Brightheart

Chapter 3

Rustblade watched Brightheart climb the oak, dagger in hand. She found a suitable branch and began sawing at it with her dagger. When it came off, she threw it down and jumped down herself.
"What are you doing?" asked Rustblade.
"I'm going to carve a staff," replied Brightheart, laughing harshly. She grabbed her carving things from the cave and sat in the sunshine to carve. At the bottom she sharpened it, and at the top she carved the smaller branches she had left into a twining, patterned knot. As the day drew on, she smoothed everything and searched the gold piles for a jewel to fit into the knot. Rustblade helped to fit the jewel, then he scratched a mark into the wood and claimed the staff finished.

Brightheart returned from hunting just past sunset, and the girl and dragon ate. It would be their last meal together, since when the morning came Brightheart would leave. Brightheart had trouble sleeping, and woke throughout the night. At some point after the moon had set, Brightheart made no effort to continue sleeping, and instead stayed up while she and Rustblade sang old dragon songs of dragon lore. They sang the echoing songs of gold and jewels, of hunting in the night amongst flames, of sleeping for years beneath blankets of stone, of sometimes wishing for a friend, of the fierce pleasure of flying above the clouds in the starlight. When at last dawn came and the birds began their songs, Brightheart was loath to leave, but Rustblade had said she must. Brightheart packed her small collection of belongings into a small pack, carefully placing the tiara among her things.
"Dear one, go to the castle and stay there until you cannot learn more about the Dark Dragon or the werewolves and werecats. Stay there until you cannot learn any more moon spells," Rustblade instructed.
"Take care of yourself, Rustblade. I know you will want to sleep for the years, but you must stay awake for one month before you enter the dreaming realm. I will return to you one day. I will defeat those that made my life here by ruining it in the castle. I will be Ailith, but I will forever be your Brightheart, an untameable dragon princess," Brightheart promised, her eyes misty, as were Rustblade's.
"My Brightheart, my wild one, the Princess of Goldhalls, I bid you farewell," the dragon said.
"I also bid you farewell, and hope you heal fast and enjoy your sleep, my dragon of caverns and gold, the great Rustblade," replied the girl, and the two parted.

Brightheart trudged into the forest, staining her fingers with berry juice as she ate. The usual brightness and colours seemed dull and pale to her. By the time she reached the edge of the woods and the beginning of the fields, it was close to midday. Brightheart had been eating berries as she walked all morning, so she didn't bother about lunch. She took one last look around the forest, and stepped into the fields. She walked through the rows of wheat and corn, sometimes by the fences of paddocks that held cattle or sheep. As the westering sun dragged the day on, Brightheart continued past the town and up the hill to the castle.

A man-made moat surrounded the castle, and a drawbridge was held back over the water. The towers were tall, blackened with soot, and mostly covered with ivy. The air was thick with magic, and smelled so different from Brightheart's forest and caverns. Suddenly, a rough yet light voice called down and startled the girl. She gripped her staff tighter, curling her fingers out of habit, and looked up to see a man leaning over the battlements.

"Ho! What brings you here so late in the day?" he cried.
"I was told to come and learn," Brightheart replied, shading her eyes with a dusty hand.
"Then come. I'll take you to the headmaster, if you'll wait a minute," the man said, and he disappeared from sight. After a moment, chains began to grate in a similar way to Rustblade's growls. Brightheart gripped her staff and straightened her dragon's scale. A moment more, and the drawbridge was lowered.
"There you go," the man smiled, and Brightheart crossed into the castle. "So, where did you hear about us?"
"A dragon told me," Brightheart answered, deciding that she would say as little as possible about who she was. The pair walked through the stone halls, Torin slightly in front as he lead Brightheart.
"And oh!, how rude of me. Let's begin again. My name is Torin," he introduced himself.
"I'm Brightheart," she replied.
"That's a strange name. Any reason to it?" Torin asked.
"I have a bright heart. It's a dragon name," Brightheart explained.
"Do... you have a normal name?" Torin hesitated, and Brightheart shook her head.

