They were still bleeding the dragon in the early evening.
The benefits of monster blood were researched back thousands of years to the time of the elves, it was one of the few records that had survived, a book written by somebody with a name nobody could ever remember because it was long and strange to them. There were still elves, some would be in the capital on occasion but they usually stuck to the Rhineland, the little bit of land they had managed to hold onto before humans ruled Dim-Eden.
Leyden had taken Morrigan back out to the scene. He wasn't afraid, he'd fought in the Goblin War with Larian when Dim-Eden drove the invaders back to Grimsever where they still were. That was the only war Morrigan had seen in her lifetime, but not the only battle. Leyden collected some of the blood which nearly made Morrigan laugh considering he was always talking about how full of falsehoods soothsayers and the superstitious were.
"They say dragon's blood can cure most ailments," Leyden said, filling a canteen.
A bell rang four times and everyone at the lake turned their attention to the open gate. A few of the scavengers went immediately to see what was going on and Leyden handed Morrigan the knife and started off with them.
"Give it a try," he said. She didn't want him to go, she didn't want anything to do with the dragon.
The Queen was holding up a piece of paper for all to see up on the castle steps. It was some sort of royal order, a decree and she addressed the accumulating crowd, referencing it.
"As many of you saw, the dragons have returned, and they have our King. An enemy we thought long gone forever is holding my husband prisoner!
She waited for some loud chatter to end before starting again.
With strategist Archymides, and Prince Larian, a plan has been devised to free Erimon, with the threat of another attack on the capital so strong, especially after the King felled one of their own, we cannot spare soldiers, so we are asking for volunteers to venture on a quest to Siladrin."
Galian had expected there to be a great deal of chatter about such a dangerous mission, but people sounded angry, for a moment she wanted to flee because she thought a mob would form.
"The ledger you see here will be placed in the castle's main hall. All who sign it will be considered for the job, and those chosen will be rewarded so they never have to work another day in their lives. I understand the dangers this poses. The King may be dead, you may die on this mission, but we cannot sit by and do nothing, and I hope many will consider signing this document. Your Kingdom thanks you, I thank you."
She bowed her head a bit and went inside. Leyden crossed his arms and thought.
Morrigan cut into the dragon's hide, near its head where the dead eyes were. Blood flew and hit her in the face and got in her freshly brushed dark hair and she closed her eyes, wincing, she thought she might cry but staved off the feeling, she didn't want to embarrass herself. She heard a girl speak but didn't see her.
"Here," she sounded young, when Morrigan looked at her though she thought she had to be a few years older than her, maybe twenty. Her smile was white, she had reddish-brown hair and green eyes, she almost looked like she imagined her mother would have when she'd been younger. Morrigan had never seen her before, had no reason to trust her, but accepted the washcloth, it was just a washcloth after all and she used it to wipe some of the blood off her face but didn't get it all. Morrigan was shy, she hadn't gone out much since the incident, even before that though she'd never been one to look someone directly in the eye, she still found herself hiding behind her father in circumstances that made her uncomfortable, such as meeting new people. Still, the young woman was not very threatening and Morrigan liked her right away.
"I'm Cara," she said, her smile still there. Morrigan wondered how she got her teeth so white. Morrigan smiled politely, because she knew that's what people generally did when they introduced themselves.
"Morrigan," she responded, her voice low.
She offered the cloth back but Cara waved it off, "I think it's yours now."
Of course it is, how stupid of me, Morrigan thought, she felt the sense of embarrassment she'd hoped to avoid and questioned her intelligence. She felt Cara studying her face, she didn't see her eyes but figured she was judging her.
"Dragon's blood is supposed to make your skin glow, though yours is already very nice."
Morrigan laughed, and that brought laughter from Cara too. She realized she hadn't collected any of the blood and scooped some up in her canteen from the water. Cara cut into the beast and blood hit her clothes because she was a few inches taller than Morrigan. She didn't react very much, Morrigan wished she could be like that more often.
"Have you been in the capital long?" Cara asked, focusing on her work.
Morrigan was hoping the conversation would have ended, that Cara would have ignored her from then on out, she didn't know what to do in long talks, didn't know the right way to stand, she put a hand on the dragon's side, "about five years now, I grew up in Baile Mor."
Baile Mor... She hadn't named the place out loud in a long time, she heard screams in the back of her mind, more clear than they had been the night before, but the dragon hadn't really come to the farms, they were clear on the other side of the castle, she couldn't even see Siladrin very well on most days.
"Oh yeah? I've heard of it. Smaller town, huh?"
"Only about a hundred people." She felt herself relax, she wished all people were as easy to talk to as Cara, and she'd only just met her. She didn't seem to cast judgement, there weren't long pauses where she could think about how stupid the thing she previously said was.
