrowed when he asked, “Though you look different—I know you somehow, don’t I?”

  Garin nodded. On a whim, he raised himself up and took a step back. It gave him room to slowly lower his opened hand, palm facing upwards. He pressed the back of it firmly onto the ground so his brother wouldn’t accidentally be cut by the dagger-like claws.

  Understanding brightened Renard’s expression. “You want me to come with you?”

  Garin’s nod was met with a weak sound of excitement. Then he had to grimace as he watched Renard struggle, but his brother only kept making noises of frustrated disgust whenever Garin tried to move his hand closer. His brother obviously did not appreciate any assistance. Letting the stubborn prince get his way, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Renard eventually plopped himself into the middle of Garin’s palm.

  His brother stared at him, the twinkle in his eye starting to fade back into unconsciousness. “This dream is almost as good as the first one,” the prince whispered excitedly before passing out once more.

  Garin carefully pulled his cupped hand closer to his chest before sitting back on his haunches. Hopefully his half-brother would indeed only remember this as a fanciful dream. To keep the sleeping man more secure, Garin placed his free hand over the other.

  We can’t wait any longer to get him to a healer.

  Mattie nodded her giant head while Leto kindly said, I agree. Since there isn’t enough room for us all to take off at once, you go first.

  If it weren’t for the fact that each form came with its own set of instincts, Garin doubted he could have managed the feat. The other two took a few steps back and out to the side, giving him as much space as possible. Monstrous leather wings began to flap, producing a strong breeze. Once he was confident, powerful back legs sprung him off the ground. He felt a small tug as the wings caught air and billowed, and then he started to move away from the mountainside.

  He turned and saw that the others had resituated themselves, trying to find good spots from which to depart. Impatience was beginning to gnaw at him when Mattie said, Go ahead and start heading for Belladonna’s. We’ll catch up.

  That was all the permission he needed. Keeping his brother tucked close to his chest, Garin flew towards Crosshawk.

  Chapter 51

  The elves were the first to witness the spectacle of three dragons flying overhead. The whole camp had already been standing in a group, faces staring expectantly in the direction of the foothills. Whoops and hollers of joy soon rose when they caught sight of the black, purple, and blue beasts.

  Garin took a quick glance behind him. Mattie had easily caught up, her purple form showing off with a roll or two much to the excitement of the crowd. If it weren’t for his precious package, he would have eagerly joined her in the aerial aerobatics. Navigating the skies as various birds hadn’t been his favorite pastime, currents could change on a whim and thwart any carefully laid plan. But a dragon’s body was built to cut through the clouds like a rudder through water, making him wonder why he had been so against this form in the first place.

  Leto just skimmed through the air, gently swaying his body from side to side like a gigantic water snake. He was almost a dragon’s length behind with no intention of going a bit faster. The time Garin and Mattie had slowed down to help him catch up, the Draconian had grumbled something about feeling his age. Then he had shooed them away, telling them time was of the essence.

  While Garin whole-heartedly agreed with Leto on that point, it still seemed as if they had come to the King’s Road way too soon. The handful of people who were traveling the well-worn path so early in the morning must have been residents. Who else would have just respectfully bowed their heads at three hovering dragons before staring up in wonder?

  The Pheasant is the best place for stories to be told over and over again, said Mattie, sounding giddy. Travel with Leto at least that far north before heading towards Belladonna’s. After all, two dragons are more tale-worthy than just one.

  A weary grumble came from the Draconian. I should have thought of the inn myself.

  Just be careful, pleaded Garin, worry now torn between his brother and his wife. Esus is a cunning snake. If you can’t find your cousin before going too far south from the border, hightail it home.

  I will, she promised. Her lithe body easily twisted around as she nearly performed a somersault in order to point her snout south. Love you, and good luck.

  Love you too, Garin replied before she started following her path along the road.

  Leto released a weary groan, only one of many since he had taken to the air. Well, young one, let’s go and give the town a tale to tell for many years to come.

  ***

  It wasn’t until they started to fly over the shops along the main
thoroughfare that screams of fright joined the reverent reactions. Many horses reared up in terror, fighting their owners to escape what the animals considered a pair of dangerous predators. Bedlam was a kind word for the atmosphere on the streets as they approached the Silver Pheasant.

  The Draconian didn’t help calm the stampeding crowd. One burly man was on the side of the road, screaming obscenities and waving his sword at them. Garin took a quick glance, recognized that it was Melker Krause, and determined that the man was no true threat at all. Leto, however, chuckled and snorted out a quick stream of fire into the sky. Melker’s sword clattered to the ground before he ran away, screaming shrilly in a manner similar to that of a little girl.

  While a few others had also started to flee after that little display of firepower, Garin growled, Did you have to do that!? They were frightened enough already!

  Merely a playful reminder, no more. Besides, wasn’t he the rude one who gave you some trouble the other day?

  Just try to keep those impulses under control, grumbled Garin in response to the jovial tone. Especially since this is where I leave you to your own devices.

  Faces gaping from the windows of the inn’s northeast corner got a good view as a black dragon and a blue one paused for a moment above the main crossroad. I truly hope Belladonna can help your brother, commented Leto sincerely. Tell her what you learned about his nature before she starts to try to heal him. It will save everyone precious time.

  Garin nodded, his tail twitching impatiently. It was beyond time to get Renard help. Thank you.

  The Draconian tilted his head in acknowledgement before rolling his body around to face north. A deep chuckle left the dragon’s mouth before the ancient beast decided to finally pick up speed. It wasn’t until after he watched Leto take off like an arrow shot from a bow, becoming nothing more than a gigantic streak of blue in the air, that Garin headed towards the western edges of Crosshawk.