Then they came upon a door, and Torin knocked.
"Come in," a voice said, the pair entered the room. The headmaster sat in an old armchair at a desk.
"Ah, Torin. Who is this, may I ask?" the headmaster inquired.
"I'm Brightheart. I've come to learn wizardry," Brightheart answered, and the headmaster nodded.
"Well, I'm Riverrune. You've come to the right place. I'll find you a dorm and help you settle in tonight," Riverrune said.
"Isn't that a dragon name?" Brightheart frowned.
"It's nice I think. Anyway, you must be hungry. Come on, I show you to the dinning hall," Riverrune avoided a proper answer, then stood and led Torin and Brightheart out of the room. Torin followed for a little while, then turned down a different path, back to the drawbridge.

As Riverrune and Brightheart walked, warm aromas drifted through the corridors, as did cheerful chatter. At last they entered a huge hall where a few hundred students sat eating. Several looked their way when they appeared in the doorway, wondering at Brightheart's wild hair, nervous face, and her beautiful staff. Riverrune searched the crowd for an empty seat, and pointed one out when he found one. Brightheart kept her head down as she walked between the rows of tables, gripping her staff tightly. At last she found the seat and sat, keeping the staff close and out of the way.
"Hi, I'm Kyra. Are you new?" asked a girl across from Brightheart, and she gave a timid nod before introducing herself.
"This may sound strange, but you don't look as if you've ever been among, well, humans very much. Where do you come from?" Yes, there were so many humans about Brightheart, and it was strange to her. And Kyra had asked one of the questions Brightheart didn't want to have to answer.
"I come from under the mountain and through the forest," Brightheart replied slowly, unsure where it would lead and what Kyra would make of it.
"Oh, you mean from the old dwarf city in the Stonefells?"
"No, I mean under the mountain and through the forest," Brightheart repeated, trying to focus on not being her dragon self. Her eyes wandered to a bowl of soup.
"You must be hungry, if you came all that way today, wherever from. Here, have my bread, I don't want it," Kyra smiled, offering the role of bread.

It was still a little warm from the ovens. Brightheart took it, and turned it over and over as she examined it. It was crispy on the outside, smelt amazing, and was soft when Brightheart bit into it. She devoured it, and Kyra served her some soup with another bread roll. Brightheart dipped her fingers in, and when she found it to be liquid, she frowned and licked her fingers before doing it again.
"There is a spoon," Kyra laughed, pointing it out, "And you might need a napkin too." Brightheart wiped her fingers on the napkin and picked up the spoon. She held it upright and dipped it in, but of course that failed. Kyra showed Brightheart how to use her spoon, and once she had it mastered the soup and bread role quickly vanished. The girls chattered for a while, before Riverrune walked up to the stage and called for silence.
"Most of you would have noticed someone walking past the tables earlier. I'd like for you all to give Brightheart a very warm welcome-" the students erupted into cheers and applause, and when they settled, Riverrune continued, "and if you have her in your classes please make an effort to say hello. Out of the three houses, – Liraly, Taurinou, and Atunfe – she will be in Liraly. Thank you." About a third of the students erupted again, some whooping, and overall causing a commotion that made Brightheart anxious.

"Come on, let's ask Riverrune whose dorm you're in," Kyra said, and took Brightheart by the hand, dragging her through the crowd to the doorway. Brightheart grabbed her bundle and staff, and hurried after Kyra. Riverrune was watching from the doorway, beckoning to Brightheart. She somehow made her way to the pair without being shoved too much.
"What's Liraly?"
"Liraly is the house you're in. It has a copper birch leaf as its symbol," replied Kyra as Riverrune turned and led the girls to the Eastern Tower.
"Lady Lavender will find you a dorm," said Riverrune when they reached the Tower. Kyra groaned.
"Why Lady Livy? Wouldn't Rosie be better right now?" Brightheart looked to Kyra then Riverrune.
"Maybe, but Lady Rosemary is busy right now," Riverrune answered, and Kyra sighed. "Lady Lavender, can you please find Brightheart a dorm?" A moment later, the door opened and Lady Lavender led Brightheart and Kyra up the stairs.