"Why'd you move here?"
Morrigan saw the goblins, back in the house she'd grown up in, they were just the vanguard though, the orcs had the torches.
"My Father fought in the Goblin war, early on, after my, mother and sister..."
Cara's smile she always wore was cast off, there was nothing disingenuous about her frown either. "I'm sorry."
"After they died, he went to Grimsever where the war was won, and when he got back we were offered premium farmland here."
"Again. Sorry about your family."
"Thanks. In truth I don't even know exactly what killed them, just that there was fire, I saw orcs and goblins, my father must have killed twenty of them that night."
"Was it a dragon?"
Was it? She'd considered it before but if her father knew he never told her, she had never even seen one last Tuesday. "I don't know," Morrigan reiterated and shook her head.
They worked quietly for a bit longer, watching other people work too. Not all had gone to investigate the tolling of the bells, some were filling huge buckets and focused on nothing else.
"What about you? You been here long?" Morrigan asked.
"Not long, no, I've been studying at the Golden College."
"You have magic?" Morrigan asked, she felt some anxiety set in but it didn't overwhelm her, rather it lingered, just reminding her that not all people are safe to be around just because they seem to be. Cara seemed annoyed by the question and Morrigan worried something she'd said had ruined yet another potential friendship.
"My parents think I have special powers or something. Never levitated, or shot flames out of my eyes," she said, cutting into a particularly tough scale and then she snickered to herself.
Morrigan was relieved the frustration wasn't directed at her. "The first year I was here there was an explosion there."
"Yeah there were plenty of history lessons on the first day, seemed there was a name attached to everything that had ever gone wrong, don't be like this person and so on and so forth."
"Do you like it there?"
"Not really. Like I said, I can't really do anything. I spend most of my time in the library, Dim-Eden's history is entertaining, and brief."
Morrigan was done, she couldn't fill her canteen anymore but still she lingered. She was intrigued by Cara with every new word, how she spoke like an outlander.
"Dragons are rare where I'm from but goblins and orcs aren't. Nice to get away from all that for a while. I read once that Elves here had tamed the dragons but I don't believe it. There's nothing about that here."
Morrigan's eyes briefly drifted to the castle, she wondered why her father hadn't returned yet.
Leyden stared down at the ledger, his arms stretching against the podium in the center of the main hall. He almost signed it several times but put the quill down each time and he didn't even hear the people getting annoyed in line behind him.
"I would appoint you commander," he heard a smooth voice say and knew who it belonged to right away, it sounded more elegant echoing in the hall. Leyden looked up and saw the Queen beside the line and stepped away to the relief of the men and women behind him. Leyden bowed to her and she motioned for him to walk with her.
"Or at least reinstate you as Lieutenant," Galian added.
"It's good to see you again, your grace."
"Good to see you too. I know Erimon were here and the mission was rescuing me, he'd also choose you without considering anyone else."
Leyden had been thinking about it for an hour. He had a daughter, she needed him, and he wanted to do nothing but protect her. But it wouldn't be the first time he had to leave her for a while and she was entering adulthood, she had to learn to live on her own, utilizing those windows where she had to experience things for herself was important, especially in a world of such uncertainty, one without long enough periods of peace.
"How's the Prince?" Leyden asked, changing the subject to avoid giving into her seduction and making a spur of the moment decision.
"Disappointed he won't be leading the rescue mission, but I believe he understand she can't be risked in such an endeavour," she indulged him.
"Of course," internally he philosophized on why it was okay for him to risk his life, even encouraged, while the Prince was guarded like an expensive gem but he quelled the brief intrusion.
"And how is your lass? Can't say I've seen her get out much."
Leyden sighed, "I know. She stays in her room all day most days. She's never been outgoing but I still worry, she's never been the same since that night."
"And you?"
"I suppose the same can be said for me. But all I can do is to keep trying to make the world a bit better for her."
"That really is all we can do as parents."
Leyden nodded and glanced at the ledger.
"You don't have to sign your name, if it's the commitment you fear. I only need your word, and that must come soon but you can think on it a while longer, even if it comes down to the last minute."
"It's not fear, your grace, it's obligation. I love being a soldier more than I like to admit, it's just, my family is all I've got left now..."
"As I said, think it over some more."
Leyden took a deep breath, the racing thoughts made him feel like he would faint.
--
It had been months since they'd seen such a bright sunset. Morrigan and Cara returned to the city, both carrying baskets with canteens in them.
"It was nice to meet you, Morrigan."
Morrigan turned her head to her and smiled and nodded. "You too."
