Tarragon: Key Keeper

Chapter Two

After another series of complex dances, the dragon was moved off stage. Anwen didn't see where it went but was glad the giant serpent wasn't kept around to leer at the festivalgoers. She'd found it slightly unnerving for some reason.

Instead, a small group of musicians moved on stage. They began playing some Eastern music, mixed with some overtones she wasn't familiar with.

Tyler stood and turned to her with a grin. "Well, what do you think so far? Not bad for some village in the high mountains, right?"

Anwen laughed and shook her head. Torchlight began to swim around her as various villagers lit lanterns around the square. "Definitely something different," she replied as her stomach growled. She grimaced in embarrassment.

"Hungry are we?" Tyler lifted an eyebrow. "Well, can't have that then. Not on a festival day. This way." Grabbing her hand once more, he led her towards the food-laden tables. It was a task to avoid the older children. Most were carrying around marionettes resembling the various dragon forms she'd seen in books.

The food seemed to be served buffet style, Anwen noticed as they took a place in line behind a couple of eager teens. When it came their turn to get plates, Tyler pointed out the "dragon toes", which were really barbequed spare ribs. He laughed at her momentary discomfort, knowing she wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

With filled plates, they made their way towards the same copse of trees the dragon parade had emerged from. There, they found a seat on a log. Tall reeds intruded here and there where the ground was marshy.

"Sun's setting," Tyler observed as more lanterns were lit and torches put up to give more light. "Dragon boats will be sent out before too long."

From their perch, Anwen could almost hear the chirping of crickets, with the occasional croak of a frog. "Are we near water?"

Taking a bite of chicken, Tyler pointed to a darker section of shadows near the end of the tree line. "It's just a runoff from the River Drage, the same river that runs back of the inn. I'm sure you can see it from your room's window.

"This smaller stream runs off into a bit of marsh further on, while the true river runs towards Lake Wyvern. The two split just before the village. The mountains conceal the diverted water, which was used for irrigation over a hundred years ago. Pretty clever, if you ask me."

Anwen nodded as she took a bite of salad, watching the sky as the sun sank lower behind the peaks. She wasn't all that interested in agriculture, but at least it wasn't the weather. There were worse topics.

The stars were coming out as the full moon swung up over the furthest flung peak. "The Dragon Moon," Anwen half whispered, staring in awe at the golden sphere.

Tyler turned to look at the lunar spectacle, leaning back just a little. "Legend has it that the Dragon Moon Festival was initiated to appease the spirits of the Mountain. These spirits had become angry over a feud between two families. Those two families were the founders of this village.

"Over time, a deep rift formed between them, upsetting the balance of nature. The mountain spirits unleashed their judgment on the two families for their irreconcilable differences. To appease the spirits, the older of the two families was exiled, never to return."

Anwen blinked back the moisture forming in her eyes. It was definitely a haunting tale, one she hoped to hear in full some day. Perhaps her family had been inspiration for the legend. They did resemble the family exiled to appease the mountain spirits all those years ago.

Tyler glanced at his watch as he chewed on his last mouthful of food. "Looks like it's about time for the boats."

Hearing his announcement, Anwen realized the crowd had thinned. Looking over, she noticed they were all headed towards the river.