Dragon Vow
Part 6: In which Katie completes her mission, and is rewarded for her efforts.
In the week that followed, Bryn surprised everyone constantly. Firstly announced that he was joining the McPhee’s on their Radiant Valley holiday. Secondly, whenever Katie came to him, asking for stories about his adventures meeting dragons, he indulged her. As it turned out he was a patient, lovely storyteller. Thirdly, Bryn was smiling and laughing on a daily basis. Had Katie cast a magic spell upon him perhaps? Lastly, when the McPhees decided it was time to return home, Bryn asked if he and Scout could escort them home, and if Katie could ride along with them.
It was only after they arrived home that Sky and Millicent found out that Katie had already received her mission briefing.
“Now, do you understand your mission, Cadet McPhee?”
“Yes, Commander Bryn,” Katie affirmed, before copying the salute she had seen her Daddy make so many times. Then she burst into giggles. She loved being spoken to like an important grown up. Bryn laughed heartily, then waved as Katie ran into the house. Still overcome with astonishment, Sky lingered.
“What’s happened to the serious Bryn Phoenix who scouted me at the bottom of Resonance Mountain? I am happy to see you having fun with Katie, but this is a very new side to you.”
Bryn, who had been giving Scout a well deserved head rub after their dragon flight, looked up and smiled.
“You haven’t changed one bit. You’re still the same headstrong cadet who always speaks his mind, even to his commanding officer.”
Sky grinned, then gave Bryn a piercing look, telling him without words that he wasn’t going anywhere without an answer.
Bryn fell silent for a moment. His expression returned to being serious and stony, Scout let out a whimper out of nowhere, and rested his head on his rider’s shoulder.
“A month before we met, I was given my first command,” Bryn said at last. “In that same month I rescued a little florin elf. Jasper’s treetop village was burned to the ground by a dragon, brainwashed by a dark rider, and there wasn’t a soul left to take care of him. I became a single father overnight.”
Bryn confessed that having so much responsibility thrust upon him at once had been terrifying. He had been too scared to joke around with his fellow guardians, just in case his relaxed attitude led to a dangerous mistake. When it came to raising Jasper, Bryn had been an uptight father, constantly enforcing rules and worrying himself sick about his safety and wellbeing.
“If I had my time again, I would play more games with Jasper, and joke around. Instead of pressuring him so much to do well at school, I would read him stories, and show him how much he means to me every day. He’s far too serious for his own good, and it’s all my fault. While I am doing everything that I can to do better, my son is all grown up now. Being the best uncle that I can, for Katie, is almost like having a second chance at getting things right.”
Sky, who believed that Bryn wasn’t giving himself enough credit as a father, shook his head.
“You’ve raised Jasper to be an admirable florin, a cadet in the Pegasus Squad no less. He’s a good kid, far too serious admittedly, however there are worse faults. You were the best father you knew how to be at the time, and I think the way you have supported him through his dragon phobia, while still managing to co-exist with Scout is astonishing. You’re done a great job raising him, Bryn. You must have done something right for him to have turned out so well.”
“Jasper is a great kid with a good heart,” Bryn replied with a fond smile. “So is Katie. She’s about to make you so proud. Katie is about to discover the importance of dragon safety, all on her own, and you and Millicent will finally have some piece of mind. Speaking of which, I still have my part to play. Scout, are you ready to…?”
Before Bryn could say ‘fly’, Scout lowered his head and launched himself into the air, without his rider.
Bryn gazed upwards, mouth open.
You are supposed to fly me home. What are you up to?
Scout grinned.
It’s a surprise!
The ominous onyx turned to the north and started on his journey.
Make sure Katie completes her mission, then go and relax with Sky. We’ll take care of the rest.
On that cryptic note, Scout disappeared. Sky laughed. Bryn’s new relaxed attitude and good humour was contagious.
“We’ll take care of the rest?” Bryn repeated, unsure who Scout was referring to. The onyx was friends with half of the dragons in the Tranquility Plains. The list of possible conspirators was endless.
Sky shrugged.
“Do you want to chase him on Azrael and investigate, or take his advice? I’ve recently set up some hammocks in our backyard which you are welcome to try.”
As he heard the word ‘hammock’ Bryn’s eyes lit up. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a nap in the afternoon.
