Ch 6 Sara

Kyle feels her, wild and free, far to the south, but close enough that he could be to her now. Sighing deeply he decides not to, despite the longing for it in his heart.

"Long way from home?" Kyle looks up to find an old man and a child he hadn't noticed come up.

"In a way, it hasn't been finalized." Kyle sighs softly.

"Hasn't been finalized?" The child says softly, looking from Kyle to the old man, "What's that mean?"

"I haven't married the woman I love yet, I'm going to the north to find a relative of mine."

"But mister, if you love her, why haven't you married her?" The girl asks, swinging her skirt softly, "My momma says that love should always come first."

"I'm going to find my grandfather for advice, you see, she's a princess."

"How will your grandfather help? I thought only a prince could marry a princess?"

"That is the normal rule."

"Are you hungry mister? My grandma's making venison stew tonight, you could join us if you want to…"

"I'd like that." Kyle smiles.

"Yay!" She smiles and takes his hand, pulling him and her grandfather along as she skips, "If you want you can also stay the night, grandpa says it's going to rain tonight."

"Ah, rain." Kyle chuckles.

"So will you stay mister?"

"Of course." He smiles at her grandfather, "If it's alright with him."

"He can stay can't he grandpa? He's all alone out here, and it's supposed to rain tonight…" She pouts softly, looking to her grandfather with huge doe-like eyes.

"Of course he can stay darling." Her grandfather chuckles.

Kyle smiles as they walk up to a simple one story cottage with a cobblestone base and rough log walls. There's also a beautiful front garden with a light burning in the front window. As they approach the cottage an elderly woman opens the door, and smiles at them.

"I see you brought a friend home Sara," She says kindly as they approach, "It's always nice to meet new people."

"Hello there." Kyle smiles.

"Please come in," She smiles, "My name is Bethany and this is my husband Glenn. Sara why don't you run in and set a place for your new friend?"

"Okay grandma!" Sara smiles brightly, running inside.

"You two best go wash your hands now." Bethany says, smiling, "By the way, what do we call you?"

"My name is Kyle." Kyle says as he and Glenn enter the cottage, he follows Glenn through the front room and into a kitchen. Glenn goes to the sink and turns the water on before lathering his hands with soap. Kyle waits for Glenn to move and take a small hand towel before he moves to the sink and does the same thing.

"Dinner is ready!" Sara's voice calls for them. Kyle and Glenn go into the small dining room, at a small oak table they see four places set. Glenn sits beside Bethany, leaving the seat between Sara and himself open for Kyle. Thunder rumbles outside as Kyle picks up a rustic spoon and Bethany ladles the stew into wooden bowls.

"Thank you for the meal grandma." Sara says as Bethany places the bowl in front of her.

"Your quite welcome sweetheart." Bethany smiles.

"Mister Kyle would you like some bread to go with your stew?" Sara asks as she picks up a roll from a platter in the center of the table.

"That would be lovely." Kyle smiles smiles.

"I baked them myself this morning." She smiles proudly as she hands him a roll.

"Well, then they should be extra good."

"Oh they-" A sudden clash of thunder drowns out her words then. Sara's face turns pale as she jumps in her seat.

"The storm will pass as all do." Bethany smiles softly at the child who nods anxiously, her fingers white on her spoon.

"Would you like to hear a story?" Kyle asks her, smiling kindly.

"Uh-huh." Sara smiles and nods.

"Well then let me tell you the story of the fairy princess." Kyle begins, grinning softly. "Her name was Sara, and she lived in a beautiful castle surrounded by lush gardens, filled with flowers and butterflies.

"Now usually the weather in Sara's kingdom was as bright and warm as she was. But one day the clouds were low in the sky, and a loud rumbling noise filled the air." Sara stared at him in wide eyed wonder as he continued. "But Princess Sara was not afraid of the noise, instead she went out to discover what it was."

"What was it...?" Sara whispered softly.

