Dragon's Blood

Kin

Five pairs of eyes stared unblinkingly at one another. Bills remained closed, he still did not appear to be awake and remained in somewhat of a heap on the floor, completely unaware of any danger.

Iyla was holding her breath, too terrified to move a muscle. Pandra continued to circle overhead, silently now, there was barely any light left to cast her shadow onto the forest floor. Iyla found her self wondering why the dragon did not seem more agitated.

The stand off continued, no one moving, no one speaking until the female stranger narrowed her eyes at Sam, her arrowhead not shifting a milimetre. "You are a Chandak." she said in a deep and soft voice which betrayed her steely gaze, "The Chandak left these parts many years ago, what is your purpose here?"

Sam looked confused and didn't answer.

"Your purpose?" the woman asked again, her tone cutting through Sam's thoughts, "And why does a dragon follow you?"

"They left?" Sam asked, finally reacting to her first question but not really speaking directly to her, more to himself, "Why?"

Now it was the archers turn to look briefly confused, "You do not know?"

Iyla dragged her eyes away from the arrow pointed at her and looked at the woman as she spoke. She was tall and willowy, with pale blonde hair that fell long and straight down her back. Two delicate plaits at her temples, kept her hair from her face, revealing distinctly pointed ears. Her expression was hard but her features were delicate, neither young nor old, and her eyes were an ice cold blue, showing no emotion once the flicker of confusion had passed.

Sam too had begun to take in the womans features, he was staring hard at her and Iyla could see a tension building in her stance. But not in Sams, in fact his body suddenly visibly relaxed. His head lifted, his shoulders dropped and he took the smallest step forward with a look of gradual realisation beginning to dawn on his face.

All three archers drew back their arrows just a little further, as if ready to release them and Iyla moved to grab Sam before he stepped any further forward. He seemed oblivious to the risk and then spoke a word which surprised them all.

"Alona?" he said and the woman blinked, her arrow dropped slightly and was then recovered.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Samian," he said and Iyla looked at him in surprise as he used the strange name.

The woman's steely facade faltered, she dropped then raised her bow before finally dropping it again. "Samian?" She said, her expression softening, her voice sounding hopeful, "It's really you? How can this be?"

She looked at Iyla and Iyla stiffened again, unsure of what to expect, "And this is - ?" the woman said to no one in particular and she took a step forward towards Iyla. Iyla took a step backwards.

"It is," said Sam, "Iyla and I, we've come home Alona and we need your protection."

Alona was staring at Iyla and she indicated to the two men to lower their bows, "These people are not our enemies," she said and finally Iyla felt her breath release. Alona walked slowly towards her and took both of Iyla's hands into her own smiling warmly, "We are so happy that you have come home to us." she said in a voice that sounded like it was carried on the wind, it's warning edge gone. She reached out and touched Iyla's cheek with her slender fingers, "You are truly your parents daughter."

Iyla's heart jumped in her chest and her hand involuntarily went to her mother's pendant, which she was still wearing round her neck.

Alona turned to Sam, " Forgive our hostility Samian, I should have recognised you, but you were the last person I expected to see of course. You come back to us in troubled times and it has been so long"