“Scout hasn’t let me down yet. Perhaps I could sit this one out, just this once.”
“Hammocks it is,” Sky agreed.
Meanwhile, Katie was spreading out the list Bryn had given her out on the kitchen table.
“Read it again, Mummy. Just one more time.”
Millicent nodded.
“Water.”
Katie pointed to the waves that she’d drawn them next to the word, in crayon.
“Blanket, toys, daffodils, hay.”
Katie continued pointing at her pictures.
“Box.” Millicent said.
“Box!” Katie exclaimed. That was the picture she had missed. With her tongue poking out, she hurriedly drew a box. Then she rolled up her list and tucked it under her arm. The rest of the mission was up to her. It was time to go on a scavenger hunt.
Katie started off by asking her Mummy for some water. Millicent filled up a little dish which Katie put aside.
“Blanket,” Katie said to herself, knowing exactly where she could find one. The butterfly blanket covering her collection of hatchlings dolls would do the trick.
“Toys.”
Katie ran to her toy chest and started tossing out toys. After careful perusal she selected a ball made out of felt, a rain stick filled with beads, and a mirror. For good measure she also picked up her tiniest dragon plushie.
For daffodils, Katie ventured into the garden. She found some hay in the shed Azrael slept in whenever it was raining. Next, she ran back to Mummy. Millicent, who ran an emergency clinic for injured dragons, could always be counted on to have boxes lying around filled with bandages and medical supplies.
“Now to put everything in.”
Katie arranged each piece carefully inside. Next, she grabbed out her paints and started decorating the walls of the box with a sun, clouds, sky, and an enormous rainbow.
As she worked, Katie hummed happily. Just as she was finishing up, Bryn and Sky walked in the door.
Katie held out the box and grinned proudly.
“I did it. I made a dragon sanctuary. Do you love it, Commander Bryn? If I give it to you will it save a dragon?”
“I love it,” Bryn promised. “You mustn’t give it to me though. We have to wait for…”
The Commander’s eyes widened with surprise. Sky’s ears twitched.
“We have visitors,” he said. “Come on.”
Katie looked up at the sky, expecting to spy some dragons. Instead, a glittering pegasus circled above them, carrying a florin elf.
“What’s that?” Katie gasped. Too little to have ever visited the Blissful Forest, she’d never seen a flying horse before.
“That’s my son’s pegasus bond, Cloudy,” Bryn explained. He was looking up at the sky with just as much wonder. Within Jasper’s grasp was a tiny hatchling.
Jasper and Cloudy landed upon the grass gracefully. Jasper walked over to his adoptive father, then got straight to the point.
“Cloudy and Scout have been talking. Scout says that you have found Ezekiel a new home?”
Still stunned that Jasper was willingly nursing a dragon, Bryn could only nod.
“Are we entrusting her to Katie?”
Bryn nodded again.
Katie gasped.
“Is he giving us the dragon, for keeps?”
Sky and Millicent chuckled.
“Let’s see if they like your sanctuary as much as we do,” Sky said. “Bring it out.”
Katie nodded, then dashed inside to retrieve it.
“What a lovely home,” Jasper approved. He particularly liked the painted walls.
“What do you say, Zeke? Do you want to check it out?”
The tiny zircon dragon lifted his head and smiled at the sanctuary. Next he looked at Katie, and his smile widened.
“Squeak!”
“I think that he wants to say hello first. Do you want to nurse him, Katie? Hold out your hands.”
Katie nodded and held out her hands. As Jasper placed down the little orange dragon he fit into her grasp perfectly.
It was love at first sight.
“Hello Zeke. I love you so, so much. Do you want to live here? There’s soft hay, and a blanket, and daffodils to munch on, and toys! Do you…?”
Katie looked up as her heart began to ache.
“He doesn’t have a mummy or daddy does he? You wouldn’t be giving him to me if he did, would you Bryn?”
Katie looked up, but gazed at Jasper instead. He was very pale, and his arms were twitching all on their own. Bryn was next to him in a heartbeat. He lent his strength to his son and held him until he was calm.
“Is he okay?”
Katie, still holding Zeke, walked right up them. Bryn met her gaze, and gave her a weak smile.