"Well Princess Sara looked around and saw nothing. At first she thought it was nothing at all, but then she heard the noise again. The noise was coming from the low hanging clouds.

"So princess Sara decided to fly up and see what was going on. She flew higher than she'd ever flown before, higher than her highest towers, until she came to the edge of the clouds. The princess stood atop the clouds and looked around, from up there she could hear a soft crying. Being a kind and gentle princess, she went toward the sound and what she found amazed her.

"It was a large red Dragon, laying down and licking at its leg. The princess inched closer and asked the Dragon 'Sir why do you cry?'" Sara giggled softly when Kyle spoke in a high falsetto. Then in a deeper tone he said, "'Because I have a thorn in my leg, I can't get it out, it's too small.' Feeling brave the princess replied 'Maybe I can pull it out?' The Dragon looked at her hopefully, 'Would you? Oh please do!' He said, watching the little fairy. Princess Sara moved quickly to the dragon's side and found that the thorn was actually a branch. She looked at it for a moment before grasping it with both hands.

"'Hold on now,' she said, 'I'm going to pull it out.' Princess Sara took a deep breath, and with all her might, she pulled on the branch. It came out of the dragon's leg and the Dragon was so happy that he licked her, from toe to forehead!" Sara giggles heavily. "And thus Princess Sara discovered that loud noises were nothing to fear, and she made an everlasting friend."

"Are you the Sky Dragon, Mr. Kyle?" Sara asks innocently. Glenn and Bethany both stop eating to pay attention to their granddaughter and to Kyle.

Kyle chuckles as he smiles at her, "No sweet Sara, I only know one Dragon and she is far from here."

"Alright now, dinner is over it's time for bed." Bethany says, standing up and clearing the empty bowls.

"Yes grandmother." Sara says, "Good night Mr. Kyle."

"Good night Sara, sleep well." Kyle says, she smiles and goes down a hall, turning into an unseen room.

"You have any kids of your own Kyle?" Glenn asks, watching the strangers smile as Sara disappears from view.

"No… not yet anyways." He says, looking at the old man.

"Hmm… well I think you'll make a great father. 'Specially if you keep makin' up bedtime stories like that." He grins, standing to help his wife clear the table.

"Thank you, I certainly hope I'll be both a good father and a good husband." Kyle says, getting up to help.

"Oh no, you sit down over there by the fire and make yourself comfortable." Bethany says, pointing to a large reclining chair by the living room fire. Kyle hadn't noticed earlier that Bethany had draped a black and red plaid blanket across the chair for him.

"Yes ma'am." Kyle chuckles, going to the chair. He sits for only a moment before he grows intensely drowsy, quickly falling asleep.

Kyle wakes the next morning, his back to a tree and the house he had been in gone; a faint afterimage of blue fairy magic glowing in the mid-morning sun. He smiles softly, bowing lowly to the image. It glows brightly momentarily before disappearing completely.

"Thank you for the company Mr. Kyle." Sara's voice says, the sound of her voice distant as the taste of the sea on the wind, "I'll never forget the kindness you showed me last night, and as a truer thanks." The world seems to shift and he finds himself outside the northernmost city on the continent. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

~~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~_____~~~~~

Annabelle sighs as they start the return trip, the rest of the journey and even finding the previous gem had been completely uneventful. She looks down at the ring on her hand, she feels the weight of it and lifts her hand to watch it glimmer in the sunlight.

That night still didn't feel real, she'd taken out a beast on pure instinct, and although every detail was crystal clear in her mind everything had happened in a blurred rush, thinking about how close she's come to revealing the true nature of her magic made her sick to her stomach.

She found herself wondering what would happen now that her father knew she had magic, how hard he'd push her to expand her talents in it. She glances at her betrothed, wondering if he'll keep her secret, wondering what would happen to him and his people if her father's scheming worked.

She looks to the road ahead, as if trying to see the future, and finds herself as uncertain of the path ahead as of what has yet to come.