Aryanna, Ruth and Susan had just finished with lunch and were sitting sipping tea as the servants cleared the table when Aryanna jumped to her feet. "Niohoggr is coming! Ana is with him!" She ran from the table and out of the back door followed by her daughters. They stood together in the yard shading their eyes with their hands looking into the sky. They watched as the dragon circled and descended. Brieanna jumped from the dragon's back before it landed and ran to her mother.
"MOM!" she shouted. Reaching her mother she embraced her both in tears.
"Ana!" Aryanna whispered her voice barely a croak. Brieanna then turned to her sisters and hugged them. They simply hugged as tears of joy flooded their eyes. "I knew you were still alive, I knew you would return!" Aryanna sobbed.
"Mom, I want you to meet three people that came with me." By then the dragon had landed and Sam was holding Aednat as he and Gwen were standing quietly next to the dragon. Brieanna walked to Sam and took Aednat into her arms. "This is my daughter Aednat."
"She is beautiful Ana."
"Aednat, this is you grand-momma and your aunts Ruth and Susan." Aednat simply stared clinging to Brieanna. "Her name is Irish and it means 'little fire'".
"Her red hair fits her name," Susan said. Aryanna held out her arms and Aednat allowed her to take her in her arms.
"This is my sister Gwen, I adopted her."
"Welcome to the family Gwen," Aryanna said.
"So, I'm no longer the youngest sister, nor the only redhead in the family," Susan said ruffling Aednat's hair and laughing and hugging Gwen.
"This is Sam, my husband." Aryanna turned to him.
"I know you, your Sam Edwardson." Sam nodded looking surprised. Aryanna then hugged him. Please all of you come inside. Niohoggr, thank you." She hugged her dragon as her tears renewed. "Thank you!" then turning to Brieanna and her companions said, "We were taking some tea, join us." Then still carrying Aednat she led them inside. The servants looked startled as they walked in followed by a huge dog but said nothing. "Tell me about your outfit."
Brieanna laughed and motioned to Gwen and they turned around modeling. "It's our shield-woman dress Mom, we're the Valkyrie sisters. You like?"
"You both will get a lot of looks dressed like that Ana. Is that how women dressed?"
"Just us, we'll dress in our regular dresses for dinner."
"I see you're carrying swords too."
"I have quite a tale to tell. Everyone now calls me Brie or Brieanna, but I'm still Ana to you Mom."
Aryanna passed out tea cakes to everyone and filled the tea cups that her servants had supplied. Aednat happily accepted a tea cake and a second one in rapid succession. Aednat did not like the tea until Susan added milk and sugar and gave her a third cake. "How long have you been married?"
"About eight months. We adopted Aednat."
"And Gwen too I see."
"Gwen turns sixteen tomorrow."
"Well, we'll just have to throw a party, one tomorrow, we have two birthdays to celebrate after all. It will be with just us and one more party next week to welcome you all back home with the entire family."
"You really don't need too, Brie's mom," Gwen started.
"Call me mom, and I just can't turn down a chance to party and show you all off."
YOU ARE READING
The Dragon's Redemption
Fantasy"The destroyer will come, a Valkyrie from hell on dragon back. Your rein will be cut short, your sons will shed each other's blood and your daughters time on earth will end on the last day of her fifteenth year."
