The Dragon's Chase

Chapter Thirteen

"Because you have to get up!" Cecelia insisted. "Come on, breakfast is ready! After breakfast you and Ava need to train some more."

"Cece, I have work today," Grizin told her, putting a hand in his hair. "And it's not until later."

"And you can train a bit before work," Cecelia replied, getting up. "Now come on, it's time for breakfast."

"Fine," Grizin grumbled, standing up. "I dislike you right now."

"I love you too, Grizzy," Cecelia told him brightly as she left the room.

Grizin came out and sat down at the table next to Ava. Both looked unhappy and tired, both had incredibly messy hair, and both were very, very sore. Ava's head was in her arms on the table, her hair sticking out at crazy angles. Grizin leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.

"Eat up!" Cecelia said brightly as she set plates down in front of the two of them. "The bacon should be really good."

Ava picked her head up and bit into the bacon. Okay, yeah, it was good. Really, really good. But she was still tired and less likely to comment on how good the bacon was.

Cecelia pouted at her husband's and friend's hair. "I'm going to get a brush," she said, heading into her room and coming back out with a brush.

"Are you going to do our hair?" Ava asked tiredly.

"Yes," Cecelia replied, running the brush through Ava's hair. It took a half an hour, but Ava's long brown hair was finally brushed. Cecelia started to put it into a french braid.

Grizin leaned back in his chair, finished eating. "Are you ready to train more today, Ava? We can see how much more you'll improve."

"I'm ready to go back to bed," Ava replied honestly.

"Yes, well, me too, but we shouldn't waste the time we have," Grizin countered.

"Fine," Ava told Grizin tiredly. "Just let me wake up first, okay?"

"Now that, I can get behind," Grizin agreed.

Cecelia finished up on Ava's french braid, tying the end up with a small, cobalt blue ribbon. "There we go, it looks so pretty! Alright, Grizin, time for your hair!" she said, going over to Grizin with the brush.

"Cece, leave my hair alone," Grizin told Cecelia.

"But it's such a mess!" Cecelia protested, getting closer to Grizin.

Grizin sighed. "Fine. Just brush it, don't do anything creative."

Cecelia pouted. "You're no fun."

"Just brush the hair, Cece," Grizin told her with a tired sigh as she started to yank the brush through his hair.

It took Cecelia about ten minutes to get Grizin's shoulder-length hair completely brushed. His hair was so soft, Cecelia loved running her hands through it and just letting it fall across her fingers.

"All done," Cecelia told him. "Have fun training, guys!"

Grizin stood up and went to get his sword. "Ava, get your sword. The walk to the training area should help wake us up."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Ava replied, standing up to grab her sword. She buckled the belt around her waist, her sword resting on her left hip.

Together, her and Grizin left the house to go to the arena, getting ready for some morning training. The village was just waking up. People were leaving their houses and opening up shops for the day. Merrik could be spotted heading to the forges, Tullan to the book shop.