Excerpt: Dragons of Aneirin

They walked the rest of the way back to the inn in silence.
Once they were safely in their rooms, Sylvie whispered, “Why did you do that?”

“I didn’t want to be revealed just yet. Amelia is so sure I am the one from the prophecy, I had to throw her off the trail.”

“But she thinks you’re a man who likes men,” she whispered even more quietly.

“That’s okay - she’ll stop looking at me now. She thinks she knows the mystery, so I’ll just be another person to her. But, I still want you to give that tooth to Rowan. I don’t hear him next door, so maybe he’s downstairs with everyone else. Just go down there and find him.”

“What? In the middle of all that drunken singing? You’re the boy - you go down there,” Sylvie said.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” Ember said. Sylvie dug the handkerchief-wrapped tooth out of her purse and handed it to Ember.

“Okay, I’ll be back in just a little while, unless I get wrangled into one of those bar songs,” Ember said and snuck out of their room.

As she walked down the stairs she spotted Rowan in the back of the main room with Char and Bracken, all saluting each other with large mugs of ale. Now, how to get Rowan away from them? She decided just to go grab an empty seat at the bar, which was about ten feet away from the rowdy table.

Ember ordered an ale, so as not to cause suspicion and hummed along with the bar songs for a few moments. Then Rowan looked up and spotted her and came over.

“So, you escorted my mother and Sylvie back just fine?” he asked. He didn’t seem too far gone yet.

“Yes, they are both safely back in their rooms,” Ember said.

“Yes, this sort of scene is not the place for a lady, is it?” he asked and clapped Ember on the back.

“No, not really,” she said, “but my lady did ask me to give you something.”

“Really? Will it be some sort of clue as to who she is? Not that I really need one - I know she’s Sylvie’s cousin, I just haven’t met her yet.”

“It’s just something she wanted to give you, whether or not you find her before tomorrow night,” Ember said and pulled out the handkerchief.

“Oh, what a pretty handkerchief,” he said and set his drink down to unwrap it. He held up the red-stained tooth and inspected it. “A dragon’s tooth?” he asked.

“Yes, she found it as a child,” she said.

“It’s been stained, but the point is missing,” he said staring at it. Then he turned it around and stared at it. “My eyes are playing tricks on me,” he said, “One moment the tip is missing and the next it is there, but it is white, not stained.” He kept turning it around.

“What do yo mean?” Ember asked. She wondered if his drunkenness was helping him to see the tooth or hindering him.

He held the root of the tooth and stared at it. “If I hold it just so, like this, then I can see the tip of the tooth. But if I just hold it in my hand then it fades away. Is this some sort of trick?” he asked.

“No, Rowan, Ember found this when she was a small child and it has been her lucky charm. She just wanted you to have it thinking it might help you find her,” Ember said and took a small drink of ale.

“Well, it makes my head hurt. You can give it back to her - let her keep her good luck charm. Who says I even want to find her?” he said. Ember had to remember Rowan was not in his clear mind and so took the dragon tooth back without a word. Perhaps she should have waited for another time to give it to him, but she found out what she needed to know. He was in fact a dragonseer and just didn’t know it.

Once she put it away Rowan put his arm around her and tugged her off the stool.

“You should come over here with the men and drink with us,” he said, “You spend too much time with your ladies. Come, sing with us!” he said and grabbed her ale.

She knew she should refuse, but she didn’t feel like being in a quiet room at that moment. So, she followed him back to the table.

“Gentlemen,” Rowan said, “I think we should allow this young lad to join us for awhile.”

Char spit out his drink and Bracken laughed.

“What’s the matter men?” Rowan asked. “He spends too much time with the ladies - he needs to hear our stories of triumph!”

Ember gave Char a look that said be quiet. Then said, “I won’t crash your party - I’ll just stay for a short while. I’m sure my father has chores for me to do to prepare for tomorrow’s feast,” she said.

Char was not as drunk as he appeared. He was a knight of honor and made certain he was always alert, which was the reason Ember always brought him along. Bracken, on the other hand, was drunk. Ember sat down between Bracken and Rowan.

“A toast to the second-best archer in the country!” Rowan said and lifted his mug to Ember. She raised hers with everyone else’s and they all drank. Ember tried not to swallow too much - she didn’t really care for ale. Her small swallow hit her stomach and sat there like a rock. She was glad she had at least just eaten a good meal.

“A man of your stature needs something he is better at than most men,” Rowan continued. “And why haven’t you a girl on your arm?”

Bracken laughed so hard he had to spit out his ale. Char stomped on his foot. Bracken tried to recompose himself.

“Friend,” Rowan said to Bracken, “you are so far gone you may not be able to find your own bed this night,” he said. Then he clanked his mug with Bracken’s. “So, Thedanson, where’s your girl?”

Ember leaned back in her chair, crossed her feet under the table and said, “I don’t have time for a lover right now, not with having to escort Sylvie and her cousin on these small adventures. I’m not in a hurry to find anyone just yet - I’ll find my mate in due time,” she said.

“Here, here!” Rowan cheered, “Who needs women when there are contests to be won and ale to drink?”