Scarlet
3 days later
I sat up in Aaron's bed, which is where I had been recovering for the past days. Everyday the nurses would come in and replace the bandages on my wounds. The cuts made by the talons of the rogue where starting to heal. My stomach had 3 slashes on them from when the rogue picked me up. My arms, legs, and my stomach were wrapped in bandages. Not even my armor could protect me from that. Oh yeh my armor and my bow. I thought.
"Hey Aaron." I say to him. Aaron was sitting at the desk in his room. He was probably catching up on all the work he hadn't done while he was saving me.
"Yeah?" He answers back looking up from his desk.
"Did you find my armor and bow by any chance?" I know the armor could be replaced but I had really grown attached to that bow. The bow that ember gave to me all that time ago.
"Oh yeh! I forgot about that. I found them outside of a cave. I knew it was yours and I had Ember take it." He tells me. I felt some relief knowing that it was safe.
"How are you feeling?" Aaron asks standing up from his desk and walking over to my bed side. He pours some water into my empty glass.
"Amazing, your medical staff sure do know how to take care of everything." I respond. The smaller burns and scrapes were almost completely healed. I still injuries but they were mostly the bigger burns and cuts. I remained mostly in bed because any big movements caused pained.
"I'm glad." Aaron says and hand me the glass. I stared down at the glass for a moment before speaking up.
"Thanks Aaron... For getting me out of that terrible place and for taking care of me too." I said with gratitude. When the medical staff were gone Aaron was the one that brought me food and helped me everything. My body was still weak and it wasn't until this morning were my hands strong enough to hold a cup. Up until today's someone had to feed me and most of the time that was Aaron. I needed help to walk. Thank god Aaron was here otherwise I couldn't do anything.
"Yeh no problem Scarlet." He says with a smile. For some reason I thought about the first time we met. The arrow I had shot and landed in front of him. I must of had a funny look on my face because Aaron said something about it.
"Why are you smiling?" Aaron asks.
"I'm thinking about the first time we met." I say. Aaron laughed.
"I made a pretty horrible first impression." Aaron says.
"Yeh, you attacked me."
"To be fair I thought your dragon was going to eat me." I laughed at that comment.
"Remember when I took you flying for the first time?" I chuckled, "You were terrified."
"I was thousands of feet above the ground, how could I not be terrified?" Aaron exclaims.
"You've gotten used to flying though right?" I ask. He seemed pretty comfortable when we were flying back on Ember.
"Kind of." He responds thinking back. Then a certain though popped into my head. I really wanted to know though.
"Aaron... Do you hate me for killing your father?" I ask timidly. I look down at my hands nervously.
"I did." He starts. "I did hate you. It didn't really sink in until after you had left. I blamed you, it took me a year to realize everything my father had done. All of the lying and manipulating. He corrupted my life and the society. He was a terrible father and person. I don't hate you, I can't blame you either." Aaron answers. I feel like a weight was lifted.
"What about your parents? Are you going to see them?"Aaron asks me. At first I was shocked he would ask. I hated them, so much. I'm not sure if I still do though. My father betrayed me out of fear. They feared me as if I were something that should be put down.
Something that wasn't human.
"When I was with the rouge, I thought I was going to die. I thought I wasn't ever going to come back. I don't know if I could die knowing how I left things with my parents." I say." Umm... How are they?"
"Your father still work with the society. You're mom has become a well known chef too." Aaron answers. I smile knowing that they're doing well.
"Do you think they would want to see me?" I ask. I don't think I've been so uncertain about anything.
"I'm sure they would. You've been gone for awhile and a lot can change in years you were gone."
"Okay. I'll pay them a visit soon."
.....
I was really nervous, I was less nervous when I lead a prison break. To think my parents would make me lose my cool.
Aaron and I were flying on Bullet. She was on patrol and I asked her to fly us to my house. Aaron had helped me get onto bullet since I could only move so much. Up ahead I could see my house. I told Bullet to land in the tree line, so we didn't freak out the neighbors.
We landed in a small clearing a few yards aways from the tree line. Very careful I slid off of Bullet. I stood leaning on tree for support.
"Thanks Bullet." I say. She nods and take off again. I breathe deeply and look up to the sky.
"You ready?" Aaron asks. I nod my head. I turn towards my house and take a step forward, but as soon as I do I wobble and Aaron has to catch me from falling over.
"Come on, I got you." Aaron says and steadies me. I walk but I have to lean on Aaron for support. Slowly but surely we make it to my front door. I know both will be home today. My father is off of work and my mother will take off when my father has a break.
"Here we go." Aaron says he knocks on the door. I stand behind him and look over his shoulder. I can hear my parents inside. The door swings open and I see my father. He wasn't really changed, his features remain the same expect now he has more white and gray hair.
"Mr.Alaric, to what do I owe this pleasure?" My father asks using his formal tone he only reserved for people that work above him and sometimes my mother.
