Morgan Rice - A feast of dragons

Kolk walked around and stood beside Brom, and the two of them stood side by side, facing the boys. The crowd fell silent.

“Men,” Brom called out, “for from now on you shall be called men -we welcome you home as members of the Legion!”

The crowd cheered, and knights of The Silver stepped forward and pinned each boy with a pin, a black falcon holding a sword, the emblem of the Legion, on their left breast, above their hearts. Each Legion member was pinned by the knight he was squire to-and Thor was upset that Erec and Kendrick were both not there to pin him. Kolk, in their place, stepped forward and pinned him. He looked down and, to Thor’s surprise, slowly broke into a smile.

“You’re not half bad,” he said.

It was the first time Thor had ever seen him smile. Then Kolk quickly frowned and hurried off.

The masses cheered, and musicians started up, drums and lutes and cymbals and harps, and the crowd broke into celebration.

Casks of ale were rolled out onto the fields, and a foaming glass of ale was soon shoved into Thor’s hand. Within moments, it became an all-out party.

Someone came up behind Thor and lifted him up onto his shoulders, and Thor found himself hoisted in the air, along with this brethren, holding his glass of ale as it spilled, laughing as he was jostled in the air. Thor reached over and clinked glasses with Reese, also on a stranger’s shoulders, off-balance, laughing. He swayed and eventually fell off, landing on his feet with the others.

Songs and dancing broke out everywhere, and Thor found himself locking arms with some woman he did not recognize, a stranger who grabbed his arm and danced with him in circles, spinning him around and around, in one direction, then the other. Thor, caught off guard, finally broke away; he did not want to dance with her. Although all the other Legion members were dancing with random strangers, Thor did not want to be with anyone else. He only wanted Gwendolyn.

He searched for her frantically through the crowd. Had she come? Was she still interested in him?

The crowd grew rowdier, and the sun began to set, torches were lit and the drink grew stronger. Jugglers appeared, throwing flaming sticks, sporting events ensued, and huge spits of meat were rolled out. Thor was thrilled to be in the middle of it-but without seeing Gwendolyn, something was missing.

“Hey, that’s my girl!” someone screamed threateningly.

Thor turned and saw O’Connor, with his limp, dancing with a girl, then saw a drunken stranger approach and shove O’Connor hard. The man was tall and beefy, and O’Connor stumbled back several feet, caught off guard.

The bully continued towards O’Connor, but before he could take another foot, Thor, reacting instinctively, jumped into action-as did the other Legion members around him. Within seconds, Thor, Reese, Elden and the twins pounced on the man, knocking him down to the ground.

The man scurried up, fear in his eyes, and ran off.

Thor turned back to O’Connor, who was fine, but dazed. As Thor looked over at his brothers, he realized how quickly they had come to each other’s defense, realized that they were now all truly one unit, there for each other. It felt good.

Thor saw all the people dancing, and his thoughts returned to Gwendolyn. He searched for her everywhere, breaking away from the dancing area, leaving his brethren, and walking up and down the rows of banquet tables. He had to find her.

He jumped up on a bench, trying to peer above the crowd. But he saw no sight of her, and his heart fell.

He jumped down and saw an attendant from the castle, a girl he recognized, a beautiful girl, maybe seventeen, and ran up to her. She turned to look at him, and her eyes lit up in adulation. She was flirting with him.

“Thorgrin!” she exclaimed.

She embraced him, and he gently pushed her away.

“Have you seen Gwendolyn?” he asked.

She shook her head, and looked into his eyes.

“I have not,” she said. “But I am here. Would you like to dance with me?”

Thor gently shook his head and hurried off, not wanting to get embroiled with anyone else.

He looked everywhere for Gwen, on all corners of the field, and was starting to think the worst. Maybe she had run off with someone else. Maybe her mother had gotten to her, had forbidden their relationship. Maybe she didn’t feel the same way about him.

Suddenly, Thor felt a tap on his shoulder.

He spun, and his world melted.

Standing there, just a few feet away, smiling back, was the love of his life.

Gwendolyn.

*

Thor was mesmerized. Gwendolyn looked as beautiful as ever, staring back with her wide smile, her perfect skin, her long, blonde hair, her large blue eyes. It was like meeting her for the first time. He could look nowhere else, his heart pounded. He felt as if he had truly returned.

Gwendolyn jumped into his arms, embracing him tightly, and he embraced her back. He could hardly believe that someone like her could love him, and he loved her back with everything he had. He hugged her for a very long time, and she did not let go.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she whispered earnestly into his ear.

“As am I,” he answered.

He felt her hot tears running down his neck, and slowly, he pulled back. He leaned in and kissed her, and they held the kiss for a long time, as people jostled them in every direction, shouts and cheers all around them as the crowd swirled.

There came a whining, and Gwen looked down in delight to see Krohn, jumping up on her, whining. She reached down and petted him, kissing him and laughing as he jumped on her and licked her face.

“I missed you,” she said.

Krohn whined.

Gwen stood, smiling, and looked back to Thor, the last rays of sunset lit up her eyes, and she reached out and took his hand.

“Come with me,” she said.

He did not need prodding. She lead him through the crowd, zigzagging this way and that, Krohn following, until finally she lead him through an ancient gate, and into the royal gardens.

They were back in the labyrinth of formal gardens, and it was quiet here, the cheers of the masses muted. They had privacy, finally, and they held hands as she faced him.

They kissed again, for a long time.

Finally she pulled back.

“Not a day passed that I did not think of you,” Thor said to her.

She smiled.

“And I you,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I prayed every day for your safe return.”

Thor smiled as he reached into his pocket, and slowly pulled out the stone he had been dying to give her.

“Close your eyes,” he said, “and open your hand.”

She closed her eyes, smiled, and tentatively held out a palm.

“It’s not a snake, is it?” she asked.

He laughed.

“No, I think not,” he said.

Thor reached out and gingerly place into her palm the piece of Orethist he had found on Dragon’s isle.

Gwen opened her eyes, and examined it in wonder.

The stone lay in her palm, glowing like a living thing, attached to the silver necklace chain Thor had forged.

“It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed.

“It is Orethist. A rock from the shore of Dragon’s isle. It is said to have magical powers. Legend has it that, if you give it to someone you love, it will save their life.”

Gwen looked down and blushed as he said the word “love.”

“You brought this all the way back for me?” she asked.

She looked at it in awe as Thor took the necklace, came around behind her, and fastened it on her neck. She reached down and felt it, then turned and hugged Thor tight.

“Is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever been given,” she said. “I will cherish it forever.”

She took his hand and led him deeper into the twisting and turning pathways of the gardens.