“Jasper’s nerves are just catching up with him, that’s all. Dragons scare him, even the cute ones like Zeke. Flying all the way here, with a hatchling in his arms, was an act of incredible bravery. Do me a favour and show Zeke around the rest of the garden, would you? I’ll see that Jasper is taken care of.”
Katie nodded, and did as she was told. Once her back was turned, Bryn turned to Scout.
I hope this wasn’t your idea? Pressuring Jaz to face his fears is not a nice surprise.
“It was my idea,” Jasper said, guessing the topic of conversation. “I asked Cloudy, to ask Scout, to let us know when you found Ezekiel a new home. It was my idea to deliver Zeke. I’ve been practicing holding him whenever I get the chance. I wanted to surprise you, Dad; make you proud of how far I have come. Next I want to work up to mounting Scout. Though you’ve never said it, I know how much you would love us to fly together on a dragon, one day.”
Bryn blinked back a couple of tears, then smiled warmly at Jasper.
“There’s no need for you to prove yourself to me, Jaz. You make me proud every day. Scout and I already love you, so there is no need to push yourself to ride him unless that is something you truly want. You’re enough, Jasper, so please won’t you smile for me. The only thing that I want from you is to see you happy.”
“I know,” Jasper replied, for while his Dad never said so with words, Bryn had made it known many times.
“I want to see you happy too. That’s why I’m always trying so hard.”
Jasper smiled at his father.
“I’m so lucky that you found me, Dad. As long as I have you and Scout, I will always have a reason to be happy. I’m sure that Zeke is going to feel the same way about Katie. If she takes as much care with him, as she did making his home, he is going to be just fine.”
“I think so too,” Bryn agreed, looking up at the little drake, and dragon. She was running from flowerbed to flowerbed, eagerly showing Zeke the garden. Zeke wasn’t paying that much attention. He was transfixed with his new big sister, watching her with wide eyes, snuggling into her arms and drinking in every word.
Epilogue:
Bryn and Jasper stayed with the McPhee’s until sunset. Katie invited them both to play a game of hide and seek in the garden which they enjoyed immensely. As the sun went down, Millicent came outside, holding an eye dropper filled with milk. Until Zeke grew teeth of his own, it was to be Katie’s job to feed him his supper.
Katie sat on the front steps and gave Zeke his bottle. Just as she was finishing, Bryn knelt and caught her eye.
“We’re heading for home in a minute, but before we do, Jasper and I need to hear your dragon vow. Will you promise us something?”
A promise? Katie looked up. Promises were serious business.
“Do you promise to care for Zeke? Do you promise to look after him, keep him happy, and keep him safe? It has to be your job, not your Mum’s and Dad’s. They are far too busy looking after their own dragons, and you, so you can only ask for their help in emergencies. Do you promise to be the best big sister to Zeke.”
Katie nodded and promised. That was easy. There was nothing more that she wanted in the world.
Bryn thanked her, then gave Sky and Millicent a wink. He couldn’t wait to hear if his plan to teach Katie about dragon safety worked.
One week later, Katie awoke to the sound of squawking. A cheeping canary dragon had decided to land right outside of her bedroom window and say ‘good morning’.
“Good morning to you too, beautiful yellow dragon,” Katie beamed. She leapt out of bed, said a quick good morning to Zeke in his sanctuary, then raced downstairs. Sky, in the middle of his morning coffee, caught sight of her running across the kitchen.
“Where are you off to?” he asked, giving chase.
Sky opened the door and spotted the cheeping canary dragon. Katie was only a few metres away from hugging her. Remembering Bryn’s plan, Sky called to his daughter.
“Come back, Katie. That dragon might be dangerous, sick, or have an angry friend waiting nearby. Who’s going to look after Zeke if something happens to you? You promised Bryn and Jasper that it would be your job. You need to keep yourself safe so you can feed Zeke, keep him happy, and love him.”
Katie paused. Katie ran back and looked her daddy in the eye.
“I don’t wanna say ‘good morning’ to the canary anymore. It isn’t safe. I’m going to have fun playing with Zeke.
As Katie disappeared back into the house, Sky let out a gigantic sigh of relief. Katie had figured out the importance of dragon safety, all on her own. Thank goodness for that.
The End.
