Leodhais didn't say anything as he trudged behind his companions across the sunlit, granite moorland upon which The Stones stood scattered. In this world free from the Draconia's fog, he finally noticed their strangeness-- the standing stones didn't create one simple ring that he had been expecting to find, but several, at least three large, concentric circles.
However, his mind was so full of more pressing and disturbing thoughts that he didn't appreciate the portal as much as Gilderoy did-- he could see his friend chatting away to the dragon shifter, asking one curious question after another to which Peregrine replied patiently.
For the first time ever, Leodhais almost envied Gilderoy. He was jealous of the effect the dwarf had on people, of the simplicity of Gilderoy's future compared to his, his life free of the others' expectations and problems...
Leodhais sighed; he knew well that most of those problems he had created and brought upon himself. He let his eyes stroll to the first human dwellings dispersed in front of them-- a handful of unassuming stone cottages similar to those he had seen in some parts of Silmarea-- announcing the village Peregrine had mentioned. His thoughts strolled to Alaric and his expectations of Leodhais succeeding him on the throne, the expectations which his daughter was bound to form from the moment she found out that her father had sent him as her suitor, the worries he was pushing to the back of his mind but could never quite ignore concerning Auriel and her werewolves, and then the still very new, fascinating, unfathomable, all-obliterating feeling he had for Annwyn...
Peregrine's words pierced through the cloud spun of thoughts as thick and grey as Draconia's fog hanging above his head.
"Stop sulking, elf." His two companions stopped as they reached the village, and Leodhais, lost in thought, walked straight into Peregrine's outstretched arm. "Slow down. We're in the village, we are bound to meet some humans, and they would notice us running through like that. We need to look like tourists, not visitors from a parallel world."
Peregrine sighed when Leodhais' green eyes, wide with incomprehension, poured into his. "Never mind, you'll understand everything with time," he continued. "There's a small supermarket on the high road, let's get some food, so we can eat while we walk to the train station."
Leodhais nodded. Forcing himself to banish his thoughts until a later, more appropriate moment, he walked next to Gilderoy and, just like his friend, focused on his surroundings. Even the littlest part of this world and its inhabitants, which they had seen so far, was awe-inspiring.
"Why are they all looking at me and Gilderoy when it's you who looks nothing like them? Your clothes are all wrong for this place," he asked as he smiled and bowed his head gallantly to a couple of girls they passed as they walked up the high road, eyeing Gilderoy, then him, then giggling and blushing as he acknowledged their interest. Leodhais couldn't stop himself from turning after them-- they were dressed in the most revealing garments he had ever seen women wear in public, and he really appreciated the sight they offered...
"It's my kind of magic, elf." Peregrine said, snapping his fingers in Leodhais' face to gain his attention. "I suppose your tutors didn't tell you much about the Highland Dragons, but I thought Annwyn filled you in only too well." He stared at Leodhais for a moment, and when the elf only shook his head, he added, "The humans can't see me as clearly as they can see you two. They see a black-clad tall man, but the rest lies in their imagination, and it varies from person to person. It depends on their character how they perceive me. The same goes for my sword; some of them see it as an umbrella, others as a walking stick..."
"Umbrella?" Gilderoy asked even as they stopped in front of one of the stone cottages that lined the cobbled road on both sides, its ground floor walls replaced almost entirely by glass, a sign above the door which was charmed to open on its own whenever someone approached it declaring that they reached 'Minions' Minimarket'.
"Let's go in. I'll show you," Peregrine promised. "Just remember to interact with the people as little as possible. Choose something to eat, Alaric gave me more than enough money for this trip, then let us move on. It's a long walk to Liskeard's train station, and from there, some four hours to Paddington. And we still have no idea where in London the girl lives, I'll need you to guide us from the moment we get off the train, elf."
Leodhais nodded, and so did Gilderoy, the two friends too impatient to enter the 'Minimarket' to pay due attention to Peregrine's words.
