Half Magic | Book 2

Fifty Five: Going Home

The walk back was much slower, and we took three days to do it. Plenty of stops, plenty of breaks, and an easy pace that allowed Schula and I to talk to our third. The others mostly left us alone, but Kalor always kept close and Fandor made a habit of coming over to ask the dragon questions and clarifications from his long ago stories. 

Teyber kept the scouts on their toes. He wouldn't allow a leisurely walk without giving them drills to run through. On one long break, he even let them spar and observed Schula's hand to hand combat techniques as she planted each scout on their rear ends one by one.

But I didn't leave our dragon's side. We were camping for the second and last night before we would reach Eidelhein's cliffside when I was curled up against his warm, black belly scales. He was curled up like a great cat as we both watched Teyber give a lesson to his scouts. Schula was nearby and already sleeping, and Puko was lapping up attention from Kalor and Fandor as they fed him grains.

'Tell me more of the part of the world we are to travel to,' the dragon said. 

I sighed and rolled over, curling up on my other side so I could see his face better. "Well, I grew up in the mountains south of the Wyldes. They can be hard to live in, but it was home. I have fond memories of the rivers and lakes there, and the animals. There are many kinds of foods in the forests there, if you know where to look."

'Peaceful,' the dragon rumbled in my head. 'Go on, tell me more.'

"Where we're going, the Wyldes, they are hard to describe. The seasons within those lands don't stay, but are rather fixed in place by the magic of the fae. I've made a new home there, or I'm trying to. The Autumn lands. I have people I love there, and the Winter king would threaten my place in it."

'That is the DuVarick you speak of,' he said. 

"Mm-hm," I agreed, and yawned. "Dragon, I can't keep calling you dragon. It's been two days. Are you certain you don't have a name you would prefer?" 

'I do not wish to keep any names I have gone by in the past,' he said. 'Anything will do.'

"I'm not very good at picking names," I said. "Maybe Schula will have an idea then."

'Hmm,' the dragon rumbled. He lifted his head, looking around our camp. I sat up straight, watching him. 

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

'Yes,' he answered. 'That item on Teyber's shoulder. It is armor, isn't it?'

I looked over to the Captain. He wore his usual green tunic, but his cloak was hung over a tree branch in a rare moment when it wasn't being worn. He was almost always in a few simple pieces of leather armor, and I saw what the dragon had pointed out right away. 

"Yes, that's armor. It's called a spaulder," I answered.

'I like it,' the dragon purred. 'I will be called Spaulder.'

I smiled, nearly giggling at the name but holding back. "Spaulder? Of course. I will call you Spaulder if you like it."

'I do,' he insisted. 'I was once a fierce weapon. I do not wish for that anymore. I wish to be protection now, for you and Schula.'

"And we will be with you, Spaulder. I won't let you be trapped and alone as long as I live. Never again."

Spaulder purred, laying his head back down. 'It is a deal, little one.'

I yawned again, snuggling deeper onto his side.

'Sleep well, little Wren,' Spaulder said.