She didn't see the Prince coming and they collided. When she saw who it was, when she saw his irritation, all the confidence she'd built up from her talk with Cara vanished like it was never there. She wished Cara was still there too.
"Watch where you're going!" His voice made her jump, when he really looked at her though is tone softened. She was bowing excessively saying sorry without speaking as she gathered her canteens back into the basket.
"Here, let me help," the Prince said, and he reached forward and put the last canteen back in for her. They rose, Larian still interested in talking to her more. Her eyes were on her shoes, her heart thumped in her chest.
"Need any help carrying those back?" He asked. She was afraid because he was speaking to her, she wasn't afraid about some sort of royal punishment.
"No, I can handle it," she wished she'd thanked him.
"No, no, I insist, a pretty thing like you shouldn't be out by yourself."
Pretty? She had certainly never thought that about herself, she'd never heard anyone else say it about her either. Her older sister had always been the pretty one, the one boys went home dreaming about. She wanted to get away, so she fled, but she didn't get far, the Prince laughed and grabbed her arm and it felt like her body shut down on her, not her mind though, her mind never shut off.
"What's the rush? I just wanna talk."
She slapped him, but it was like her hand moved on its own. She had never done anything like that before, she'd never thrown a punch, even when she was a small child but her mind told her to do it, that she had to deter the threat in some way. Larian laughed and she smelled alcohol.
"Hitting a Prince is grounds for execution."
Larian got one hand on his waist, but knowing he was probably drunk, her mind told her to push him so she did. He coughed upon impact with the ground and she was able to get away then. She thought he could summon a force and seek her out, chop her head off, that didn't sound good, but when she didn't see him anymore, when she felt a bit of freedom, she thought logically, he probably wouldn't even remember the encounter and he certainly wouldn't be able to remember what she looked like. Her head was safe, at least for now.
Leyden had set a bowl of stew for Morrigan and it had been sitting there untouched long enough to make him worry. He nearly fell out of his chair when she walked in with the basket. He wanted to ask her where she'd been but instead just motioned to the bowl on the table, still steaming, if he was to leave her, trust in her to take care of herself, he would have to treat her like she was capable of it.
"Should still be warm."
Morrigan set the basket down by the fireplace, it was hot in the room and the fire made it hotter, he usually kept it on a little longer after cooking though, just in case he wanted to make more, she wanted to put it out then but was hungry so she sat at the table. A bit of potato hit the floor and she heard a collar jingle and enthusiastic licking, she smiled and that fact almost shocked Leyden.
"Wish I could see that smile more often," he reached down and stroked the dog's fur, the medium sized bloodhound, Sandril, whose tail was creating a small windstorm, since a bit had fell, he expected more, felt he was entitled to it, Leyden had to stop him from getting in his lap.
Morrigan shook her head and her eyes went to the bowl. "There isn't much to smile about anymore."
Leyden felt butterflies invade his stomach, regret. "There's food, wealth, a father that would kill to keep you safe. There are three things right there."
Sandril stepped up on Leyden's lap and he petted him fiercely. "Sandril, there's four. Plenty of things to smile about." He pushed the dog off again. He was hoping for a reaction but she didn't even look up. He was disappointed as he'd hoped to ease into giving her the news. There was no easy path, so he just told her the truth.
"You're aware that the Queen has asked for volunteers to go and rescue the King, right?"
She subtly nodded, he continued, not without reluctance thought.
"She's asked for a commander,"
Morrigan could tell what was going on, she grew angry, setting the bowl down and wiping her mouth with a look of consternation.
"You're leaving?" She sounded to be in disbelief.
Leyden rose, shaking his head, he didn't know why he stood up after doing it. "Not 'leaving' just doing my duty." It sounded ridiculous even to him.
"You're not in the army anymore!"
"We need a King!" He hadn't wanted to raise his voice, and though he didn't scream it was just enough to upset her. He moved towards her hoping to hug her but she pushed off and moved out of reach bringing a sigh from him.
"Needs to be done," he said to himself, but out loud so she could hear too, he wished he could better explain his conflict about the situation.
She knew the answer to her next question but asked it anyway. "Why can't they send Prince Larian?" Because he's an oaf!
"You know he's the only child of the King and Queen, the Queen is not willing to risk the only heir to the throne."
Morrigan rolled her eyes, the proper answer sounded like a joke.
"Am I to fend for myself then? What am I supposed to do?"
Leyden felt like the biggest piece of shite in the world. Morrigan's concerns were real, they weren't passive aggressive attempts to shame him or make him feel the way he felt. His hesitation made her leave again, she stormed out and slammed the door, bringing a bark from Sandril. The old soldier sat in front of the fireplace and sweated even more. He stretched his legs out in front of him. Sandril went with him, at least his dog would always love him.