Peregrine shook his head but didn't say anything. He had known that this quest wouldn't be easy, that accompanying an elf and a dwarf who had grown up spoiled and sheltered at Alaric's court into this world would be like looking after two children. But he owed Alaric, and, despite everything, he was almost enjoying this adventure. He inhaled deeply as he walked towards the glass door in front of them, his movement making it slide open for him as if by magic. This wasn't the first time Peregrine felt that he was getting old. He had seen and done too many things in his life, and if it wasn't for the remaining few of the Highland Dragons trying to track him down, he would just find a woman whom he could love and make happy, and have children, many children...
The cool air that enveloped his body upon walking through the strange door was pure magic, Gilderoy had not realised how hot he had felt outside until this moment. Apparently Leodhais did neither, as he, once they looked around and spotted other men clad in short sleeved shirts similar to those they wore, removed his cardigan and tied it around his waist just like one of the men they noticed at the other end of the large room crammed with shelves, which were stuffed with food wrapped in some strange material and weird objects he had never seen, organised in long, narrow alleys.
"We'll only get some food and drinks now. Let's not waste time with anything else here, I'm sure you'll have enough time to explore in London," Peregrine whispered his instructions, as he led the two towards a large, closed cupboard made entirely of glass. "These are sandwiches. It's bread, filled with anything you can think of, really. Read the label, choose, and meet me by the counter when you are done. I'll get us something to drink."
He opened the glass door, letting more cool air seep and coil around them, grabbed one of the small transparent triangles and, letting the door shut, he pointed at the piece of paper attached to the see-through box. 'Cheese and Cucumber', it informed in bold letters.
They watched him disappear among the shelves before turning back and looking at each other, shrugging their shoulders in unison. Gilderoy opened the glass door then, reading quickly through the labels, picking a 'Ham and Cheese', while Leodhais grabbed a 'Chicken Ceasar' labelled container.
Spotting Peregrine's head above the tall shelves, the elf led the way towards the counter where the dragon shifter was waiting for them, his arms full of packets, and bottles of different shapes, sizes and colours. He nodded towards the black, moving strip where he deposited the bottles and food, and the two followed his example, walking towards the door as they obeyed another silent nod while he paid.
The heat and brightness reigning beyond the shop's sliding door made them all recoil as they stepped outside.
"It's not as bad as it seems," Peregrine muttered encouragingly as he stuffed all the things he had bought, apart from the sandwiches which he distributed among them immediately, into his satchel. "It only feels warm because it was so much cooler inside. But we're in England, and it's just the beginning of the summer, it's bound to rain soon," he finished the sentence looking towards the sky, where, indeed, dark clouds had begun to gather while they had done their shopping.
The dragon shifter peeled the transparent wrapping off his triangular pieces of bread and threw it into the metal bucket placed outside the shop, the others following his example, before they walked in his wake into a narrow lane running between two houses and into the meadows skirting the gardens of the outermost houses of the small village, then a thinly grown wood which he called a park.
"Come on, this way," Peregrine urged them and Gilderoy pushed his legs into the fastest walk he was capable of to remain at his side as he asked, "Do all humans eat like this? This was the worst bread I've ever had; it didn't even taste like bread, not really."
Peregrine laughed, slowing down a little to distribute bottles of some dark liquid among them. "I promise I'll get you something better for dinner. Here, drink this, it will keep you going, and it's your first step towards caffeine before I let you try coffee. That's one thing the humans can do well; it's almost like magic..."
Leodhais, disappointed by his meal, raised his eyebrows in doubt but accepted the bottle nonetheless, removing the red lid and bringing the pellucid, red-labelled bottle to his nose. The liquid it contained smelled sweet and tempting, and it was full of bubbles. He took a swig, then another, letting the bubbly sweetness spread like a shot of energy through his body and mind before he admitted contentedly, "Well, this is good. Are you sure it's not magic?"