Spearing the Dragon

FOUR

Lillevenn had a fitful sleep after showering, the heat of the UV rays calming him enough to lie down again. He was mostly awake when the alarm nearly shattered his cranium. He jumped at least a few inches, turning over to swing his legs over the side of the bed. He slipped on his sandals since he had lain down fully dressed, quickly leaving his suite. He rushed down the corridor to Ingrid's room, not questioning how he knew where it was, as he hadn't the first time, his mind on other matters.
    The door slid open when he approached it, walking toward the bed when the lights came on at his movement. He stopped short when he noticed the dark hair on the pillow, as black as pitch, the door sliding shut behind him. She turned swiftly, a completely different creature than the little girl he knew looking back at him for a split second before the form he recognized returned.
    "Ah!" he cried out, stumbling back a step at the image burned into his brain, the pale as death features, not to mention naked form of a full-grown woman. She pulled the covers up, but he was already traumatized.
    "Lillevenn!" she complained.
    "I think the ship is under attack, get dressed and come with me."
    He turned and swiftly left her room, Ingrid hanging her head for a moment.

His features were a blank slate when she emerged, dressed in her usual pants and tunic. He turned as soon as she came out.
    "Are we not going to talk about it?" she asked. He turned with dark features.
    "Let's figure out what's happening with the ship first."
    She followed, her short legs having difficulty keeping up with his long strides. They took a lift up a deck, and he stopped in front of two wide doors. They opened at his proximity, Ingrid staying in the hall as he walked inside. With her presence near the doors, they stayed open. The woman who had saved her on the moon turned at his approach with harsh features.
    "Looking for something?"
    She turned, taking a step back at the formidable presence of the commander, lifting an eyebrow at her. The tall, normally slender woman she'd seen in the mess stopped behind him, giving her a gentle look.
    "Are we under attack?" she asked. He shook his head.
    "That's a different alarm."
    "It was really loud."
    "It's a serious matter. Excuse me."
    He walked past her, the woman with the intense yet kind brown eyes looking down at her.
    "Want to come inside, sweetie?"
    She looked after the commander.
    "I don't think he'd like it."
    "I think he's got other things on his mind right now."
    A hand on her shoulder coaxed her to come inside, finding Lillevenn's profile immediately as he spoke with the stern-faced lieutenant commander.
    "What's going on, Farmiga?" the commander asked, sounding irritable.
    "We've received a transmission of unknown origin."
    "Gods, not another one."
    The pretty, tall lady smiled.
    "This one is a good six systems away. They must be using technology to boost their signal."
    "Well, what is it?"
    "You've never going to believe this."
    She nodded to someone Ingrid couldn't see and a voice that chilled her filled the speakers.
    "Midgardians, I am Chancellor Loridian from the Black Council, what you would know as 'dark' elves. As your technology is so primitive compared to our own, we are only able to send an audio transmission. We will be within range of visual contact in a day or less. We have been summoned by the Valkyrie Hildegard to aid in the fight coming to your doorstep. We are forwarding our list of requirements for our arrival."
    Silence filled the bridge and Ingrid's heart filled with hope despite the harsh voice of the Dokkalfr. Her kinsman.
    "Did he say what I think he said?" the commander asked finally, rubbing his forehead.
The lieutenant commander only looked at him with harsh features. He turned to the tall lady beside Ingrid.
    "Elves, is it now."
    "Quite incredible," said a young man she couldn't see.
"I need to communicate with operations about this," the commander said, brushing past them, not even looking in Ingrid's direction. The lieutenant commander turned back to the giant screen on the wall, a man becoming visible seated before it at a long counter with controls.
"Monitor for any incoming transmissions. We don't want to keep his majesty waiting."
The tall lady looked down at her with gentle brown eyes.
"Do you have a caretaker, sweetheart?"
Lillevenn turned and strode toward them.
"She's with me."
Ingrid noticed the softer look she gave him.
"I didn't realize you'd begun volunteering for babysitting."
"She's nothing close to it, trust me," he said, his gaze disparaging as he looked down at her before walking past her. Ingrid turned and followed without looking back at the lady.
"Lillevenn!" she called after him after the doors slid shut behind her. "Aren't you going to give me a chance to explain?"
He stopped walking and looked back at her.
"What's to explain?" He waved a hand, looking away from her. "You might as well drop the glamour—"
She frowned. "In front of all these people? They're not ready for what I am, trust me. How much did you see?"
He gave her a tolerant look. "Being a brunette isn't so bad, you know." He glanced away. "It's a good look for you."
He turned and continued walking, Ingrid torn at the comment.