"Well..." Aaron trails off and my father takes notice of me. His eyes go wide and his jaw hangs. I take a shaky step forward.
"Hi dad." I say with a small smile on my face.
"Scarlet what are you doing here?" My dad asks startled.
"I was in the neighborhood, I thought I would drop by." I say. I don't have to look at Aaron to know he's smiling and shaking his head.
"John!" My mother calls from inside the house. "Who's at the...door." My mother appears in hallway and sees me and Aaron. She walks forward and stands next to my dad. She looks at me as if I'm a ghost. I can't blame her though.
"Can I come in?" I ask. My dad and mom step aside and nod. Aaron helps me walk through the door and into the living room. My parents follow closely behind me and whisper. I can tell they're trying to be extra quiet but with my hearing I can hear what they are saying.
"I didn't think scarlet would come to see us." My father says.
"I thought she still hated us." My mother replies. Aaron places me on the couch.
"Why is she with Mr.Alaric?" My speaks again in a soft voice.
"I don't know." My father responds.
"My room is the first door on the right. I want to take to my parents alone please." I tell him and he nods mouths 'good luck'. Aaron leaves and it's just me and my parents now.
"How are you guys?" I ask them. My mother and father sit down across from me.
"We're good, what happened to you?" My mother says looking at my arms and other visible scars.
"I was kidnapped and got hurt but I'm healing now. Anyway I came back because I didn't want to leave things unsettled. If you want I can leave right now..." I say trailing off at the end. My mother gets up and hugs me.
"I'm sorry Scarlet." She says and I hear her crying. "I'm so sorry." I hug her back my muscles protest but I wrap my arms around her.
"It's okay." I tell her. She sits down next to me. Holds my hand. I look over to my dad. He sits with his head in his hands.
"Dad are you okay?" I ask, I get no response.
"Dad?" I question again fearing the worse is yet to come. The silence is killing me. Suddenly my father takes a deep breath and looks at me with teary eyes.
"Can you ever forgive me?" He asks."After everything I've done?" With my shaky legs I stand and go over to me father.
"I wouldn't be here if I hadn't come to terms with what happened." I tell him. He stands up and engulfs me in a hug. My muscles were sore from the movement but I couldn't care less. My father breaks away and looks at me.
"You've grown up to be a fine woman." He says. I smile even bigger. "I knew I made a mistake but by the time I realized that you were gone. I searched for you but you were gone without a trace."
"Yeah I left to live with the dragons they needed me and I needed them." I say. I notice that my parents still look nervous whenever I say dragons. They looked scared.
"Are you scared of me?" I ask. I really wanted an honest answer. I hoped that they changed and after the years I've been gone that we could be a family once again.
"No we aren't afraid honey." My mom says. It almost broke me. I listened to their hearts they quickened when I asked the question and my moms heart speed up when she answered. They were scared of me.
"I understand why you would fear me." Is all I say. The look on their faces changes.
"How did you-" My mom begins.
"I can hear your heart beat." I simply say. "Like I said I get why you fear me. I live with dragons, I fight among them, and I lead them."
"Scarlets it's not the are afraid of you... We just can't trust dragons that's all." My dad says.
"Dragons are kind, they are not like you think." I explain. "They've become my family. They protect me because I'm one of them."
"They protect you and show you kindness because you are a dragon rider would they do the same for us? Regular people?" My dad asks. I know my dragons mean well but they have rough history with humans and some of the dragons still bear a bit of resentment.
"They would, I'm sure they would." I answer. No matter the past the dragons have with humans they wouldn't leave them unprotected.
"Only if you told them too though right?" My mother says with a sad look upon her face.
"How can we trust them after everything that's happened. The dragons will only protect you and listen to you but everyone else is fair game right?" My father questions. I know he means every word he says.
"I beg to differ." Aaron says from the hallway. He appears in the living room and faces my parents.
"I've seen the dragons. I'm friend with one in fact. Of all the people they would want to hurt it would be me. I've killed their friends and family and yet I was treated kindly. Scarlet brought the dragons together and she made them believe in the human race. Before they thought of us as something to avoid but they are help the society they are protecting us." Aaron states. At first I was shocked that Aaron would come to my defense. Then I realized that he wasn't the same person I met back in the woods and that I should stop thinking he is.
"I know it will take some time to get used to but I want us to be able to not fear one another. Do you think we could that?" I say.
"You're right it's going to take some getting used to but for you we will try our hardest." My dads says and my mom nods. I let out a sigh of relief knowing that parents were going to try to change their thoughts on dragons.
"Thank you." I say putting things simply. I hug them both and sit back down slightly lightheaded.
"Wait a minute did you say something about getting kidnapped?!?" My mother says wide eyed.
"Uhh yeh...." I answer and my mother goes off asking 20 questions. I really missed my parents and now I've got them back.