The Dragon's Redemption

Chapter 19 Dreki

Aryanna opened the door to her father's home and welcomed her daughters and nieces, "Thank you so much for coming again on such short notice."

"You can count on us Mom, I just hope this 'seeing' won't be as disappointing as the last few," Ruth whispered as she held her mother.

"The ride in from the city was uneventful," Susan, Ruth's her youngest sister said, "Grandpa's already unhitched the horses. So we're here!"

"We all rode together," Judy, Brieanna's cousin said.

"When do we begin?" Marie asked.

"Let's have lunch first," Aryanna said, "Mom's been cooking."

"Aunt Jayne, thank you," Judy said the others nodding.

"I knew you girls would arrive hungry," Jayne said smiling at her granddaughters and grandnieces.

"I understand you feel that we may be able to reach her this time," Ruth said.

"Sometimes when I sleep I can see her, and her dreams," Aryanna said softly. "She is beginning to remember. Something new and terrifying has happened to her. Between her blossoming memories and this new danger she may be reachable."

"We have tried over a dozen times," Marie said.

"And I will try a dozen more!" Aryanna said firmly.

"You can count on us Mom," Susan said, "any word from Niohoggr?"

"The dragon will not respond, but he has been with Ana, I'm sure of that."

"Let's eat then, I'm starving!" Susan said, "Then we can begin."

Brieanna had a difficult night. She dreaded sleeping and found that it alluded her. Aednat had crept into her bed late in the night and she held the girl. She realized the child was as terrified as she was over Sam's absence. She rose with the first light of the morning sun and wept quietly. Then she poured water into the wash bowl to wash her tears and she was shocked to see a woman's face looking back at her. "Ana," the woman said softly.

"Momma!" Then other faces appeared on the bowl, faces she recognized. Ruth, her older sister and little sister Susan, now a young woman, her cousins Judy and Marie, and her grandmother too. Brieanna was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions and unable to respond. Aednat now awake walked over and peered into the washbowl. "This is my daughter Aednat."

"She is a beautiful child Ana," Aryanna said smiling at the child. "Come home...please daughter. Ask Niohoggr to fly you." Then the image failed.

"That lady looked just like you Momma," Aednat said.

"That was my mom, your grand-momma. We need to get Da back and then go visit grand-momma."

"Dreki can fly us all," Aednat said.

Abigail arrived to help with the morning meal and took one look at Brieanna, "Have you been up all night?"

"Most of it. I need to find Dreki, could you manage things for the day?"

"Not until you eat Brieanna. Then tonight I will brew you a strong sleeping draft."

"I'm remembering things."

"Tell me."

"My name was Ana, my mother Aryanna. She like me is a witch and a dragon rider."

"Ana!" Abigail said.

"If you don't mind I plan to keep Brieanna as my name." Abigail smiled at her. "Loki is somehow tided up with everything."

"How do you mean?"